Senior Education
My name is Brandie Garlitz and I have made it my deepest desire to observe, resource, and question health issues for the elderly. Not only do I work for a local company that deals with these issues, I also previously owned a company that deals with elderly situations locally. Many community members have the hurdle of overcoming rural resources. I have seen triumphs and failures that our neighbors, friends, and adult children of the aging deal with when hitting a crisis head-on. My hope is to impart some of this information into the hands of those that need to act on information. I love my community and can appreciate the surrounding circumstances of living in the middle of an area that employs services from afar. I support local business and local employees. I intend to provide general topics and education to people that are facing said hurdles.
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Compassion and Grieving Friends
Posted Friday, December 23, 2016, at 10:54 AMI was very fortunate to be in a position where I could interview the wife and daughter of a patient who had passed while under the care of our hospice team. This blog is about their story, their grief and the world that had changed for them. In a world of social media and the all-knowing public, very few things are left unsaid. ... -
I Need Help! What is Medicaid? The Harsh Reality.
Posted Monday, June 6, 2016, at 10:51 AM1Believe it or not, elderly or sick individuals that need a personal care service (PCS) or assisted living/long-term care need to prepared to pay for this out of pocket. The assisted living range is from $3000 to $8000+ per month. In-home care is in the range of $15-$20+ per hour. ... -
Dementia vs Alzheimer's Disease
Posted Monday, February 22, 2016, at 9:22 AMMany people use these two words interchangeably while they are not the same thing. Dementia is a broad term that describes general decline of several symptoms. Alzheimer's is a diagnosis indicating a worsening condition that is ongoing and progressive. ... -
Elderly Care: Caregivers Part 2- Caregivers Needed
Posted Tuesday, August 25, 2015, at 11:39 AM2Calling all caregivers! Mountain Home is in need of quality caregivers. These angels watch out for our elderly/disabled and are normally the first line of defense in a home. There are many agencies and clients in need. Seniors are an important part of the circle of life. ... -
Elderly Care: Caregivers Part 1: CAUTION: Non-agency Caregivers
Posted Monday, June 22, 2015, at 11:12 AMQuite possibly one of the toughest jobs in the world is being a caregiver. Yes, it is extremely rewarding but it comes with many challenges. Caregivers are likely to help toilet, bathe, dress, do some meal preparations, complete light house-cleaning, and shopping for those that are sometimes homebound and disabled to some degree. This requires trust from those they are taking care of... -
Twist, Buy, or Spice It Up; Just Don't Go Without!
Posted Friday, March 13, 2015, at 3:26 PM5I hear complaints every day about how bodies just are not working the way they should. As someone who spends an extreme amount of time with the aging population of Mountain Home, this is quite a common occurrence. "My memory, my blood pressure, my weight...my, my, my." The first question I always ask is "have you been drinking enough water?"... -
Senior Centers and Good Ol' Fashioned Values
Posted Friday, October 10, 2014, at 10:59 AMSenior Centers have long been overlooked as merely a place for "old" people. I have been in many senior centers in Idaho and can tell you that the word "old" does not quite capture the essence of any senior center. I can attest that not only do young people frequent these establishments, but these centers are for the young at heart... -
Elderly Care: Efficient Doctor Visits
Posted Thursday, August 7, 2014, at 6:21 PMI hear many complaints about doctor visits. As we age, the reasons we visit the doctor increases. The human body is an amazing thing, but for seniors the word "amazing" takes on a whole different meaning. There are noteworthy conversations to have with your physician. ... -
Elderly Care: Sick, but not sick enough...
Posted Tuesday, July 29, 2014, at 12:17 AM2How many of us know families struggling to care for an aging relative in Mountain Home? How many of us see elders living alone and struggling? The answer is plenty. Mountain Home is a retired community and as such, our community has a population of aging adults that have family scattered across the United States. ...