Keep your independence Right at Home
The aging process has many unknowns, but where you live doesn’t have to be one of them. Right at Home Chattanooga is working to help families navigate these ever crucial next steps from start to finish.
“Right at Home provides in-home care for aging adults to help them maintain their independence without having to move out of their home where they’ve made all their memories,” said owner Ryan Naegele.
The local company employs a vast host of Caregivers and CNA’s that can help fill the personal care needs of seniors to help maintain their independence. Personal care services can range from a few hours one day per week up to 24 hours a day 7 days per week.
Services can include, but are not limited to: Alzheimer’s and dementia care, companionship, laundry and housekeeping, cooking, respite for families, bathing, hygiene, medication assistance, transportation, and much more.
“A situation we deal with often would be, someone may have a spouse who has been suffering from Alzheimer’s or dementia and caring for them has become cumbersome. There may be adult children that are helping with care, but they are working and taking care of their own children. This is a time when Right at Home can come in to help. We can be there to engage their loved one in activities, cook meals, assist with medication, get to doctor appointments, to be a friend, and help give the family peace of mind.”
Right at Home is honest and transparent in all they do with their clients and their families. From the first phone call inquiring about a consultation, to the signing of the paperwork after a schedule is completed, the goal in mind is comfort.
“From the moment someone calls we begin to learn about their needs and pain points. Then a member of our management team comes out to meet with the client and the family to develop a custom care plan,” he shared. “We don’t have a minimum number of hours. If the first few hours of the day are the toughest and that’s where the help is needed, then that’s when we will come in.”
Once the custom care plan is created, Right at Home matches clients with caregivers who have the right experience for whatever their needs are. For example, if a client has dementia, they’re paired with a caregiver that has great experience with working with patients with those specific sets of needs.
Medicare doesn’t currently cover costs for at home care, so Right at Home is private pay, but what many may not realize is that their funds can go a long way to staying in their home for much longer as opposed to other alternatives.
“Good financial planning is key to the aging process, and if you have a long-term care insurance policy, then it can work well for you here,” Naegele said, encouraging people to start looking at care before it’s truly necessary.
“We advise clients to start a plan before it’s really needed,” he explained. “Even if you just start with a few hours one day a week, that can get the family used to what it’s like and get everyone comfortable. That helps take the edge off.”
He added that they want to help family time be quality time together and not a daunting to-do list.
“We can take that todo list off your plate, so that your time together is making memories and not worrying about getting everything done,” he said.
“Families also aren’t obligated to any long term contracts,” Naegele pointed out. “We can work schedules up or down based on needs, and there’s no penalties for adjusting that.”
When asked what sets them apart from others in their field, Naegele said it’s the company culture of being open and honest.
“We work to make sure our staff is happy so that our clients are happy and always getting the best care possible,” he noted.