Page 56 - WCFL Spring 2019

56 WEST COAST FLORIDA HOME CARE SERVICES

and our journey began. Carolyn was
Gramma NoNo’s caregiver. She arrived
every day, made sure Gramma had a
healthy breakfast, took her medications,
assisted with her personal care, drove
Most of my memories of my childhood her wherever she wanted to go. It was
involve my Gramma NoNo. When I exactly what we needed.
was in high school, we started noticing
she was a little forgetful. I noticed more Since 2002, my mother has retired and
significant declines when I would come my grandparents have passed away. I
home from college. One of the hardest continue to help other families keep
things we had to do was take her car their seniors safe at home. We meet
away after she became lost in the town with each family to learn about their
she had lived in for twenty years. Her specific needs and build a customized
car was more than a car; it was her care plan. I did not anticipate how
independence. She now had to wait for rewarding it is to offer careers to
family or friends to drive her. caregivers. They are amazing; it is truly
a labor of love. In 2010, I opened our
This started our family’s quest to give training center, dedicated to offering
her independence, while giving us ongoing training. I have such a caring
peace of mind that she was safe in the team who share my vision of changing
home where she wanted to remain. A the face of aging and they all know to
facility was not an option. Within a year, treat every client as if he or she was
we exhausted most of the neighbors, their grandparent because none
family and friends. Then we heard of us would be here without my
about Home Instead Senior Care and Gramma NoNo.
the research began.
We learned all about the non-medical
homecare industry. The more we
discovered, the more we felt we could
help others. We could hire, screen,
bond and insure caregivers to give
our seniors their independence back.
My mother and I opened our Home
Instead Senior Care in January of 2002