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 Orchard, 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.
“Always Best Care of the Cedar Valley has compassionate staff and flexible scheduling. The office”
“Always Best is OK but doesn’t seem to make up hours very well. When the”
“I knew a lady who works for Always Best Health Care that's why I chose”
“Always Best Care of the Cedar Valley has compassionate staff and flexible scheduling. The office staff answers my questions patiently.”
“Always Best is OK but doesn’t seem to make up hours very well. When the caregiver is sick, nobody comes. I would think that they need a little more back up than they have right now. They give me a schedule, and billing is paid by Medicaid.”
“I knew a lady who works for Always Best Health Care that's why I chose it. The caregiver is very good with a very good attitude. They were able to provide the caregiver for myself immediately. She accompanies me to shopping.”
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.
Request More Information
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 Orchard, 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 Orchard, 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 Orchard, 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.
It doesn't get more fall than pumpkin patches.It's on the fall checklist for a lot of us: corn mazes, haunted houses, apple orchards, and of course...pumpkin patches.Whether you like to eat them, carve them, paint them, or just take pictures with them, there's no shortage of festive pumpkin moments here.Luckily for us in the QCA, we don't have to go very far to find some great pumpkin patches to visit this fall. For your fall sanity, we've done the legwork and compiled a list of pumpkin patches, nurseries, and other loca...
It doesn't get more fall than pumpkin patches.
It's on the fall checklist for a lot of us: corn mazes, haunted houses, apple orchards, and of course...pumpkin patches.
Whether you like to eat them, carve them, paint them, or just take pictures with them, there's no shortage of festive pumpkin moments here.
Luckily for us in the QCA, we don't have to go very far to find some great pumpkin patches to visit this fall. For your fall sanity, we've done the legwork and compiled a list of pumpkin patches, nurseries, and other local businesses around the Quad Cities that can put you in the fall spirit.
Many of these pumpkin patches (in both Iowa and in Illinois) don't have only the colorful gourd. They have other fun fall activities for you and the family to enjoy. Things like corn mazes, straw mazes, hay wagon rides, pumpkin cannons, specialty snacks, and much more!
Pumpkin Patches In The QCA
Get to planning those fall outings. You should note: the prices of pumpkins vary at each location and not all pumpkin patches that are listed below are you-pick pumpkin patches.
Make sure you look at the links provided below in our list to know what the admission fees are (if there are any) and what opening dates we know. If there are any pumpkin patches we left out of the list, let us know!
It's finally fall time! Scroll down to see the list of QCA pumpkin patches for 2025!
It's the season of the pumpkin around here. If buying a pumpkin at a store doesn't cut it and you want the full experience of a pumpkin patch, we have the full list of pumpkin patches throughout the Quad Cities. If we are missing any local pumpkin patches, email us here.
Yelp, Facebook, and Google Reviews have found the best apple cider donuts in Illinois and Iowa!
Southeast Iowa Union offers audio versions of articles using Instaread. Some words may be mispronounced.FAIRFIELD – The Fairfield Community Orchard invites the public to harvest the fruit that’s ripening now on its assortment of fruit trees.The orchard, located just east of Chautauqua Park, has a grove of 30-some trees, about two-thirds of which are apple trees, with the remainder split between various kinds of pear, persimmon, mulberry, sour cherry and chestnut. Avi Pogel, one of the coordinators of the orchard, sa...
Southeast Iowa Union offers audio versions of articles using Instaread. Some words may be mispronounced.
FAIRFIELD – The Fairfield Community Orchard invites the public to harvest the fruit that’s ripening now on its assortment of fruit trees.
The orchard, located just east of Chautauqua Park, has a grove of 30-some trees, about two-thirds of which are apple trees, with the remainder split between various kinds of pear, persimmon, mulberry, sour cherry and chestnut. Avi Pogel, one of the coordinators of the orchard, said the Asian pears, and some of the European and Bartlett varieties, are ripe now. He expects the apples to be ripe around the third weekend in September, so perhaps a visit to the orchard after celebrating Kiwanis Kids’ Day on Sept. 20 would make for a good family outing. The fruit is free to pick, and the committee asks that the public leave enough for everyone to enjoy.
Pogel expects the persimmons to be ready at the same time as the apples, and for the chestnuts to ripen the first week of October. He mentioned that chestnuts are an easy fruit to harvest in some ways since you just wait for them to fall off the tree and separate from their thorny husk. But watch out because the burrs of the chestnut husk are sharp.
“You can get splinters through leather gloves,” Pogel warned.
Pogel recommends putting chestnuts in a paper bag on the counter for a week or so. A fresh chestnut will be starchy and taste like a potato, but a properly cured one will have a sweet caramelized flavor like a piece of toffee. Pogel said he recommends soaking them in water 10-30 minutes, scoring them with an X, and putting them in a toaster oven for 10-15 minutes. He said scoring them is important because the chestnuts will explode in the oven like popcorn if they’re not scored.
Those hoping to harvest a large number of pears from the orchard should be mindful that the European pears were badly affected by a disease known as fire blight, and Pogel said their fruit is consequently not very good this year. Unlike some fruits that can be eaten just after picking, Pogel advises letting pears ripen on your counter, and for especially fast ripening, try putting them in a paper bag.
“Pears require a little more care because if they look good on the tree, they’ll probably be pretty mushy,” he said. “And if you pick them too green, they won’t ripen. For Bartletts that are starting to turn, they will be a pale yellow but still have some green throughout.”
Pogel said the pear trees have been performing so poorly that the Fairfield Community Orchard Committee plans to remove the pear trees that are mostly dead and plant new trees in their place.
“We’re not going to kill the ones that are still producing, but we need to start from scratch,” he said. “We’ve learned which varieties are hardiest and most disease-resistant. A lot of them are under disease pressure.”
Pogel said the committee plans to spray the trees next year with anti-bacterial and anti-fungal sprays to control fire blight. He said the spray will use mineral supplements and not a synthetic chemical, since the committee intends for the orchard to be organic.
The orchard has hosted volunteer work days in the past, though none so far in 2025. Last year, Green Iowa AmeriCorps helped organize and participate in five volunteer events to maintain the orchard. Pogel said he’d like to hold a volunteer event this fall, probably in the next few weeks before the apple harvest, since the cages need to be weeded.
Those with questions about the orchard can email [email protected], or visit Fairfield Community Orchard’s Facebook page.
Call Andy Hallman at 641-575-0135 or email him at [email protected]
It's yet another reason to love fall.Hot take: apple cider is elite to pumpkin spice. Nothing tastes like fall and curling up in a blanket quite like apple cider, especially the donuts.They're soft, flavorful, and a completely viable breakfast in the fall. Apple cider donuts have been around for a minute, since American colonalists came up with them. At the time, they had a surplus of leftover fat after the fall butchering season. To use it, colonial cooks mixed fry dough with the apples in season, and poof, the apple cider don...
It's yet another reason to love fall.
Hot take: apple cider is elite to pumpkin spice. Nothing tastes like fall and curling up in a blanket quite like apple cider, especially the donuts.
They're soft, flavorful, and a completely viable breakfast in the fall. Apple cider donuts have been around for a minute, since American colonalists came up with them. At the time, they had a surplus of leftover fat after the fall butchering season. To use it, colonial cooks mixed fry dough with the apples in season, and poof, the apple cider donut was born.
It resurged in the 1950's, when it was launched as the 'Sweet Cider Donut', advertised as a "spicy round cake" with "fall appeal". Really, that's true, no lie detected.
And nowadays, when we think of things we can do with apple cider besides drink it, we immediately think: apple cider donuts.
Now, so many places, whether or not apple cider donuts are their specialty, serve up the sweet treat in the fall. Some grocery stores or some annual events have delightful apple cider donuts.
But to narrow down the field, we looked at Google Ratings, Yelp, publications, and Facebook recommendations to come up with the top 5 apple cider donuts for both Illinois and Iowa.
It's true, based on what I could find, there are dozens of great orchards and bakeries in both states that have fantastic apple cider donuts. In your opinion, are there any we left out? Let us know in our app!
Scroll down to see the top 10 favorite apple cider donuts in Illinois and Iowa!
Yelp, Facebook, and Google Reviews have found the best apple cider donuts in Illinois and Iowa!
Even though the fall season started off a little warm in Iowa, pumpkin patches are open and in full swing around the Des Moines metro.Here are eight stops, from pumpkin patches to corn mazes, for a guaranteed gourd time in central Iowa.Center Grove OrchardWith 25 acres of ripening pumpkins and gourds, Center Grove Orchard is a pick-your-own paradise. Admission for the patch is required for people ages 3 and up, but includes access to the farmyard and unlimited train rides.After taking the hayride to the pumpkin ...
Even though the fall season started off a little warm in Iowa, pumpkin patches are open and in full swing around the Des Moines metro.
Here are eight stops, from pumpkin patches to corn mazes, for a guaranteed gourd time in central Iowa.
With 25 acres of ripening pumpkins and gourds, Center Grove Orchard is a pick-your-own paradise. Admission for the patch is required for people ages 3 and up, but includes access to the farmyard and unlimited train rides.
After taking the hayride to the pumpkin patch, along the way is also the apple orchard and sunflower field. Sunflower season typically wraps up in late September. After collecting pumpkins, visitors can stroll around the animal barns and the kids' corral. Small pumpkins start at $2.95 and large pumpkins are $5.95.
With more than 20 different varieties of pumpkins and gourds to pick from, Deal's Orchard will fulfill any jack-o'-lantern needs you may have for the Halloween season. While parents sit back and enjoy a homemade cider, kids can explore the Apple Acres Attractions, including gaga ball, apple slingshots and jumping pillows.
Family-owned Harvest Barn Marketplace will send visitors out with the fixings for a mean charcuterie board and pumpkins. The Boyer family sells fudge, cheese, beef sticks and more out of their 100-year-old restored barn. There are more than 30 outside activities for the family, ranging from a corn maze to a zip-line.
Out on Howell's Pumpkin Patch, the farm life lives on. After collecting pumpkins, kids can enjoy a barnyard-themed playground with a cow slide, pedal tractors, goats to feed and more. There is even a corn and pumpkin cannon along with a paintball gallery.
The Iowa Orchard offers you-pick apples and pumpkins for the fall season. The Urbandale-based orchard is also known for its apple cider and Honeycrisp caramel apples. During the previous season, Iowa Orchard sold more than 10,000 of them.
Since 1981, Pierce's Pumpkin Patch in Chariton has been the place to go for more than 100 kinds of pumpkins and gourds. Pierce's offers dried gourds to craft and a range of pumpkins and gourds and a country store. The pumpkin patch is celebrating its 45th year.
It is no secret that Pumpkinville & Cornmaze is all about fall. The activities are equivalent to the autumn Olympics with basketball wagon, bags, a football field, tug a pumpkin and sack races.
The 65 acres of land on Wills Family Orchard not only offers you-pick apples and pumpkins, but a general store and a kitchen/bakery. There are five acres of pumpkins, with two acres for you-pick pumpkins. Fun fall activities are also available, such as hayrides, corn mazes, corn pools, and more.
Kate Kealey is a general assignment reporter for the Des Moines Register. Reach her at [email protected] or follow her on Twitter at @Kkealey17.
877-292-2126
