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Offering a service that no one
needs would seem to be a very
poor business model. But it’s a run-
ning joke in our office that that’s
exactly what we do. I say it’s amaz-
ing our home care agency is still
around after more than a decade
of being told by our clients that
they are fine without us, don’t like
what we offer and don’t think it’s
worth the money.
But most of our clients are sen-
iors over 70, and if you ask their
children about the value of the
home care service we offer you will
hear a very different story.
These children are the ones who
worry about the safety and well-
being of their parents. They love
them and are more than happy to
pitch in and help. They often
spend several hours each week
visiting and helping out with
household chores, calling to
remind their parents about meds,
making and chauffeuring their
parents to medical appointments,
keeping an eye on household
finances, and much more.
And they worry, worry, worry
about their parents’ safety and
well-being, both now and in the
future. After a couple years or more
of trying to manage their parents’
needs plus their own lives that
often include jobs, children and
even grandchildren, they realize
that everyone’s life will improve if
they get some help.
That’s where we come in. We
can provide the support they need,
whether it’s a visit by a trained
home health aide just a couple
times a week, round-the-clock
supervision and care, or anything in
between. We can start small and
increase care as the parent needs
more help over the years. Or the
reverse: we can provide long hours
of safety supervision and support
right after someone is discharged
from hospital or rehab and taper
down to “graduation day” when
that client is recovered and ready to
fly solo again.
I do understand why so many
people are reluctant to accept pro-
fessional help in the home. Our cul-
ture prizes independence, and it
can feel like a defeat to admit that
you can no longer manage safely
on your own. Sometimes, too, sen-
iors fear that they will see less of
their children if an agency provides
some of the support they need.
Recently I was called to come
visit with the parents of a woman
who had first met with me two
years ago. She was concerned
about her parents and her ability to
meet all their needs all that time
ago, but it had taken them all that
time and a couple near disasters to
come around to the idea.
I always reassure potential clients
that they are in charge. That we
are there only for as long as they
need us, and that, far from weak-
ening their relationship with their
children, we will make it possible
for their family visits to be more
relaxed, without the burden of
thousand daily chores.
According to a 2014 AARP
report, 87% of people over the age
of 65 want to remain in their home
as they age. In home care exists to
make that possible.
WHAT’S THE VALUE
OF A HELPING HAND?
By: Nancy Lorince, ComForCare Home Care
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Generations of
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PAGE 63
Spotlight on
“SeniorS”
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