An Angel Among Us: Donna Bird

Caregiver of the Month

Donna Bird named A Place At Home’s August Caregiver of the Month.

She recently became a caregiver with A Place At Home a couple of months back, but in that time, she has gone above and beyond to give her clients the best care possible. “What I love most about being a caregiver is the people I work with. All of them are sweet, sweet people,” said Donna.

Donna is from southwest Kansas where she was working on her Master’s Degree in Social Work. She said, “I was one semester away from being an RN. It really makes me better in the homes because I understand what I’m working with medically.”

Donna has been a caregiver for 27 years. She said one of the most touching moments in her career happened recently with a gentleman she was assigned to provide care to by A Place At Home.

“We really bonded. He went into hospice shortly after we met and from that point on, he let go. What was so beautiful through that whole thing was I knew he needed to see me one last time before he died. That’s just how close we were. The last day I went in there, I shaved his face really good with the razor, gave him a really nice sponge bath, I would talk to him and his eyes would open and he’d look directly at me so he understood what I was saying. I would always sit by his bed and put my hand on his so he knew he was never alone. It was very touching. When I left the next day he passed away. But he needed to see me one more time before he died.”

The family was extremely grateful that Donna came into his life, even if it was briefly. “His wife thought I was the best thing that ever happened to him. His daughter said I was an angel, as much as I helped her cope through this process. The card they sent me, what they said…I’ll save it for the rest of my life. I will never ever forget this family.”

Donna felt this connection and timing was a miracle. “The Lord put me there for that very reason.”

While the family expressed how important Donna was to them, she said the impact on her was equally moving, “They were thankful to me…but do you know what they did for me? There are no words to describe it. They thought I did a lot for them…but oh, what it did for me. There’s not enough words or tears that could ever tell anyone what it meant to me to be with him.”

Become A Caregiver

A Place at Home caregivers genuinely enjoy caring for others. Together, we work to provide each senior the opportunity to live their best life. Apply now or contact us to inquire about becoming a caregiver with us.

Staffing with CARE

As the Staffing Coordinator, Nick pairs caregivers with local health care agencies who need an extra helping hand.

It’s important to him that the company he works for aligns with his personal values, and A Place at Home does just that.

“I’m able to help people every day and we’re also doing things the right way here,” Nick said.

A fully staffed office or community is critical to the overall care of the patients or residents and to the proper functioning of a facility. Our service provides CNAs and CMAs to senior communities and health offices to fill in when there are staff shortages for short- or long-term needs.

The availability of a certified staff member to step in and understand how to care for clients, be it checking vitals, running medication carts, clothing or bedding changes, dementia care, or bathing, gives peace of mind to families and the facility managers.

A Place at Home: Trust Us for Compassionate Senior Care

At A Place at Home senior care, we know that sometimes you need a break from your caregiving duties. That’s when we step in. Whether you just need a few hours or 24/7 care—we are here to provide compassionate care solutions, where and when you need us. We offer a continuum of care for seniors ranging from in-home care services and care coordination to senior living alternatives. Contact us today for more information.

Learning Invaluable Lessons From Seniors: Odillia Magut

Odillia Magut has been named A Place at Home’s February Caregiver of the Month.

While Odillia has only been a CNA for four months, she is no stranger to caring for others. She has dedicated nearly three decades to taking care of her older relatives, including her mother-in-law.

During her time as a family caregiver, Odillia soaked up invaluable life lessons that she now takes with her in her daily life.

“I have learned so much from being a caregiver – how to be patient, how to be compassionate, and how to live life to the fullest,” Odillia said.

From companionship to providing seniors assistance with day-to-day activities, Odillia truly cherishes her time spent caring for others.

“I love spending time with seniors and helping them with their needs. It makes me feel so fulfilled,” Odillia said.

In addition to enjoying her time with senior clients, Odillia appreciates the support she receives from the A Place at Home staff. “They truly listen and are always very understanding. They are kind and they motivate me to always be my best,” Odillia said.

Become A Caregiver

A Place at Home caregivers genuinely enjoy caring for others. Together, we work to provide each senior the opportunity to live their best life. Contact us to inquire about becoming a caregiver with us.

4 Self-Care Tips for Caregivers

With the increased population of seniors in our society, caregivers have become some of the most significant people in supporting the lives of seniors.

Seniors often need companionship, laundry services, shopping assistance, and physical therapy. While caregivers may be essential to the well-being of seniors, they need to know the importance of their own well-being.

Regardless of the type of care that you provide, you should observe some practices that ensure a quality life of those you are caring for as well as your own care. Here are some tips that you should consider as you carry out your caregiving duties:

Sharing Responsibilities

Sometimes being a caretaker can take a toll on you, hindering your ability to perform duties outside of your workplace. Consider sharing responsibility with people around you or an in-home care agency to avoid overworking yourself.

Self-maintenance

Maintaining yourself is essential to living a healthy life. You cannot provide effective care if you have poor health or fatigue. For this reason, building good eating and sleeping habits are absolutely necessary. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that adults get at least 20 to 30 minutes of cardio a day. Get your heart rate up with a walk, a job, or an exercise class.  Ensure your eating stays on target by meal planning and prepping once or twice a week.

Seek Emotional Support

Caregiving can sometimes be incredibly stressful. This can take a toll on your mental health, making it difficult to carry out your responsibilities and other tasks. Support groups can help you deal with stress. These groups understand the hardships you are going through and can provide emotional support.

Take a Break

Caregiving can sometimes get extremely overwhelming. Set aside time for yourself whenever possible—do the things you love or just take some time to relax. It could be a short nap or a vacation, anything that allows you time to rejuvenate and refresh so that you have the energy and mental capacity to continue caregiving.

Your own care should always come first, and it is only when you take care of yourself that you can take care of others around you. Above all, surround yourself with a support system that will help you deal with emotional battles that may come your way.

A Place at Home: Trust Us for Compassionate Senior Care

At A Place at Home senior care, we know that sometimes you need a break from your caregiving duties. That’s when we step in. Whether you just need a few hours or 24/7 care—we are here to provide compassionate care solutions, where and when you need us. We offer a continuum of care for seniors ranging from in-home care services and care coordination to senior living alternatives. Contact us today for more information.

Living Out My Passion: Shena Cue

Shena has dedicated the past 17 years to being a caregiver. Her genuine compassion for others has nabbed her Caregiver of the Month for January.

Shena has been passionate about caring for others ever since her childhood. “When I was a little kid, I used to volunteer whenever I could. In high school, I helped out with the Special Olympics. Then my grandparents started needing help around the house, so I spent a lot of time caring for her. That’s when I realized caring for others is what I really wanted to do,” Shena said.

Shena’s dedication, passion, and love for her job are truly unmatched. Caregiving isn’t just a job, it’s her life’s purpose. “There is nothing else in my life that makes me as complete as being a caregiver. It just makes me feel so good being able to care for people – giving them the things that they really need,” Shena said.

With nearly two decades as a caregiver under her belt, Shena aspires to expand her compassion from caregiving for individual clients to caring for her entire community.

“I love being a CNA. That’s why I’ve been in this field for 17 years. I genuinely love doing what I do. But I want to broaden my reach someday by opening up a staffing or home care agency like A Place at Home,” Shena said.

Shena is the epitome of A Place at Home’s motto, We are CARE (Compassionate, Accountable, Respectful, Ethical). Every day, she sets out to treat everyone she encounters with kindness and respect.

“Shena has to be one of the most compassionate people I know. She definitely has her heart in this job, and it really shows. She strives to do everything she can to make her clients happy,” Dani Pierce, HR Director said.

Congratulations Shena! Thanks for always showing A Place at Home seniors the CARE they deserve.

A Place at Home: Trust Us for Compassionate Senior Care

At A Place at Home senior care, we know that our in-home caregivers make us great. Our careful hiring practices and high standards ensure that seniors receive compassionate, reliable assistance with the activities of daily life. Our senior support services are planned around elderly individuals’ specific needs – and designed to maintain their dignity and independence. A Place at Home caregivers genuinely enjoy caring for others. Together, we work to provide each senior the opportunity to live their best life. Apply now or contact us to inquire about becoming a caregiver with us.

 


A Place at Home Awarded 2019 Best of Home Care – Employer of Choice

OMAHA, NE – A Place at Home has received the 2019 Best of Home Care – Employer of Choice Award from Home Care Pulse. The Employer of Choice Award is granted only to the top-ranking home care providers, based on caregiver satisfaction scores gathered by Home Care Pulse, an independent satisfaction research firm for home care. A Place at Home is ranked among the best employers of in-home caregivers in the region.

“We congratulate A Place at Home on earning the Best of Home Care – Employer of Choice Award,” says Erik Madsen, CEO of Home Care Pulse. “Since this award is based on employee feedback, it shows the dedication A Place at Home has to provide their employees with great working experience while ensuring clients have well-trained, compassionate caregivers.”

Best of Home Care – Employer of Choice award-winning providers work with Home Care Pulse to gather feedback from their caregivers via live phone interviews each month. Because Home Care Pulse is an independent company, it is able to collect honest and unbiased feedback.

“We are honored to receive the Employer of Choice award for the fourth year in a row. Our caregivers are the backbone of our company, which is why they are our number one priority. We ensure they have the tools and support they need to succeed in providing top-notch service to our clients,” says Dustin Distefano, CEO & Co-Founder of A Place at Home.

In addition to receiving Best of Home Care – Employer of Choice for the fourth year in a row, A Place at Home also recently won the Best of Omaha 2019 award in the Non-Medical Home Health category.

“Our goal at Home Care Pulse is to empower home care businesses to provide the best home care possible,” says Erik Madsen, CEO of Home Care Pulse. “We are happy to recognize A Place at Home as a Best of Home Care – Employer of Choice, and we celebrate their accomplishments in building a team of happy, qualified caregivers to care for their clients.”

About A Place at Home

Co-founded in 2012 by Dustin Distefano and Jerod Evanich, A Place at Home saught to improve senior-focused care. Both Distefano and Evanich had personal experiences with their own loved ones, and they understand first-hand how challenging it can be to provide quality care without proper planning and necessary resources.

Over a lunch meeting, the two co-founders developed the initial concept for A Place at Home; a service designed to promote independence and adapt to the needs of seniors and their families. Today, A Place at Home provides home-based care, care coordination, senior living alternatives, and staffing for the senior community. If you are looking for services for you or a loved one, we are here to help. Get in touch with us today!

When Clients Become Family: Katy Curlis

Katy Curlis has been named A Place at Home’s December Caregiver of the Month. For the past three years, she has dedicated her life to being a caregiver.

Katy always knew that she wanted to make a difference in her community, but had originally pursued a career in Early Childhood Development.

“I was close to getting my degree in early childhood development when I did some work with seniors. I loved hearing their stories, and just really connected with them. After that, I made the decision to switch over from child development to senior care,” Katy expressed.

During her time with A Place at Home, Katy formed an unbreakable bond with her client, Bill. After three years of working with Bill, he and his family became like family to Katy.

Katy and Bill had fun little rituals like going to get ice cream. She loved seeing how happy it made him. And when he struggled to get out of the house, she would bring him his favorite ice cream.

“I just loved making his day even with just a small gesture like getting ice cream. It’s the little things that make a big difference,” Katy said.

Katy’s close relationship with Bill made it even more difficult when she received the news of his passing.

“The family called me to tell me, ‘he’s passing, come quickly’,” Katy said. “Afterwards, it was really hard. I had prepared myself. I knew that he was going downhill, and in senior care, it’s unfortunately inevitable that clients may eventually pass away, but that didn’t make it any easier [losing him].”

To this day, Katy still keeps in contact with Bill’s family. “They will have always have a special place in my heart,” Katy expressed.

While Katy has worked for a few other in-home care agencies, she says that A Place at Home is by far her favorite.

“A Place at Home just has a better set-up. I get along with the office staff, they are easy to talk to and very supportive. And most of all, compatibility is super important to them. They do a great job pairing clients with the right caregivers,” said Katy.

A Place at Home: Trust Us for Compassionate Senior Care

At A Place at Home senior care, we know that our in-home caregivers make us great. Our careful hiring practices and high standards ensure that seniors receive compassionate, reliable assistance with the activities of daily life. Our senior support services are planned around elderly individuals’ specific needs – and designed to maintain their dignity and independence. A Place at Home caregivers genuinely enjoy caring for others. Together, we work to provide each senior the opportunity to live their best life. Apply now or contact us to inquire about becoming a caregiver with us.

Caring Heart: Chikodili Enendu

Chikodili Enendu has been named A Place at Home’s November Caregiver of the Month.

She recently became a caregiver with A Place at Home a few months back, but in that time, she has gone above and beyond to give her clients the best care possible.

While Chiko has only been with A Place at Home a short time, she is no stranger to caring for others. She dedicated a large portion of her childhood serving as a family caregiver to her senior relatives.

“While my mom was at work, I would step in and take care of my elderly relatives—bringing them to doctors appointments, walking with them, doing chores and laundry for them,” Chiko said.

Caring for her elders blossomed her passion for helping others, which led to her pursuing a bachelor’s degree in human services at the University of Baltimore. 

Working as a caregiver for A Place at Home has allowed Chiko the ability to expand her skills. 

“I am always looking to sharpen my skills so that I can take everything I learn as a caregiver and apply it to my future endeavors,” Chiko said. 

Chiko is currently working towards a masters degree in social work. “I would love to do clinical social work—working in the hospital. I want to counsel them and ultimately discover better ways to serve patients,” Chiko expressed.

Chiko also aspires to eventually own her own business in the human services field. We are certain that with all of Chiko’s drive and ambitions, she will continue to serve the community for years to come with her caring heart.

Become A Caregiver

A Place at Home caregivers genuinely enjoy caring for others. Together, we work to provide each senior the opportunity to live their best life. Apply now or contact us to inquire about becoming a caregiver with us.

Caregiver of the Month: Scott Collier

Caregiver of the Month Scott Collier has dedicated nearly two decades to caring for others – as both a CNA and Medication Aide. He began in the early 2000’s caring for patients in nursing homes and at the hospital to now being a caregiver with A Place at Home. “Being a caregiver isn’t a paycheck for me, it’s my passion, it’s my calling,” Scott expressed. When Scott first began at A Place at Home over three years ago, he primarily worked with facilities. Until one day he filled in a shift taking care of veteran and stroke survivor, Ron. “I had been working at facilities, but after working with Ron – I knew that I wanted to continue to care for him full-time. He was just great. It allowed me more one-on-one time and truly being able to give my all as a caregiver versus trying to care for multiple patients at once,” Scott recalled. Ron’s wife, Deb instantly took to Scott from the very first time he cared for her husband and even requested that Scott become his regular caregiver. “From the very beginning, it was apparent just how much Scott genuinely cared for Ron. He is very attentive, dependable and incredibly trustworthy. He closely monitors changes in Ron both physically and emotionally,” Deb said. “For me, it’s key that whoever cares for Ron is someone that I can trust. And I trust Scott. If I have to run errands, I know that Ron will be taken care of very well. Scott isn’t just our caregiver, he is a part of our family.” Deb first discovered A Place at Home while Ron was at a rehab facility after experiencing a massive stroke back in September 2015, which ultimately affected his ability to move and talk. “The stroke was very devastating for our family, but even more so for Ron. He was no longer able to do basic tasks on his own. It was difficult, but I wanted to make sure that he was able to stay home. We’re blessed to have the support we’ve had to make it possible for him to be home. We don’t know what we’d do without Scott,” Deb expressed. Deb reiterates that it hasn’t been an easy road, but that she just feels blessed to still have Ron here, alive and well. “I can’t believe it’s been three years since his stroke. I have learned so much, but the most important lesson has been learning to cherish each day because you have no idea what could happen at any minute,” Deb said.

A Place at Home: Trust Us for Compassionate Senior Care

At A Place at Home senior care, we know that our in-home caregivers make us great. Our careful hiring practices and high standards ensure that seniors receive compassionate, reliable assistance with the activities of daily life. Our senior support services are planned around elderly individuals’ specific needs – and designed to maintain their dignity and independence. A Place at Home caregivers genuinely enjoy caring for others. Together, we work to provide each senior the opportunity to live their best life. Apply now or contact us to inquire about becoming a caregiver with us.

Staffing with CARE

A Place at Home is willing to share our Certified Nursing Assistants to health care offices in need of a little extra help.

Staffing Solutions

A fully staffed office or community is critical to the overall care of the patients or residents and to the proper functioning of a facility. Our service provides CNAs and CMAs to senior communities and health offices to fill in when there are staff shortages for short- or long-term needs.  The availability of a certified staff member to step in and understand how to care for clients, be it checking vitals, running medication carts, clothing or bedding changes, dementia care, or bathing, gives peace of mind to families and the facility managers.