Caregiver Never Felt So Welcomed and Loved: TyNesha Otis

Caregiver of the Month

“I’ve never been so welcomed and so loved and so touched since working for A Place At Home,” said Caregiver of the Month, TyNesha Otis, who joined the A Place At Home CARE team in May.

Before joining A Place At Home as a caregiver, TyNesha was previously in childcare. Her entire family worked in childcare and she recalled helping her mom babysit. “She used to ask, ‘TyNesha, help me with this or that.’ It kind of became my job.”

TyNesha has four children of her own now including a set of twins. She decided to get her CNA last year saying that jumping from childcare to senior care was just a reverse role. “They depend on us. I make sure they’re dressed and fed.” TyNesha added, “I was driven to get my CNA. And I did it. And I turned around and got my medical assistant certification too.”

She’s enjoyed the transition to caring for seniors. She smiled and said, “They make me laugh. I love working with the elderly and being there for them makes my day go a little bit smoother. It just gets better and better.”

Becoming a Caregiver

Every caregiving case is different and it’s hard to know how to prepare but TyNesha makes sure to take her time and listen. She advised anyone new to caregiving to help your client as much as you can without taking over. “If they are trying to work hard on something, give them that space. Ask them if they need help instead of helping because you’re taking away their independence. Help them along. Don’t just try to do everything for them. Guide them. If they can’t do it help them, don’t let them struggle. They need love too.”

TyNesha works with three regular clients, plus she picks up extra shifts when other caregivers callout. “I work while the kids are at school and if they’re busy after school I’ll pick up other shifts.” Dani Sloan, HR Director at A Place At Home – Omaha, commended TyNesha for stepping up to the plate when they needed her to fill a shift. “She’s been amazing and so reliable. Our clients love her, and we love working with her,” said Dani.

Compassionate Care Starts Here

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 the senior’s individual 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.

 

Connecting With Veterans: Amber Dean

Caregiver of the Month

Amber Dean was named Caregiver of the Month for October.

Amber became a caregiver by following in the footsteps of her mom, Aunts, and cousins. “I come from a long line of CNA’s in my family. We have a passion to help others,” Amber said.

She has been a caregiver since 1999, spending the last five years with A Place At Home – Omaha. With ten children and seven grandchildren, Amber was relieved to find an employer “that understands when things come up.” She finds APAH – Omaha to be a very family-oriented company.

About being selected Caregiver of the Month, Dani Sloan, HR Director of  APAH – Omaha, said “Amber is consistent, reliable, dependable, and epitomizes our “We are CARE” philosophy.”

Amber recalled her first clients when she started working here, “They were a couple and one had dementia and the other did not. They were fun to be with and kept saying they’d adopt me if they could.”

Amber also finds that many of the clients she cares for usually request her to come back. She said, “I connect with a lot of my clients. It seems like I’m with a lot of veterans and my husband is a veteran. It gives me a foot in the door to connect with them. They love to hear how my husband’s service animal is doing.”

She currently provides care for a veteran in Bennington who, like her step-son, was also in the Navy. She prepares his meals, runs to the grocery store and helps clean his home.

Ultimately, Amber shared, her goal is to be a nurse. “I’m in the mentoring program. A Place At Home helped me get a mentor to further my education as an RN,” said Amber.

Find an RN Mentor

A Place At Home has been collaborating with the Nebraska Action Coalition – Future of Nursing to provide a foundation to connect emerging nurse leaders with experts across the nursing profession. Five caregivers from A Place At Home have been matched with mentors since the program started this year.

This free program is available to all A Place At Home caregivers. Once matched with a mentor they will provide helpful resources and general guidance for navigating nursing school and other roadblocks along the path through nursing school. If you are an A Place At Home caregiver, contact Kris Kircher, Executive Director of APAH – Omaha, at 402-932-4646 for more information and to join the program.

If you are interested in becoming a caregiver, apply online today.

Making Independent Living Possible: Gertrude’s Story

Sometimes moving to an independent as opposed to assisted living community is the best option. That’s the way it was for 85-year-old Gertrude.

Gertrude was living in a nice two-bedroom apartment in a swanky part of town. She lived near several retail and grocery stores. She also lived off a beautiful lake and her apartment building offered an underground garage.

She was doing okay, but her 3 adult children, who all lived out of town, were starting to get concerned. They were worried that Gertrude might not be taking her medications properly and there was no one to make sure that she was doing so. They were also concerned that there was no one to check on her on a regular basis.

That’s when their son, John contacted me. He let me know when he was going to be visiting Omaha. We talked about the things his mother liked to do as well as what her budget looked like, and I proceeded to set up a couple of tours for one Sunday afternoon in June.

After our tours, he and his mother chose a community that was close to her current home. They liked the atmosphere and activities that were offered and the fact that it was very close to many restaurants and shops (just like what she was used to). She would have a full kitchen, yet two meals a day would be included in her monthly rent. Gertrude would also have a heated underground garage. However, she would still have transportation for those days she did not want to drive or there was bad weather. This community also offered a contingency plan with assisted living and memory apartments.

In lieu of moving to assisted living, her family opted for A Place at Home’s Care Coordination Program where our nurse, Denise, could provide medication assistance for Gertrude. Her medications would be kept in a lock box in her independent apartment. Denise could also accompany Gertrude to all of her medical appointments since her children all live out of town.

Today, Gertrude resides in this independent living community and is flourishing from daily activities and having access to so many public areas within the building.

Gertrude’s story is similar to many that I encounter every day. Oftentimes families aren’t sure what all is included in the different types of living communities, and drilling down all the details can be confusing and cumbersome (especially when the family members live out of town). Our Senior Living Alternatives service was designed to make sure families make the best decisions for their loved ones, and part of that service also entails assessing all the needs and how our other A Place at Home services might be useful in allowing the senior to live the best life they can.

 

Here’s to Positive Feedback!

We love hearing about how our clients and families feel about the care they receive from our A Place at Home team.

And while we believe that our Caregivers are the best, it feels great to hear it directly from our clients.  Here are some recent testimonials that we’d like to share.

Peace of mind

I finally have peace of mind knowing I have excellent in-home care from APH helping my 90yr old mom, Genevieve, with dressing, meals, baths and general companionship. APH makes it possible for my mom to remain at home, feeling safe and secure and enjoying the quality of life she deserves. I’m also extremely thankful for the Veteran’s Benefit hours my mom receives that Chris Cummings introduced to us. Thank you APH! – Betty M.

Putting needs first and foremost

I had tried several agencies and was about to give up on finding care for my mother when I found A Place At Home.  I gave them a try and it has been a very successful experience.  The Caregiver is very involved and caring, putting my mother’s interests and needs first and foremost.  Everyone in the company has been genuinely involved and goes the extra yard to make sure anything and everything regarding my mother is taken care of and cared for.  No matter the concern, however trite or huge, the staff works diligently to solve the situation and make certain that my mother (and I) are satisfied with the results and the services.  This company is truly client oriented. – Lisa V.

Feels good to be safe

We look forward to your constant care that we receive. It feels good to be safe. – The B**** Family

Thank you to all the families that we are allowed to care for.  If  we’ve made a positive impact on one of your loved ones, let us know! A Place at Home is proud to practice our “We are CARE” philosophy every day in everything we do.  CARE is Compassionate, Accountable, Respectful and Ethical.

Sam and Marlene: A Senior Living Alternatives Success Story

Our Senior Living Advisor shared a success story about a couple who were married for 53 years and needed to find a new place to call home.

Here’s the story of Sam and Marlene:

What would you do if your spouse was having memory loss?  Do you think you would be their sole caregiver?

Maybe these are questions that you might have never asked yourself. However, as the  Senior Living Advisor at A Place at Home, I see this situation often.

Recently, I received a call from a man named Sam.  Sam has been married to Marlene for 53 years. They were living in a house and Marlene’s memory had been failing for the last few years.  She was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in 2013.  Sam could no longer leave his house without Marlene.  Sometimes he would run to the store for about an hour, but he knew that it was no longer safe for her to be alone.  Sam enjoyed playing golf with his friends but now it had become difficult because of Marlene’s memory decline.

I sat down with Sam and Marlene at their kitchen table in their home.  We discussed options.  Did he want to hire in-home care for Marlene or move to a Senior Living Community?  Did he want to move with or without her?

Sam said that he was tired of taking care of a house and worrying about yard work and snow removal.  He wanted to simplify his life and still have his independence without worrying about Marlene’s safety all the time.  It was also important for him to reside with her.

Sam provided me with his budget and location.  Together we narrowed down the options based on their needs.  Next, I set up and accompanied Sam on tours of three Senior Living Communities.  Sam and Marlene each had Long Term Care Insurance.  Long Term Care Insurance can only be used if “care” is needed.  So, Sam chose a community that had Assisted Living apartments so that they could share an apartment together.  Sam moved in at care level 0 and Marlene moved in at care level 3.  Marlene’s long term care insurance started kicking in upon their move-in while Sam’s policy would not be active yet.

Today, Sam goes golfing with his friends and knows that Marlene will be safe in their Senior Living Community.  He can still reside and spend time with Marlene but is no longer her sole caregiver.

*Names have been changed to protect the privacy of the couple.