Memorial Day

I hope everyone had an enjoyable Memorial Day weekend. With many people having an extra day off from work, the “unofficial” start of summer is often a long weekend of rest and recreation.  With most of the country enjoying warm and sunny weather, camping, boating,  fishing, and grilling may have been top on your to-do list.

But let’s not forget the true meaning of Memorial Day.  Originally Decoration Day, Memorial Day is a day reserved to honor those who have died in the service of our country, and  traces back to the days of the Civil War. Chances are that someone in your family, or someone you know, has given their life as a soldier.

Below are some staggering casualty statistics per war, as seen on www.veteranstoday.com:

War	U.S. Military Deaths	Civilian Deaths
Revolutionary	25,174	(unavailable)
1812	20,000	(unavailable)
Civil War	620,000	50,000
WWI	116,516	6,458,886
WWII	405,399	36,372,900*
Korean	54,246	1,847,240
Vietnam	58,177	2,000,000**
Iraq	4,254	1,366,350
Afghanistan	1,036	32,969
TOTAL	1,304,802	48,128
* Number includes the 9,000,000 that died in the Nazi concentration camps. ** The Vietnamese government in 1995 estimated that 2,000,000 Vietnamese civilians on both sides died in the war.

When we sit back and think about the true cost of war, it is overwhelming.  Every day we take for granted the sacrifices that men and women have made for centuries. 

Please, take the time to thank those soldiers and veterans who fight for our freedom, and honor those who have given their lives in doing so.

Today, the internet helps us stay in contact with and provide support to our troops, veterans, or families of soldiers.  We live in an age of communication, and for that, we must also be thankful.

There are a number of organizations available at your fingertips, making reaching out easier than ever. Should you wish to write letters to soldiers’ families, send needed supplies, or simply offer messages of thanks, there are organizations and infrastructure in place.

Not long after I started Spaloo, I began supporting Home for Our Troops, and have, from time to time, donated or coordinated events to assist in donating Spaloo bidet seats to disabled veterans.  Spaloo bidet seats assist those with disabilities or limited mobility, by providing a hands-free approach to personal hygiene.

My children have also written letters and cards to families of deployed soldiers through Blue Star Families. 

Whichever organization or outreach efforts you may be involved in, if you’re like me, you know it’s not even close to being enough.  To honor fallen soldiers, war veterans, or troops overseas on days such as Memorial Day or Veteran’s Day is a collective approach that garnishes a certain togetherness; but our true gratitude must start every day with a simple understanding, appreciation, and most of all, “Thank You.”

Bruce

Honoring Health Care Professionals

This past week was National Nursing Home Week.  If you don’t have any loved ones in a nursing home or rehabilitation facility, or don’t know someone who works in one, you may have never even heard of it, let alone know how to celebrate it.

Facilities across the country celebrated this year’s NNHW and its theme, Embracing Every Day.  National Nursing Home Week is a week long event aimed at recognizing  nursing homes and other long term or acute care facilities.  Organized by the American Health Care Association, it has been a yearly event since 1967.

Most nursing homes or rehabilitation facilities hold various events during this week that both celebrate their staff and their residents.  You may have never even thought about NNHW, but its principles certainly warrant reflection. When we stop and think for a moment about the care nursing home professionals provide on a daily basis, it is staggering. The healing, personal care, compassion, kindness, and relationships that staff foster with their patients is something that we all should be appreciative of.

At Spaloo, we have many long term caregivers as customers.  Nurses, nurse’s aides,  nursing home administrators, and family members buy Spaloo bidet toilet seats for their senior residents and loved ones.  We know that the product we sell  is especially beneficial to the elderly, those with mobility issues, or those that need assistance with personal hygiene.  With that said, we provide just one element to total care.  When I think about all of the other daily tasks and interactions health care professionals and caregivers embrace, I realize that they deserve much more than a few accolades during NNHW.

So, please, if your loved one is under the care of a nurse, physical therapist, aide, home health care provider, or any type of caregiver,  please remember that they are much more than “staff” and deserve your appreciation, respect and acts of kindness, every day.

Mother’s Day: More Than Flowers and a Card

Mother’s Day is next Sunday, May 9th. Every retailer, florist, and restaurant will be pitching their products and services as the best way to show mom how much you care.  

Let’s face it, most of us owe our moms more thank yous than we can count.  All the love, protection, comfort, and kindness a mother provides through the years can never be repaid. For many, a bouquet of flowers or trinket doesn’t even come close.

Perhaps one of the best things that we can do for our mothers is to be there for them when they need help. As our parents age, our roles can sometimes find themselves reversed. No parent likes to admit when they need assistance with daily tasks, have health issues that prevent them from living independently, or simply can’t do things the way they used to. It is not uncommon for adult children to become caregivers for their aging parents; as a matter of fact, it is estimated that millions of Americans act as caregivers for their senior parents, often within the home environment.

So, while the retailers and greeting card companies see Mother’s Day as a great marketing opportunity, I do not. I am not going to sit here and tell you that the best way to show mom you care is with a Spaloo. While I’m not denying it would be a great gift, and that mom would enjoy it (because I know that she would), a toilet bidet seat is, well, a little unconventional; even I realize this.

So, whether you are a conventional person or not, I ask that you consider looking past the bottle of perfume this year. Consider what your mom needs most as she ages, and help her out.  Most likely, she’s not going to tell you that she is becoming slightly forgetful and needs her prescription supplies checked on. Or maybe she needs assistance grocery shopping every week, but hesitates to ask.  Be aware of what she may not be telling you or asking of you before it is a problem.

So, give her flowers this year if you like.  But, you may also want to install that grab bar in the shower, offer to drive her to her doctor’s appointment, or clean her house when her arthritis becomes too painful.  Sometimes you just have to do things without being asked (just like she taught you).

Any help that you can offer mom to make her more comfortable, healthy, happy, or independent is crucial. You know she would do it for you.