Ep. 20: Michael & Grace Ott - Living at Home Alternatives to Assisted Living - My Halo
Michael and Grace Ott run My Halo a company that nurtures mind, body and spirit by helping people to live independently at home. They are an at home alternative to assisted living facilities. We are inspired by the work that they do and how they fill an important need for so many people. We are talking to them from the west coast of Florida.
We talk about how it is important to understand the aging and end of life process. We also emphasize the importance of independence and dignity for elderly people. We also talk about the wisdom and stories that these people have. We talk about how My Halo is a literal calling for Grace and Michael and more on today’s episode.
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SHOW NOTES
[01:05] Michael says that they keep people at home and help them age in place.
[01:24] They fill in the gaps of whatever they need at home. If they don't have the person that can fill those gaps, they will find someone who can.
[01:56] Their goal is total transparency, and they want to make sure everyone involved has the exact same information.
[02:35] They have two sets of clients. The people receiving the care and the people providing the care. They treat both groups with utmost respect.
[03:03] Friday is flower day where Michael gives everybody bouquets of flowers and tries to brighten their day a bit.
[03:31] Their business is sustaining, but it's not a get-rich-quick scheme. It is literally a calling, because they were literally called to help one of their neighbors.
[04:16] They were helping people for free and realized that there was a need for this service. They are now a full concierge health agency.
[08:02] The Otts have done a lot to bring awareness and education about the aging community from exercise programs to listening to end of life wishes and getting those down on paper.
[08:40] Picking up on and having awareness whenever there is an opening is the best way to approach these touchy subjects.
[09:28] As a society, we are not very good about talking about death.
[10:43] Having information clear can really make for a more positive death experience. All moments can be created into something beautiful.
[11:30] Grace was inspired by her grandfather who was an internal medicine physician. He served in the Navy during World War II and the Korean War.
[12:13] Grace grew up knowing that different parts of our bodies can be affected by certain things.
[13:15] There are questions about why the prevalence of cognitive decline is happening today. Paul Cox an ethnobotanist is studying the effects of our environment and food on our bodies.
[15:11] It's important to take a moment to breathe. Ask what your body needs and what it means for you to feel healthy? Different foods affect people differently. Different people need different types of exercise.
[15:52] Self-awareness and self-care are also very important.
[16:58] Living longer is one thing, but the quality of life also needs to be there.
[18:42] We can learn so much from elderly people and all of their experience and their stories. It has been Grace's goal to bring these stories out for all of us to learn from.
[19:42] There are a lot of vibrant elderly people in Florida. People are also modifying their homes to accommodate their needs.
[21:00] It's inspiring to see people going out and still living in spite of handicaps that may affect them later in life.
[21:48] Grace loved the book Being Mortal and how it came from a doctor and gave the perspective of when to say when.
[22:14] Trust in God and get excited.
[22:35] Be more mindful.
LINKS AND RESOURCES:
“We try to be totally transparent. We want to make sure that our caregivers, clients, and family members are all on the same wavelength 24/7.” -MIchael Ott
“Our business is more of a calling than a business.” -Michael Ott
“We really do try to tap into the body, mind, spirit mantra because without one you really don't have the complete picture.” -Michael Ott