This post is sponsored by Comfort Keepers.
Like many of you, I’m helping take care of my aging senior parents at this stage of life. I take on the role of caregiver with gratitude because I’m glad to still have my parents. There are challenges but also happiness along the way. My sister and I are blessed to have our parents for so long of our adult lives. They are fortunate to see their only granddaughter get married and have 3 children and those great grandchildren have the good fortune to get to know their great grandparents. That’s the way it’s supposed to be. Family is so important to all of us, that is why I’m excited to partner with Comfort Keepers to help share and celebrate their 2021 Comfort Keepers National Day of Joy.
What is National Day of Joy?
Comfort Keepers, the leading provider of in-home care for seniors and adults in need of assistance, will celebrate their third annual “National Day of Joy” on Wednesday, June 30, 2021. The National Day of Joy, founded by Comfort Keepers, takes place each year on the last Wednesday of June and was established to encourage and inspire individuals to find joy in everyday moments. It’s a day to focus on what brings our seniors joy especially during this last year of the pandemic – especially if they are not able to see people in person as much. It’s been a tough year for all of us.
Comfort Keepers is more than just a company name. Comfort Keepers is what they call their caregivers because they do so much more than provide care. Helping to elevate the human spirit and make their clients’ lives brighter and safer, all from the comfort of their home
I appreciate companies like this more than ever now. With my parents aging, this past year has been more challenging than ever. Mom has recently experienced severe back pain which has really gotten her down from her normal day to day activities. Having someone available to help her out has been a life saver for me.
Let’s celebrate the joyful moments of life!
Studies have shown that laughter and joy have the ability to improve mood, curb anxiety and depression, and mitigate the negative effects of stress and relieve pain.
I’ll share how our family has celebrated along the way during this very trying past year we’ve all had. Now more than ever, our family is looking down the road to what lies ahead and we may be using caregiver services for the first time with my parents. We hope they can continue to stay in their home living independently, but we don’t know what the future holds.
It’s sometimes difficult to know what to do as loved ones age. What do you lose by hiring a caregiver? Comfort Keepers concentrates on the freedom, joyful moments and experiences their clients are gaining with caregiver services.
For me, just having a caring person come into my parents home to help them out with meals and daily activities for a few hours a day is so freeing for me. We all have so much on our plates these days and caring for elderly parents is part of that for some of us who are fortunate to still have them.
This past year, we still saw each other and celebrated just being together as a family. We did stay apart for the first couple months of the pandemic, but made the decision to still see each other as often as we could after that.
Americans find joy in people – not places, events or things.
Comfort Keepers arranges for seniors to have the opportunity to live happy and fulfilling independent lives by treating them as if they are a member of their own family, with dignity and compassionate care.
Mom and dad enjoy being in their own home and having daily routines of life to keep them busy. We all need those daily routines.
A Comfort Keepers national poll shows that seeing family members (42%) and spending time with them (38%) brings Americans more joy than traveling (37%), seeing close friends (32%) or not wearing a mask as often (28%).
Seniors over the age of 65 prioritized seeing family the most (55%), compared to last year, when dining at a restaurant topped their post-pandemic to-do list.
We are all ready to get back to some sense of normal, aren’t we?
Seniors have mastered social media and texting as a way to stay in touch with family and friends.
My parents don’t use a computer, but we got mom an old iphone just so she could be part of the family texts, sharing pictures and activities every day. She really enjoys having that phone and I know this brings her joy.
We picked muscadines last year and Mark and I learned how to make muscadine jelly. That was a rewarding thing to learn how to do and Mom was a big help in picking and showing us the ropes on jelly making. Mom knows a lot about cooking and making jelly and after we got the hang of it, we did another batch at home.
We picked blueberries with the grandchildren. Little Iris had fun picking blueberries with mom while they were home last summer.
A couple of months ago, Mark and I decided to plant tomatoes in mom and dad’s backyard, so we bought tomato plants and got them planted in the ground. Mom and dad were supervisors since we are novice tomato growers.
I’m happy to report they are looking great and already have lots of little green tomatoes growing!
Our family has always been all about spending time together, especially holidays and special occasions. The girls made birthday cards for their great grandaddy last year and it was so cute. I know he’s so proud of those 3 great grandgirls.
Mom is too and when baby #3 came along last year, Alexandra has been a wonderful addition to the family. We all adore those girls.
We celebrated Mother’s Day on our patio this year and had the best weather. Mark was talking to dad about something and I love the natural look of this photo as they are engaging in conversation.
Dad is a fan of sweets and dessert is always a highlight for him. We so enjoyed our family gathering, being outside together, celebrating mom and Lauren and the girls being home was just perfect. Family is so important to all of us and I’m sure you all feel the same way about your family.
Each generation learns from the previous and it’s such a blessing to still have mom and dad in our lives. I know it’s good for these girls to be able to see the love and wisdom from their great grandmother and passing down legacies of faith is the best thing we can do for the next generation.
Comfort Keepers, which is a leading provider of in-home care for seniors and adults who need assistance, will celebrate their third annual “National Day of Joy” on Wednesday, June 30, 2021. It was established to encourage and inspire each of us to find moments of joy every day.
Do you have aging seniors in your life? How do you find joy in the day to day lives of those senior adults who might need your help with things along the way. It can be overwhelming to be available all the time, but there is help out there when we need it. I’m so glad there are companies like Comfort Keepers to help our families in need of assistance. My mom and dad are definitely reaching the point that we are going to have to bring in other people to help. We hope to navigate this road with dignity and respect for them and help them along their journey. We don’t always know what is coming, but we can be prepared and informed when it does come.
For more information or to participate in the National Day of Joy, please visit Comfort Keepers Day of Joy.
God Bless your family, Rhoda. What an inspiration to see you navigate this time in your life. You all are so fortunate to have one another. And of your readers are so fortunate to see the love that pours out of these pictures.
Thank you, Barbara, it does get harder and I know so many of you have already gone through it.
I’m glad your mom and dad allow someone to come in and help. You are very blessed to still have them. When my parents were 80, I moved them to my city so I could keep an eye on them. Previously we were 9 hours away. They did fine for a few years but mother’s dementia kept getting worse. The biggest issue I had was they didn’t cooperate! They didn’t want anyone coming in their house. I had no choice but to put them in assisted living because Daddy could no longer take care of Mother. She basically was an infant and couldn’t do anything for herself. Yes, I was criticized by my family, but they didn’t live here and I could not do it all by myself. Sadly they both passed at ages 95 and 96.
Hi Nancy, I feel for you as I am seeing how hard this can get. You did what you had to do. We don’t know how long mom and dad will be able to live alone either, we take it one day at a time. Once they are in their 90’s it gets harder.
Nancy, I hope you were able to let go of the guilt once you realized you couldn’t do it by yourself. Those of us who have been a caregiver know how hard it is and if I hadn’t had a husband who was as willing as I to take care of my mother, I truly don’t know what I would have done. However, I finally learned not to pay any attention to family because they do not walk in our shoes. My sweet mother lived with me for 5 1/2 years before passing at 96. Dad had already passed before she came to live with me. I would gladly do it all again.
Rhoda, your article today really hit home as my husband and I are 76, experiencing some changes in last few years, such as health concerns. One is trying to accept that we are not able to do all the activities we have always enjoyed in our life. I have always enjoyed flower gardening in my yard, move a little slower now but still enjoy time outdoors Family has always been important to us, enjoy spending time with them. One of the most important things you can do for parents is spend time with elderly parents. I found it interesting to know of help available to elderly, especially helping them stay in home environment, which is very important to us. It is wise of you to prepare for aging parents. Wishing your parents good health from South Georgia fan of yours. Thanks for this information. Always enjoy your blog!
Thank you Teresa, you all are all so supportive. Caring for elderly parents can be hard and we are just entering that stage where things are changing and we don’t know what’s next. I want to keep them in their home as long as possible, but there are challenges with it too. One day at a time now!
So wonderful to always see you and your family postings. I’m so happy to see Brother and Sister Vickers still being able to have a wonderful abundant life. They are so blessed to have you and Renee to help take care of them. Love to you and your family.
May God bless you in a very special way and give you joy in your heart as you care for your precious Mom & Dad. This is not easy but you are well prepared for “tomorrow” and what it brings.
We looked after my precious Mom & Dad too and we were so happy that we had the opportunity to keep them in their own home and have wonderful help working alongside us. It meant so much. This time in life is never easy but I know you will have joy in your heart as you care for them! We will keep you all in our prayers. Enjoy each day you have with them!
Rhoda these days are indeed difficult and I went thru this with my parents from 2008 until 2011. They been blessed to be able to afford to stay in their home until the and Comfort Keepers was who we used 24/7 for 3 years. I must admit that we had to request that a couple of the people not be sent back. Overall our family was very pleased and my brother and I were were very thankful that such a service was available. Prayers for you and your family in these days.
Hi, Sandy, that’s great to hear. We have a wonderful lady who is helping mom many days and it’s been such a help to me.
Thank you Rhoda for putting a spotlight on caregivers. It is so important as we have aging loved ones or loved ones that are sick. God Bless you and your family.
I really appreciate this post. Your respect and love for your parents is wonderful to witness. They are a blessing to all of us. Their lives of faith, along with yours, really do inspire and strengthen your followers. Thank you.
Thank you, Diane, that is so nice to hear!