• Eating a varied and healthy diet
• Maintaining a healthy weight
• Regular physical activity
• Limiting alcohol intake

By educating people about cancer worldwide we can prevent 30-40 percent of cancers, and a full one-third of cancers can be cured through early diagnosis and treatment.

If you or a loved one are being treated for any type of cancer in San Diego and need extra support getting through the treatment Love 2 Live can help.  Love 2 Live can provide an assistant to come to your home and help you by preparing nutritious meals, help you maintain your daily routine, pay attention to your needs for rest, nutrition, exercise, and private time.  Call to arrange a meeting to discuss your individual needs.

I read a great article this morning about staying active and reaching your 100th birthday.  A report from the National Institute on Aging says “Living to 100 is becoming increasingly commonplace … In 1950, there were approximately 3000 American centenarians.  By 2050 there could be nearly 1 million.”

It’s important to stay active and involved.  Most people would agree that the aging population wants to stay in their own home and not move to a facility of any kind.  Facilities can be nice, but let’s face it, it’s not home.  If you or your loved one are facing challenges of staying at your home, give Love 2 Live a call.  We would love to discuss what we can do to help.

Our compassionate, professional caregivers can make your life easier by providing help with bathing and dressing, cooking and cleaning, and laundry.  They can go on errands or drive you to an appointment.  They can walk the dog or make the bed, dust, vacuum or just sit and talk for a little while.  We love to care and would love to meet with you in your home to plan how you could best utilize our services.

Please read the article: http://www.lifelinescreening.com/health-updates/healthy-you/general-health-and-wellness/america-were-old-and-getting-older.aspx?SourceCD=LETT-823

I read this article today and it made me think about how we can help ourselves and help our loved ones.   One thing we don’t want is to feel resentful and guilty.  We want the person we are caring for to feel loved and secure and to bring some joy back into their lives.  Wendy mentions that no one wants to be a burden and sometimes that means you, the caregiver, need to seek help.  She says that spending time with your relative and enjoying that time is what is important.   When you’re burned out and tired you can’t be a good caregiver.   When you’re missing time from work and worried about your job, you can’t be a good caregiver.  You can ask for respite by calling Love 2 Live and having one of our trained, compassionate,  professional caregivers come to help your loved one and give you a much needed break.  It doesn’t mean that you stop caring for your mom, dad, grandma, grandpa or other.  You simply get to spend quality time with them and let the professional caregiver do the stuff that makes you tired and frustrated.  Love 2 Live caregivers can help with meal planning and preparation, personal care like bathing, dressing and oral care.  They can go shopping, dust the furniture do the laundry or walk the dog.  Call Love 2 Live for your much needed break. We love to care.   Please read the article:  http://www.huffingtonpost.com/wendy-lustbader/caregivers_b_1211853.html

At Love 2 Live we are here to help with

• Caring Companionship
• Personal Care Assistance
• Meal planning and preparation
• Household help
• Transportation for shopping and doctor appointments

We will assist with a customized care plan after a complete assessment to help you or your loved one in San Diego live with joy and dignity in the comfort of your home.

We want to recognize those family caregivers who sacrifice so much to care for their loved ones.

As a family caregiver, the thought of hiring someone to care for your loved one may bring up a whole host of concerns. Among them may be:

• Worry
• Cost
• Guilt

Worry: Many caregivers believe they are the only ones who can properly care for their loved one. Others worry that their loved one may take that act of hiring an outside caregiver as a “lack of caring” by their family member. And for those just starting out as a family caregiver, you may be concerned that your loved one will be resistant to the idea that he or she needs “outside” help. Although any of the above may be true for your situation, most often the addition of a professional caregiver is well received by the elderly. Check out our radio interview and testimonial page to see what many of our own clients have to say.

Cost: The cost of hiring a non-medical caregiver is an expense that most people do not plan for and often they are surprised when it is not covered by their health insurance. This can cause people to make the decision to “do it all themselves” which can be done for a while but it will take its toll. Statistics proving the health and stress problems that afflict family caregivers is well documented and easy to find. Additionally, lack of training and support is associated with poor health outcomes for both caregivers and recipients according to the 2007 Report to the Health Trust: Recommendations for Wellness Initiatives that came out of UC Berkley. There are also numerous studies that show family caregivers suffer in the workplace through lost time, wages, and they are often not seen as viable candidates for promotions and merit raises. When all of this is taken into consideration, the choice of “doing it all yourself” is much more costly than paying for non-medical care. But before you run out and hire someone, we suggest you know the facts. We can also help you explore resources for payment that you might not be aware of, such as Veteran’s benefits, Health Care Spending accounts and other options.

Guilt: Many family caregivers resist hiring a professional caregiver because they feel like they should be able to do it. That by taking “some time off” they are somehow being a bad daughter or wife. In reality, the average family caregiver is married, female, mid-forties to early fifties who works a full time job and spends 18 hours each week providing care to a loved one. It is no wonder that stress and health issues are so rampant in family caregivers. No one can successfully operate at a “sprint” pace for years without serious consequences to their health and mental wellness. Some of the symptoms of caregiver stress are:

• Feeling overwhelmed
• Sleeping too much or too little
• Gaining or losing a lot of weight
• Feeling tired most of the time
• Loss of interest in activities you used to enjoy
• Becoming easily irritated or angered
• Feeling constantly worried
• Often feeling sad
• Frequent headaches, bodily pain, or other physical problems
• Abuse of alcohol or drugs, including prescription drugs.

If you find yourself in this list, it is impossible to hide your suffering from the person you are caring for, because that person cares about you, too. It is likely she is very aware of the toll your caregiving roll is taking on you, and she suffers from a sense of guilt over it. Making a plan to maximize your availability to her through the strategic use of professional caregiving services, even if it is only for 8 hours once a month, is a wise and loving thing to do for you and for your loved one.

Guilt also tends to make you feel like you have to do it today because your loved one may not be here tomorrow but it is more likely your loved one will live for many years. It is essential that those years be as positive and full of joy as possible. Let us help you make each day more joyful by providing you with some time to not worry, to exist with confidence that what needs to be done is being done and that all is well because your loved one-although not in your hands-is in good hands. Research shows that people who take an active, problem-solving approach to caregiving issues are less likely to feel stressed than those who react by worrying, feeling helpless or guilt-ridden. A professional caregiver can help you and your loved one get more out of life in so many ways.

Contact us and schedule a time for a free in-home assessment. During the assessment, we can answer any questions you might have about what we do and whether we are the right choice for you and your loved one. The assessment is not a sales call; it is an opportunity for you to more fully explore our services, our caregiver training, and for us to find out if we are a good match to your needs. At the very least, you will find the assessment educational and helpful to you.

Kevin has a personal connection with the cause.  Kevin’s good friend from college lost her mother (June Campbell) in 2009.  Through grief and comfort, Kevin experienced first-hand how impacting this disease truly is and how many people it touches.  Kevin decided last minute to run the 5K in honor of June.  Registering only 5 days before race day, he set a fundraising goal of $350.  After sending just a few emails to wonderful family and friends, his total raised in less than one week was $635; almost double his original goal!  Kevin’s friend (Courtney) was overcome with emotion when she learned he was running to honor her mother, and support her entire family.

A debilitating disease like breast cancer affects so many in one way or another.  We’re grateful Love 2 Live was able to sponsor Kevin in the race and support an extremely worthwhile cause.

Today Kevin prepared some FUN FACTS about the relationships built between our clients and caregivers.  We went around the table and had to guess which clients and caregivers each scenario was describing.  It was great to get a more intimate insight into the daily lives of our clients, and understand in more detail the joy our caregivers are able to bring to them.  Below are just a few examples of the FUN FACTS we discussed this morning.

- One of our caregivers who has been with the same client for over four years cooks a family dinner every Wednesday evening.  The client’s immediate family comes every Wednesday for a visit, and to enjoy a home-cooked meal provided by our caregiver.

- One of our clients is no longer able to drive.  She very much looks forward to her regular caregiver coming every Wednesday for outings to her favorite places, especially movies and lunches at Boston Market.

- One of our clients who is fantastic at playing the piano by ear is teaching her favorite caregiver how to play.

Each and every one of our clients and caregivers at Love 2 Live share something special with each other and motivate us every day.  It makes me so happy to know that we are making a difference for our seniors at home every day by helping them stay where they want to be: in their home!

I pulled into my garage at 3:30PM yesterday and didn’t close the door because I was going to leave to go to a meeting.  At 4PM the lights flickered and the next minute all the electric in the house went out.  Of course we found out that all of San Diego was affected and expected that it would last a short time and be back on.  You know that is not what happened.  There have been lots of crazy emergencies that have occurred all over the world recently.  Earthquakes in Japan, tornadoes in the American South and Midwest, flooding along the Mississippi, and earthquakes and wildfires in California.  We never know when, where or what kind of emergency will happen, but it will happen.  Yesterdays black out proved that.  Did you know that September is National Preparedness Month?  Most of us are not prepared to handle emergencies.

What should you have in your “Emergency Kit”

• Water: one gallon per person per day for at least 3 days
• Food: at least a 3 day supply of nonperishable food. Don’t forget a can opener.
• Water and food for pets, plus extra leashes, treats, and toys
• Warm blanket, extra set of clothes, sturdy shoes for each member of the household
• Prescription medication
• List of allergies to any drug or food
• Tooth brush and toothpaste
• Personal sanitation items, such as moist towelettes, garbage bags with ties
• Paper plates, cups, plastic utensils and paper towels
• Battery powered or hand crank radio
• Flashlight with extra batteries
• First-aid kit
• Keys to your house and car

To learn more about emergency preparedness go to ReadySanDiego.org.  Call us at Love 2 Live Care if you or a loved on needs help preparing an emergency kit.  We can help with assistance with bathing and grooming and many other activities of daily living that you may have challenges with.

Are you the BEST?  Then we want YOU!

Love 2 Live Care Services is currently seeking qualified and dedicated HR & Recruiting Administrator.

This person will be a vital addition to the office staff, responsible for the majority of the company™s human resource needs.  This individual must also be comfortable and willing to balance many tasks, assisting with other administrative duties throughout the office.  It is very important that this person is also able to efficiently assist and calmly troubleshoot scheduling emergencies as they arise.
The ideal candidate will be highly organized and very detail-oriented.  It is important to have the ability to self-prioritize and anticipate the next steps by working ahead and knowing what will come next.  This person must have a great phone presence and the ability to relate to all different kinds of people.  We need someone with a can do attitude, who cares about seniors and who isn™t afraid to work hard.

Duties & Responsibilities

-          Recruit, screen, interview, and hire quality caregivers by accurately and efficiently following the hiring process.

-          Assist in conducting new-hire orientation

      Assist in preparing and conducting all reviews, disciplinary actions, and performance feedback for caregivers

-          Work hand-in-hand with Scheduling Coordinator, ensuring a consistent schedule by staying in contact with all caregivers

-          Other general administrative duties as assigned

**The applicant must also be able to be on-call 1-2 weeks out of every month.  The demands of this industry are 24/7; we continue to care for our clients into the evening, overnight, on the weekends and holidays.  It is important that the agency is only a phone call away when needed.  While on-call you will not be required to come into the office, but must be readily accessible via telephone/email and able to immediately handle scheduling and safety issues as they arise.

Minimum requirements:

¢ Have a true passion and sincere interest in the senior population

¢ Highly organized; great listener; fast learner

¢ Able to adapt to frequent changing needs of clients, caregivers and office personnel

¢ Proficient Computer Skills (Word, Excel, Internet, etc.)

¢ Be willing to jump in and help when needed

¢ Able to work in a small office environment

¢ Self- starter: completes tasks when necessary without waiting to be asked to do so

¢ Excellent people skills and have a general willingness to help

¢ 2+ years experience in position(s) relating to human resource, recruitment, management, scheduling

¢ Bachelor™s Degree preferred

When the phone rings, we say, Thanks for calling Love 2 Live Care–How can I make your day better?  If you can™t say this with sincerity and excitement, every time the phone rings, in the middle of chaos¦then you are not the right person for this position.

***If you feel you are qualified and the perfect person for this position, please send cover letter & resume one of two ways:

EMAIL: jobs@love2livecare.com

or

FAX: 619.923.1323

Please do not call the office.  We will contact you for follow-up information and to continue through the application process if we feel you are a good fit.  

We are honored to have been selected #1 ”In-Home Eldercare Services” in San Diego!

2011 marks the 16th anniversary of The San Diego Union-Tribune’s annual “BEST OF” recognition for hundreds of businesses and organizations throughout San Diego county.  Last year I noticed there was no category for in-home services and contacted the UT.  I thought it was strange that they annually distribute “The Elder Care Directory,” a resource in which many local agencies advertise their home care services, but there was no mention of this incredible industry in the “BEST OF” guide.  I (and possibly others as well) spoke up and were heard!  This the very first year they have included a category specific to our industry.

When I saw an ad that enrollment was open to nominate your favorite businesses back in May of this year, I told my Scheduling Coordinator about it.  He got really excited and said “Let’s go for it!”  He notified all of our caregivers, clients, and affiliates about the nomination process.  By the end of May we found out that we and seven other companies had been nominated in our category.  We alerted everyone we know that we had been nominated and how proud we were that with more than 300 agencies in San Diego County, only eight were nominated and we were one of them.

The next round of voting determined who would take top honors.  Voting lasted for almost three weeks throughout June.  We received a very exciting phone call at the office a few weeks ago that Love 2 Live Care Services was voted the #1 in-home eldercare company in San Diego!