By David L. Podos
Deb Turner is the local franchise owner of Seniors Helping Seniors. Her company offers support to seniors throughout Oneida County.
Turner explained that Seniors Helping Seniors does not offer medical services, rather it offers social support that can really make a difference in the lives of those they serve.
“What we do, we match active seniors who need support at home. What makes our business rather unique is, all our caregivers are seniors themselves, meaning, our caregivers are at least 60 years of age or older,” she said.
The history of Seniors Helping Seniors is quite interesting, according to Turner.
She says that company CEO Kiren Yocum worked for many years beside Mother Teresa in India. Turner said that once Yocum came back to the United States, at her church she had met some people that told her how their mother was struggling at home. At the same time Yocum’s neighbor just lost her husband and the wife was in distress. Yocum asked her neighbor if she could lend some support to the church family who was dealing with issues of an older family member and her neighbor said yes. In the end it helped her through her grieving process of losing her husband as well as helping the family.
“That’s where the concept came from which eventually became Seniors Helping Seniors,” Turner said.
Turner also said that having caregivers who are seniors makes a huge difference.
“I always say, jokingly, but it’s true, we come in slower, we come in calmer because we are older,” she said. “Here’s a personal example. My son who just loved his grandmother; he would come to her house and do anything for her. However, when he left she would say, ‘he drove into the driveway a 100 miles an hour, came running in the house saying what do you need me to do?’ He did what he had to, gave her a big hug then ran out the door, leaving her head spinning.”
Turner said that when one of her staff is assigned to a home to help out it is a win-win situation, helping the person in need and often giving the family a respite.
“We become more of a friend than an aid and or helper. Our employees do not wear uniforms, we don’t wear name badges. We become like the neighbor next door helping out,” she said.
Turner stressed the point that Seniors Helping Seniors are non medical workers who do not bathe the person, change their clothes, give medications etc. As she puts it, “no hands on the body.”
Seniors Helping Seniors do light housekeeping, meal prep and a very big part of the job is taking the client to medical appointments or grocery shopping. Often it just might be an outing to a local restaurant for lunch. Turner feels the most important thing that happens over the course of a staff member working in the home is the beginning of companionship.
“Many seniors who are living alone deal with anxiety and depression which can negatively affect their eating habits and or their sleeping routines. All of that can cause mental as well as physical health problems,” she said. “The power of someone who is now in their lives to help them makes a tremendous difference in their overall health and happiness.”
For more information call- 315- 720-4441. www.seniorshelpingseniors.com