Community Corner
Estelle Real Care Story
FCP Live-In Caregiver Saves The Day When A Tree Branch Falls On A Power Line Starting A Fire Outside The Clients Home.
This is a paid post contributed by a Patch Community Partner. The views expressed in this post are the author's own, and the information presented has not been verified by Patch.
"Kathy [FCP Live-In Caregiver] handled this emergency with speed and clear-headedness." says Tricia, Estelle's daughter-in-law. "She also spoke with fire and rescue personnel, all while ensuring that Estelle remained safe. After the fire was out, Kathy sat with Estelle to calm her until she could go to sleep. Kathy's quick action may have kept the house from catching fire!"
In the event of an emergency, older adults are among the most vulnerable, especially those who are living alone. While having an emergency response plan is important, the situation might require seniors to get out of their homes before they can carry out their plan. An example of this occurred recently when FCP Live-In caregiver Kathy and the one she was entrusted to care for, Estelle, who lives alone.
It all started when a tree limb fell onto the power line in front of Estelle's Cape Cod, Massachusetts home. According to Tricia, Estelle's daughter-in-law, the tree limb broke the power line and started a fire in the front yard. Kathy immediately dialed 911, got Estelle out of the house, and onto the back porch.
"Kathy handled this emergency with speed and clear-headedness," Tricia said. Kathy called Tricia and Estelle's daughter to tell them what had happened. She also spoke with fire and rescue personnel, all while ensuring that Estelle remained safe.
"After the fire was out, Kathy sat with Estelle to calm her until she could go to sleep," Tricia said. "Kathy's quick action may have kept the house from catching fire."
Seniors and their families who use FCP Live-In services discover that live-in caregivers go above and beyond to help their clients stay in the place they love the most: Their own homes.
FCP Live-In Helps Seniors Age in Place
For the past 25 years, FCP Live-In has provided affordable live-in caregiving services for older adults throughout the New England area, who want to live independently in their own homes.
In many instances, aging in place is easier said than done, especially for seniors with health conditions that prevent them from caring for themselves. An older adult's desire to remain independent also poses problems for their adult children, many of whom live far away and worry about their parents living on their own.
In her 20 years of working with FCP Live-In, Andrea Maroto has heard the same question asked by many families: "How do I keep my loved ones at home when they cannot care for themselves?"
"Seniors do not want to leave their home, their spouse, or their memories," says Andrea, an FCP Live-In Regional Sales Manager. "I often think about how wonderful it would be for seniors to stay home and get the care they deserve and need while not losing what is most important to them: Their family, friends, and the special place they call home."
The traditional options for seniors who need help caring for themselves are to move into an assisted living facility, nursing home, or other types of senior living arrangement. David Anthony, FCP Live-In's Founder and CEO, said he wanted to provide another option for older adults.
"The options are limited when it comes to caring for seniors who want to remain independent but need help to stay home," said David, who founded the company in 1997. "Right now, you either have a home health aide who comes to the home for a few hours, or a loved one needs to go into an assisted living facility. But what if you take the best of both? An insured and bonded live-in caregiver that provides one-on-one care stays in the home, and is there 24/7. That's where FCP Live-In comes in."
The consistency and dedication of FCP Live-In caregivers become apparent to clients' family members, who, over time, is convinced that caregivers have their loved one's best interests at heart.
Tricia has noticed this between Kathy and Estelle. "Kathy has consistently demonstrated her warmth and competence in caring for my mother-in-law, Estelle," Tricia said. "She is attentive to all her needs, supports (when safe) her efforts to be independent, and has challenged herself to learn how to be the best caregiver for Estelle."
FCP Live-In caregivers have the care experience!
FCP Live-In caregivers are Certified Nursing Assistants, Home Health Aides, or Personal Care Assistants with two or more years of experience and receive ongoing training from the company.
FCP Live-In has an in-depth vetting process to ensure that live-in caregivers are highly qualified and have the skills needed to work with clients with serious health conditions, such as diabetes, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, stroke, heart disease, and cancer. Live-in caregivers also provide compassionate palliative care and in-home end-of-life care.
When it comes to daily activities, caregivers help their clients bathe, shower, dress, groom, and assist with toileting. Besides assisting with personal care, live-in caregivers perform light housekeeping chores, cook nutritious meals, do grocery shopping, and take their clients to medical appointments.
Just as important, caregivers provide the meaningful conversation and companionship many older adults long for, especially older adults who live alone. With their caregiver's assistance, seniors can continue engaging with their community.
While live-in caregivers work diligently to provide quality care, FCP Live-In staff are behind the scenes making sure that caregivers and their clients get the support they need. FCP Live-In has a 24/7 professional support system, which begins with live-in caregivers and expands out to a multi-faceted corporate structure.
According to David Anthony, the company's system—from the extensive hiring process to making sure clients and caregivers are a good match—is necessary to ensure that FCP Live-In provides quality care to its clients.
"It also contributes to establishing a trusting relationship between our live-in caregivers and clients," he said. "Live-in caregivers work in a wide range of care situations, yet they can handle individualized care plans. In this way, our clients receive the best care possible."
Trusting relationships between caregivers and the one being cared for!
Estelle and Kathy have built a trusting relationship that is evident to Estelle's family members, who are pleased with the compassion Kathy shows to Estelle. "Kathy and Estelle have developed a bond which is so important to older persons living alone," Tricia said. "We all appreciate her care and competence and look forward to continuing to work with her."
This post is an advertorial piece contributed by a Patch Community Partner, a local brand partner. To learn more, click here.
