TouchStone Home Care Provides Answers and Assistance to Seniors & Family Caregivers
By Deborah Bostock-Kelley
It can feel overwhelm ing if you have a loved one needing specialized care, leaving you unsure where to turn. The senior in need often feels most safe in the familiar surroundings of their home, but it may be impossible for you, as the caregiver, to provide roundthe-clock assistance. If your family member is suffering a loss of cognitive ability, the emotional and physical toll and medical demands on you can be stressful. Enter the compassionate ladies in their recognizable bright orange polos who give caregivers a needed break.
Since opening in 2017, TouchStone Home Care has provided in-home care assis tance for seniors. The home care team offers all services that do not require medical skills, from bathing, dressing, and meals to medication re
minders and transportation. The group specializes in the in-home care of seniors with dementia who need com panion care, personal care, and fall prevention. They can even give the family more time with their loved one during hospice care.
“It’s a peaceful way to have that time together. They get to be in their own element at home and have a quality of relationship, and our caregiver is there at endof-life to lift the burden off the family member. We get told, ‘thank you for assisting and giving us that quality of life all the way around,’” explained co-founder Nicole Tegeler.
With personal experi ence combined with a background in Dementia/ Alzheimer’s in assisted living, memory care, and senior living, Nicole, Tammi Mara, and Ms. Hudgins founded this extraordinary senior home care company that
Happy Thanksgiving! - Practice Gratitude, Always
This year Thanksgiving will be observed on Thursday, November 24, 2022. During this time, millions of Americans take time off work (a 4-day weekend starting Thursday) and spend time with family and friends over a large feast held on Thanksgiving Day. While being grateful for your food, friends, and family, take a little time to remember Sarah Josepha Hale, a woman who helped make this national day of thanks possible.
Sarah Josepha Buell was born on October 24, 1788, on a farm in New port, New Hampshire. She is remem bered as a curious, intelligent, and eager-to-learn woman. Encouraged to follow her dreams by her husband, David Hale, Sarah wrote many short stories and articles. Many of these were published in local newspapers just like ours!
Mr. Hale passed away suddenly in 1822, leaving Sarah with five young children to take care of. To make ends meet, she worked at small retail shops, and she also spent time working as a teacher and writer. Hale published her first book of poems, including one that became the famous nursery rhyme “Mary Had a Little Lamb.” Her writing success opened many doors for her, becoming the Chief Editor of a local magazine. During her time as editor, Hale wrote hundreds of letters to governors, ministers, newspaper editors, and every U.S. president with one request: to make the last Thursday in November be set aside to “offer to God our tribute of joy and gratitude for the blessings of the year.”
Native American Harvest Festivals had already been taking place for cen turies in North America, with colonists’ services to give thanks, but there had never been a “Thanksgiving” holiday.
In 1864, with the country torn by the Civil War, Hale’s campaign finally got people’s attention and President Abraham Lincoln’s attention, who par ticularly liked Hale’s idea. On October 3, 1863, Lincoln issued a proclamation declaring the last Thursday of Novem ber as “National Thanksgiving Day.”
Furthermore, Lincoln ordered all gov ernment offices in Washington to be closed that day to spend the day with loved ones and give thanks.
In 1939, President Roosevelt was pressured by store owners to move Thanksgiving to the third Thursday in November to allow more shopping days between the Holiday and Christ mas. Roosevelt agreed, but millions of Americans didn’t follow the orders and continued celebrating Thanksgiving Day on the last Thursday of November. In 1940, Roosevelt realized the decision was a mistake and re-assigned it to the fourth Thursday in November.
In the spirit of gratefulness and giving back, I would like to invite all of our readers to consider volunteering or donating (as much or as little as pos sible) to any local shelters or non-profit organizations that support a cause that speaks to you and that you may be pas sionate about.
For volunteer opportunities in your area, please visit: https://unitedwaysun coast.org/
I wish you all a happy, blessed, and bountiful Thanksgiving day from our family to yours!
Until next time, Carla M. Dubis Tedeschi.
Before After
Before you spend thousands of dollars remodeling and re-tiling your bathroom or kitchen be sure to call Grout Tech for a FREE estimate on cleaning or repairing old dingy tile and grout. Grout Tech can breathe new life into your existing tile work, making everything shine like new at a fraction of the cost. Grout Tech is a family owned business serving Hillsborough, Pinellas and Pasco Counties.
With over 17 years of experience in the industry, Grout Tech specializes in cleaning and sealing tile and grout, re-coloring grout, re-caulking showers and tubs, and repairing grout and broken tiles.
Grout Tech will renew existing grout and tile to its original beauty by cleaning and maintaining the tile and grout lines. Jeremy G. and his wife
were ready to re-tile their entire bathroom before calling BJ at Grout Tech. “Our bathroom tile was over 40 years old it was looking grungy and very dull. We called Grout Tech and we are extremely pleased with our results! We saved so much money by having the grout in our shower resurfaced and the tile cleaned and it looks brand new.”
BJ is happy to set your appointment, come out and give you a free estimate. She stresses, “It is important for me to be respectful of our customers’ time so I will always arrive at the time we set.” In addition to always arriving in a timely manner, BJ says that they can keep their prices low because they are a family owned business and not a franchise. She explains, “What many people don’t understand
is that franchises are often forced to charge more for their services because they have to maintain their franchise fees, but not with Grout Tech.” Not only does Grout Tech keep its rates competitive, but the company will also honor any other quote as long as it is in writing.
Because grout is a porous material, trying to remove stains is seemingly impossible. BJ explains, “Color sealing grout lines is one of the many services we offer and it is definitely the most effective way to create a perfect, new look.”
Using a step-bystep process, Grout Tech begins by using a cleansing product to remove all bacteria and surface dirt with special machinery. They will then apply a color seal (of your choice).
Once the sealer is applied the grout lines will
be permanently protected from any stains.
The color seal also guarantees against cracking, chipping and peeling. Additionally, they will also cosmetically fix or replace chipped or cracked tiles, making your bathroom or kitchen tile like new again.
Kathy G., a satisfied customer, shares her experience, “When BJ came out to give us a quote, she looked at the job and I could tell immediately that she knew what she was talking about. We had our family room, kitchen and dining room re-grouted. They also re-grouted the tub, shower and base of our toilet in our bathroom. They were fantastic! Not only were they professional and reliable but they also completed the job much faster than we had anticipated.”
Excellent Service Leads to Referrals
Throughout the years, Grout Tech has grown through its many referrals from happy customers. People really appreciate that Grout Tech saves them time and money, but it is the excellent service provided that has really helped this business grow.
Grout Tech’s success stories say that before calling Grout Tech, their bathrooms, guest bathroom showers and floor grout, had deteriorated over time and the tiles were dull and stained. “The tile was in good condition but it was stained so we had Grout
Tech come out and clean them and they turned out very well.” They were so pleased that they have already referred Grout Tech to neighbors in their community.
Grout Tech can also remove and re-caulk around sinks, baseboards, tubs and showers serving to clean up old moldy areas and keep your dry wall free from water damage. From old to new in just one day!
To find out more about Grout Tech’s services or for a free estimate call BJ at 727768-6828.
helps seniors transition into aging.
Combining Nicole’s Mas ters in Exercise Physiology, Tammi’s years of experience in the memory care/assisted living senior communities, and Ms. Hudgins’s nurse practitioner medical back ground, the women wanted to help other families in simi lar circumstances, stressed and looking for support.
Every client and assess ment is different, as each care plan is tailored to the family’s needs. Services
range from a 15-minute check-up to round-the-clock care. Though live-in services are available, most clients opt for 4–12-hour shifts.
“We like to serve our clients more than just sched uling a caregiver. We have recommendations and services that they can use to simplify the seniors’ life to make it safer. The big goal is keeping them in their homes independently, whether alone or with their spouse, living longer and better, get ting the best quality of life
day-to-day,” said Nicole.
After years of firsthand experience, the team can provide a wealth of re sources to family caregivers. TouchStone Home Care even partners with facilities like Aston Gardens, Ameri can House, Renaissance, Discovery Village, Arbor Terrace, Weinberg Village, Encompass Rehabilitation, and others to provide the best care for clients.
Nicole and her team have made finding the best possible services for your loved ones simple and con venient. Over the years, they
have amassed a wealth of resources they share as part of their newest senior care consulting services.
From the best pharmacy to who to call for handyman services or downsizing the home to senior transporta tion and cognitive/brain exercises, TouchStone Home Care has created a Who’s Who directory to allevi ate the need for a Google search.
“Many family members don’t even know these services are available to help them.”
A new service is a spot
check or friendly phone call once or twice daily to remind your loved one to take their medication and make sure everything is go ing okay.
TouchStone Home Care focuses on safety and a ho listic approach for the client and their family.
“We focus on how we keep them in their home, living independently as long as possible without having to go to assisted living or memory care. We offer preventative educa tion on various topics, such as nutrition and exercise programs to help our clients age gracefully. Wellness is definitely a specialty niche for our company. Nicole’s
background is in exercise physiology, along with Mara’s and Hudgins’s back ground in wellness; we have a wealth of expertise to of fer our clients. We all live it, breathe it, and preach it be cause it’s important to help our seniors but also help the family members along the way,” said Nicole. “If mom or dad has Alzheimer’s or dementia, we can rec ommend what institute or specialist you can go to.”
Their goal has always been to help the seniors in their care to accomplish the company tagline: “Live Longer Better.”
Nicole said, “Our goal is to provide holistic care and assist in fulfilling a multi-ser
vice care plan to our clients because we know they need the help. We want to be more than just their home care team but seen as their “Senior Care Service Ex perts” that can advise them based on individual needs. If we cannot service them, we know someone who can and who we highly recom mend in the Tampa Bay or outside areas.”
Nicole explained that TouchStone always wel comes new certified, expe rienced, dedicated caregiv ers to join their team as independent contractors. Bilingual team members are especially sought af ter. TouchStone is seeking caregivers looking to form
a partnership with them as they help them facilitate a greater business for them selves.
“We work for them, and they work for us. We try to create a positive business bond. Together, we bring the services to our client’s homes and make it budgetfriendly, typically less than assisted living, and give families peace of mind. We can keep an eye on Mom and Dad.”
To learn more about TouchStone Home Care, find out about employment opportunities, or schedule a free consulta tion, visit www.TouchStonehomecarefl.com or call (813) 426-7848.
