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 Windsor Heights, 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 Windsor Heights, 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 Windsor Heights, 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 Windsor Heights, 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.
The sprawling Windsor Park Townhomes complex not far from Colby Park in Windsor Heights includes dozens of gray-and-white units that look much alike, except for one decorated with enough fall de?cor to fill an aisle at Michaels.Brightly colored metal sunflowers, wreaths, mums, pumpkins, decorative frogs and mushrooms and “welcome” signs greet anyone who would pop by Unit 1202.The only problem, some homeowners there complain, is that the resident is often incommunicado.And that’s a problem because that r...
The sprawling Windsor Park Townhomes complex not far from Colby Park in Windsor Heights includes dozens of gray-and-white units that look much alike, except for one decorated with enough fall de?cor to fill an aisle at Michaels.
Brightly colored metal sunflowers, wreaths, mums, pumpkins, decorative frogs and mushrooms and “welcome” signs greet anyone who would pop by Unit 1202.
The only problem, some homeowners there complain, is that the resident is often incommunicado.
And that’s a problem because that resident, Terri Artis, is president of Windsor Park Homeowners Association & Management Co. By Iowa law, Artis and other members who serve on the association’s board oversee the complex’s management, its rules, finances and any special assessments to be paid by owners for major repairs to the property.
State law requires homeowners' associations to prepare annual budgets and maintain a host of records, including detailed financial records that can be reviewed by any owner who asks for them.
But owners of units in the complex like Jim Conlin, whose Conlin Properties owns and manages other properties across the metro, are having a hard time making sense of the association’s finances over the past year. Conlin said what he has seen from the HOA’s new management company, PMI Central Iowa, makes him question the accuracy and completeness of existing financial records, and convinces him the HOA needs an audit.
Conlin, who owns one of the units through his company, said owners didn't receive any financial statements for months, and as long as a year, prior to March. The last six months worth of financial records his company, received this year, from March to August, have been made available to owners, but he said he believes they are incomplete.
Those records show Artis received more than $1,000 this July and August in checks from the association, but Conlin doesn't know why.
Under state law and the Windsor Park association’s bylaws, the townhome association's financials are supposed to be available for any member to review. But Conlin said he’s sent three letters over the summer to Artis and the association trying to exercise his right to get more information and has gotten no response.
Artis, responding to questions from Watchdog, said the records are available on PMI's website, but acknowledged records under the previous management firm were "partial."
Conlin said his company has faithfully paid out monthly association fees as well as the $10,000 special assessment last year for improvements to the property. Spread across the more than 70 units at the complex, he said, the association would have taken in almost $1 million last year, so owners need better accounting.
“As a board, you have a fiduciary responsibility to not only account for funds I provide, but all members also provide, and to do otherwise is irresponsible,” he wrote in a letter in June seeking to review all the financials. “I also insist on receiving any forms sent to the state or federal tax authority which should be filed annually. These are your responsibilities, not the management company you employ.”
Conlin told Watchdog he’s also concerned because a mechanic’s lien was filed against the townhome property in January by a subcontractor, ABC Supply of Wisconsin, for $122,572. He said ABC has told Conlin Properties it didn’t get paid for work on the major siding job last year at the complex.
He said the board should have protected itself by having the contractor sign a lien waiver, which is standard practice with such big jobs.
For West Des Moines condo owners, a year-ago fire was only the beginning of their troubles“Right now, no owner can sell their property without settling their pro rata share of that lien,” he said.
He contacted Watchdog after he and others at Conlin Properties made several unsuccessful attempts to get hold of Artis and other owners at the complex complained about the management to his employees. He said his company manages more than 50 homeowner associations, and each board member at those properties receives a financial report each month that is available to the entire membership.
As has been mentioned several times since the Watchdog column began in 2012, HOAs are a common source of consumer complaints but remain largely unregulated in Iowa. That leaves owners with grievances few options but to sue when they disagree with an HOA.
One already has.
Conlin did not know the association and Artis already are entangled in a civil lawsuit, filed in January and set to go to trial a year from now, involving a resident who did not pay a $10,200 special assessment due in summer 2024 for the siding project.
That longtime owner, Todd Reinders, is countersuing the association and Artis, accusing her of multiple counts of breach of contract, breach of good faith and unjust enrichment.
Reinders has alleged in the lawsuit that the board didn’t have the necessary votes needed to pass the special assessment. (The vast majority of owners paid them, anyway.)
In an HOA, should everyone pay the same for a new roof?"The Plaintiff is not entitled to enrich itself at the expense of Defendant," his answer to the association's lawsuit says.
Reinders said the association has a contractual duty under its Declaration of Covenants to make repairs that were requested many times but never happened. For example, his garage, which is damaged, is the only one at the complex that still has its original garage door. Doors, windows and lights need replacement, he said; the steps to his front door are collapsing.
“Defendant’s repair requests have either been completely and utterly ignored, or denied, yet these exact repairs have been made for other homeowners,” he alleged in his counterclaim.
He also alleged that Artis has harassed, intimidated and retaliated against him for years, and that she's made improvements at her home, including a new garage door and balcony that were superior to those of other units.
"This is, by itself, is a misuse of association funds, a conflict of interest and a breach of Ms. Artis’s fiduciary duty to the association," his counterclaim says.
In that lawsuit, Reinders and his attorney allege Artis shouldn’t even be leading the homeowners association because she’s not a townhome owner and has no association member rights.
“In order to be President of the Association, a person must be an owner of the unit in question,” Reinders’ counterclaim argues.
County records show the unit where Artis lives is owned by the John H. McGuiness Revocable Trust. McGuiness, who is in his 90s and lives in Florida, is the trustee.
Artis' unit also doesn't have a rental certificate, meaning she's also not approved as a renter there, according to the City of Windsor Heights.
Reached by Watchdog this week, Reinders said his mother in the 1980s bought the townhome where he lives and that she used to be on the association's board. Artis, he said, wasn't allowed then to be on the board because she wasn't an owner.
"I don't know how she even got on," he said.
After several messages, Artis called Watchdog back Sept. 23 and said “all of the financials” are available on the website of PMI, the property manager.
“The board does not do the financials,” she said, and it hasn’t for years.
Later, Artis clarified that PMI Central Iowa was hired in March and that the previous property manager, Lewis Consulting, only gave “partial” financials to PMI. “The board voted to have Lewis Consulting terminated at the end of January,” she said.
Artis said Prime Home Upkeep, the siding contractor, was paid after each building at the complex was completed, and that company is responsible for not paying ABC Supply.
“The townhome association has hired an attorney to get that lien released,” she said. Prime Home Upkeep, she said, has been paid in full. “We have all the records from that,” she said.
Prime Home Upkeep did not respond to a phone call seeking comment.
Artis said she would not comment on the ongoing litigation with Reinders, but that she is part of a five-member board trying to make the townhomes a better community. She said Conlin doesn’t attend HOA meetings, which are held the third Tuesday of every month.
“I’ve lived there for 26 years, and he’s had his unit for as long as I’ve been here,” she said.
When questioned how she could lead the association when she isn’t an owner, Artis became agitated. “I’m not even going to listen to this,” she said, hanging up before the Watchdog could ask her about the association checks written to her.
Conlin said the association hasn’t been sending notices of any monthly meetings, and he doesn’t believe they are being held. When Watchdog called PMI, an employee said the meetings are supposed to happen quarterly but none are scheduled currently.
Only three people, not five as Artis suggested, are listed as other HOA board members — Josh Hiner, Peterson Johnson and Tucker Lehman — on the association's filings with the state. Hiner and Johnson could not be reached for comment.
Lehman said Tuesday that he is no longer a board member and that he could not comment on any pending litigation.
Watchdog sent several questions to PMI Central Iowa asking the other board members or the property manager to respond to questions about the lack of response to Conlin, the money paid to Artis and the lawsuit, but received no response.
(This story was edited to add new information.)
Lee Rood's Reader's Watchdog column helps Iowans get answers and accountability from public officials, the justice system, businesses and nonprofits. Reach her at [email protected], at 515-284-8549, on Twitter at @leerood or on Facebook at Facebook.com/readerswatchdog
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