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CareAll Home Care in Kingston, TN cares for Jewel Duckworth and her husband Dr. John Duckworth in Rockwood, TN. Please watch the following video to see what Mrs. Duckworth has to say about CareAll Home Care and the in home care she and her husband receive.
CareAll Transcends Cultural Barriers
Front row L to R: Stephanie Mintoni CNA CareAll, Mona Pound, Rita Ray CNA Statewide Waiver Program, Back row L to R. Beverly Henderson, LMSW CareAll, Dawn Lawson, RN CareAll.
In March 2008 the CareAll Woodbury office received a new patient named Mona Pound living at Holiday House in Woodbury. We were told that she was not our “usual patient”. What made this woman any different from any other patient we had seen in the past? Mona was born in humble beginnings in Cairo, Egypt. At an early age she suffered polio and remains impaired on her left side from the disease. Despite the impairment, Mona educated herself and became a school teacher in Cairo. In 1996 Mona came to the United States to live.
We were all curious to meet this “unusual patient”. Upon arrival at Mona’s apartment, we found a very apprehensive, somewhat skeptical, fifty-three year old woman. She explained that she did not practice “conventional “ medicine, however; she relied on herbs and remedies for most of her cures but was not totally closed-minded to conventional medicine and she was a vegan. Thus our journey began.
One could not help but like this “coffee with a little cream” skinned Egyptian lady. We soon learned she was indeed “unusual” in the nicest way. Mona has this beautiful infectious smile that permeates and engulfs your soul. As we talked we learned Mona had been diagnosed with cancer of the breast, right lung, liver, and bones. What an undertaking for such a gentle yet strong spirit so far away from family and homeland.
As time passed our love and respect for this “unusual” lady increased. As we ministered to her needs she ministered to our souls. Dawn Lawson, RN, Stephanie Minton, CNA, Rita Ray,CNA with the Statewide Waiver Program and Beverly Henderson, LMSW were on a mission to make Mona’s life as pleasant as possible. Mona was having difficulty preparing meals and cleaning her apartment. The Statewide Waiver Program was utilized to assist her (5) days a week with meal preparation and cleaning. A motorized wheel chair was secured through Dan Gotten at The Scooter Store. Collectively we decorated her apartment, acquired needed equipment to make her ADL easier for her and most importantly became “her family”.
We have laughed together and cried together. Mona has introduced us to fava beans, Egyptian bread, and numerous home remedies that work, much to our surprise. She has taught us so much about the Lord and what true faith through adversity means. It was our total pleasure to help her celebrate her birthday in November by giving her a surprise birthday party, despite, a minor set-back with her illness. In December we shared our Christmas traditions with her, as she shared Arabic Christmas customs with us. Mona continues to fight a valiant battle with her cancer while wearing that infectious smile all the while.
CareAll’s motto ”For all your home care needs” is clearly defined through Mona. She has told us so many times,”your love has kept me alive”. “Total patient care” means providing the medical, physical, spiritual and emotional needs of the patient, whatever it takes to make the patient more comfortable in their own home, even if home is many miles from where they were born.
Submitted by Beverly Henderson, LMSW
Home health care is often the last thing on someones mind until the very moment they need it. Because of this, the decision of which agency to use is often made under a cloud of stress and uncertainty. These conditions are not the best to screen a home care agency. How can this be avoided? Make a plan for the care of a loved one before you are faced with the immediate need for home care services.
The best way to begin would be to call your insurance provider to check your coverage and ask who are the agencies participating in their plan. Also, look in the phone book or online to find the listing of all home care agencies in your area. Remember that there are many companies in Tennessee that provide home care services. Do not pick one and go with them. Make sure you weigh all of your options. If you are being discharged from the hospital, they are required to provide you with a list of home health care providers as part of your discharge. This list should make clear the agencies that are associated with the hospital and also which agencies are providers of Medicare and Medicaid services.
After identifying the providers in your area of Tennessee, there are many things to consider. First, you need to find out the reputation of the agencies you are interested in. This can be done by research on the internet and by asking a trusted physician or friend. Look for testimonials from patients who have used their services in the past. Also you will need to be clear on what services are provided by each agency. You may need skilled nursing care, physical therapy or speech therapy. Most companies provide a wide range of services from in home nursing care all the way to companionship and home making. Be sure to check and see how long the company has been in business and if they are licensed and insured.
Next you want to check the quality of the caregivers. Ask about the hiring process of the nurses or caregivers. Things like background checks, reference verification and bonded employees are important to know. You may also want to ask how often the caregivers are supervised while giving care and whether or not care is available 24 hours a day.
After obtaining all of the information you can, sit down with your family and make the best decision for you and your loved ones. Who you choose for home health care is a big decision and should be made with the help of your doctor, family and insurance company to make sure that all of your bases are covered.
If you are in Tennessee and would like to find out more information about CareAll, click here to find the office closest to you.
The following video spotlights two CareAll patients who needed some help around the house after having surgery. CareAll provided help with light housekeeping, and other services to make the recovery much more smooth for these two patients. Many people do not think about the need for help with simple things like getting around the house or just doing a load of laundry. CareAll can help. Contact us today.
You can see all of our CareAll Videos at youtube.com/careallhomehealth
CareAll Home Care patient Justin Heady was in a severe car accident when he was 18 yrears old. The following video show Justin, his mother and CareAll employee Stephanie Rogers. Watch to see how Justin and his mother refer to Stephanie as being “like a family member.”
