“I saw the car, Dad.  Please don’t yell at me when I’m driving.”

My voice was measured and steady, sounding far calmer than I really felt.

Dad glared at me, then turned away and settled back.  At home I left Dad in front of the television and went outside to collect my thoughts.  Dark, heavy clouds hung in the air with a promise of rain.  The rumble of distant thunder seemed to echo my inner turmoil.  What could I do about him?

Dad had been a lumberjack in Washington and Oregon.  He had enjoyed being outdoors and had reveled in pitting his strength against the forces of nature.  He had entered grueling lumberjack competitions, and had placed often.  The shelves in his house were filled with trophies that attested to his prowess.

The years marched on relentlessly. The first time he couldn’t lift a heavy log, he joked about it; but later that same day I saw him outside alone, straining to lift it. He became irritable whenever anyone teased him about his advancing age, or when he couldn’t do something he had done as a younger man.

Four days after his sixty-seventh birthday, he had a heart attack.  An ambulance sped him to the hospital while a paramedic administered CPR to keep blood and oxygen flowing.

At the hospital, Dad was rushed into an operating room.  He was lucky; he survived.  But something inside Dad died.  His zest for life was gone.  He obstinately refused to follow doctor’s orders.  Suggestions and offers of help were turned aside with sarcasm and insults.  The number of visitors thinned, then finally stopped altogether.  Dad was left alone.

My husband, Dick, and I asked Dad to come live with us on our small farm.  We hoped the fresh air and rustic atmosphere would help him adjust.

Within a week after he moved in, I regretted the invitation.  It seemed nothing was satisfactory.  He criticized everything I did.  I became frustrated and moody.  Soon I was taking my pent-up anger out on Dick.  We began to bicker and argue.

Alarmed, Dick sought out our pastor and explained the situation.  The clergyman set up weekly counseling appointments for us.  At the close of each session he prayed, asking God to soothe Dad’s troubled mind.

But the months wore on and God was silent.  Something had to be done and it was up to me to do it.

The next day I sat down with the phone book and methodically called each of the mental health clinics listed in the Yellow Pages.  I explained my problem to each of the sympathetic voices that answered in vain.

Just when I was giving up hope, one of the voices suddenly exclaimed, “I just read something that might help you!  Let me go get the article.”
I listened as she read.  The article described a remarkable study done at a nursing home.  All of the patients were under treatment for chronic depression.  Yet their attitudes had improved dramatically when they were given responsibility for a dog.

I drove to the animal shelter that afternoon.  After I filled out a questionnaire, a uniformed officer led me to the kennels.  The odor of disinfectant stung my nostrils as I moved down the row of pens. Each contained five to seven dogs.  Long-haired dogs, curly-haired dogs, black dogs, spotted dogs all jumped up, trying to reach me.

I studied Each one but rejected one after the other for various reasons too big, too small, too much hair.  As I neared the last pen a dog in the shadows of the far corner struggled to his feet, walked to the front of the run and sat down.  It was a pointer, one of the dog world’s aristocrats.  But this was a caricature of the breed.

Years had etched his face and muzzle with shades of gray.  His hip bones jutted out in lopsided triangles.  But it was his eyes that caught and held my attention.  Calm and clear, they beheld me unwaveringly.

I pointed to the dog.  “Can you tell me about him?”  The officer looked, then shook his head in puzzlement.  “He’s a funny one.  Appeared out of nowhere and sat in front of the gate.  We brought him in, figuring someone would be right down to claim him.  That was two weeks ago and we’ve heard nothing. His time is up tomorrow.”  He gestured helplessly.  As the words sank in, I turned to the man in horror.  “You mean you’re going to kill him?”

“Ma’am,” he said gently, “that’s our policy.  We don’t have room for every unclaimed dog.”

I looked at the pointer again.  The calm brown eyes awaited my decision.  “I’ll take him,” I said.  I drove home with the dog on the front seat beside me.  When I reached the house I honked the horn twice.  I was helping my prize out of the car when Dad shuffled onto the front porch.  “Ta-da!  Look what I got for you, Dad!”  I said excitedly.

Dad looked, then wrinkled his face in disgust.  “If I had wanted a dog I would have gotten one.  And I would have picked out a better specimen than that bag of bones.  Keep it!  I don’t want it!”  Dad waved his arm scornfully, and turned back toward the house.

Anger rose inside me.  It squeezed together my throat muscles and pounded into my temples.  “You’d better get used to him, Dad.  He’s staying!”

Dad ignored me.  “Did you hear me, Dad ?” I screamed.  At those words Dad whirled angrily, his hands clenched at his sides, his eyes narrowed and blazing with hate.  We stood glaring at each other like duelists, when suddenly the pointer pulled free from my grasp.  He wobbled toward my dad and sat down in front of him.  Then slowly, carefully, he raised his paw..

Dad ‘s lower jaw trembled as he stared at the uplifted paw.  Confusion replaced the anger in his eyes. The pointer waited patiently.  Then Dad was on his knees hugging the animal.

It was the beginning of a warm and intimate friendship.  Dad named the pointer Cheyenne.  Together he and Cheyenne explored the community.

They spent long hours walking down dusty lanes.  They spent reflective moments on the banks of streams, angling for tasty trout.  They even started to attend Sunday services together, Dad sitting in a pew and Cheyenne lying quietly at is feet.

Dad and Cheyenne were inseparable throughout the next three years.  Dad’s bitterness faded, and he and Cheyenne made many friends.  Then late one night I was startled to feel Cheyenne ‘s cold nose burrowing through our bed covers.  He had never before come into our bedroom at night.  I woke Dick, put on my robe, and ran into my father’s room.  Dad lay in his bed, his face serene.  But his spirit had left quietly sometime during the night.

Two days later my shock and grief deepened when I discovered Cheyenne lying dead beside Dad ‘s bed.  I wrapped his still form in the rag rug he had slept on.  As Dick and I buried him near a favorite fishing hole, I silently thanked the dog for the help he had given me in restoring Dad ‘s peace of mind.

The morning of Dad ‘s funeral dawned overcast and dreary.  This day looks like the way I feel, I thought, as I walked down the aisle to the pews reserved for family.  I was surprised to see the many friends Dad and Cheyenne had made filling the church.  The pastor began his eulogy.  It was a tribute to both Dad and the dog who had changed his life.

And then the pastor turned to Hebrews 13:2: “Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by this some have entertained angels without knowing it.”

“I’ve often thanked God for sending that angel,” he said.
For me, the past dropped into place, completing a puzzle that I had not seen before: the sympathetic voice that had just read the right article, Cheyenne ‘s unexpected appearance at the animal shelter, his calm acceptance and complete devotion to my father, and the proximity of their deaths.  And suddenly I understood.  I knew that God had answered my prayers after all.

God answers our prayers in His time, not ours.

There are not many times that we can personally benefit by helping others.  Lucky for us, Margaret Palmer has constructed one of those opportunities.  Margaret Palmer, the designer behind Margaret Palmer Jewelry, has created the perfect way to both give and receive.  If you are like most people, you are aware that pink is synonymous for breast cancer.  Did you know that there is a rainbow of colors assigned to many other cancers?

The Colors of Cancer*

·         All Cancers – Lavender

·         Bladder – Yellow

·         Bone/Sarcoma – Light Yellow

·         Brain – Gray

·         Breast – Pink

·         Childhood – Gold

·         Cervical – White

·         Colon/Colorectal – Dk Blue

·         Esophageal – Hot Pink

·         Stomach – Periwinkle

·         Head & Neck – Red & White Stripe

·         Hodgkin’s Disease – Violet

·         Kidney/Renal – Kelly Green

·         Leimyosarcoma – Purple

·         Leukemia – Orange

·         Liver – Yellow

·         Lung – Clear

·         Lymphoma – Lime Green

·         Male Breast – Blue/Pink

·         Melanoma – Black

·         Mesothelioma – Royal Blue

·         Multiple Myeloma – Burgundy

·         Ovarian – Teal

·         Pancreatic – Purple

·         Prostate – Light Blue

·         Retinoblastoma – White

·         Testicular – Yellow

·         Thyroid – Light Blue

·         Uterine – Peach

Margaret created her Cancer Pearl Collection as a way for us to publically acknowledge the hope that we have for all of those that we carry in our hearts as they battle for victory. Margaret’s personal mission is not only to bring awareness of cancer through education, but she also donates 15% of her sales to the fight against cancer. If you would like to support those battling cancer, acknowledge a cancer survivor, or pay tribute to someone who lost their fight you can visit http://www.margaretpalmerjewelry.com to see how you can both give and receive.

*Margaret Palmer Jewelry

What is Long-Term Care?
Long-term care is help you may need due to a lengthy illness, an unexpected injury or accident, or a severe cognitive disorder such as Alzheimer’s disease.  It’s assistance with the everyday tasks, or the activities of daily living (bathing, eating, dressing, toileting, transferring, and continence).  Long-term care may be provided in a variety of locations, from nursing homes and assisted living facilities to adult day care centers and even your own home.

Who needs Long-Term Care?
Most of us strive to live active, healthy lives well into our later years, and indeed as a society, Americans are living longer than ever before.  This extended longevity is one of the things that drives the growing need for long-term care – the longer we live, the better the odds that we may need long-term care services.  It is predicted that in the year 2020, some 12 million older Americans are expected to need long-term care.(1)

While the majority of long-term care services is provided for seniors, a surprising amount of long-term care services are provided to younger people.  In fact, the U.S. Government Accountability Office estimates that 40% of the 13 million people receiving long-term care services are between ages 18 and 64.(2)

Who pays for Long-Term Care?
Long-term care can be expensive, financially and emotionally.  An unexpected need for long-term care can have a significant impact on a family’s assets and lifestyle.  Close to one-fourth of all nursing home costs are paid out-of pocket by individuals and their families.(3)

Many people mistakenly believe that their health insurance will cover the cost of long-term care.  Others believe that Medicare or Medicaid will cover long-term care expenses.  While Medicare does provide health coverage for seniors, it is limited in the coverage it provides for long-term care.  Medicaid will pay for the cost of long-term care, but you must qualify by meeting strict income and asset eligibility requirements.

Long-term care insurance could be a solution.  Long-term care insurance can be a very smart way to address the challenges from a long-term care need.  Long-term care insurance can help pay for nursing home care, as well as, a variety of home and community based care services.  Long-term care insurance may not be for everybody, so if you are considering a policy, read it carefully and be sure to work with an insurance agent who understands long-term care issues.

With long life comes long-term planning.  Make a plan for you and your family today.  For more information on long-term care insurance, please contact Brian A. Walker, Agent, New York Life Insurance Company at 972-774-2046.

Health Insurance Association of America. A Guide to Long-Term Care Insurance. 2007. Page 2
Health Insurance Association of America. A Guide to Long-Term Care Insurance. 2007. Page 2
3 Health Insurance Association of America. A Guide to Long-Term Care Insurance. 2007. Page 4

The purpose of this piece is solicitation of insurance. An insurance producer (agent) may contact you. New York Life Insurance Company long-term care insurance is issued on policy form series ILTC-5000 and INH-5000 with a state identifier and edition date. Example: Examples: for Idaho ILTC-5000 (ID) (1001) and INH-5000 (ID) (1001) and for North Carolina ILTC-5000 (NC) (Rev. 0606) and INH-5000 (NC) (Rev. 0606) and for Pennsylvania ILTC-5000 (PA) (1001), FLTC-5000 MLP (PA) (0503), for Tennessee ILTC-5000 (TN) (1001) and INH-5000 (TN) (1001) and for Texas ILTC-5000 (TX) (0305) and INH-5000 (TX) (0305). New York Life Insurance Company, 51 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10010.

Signs of Dehydration

Dry, sticky mouth
Thirst
Confusion
Headache
Disorientation
Decreased urine output

Nothing found at this website should be construed as medical advice or treatment recommendations.   For any symptoms you may have, you should see a medical professional.

• A minimum of 2 years experience or CNA license
• You must be eligible to be bonded
• You must have a valid driver’s license and insurance

If you are interested in a fulfilling and rewarding position providing care for the elderly, please click here to >>>>> download the application and submit your application by one of the following options:

• Email your application to info@eldercarelp.com
• Fax your application to 972.361.0050
• If you send a resume, please include 3 work references.

Any questions may be directed to info@eldercarelp.com.

Let our caregivers help you with all of those chores and errands that you don’t have time for. We can take care of

• Meal Preparation
• Light Housekeeping
• Grocery Shopping
• Much, much more

Need an unusual and extra special gift for a new mom? Give a gift of care to a new mom so she can relax and enjoy her new bundle of joy.

Your Hospice team will take care of all of the medical aspects of your family member’s care. Yet you still want to make sure that your loved one is comfortable and someone is always there if they need assistance.

Let our caregivers be there with them when you can’t be there. We can provide hourly respite care or around the clock care, so that you can also get the rest you need. We can also help with all of the things that you no longer have time for.

Energy levels could be decreased and patients may not have the strength to cook meals, do laundry or other household chores. Providing assistance during this critical period allows the patient to recover quicker.

Let our caregivers be there to provide an extra level of comfort through out the process. We can provide transportation to and from the hospital, be with you during your stay and then bring you home when you are released. We can also have all pre-ordered medical equipment and supplies waiting for you when you are released from the hospital