Having Problems Changing Gears?

By Wilma Blokhuis
OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF

Having problems changing gears?

Help is available.

One of the gears people are shifting in their lives is coordinating care and residential placement for their elderly loved ones.

Sometimes, making these adjustments can be compared to grinding the gears or suddenly lurching forward in a stick shift car.

Having gone through this experience with her mother, Barbara Kennedy, 54, has decided to parley this gearshift in her life into a new home-based business called – you guessed it – Changing Gears Inc.

“I came up with the name because I like to drive a five-speed car,” said Kennedy, president of Changing Gears. The logo consists of a bird flying freely from half of a bicycle gear, symbolizing peace of mind and a feeling of freedom after making a tough decision.

Kennedy’s aim is to facilitate compassionate transitions for seniors, and to provide whatever services are needed for a family to make this transition, everything from consultations and referrals to facilitating a senior’s home care to moving into a nursing home or seniors’ residence.

Earlier this year, Kennedy spent six weeks traveling between Oakville and Vancouver making arrangements to place her 86-year-old mother in a full service seniors’ assisted living facility in Burlington, a move that followed 25 years of independent living.

“She went from totally independent living to needing care,” said Kennedy, adding she was “very deaf,” had a touch of dementia and had started using a walker.”

Not being able to find a one-stop resource to assist her, Kennedy, a former administrative project manager with a background in client and staff event management, fundraising, internal and external moves, facilities administration and executive assistance, set the wheels in motion to launch Changing Gears to provide “one stop shopping for services for seniors in Halton.”

As part of moving her mother from Vancouver to Burlington, she had to activate her Power of Attorney, assess her mother’s medical and financial health, transfer her bank accounts, arrange for a mover, organize a Good Bye Tea at her church and last meals with friends, and donations to charities – plus find the most suitable residential placement for her.

“I wanted to do something I felt passionate about, stop the commute and work from home, and at the same time, give back to the community. I found that all of my skills are easily transferable to my new role.”

Changing Gears’ services includes linking clients with real estate companies, law firms, interior designers, appraisers – “basically everything I had to do for my mother.

“I can do everything from searching out resources (for clients) to providing all of the services.” Kennedy is prepared to organize everything on behalf of her clients or they can make their own arrangements based on the information she can provide.

“I can coordinate the whole move, or just give advice.

“For example, you can be faced with a situation where your mother is in a wheelchair and your father is still very active, and you have no other family nearby…how are you going to handle it? If they’ve been in their own home for 40 years, and your mother ends up in a wheelchair, there’s suddenly a lot to deal with. Do you sell or renovate? You ask yourself how do we get the best price for the home?”

When faced with this kind of dilemma, it’s time to seek advice, said Kennedy, adding her website, www.changinggears.ca, is filled with information and will be updated regularly. Plus, there will be articles of interest from newspapers and magazines, and issues relating to seniors, will be raised. “Transportation is a big issue,” said Kennedy. “Another is senior abuse.

“The number one consideration is that people like to be able to remain in their own home for as long as possible. You want to give people a feeling of independence for as long as you can.”

There will also be information about wills, and tips on how to obtain help in the home for someone who has become untidy and unkempt, and assistance for elderly parents who are no longer managing their money wisely.

A monthly newsletter is also planned.

In addition to providing information and services, Changing Gears will also provide online advertising opportunities on its website.

Kennedy admits she is looking forward to her new business venture “and being able to help people my age and up.”

About 39 per cent of Canada’s population, or 9.4 million people, is aged 50 and up, and 12 per cent of Halton’s population is aged 65 and up, states statistics gathered by Kennedy to promote her business.

About 80 per cent of Canada’s wealth and influence is owned and controlled by people aged 50 plus, account for more than 50 per cent of the discretionary spending power and 68 per cent of all luxury travel spending. And, more than 60 per cent of people 55 and up in Canada have Internet access and spend an average 9.6 hours online per week.

Kennedy launched the Changing Gears website at a party to open the business at her home for just under 50 people, among them business contacts, on Dec. 1. For information, call 905-847-7047 or contact by email.

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