KIND-HEARTED CARE OFFERS COMPASSIONATE AND COMPETENT CARE TO HELP SENIORS REMAIN AT HOME
RIDLEY TOWNSHIP » Registered Nurse JoAnn Pola has been a compassionate caregiver for as long as anyone remembers. It seemed only a natural progression of her life path when, over a decade ago, she launched Kind-Hearted Care Inc.
The Delaware Countybased professional in-home care company, owned and operated by Pola, provides affordable, dependable, and compassionate non-medical care, mostly to seniors, but also to new mothers, and handicapped or physically impaired individuals who want to remain in their homes, but need some assistance.
Services include ALS, Alzheimers, dementia and arthritis care, bathing, hygiene and grooming, hospice support, light housekeeping and meal preparation, medication reminders, pet care, transportation services, respite care for families, and much more.
Pola, a lifelong Delaware County resident, was raised in the same neighborhood where she still resides, attended Notre Dame de Lourdes grade school and graduated from Ridley High School in 1979.
Pola became a Registered Nurse after studying at Bryn Mawr Hospital School of Nursing. Following graduation, she went to work at Crozer-Chester Medical Center Burn Center, followed by 15 years as a case management supervisor at Blue Cross Blue Shield, annually visiting 60 hospitals for utilization reviews. At the CCMC Burn Center, Pola spent many years as a flight nurse, providing critical initial medical care during emergency transports.
After she retired from BCBS, Pola’s dad became seriously ill. She immediately reentered the caregiving role. After her father passed away, a friend, who knew Pola’s extensive medical background, asked her if she would do private duty for an ill uncle.
“While I was taking care of my friend’s uncle, someone else saw me caregiv ing and asked me if I was available to care for their parent,” Pola said, explaining how her company initially took root. “I needed help to care for both people, so I hired my friend from the Burn Center who was also an RN. Word traveled about our quality of caregiving and more families asked for assistance. That’s when I became licensed and began Kind-Hearted Care. I wanted to help.”
Pola compiled the KindHearted Care team through her longtime professional network. Each of the client care advocates that she employs is given thorough background and reference checks. She not only ensures that everyone on her team is experienced, skillful, and trained well, but she stays in close touch personally with each and every client to be sure they are getting the compassionate and top-notch care they deserve.
The Kind-Hearted Care professional team of RNs, CNAs, and Home Health Aides has over half of a century of client-care experience. Pola stated that most care team members are Delaware County residents themselves, who feel that it’s important for seniors to stay independent in their own homes. They make it their mission to help them do just that by providing all the assistance they need to lead happy, everyday lives. Pola says that she is always on the lookout for competent professionals who want to join the KindHearted Care team.
“My own mom is 97 and I’ve had members of our team take care of her,” Pola said. “I take pride in hiring team members who are not only competent and experienced, but they’re also really trustworthy — they are good people.”
Pola said that she sends out annual surveys every year since she started her business to find out what she is doing right, and what areas might need improvement.
“I am proud to report that Kind-Hearted Care Inc. received 95 and above approval ratings from our clients and their families, every year since we’ve been in business,” Pola stated. “Most of our business comes from satisfied clients— word of mouth.”
Although Kind-Hearted Care caters to residents in Delaware County, the care team also serves some surrounding portions of Montgomery County, Philadelphia County, Gloucester County, New Castle County and Chester County.
In addition to caregiving, wellness visits and companion services, Kind-Hearted
Care also offers home safety assessments. A member of the Kind-Hearted Care team will visit a person’s home to identify fall risks, assess lighting, see if heating and cooling is adequate and look for other potential hazards and then make suggestions for modifications to avoid accidents.
Kind-Hearted Care Inc. has won Talk of the Town Awards among numerous other accolades. The company is Pennsylvania licensed, and fully bonded and insured. The owner said they pass all of their audits “with flying colors.”
What sets Kind-Hearted Care services apart from other care agencies is not only its owner’s and team members’ backgrounds in geriatric care, emergency care, and case management, but also its personalized in-home care. KindHearted Care meets with each client and their family to develop a personalized care plan that is individually tailored to meet their needs. The care team has experience in caring for clients with medical diagnoses of everything from cancer, heart issues, diabetes and strokes to dementia, multiple sclerosis, vision problems, ambulatory issues and arthritis. Experienced
caregivers are available hourly, overnight, on weekends and holidays, around the clock or for respite care.
Kind-Hearted Care has many other personal touches, like their daily communications book which is shared with each client’s family. Caregivers write notes in the log about what their clients are eating, when they get their hair washed, and other small details throughout the day. Pola said families appreciate the updates. “The communication books are especially appreciated by families who live a distance away from their loved one,” Pola explained. “The daily updates keep them involved in the day-to-day details of their loved one’s life when they often can’t be there themselves.”
Pola said clients and their families also like that someone on the Kind-Hearted staff is on call to answer the phone at all times. They also appreciate how strictly and seriously that the professional care team adheres to the CDC guidelines to stay safe during the coronavirus pandemic.
“I’m a part of the medical field so I know how serious this is,” Pola states emphatically. “We take every precaution possible.”
Pola has been married for 28 years to her husband Carl, who recently retired after working 40 years with Ironworkers Local Union 401 in Philadelphia. His photo hangs in The National September 11 Memorial & Museum in New York City, paying tribute to the work he did with his ironworker brothers in 9/11’s aftermath. The Polas have two children, Carl and Alla. The family has embraced both the clients and the caregivers at KindHearted Care, knowing they are like JoAnn’s second family.
“We’re an excellent, professional and knowledgeable team at Kind-Hearted Care,” Pola said. “We deliver quality care by working with each client and their family on any and all concerns. But more than anything else, we truly care about our clients. We treat them the way we would want our own family members to be treated.”
To reach Kind-Hearted Care, Inc. for information or a free in-home consultation, call 610-390-9686, email joannpolarn@yahoo. com or visit www.kindheartedcare.com.