Progress — 2014
Page 19
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a la carte CARE now providing
services to seniors in three counties
The North Woods is home to one of
the highest populations of senior citizens statewide, and many residents
need the kind of assistance à la carte
CARE — Services for Seniors is now
providing to Vilas, Oneida and Lincoln
counties.
Approximately 27% of Vilas County’s population is over the age of 65,
and, everyday tasks can become more
difficult as people get older, according
to Lisa Burke and Leanne Posoinelzny,
à la carte CARE’s managers.
“We’re all aging, it is a fact of life,”
said Burke. Some aspects of housekeeping become more difficult, like
cleaning floors, running the vacuum
and dusting, carrying laundry up and
down the steps, changing the linens on
our beds, shopping in inclement weather, cooking meals, running errands and
getting to appointments.”
The staff at à la carte CARE provides those in-home services such as
housekeeping, laundry, cooking, personal care, shopping and errands, according to Posoinelzny.
“As we age, we often become a caregiver for our spouse,” she said. “Dementia and Alzheimer’s disease is
more prevalent in senior populations.
Every 68 seconds, someone develops
Alzheimer’s. According to the AARP,
nine out of 10 seniors prefer to grow
old in their own home, but caregiving
is not an easy task and it can be stressful, especially on the spouse who is taking care of a loved one with dementia.”
With caregivers feeling the stress of
taking care of both household chores
and personal care for their loved ones,
the kind of respite offered by businesses like à la carte CARE can be crucial.
The company specializes in dementia and provides in-home care, granting
respite for the caregiving spouse, performing personal care for their loved
one — including bathing and grooming
— and assisting with household chores.
The health-care industry has expanded in recent years to service the
area’s senior population.
According to the National Council
on Aging, approximately 92% of older
a