Marshfield, MA (PRWEB) March 13, 2016
For many seniors, the presence of a companion several hours a day in their home can mean the return of freedom and greater independence.
“A companion to a frail senior, or someone with early Alzheimer’s Disease or dementia, can mean all the difference in the world,” said Amy McDonnell, RN, BSN. Amy McDonnell is the Director of Care and Co-owner of the recently launched Cottage Caregivers, a non-medical home care agency servicing the South Shore & Southeastern, MA. “Providing a companion gives homebound people back their freedom and gives them hope. We strive to match the perfect Caregiver with our clients to meet their specific needs,” said Karen Carroll, Director of Caregivers and Co-owner of the business.
The services provided by specialty home care agencies in this area like Cottage Caregivers are in great demand – and will only grow in the years ahead. According to the National Academy on Aging Society, there are an estimated 8.5 million people over age 70 in America with limitations in walking, dressing, bathing, shopping, paying bills and preparing meals. Estimates are that the number will grow to 21 million in the next quarter century.
“We feel very lucky to work with so many great people from our clients to our incredible caregivers. Part of our personalized experience is matching clients with caregivers. To ensure we best meet the expectations and desires of our clients, we take into consideration personalities to ensure the development of solid relationships and trust. We are incredibly rigorous in our screening process and accept only 5% of applicants,” said Karen Carroll.
Providing services like this also present an important benefit to what sociologists refer to as the “sandwich generation,” those baby boomers who find themselves caring for both their children and their elderly parents.
“I tell my contemporaries if they are not facing this problem (with their parents) now, they will,” said Amy McDonnell. “It’s all very close to our hearts. As we both have close family members who have needed that in-home support and we feel very privileged to be able to provide this support for families like ours.”
As people grow older, they become more susceptible to the frailties of old age and those activities that were once so simple, become increasingly more difficult.
Local agencies like Cottage Caregivers - a member of Companion Connection Senior Care, a national organization that strives to maintain high standards of quality care for the non-medical care agencies that comprise its network - provide clients help with their Activities of Daily Living (ADLs). This includes supervision with dressing, bathing and grooming, as well as meal preparation, light housekeeping, and transportation to and from doctors’ offices. Perhaps, most of all, seniors benefit from the companionship itself, a necessity for the many whose social world has grown smaller.
“For many of these people, their only option would be to have family members look after them – or they are forced to move into a senior facility,” said Karen Carroll. “Many people either don’t have family members to care for them, or are reluctant to shift the burden of care upon their children. Plus, they don’t want to leave their homes to live in a senior facility, except as a last resort. We provide a third, very viable option – a companion who gives them the help they need, and the social outlet. Even just several hours a day can make a huge difference. Many of our clients say that it’s these hours of the day, or these days of the week, that they look forward to most. We truly live by our motto of compassionate home care from our family to yours”.
For more information about Cottage Caregivers, call Karen Carroll at 781-430-8599 or visit cottagecaregivers.com.