Life is full of changes and new beginnings: starting school or a new job, your first day as a married couple, becoming a new parent or grandparent, moving to a new home or downsizing to a simpler lifestyle. As we grow older, those changes may become more challenging with our day-to-day activities. Thankfully, Masonic Village Home Care was designed to offer personalized assistance in completing those activities in the comfort of your own home.

Masonic Village Home Care offers assistance in many areas, including personalized homemaker services (medication reminders, meal preparation, grocery shopping, laundry/linens, light housekeeping, pet care and transportation to errands or appointments) and personalized care services (bathing, dressing, grooming, toileting, skin care, etc.). Another valuable role that has been added is a health and wellness coordinator. This RN or LPN assists clients with navigating their healthcare needs, escorts them to appointments, orders and organizes medications from the pharmacy and offers valuable resources to maintain optimum health, wellness and independence.

In-home Assessment and Support Plan

Kathleen Noll, home care manager at Masonic Village, meets with each prospective client. An initial in-home assessment is conducted prior to the start of services. At this meeting, she works with the client to establish a support plan which lays out what services home care staff will provide, based on the client’s wants and needs. Also, a non-binding service agreement is explained to and signed by the client. This agreement allows the home care agency to provide agreed-upon services to the client. Masonic Village offers a minimum one-hour service for its on-campus residents and two hours for clients from the surrounding community. The agency also offers up to 24 hours of care, if needed. In addition to establishing expectations and guidelines, this meeting is the beginning of the client/provider relationship.

“Oftentimes, while meeting with the client at the initial visit, it’s helpful for me to be able to determine which caregiver might be a good match in assisting this particular client. This can be based on personality type, interests, hobbies or the client’s past occupations. It’s also during this time that we ensure everyone’s expectations will be met,” Kathleen said.

First Day of Services and Beyond

“We call the client a day or two ahead of the first scheduled visit and let them know the name of the person who will be coming to see them. It’s important for the client to check for the proper ID before opening their door when the doorbell rings. We also provide them with a monthly calendar that has the name of the caregiver scheduled for the day, along with scheduled times the caregiver is to be with them,” Kathleen said.

Caregivers review the support plan prior to their scheduled shift. Since clients are paying for a specific amount of time, caregivers work at prioritizing the tasks to be sure everything listed on the support plan is finished in the time allotted. Caregivers are efficient at carrying on conversations as they work to ensure that tasks are being completed in a timely manner.

Most importantly, caregivers understand they are there to assist the client with maintaining their independence. While observing professional boundaries between the caregiver and the client, there is often a wonderful friendship that develops. This is key to a successful home care experience, according to Kathleen. It may take a visit or two for the client to become comfortable with their caregiver and to establish a routine, depending on the regularity of the services and what’s being provided.

“By enlisting the assistance of Masonic Village Home Care, there is peace of mind, comfort and trust in knowing they’re receiving the quality of service and care they’ve come to know and expect,” Kathleen said. “We always welcome feedback from clients and their families and encourage them to share their questions, experiences and concerns. We greatly value our clients as consumers, and we always want them to be completely 100% satisfied with the services they are receiving.”

Get started with Masonic Village Home Care at https://masonicvillagehomecare.org/contact/.