Cheryl Bass, BSN RN
Being a Registered Nurse with 25 years of experience in home health and elder care did not prepare me for the tough psychological impact of first, caring for a parent in Hospice care, then caring for the other aging parent who had just lost a spouse and was living alone. We invited my Mom to either move in with my brother or me in order to assist her more. She politely refused saying, “ I’m older and wiser, and have decided to live in my own home and hire in help when I need it.” This intermittent type of care would provide my Mom her necessary respite periods of privacy while maintaining a secure environment to maintain her current level of health.
I found this experience with my own Mom and Dad was also the frequent experience of many people in my own acquaintance. Having owned and managed a Home Health Agency, I realized I could offer assistance in these situations that would allow individuals, who choose to remain in their own homes, the option of periodic assistance that would maintain their safety and comfort at home and prevent admission to a facility. Health research has shown that admission or readmission to a hospital or nursing home facility is one of the major causes of increased frailty and infection in older adults. With Mom’s encouragement, we named our company Older Wiser Life Services, LLC or The OWLS.
With a combined 38 years of experience in health care and home care delivery, we are confident we can help you with your personal care and companion care needs. My Mom had hopes that others in circumstances similar to hers would consider utilizing this visit approach to help them also stay in their own homes in a safe and healthy manner. She even became a client of OWLS in the last few years of her life while she remained safe and comfortable at home.