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There's growing need for older adults to stay in
their own surroundings By
Jessica K. Smith Record-Journal, July
26, 2003
WALLINGFORD — Maritza Torres
looks at Louisa DeLauro with a fondness one holds for one's own mother. But Torres is no blood relation
to DeLauro, who is actually U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro's mother. Torres is her
caregiver — a companion, friend and extra hand around the house.
Torres and DeLauro were
connected through a new business, Comfort & Care of Wallingford LLC,
which opened May 15. Comfort & Care offers non-medical home care
services for the elderly, and recently hosted an open house, attended by
clients, caregivers, former co-workers, the mayor and other friends and
family members. Torres and DeLauro came together to mingle with others who
share a similar bond. "I actually have two
clients," Torres said. "They're like my babies." DeLauro sat by with a
persistent smile on her face, her eyes lighting up as she watched people
come in and out of the office. "This is so nice!"
she exclaimed. Torres, of Hamden, said this is
the first job she's held in the field and prior to it, she was a
stay-at-home mother for 19 months. Comfort & Care owner Linda Durning
said that she has hired about 55 field employees, who do not need to be
certified, because their work is non-medical. Caregivers act as companions
and homemakers, and give their clients personal care, Durning said. The
extent of medical work is reminding clients to take their medications, and
transporting them to and from doctor's appointments. Durning formerly worked as a
branch manager for Companions and Homemakers Inc. in Wallingford, and said
she enjoyed the interaction with members and families. Her daughter, Beth
Iovene, who now works as her office manager, and her husband, Tom,
encouraged her to go into business for herself. "She gets involved with
the clients," Tom Durning said of his wife. "She has a heart of
gold." That level of involvement and
concern is important to the services Comfort & Care offers. "What you get here is
quality care," said Patty Winch, who formerly worked at Companions
and Homemakers with Durning. "I guess it's the personal touch." Durning said she opened the
Center Street office because she realized the growing need for older
adults to stay in their own surroundings. "Statistics show that
older adults in their own surroundings respond and react better,"
Durning said. "And a person being part of the decision process —
deciding who cares for them and when — is very important." Senior citizens stay healthier
when they can remain in their home surroundings, said Christine Bishop,
manager of Pond View Apartments, a housing complex for the elderly in
Middletown, who also works at Coccomo Memorial Health Care Center in
Meriden. Bishop works with building management at Pond View and makes
referrals when she sees residents who need more care. "It's great to be able to
keep people at home," Bishop said. "They thrive at home ...
being in a facility disorients them." Home care service is a growing
industry, as the senior population continually increases. Assisted Living
Services Inc. on Broad Street in Meriden, in business for more than seven
years, also offers companionship, home care, homemaking and personal care,
and reaches hundreds of clients throughout the state, said Owner Sharon
D'Aquila. Branches are also located in Bristol and Clinton. "It's a good service for
people to keep them in the home, keep them where they've been for 30-40
years," D'Aquila said. "We go in and keep them company, play
cards, board games, and just talk to them — they love to talk." D'Aquila said she started out
in the business because she was taking care of her grandfather, who had
Alzheimer's. "It's so important for
someone to be there for their safety," she said, especially for those
suffering memory loss. Assisted Living Services has a
contract with the state's Department of Aging, and social workers go out
in the field and focus on what people's needs are, then make referrals to
home care services if needed. Comfort & Care is also in the process of
contracting with the state's South Central Connecticut Agency on Aging,
and expects to be working with the state within the next year, Durning
said. State contracts are important
for home care services, as they enable the businesses to reach more
clients and allow the clients to take advantage of state-funded programs
that can discount the cost of the service. Most unlicensed agencies are
expensive and must be paid out of pocket, said Cheryl Leslie, Connecticut
VNA vice-president for reimbursement and quality management. Non-medical services are also
not covered by Medicare, said Guy Tommasi, director of provider
relations/ancillary services at Connecticut VNA, making the services
harder to obtain for some. The VNA also offers a companion/home care
service through its Homecare Program. "It is a very good
program, but I don't think it gets used as much because it is
private," Tommasi said. "There is definitely a growing need for
it. Unfortunately, financial problems are a deterrent." According to the Medicare
Rights Center, Medicare does not cover homemaker services such as
shopping, cleaning and laundry, except that a home health aide may do a
small amount of those chores when she is providing covered services.
Medicare also does not cover personal care provided by home health aides
if that is the only care needed. Earlier this month, it was
reported that the state paid almost $1 billion for nursing home patients
in the last fiscal year. One dollar out of every 13 the state government
spends this year goes toward providing nursing home care for just under
20,000 elderly patients — or one half of one percent of the state's
population. Ellen Lang, advocacy
coordinator at Connecticut's Center for Medicare Advocacy, said it would
save the state a great deal of money if home health care services were
utilized instead of nursing homes, when possible. "Sometimes it's only
enough to provide that personal care — like bathing, preparing meals —
and it can be done once or twice a day," Lang said. "It's much,
much cheaper to have a home health aide come in." Some people are unaware of the
benefits available through Medicare and Medicaid, and they miss out on
needed services, Lang said. Both provide some home health coverage, though
it usually is in combination with skilled services, and must be deemed
reasonable and necessary. The Department of Social
Services does offer a waiver program that can be applied for, said Leslie,
called the Connecticut Home Care Program for Elders. "It is specifically to
keep elders in their homes," Leslie said. She said the state will
save money by keeping people at home, rather than paying to keep them in
expensive nursing homes. Julie Gelgauda, director of
quality assurance for the South Central Connecticut Area Agency on Aging (SCCAAA),
said that the Home Care Program is designed for people 65 or older. There
is no income limit, but there is an asset limit of up to $18,132 for a
single person and $27,198 for a couple, Gelgauda said. DSS decides who is
eligible for the program — those who meet the monetary requirements and
need help with an activity of daily life. A brief intake is done over the
phone, then DSS calls the appropriate action agency and someone is sent
out within a few days to do an evaluation and decide on a plan of care,
Gelgauda said. "The plan of care usually
includes medical and non-medical services," she said. "It's nice
to take a holistic look." The majority of elders want to
remain in their homes, Gelgauda added. It's important for them to keep
their independence, and in their own home they are still in charge, she
said. Rita Kowalchik, director of
Meriden's Department of Health, said the Home Care Program for Elders is
"the best thing that every happened in the state of
Connecticut," and the state should loosen the regulations for
personal care. "I think there are some
people in nursing homes who could be in their own home if they had the
services available," Kowalchik said. "Our main goal is to keep
people independent and in the home as long as possible, and safety is a
key." Lang added that the program
does an excellent job of providing skilled and unskilled home care, though
there are still some who don't qualify for the benefits. "Those who don't qualify
are unable to get that kind of care," Lang said, because they may not
be able to afford the entire cost on their own. There are some other programs
that offer payment assistance. SCCAAA helps with programs such as
Alzheimer Respite, which offers relief for caregivers of Alzheimer's
patients, and Small Care Management, for those not eligible for the Home
Care Program, Gelgauda said. There are some free services
available as well, Kowalchik said, which ask for only a donation, which is
not required. New Opportunities of Greater
Meriden, a private nonprofit corporation, has a grant to provide these
services to seniors 60 and older, Kowalchik said. With an annual budget in
excess of $48 million, New Opportunities administers social service
programs targeted to low-income elderly people. Companionship, homemaking and
similar services are provided in the SCCAAA-funded Chore Project for
Elders. Apartment dwellers, homeowners, and renters who need assistance
with house cleaning or minor home repairs in order to maintain a safe and
healthy home are eligible. According to the New Opportunities Web site,
those who lack other means of obtaining services are particularly
encouraged to use the program. Another free program through
New Opportunities, funded by the Agency on Aging, is called Senior
Companions, Kowalchik said. Seniors can volunteer to act as companions for
other seniors, aged 60 or older. Senior Companions do not provide
homemaking or transportation, just companionship, Kowalchik said. "Without the help of
Senior Companions, many older adults would not be able to continue living
at home and would need more expensive, less personal care," the Web
site states. Again, donations are welcome but not required. Lang, of the Center for
Medicare Advocacy, said a conference was held about a year ago to get the
word out on the need for unskilled services to keep people in their homes. "We're working to have
some sort of benefit under Medicare to cover this," Lang said. The non-medical area of home
health care is continually growing, and the service benefits both clients
and families. "We go in to help with Mr.
So-and-So, and that allows Mrs. So-and-So to get away from the house; it
prevents burnout," Durning said. "It's important to give
families a rest. They need to get out, and it's important to keep their
loved ones company," added D'Aquila. "It's also a security for
them, they know someone's there in case they fall or something
happens." Comfort & Care clients and
caregivers alike seem pleased with the services offered and received. "I'm getting very good
care, everybody's very congenial," said Barbara Galliano, 85, who has
been cared for since May by Phyllis Ollison. "I need help with my
routine, getting up in the morning, going through the morning,
lunchtime." Ollison is also happy in her
role, calling it "the best job I've ever had." "I love being with elderly
people. I always wanted to get into the field," Ollison, of New
Haven, said. And Durning, in business with
Comfort & Care for just over two months now, said the office is
already bursting at the seams and she is happily kept busy by her clients. "You're selling a service,
but it goes beyond that because you worry about them outside of work hours
— their lifestyle, medical treatment," she said. "It carries with
you." Copyright
© 2002 Global Action on Aging |
