COVID Stories of Care | Ever Upward!

Notes from Glenn entering the 14th week of supporting our Clients and Caregivers, with office team & nurses working remotely.

Excelsior! New York State Regions and New York City moving to next opening phases

A cautiously optimistic sign that we are making progress in our collective COVID recovery is Governor Andrew Cuomo held his last daily televised COVID Briefing last week.  Significantly, he gave his 111^th broadcast on Friday, June 19^th, aka Juneteenth – the symbolic end of slavery in the US. Proudly, Gov. Cuomo proclaimed:

“We are controlling the virus better than any state in the country and any nation on the globe.”

Happy #Juneteenth. After 111 days, I’m giving my final daily COVID briefing. Watch now: https://t.co/Pq9WurzYd8

— Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo) June 19, 2020

See his entire broadcast here

Phase Three Reopening officially starts in Westchester this week and WFC continues with our own recovery.  Last week was one of our busiest with new client and new caregiver inquiries.

We continue to effectively manage the existing and new business working remotely. We will be very cautious as we plan a partial return to the office.  I am also very happy to report the team members are finally starting to take some of their well deserved vacations in the coming weeks.

WFC is Live with Microsoft Teams!

As part of our ongoing technology projects including virtual and paperless caregiver onboarding, we are also upgrading the day-to-day applications the office and nursing teams are using.  The first of the applications is Microsoft Teams which we implemented last week to replace Microsoft Skype for Business.  Microsoft Teams is a collaboration app that will help us stay organized and have conversations—all in one place regardless of where we are working.  In future weeks we will be updating other Microsoft 365 and Azure components to provide a better user experience regardless of location and device.

WFC Salutes our Current and Future CNA Caregivers

We are in the middle of National Career Nurse Assistants Week, June 18^th – June 24^th!

Concurrent with our increase in client inquiries, WFC is actively recruiting CNA’s

for our transition classes at our Katonah Training Center and then working with clients in their homes.  These new Caregiver Candidates are reconsidering work in facilities in favor of working one-to-one with their clients in a lower risk home setting.  We are planning multiple classes during July and August.

Gratitude (Continued)

Last week’s “Gratitude” went to two special caregivers who ‘live-in’ with longtime clients sheltering in place during the pandemic. Caregiver Solo has not left her client’s home for three+ months and Catherine Lanza, our Director of Business Development, shopped for and delivered some essentials and other welcome treats.

Solo sent back a beautiful note which is an example of the family-like camaraderie and mutual respect we share here at WFC:

Hi Glenn,

I hope you’re doing well so far. I would like to thank you and every single person at WFC for being kind, helpful and caring at all times.

Please tell Jessica I said ‘Thanks!’ for going all out in the middle of a pandemic to make sure we have masks, gloves and hand-sanitizers.

Nurse Catherine did the same: she went to the stores for basically anything I needed and to the post office to get me stamps. It means the world to me. She came and delivered a whole bunch of goodies for me and everything in the pack is lovely. (Too bad I wasn’t able to give her a hug). That warmed my heart.

I always have my bracelets on; they remind me all the time that I can never feel alone as long as i have the #WFC team in my life.

I always get really emotional when it comes to how kind you have been to me, Sir. No other agency I have worked for have shown me kindness like you do.

I’m wishing you a happy and healthy 2020.

Thank you and stay blessed,

Solo

One more WFC ‘Thank You’ goes out to Gloria W., who graciously wrote a Client Story about the care her husband, Howard, received with WFC. We provided 24/7 care for Howard during his last 1½  years when he was suffering from effects of Parkinson’s Disease. Gloria has been a champion of WFC and also referred several clients and caregivers to us. Here is Gloria’s story about her husband and Tara our caregiver.

More Information about Mrs. Weinberg’s Story

Glenn’s Annual and Very Different Belmont Stakes Celebration

As many of you know one of my favorite pastimes is Thoroughbred Horse Racing.  Every year for the last 10+ years I have hosted a dinner in NYC for racing friends some who I have known for over 40 years.  This event among everything else big and small that is different the entire racing schedule is upended and we are still not going to restaurants or the race track – even the owners of the runners in the Belmont were not allowed to attend in person.  We held a Zoom Cocktail Party with the usual group the Tuesday before the delayed and shortened Belmont and it was a lot of fun to connect and discuss the race albeit in our altered state.

On the day of the race it was great to see Governor Cuomo give the ceremonial “Riders Up” for the first major sporting event in New York since the COVID NYS PAUSE.

Also in the spirit of my current WFC business, the race was won by Tiz The Law who is trained by Barclay Tagg who is 82 years old and now has won all three of the Triple Crown races with two different horses.  I find so many people in this sport that never retire and stay very mentally sharp and competitive.

Black Lives Matter

The shocking recent murders of George Floyd and others has driven us all to take a much harder look at our feelings about racism and civil rights.  At WFC, we value the diversity of our caregivers, nurses, and office professionals as well as all of our clients who are equally entitled to be treated in a respectful, dignified, and compassionate manner.

I’ve written a blog for the WFC Team in support of the Black Lives Matter movement. Our staff was very appreciative of the message.  Please take a moment to check it out.

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.