The Register Citizen (Torrington, CT)
Washington Home Care celebrates second anniversary
WASHINGTON — Sara Guillemette, the founder of Washington Home Care LLC in Washington, is celebrating the second anniversary of the agency that opened Dec. 21, 2019.
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, Washington Home Care has multiplied its ambitions to serve the varying needs of 63 families throughout northwest Connecticut. Plus Guillemette has been recognized as a community resource for matching durable medical equipment donations to local people with care needs.
Washington Home Care is a registry model whereby caregivers are hired by individuals, families, or legal healthcare representatives for private in-home medical care. The agency’s caregivers take their direction for care needs directly from their clients.
The agency’s vetted caregivers range from non-certified homemaker-companions to certified nurse assistants, certified home health aides, and certified personal care attendants. “Certified caregivers”, explained Guillemette, “are essential for individuals who have a long-term care insurance policy. This criteria also meets a growing nationwide trend of families preferring to have their loved ones recover and rehabilitate at home vs. entering a skilled nursing facility after surgery or illness.”
“During 2021, we have seen a noteworthy influx of durable medical equipment donations being offered to individuals and families in our community through our agency and our heightened social media postings,” Guillemette said. “Significant anonymous donations we have posted on local area social media sites ranging from a prototype hospital bed valued at more than $18,000; unopened cases of disposable undergarments and underpads to 5-gallon industrial bins of hand sanitizers; foldable, collapsible, transportable ramp systems; stand-up lifts; lift-assist recliners; chair lifts and transfer chairs; sit-to-stand lifts; and cross trainer bikes.”
Through an anonymous donation, a high-tech prototype hospital bed was delivered to the home of a centenarian. The woman’s daughter wrote to Guillemette, stating, “It’s a little miracle! My mom’s doctor reports Mom’s kidney functions have improved, her edema and congestive heart failure (CHF) situation have greatly improved. Plus she is sleeping so much better . ... Mom even attended a family funeral with her 97year-old sister.”
The Medical Equipment Loan Program of Cornwall, managed by Debbie Labbe, frequently contacts Guillemette to ask her to post anonymous gifts to Facebook’s Buy Nothing Washington site and the Washington community site, she said. One such gift was a Telesensory B/W Aladdin Classic PRO Low Vision Video Magnifier 50X EAS. The magnifier was lent by the loan program to an assisted living facility in Litchfield.
“The durable medical equipment needs throughout our community are significant,” said Guillemette. “It is a true honor for Washington Home Care to become a conduit to matching donated items to local area people-in-need.”
Washington Home Care has served individuals in Bridgewater, Goshen, Kent, Litchfield, Middlebury, Milton, Morris, New Preston, New Milford, Prospect, Roxbury, Sandy Hook, Sharon, Southbury, South Kent, Warren, Waterbury, Watertown, Washington, Winsted, and Woodbury. Services to date have included very shortterm transitional periods such as, after leaving a hospital to safely returning home, to clients needing longer-term care.
Marking the second anniversary of her ‘vision’, Guillemette thanked numerous non-profit and for-profit businesses that have supported her ambitions, which have included the agency’s landlord, First Congregational Church of Washington CT, Ericson Insurance Advisors, National Iron Bank, Washington Supply Company & Outdoor Living Center, Titus Park Garage, Wright Electrical Co., Marc S. Johnson Furniture Restoration, On The Mend Medical Supplies & Equipment, Southbury Printing Centre, Inc., and Bantam Wesson.
To learn more, and to connect with Washington Home Care LLC, visit www.WashingtonCTHomeCare.com, call 203-577-8979 or write to PO Box 1244, Washington, CT 06793-9991.