In 2012, after my grandmother fell one too many times despite in-home care, we made the decision to move her into an assisted-living community. We believed she no longer had the physical capability to live safely at home. Two weeks later, we reunited my grandparents by moving my grandfather, who was suffering from Parkinson's, into the same community.
Their lives (and ours) were instantly upended. As we walked into the front door of this community, we were approached by two new residents. Their names were Joe & Bella. With a touch of humor, they warmly introduced themselves and offered a helping hand. Joe & Bella were widowed Holocaust survivors who found each other later in life. Their families made the same decision as ours: they needed more care than what could be safely provided at home. From that day on, and for the many months that followed, Joe & Bella ate every meal with my grandparents.
Joe & Bella, with wisdom and grace, gave us the reassurance we needed, as we looked to make our grandparents’ move as smoothly as theirs appeared to be. We were determined not to show our grandparents that we were less than confident in our decision or less than organized in the move itself (though that’s exactly what we were). So, we created an ever-expanding shopping list for their move-in and their new lives in a new place.
We wanted their new home to feel and remind them of their home of more than 60 years. But, we were moving them from a suburban house to two adjoining bedrooms in a large building of many rooms. So, we grabbed my grandparents’ two favorite chairs, a few other small pieces of furniture, special keepsakes, and a mountain of framed family photos. But finding and shopping for the things they now needed for their new lives turned out to be a time-consuming, never-ending, and overly stressful challenge.
Each of our grandparents had distinct needs -- physical, mental, social, and emotional -- that required us to find new and different products (apparel, tech, personal-care, and more). As they transitioned to an all-new daily routine, we wanted to make sure they remained engaged, comfortable, and fulfilled.
To find and buy everything on our shopping list, we needed to go to multiple stores in addition to buying what we could online. Even Amazon wasn’t all that helpful in cutting down the time we spent shopping. Because the site offers so many variations of each product, we were overwhelmed and needed to rely on too many user reviews to try to gauge what might best meet our grandparents’ needs. Eventually, after trial and error (returns, exchanges, more stores and websites), we were able to buy everything on our shopping list.
We felt like we deserved a victory lap, but as soon as we set up their rooms, we felt anything but triumphant. It quickly dawned on us that our grandparents were: a) going to start running out of some of what we just bought them and will soon need more; and b) there will be plenty of other things they’ll probably want and need that we just didn’t yet know about.
We were surprised there wasn’t a single shopping site that could solve this problem. That was in 2012. We’ve since moved our grandmother twice more to communities that could better serve her changing needs. Boy, could we have used a service like Joe & Bella! It would have made our lives easier, allowing us to focus more on care and enjoying our time together rather than spending so many hours searching and shopping for the full range of needed products.
So, this multi-year, very personal experience was the inspiration for Joe & Bella. We wanted to develop not only an eCommerce site that offers a range of hand-selected products, but one that provides the help and guidance that we so desperately could have used. We wanted to create a simple shopping experience to make caring easier.
We decided to offer product bundles so you can send your loved one everything they need with just a few clicks: a move-in box, a clothing box, gift boxes, and more. And, we’ve made sure that you can opt for automatic reordering to give you some peace of mind (and some more time back in your day).
When it comes to finding something for special occasions, we’re partnering with talented individuals who hand-source every item in curated, thoughtful gift boxes. Each comes full of small treats and activities to keep your loved one’s mind engaged and hearts full. In these uncertain days, with in-person visits so much more difficult, these gift boxes will help make your presence felt, even if you can’t physically be there. My grandfather would have been wildly proud that we found quality toiletries even less expensive than those on Amazon. He would’ve exclaimed, “That’s stupendous!”
If you don’t see what you need or want on Joe & Bella, please let us know. Our Care Team is here to help you find what you’re looking for. Our goal is to do what Joe & Bella did for us: to give you the support to ease your mind and let you devote your time not to shopping but to caring.
We’re Joe & Bella and we’re pleased to meet you.
Your design team knocked it out of the park! I never thought adaptive clothes could be so fashionable.
