It's no secret, most of us would like to stay in our own home as we age. Yet, sometimes our loved ones just need a little extra help to remain comfortable at home. That's where Always Best Care can help....we are dedicated to exceeding expectations....always.
They say that your golden years are the best years of your life. For most older Americans, that's how it should be - a time to relax, reflect, and live life in a familiar place. After all, senior citizens in the U.S. have worked tirelessly to build a better economy, serve their communities, and raise families.
Unfortunately, many older Americans aren't able to rely on their adult children for help. The reality in today's world is that family members do not have the skills or time to dedicate to caring for their parents. That's where Always Best Care Senior Services comes in.
Our in-home care services are for people who prefer to stay at home as they grow older but need ongoing care that family or friends cannot provide. More and more older adults prefer to live far away from long-term, institutionalized facilities and closer to the place where they feel most comfortable - their home. Home care in Earlham, IA is a safe, effective way to give your loved ones the care they need when they need it the most.
Home Care Services
Service AreasSince 1996, Always Best Care has provided non-medical in-home care for seniors to help them maintain a healthy lifestyle as they get older. We are proud to have helped more than 25,000 seniors maintain higher levels of dignity and respect. We focus on providing seniors with the highest level of in-home care available so that they may live happily and independently.
Unlike some senior care companies, we genuinely want to be included in our clients' lives. We believe that personalized care is always the better option over a "one size fits all" approach. To make sure our senior clients receive the best care possible, we pair them with compassionate caregivers who understand their unique needs. That way, they may provide care accordingly without compromising their wellbeing.
The Always Best Care difference lies in life's little moments - where compassionate care and trustworthy experience come together to help seniors live a fruitful, healthy life. Whether you are an aging adult that can't quite keep up with life's daily tasks or the child of a senior who needs regular in-home services, Always Best Care is here to help.
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Home is where the heart is. While that saying can sound a tad cliche, it is especially true for many seniors living in America. When given a choice, older adults most often prefer to grow older at home. An AARP study found that three out of four adults over the age of 50 want to stay in their homes and communities as they age.
When you begin to think about why, it makes sense. Home offers a sense of security, comfort, and familiarity.
The truth is, as we age, we begin to rely on others for help. When a family is too busy or lives too far away to fulfill this role, in-home senior care is often the best solution. Home care services allow seniors to enjoy personal independence while also receiving trustworthy assistance from a trained caregiver.
At Always Best Care, we offer a comprehensive range of home care services to help seniors stay healthy while they get the help they need to remain independent. As your senior loved one gets older, giving them the gift of senior care is one of the best ways to show your love, even if you live far away.
To give our senior clients the best care possible, we offer a full spectrum of in-home care services:
If your senior loved one has specific care needs, our personal care services are a great choice to consider. Personal care includes the standard caregiving duties associated with companion care and includes help with tasks such as dressing and grooming. Personal care can also help individuals with chronic conditions like diabetes.
Common personal care services include assistance with:
Sometimes, seniors need helpful reminders to maintain a high quality of life at home. If you or your senior has trouble with everyday tasks like cooking, our home helper services will be very beneficial.
Common home helper care services include assistance with:
Using this kind of care is a fantastic way to make life easier for you or your senior loved one. At Always Best Care, our talented caregivers often fill the role of a companion for seniors.
Common companionship services include:
According to AARP, more than 53 million adults living in the U.S. provide care to someone over 50 years old. Unfortunately, these caregivers experience stress, exhaustion, and even depression. Our respite care services help family caregivers address urgent obligations, spend time with their children, and enjoy nearby activities. Perhaps more importantly, respite care gives family members time to recharge and regroup. Taking personal time to de-stress reduces the risk of caregiver burnout. Doing so is great for both you and your loved one.
At the end of the day, our goal is to become a valuable part of your senior's daily routine. That way, we may help give them the highest quality of life possible. We know that staying at home is important for your loved one, and we are here to help make sure that is possible.
If you have been on the fence about non-medical home care, there has never been a better time than now to give your senior the care, assistance, and companionship they deserve.
Always Best Care in-home services are for older adults who prefer to stay at home but need ongoing care that friends and family cannot provide. In-home care is a safe, effective way for seniors to age gracefully in a familiar place and live independent, non-institutionalized lives. The benefits of non-medical home care are numerous. Here are just a few reasons to consider senior care services from Always Best Care:
According to AARP, 9 out of 10 seniors prefer to age in place within the comfort of their own home. With in-home care, seniors have a way to stay at home, receive the care they need, and maintain a sense of independence, improving overall wellness.
If you or a member of your family have assumed the role of caregiver for your senior loved one, you know how stressful the job can be. Between caregiver burnout and constant worry, being a family caregiver is hard. In-home care relieves your burden and gives you peace of mind knowing that your older family member is in expert hands.
Unlike nursing homes, where the staff and residents rotate frequently, seniors can foster new friendships and build bonds with their caregiver. Seniors who socialize on a regular basis are often happier, which fosters positivity and leads to increased wellbeing.
No two seniors need the same kind of in-home care assistance. That is why each of our Care Plans is tailored to meet our client's individual needs. We offer plans that cover everything from light housekeeping to more involved duties like transportation to doctor's appointments. Our Care Coordinators will work closely with you to develop a personalized plan to ensure your senior's needs are exceeded.
Always Best Care offers a full array of care options for patients at all levels of health. With our trusted elderly care services, your loved one will receive the level of care necessary for them to enjoy the highest possible quality of life.
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While it's true that some seniors have complicated medical needs that prevent them from staying at home, aging in place is often the best arrangement for seniors and their families. With a trusted caregiver, seniors have the opportunity to live with a sense of dignity and do so as they see fit - something that is unavailable to many older people today.
In-home care makes it possible for millions of seniors to age in place every year. Rather than moving to a strange nursing home, seniors have the chance to stay at home where they feel the happiest and most comfortable.
How much does a senior's home truly mean to them?
A study published by the American Society on Aging found that more than half of seniors say their home's emotional value means more than how much their home is worth in monetary value. It stands to reason, then, that a senior's home is where they want to grow old.
With the help of elderly care in Earlham, IA, seniors don't have to age in a sterilized care facility. Instead, they can age gracefully in the place they want to be most: their home. In contrast, seniors who move to a long-term care facility must adapt to new environments, new people, and new systems that the facility implements. At this stage in life, this kind of drastic change can be more harmful than helpful.
Institutional care facilities like nursing homes often put large groups of people together to live in one location. On any given day, dozens of staff members and caregivers run in and out of these facilities. Being around so many new people in a relatively small living environment can be dangerous for a seniors' health and wellbeing. When you consider that thousands of seniors passed away in nursing homes during the COVID-19 pandemic, opting for in-home care is often a safer, healthier choice for seniors.
Aging in place has been shown to improve seniors' quality of life, which helps boost physical health and also helps insulate them from viral and bacterial risks found in elderly living facilities.
For many seniors, the ability to live independently with assistance from a caregiver is a priceless option. With in-home care, seniors experience a higher level of independence and freedom - much more so than in other settings like a nursing home. When a senior has the chance to age in place, they get to live life on their own terms, inside the house that they helped make into a home. More independence means more control over their personal lives, too, which leads to increased levels of fulfillment, happiness, and personal gratification. Over time, these positive feelings can manifest into a healthier, longer life.
More independence, a healthier life, and increased comfort are only a few benefits of aging in place. You have to take into consideration the role of cost and convenience. Simply put, it's usually easier and more affordable to help seniors age in place than it is to move them into an institutional care facility. According to the US Department of Housing and Urban Development, seniors who age in the comfort of their homes can save thousands of dollars per month.
In-home care services from Always Best Care, for instance, are often less expensive than long-term solutions, which can cost upwards of six figures per year. To make matters worse, many residential care facilities are reluctant to accept long-term care insurance and other types of payment assistance.
With Always Best Care's home care services, seniors and their families have a greater level of control over their care plans. In-home care gives seniors the chance to form a bond with a trusted caregiver and also receive unmatched care that is catered to their needs. In long-term care facilities, seniors and their loved ones have much less control over their care plan and have less of a say in who provides their care.
In-home care is a valuable resource that empowers seniors to age in place on their own terms. However, a big concern for many families and their loved ones is how much in-home care costs. If you're worried that in-home care is too expensive, you may be pleasantly surprised to learn that it is one of the most affordable senior care arrangements available.
Typically, hiring an Always Best Care in-home caregiver for a few hours a week is more affordable than sending your loved one to a long-term care facility. This is true even for seniors with more complex care needs.
At Always Best Care, we will work closely with you and your family to develop a Care Plan that not only meets your care needs, but your budget requirements, too. Once we discover the level of care that you or your senior need, we develop an in-home care plan that you can afford.
In addition to our flexible care options, families should also consider the following resources to help offset potential home care costs:
When you or your senior loved one needs assistance managing daily tasks at home, finding a qualified caregiver can be challenging. It takes a special kind of person to provide reliable care for your senior loved one. However, a caregiver's role involves more than meal preparation and medication reminders. Many seniors rely on their caregivers for companionship, too.
Our companion care services give seniors the chance to socialize in a safe environment and engage in activities at home. These important efforts boost morale and provide much-needed relief from repetitive daily routines. A one-on-one, engaging conversation can sharpen seniors' minds and give them something in which to be excited.
At Always Best Care, we only hire care providers that we would trust to care for our own loved ones. Our senior caregivers in Earlham, IA understand how important it is to listen and communicate with their seniors. A seemingly small interaction, like a short hug goodbye, can make a major difference in a senior's day. Instead of battling against feelings of isolation, seniors begin to look forward to seeing their caregiver each week.
Understanding the nuances of senior care is just one of the reasons why our care providers are so great at their job.
Unlike some senior care companies, our caregivers must undergo extensive training before they work for Always Best Care. In addition, our caregivers receive ongoing training throughout the year. This training ensures that their standard of care matches up to the high standards we've come to expect. During this training, they will brush up on their communication skills, safety awareness, and symptom spotting. That way, your loved one receives the highest level of non-medical home care from day one.
While it's true that many seniors prefer to age at home, sometimes in-home care isn't the best fit. For those seniors and their families, choosing an assisted living facility makes more sense. Unfortunately, finding the optimal care facility is easier said than done in today's day and age. That's when Always Best Care's assisted living referral services begin to make a lot of sense.
Assisted living is a form of housing intended for seniors who require varying degrees of medical and personal attention. Accommodations may include single rooms, apartments, or shared living arrangements. Assisted living communities are typically designed to resemble a home-like environment and are physically constructed to encourage the independence of residents.
At assisted living communities, seniors receive help with daily activities such as bathing, dressing, and eating. They may also benefit from coordination of services with outside healthcare providers, and monitoring of resident activities to ensure their health, safety, and well-being. Caregivers who work at assisted living communities can also provide medication administration and personal care services for older adults.
Other services offered within assisted living communities can include some or all of the following:
At Always Best Care, our representatives can match your senior's emotional, physical, and financial needs with viable assisted living communities nearby. Results are based on comparative data, so you can select the best choice for you or your loved one.
Always Best Care works closely with local senior living communities to gain valuable knowledge that we then use to help seniors and their loved ones make informed decisions. This information can include basic care and rent, resident availability, and services provided. Because Always Best Care is compensated by these communities, we provide senior living referral services at no extra cost to you.
For many seniors, moving into a senior living community revolves around how and when they want to make a transition to more involved care. Some seniors are more proactive about transitioning to independent living. Others choose to remain home until their care needs or other requirements are satisfied. Remember - our staff is here to help. Contact our office today to learn more about assisted living communities and how we can find a facility that exceeds your expectations.
The first step in getting quality in-home care starts with a personal consultation with an experienced Always Best Care Care Coordinator. This initial consultation is crucial for our team to learn more about you or your elderly loved one to discover the level of care required. Topics of this consultation typically include:
A discussion of your needs and how our trained caregivers can offer assistance in the most effective way
A draft of your care plan, which includes highly detailed notes and a framework for the care that you or your senior will receive
Discuss payment options and help coordinate billing with your insurance provider
Our caregivers are trained to spot changes that clients exhibit, like mental and physical decline. As your trusted senior care company, we will constantly assess and update your Care Plan to meet any new emotional, intellectual, physical, and emotional needs.
If you have never considered in-home care before, we understand that you and your family may have concerns about your Care Plan and its Care Coordinator. To help give you peace of mind, know that every team member and caregiver must undergo comprehensive training before being assigned to a Care Plan.
At the end of the day, we only hire the best of the best at Always Best Care. Whether you need home care in Earlham, IA 24-hours a day or only need a respite for a couple of hours, we are here to serve you.
When you're ready, we encourage you to contact your local Always Best Care representative to set up a Care Consultation. Our Care Coordinators would be happy to meet with you in person to get to know you better, discuss your needs, and help put together a personalized Care Plan specific to your needs.
EARLHAM, Ia. — This small town wasn't dismal over its future. It was just a tad glum. Insecure. Apprehensive.Earlham looked in the mirror and felt paunchy, unkempt.Was it over the hill?This town's struggles and gap-toothed downtown business district were all too familiar on the sparse rural landscape.But this year, Earlham made a major breakthrough: The combination of a wealthy donor and engaged residents has made it possible for the town to get ready to open a $2.1 million social hub a year from now with a ...
EARLHAM, Ia. — This small town wasn't dismal over its future. It was just a tad glum. Insecure. Apprehensive.
Earlham looked in the mirror and felt paunchy, unkempt.
Was it over the hill?
This town's struggles and gap-toothed downtown business district were all too familiar on the sparse rural landscape.
But this year, Earlham made a major breakthrough: The combination of a wealthy donor and engaged residents has made it possible for the town to get ready to open a $2.1 million social hub a year from now with a restaurant, events center and more. Supporters hope it sparks a downtown rebirth.
The Madison County town is only 30 miles west of Des Moines and yet a world apart from Iowa's demographic center of gravity. Its 1,450 residents live just beyond the metro’s near orbit and just south of Interstate 80. An Iowa State University study two years ago showed that more than three-fourths of them commute outside the county to work.
A third attempt here last year to pass a $5 million school bond got voted down. The Earlham district clings to independence in an era of rampant consolidation, hovering just above 600 students.
And yet, gradually, a palpable sense grew in recent years that residents were eager to attempt an economic revival.
A dentist office opened in town.
A young couple moved back home to take over the grocery store.
The downtown strip boasts a bank. A chiropractor. A renovated bar.
Owners of a "Rescued Junk" store with vintage and handmade wares briefly flirted with a second shop in downtown Des Moines' East Village. But ultimately they chose to shutter their urban address and stay in Earlham.
Former Register photographer Steve Pope, who already publishes the newspaper in his hometown of St. Ansgar, has revived the dormant Earlham Echo.
And then there's the organic sheep rancher who came to town — a rancher with access to more than the standard set of resources and connections.
Eight years ago Sharon Krause bought 220 acres a few miles north of town where she established Iowa’s first organic sheep ranch, Dalla Terra. Her 225 breeding ewes give birth annually to more than 400 lambs.
Krause's husband, Kyle, you may recognize as the CEO and owner of Kum & Go, the convenience store chain currently building its new $151 million headquarters in downtown Des Moines with a design by Italian architect Renzo Piano.
The Krauses live in unincorporated Booneville on the southwestern fringe of the Des Moines metro. By spending every workday at her ranch Krause began to meet her new neighbors while shopping for groceries and hardware. She invited schoolkids to the ranch for lessons in conservation. Future Farmers of America took over management of her organic apple orchard back in Booneville.
Krause hired local students as ranch hands.
“It’s such a genuine and kind and proud community,” she said. “I just fell in love.”
Krause doesn’t have family roots here. She grew up across the state in Davenport.
And in case you wondered, the local convenience store is owned by competitor Casey’s, so she’s not playing that angle.
One fateful weeknight in September 2015 the couple sat down to dinner at home. Beef or lamb raised by Krause was the likely entre?e, while Kyle always selects the perfect wine pairing from the family’s cellar.
The couple was chatting about the construction progress of the Kum & Go headquarters and how the capital city core had flourished in the last 20 years — the familiar downtown Des Moines boom narrative that has fascinated trendy list-makers and national political reporters for years.
“I’d love to see the same thing happen,” Krause said to her husband, “but on a different scale, in Earlham.”
Kyle’s reaction was simple: Why not go ahead and find a way to bring the downtown boom to this feisty little town?
I realize that these kinds of small-town-turnaround conversations have been percolating across rural America. I’ve written about efforts in Iowa, including Des Moines Social Club founder Zachary Mannheimer’s recent push to replicate his urban nonprofit arts hub statewide.
The difference here was that, first, personal relationships developed organically over several years. And then, suddenly, a direct pipeline to urban money and expertise opened up to capitalize on all that had been built.
Krause personified a bridge: She had become a local farmer but also still was a member of the urban executive class.
A week after the Krauses’ dinner conversation, fate intervened: A once-glorious historic wreck at the center of downtown Earlham went up for sale.
The Bricker-Price Block at the southwest corner of Chestnut Avenue and First Street is made up of two adjoining buildings that date to 1900. The C.D. Bricker Building (originally home to a grocery) and W. Price Building (opened as a general store) were given a unified facade and matching cast-iron storefronts. A staircase between buildings climbs to their second floors.
A year after it was built, Bricker-Price in 1901 was credited with saving much of the rest of downtown from a fire that gutted the wooden commercial district to the south. The flames were thwarted by the new masonry structure.
But then gradual decay over decades culminated in the summer of 2015 with roof damage from a rain storm that doused Bricker-Price’s apartment dwellers upstairs and the Montross Pharmacy on the ground floor. That left only a hair salon in the 1919 addition tacked onto the building’s west side.
What once was a jewel had become a vacant shell of crumbling plaster and creaky floors.
But now it’s poised to help save Earlham all over again in a much less dramatic yet more profound way.
Bricker-Price became Krause's plan of attack: Could this be transformed into a dynamic cultural center at the heart of town?
She approached Earlham’s mayor, who was eager for ways his town could invest in its own growth. His wife also happened to be a founding member of a local grassroots philanthropy known as Chicks With Checks.
Chicks With Checks began a couple years ago among four friends and quickly grew into 34 women who each contribute $100 quarterly. Members vote on which projects they fund. Some leverage corporate match dollars from their employers.
“It’s not like there’s an abundance of (nonprofits) in Earlham,” said co-founder Connie Terry. That’s why she and her neighbors, as she put it, had to be “much more direct” with their giving.
Chicks With Checks projects have been as simple as a diaper changing station for the new football stadium, a tuba for the school band or a public skating rink fashioned from tarp and lumber.
“That’s when I knew this project in Earlham could work,” Krause said of her welcome into Chicks With Checks and the town at large. “These women have deep-rooted community pride.”
Krause conducted public brainstorming sessions in March and April and eventually purchased Bricker-Price for $125,000.
Mindy Williamson, marketing director for the Iowa State Fair, is an Earlham native who joined the effort. So did Jerry Parkin, a fair board member who lives in Madison County.
The public conversation continued last month as Krause stood in front of more than 60 local residents at yet another town meeting to outline the updated plan.
“She doesn’t have to have meetings,” said David Hopp, the registered nurse whose three sons have worked for Krause. “She doesn’t have to be involved in the community. I think she’s going about it the right way.”
The collective vision includes a restaurant. An events space for everything from yoga to culinary classes. A teen center.
The $2.1 million project is scheduled to open a year from now.
In six years a local nonprofit will own and operate the 9,000-square-foot venue. Its board will be made up of representatives from the city, county and local school district.
An executive director will be hired later this year.
A request for proposal will be issued to choose a restaurant tenant to occupy the first floor, with farm-to-table fare and service for the event space upstairs.
“We’re not going to create a sushi bar if a sushi bar isn’t what Earlham wants,” Krause said to the gathered crowd .
She had taped large sheets of paper to the wall with lists of ideas. Townsfolk were asked to place colored stickers next to what they liked — basic process in community brainstorming.
Some scrawled their own additions: “Jazz band perform” or “Dressy dinner once per week.”
The Krauses themselves lit the fuse for Bricker-Price with a $400,000 donation and also enlisted help from some of their friends.
Krause convinced former Maytag CEO Leonard Hadley and his son, Phil (Kyle’s college roommate) to kick in $150,000. That got them naming rights to the Hadley Family Social Club on the second floor.
Real estate moguls Jim Cownie and Bill Knapp gave $50,000 apiece.
Chicks With Checks voted to donate $20,000.
The project has applied for a $225,000 Enhance Iowa Community Attraction and Tourism grant, and another $450,000 from Prairie Meadows. It so far has been approved for state and federal historic tax credits that could total $550,000 in reimbursements. A U.S. Department of Agriculture no-interest 10-year loan administered by Central Iowa Power Cooperative, or another construction loan will help finance the project as grant money rolls in.
Just last month the street corner was added to the National Register of Historic Places.
A community fund-raising drive will be launched this spring to raise $125,000 to $150,000. A “Gifts of Grain” program will even allow local farmers to donate crop bushels.
Last month dozens of townsfolk were invited inside Bricker-Price to wander through the shell and imagine its future.
Citizens were photographed holding signs with quirky messages about why they support the project: “Because cow-tipping is overrated." "Because I can use the ‘arts’ as an excuse for skipping chores.” "My wife hates my cooking and I need to learn to make a souffle."
Whether a souffle or organic local lamb is on the menu, this story one day should come full circle over dinner in Earlham.
Perhaps a dressy dinner in a new restaurant that manages to coax some from the city back to this genuine little town.
Kyle Munson can be reached at 515-284-8124 or [email protected]. See more of his columns and video at DesMoinesRegister.com/KyleMunson. Connect with him on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram (@KyleMunson) and on Snapchat (@kylemunsoniowa).
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