Seniors' Economic Struggles Continue This Holiday; Santa Program Provides Assistance The Fort Myers office of the Home Instead Senior Care® network, the world's largest provider of non-medical in-home care and companionship services for older adults, has partnered with Graceworks Unlimited and numerous local retailers for the Be a Santa to a Senior program, which provides gifts and companionship to seniors who otherwise might not receive either this holiday season. Read more Craving Companionship: Recipe contest helps revive family mealtimes for local seniors According to research conducted for the Home Instead Senior Care® network, lack of companionship is the biggest mealtime challenge for seniors. The local Home Instead Senior Care office is encouraging family caregivers to dig into the family recipe box to find that favorite dish, and prepare and share a meal with their elderly loved one. Enter that recipe and the story about what makes the dish so special to your family in the Homemade MemoriesSM Recipe Contest between July 15 and September 15, 2011. Read moreSenior care business opens Punta Gorda office Home Instead Senior Care (HISC) celebrated its grand opening with a ribbon cutting ceremony last month at its new location, 520 Olympia Ave., Punta Gorda. The franchise is owned and operated by Bill and Sue Bidwell who also own HISC offices in Fort Myers and Naples. Read moreHurricane Preparedness for Seniors Older adults may be among the most vulnerable victims when hurricanes strike. That's why Home Instead Senior Care has issued a disaster safety preparation checklist to help prepare seniors for the possibility of weather emergencies. Read moreAnswering the Call: Local Program Helps Family Caregivers Prepare for Senior Emergencies If you're an adult son or daughter who lives in fear of getting "the call" – the one that tells you "Mom has suffered a stroke," or "Dad accidentally overdosed on his medications" – do you have the information you need to help your loved one? Many don't, according to research conducted for the Home Instead Senior Care® network. The organization conducted research with family caregivers to find out how much they know and developed a public education program with resources that can help family caregivers keep important information at their fingertips. Read moreBattle of the Ages Just when you thought that a family caregiver’s job couldn’t get more difficult, consider this: Many of the estimated 73,000 households caring for a senior in Lee and Collier County are trying to help an aging relative who’d rather not have help. Read more | 