A Place At Home is Proud to Honor Veterans on Veterans Day and Every Day

Each year on November 11th, as a nation, we celebrate Veterans Day. This day can be confused with Memorial Day, but there is an essential distinction between the two. Memorial Day honors veterans that gave their lives defending our country. Veterans Day celebrates the lives of all American veterans who served during wartime.

Veterans Day was conceptualized in 1918 to celebrate the end of World War I. The day was dubbed “Armistice Day” due to the Allies and Germans calling a truce. The truce went into effect on the 11th day of the 11th month in the 11th hour. While World War I was thought to be the “war to end all wars,” World War II and the Korean War soon followed. As such, veterans and other military entities solicited to Congress to have the day changed to Veterans Day. 

Most Americans are aware that veterans are eligible for benefits throughout their lifetimes due to their service to our country. But few people, including some veterans themselves, know that these benefits can include in-home care. 

These benefits can cover homemaker services as well as personal care. Veterans need only speak with their team at the VA. Their physician can write an order for up to nine hours a week of care, with no out-of-pocket expense for the vet. As well, a benefit called Aid and Attendance exists for not only veterans but their surviving spouses. This particular benefit does have eligibility guidelines but will pay for care either in the home or in a senior living community, up to $27,195 per year.

Despite the current pandemic, there are still ways we can honor veterans this Veterans Day. You can donate to any of the veteran-approved foundations found here or ask a veteran you know to share about their time in service. As well, you can send letters or a postcard to a local military installation. National Parks offer free admission to everyone on Veterans Day – invite a veteran you know to explore with you (keeping safety in mind with social distancing, of course). 

At A Place At Home, we honor aging veterans by caring for them in their homes.

Every day across the country, our caregivers provide personalized care and companionship to retired members of our country’s military. We are proud to ensure these American heroes have the care and security they need when they need it most. If you are a veteran or know someone who is, reach out to us today. We will help you navigate the options and benefits available. 

 

Caregiver of the Month: Wanda Walker

Caregiver of the month, Wanda Walker, has been a caregiver with A Place At Home for almost four years.

If you were to meet Wanda in person, it would be obvious why the team chose her as caregiver of the month. You can hear her boisterous laughter through walls, and her smile will light up a room. She’s been a favorite among A Place At Home clients over the years, and it’s no wonder.

“She’s always smiling and laughing. She has a great attitude anytime you see her, and she really cares for her clients. She rarely calls out, and she’s always willing to help.” – Rebecca Matthews, Care Coordinator

Wanda has been caring for others since she was nine years old. At the time, her mother was diagnosed with Lymphoma, which ultimately took her from this world. Wanda promised her mother before she passed that she would always help those that need help. It wasn’t an empty promise. Caring for others is something that Wanda holds dear.

“It’s in my heart – like when I cared for my mom, it makes me feel good.”

Wanda’s clients feel the same way about her – she has a profound impact on the lives of the people she cares for. One of her current clients, Mr. Hartwell, expressed his appreciation for Wanda’s time with him. Mr. Hartwell is legally blind and shares that Wanda does outstanding work for him. She takes care of his meals, makes sure his apartment clean, and orders his groceries.

“I can trust her with everything… I don’t know what I’d do without her.”

Wanda has a special gift of getting her clients to open up and engage with life. Part of that might have to do with her cooking. Every single client Wanda has cared for has shared their appreciation for Wanda’s cooking. To that, she says, “When I see my clients, there’s a smile on their face, I can get them to open up, and they eat!”

While Wanda has been caring for people since she was a child, she’s been a professional caregiver for 25 years. With all that experience under her belt, the best piece of advice she gives to new caregivers is to treat their clients like they would treat one of their family members. That outlook has served her and her clients well over the years. That, and her love of caring for others, which she says she plans on doing forever. “I enjoyed caring for others when I was younger, I enjoy doing it now, and I’ll do it until my dying day.”

If Wanda’s passion for caring for others resonates with you, apply to work with us today. Experience what it feels like to positively impact the lives of seniors in the metro area!

A Place At Home Honors First-Ever National Caregiver of the Year

The 2020 Caregiver of the Year went the extra mile in providing exceptional care.

The 2nd Annual A Place At Home Franchise Convention was held in late September. This event marks a time for franchisees to connect, collaborate, and celebrate the past year. This year also marked the first-ever recognition of the National A Place At Home Caregiver of the Year. Franchisee’s submitted nominations from all over the country for one caregiver that went above and beyond the call of duty, demonstrating an extraordinary commitment to delivering quality care to clients and their families and lives the “We are CARE” philosophy.

“We received many nominations from all over the country and each one was inspiring. It was difficult to choose just one winner,” said Jerod Evanich, President and Co-Founder of A Place At Home.

However, there was one nomination that painted a detailed picture of how one person went above and beyond the call of duty. The nomination read:

“Dave came on with A Place At Home after decades of working in the insurance business. He wanted to do something more “rewarding” in his 60s. He got his CNA/CMA and began working to make people’s lives better. 

Dave treats all clients like family. He creates a unique bond with each client he works with. He is always on time, never calls out, and makes sure everything is done to his best ability. 

Dave has worked for the past year with a very high acuity client. He instantly bonded with the young client (49) who due to a rare set of circumstances went from a successful businessman to a barely communicative paraplegic overnight. 

He has spent countless hours working as the main caregiver for this client and his family. Not only does he transport the client to his MANY weekly therapy appointments but works one on one with him in his home. Dave is consistently cheering this client on to make his next personal best in his daily bike exercises and always makes notes when a personal best has been reached. 

Dave has worked with therapists at Madonna to learn this client’s individual therapies and continues them at home as well as trains other caregivers working there in how they can help him gain strides. 

When he heard their anniversary was approaching, he took it upon himself to plan a romantic dinner out so the client could surprise his wife. He took the client out to get a card, made reservations at a nice restaurant, planned for a special dessert, and took time out of his off time to transport them over there in the client’s wheelchair van so they could surprise the wife. 

Dave does everything he can to try to relieve some stress off the wife who is also a mother of four and a doctor. Life for her is crazy and Dave makes sure there is always one less thing for her to worry about in his care for the client. Dave’s level of commitment to not only the client but also to our company goes above and beyond anyone I have ever seen.”

Dave walked into A Place At Home – Papillion shortly after they opened their doors in 2019. Dave interviewed for a CNA position and said he was looking for something that would fill his heart. He had retired from insurance and was now searching to do something more meaningful with his time.

“I remember thinking where the heck did this guy fall out of the sky from?” said Rick Perkins, Owner of A Place At Home – Papillion.

Dave was placed with Don in August of 2019 and the two found an instant connection. They not only share common interests but are also from the same town and attended the same college. It was an unfortunate set of circumstances that brought these two together. But citing six degrees of separation,  Dave said, “There are no coincidences. I’m blessed to be a part of Don’s life.”

As blessed as Dave feels, Don and the A Place At Home team consider themselves equally fortunate to have Dave fulfilling his personal mission: to touch as many lives as possible as a caregiver.

Dave is firm in his belief that you must have a servant’s heart to work in this industry; you must have empathy, and be able to put yourself in someone else’s shoes. It’s this mindset that awarded Dave Caregiver of the Year. While he was happy to be awarded this honor, it’s his internal compass that drives his actions.

“At the end of the day, I lay my head on my pillow, and I know I made a difference.”

A Place At Home Sells First Corporate-Owned Location to Local Franchisee

Omaha-based A Place At Home is now 100% franchisee-owned.

The day before the 2nd Annual A Place At Home Franchise Convention, A Place At Home Franchise sold its original Omaha location to Papillion franchisees, Rick and Kris Perkins.

“I can’t think of a better match for our Omaha-location than Kris and Rick. They won our 2020 Rookie of the Year award at this year’s convention, they’ve cared about the seniors of our community for a long time, and I am completely confident in their ability to take over Omaha operations. The staff loves them, we love them, it was a perfect match,” said Dustin Distefano, CEO and Co-Founder of A Place At Home.

Rick is a former counselor and manager who spent 20 years with Child and Adult Protective Services. He also served as Program Coordinator for the Juvenile Assessment Center. Kris is a former 911 dispatcher and EMT. She also worked in sales and deployment roles for Motorola Solutions, Inc., where she deployed public safety software across the United States. This husband-and-wife team has been running the Papillion franchise location for over a year now.

“Helping seniors age in their own homes has become a passion for us, and the Omaha team has been so wonderful to work with during this transition,” Kris says.

“We understand enlisting the help of professionals to care for loved ones is a tough decision to make,” said Rick. “We want the Omaha community to know we’ll treat your family like we’d treat our own family. And we want to ease the stress of the transition to an assisted living community when the time comes.”

The Papillion franchise office is located at 10791 S. 72nd St., Suite #104, and serves Bellevue, Offutt, Ralston, Chalco, La Vista, Council Bluffs, and Center Lake. The Perkins will establish the new Omaha location at 9829 S 168th Ave, Suite A in 2021. They will also have a central satellite office at Terrace Plaza, 11414 W Center Rd. They will also serve Elkhorn, Fremont, Blair, Wahoo, and Gretna and the Iowa communities of Council Bluffs, Crescent, and Glenwood.

To A Place At Home co-founders, Jerod Evanich and Dustin Distefano, awarding franchises to the right people is an important part of fulfilling their mission:

“To be passionate professionals providing the compassionate care solutions you need, when and where you need us.”

If you or someone you love needs care in their home, contact us today!

A Math Major, a College Roommate, and a Twist of Fate

Caregiver of the Month Alex Swanson didn’t start her college career thinking she would be working in senior care.

Majoring in Math with a minor in Business and French at UNO, Alex stays busy, studying hard and preparing for a future in data science. When she started classes, her roommate, Maddie, worked in senior care as a caregiver for A Place At Home. Maddie had been caring regularly for a long-term client. When the time came for Maddie to transfer to a different school, she had reservations about leaving. That’s when she approached Alex about applying with A Place At Home to take over caring for her client. At the time, Alex had been looking for a part-time job to make some money over the summer. That was two years ago, and Alex is still caring for the same woman every week. She’s a regular caregiver for another client, as well.

“It’s impossible now to think that it was just going to be a summer job.”

While Alex didn’t initially see herself working in senior care, she said that she was intrigued when Maddie first approached her. She shared that she didn’t have grandparents close to her, and she welcomed the opportunity to learn from an older generation. Her experience so far? Incredibly rewarding. “You care about their well-being so much that it feels like they’re your family.” Though she does admit, it can be emotionally taxing, especially when the person you’re caring about is having a bad day. Even so, the bond that’s been built between her and her clients is something Alex loves. She can anticipate what their needs are before they even have to ask her for something.

“I had no idea – you make a difference for them, but they really make a difference for you.”

Regarding her employment with A Place At Home, Alex is thankful that everyone is so accommodating about her schedule as a full-time student. “I can’t imagine any other job that would get me through college that I would love this much.” Her advice for new caregivers coming into the field? “Expect to get attached to people.”

Be aware of their kindness and the fact that you are a stranger that is being welcomed into their home.

Alex says that it will be hard for her to leave A Place At Home when she graduates. She expects in the future that she will find herself working with seniors again, likely on a volunteer basis. Working in senior care was unexpected, but she says now, “It felt like fate.”

If you or someone you know is looking for a rewarding career, apply with us today. It may be one of the most rewarding things you do!

Long-Term Care Worries? We Have You Covered

$85,000 to $100,000. That is the current estimated cost per year to pay for long-term care.

Don’t think you’ll need it? Think again. There is a 70% chance that someone turning 65 today will need some type of long-term care. Those numbers will go up, as people live longer each year. Those care needs may be in the home or a senior living community.

While these numbers can be intimidating, there are options available right now to prepare you for your long-term care needs.

A Place At Home recently sat down with Matthew Hooker, a financial advisor with Edward Jones. He shared there’s not a specific age to start planning for long-term care. “I’ve seen people do it as early as 40-45. Because they have seen it, and they are willing to pay to avoid it.” He advises if you start early, then you can address it before it’s an issue. And that’s the best assurance you can get. In the past, long-term care policies were a use it or lose it proposition. It was incredibly expensive to carry a plan, and the rates would go up. Often when people transitioned to a fixed income.

Fortunately, that’s not the case these days. According to Matthew, now there are great options for long-term care policies.

Some of these are hybrid policies, encompassing coverage for both assisted living situations as well as life insurance. He explained some of the options available to help you prepare for your long-term care needs:

 

  • Integrate long-term care into your budget (self-insuring): This allows you the most flexibility in choosing your care providers, but paying out of pocket for long-term care can be costly and can be a gamble for your financial goals.
  • Long-term care insurance – If you choose to go through an insurance company, you have a couple of options:
    • Traditional long-term care insurance:
    • Policies and costs vary quite a bit, based on different things, such as your health, age, location of care, and more. It can ensure you won’t deplete your assets and income if you need long-term care. It also offers flexibility and possible shared benefits between two people. However, premiums are not fixed or guaranteed. You do still have to pay them, even if you don’t need care later.
    • Life insurance with long-term care benefits: these policies are newer and can allow you to use the death benefit to pay for long-term care if you need to. Premiums here are generally fixed, and if no care is required, it provides a life insurance death benefit. There are additional costs with these hybrid policies, and the long-term care coverage is often less than with a traditional long-term care policy.

 

Saving for your potential long-term care needs can be like a roulette wheel. How you decide to plan for your future depends on your individual needs.

Matthew advises that whatever you decide to do to prepare for long-term care as you age, make sure you have a game plan that makes sense. “I take people’s priorities, their picture of retirement, and give them different vehicles to get to where they want to go.” He also shares that a large part of his role is interpreting what people’s needs really are. “Long term care, assisted living, nursing home care, people use all these words interchangeably, and none of them mean the same thing.” Matthew knows the difference between all of these, as well as the ever-changing rules and regulations, changes in legislation, and especially long-term care and assisted living. Everyone’s situation and goals are different. “I work with people and interpret whoever they are as a person.”

“Their experience? That experience is what you have to get down to, and really understand.”

Matthew will help you plan for how you envision your future. He does comprehensive planning, including full-blown insurance and investments, stocks, bonds, mutual funds, 401k’s, cash accounts, money markets, refinancing your home (which he does not recommend), estate planning, and trusts. Helping people is something Matthew has a passion for. He shares, “I truly love this profession, this job. I get paid for it, thank God because I would do this anyway. I love helping folks.”

Whatever your current situation or future goals are, A Place At Home recommends speaking with Matthew to ensure your needs are met. And to ensure you are set up for any potential long-term care needs you may have in the years to come. You can reach him by visiting his website, sending him an email, or calling him at 402-630-7379. With all the uncertainty, especially with what we’ve seen this year, reaching out to Matthew might be one of the best things you can do to prepare for your future.

Need guidance looking for in-home care, or choosing an assisted living community? Reach out to us today to explore your options!

 

 

Caregiver of the Month: Brandi Thomas – A Life Spent in Service to Others

Brandi Thomas, June’s Caregiver of the Month, comes from a long line of nurses in her family. She shares, “The bar has been set really high for me for a long time.”

If you were to try to get a hold of Brandi Thomas- to say, interview her for winning Caregiver of the Month, it would be immediately apparent that she has little time to sit and chat. For her clients at A Place At Home, she works seven days a week. One might think that’s excessive.

For Brandi, her whole life has been about caring for others since she was eight years old.

Born and raised in Omaha, Nebraska, Brandi spent her childhood following her mother, who provided nursing care for seniors. She spent time with the people her mother cared for, providing companionship to those that didn’t have family members in their lives. That companionship was the start of a lifetime of caring for others. She gained more experience, including working for the state of Nebraska for five years. The people she was caring for suggested she take her knowledge and use it to become licensed. That’s what she did, and she says, “I’ve never regretted it since.”

Brandi is working on furthering her education to get a degree in nursing, following her family members’ footsteps. Though she’s put her plans on hold because of the pandemic, she will be enrolling in the nursing program at Metropolitan Community College. She comes from a family of CNA’s, RN’s, and Nurse Practitioners. COVID-19 upsetting the timeline for her plans doesn’t phase her at all.

“I was raised not to be a quitter.”

Brandi enjoys working with individuals who have dementia, the most. They can be challenging, but she feels that working with them betters herself as a nurse and an individual. She takes great pride in the trust she’s built up with her clients. Taking time to find out what they’ve been through in life, their experiences, and who they are as individuals. “When they talk about certain things, and they just light up, it makes me so happy, because they know there’s somebody there to listen to them.”

“I want it to be a memorable experience for them, where they want me to come back, and they feel comfortable with me being there.”

Her advice to new caregivers? “Build that rapport, that relationship. Over time you’ll understand why they act the way they do.” For Brandi, she has a long, passionate future ahead of her. She finds joy in caring for others, and for her, the impact she makes in the lives of others is what counts. “This kind of work is more than just a paycheck. It is about true care and compassion and understanding.”

If you have a passion to care for others and a desire to make an impact, apply with us today!

Quality of Care – Keeping Hospital Readmission Rates Low

Hospital readmissions are expensive – costing 41.3 billion dollars per year. A Place At Home is making an impact in the industry by utilizing Quality of Care – and striving to reduce readmission rates across the nation.

As an aging adult, your goal is to stay healthy and independent in your own home. A hospitalization can negatively impact your independence. If you get sent to a rehabilitation center after being discharged from the hospital, it can be weeks before you return to your home. Once you are finally home, the last thing you want to do is end up back in the hospital days or weeks later. At A Place At Home, your goals are our goals. That’s why we use Quality of Care for all of our clients. Our software allows your caregiver to record any change in your condition, in real-time, reducing hospital readmissions.

We track your recovery and report concerns so they can be addressed safely and timely in your home.

What does Quality of Care look like? Let’s say you have diabetes, and recently suffered a heart attack. You spend five days in the hospital, then another three weeks in a rehabilitation center. You’re happy to be home. Social Work sent you home with home health, as well as caregivers from A Place At Home. At home, you find that you often feel dizzy and out of breath. Your blood sugar is all over the place, and you feel confused a lot of the time.

Your caregiver is noticing these things as well, and she’s recording them.

Each time she marks a change in condition, your Care Manager at A Place At Home receives an alert in real-time. Your Care Manager reports these changes to your health care team, including your home health company, as well as your primary care doctor and cardiologist. Your health care team issues guidelines to treat your symptoms at home.

You continue to get stronger and have a better quality of life, staying in your own home.

How would this situation look without A Place At Home and Quality of Care? What are the chances that you would readmit to the hospital if you didn’t have someone there, addressing any changes in your condition? Fairly high. The readmission rate for patients with comorbidities after a heart attack is 20% within the first 30 days after being discharged home. It’s 50% for six months after. Each hospitalization is a setback for your health, independence, and quality of life. Not to mention how costly it is. 

Those setbacks make it unlikely that you’ll be able to stay in your home long term.

A Place At Home’s Quality of Care program is more than just a term to describe what we do. It’s a calculated, consistent plan of action that prevents you from being readmitted to the hospital. Your quality of life is of the utmost importance to us. Our passion is senior-focused care, and we center the care we provide to you on your long-term goals. Contact us today to discuss your goals and how we can help.

Pearl Miller – One of a Kind

From War-Torn Liberia to Omaha Nebraska, Pearl Miller is one of a kind.

If you ask Cheryll, who Pearl Miller cares for through A Place At Home, you’ll have no doubt about why she was chosen as Caregiver of the Month for May. Pearl has been caring for Cheryll full time for nine months, and the impact she’s made on Cheryll’s life in that short time is evident.

“I appreciate everything about Pearl. She’s an angel, she looks after you, every little detail. She has a sense of humor. She pushes you when you need to be pushed.”

While Cheryll is the most recent person Pearl has cared for, she is far from the first. Pearl’s experience as a caregiver started when she was a young girl in Liberia. She and her siblings took care of their grandparents, and great aunts and uncles. Helping those that couldn’t do for themselves. “At the time, I didn’t know anything about ‘caregiver’. I was just helping a family member.”

Pearl’s caring nature comes to her honestly; her mother was the town doctor. Pearl shares that her mother went to medical school but didn’t finish. Instead, she used her skillset and knowledge to serve the people in their community. No one at that time could afford to go to a hospital. And when war came to Liberia, at the age of 13, Pearl followed behind her mother, caring for the sick and wounded. It was then Pearl decided what she wanted to do in life.

“From there, I started learning how to care for people when they are hurt, when they are wounded…and so I started thinking, this would be a good thing to do, to help people.”

Pearl came to the US when she was 17, to escape the war. She started her CNA career in Maryland, and started medical school, but didn’t finish. She got married, and gave birth to her son, who is now in his fourth year of college studying cyber security. In Maryland, she worked in a nursing home for years. When she came to Nebraska, she went back to school for phlebotomy, and travelled with the American Red Cross. The traveling was difficult for her son, who was young at the time, so Pearl started working in homes as a CNA.

Pearl has been working with A Place At Home since the first year they opened their doors. While she’s taken time away over the years, they are grateful that she keeps coming back. Pearl says that she’s encouraged working for A Place At Home, because the employers “are very friendly and kind, they talk with me like we are on the same level.”

“They make me feel like I am a part of it. And that plays a major role.”

Pearl says her favorite thing about being a caregiver is seeing the results of her work. She’s worked in all kinds of settings, including caring for people in a mental health facility. And when she sees progress in those individuals, she feels satisfaction. “When I’m working, and I see results, I’m like, okay, I’m doing something.”

Her advice for those just getting into the field? Patience, and empathy. “If you put yourself in their shoes, and you also have patience, you will work forever, and everything will go well for you. I always put myself in the patient’s shoes. And by doing that, we are loving ourselves and taking care of ourselves more.”

For Cheryll, Pearl is definitely producing results. Not just physically, but in a way that means even more: “I consider her a friend, too. She’s one of a kind.”

If Pearl’s advice on patience and empathy strike a chord with you, apply to be a caregiver with A Place At Home today!

 

 

 

 

Elder Abuse – Do You Know What to Look For?

Elder Abuse Awareness

June 15th is World Elder Abuse Awareness Day.

This day was conceptualized in 2006 by the International Network for the Prevention of Elder Abuse to promote awareness and understanding of the prevalence of elder abuse across the globe. In this blog, we explain some signs of abuse, and what you can do if you see or suspect it’s happening.

Each year, an estimated 5 million older adults suffer some kind of abuse.

Some signs of abuse can be obvious and easy to spot. When an aging adult is being physically abused, you might see things like broken bones, bruises or welts, or cuts and scrapes. But there are less obvious signs of abuse in a lot of cases. Financial abuse or exploitation is a perfect example of this. There may be signs such as large sums of money missing from bank accounts. Or the senior may be “gifting” monetary compensation in exchange for companionship. Perhaps the senior no longer has access to their financial records and accounts. This particular type of abuse is one of the most common.

On average, older Americans lose 2.6 billion dollars a year to financial abuse and exploitation.

Along with financial abuse, neglect is another of the most common types of elder abuse. Physical signs of neglect include bed sores or pressure wounds, or a lack of necessary medical equipment. You may also notice a case of neglect if the senior has poor hygiene, or weight loss due to a lack of proper nutrition. Dehydration and unsafe living conditions are also indicators of neglect in aging adults. Neglect isn’t always intentional. If the individual doesn’t have a support network, the neglect may be circumstantial, but it still needs to be addressed.

Another type of abuse that doesn’t present physically is emotional abuse.  If you notice your loved one’s caregiver speaks to them in a demeaning, dismissive, or aggressive way, if they don’t allow you to be alone with your loved one, or over explain concerns about injuries or social withdrawal, don’t brush it off. Be concerned. If you notice something, say something.

You might question what’s going on behind closed doors if your loved one seems hesitant to speak freely to you, if they seem withdrawn, or express new anxiety, depression, or fear.

If you find yourself questioning whether or not an aging adult is safe in their situation, there are things you can do to help. First, if the abuse or danger is immediate, call 911. If you’re not sure, but suspect abuse or neglect, call your local Adult Protection Services agency. You can make your report anonymously, and they will follow up with you once they’ve investigated the situation.

None of us ever want our loved ones to be in a situation where they are vulnerable to abuse. While it’s generally not possible to be with our parents or grandparents 24 hours a day, we do have the option of bringing in a caregiver to help. But you want to be sure that person is someone you can trust. At A Place At Home, all of our caregivers are fully vetted with background checks and drug testing, and are bonded and insured to ensure you can be confident in the safety and well-being of your loved one. To learn more, visit us here.