Hey Sandwich Generation! Hungry for Advice on Your Aging Parents?
Help is Here!
At the core of the sandwich, between delicious pieces of “children toast” and “parent bagel,” imagine slices of school tuitions and senior care, condiments spread thin of extracurricular activities and medical facilities. And there, in the middle, is the meat—baby boomers and Generation X servings of protein and nutrients.
According to the Social Security Administration, adults now 65 years old are expected to live approximately 84 years with nearly one out of four living past the age of 90 and one of 10 past the age of 95. With many of us starting to have families years later than before, it’s not uncommon for us to be simultaneously supporting our parents and our children— with our money and our time.
How to succeed when caught in the middle? One bite of that filling sandwich at a time.
Senior Living Advisors
Ruby Care
Who Says There’s No Such thing as Free Advice?
by Lisa Beach
“The process (of selecting senior housing) can be confusing and stressful … we make it easier.”
– Joyce Logan, Senior Living Advisor, Ruby Care
This freshly launched company (started by two sandwich-generation moms) provides a free “matchmaking service” that hooks up seniors in the Dallas/Fort Worth area with the senior living facility perfectly suited for them.
With 700+ senior housing options in the community, choosing a new home for yourself (or your parent) can be stressful. You need to weigh so many factors trying to find that perfect fit, whether you’re looking for independent living, assisted living, residential care, memory care, or skilled-nursing/long-term care.
Ruby Care eases the stress of this process by doing all the legwork for you.
“As you search for an assisted living care or senior community, you need to understand the terms and different levels of care. The process can be confusing and stressful,” says Joyce Logan, Senior Living Advisor and one of the company’s founding partners. “We make it easier by managing the research, the compliance inspections, and the phone calls to help you understand the terms, what’s available, and the benefits of each situation.”
They network with in-the-know healthcare professionals who work in home health, hospice, rehabilitation facilities, hospitals, and also with physicians and other senior service providers. Armed with this insider information, a Senior Living Advisor interviews you to discover your wishes, needs, budget, and other preferences; helps coordinate facility tours; and guides you through the selection process. Best of all, they provide this service absolutely free!
Contact Info: Joyce Logan, 214.536.2979, jlogan@rubycaresenior.com or Co-Owner Patty Williams, 817.995.1001, pwilliams@rubycaresenior.com, www.rubycaresenior.com.
Senior Living Communities
The Legacy at Willow Bend
Amenity-Packed Peace of Mind
by Lisa Beach
“We offer our residents the peace of mind knowing that they’ve put a plan in place that will follow them from total independence to complete care, in other words – care for life.”
– Dana Hanks, The Legacy Willow Bend
As the only Life Care community in Collin County, The Legacy Willow Bend is part of The Legacy Senior Communities, a Jewish-sponsored 501(c)(3) charitable organization. The Legacy Willow Bend upholds the culture and tradition of its Jewish residents, while still offering a community that welcomes people of all faiths. Located on a scenic, 28-acre campus in Plano, the facility offers independent living, assisted living, memory care, skilled nursing, and rehabilitation.
“We offer our residents the peace of mind knowing that they’ve put a plan in place that will follow them from total independence to complete care, in other words – care for life,” explains Dana Hanks, the facility’s Sales Manager. “Our legacy of serving seniors in the Dallas/Plano area for more than 60 years demonstrates our commitment to both the Jewish community, as well as people of all faiths,” says Hanks. “And our not-for-profit status assures our residents and their families that we focus on maintaining the exceptional services and amenities they’ve come to expect from us, as well as maintaining a fund to help support those in the Jewish community who may not be able to afford care and services.”
Within the gated community residents enjoy an upscale style of living in an amenities-packed environment that includes a 7,000 sq. ft. fitness and aquatic center, theaters, a library, fine dining, courtyard gardens, and landscaped terraces. Plus, an array of wellness, social, volunteer, and religious programs encourage a vibrant, productive approach to the retirement years.
Contact Info: 6101 Ohio Dr., Plano, TX 75024, 972.468.6236, www.thelegacywb.org.
Senior Care and Caregivers
Honor
Redefining Home Care
“So many people have a misconception about home care—that it means losing your independence.”
– Kathryn Parsons, Dallas General Manager for Honor
by Tricia White
“I used to be one of those people,” says Parsons, “But now I know the opposite is true. Setting up the right level of care actually helps to maintain quality of life and the independence you have living at home.”
For Parsons, the former CEO of LaunchAbility, a non-profit organization which matches adults with disabilities to the workforce, Honor is a labor of love.
“When I discovered that Honor, a San Francisco–based home care company, was expanding into the Dallas area, I jumped at the opportunity to join their team. Honor’s mission—to help our aging parents continue to live at home for as long as they want—is so important to so many people. Honor is improving the lives of professional caregivers, and in turn, changing the way care is delivered. The visionary approach and technology is exciting to me professionally, but the stories I have heard about how many lives we touch on a daily basis is what inspires me the most, she says.
Caregivers are reluctant to ask for help and are often the last to realize they have pushed themselves too far at the risk of their own health and well-being, or feelings of guilt for needing help, Parsons shares.
“I will never forget the story of one of our clients that I heard my first week at Honor. She said, “I thought that I was letting my husband down by hiring a professional caregiver. But, what I realized in only a few weeks is that, in fact, having a CarePro from Honor better serves my husband and me both. I won’t have him with me for much longer, but for the time I have, I get to be his wife again.”
“We provide professional care for seniors and their families to help them to age at home – with joy, comfort and grace,” says Parsons. Less stress and more care? That’s something we can honor.
To learn more about the Honor difference and how home care can help your family, visit joinhonor.com/texas/dallas or call 214.494.8808.
Three Essential Tips for Family Caregivers
1. Get involved in your parent’s medical care as much as possible. Go to their doctor’s appointments, take notes, ask questions, and share information you have about the care and wellness realities and routines at home.
2. Work with your loved one to create a caregiving plan, then build the care team you need. Be sure that family members, friends, and neighbors on your team have the right skills and training—and that care professionals are thoroughly vetted.
3. Take care of yourself too. Be realistic about what you can and cannot do and don’t be afraid to ask for help when you need support or a break. Making your own health a priority will help you manage stress and be a far more effective caregiver.
-Kathryn Parsons
Elder Law and Estate Planning
Haiman Hogue, PLLC
Compassionate Legal Expertise
by Lisa A . Beach
The firm is passionate about helping seniors (and their family members) navigate the complicated twists and turns of aging.
Established in 2007, this Frisco-based law firm is passionate about helping seniors (and their family members) navigate the complicated twists and turns of aging; the legal team handles elder law issues, such as life and estate planning, estate administration, Medicaid, disability and other long-term care issues, and guardianship.
“I had a wake-up call when complications during a surgical procedure left me in critical condition for 10 days, in the hospital for 37 days, and put me out of work for over eight months while I had six additional surgeries to save my life,” explains Fred Haiman. During the ordeal, Haiman watched his wife deal with many stressful decisions because he didn’t have a medical directive, a medical power of attorney, or other important documents in order.
“I made a pact with God that if He got me through this, I would do what He wanted me to do,” continues Haiman. “God was calling me to help people who have to go through what my wife and I endured.” Tapping into this personal experience, Haiman opened his own firm specializing in elder law and merged with Rex Hogue in 2013. “We are a faith-based firm, serving God and our clients in everything we do,” Haiman says. “Our clients become our clients for life and beyond. I say ‘beyond’ partly because of our faith and partly because we want to be there for the next generation—our clients’ kids-if they need us.”
Contact Info: Hall Office Park, 2595 Dallas Parkway, Suite 100, Frisco, Texas 75034, 469.893.5337, haimanhogue.com.
SENIOR LIVING RESOURCE GUIDE
Senior Care & Support Resources
Ruby Care | rubycaresenior.com
Joyce Logan – jlogan@rubycaresenior.com, 214-536-2979
Patty Williams – pwilliams@rubycaresenior.com, 817-995-1001
Honor | joinhonor.com
Kathryn Parsons – Kathryn@joinhonor.com, 972-345-6433
Custom Caregivers | customcaregivers.com
David Stanley – david@customcaregivers.com, 972-928-0703
Elder Law & Estate Planning
Haiman Hogue, PLLC | haimanhogue.com | 469-893-5337
Attorney Clarke Wilcox (disabilities)- Clarke@hhqlegal.com, 214-395-8085
Attorney Fred Haiman (elder law) – fred@hhqlegal.com, 915-203-2596
Colin Smith Law | colinsmith.com
Attorney Colin Smith – colin@colinsmithlaw.com, 972-773-9095
Insurance Services
Davidson Insurance Services
Bobby Davidson – bobby@davidsoninsservices.com, 972-980-4884
Senior Living
The Legacy at Willow Bend | thelegacyseniorcommunities.org
Dana Hanks – DHanks@TheLegacyWB.org, 972-468-6200
Landing at Watermere
972-525-8000 | watermerefrisco.com
Grand Brook Memory Care of Allen at Twin Creeks | grandbrook.com
214-490-4387
Sunrise Senior Living | sunriseseniorliving.com
972-985-9181
Arbor Hills Memory Care Community
koelschseniorcommunities.com/senior-living/tx/plano/arbor-hills
972-441-5958
Atria Senior Living
atriaseniorliving.com/retirement-communities/atria-canyon-creek-plano-tx
469-208-4716
The Waterford at Plano | capitalsenior.com/thewaterfordatplano
877-645-5888
Highland Springs | ericksonliving.com/highland-springs
972-231-9933
Overture Park (apartments) | liveoverture.com/plano
844-338-5593