Using a home care agency, from several times a week to 24 hours a day, helps older adults remain in their homes independently and safely. A companion increases the client’s safety and functioning while enhancing quality of life. Finding the right agency can also bring peace of mind to family caregivers whether they live near or far. Below is an example of how one woman’s quality of life has greatly improved with the care and compassion of an outstanding aide from JVS Caregiving Companions.

Several years ago, Mrs. Frank (not her real name), a resident of Essex County, was facing serious health challenges. She was in and out of the hospital over a period of several months and became very frail. When she was at home she was reluctant to walk from one room to another because she was afraid to fall. She became withdrawn and found doing almost anything, even chatting with friends, exhausting.  Mrs. Frank was not eating properly, her house needed to be tended to, and she only left home to go to doctors’ appointments.   Mrs. Frank was feeling weak and discouraged as her confidence and independence were deteriorating.

The client’s children, who live out of town, were very concerned and understood that Mrs. Frank needed extra support. They contacted JVS Caregiving Companions to schedule an aide for  several days a week to prepare meals, help with the housekeeping, go grocery shopping, supervise showers and make sure that the client’s overall needs were being met.  With the help of the caregiver, Mrs. Frank slowly regained her strength, confidence and independence.

In addition to her general duties, the caregiver started to take Mrs. Frank to the local community center to play mah jong and to Macy’s to shop.  Mrs. Frank’s children credit much of their mother’s improvement, both physically and emotionally, with the outstanding care that the JVS Caregiver has provided.  The client’s son and daughter-in-law have told office staff that “the Caregiver has made a difference in our mom’s life and has given her the will to live again; she cannot live without her.  The Caregiver has become a part of the family and treats her like her own mother.  They have become very good friends.”

JVS Caregiving Companions serves Essex, Morris and Union Counties.  Service is flexible, reliable and economical.  JVS Caregiving Companions provides hourly and live-in assistance in private homes, senior buildings, and skilled medical facilities.

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