By Kevin Smith
When our company’s caregivers are out in the community helping elderly and disabled clients remain in their homes, something wonderful happens.
They help us see the bigger picture. And they support our agency’s evolving role in helping those who are less fortunate.
For the past 24 years, Best of Care’s home care aides have served dinner to elderly clients who live at the Silva House congregate home in Stoughton. Some of this community’s residents are Best of Care clients. Some are not.
Regardless, we have worked hand in hand with Old Colony Elder Services, which manages Silva House, to make sure elderly residents are getting a balanced meal every day. Old Colony Elder Services, a federally-designated Area Agency on Aging, is one of the six elder care service agencies that Best of Care works with in Greater Boston, the South Shore and Cape Cod and the islands.
Best of Care employees receive training from Old Colony to properly handle and serve the meals that a food service company delivers to residents who sign up for the program. They adhere to all food safety rules, including making sure that food is the proper temperature before it’s served.
A few years ago, Old Colony asked Best of Care to expand our support to another congregate home, Ann Ward House in Brockton, by serving lunch to its senior residents.
Julie Howard, Best of Care’s dedicated scheduling coordinator, has been overseeing our work with Old Colony for 20 years.
What we provide to the seniors at Silva House and Ann Ward House is more than food, Julie says. When the seniors are eating their meals, our caregivers have time to socialize with them and ask them how they are feeling. By interacting at lunch and dinner, we not only give them someone to talk with, we are another set of eyes and ears.
We’re able to determine if they’re having any problems with their health, or in getting around their apartments, Julie explains. It helps us pinpoint issues and work with Old Colony to address these seniors needs.
One of our caregiving team members, Diane Spaulding, says it best: We’ve worked with Old Colony Elder Services to keep this program going, through good times and bad, because caring for seniors in these homes is important to us.
To Julie and Diane, thank you for helping us provide meals, kind words and caring ears to seniors in our community.
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