When Song Sets You Free

"Larry was an artist, a musician, sculptor, and jewelry maker. There wasn't anything he couldn't do." A sheen of tears layered his wife's eyes as she started a video monologue, detailing their charmed life of the past, the seizure which happened out of the blue, and the reality of their life now. The story doesn't end in heartbreak, however.

Music therapist Moreen Borsch began working with Larry, singing, playing the piano, and strumming guitar, using these activities to improve speech and strengthen muscle coordination. As his wife reconciled her memories of the past with the harsh edges of the present, watching her husband come alive through music was an unsurpassed joy. His cheerfulness and upbeat manner were completely attributed to music acting as the spur.

Music therapy can enhance the quality of life for people with conditions ranging from dementia, chronic pain, cancer, addictions, anxiety disorders, and numerous others. The American Music Therapy Association relays music therapy interventions can be designed to:

• Promote Wellness
• Manage Stress
• Alleviate Pain
• Express Feelings
• Enhance Memory
• Improve Communication
• Promote Physical Rehabilitation

Music is a unique and special tool which can be used to benefit all members of a family unit. Heavens, who WOULDN'T want to experience all of the bullet points above?! The truth of the matter is, you don't need to be a professional music therapist to utilize it in a daily routine. Being in the elder care business where compassion rules and sometimes music is just sensible, ACCFamily encourages you to creatively implement music in the fabric of your life. Caregivers especially can benefit from this specific therapy.

AARP blogger Amy Goyer gives a list of practical ways, acting as caregiver or loved one, to incorporate music into the everyday:

• I keep a CD player on the back porch where Dad likes to sit in the sunshine and listen to his favorite tunes — everything from classical to World War II-era music to Josh Groban. It transforms a solitary time into a fun, relaxing or stimulating experience and activity for him.
• I keep a DVD library and I use the DVR to tape musicals (hint: TCM airs them frequently!). We watch them often as the plots are easier to follow, they keep Dad’s attention and Mom enjoys them … and Dad and I sing along! Dad and I frequently have spontaneous dance contests as we view them. Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, The Sound of Music and Oklahoma are just a few of our faves.
• Dad likes to take the dog for several walks every day, and I turn our walks into musical adventures. Physical activity and music are a golden combination for brain stimulation. It’s amazing to me the songs that Dad will remember when we’re walking — the other day he sang one of his college fraternity songs for me that I had never heard before — when we got home he sang it for Mom. He’s so adorable! When we walk, if he begins to drag his feet, I encourage him to play drill sergeant (he’s a WWII veteran) and he calls out the march and then we sing patriotic songs. His pace instantly picks up and the shuffling stops.

So let's get snappin', foots'a tappin', hands'a clappin' - because song will set us free!

The Quiet Intruder of Grief

Barely a month ago, the nation mourned together over the events that unfolded at the Boston Marathon. Social media and news sites were hit every hour to gather information, and the country mourned together. Monday brought about another national event, this one showcasing the power and unpredictability of nature, rather than people. A F4 tornado slammed through the town of Moore, Oklahoma in a violent display of natural power. When the thunder stopped and the rain slacked to a drizzle, a path of flattened destruction stretched to the horizon and the death tally changed at every hour.

Homes gone. Heirlooms shredded. Families marred. Care needed.

So grief begins.

After the events in Boston we posted a blog on the subject of grief (Read it HERE) which was well received. The initial shock fades and rebuilding begins, but grief is a quiet invader that gains emotional control and momentum as time passes. A quote by a first responder hits it on the head:

"We have not yet reached the coping state. We still have not processed what has happened."

It's survival time. Then the news crews will disappear, and the debris will be cleaned up, and the town will have to pull themselves up by their bootstraps and start rebuilding. While the exterior re-building will take time and sorrow, the internal rebuilding will be a different story. It will take time. Grief will be in their honey, their lives, their milk, their conversation.

ACC Family resolutely sends out prayer and support for the victims in Moore. We pray for the initial time of clean up and sorting, while also praying for a journey of grief-care. Our hearts are with you.

How to Avoid Crashing and Burning

  Are you thinking of race cars? Think again. Our lives, emotional stabilities, and stress levels are in need of constant stewardship and care, because without maintenance, burn-out looms on the horizon. Caregivers especially fall under a category prone to stress and fatigue. Now, caregiving has numerous rewards (too many to list), but in general, caregivers are vulnerable to burn-out because they don't recognize the initial signs.

While there are not fires, smoke trailing from your engine, or tires popping literally speaking, the Mayo Clinic gives a bulleted list of caregiver stress.

• Feeling tired most of the time
• Feeling overwhelmed and irritable
• Sleeping too much or too little
• Gaining or losing a lot of weight
• Losing interest in activities you used to enjoy

Your family and friends do not want you walking towards a future of depression and anxiety. Once any signs are recognized, it's time for the maintenance aspect: What are you doing to promote stability?

Here are a few creative and non-creative solutions for revival.

1) AutoBODY maintenance

The groundwork for stress relief. Are you taking proper care of your body? Are you drinking enough water every day, devouring fruits and vegetables, and exercising? I don't have time to exercise or join a gym you protest. Get creative. Park far away while getting groceries and walk back. Take the stairs. Get up in the morning and do 30 sit ups. Take deep breaths and do isometric exercises in the care while waiting at stoplights.

2) Roll the Windows Down, Turn the Radio Up

When the breeze blows through your hair and jubilation takes over: what are you doing? Playing an instrument? Taking a walk on a sunny day? Sitting in a nook escaping into your favorite novel? Turn off the TV and Computer, and get creative. It doesn't have to be expensive. Sitting in a coffeeshop with a $1 tea and people-watching can be just as rejuvenating as a $100 massage. (although, massages are GREAT stress relief:)) Also, do a madlib. Laugh. Go see a comedian. Laughter induces stress-relief in the body and the great part? IT'S FREE.

3) A Solid Race-Car Support Team

Race-cars, in addition to needing regular maintenance, have a team on hand, on duty to ascertain it's in tip-top shape. Are you surrounded by a supportive team? Are you encouraged? Who is speaking into your life?

4) Aligning Not just Your Tires, but your Spiritual life

Spirituality, a faith in things unseen, is a keystone of a balanced life. Not only does it echo into your physical well-being, the depth of compassion and strength of spirit it encourages makes all obstacles seem surmountable. Love will overcome all.

These solutions for avoiding care-giver burn-out hinge on the hilarious to the mundane, yet an awareness of the threat of stress will ultimately help AVOID crashing. Care-givers take your mark - the race is on - and crashing and burning is NOT in the future with YOU behind the wheel.

Improve Your Memory Eating Mediterranean Style

Do you want to hear a word that spurs an emotional reaction, ranging from a sinking feeling, dismay, excitement, to disgust? Are you ready? Diet.

That's right.

What's your diet? Are you on a diet? Do you need to lose a few pounds and change your diet? Are you adhering to the latest fad diet?

Adkins. Paleo. Liquid. At any given point you can find an assortment of literature online, in bookstores, or in a recent magazine outlining the newest and best way to lose weight.

Few, however, are upheld by physicians or academic research and study. This week I stumbled upon a diet featured on the Mayo Clinic's homepage called the Mediterranean Diet. Sounds exotic, right? Come to find out, a recent study by the University of Alabama at Birmingham endorsed the diet, in addition to discovering it preserved memory in seniors. Healthy eating can help maintain cognitive function in late life. However, the lead researcher also stated that the diet is not a 'save-all' but rather a combination of diet, exercise, and abstinence from smoking.

All of the academic research bring me to my final, and delicious point: What exactly IS the Mediterranean diet? It's based on the food and lifestyle countries bordering the Mediterranean sea, heavy olive and canola oils containing Omega 3 fatty acids, low red meat, and heavy fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. Did I mention wine? Red wine is included.

While the diet may not be for everyone, ACC Family wants to remind the cyber-world of the importance of being pro-active about your personal health. All I'm saying is that if it holds bread and oil, with a glass of red wine on the side, it sounds like a winner to me. And the best part? I'll be able to remember things better with improved cognitive function.

This Was a Fox Trot Possessed by Disco Fever

Carrie Ann Inaba made this entertaining remark in the wildly popular "Dancing with the Stars" reality television show. The show pairs professional dancers with stars of varying degrees of dancing ability to compete in various genres of ballroom. Shows of a dancing nature, from Dancing with the Stars, So You Think You Can Dance, and Smash have exploded in the recent years, ultimately resulting in increased local participation in dance, especially in the elder age demographic. With the push towards nutrition and low-impact exercise, many don't think about dancing as a 'whole-body' workout - mainly because it's FUN. The fact of the matter is, dancing utilizes the entire body: engaging muscles and increasing strength, improving flexibility, and joyfully uplifting the spirit. It's physical AND mental.

Not only that, but Canada's esteemed Mcgill University compared two groups of seniors; one group of walkers and one group who attended bi-weekly tango lessons. After 10 weeks, both groups scored better on cognitive tests, but it was the tango dancers that performed better on multi-tasking tests, in addition to improving their balance and coordination.

Flubbing dance steps? Turning the Fox-trot into Disco? None of that matters. ACC Family has the synopsis of this article: It's time to cha-cha.

Don't Misunderstand Home-Health Care!

Someone recently made a remark about the 'baby-sitting nature' of home-health care. The person was speaking degradingly about the amount of money spent on a person who did little other than sit silently at a bedside. I was dumfounded.

In a country where the median age is rapidly accelerating, along with a push for alternative scenarios to nursing homes and hospitals, home-care health can offer many advantages. Yet despite the lifeline it represents, in general it remains little-recognized, unappreciated, and hugely misunderstood. Just as my 'friend' considered it over-paid baby-sitting, many people have strange ideas about the helpfulness and overall advantages of home-care and caregivers.

Realizing the multidimensional and multidisciplinary nature of superior home-care is key. Beyond the health training that preserves dignity in the home, the intimate attention benefits the patient AND surrounding family. These services ultimately allow HOME to be the setting, which better assists in the overall pain management, daily diets, and movements. Climbing the stairs (under a watchful eye) may not get a gold medal, but the jubilation at seeing a family antique or picture on the second floor gives the day a golden glow.

Should home health care be a microcosm of what our health care system SHOULD be doing? I believe so. And ACCFamily does just that: we are a look at the future: compassionate assistance from the familiarity of home.

The Invisible Scars of Grief

“Every morning, I wake up and forget just for a second that it happened. But once my eyes open, it buries me like a landslide of sharp, sad rocks. Once my eyes open, I'm heavy, like there's too much gravity on my heart.” (Sarah Ockler, Author) On a specific date every year, one that is scarred onto my calendar with an invisible fire, yet a normal day to everyone else, I awaken with a lead weight on my chest. My usual morning routine carries on unchanged; the neighborhood sounds echo regularly; my car starts with its usual resilience. However, the particular day stands out with a marked fact that the world is not how it should be, because a particular loving presence is missing. My grief has abated from the numb, then fiery, then resigned pain of the first several years, but grief leaves everlasting scars on our lives.

In the aftermath of the Boston bombings when suffering and grief is thrown like water in our faces, it's easy to talk about pain and walking together and keeping up strength.

It's when the media attention stops and the nation forgets and the neighbors ask about the dog rather than a loved one that the true feelings set in and the battle begins.

C.S. Lewis writes in the book "A Grief Observed," :

"I once read the sentence 'I lay awake all night with a toothache, thinking about the toothache and about lying awake.' That's true to life. Part of every misery is, so to speak, the misery's shadow or reflection: the fact that you don't merely suffer but have to keep on thinking about the fact that you suffer. I not only live each endless day in grief, but live each day thinking about living each day in grief.”

Working in elder home-care, the subject of grief is embedded into ACCFAmily's conversations and ethos. We understand the sentiments and feelings of loss and realize that providing a listening ear is our first priority. Grief is a process. Grief-care needs appropriate resources. Grief is not sobbing for a week and then living normally. Grief care is a necessary component of our services, as support is an integral part of continuing life.

Our deepest sympathies and prayers go out to the families and friends of the victims in Boston as they begin their own personal journeys of working through grief. We realize the weight. We've walked with the heaviness. And we walk forward knowing grief and love are conjoined.

I Remember Better When I Paint

Trailer to a documentary narrated by Olivia de Havilland about the many benefits of arts for people with Alzheimer's. DVD available from amazon.com, frenchcx.com, artistsfor alzheimers.org and hilgos.org titled I REMEMBER BETTER WHEN I PAINT: TREATING ALZHEIMER'S THROUGH CREATIVE ARTS, produced by French Connection Films and the Hilgos Foundation.

Extending Independence 1

Extending Independence 2

Extending Independence 3

Parkinson's Disease and the Mind

What's the disease with tremors and spasms? Why that's Parkinson's. With movie stars such as Michael J. Fox and boxers like Muhammed Ali featured in the media, nearly everyone on the street can tell you that the physical twitches are visible signs for recognizing Parkinson's Disease. Many people don't realize that the mind is affected by the disease as well. With over 1 million Americans living with Parkinson's and thousands of undetected cases, it is necessary to be informed about both the physical and mental components.

ACCFamily knows it's important for people with Parkinsons, their caregivers, families, and physicians to be aware of the following problems. With that foundation, the caregiver or support team can assist in the quality of life for the person. Many times, the mental difficulties are tied with the medications, so the sooner impairments are recognized, the better.

So how does Parkinson's affect the mind?

1) Cognitive Impairment 2) Hallucinations 3) Communication Trouble 4) Depression 5) Anxiety 6) Impulse Control Problems

If one of these symptoms is recognized in a loved one, it is time to approach the caregiver or medical physician to see if there are possible solutions. In the long run, stability is the goal to be pursued for optimal physical and mental health.

The Strength of Optimism

Sharleen, a vibrant and active woman in her late 50s, was hit with a ton of bricks when her spouse of many years suffered from a stroke. The schedules and habits of a wonderful marriage were scattered in the air like confetti as hospital visits and and rehabilitation became a way of life. Soon, her beloved husband, Jim, was able to return home as Sharleen assumed primary caretaking duties. The stresses piled up, but Sharleen attempted to isolate those worries in her mind, rather than become snappy and withdrawn. Her gentle optimism lifted Jim's spirits, and because of her perseverance, he also tried to persevere in therapy and physicality.

Typical story? In some responses, yes. In a society where caregivers, especially spousal caregivers,  are riddled with depression as a result of their profession, a new study shows that self-esteem and optimism influence depression in stroke survivors. It's not just 'one-way' influence, but both partners influencing the other.

In a health world where scientific measurements defeat all, the mysterious and in-definable qualities of the human mind and spirit are sometimes looked upon with suspicion.

ACCFamily presents the above information with a quiet questioning attitude: Are you persevering? Are you pressing on through trial with an optimistic attitude? And if not, how can we help? ACC Family presents a myriad of options to relieve caregiving stress so that spouses can keep their loving and uplifting roles, without being burdened with the toils of incessant labor. Let us encourage YOU.

The Capacity for Creativity

"Oh, I can't play an in instrument. I don't have a creative bone in my body." Versions of this statement can be heard throughout all networks, especially in adults of prolonged years. A large group of people consider themselves cut off from music, art, and creation if they did not already learn a specific skill set during childhood. Many DESIRE such learning and attempting new skills, rarely challenge themselves to exercise minds and bodies in fresh ways.

The interesting fact of the matter is that EVERYONE has creative instincts, even if they haven't been expressed since we were children. A creative author and researcher of the arts, Dr. Gene Cohen, believes most of live in a state of 'non-creativity.' We don't allow room in our daily lives for a new recipe, trying to learn the new funky dance on YouTube, or creating a messy watercolor. However, engaging in any creative activity stimulates a number of positive responses in our minds and bodies, from decreasing depression, providing a sense of mastery, to offering opportunities for social engagement and promotes self-confidence.

Ok, you say, Ok. I'm on board with the above statements, yet how can I implement these 'creative exercises' into my mundane, schedule paced, daily life? ACCFamily understands the sentiment - once an idea is ingrained or a habit formed, it's hard to get out of the humdrum, EVEN when you know it could be beneficial to your health. Luckily, an article over at Huffington Post gives a list of items, including trying a new thing (from a new outfit, a variation on a recipe, singing out loud, etc.), to taking a weekend workshop. Re-arrange your living room furniture. Write a letter. Frame a favorite picture. The list is endless - creative tasks that don't result in a Picasso-like piece of art, but ultimately increase the joy of living.

The Cost of Diabetes

Diabetes is costly: said in the most figurative AND shockingly literal sense. Since 2007 there has been a 41% increase in the total cost of diabetes, from 174 billion to 245 billion. Forty one percent?!

Articles are everywhere online detailing the high rise of Type I diabetes among children, the hypotheses of diet and gene interactions to combat the repercussions, and endless statistics detailing growth rate and costs. The information can be staggering, not to mention overwhelming. In the midst of this diabetes hurricane, health professionals are growing increasingly concerned with the sheer NUMBER of people affected with the disease and the factors prevalent in adding to those numbers. Two major factors influencing this rise is the increasing age of the baby boomer generation, along with the rising obesity rates.

ACCFamily wants to continue to spread awareness about diabetes, in order to address the disease on the front end of the battle, versus the back. Besides helping monetarily, it will increase quality of life. Consider taking a moment to read the following articles:

Diabetes Cost Report

Diet Strategies Show Promise in Lowering Risk of Diabetes

Do you need a Hug? Or a Shove?

Do you need a hug? Or a shove? The power of local government is a resource to influence lifestyle, especially in the health sector. While government laws and schemes can forcefully cause a chain reaction, positive repercussions are not always apparent. That being said, creative health initiatives in the grassroots style can directly or inadvertently cause cultural and social change. BBC published an article outlining the significance of local health councils, and the manner of measures to spur health change. The author organized these categories into the physical verbs of "Hug, Nudge, Shove, or Smack." I would have liked to see the word "punch" thrown in there for equal dramatic measure.

What do these words represent specifically? It's a literary way of defining community action. Take "Hug" for example. Local officials worked with fish and chips restaurants in north-east England to get them to use salt shakers with fewer holes. Who would have thought?! Reducing the holes from 17 to 5 can cut salt consumption by three quarters, and that's without the public even being aware!

The terminology break-down:

Hug - Covers a range of incentives - although not usually hard cash. Instead, the focus has been on providing vouchers or giving discounts. Already used to discourage things such as drug use and smoking.

Nudge - Based on the idea of changing behaviour without using compulsion. Can include enticing people to take up activities or using subliminal marketing. For example, stressing social norms can encourage people to change behaviour because they want to be alike.

Shove - More deliberate than a nudge. For example, some council planning departments have been restricting takeaways and fast food restaurants near schools.

Smack - The most draconian of all the measures: banning something. Most famously used by central government when it introduced the smoking ban.

While ACCFamily cannot provide salt shakers with fewer holes, the aim to provide home-healthcare containing 'hug-like' measures is ingrained in our ethos. Sometimes, though, we get a little feisty with a nudge. Case in point: "EVERYONE is calling ACC Family to inquire of their marvelous services, so YOU should TOO!"

Silver Linings for Mental Illness?

“I don't want to stay in the bad place, where no one believes in silver linings or love or happy endings.” Sunday evening holds a highly acclaimed and anticipated event: the Academy Awards. While some years contain films of historical significance, sensationalized biopics, fantastical adventures, and exposes on current events, the 2013 awards seem to be a year that covers all categories. The quote above is pulled from a movie that has swept ALL of the acting categories: "Silver Linings Playbook." For those of you cannot keep track of the movies, "Silver Linings" is the story of a young man suffering from bi-polar disorder, his family interaction, and the ultimate meeting of another damaged soul. The film, although a comedy, is never crass in its portrayal of mental illness. Instead, a real, gritty, sorrowful, yet exuberant narrative is presented which ultimately raises awareness of mental health.

Silver Linings is, pardon the phrase, the silver lining in the current society that is taking a closer look at mental health. After Sandy Hook and the reflex media reaction of concentrating on gun control, the proceeding inquiry was made into mental health statistics, awareness, availability of medical assistance, and cost. News articles abounded, graphs were everywhere, and people talked openly.

Besides inadequate healthcare and governmental regulations, the biggest issue that makes people refrain from seeking medical advice is the stigma. "I'll handle it on my own," or "It will get better in time," is an excuse that the Washington Post published in one of its articles. The community is frightened of what it doesn't understand, so when people are unable to put on a 'facade' to carry out normal actions, the likely chance of plummeting even deeper into the recesses of a possible mental disorder is even greater.

ACCFamily has worked with numerous clients struggling with mental illness. It's time to talk openly about issues that we hide and find the Silver Lining in our story. Let's discover it together.

Snap, Crackle, Pop Arthritis

Snap. Crackle. Pop. If you are thinking of the well loved breakfast cereal Rice Krispies, good job, but try again. What is an inflammation of the joint that causes limited movement and pain, in addition to a little popping? Ding Ding Ding!

The dreaded word: Arthritis.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 50 million Americans have arthritis -- and by 2030 that number is expected to jump to 67 million. With our beloved Baby Boomer Generation increasing in age, accompanied by a desire to remain fit and participating in normal activities, resources on arthritis have abounded. You can find a number of resources online, from low-impact aneorobic exercise routines, outlines on the joints and synovial fluid, all the way to diet and food regimens.

Because of ACCFamily's extensive track record in caring for patients with arthritis and managing pain, we wanted to add our own harmony to the chorus of resources. Below you will find a list of foods that can act as a small change in your diet, but yield big results. When you hear facts such as, "Every pound you carry around your belly adds 10 lbs on your joints," it spurs one to action! Check out the list, then head to the grocery store to try out some of the recipes below!

1. Fatty fish (salmon, herring, sardines) or any other food with omega-3 fatty acids, such as walnuts, soy beans, flax seeds, canola oil and pumpkin seeds. (Try Maple Glazed Salmon.)
2. Extra-virgin olive oil
3. Sweet peppers, citrus fruits and other vitamin C-rich foods (Spicy Stuffed Sweet Peppers)
4. Brazil nuts (Try Cocoa Brazil Nuts)
5. Onions and leeks (Try Portobello and Leek Carbonara)
6. Tart cherries
7. Green tea

What to avoid:

1. Shellfish, red meat (only if you have gout)
2. Sunflower, safflower, corn and soybean oils
3. Sugar

Brain Boosters

As our mind gets creakier and rustier with age, social functions and other events can become stressful. With the current Baby Boomer population spending millions on their physical bodies to fight off age, the next step is assuming control over brain power. Are there truly trite little lists called, "Brain Boosters" or "Seven Ways to Remember Names" which speak the truth? What helps forming those memories and then being able to recall information in a timely and socially acceptable way? Can Sudoku and chess and reading out loud really work??? A recently compiled list details seven ways to aid memory. Of course the biggies such as sleep, exercise, and a rainbow diet of vegetables help but did you know red wine makes the list?

• Exercise
• Sleep
• A Rainbow Diet of Vegatables
• Red Wine
• Mental Games
• Don't Multi-task
• Learning New Memory Tricks

Many of these lists seem redundant or childish, but when a person seriously reflects on personal habits, can you honestly say you hit everything on the list? Doubtful. So the challenge is on by ACCFamily: Eat a rainbow diet this week. And play a game of chess while you're at it.

When Dementia Changes a World

As the birthday balloons hovered like silent centurions, chirpy conversation wove its way through the air, vibrant and alive. My grandmother's perfume invaded my nose with ferocity, igniting both recoil and affection. Against this celebratory backdrop, with awed respect and reverence, I approached my great grandfather, already in his mid-90s with his due birthday present. Colorful ribbons encircled it. His demeanor as always, was gentle, with a crackling lining of humor and mischief. Thick glasses hid his baby blues, receding white hairline evoked images of snow, worn but neat jacket laid on his lanky chest. This was Grandpa Bannister, the man who told goofy stories, the stoic pillar of the community, the chatty gardener. This was the man who walked on his hands at his 65th birthday party, change spilling out of his pockets as merry children giggled and filled their own pockets. This was the handyman who worked among the peacocks and outbuildings of a huge farm in the early 1900s and even discovered a baby in a basket. This the the man who I heard story upon story from every respected elder at church.

He was my great grandfather.

As I eagerly handed him the birthday presence, he smiled at me fondly, yet vacantly, slowly reached into his back pocket and painstakingly opened his wallet. His eyes met mine again. "Well how much do I owe you, ma'am?"

That's when my world changed.

Over 36 million people worldwide are numbered to suffer with dementia, while 65.7 million people in the US alone are taking care of relatives with various conditions, including dementia. The numbers are staggering and can seem to blur into oblivion, but how is it possible to build relationships amongst memory loss? For a child like myself, the interactions with my great-grandfather changed, but I was not the primary caregiver. My grandmother became the primary caregiver. A daughter becomes a nurse, a counselor, and finds the label 'daughter' getting lost in the tiresome duties as a caregiver.

Worlds change. Relationships evolve. How are new memories created without resentment, apathy, or added health problems? Resentment can ultimately overwhelm a desire to help, and add to the that, the National Center on Caregiving estimates that 40% to 70% of caregivers have symptoms of  depression.

A network or community is needed to allay some of the tension. ACCFamily came into existence purely for the goal of keeping the 'daughter' label intact and leaving great family memories unchanged. A home-care companion not only aids in the health and living of an aging loved one, but the mental (and physical!) health of the family members as well! We care. And we want to leave your world as unchanged as possible.