Helping Seniors Cope With Their Everyday Lives At Home

That’s what we are here for. I know personally how hard it is on family members to assist while still doing everything else needed in their families’ lives.

I would like to share a little of my personal story. In 2014, my mother-in-law, who lived in Michigan, was diagnosed with a brain tumor. We were blessed to have family who took care of things, and communicated well, but we still dealt with being so far away. Then there were the “drop everything and drive” trips when there would be a change in her status, which were difficult.

After her death, I started volunteering with Hospice, where I was given clients I met with monthly, giving them emotional support and a chance to interact with others. Unfortunately, I stopped doing this when my own husband died suddenly in 2017. 

Through all of this, I took care of my dad for fourteen years. He started with Alzheimer’s, eventually adding Parkinson’s and Heart Disease to the mix. He passed away this January. Hospice had requested I bring in the company to help with feeding, and making sure he received the care he needed. This was good for me, as it gave me an opportunity to get away the day before he died, regroup, and make plans so that I could remain with my dad at the end.

As a result of this saga, I have seen the good, the bad, and the ugly of senior care. I decided to take all of these experiences and turn them into a business plan. Thus, Relationally Yours, LLC was created. 

A lot of what we do is based on caring for my dad. We have games to play with introverted clients, because he didn’t like conversation. We offer going out to lunch, because he loved to do that one-on-one (But not with the other 50 people at the assisted living!). He was always happy whenever I came, because we had a relationship!

So what exactly do we do? We offer non-medical relational care to seniors at their place of residence, whether at home, with family, in assisted or memory care, or skilled nursing. We work independently, or can be a supplement to other forms of care. In addition, we can do light housekeeping, simple meal prep, running errands, and going to doctor appointments. We have a HIPPA-type form allowing us to go into the office with the client to take notes and ask clarifying questions. We do our best to keep the same employee with the client.

Our employees use a GPS time clock, and send an email at the end of each shift to the designated person, detailing the day’s events and any pertinent information. I like to tease my employees that we check if they’ve done grand theft auto, or stolen a candy bar. We also make sure they are good drivers using a driving records check, as they carry precious cargo. We are bonded and insured for everyone’s safety and do an extensive background check on each employee.

“You made it possible for us to travel again, and we are grateful for that. We appreciate everything Gianna and you did to help mom while we were gone. Knowing that mom could still get out while we were gone meant a lot to us, and knowing that someone would check in on her if she fell removed a lot of our anxiety about traveling since she moved in with us. Thank you for everything that you and Gianna did for mom and for us!” 

— Jon C.