You’re in good hands: How an ottawa in-home care company is helping seniors to age in place on their own terms
In 1961, the average life expectancy in Canada was 71 years. In 2009, it was 81. And if advances in medicine continue as they have, people are expected to live even longer in future. Today, more people than ever are able to be part of the lives of their grandchildren and even great-grandchildren. It is a great gift. Yet our long lifespans come with challenges too. The rate of dementia, for example, is expected to grow by 66 per cent in Canada over the next 12 years, putting new pressures on adult children, who often struggle to balance caring for both young children and their aging parents along with working full- or part-time. Private home care can help, whether it’s to provide ongoing daily or weekly visits, respite for caregivers, to offer short-term aid while recovering from surgery, or to complement government-funded care services. But according to Kristine McGinn, co-owner of Assurance Home Care, in most cases, it takes a crisis for families to realize they need help. According to McGinn, as many as 70 per cent of new clients wait to call until a loved one has a bad fall or suddenly becomes ill. While some may qualify for home care covered by the provincial health plan, McGinn said many families don’t realize that there can be a waiting period of a week or more before their first home visit. “The assessment doesn’t always happen immediately,” she said. “Some people go in for a scheduled surgery and their assumption is they’ll have home care, but when they get home they learn they won’t be assessed for a week.” Even when seniors are eligible for publicly funded home care, it often only covers essential needs. But in McGinn’s 32 years of experience in health care, including as a former home care nurse herself, she has learned that it isn’t just the body that needs to be cared for. “Of course the physical care is important, but we also want to consider the emotional and social impacts on somebody who is recuperating from a condition or whose condition has changed, for example in the case of dementia,” said McGinn. “We have to look at their social, emotional and physical well-being, and we establish a care plan that addresses all those areas.” To that end, one of the critical — and often overlooked — aspects of quality home care is the rapport between the caregiver and their client. It’s why Assurance has a double-ended matching process that allows clients a choice of caregivers, said Kristine, as well as allowing caregivers to choose whether or not to work with specific clients. “The matching process and consistency of care is essential,” adds Stephen Bleeker, Kristine’s business partner and co-owner. “Skills and qualifications are important, but what’s equally important is the personality match,” said McGinn. “Not all caregivers want to work with someone with advanced dementia, for example. We want to ensure that the person truly wants to be there.” It’s a difference personal support worker Salve Aday noticed right away when she joined Assurance. Aday said before being assigned to a client, she is given a full briefing on their personality and care needs, and is given the choice whether or not to accept the assignment. “I once accepted a client with dementia who had fired three or four other home care companies previously. But I knew I had the support I needed to manage it,” said Aday. “The Assurance nursing team is just a phone call or text away. Assurance really prioritizes the feelings and concerns of the caregivers. I can feel how important I am to the company.” For McGinn, quality home care depends on caring for the needs and feelings of everyone involved, not just the person who needs home care, but also staff and family members, which ultimately leads to a better client experience. “We are a high touch, 24/7 service. If you’re calling us at Sunday night at 7 p.m., we know it’s for a good reason. You need something, and you need to be able to reach us,” McGinn said. “If someone calls us in a crisis situation needing immediate care, we can be there within one to two hours for a home visit.” As many as 90 per cent of seniors say they would prefer to stay in their own homes as long as possible. But when age takes a toll on physical independence or cognitive ability begins to decline, families begin to worry about leaving an elderly relative alone at home. Home care helps to ensure elderly family members can remain in their homes as long as possible. To learn about the services offered by Assurance Home Care, visit www. assurancehomecare.ca.