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 Urbandale, 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 Urbandale, 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 Urbandale, 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 Urbandale, 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.
An Oct. 14 meeting of the Urbandale school board opened on a low note.The first public comment centered around the J-Hawks' athletics programs and their struggles to compete in the Central Iowa Metropolitan League.Urbandale parent Marc Salmon provided details of the school's athletics woes:Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle.“The whole point of a conference...
An Oct. 14 meeting of the Urbandale school board opened on a low note.
The first public comment centered around the J-Hawks' athletics programs and their struggles to compete in the Central Iowa Metropolitan League.
Urbandale parent Marc Salmon provided details of the school's athletics woes:
“The whole point of a conference is to provide the right level of competition for our kids, that will increase athletic participation,” Salmon said, according to video of and minutes from that Oct. 14 meeting. “A good conference that provides good matches, exciting games and rivalries. The CIML provides none of that for our kids in any sport.”
Salmon noted that the CIML was formed in 1991, when the Des Moines metro area looked much different. Since then, the league has added affluent suburban schools such as Ankeny Centennial, Johnston, Waukee and Waukee Northwest. Those newcomers are among the top athletics schools in the state, and Urbandale is having trouble competing against them as well as CIML originals such as Dowling Catholic, Southeast Polk and West Des Moines Valley.
Some former CIML schools have decided in recent years to move to different conferences where they can better compete. Those include Ames, Indianola and the Des Moines Public Schools.
Salmon believes it's time for Urbandale to do the same, and it’s clear that he isn’t alone in his thinking. Three other members of the community – Eric Cannon, Brandon Rinnan and Jake Troja – all commented on Urbandale’s struggles in its current conference, with Troja being the only speaker who advocated for staying in the CIML.
Cannon spoke about a survey sent by the school board to students and families about the possibility of leaving the CIML. There were 518 responses to that Sept. 30 survey, in which respondents were asked whether the district should stay in the CIML – 259 said no, 201 said yes and 58 said no opinion.
He also cited how players from the girls softball team left to play for schools like Waukee Northwest and Dallas Center-Grimes.
“Do we want to continue to see these kids and their families leave Urbandale?” Cannon said.
Urbandale has the smallest enrollment of the schools in the CIML, and it is the only school in the conference with fewer than 1,000 students, according to the Basic Educational Data Survey from the Iowa Department of Education.
Valley, the CIML's largest school, is more than double Urbandale’s size, with an enrollment of 2,290. The J-Hawks' total enrollment is 969.
One of the options that Urbandale seems to be considering is the Little Hawkeye Conference, which features seven teams: Dallas Center-Grimes, Indianola, Newton, Norwalk, Oskaloosa, Pella and Pella Christian.
Dr. Rosalie Daca, Urbandale's superintendent, fielded questions about a potential increase in travel costs and time out of school for athletes if Urbandale did change conferences, whether other conferences would want Urbandale to join, and what would happen to the J-Hawks' co-op programs.
But since that meeting, the Urbandale school board elected to do more research before making any decisions.
The Des Moines Register reached out to the district for comment, and Urbandale provided this statement:
“Urbandale Community School District values the feedback received from students, parents, and staff regarding the District’s participation in the CIML. While preferences for staying or leaving the CIML vary, we know everyone is coming from a place of wanting to do what is best for students now and in the future. We are working with our Board of Directors and community to collect information on all potential outcomes related to conference affiliation. We will continue keeping stakeholders informed about this important topic.”
(This story was updated because an earlier version included an inaccuracy. Grinnell is currently in the Wamac Conference.)
URBANDALE, Iowa —The Des Moines region is now home to the first above-ground B99 fueling pump, an action that was celebrated Thursday morning by leaders in the biofuels, trucking and soybean industries.Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig said the new pump, which allows certain semi trucks to fill up with a 99% biodiesel blended fuel, shows a completion of the ag supply chain, from the field to the biofuel refineries and now into a truck.“Every time I see this, or think of an infrastructur...
URBANDALE, Iowa —
The Des Moines region is now home to the first above-ground B99 fueling pump, an action that was celebrated Thursday morning by leaders in the biofuels, trucking and soybean industries.
Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig said the new pump, which allows certain semi trucks to fill up with a 99% biodiesel blended fuel, shows a completion of the ag supply chain, from the field to the biofuel refineries and now into a truck.
“Every time I see this, or think of an infrastructure investment, I just know that that’s more demand pulling through, and what that ultimately means is more demand for the things that we grow,” Naig said. “It adds value every single step throughout the chain.”
The pump is located at a Pilot fuel station in Urbandale, near the intersection of Douglas Avenue and Interstate 35, and for now will be used primarily by PepsiCo trucks which are equipped to utilize the fuel.
Eric Fobes, head of renewables for Pilot, said the new biodiesel pump is an adherence to the company’s commitment to “shaping the future of energy.”
“To me and our customers, it’s important that we are offering decarbonized solutions,” Fobes said. “This is one of those offers.”
The trucking company launched the first B99 pump at a travel center in Decatur, Illinois in March. The pump in Urbandale is now the second station in the country with the high blend of biodiesel fuel, but the first station with an above-ground pump. The company has plans to open another pump in Texas this summer.
PepsiCo has committed local trucks to using the biodiesel from the station, which is several minutes away from the beverage and snack company’s Urbandale plant.
Sarah Towles, senior director of government affairs for PepsiCo, said the partnership with Pilot represents “real scalable solutions” for long haul transportation. Towles said PepsiCo has about 20 trucks prepared to use the station currently, but plans to equip other trucks in the future.
Karl Thomas with Optimus Technologies, the company that helped to outfit the PepsiCo trucks to use the fuel, said decarbonizing the industry requires collaboration.
“Together, we’re building an ecosystem for sustainable trucking by introducing a new fuel to the commercial trucking market in the U.S.” Thomsas said.
Thomas said Optimus developed a vector system in the trucks which keeps the biodiesel from gelling during colder months. Thomas said this technology, and equipping long haul trucks to run on higher blends of biodiesel is “one of the lowest cost technologies to decarbonize heavy duty trucking.”
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates 23% of transportation related carbon dioxide emissions came from medium and heavy-duty trucking. The agency encourages the industry to transition to lower emission fuels, like biofuels, hydrogen or compressed natural gas to lower emissions.
Biodiesel in Iowa is made primarily from soybean oil, which means biodiesel demand is directly linked with soybean demand.
Dave Walton, a director for both Iowa Soybean Association and Iowa Biodiesel Board, said the pump represents, “real on the ground, progress in Americans’ transition to cleaner fuels.”
“By fueling their Des Moines based fleet at this B99 pump, PepsiCo is showing that high blends of biodiesel aren’t just a future concept, they’re here and now, and working,” Walton said.
Walton said biodiesel is critical to the farm economy and that the industry adds a 13% value to each bushel of soybeans produced by Iowa farmers.
According to 2024 figures from the Iowa Biodiesel Board, the industry added $2.2 billion in total sales and $123 million in labor income to the state’s economy.
“Projects like today’s expands consumer access to affordable domestic homegrown fuels that increase good paying jobs for our hardworking Americans,” Walton said.
Walton also commended Iowa lawmakers, specifically Sen. Annette Sweeney, R-Iowa Falls, Sen. Matt Blake, D-Urbandale and Rep. Larry McBurney, D-Urbandale who were in attendance, for supporting state incentives on biodiesel blends.
While the industry a high performing year, with a total of 350 million gallons of biodiesel produced in 2024, Walton said several plants in the state are idle due to the uncertainty of federal tax credits.
Walton said he also hopes EPA will approve 5.25 billion gallons of biodiesel for the upcoming Renewable Fuel Standard, or RFS. This standard sets the minimum amount of renewable fuels required to be blended, annually, into diesel and gasoline. According to EPA, the 2025 requirement for biodiesel was 3.35 billion gallons.
Naig echoed the call for “strong” Renewable Volume Obligations under RFS and said producers also need clear guidance on tax policy.
Renewable fuel producers in Iowa have been advocating for, and waiting on, definitive guidance from the U.S. Department of the Treasury on the 45z tax credit, which would incentivize sustainable aviation fuel, biodiesel and other plant-based fuels.
A bill pertaining to eminent domain and carbon sequestration pipelines, could also impact the biofuels industry’s ability to use these credits, which is a major reason why the industry has opposed the legislation, which is currently sitting on Gov. Kim Reynolds’ desk.
Naig said he has heard from folks on both sides of the issue, but the decision on the bill rests with Reynolds and her council.
Iowa Capital Dispatch is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Iowa Capital Dispatch maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Kathie Obradovich for questions: [email protected].
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