Notes from Glenn entering the 7th week of supporting our Clients and Caregivers, with office team & nurses working remotely.
Celebrating Our Clients
WFC client teams continue to put in extraordinary end-of-life care during this critical Coronavirus passage of time.
WFC lost one of our longtime clients last week. Matthew O. had been with us since 2018. Before his health declined, he had a patio where he grew his own vegetables and plants. Nurse Irene Flaherty looked forward to her wellness visits with him and he was so excited to tell her about what he had planted. Mr. O. also told Irene about an App to put on her phone that recognizes flowers and plants. They enjoyed sharing their love for all things green! He was a fighter to the end and he and his loving family were strong advocates for his care with WFC and all of his medical providers.
His longtime devoted Caregiver Alice Otieno-Palo would pick the vegetables and make salads for the two of them. Alice cared for Mr. Orsi up to the end along with additional assistance from Caregiver Andrea Nelson. When Mr. Orsi passed, the family sent a note of thanks to WFC for all the services provided over the years. They were especially thankful to Caregivers Alice Otieno-Palo and Andrea Nelson for being there with them during the most difficult time, giving then encouragement and assisting above and beyond, they will forever be thankful to them both. Mr. O will truly be missed.
Caregiver Alice Otieno-Palo
Business With A New Normal
During these challenging times, we are able to carry on with the WFC business even with a New Normal
We are committed to keeping our workforce stable and have not reduced our office or nursing teams (with one happy exception below). We are also building up our standing ‘bench’ of on-call caregivers to be ready immediately when the need arises.
We also remain committed to supporting our aging-in-place and other non-profits especially during a time when their normal fundraising events are being curtailed. Among the aging-in-place organizations we support, we recently made our annual Gala contribution to At Home on The Sound. The Organization provides functions such as transport, shopping, Health Advocacy to local senior residents 60 years and older. To the extent that they can, they’re still operational and still providing services for seniors in their homes along the sound shure. This year was to be our fifth as a sponsor of their fundraising gala, even though it was cancelled. We advertised in their journal, auctioned home care services (not as popular as I expected) and make other donations as well.
Expanding Our Medication Management Offering
WFC sends our nurses to clients’ homes to manage medications on a regular basis. It is typically not a freestanding service. However in these times where family members may not be able to get to their loved one’s homes we have stepped in with our Medication Management which also includes a check-in with the client during the visit. This is especially true with clients in Independent living facilities where personal care and other services are not part of the facilities’ offering. We received a referral for these services from an MD we work with who does house calls but with his practice operating mainly with telemedicine, both her and his patient’s family appreciated the weekly nursing visit.
We continue to expand our presence in several Independent Living facilities with clients who need extra assistance but do not want to move into Assisted Living. Our services help them to stay Independent in the same apartment with the same activities, dining facilities and most importantly their same friends and social circle.
Advancing our Recruiting and Virtual Onboarding Capabilities
This past week, we completed our initial Virtual Caregiver Orientation. We continue to improve our recruitment process and technologies with new tools that will continue in the future. While completing as much of the process virtually and without paper, the last step is still an in person competency with our RN on a 1×1 basis.
Hail and Farewell
We said “So long, for now” to a talented home care nurse, Ciaran Reidy, who is taking a great step forward in his career and going to work full-time at New York Presbyterian / Westchester. Ciaran is much beloved by his WFC colleagues and clients who will miss his optimism and his unique way to find the best in everyone. He will continue to work part-time for WFC in the future.
Ciaran comes from a family of nurses and Ciaran’s background makes him particularly suited for the challenges of working at a large hospital during the pandemic. He also worked as a caregiver himself for three years, both domestic and internationally. Good luck, Ciaran!
Caring for COVID-19 Positive and Recovering Clients
WFC is caring for clients recovering from COVID at home and in facilities and has been preparing to care for clients who may be positive for COVID and/or symptomatic. We have obtained the required PPE for all situations and have implemented procedures and caregiver training to be ready for these situations with an existing or new client. Last week we received a referral for a family whose loved one was COVID+ at one of our important local hospitals. Their family member was cognitively aware and awake but needed extra companionship and assistance.
Another exceptional caregiver of ours offered to work on this assignment. He is Danso Kodua, who was highlighted a few weeks ago for his transformational role in cheering up healthcare workers at a partner Independent Living facility as he takes their temperature upon entering the building. Thanks, Danso – it is heroes like you that are making a difference during this stressful Coronavirus period.
Caregiver Danso Kodua
COMING IN THE NEXT FEW WEEKS
- Highlights of Cinco de Mayo lunch we are catering for The Ambassador in White Plains
- Our own, Catherine Lanza’s webinar at the Bronx Adult School
- More WFC Client Stories
STAY SAFE. STAY HEALTHY. STAY HOME.
Westchester Family Care Inc. assists people of all ages, by customizing home care plans to maintain a healthy quality of life and safety at home.
Contact WFC for an immediate family need or when planning for future needs: info@westfamilycare.com, 914-764-7500, www.westchesterfamilycare.com.
Westchester Family Care Provides Peace of Mind and Confidence that the Elderly Are Safe and Living with Dignity in Their Own Home.