Amy Friesen of Tea & Toast to be Featured on Close Up Radio

OTTAWA, ONTARIO, CANADA, August 16, 2024 /EINPresswire.com/ -- When Amy Friesen suffered the loss of a beloved elderly relative it taught her lessons about her priorities and helped shape the course of her later career. After completing both a Marketing degree and a Psychology degree, Amy felt the retirement industry calling to her. In 2005, she began her career as a recreation coordinator, but soon came to the realization that her real passion was helping seniors “connect the dots” to find their perfect new living situation. She moved into marketing and worked for nearly ten years representing some retirement residences in Ottawa. There Amy noticed the confusion surrounding the senior living industry, how older folks and their families had a tough time sorting through the sea of choices and matching their individual needs to what retirement homes were offering.

Amy decided to become their advocate and to develop a personalized service where seniors and their families could engage one person--someone who had the knowledge and expertise needed to cut to the chase. That is how Tea & Toast was born. The name has several meanings for the senior population. For one, many older folks who are no longer truly independent end up eating tea and toast instead of a well-rounded meal. A second and more heartening meaning is the special intimacy and comfort that go along with sharing a cup of tea with someone. Thirdly, there is the old adage My Cup of Tea, which relates to a perfectly fitting situation (such as finding the retirement housing solution that suits your lifestyle needs and budget.)

Since Amy has such strong knowledge of the options available in her native Canada, the majority of their work is centered in Ottawa and Ontario. However, the company works with clients all over the world, especially when it is a child or other family member making the decisions for the senior person. Providing virtual tours of possible Canadian locations is easily accomplished for those as far away as the UK or Australia. Virtual tours and Zoom meetings are also one of the ways Amy and her team save time for people whose time is surely crunched, when handling careers and caring for their families, which can include both young children and elderly relatives.

Amy helps these clients sort out the intricacies of long term care, home care, assisted living, nursing homes, retirement homes and more. Together they determine certain needs and desires, and narrow things down to the best three fts. This is not the kind of random info found from TV or the Internet, or even an extensive list given out by a hospital after care team. Tea & Toast staff offer careful advice based on individual information. This can include factors like memory care or continual care, accessible locations, and how each setting or facility best suits the aging person’s many needs. Some clients are faced with an immediate need for relocation, some desire to just downsize from a large home to a 55+ independent living community, and yet others are simply doing research to make things easier down the road.

These senior consulting services are also important in assessing just who is truly independent and who is not. Take away the child who visits weekly or the neighbor who brings in groceries, and many people are not able to survive alone as well as they think they can. This is especially important for those who have cognitive issues and believe they are okay, but it can be proven differently.

In her upcoming show, Amy is going to do an overview of how her team operates and how they develop an elder care strategy. She will talk about other supportive services, such as the national network of eldercare planners that she is involved in www.eldercareplanning.ca. Amy is also going to talk about all the print resources they offer, which include the book Amy published a few years back and just updated. Breadcrumbs is a comprehensive guide than empowers readers to make informed decision and navigate the complex system of care. The book is filled with personal and professional insights that make it an essential resource for caregivers.

Amy notes that as our senior demographics change, and more people are living to age 100, their business becomes increasingly vital. Currently there are 7.5 million Canadian residents over the age of 65. She is happy to provide them with a suite of consulting services and personalized support that take the pressure off.

Close Up Radio will Feature Amy Friesen of Tea & Toast in an interview with Jim Masters on Tuesday, August 20th at 12:00 noon EDT

Listen to the show on BlogTalkRadio

If you have questions for our guest, please call 347-996-3389

For more information about Amy and her work please visit www.teaandtoast.ca

Lou Ceparano
Close Up Television & Radio
+1 631-850-3314
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