Candy Francis: A popular lament among home care company owners is: “Why can’t I find a good scheduler?” Or… My personal favorite…” Scheduling is just an impossible job do well. I would NEVER, EVER want to take that one on myself!”  Here’s where I differ from my colleagues. I have actually performed all the jobs in our company and would not ask anyone to do what I was unwilling/unable to handle myself.

But, that said, it is extremely rare to find a person with creativity and enthusiasm for this specific job. And rarer still when one is thrust into it with no warning, in an emergency situation. This is where Candy Francis has simply exceeded expectations. The combination of just the right person emerging at just the right time in the right place with the best attitude is rare, if not impossible.

Our skin undergoes changes as we age, which weakens our defenses against skin disease. Our thinner skin allows UV light to penetrate more deeply, which can make us more vulnerable to skin damage. Smoking and pollution also harm our body’s ability to protect us from damage from the sun. All of this increases our risk of getting skin cancer.

I am asking the readers’ forgiveness and once more indulging me as I again bring up the recent death of Rosemarie Lyons (see page 4) Larger than life, a brave survivor, courageous, loving, spirited and now, very sadly, missed by so many.

As our readers well know, hospice is an essential component of our work. Physically and emotionally draining on occasion, supporting the family and loved ones as their parent, sibling, spouse, partner or friend spends their final days, weeks, months, or even years on earth is truly an honor. A privilege. It is also at times demanding, unpredictable, sad, fulfilling, and finally peaceful.

We often hear, “Isn’t it Depressing? Sad? Exhausting?” For the loved ones, of course, but not for us. Except exhausting. It IS exhausting. And supporting our caregivers during this time is a critical component in our hospice supportive care.

Look With Your Heart: Lessons From My Time With My Grandmother By Mia Tagano

There is a quote somewhere “look with your heart not with your eyes” – I love this and try whenever possible to include my heart as I go throughout the day, especially when meeting new people.

Recently, my 94 year old grandmother was moved from hospital to a rehabilitation/care facility. I have been visiting her almost daily. She has dementia and has no short term memory –she doesn’t know I came yesterday but is grateful to see me today. We laugh easy together, play solitaire in partnership, high-five with both hands when she “wins” at the end.. When I go to leave, I kiss her face she giggles and thanks me for coming to visit her. I thank her for her love. It is an intimate and beautiful period of our life together.

Reilly went to trial for armed robbery. The jury foreman came out and announced,

‘Not guilty.’

‘That’s grand!’ shouted Reilly. ‘Does that mean I can keep the money?

A tourist asks an Irishman: “Why do Scuba divers always fall backwards off their boats?”

To which the Irishman replies: “Well if they fell forwards, they’d still be in the bloody boat.”

Murphy told Quinn that his wife was driving him to drink.

Quinn thinks he’s very lucky because his own wife makes him walk. ■

We are privileged to have received referrals from and be able to coordinate care with many Assisted Living facilities, rehab facilities, and Medicare Home Care and Hospice agencies. Our growth is in large part due to the trust the staff in these organizations have put in our caregivers. We are likewise impressed with them and we are committed to referring to them on a regular basis