Providing "Seniors Services Under One Roof" are (L to R): Patricia Edgar, Debbie Atwood, Cobie Sanger, Wendy Johnstone, Anne Delaney, Luci Aplocins and Anne Armstrong
Six local service providers have joined forces to create the Comox Valley’s first “one-stop shop” for seniors and families providing care for aging loved ones.
Seniors Services Under One Roof, which opened June 1st in Comox, is designed to provide answers to a question that more and more families are asking as our population ages: how to provide care for an aging loved one while balancing career and family responsibilities?
Members of the so-called “Sandwich Generation,” caught between caring for their aging parents and their own children, are often left anxious, stressed and completely overwhelmed.
“There’s never a convenient time to realize your parents suddenly need you to help take care of them,” explains Wendy Johnstone, a gerontologist and the owner of Solutions for Seniors Eldercare Planning. “You’re usually forced to make important decisions without any real time to research your options. We wanted to create a space where people can get answers, even if they don’t necessarily know the right questions.”
Although the six founding members of Seniors Services Under One Roof work independently of each other, they share office space and collaborate to deliver the most appropriate level of support for each particular client.
For example, if a client requires straightforward support such as household management, companionship or medical advocacy, it’s provided by Caring For You Today. In-home or in-office foot care can be arranged for the most used and abused part of our bodies, courtesy of Island Footcare.
If a client’s loved ones don’t have access to healthful food choices, Valley Home Meals will deliver nutritious home-cooked meals right to their door. In business for 10 years, Valley Home Meals uses fresh ingredients from its garden and offers a variety of specialized menus for clients.
Solutions for Seniors Eldercare Planning can coordinate more complex or hands-on care, and can help caregivers navigate the confusing maze of social and health care services. If relocation is required, Delaney Relocation Services will handle the entire move, from downsizing, to sorting and packing, to settling the client in the new home.
Serenity Estate Services offers a variety of services for seniors and their caregivers, including helping executors manage the complex details involved in settling an estate. This can include sorting important documents and shredding those no longer required, or preserving family history by turning photos, slides and negatives into digital images or photo books.
“In the past, if our clients needed additional support, we could only refer them elsewhere,” says Anne Delaney, owner of Delaney Relocation Services. “That’s not ideal for someone who’s already dealing with a stressful situation. Now, when they leave our office, they’ll have a clear idea of what they need to do and they’ll once again feel in control.”
To find out more about Seniors Services Under One Roof, or for a free consultation, call 250-339-1188. Or, visit their new office at 2002E Comox Avenue, on the corner of Anderton, Monday to Friday between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.; Thursdays until 7 p.m.; or Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Seniors Services Under One Roof invites you to attend an Open House this Thursday, June 17 from 5:30 pm to 8:00 pm. We’re located in Comox at 2002 E Comox Avenue, on the corner of Anderton (in the same building as 4 Cats).