For many of us, the holiday season is really about family.

Mike Nicholson, LivHOME’s chief executive officer, and his wife, Clare, were featured in a recent Worcester Telegram & Gazette story (also on LivHOME’s website, www.livhome.com) for a donation they had made to buy toys for children in need in Central Massachusetts.

Today Mike and Clare live in California, where LivHOME is based, but both grew up in New England.  Mike told the newspaper that LivHOME was actually named for his mother, Doris Nicholson , who was able to live in her own home through her final days. “On May 3, 1994, Mom died in her bed at home. I was holding her hand, and my wife lay on the foot of her bed, keeping me awake. Mom lived and died at home, where she wanted to be”  Mike recalled.

Mike and Clare return to Massachusetts every year to visit with family there.

In 1995, only 67% of long term care (LTC) insurance plans “provided some form of home care benefit”; by 2000, the figure had grown to 86%. Now over 97% of LTC insurance plans provide a home care benefit.

Do you have an interesting fact about seniors or senior care to share? Please email it to info@livhome.com and we may use it in a future “Did You Know” post.

With money still tight as the economy sputters to life, giving your senior family member a gift that “connects” may be the perfect choice this holiday season.

Such gifts focus on things you can do rather than items that must be purchased. They can include:

• setting up a home computer for easier viewing and use,
• combining multiple TV remotes into a single unit,
• programming telephone speed dials to make calling simpler, and
• helping seniors with their own online gift shopping.

This idea is discussed in detail in the latest episode of the Senior Care Podcast by LivHOME, titled Episode 17 — Holiday Gifts That Connect.

You can listen to the episode at www.livhome.com/podcast.

LivHOME has been named once again to the Los Angeles Business Journal’s list of the 100 fastest-growing private companies in Los Angeles.

This represents the fourth time in the past 5 years that LivHOME has received this honor. It speaks directly to the dedication of every member of our staff in providing the highest level of care to seniors who wish to continue living in their own homes in comfort and with dignity.

Earlier this year, LivHOME was named for a third-straight year to the Inc. 5000 list of the nation’s fastest-growing private companies.

These two awards are particularly noteworthy given the very difficult economic environment LivHOME has operated in since the recession began.

For home-care business owners, this economy has been the most challenging time in the last 80+ years.  It’s taken a lot just to survive.

What now?

In fact, this is the perfect time to reassess the goals you have for yourself and your company, both near-term and over the long haul.

- Perhaps you’ve pulled through the recession, but simply can’t raise enough additional cash to grow your business as you’d like.

- Maybe you’ve added a number of new clients, but now find it difficult to keep up with the business side of your business.

- Or, you may be ready to retire but simply can’t find a way to monetize the business you’ve built.

LivHOME can help.  We are always looking to purchase existing home-care businesses and welcome them into the LivHOME family.  A confidential conversation regarding the opportunities and options LivHOME offers is a great next step in your decision process.  Just give us a call . You can reach Mickey Goldkorn, VP of Marketing, directly at 323-932-1320 or mgoldkorn@livhome.com.