August 29, 2008

To Anyone in Need of Home Care,

I enthusiastically recommend "At Home Independent Living, Inc." to anyone who is searching for an agency to provide care for an elderly parent or loved one in their home. Let's face it----no one wants to go to a nursing home if they don't have to. I did not want to put my 87 year old aunt into a nursing home when she suffered a debilitating compression fracture of her spine suddenly this past June----mostly because I felt that she would become despondent if she had to give up her little dog Daisy.

My aunt had been living alone in her apartment in Camillus and managing quite well in spite of many health problems. Then I received a call from a fireman who had been dispatched to her apartment through her Life Line call button. He explained that my aunt was unable to get up out of her chair or bed due to severe back pain, and that this was the 3rd time the fire department had responded. He told me that I needed to do something ASAP!! I raced over to my aunt's apartment ---over an hour drive on the thruway ---and discovered that she was in a terrible predicament, surviving on crackers and pizza bagels, unable to move around, and clearly not able to stay alone.

The Visiting Nurses Association gave me a list of home health care agencies. I'm so glad that the first one I called was "At Home Independent Living." There are a number of reasons that I feel secure about this agency. I've had experience with home health care agencies in the past when my mother needed assistance. First, Mr. Bellefeuille assured me that the employees have received thorough criminal background checks. He has solved the issue of too many people coming and going by maintaining 3 employees who rotate every 3 days---and one doesn't leave until their replacement arrives. I liked that the uptake interview focused on the unique needs of my aunt. He hires companions who are older, retired people who are patient and can identify with the dilemma of "getting older". By that afternoon, Dean provided a mature, experienced caregiver to take over so that I could go home, feeling totally relieved.

It 's going on 3 months now since my aunt has required around the clock assistance, and I feel that she is in good hands for a number of reasons. My aunt told me that she doesn't know how she'd survive without the companions. She is finally eating balanced meals that the companions prepare instead of crackers and cheese. Mr. Bellefeuille can be reached by either me or my aunt at any time if any problems arise, and we've stayed in close communication by phone and e-mail. He has shown a surprising willingness to go out of his way to find solutions to the myriad of needs that arose when my aunt became suddenly disabled, and I continue to thank my lucky stars that his agency was the first one I called in my time of desperation.

Sincerely,

Elizabeth R.