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.
However, as seniors grow older, completing daily tasks like showering and enjoying activities such as visiting the historic Reston Museum gets harder without someone by their side. 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 Reston, VA 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.
“My family and I were blessed to find Rashid and his wonderful team of caregivers!”
“I'm writing this review as a friend and sometimes caregiver of a person with dementia.”
“Hi, Please know my Five Stars rating is very real & very honest! I reached out”
“My family has used Always Best Care for about five months now. We are grateful”
“Scott and his staff were excellent to work with. We quickly needed all night”
“My mother required some post-surgical assistance as she was healing from a knee replacement procedure.”
“Scott Maquire, owner is helpful and will work with you to develop a plan that”
“I had caregivers for my elderly mother from Always Best Care for close to three”
“Finding Always Best Care was a game changer for me and my mom (after trying”
“Our experience with Always Best Care Senior Services of Herndon was positive. Excellent communication and”
“Our family was delighted to have found Always Best Care Senior Services, having been recommended”
“With my wife bed bound and I the only caretaker, I was soon exhausted. Scott”
“I am a past client of this provider My mother was in hospice care and needed”
“Scott and his team provided excellent companion care for Mom as her dementia progressed. They”
“I had the good fortune to work for Scott Maguire at ABC following my move”
“Anyone reading this is likely where my family was. Completely exhausted and desperate. My husband”
“Wow--my family has worked with a number of companies to assist us through the years”
“I couldn’t be happier with the care Scott and his team have provided my mother”
“I can't say enough good things about Always Best Care. They have have been very”
“They were able to find a suitable care-giver within a relatively short time frame”
“Scott Maguire at ABC was very helpful when I needed to find an assisted living”
“I have worked with this company for many years as the leader in an assisted”
“Always Best Care has provided a wealth of knowledge. They helped me deal with”
“Always Best Care is a very respected business in Herndon. It is always a”
“Scott was a huge help to the Nay family by helping us find an Assisted”
“My family and I were blessed to find Rashid and his wonderful team of caregivers! From the first day the emphasis was always on our father and how they could meet his needs and keep him comfortable. They took care of our dad as if he was a member of their family. The caring starts at the top with Rashid, who is amazing. He knew my father well and visited him often, always keeping us informed. He would be at the house to orient new care team members and introduce them to our father including weekends and shift change at 8 pm. When we could not be with our father, we knew he was in great hands. We were so fortunate to have found Rashid and his wonderful team of caring and empathetic caregivers, they were a blessing to us during a very difficult time.”
“I'm writing this review as a friend and sometimes caregiver of a person with dementia. She has received in-home services from Always Best Care for several years. Her home care aide, Brenda, helped my friend with things like organizing her files, paying bills, finding and keeping track of her things, canceling subscription items bought online and then not remembered, medication management, etc. She was kind, patient, and highly flexible. The company owner has also been wonderful to work with; kind, patient, flexible and responsive. I highly recommend ABC Senior Services!”
“Hi, Please know my Five Stars rating is very real & very honest! I reached out to Always Best Care S.S. (Fairfax County VA) & received the best customer service from Rashid after 11 exhausting calls. What I actually needed at that time they did not offer, but Rashid still proceeded to assist me. Rashid showed caring concerns and patience. Rashid even reached out on my behalf to others in his field of work as well provided me with further resources outside of his own practice! Not only did Rashid provide other resources, Rashid followed up with me the next day!! Mind you I missed the call/phone tag & Rashid still returned my call until we connected! That’s above beyond…. I was relieved of a lot of burden & false hope. The resources ended up being a huge success. So I want to highly recommend Contacting Always Best Care S.S. And have the pleasure I experienced with Rashid an awesome person, very professional top notch customer service for your needs. Rashid Farrell thank you for being you???? Octavia”
“My family has used Always Best Care for about five months now. We are grateful for the help and advice we have received. The home health aide sent to us has been outstanding and Scott Maguire has always been available for advice. We recommend ABC to anyone who needs its services.”
“Scott and his staff were excellent to work with. We quickly needed all night companions at the hospital and home for more than two months. Scott responded to our needs and provided some wonderful people. Highly recommend.”
“My mother required some post-surgical assistance as she was healing from a knee replacement procedure. Scott was very helpful in arranging a dependable and compassionate caregiver for the time which we needed the assistance. I could confidently attend to my work schedule knowing that my mother was receiving the help she needed for medication reminders, meal preparation, exercise prompts and having a supportive ear during the convalescence from Sue. I recommend Always Best Care Senior Services very highly.”
“Scott Maquire, owner is helpful and will work with you to develop a plan that works best for your situation. My mom loves here caregiver and I highly recommend Always Best Care Senior Services for peace of mind,”
“I had caregivers for my elderly mother from Always Best Care for close to three years, and I would unreservedly do so again. It took a little bit to find providers who were right for my mother’s particular needs (besides becoming increasingly frail, she had severe anxiety), and for my schedule (my mother was living with me), but owner Scott Maguire was extremely accessible and responsive, and ultimately we established an arrangement that worked well. The caregivers were honest, reliable, caring, and responsive to my feedback, and communication via daily logs and in-person reporting ensured I was aware of anything I needed to know. I found the advantage of working with a small company whose owner I never had trouble reaching or getting to understand my needs a huge factor in what made this agency work for me.”
“Finding Always Best Care was a game changer for me and my mom (after trying several other companies). Scott was professional and responsive. He found the perfect companion for my mom (Kendall). She was reliable, flexible, thoughtful, kind and an excellent communicator. Within a short time, my mom began asking when that "nice Kendall" was coming again. I cannot recommend ABC Senior Services highly enough. I will always be grateful for their services.”
“Our experience with Always Best Care Senior Services of Herndon was positive. Excellent communication and billing was easy.”
“Our family was delighted to have found Always Best Care Senior Services, having been recommended by another senior care agency. They quickly responded with excellent experienced care givers who were terrific in caring for my father, giving him the attention he needed. The personal attention given by the owner was terrific. The nursing consultation was also appreciated. I highly recommend this agency.”
“With my wife bed bound and I the only caretaker, I was soon exhausted. Scott and Always Best Care came to my rescue by providing me with the help I needed to get through this ordeal. The young lady that came 7 hours a day was a Godsend to me. She was attentive and caring and made my wife's life so much better, no to mention my own. I would not have made it through without her. Scott dealt directly with the insurance people saving me from having to manage any record keeping and payment issues. That also relieves a lot of stress. I would strongly recommend Always Best Care to anyone in need of such services.”
“I am a past client of this provider My mother was in hospice care and needed help and companionship and I couldn’t be there 24/7. Always Best Care sent providers to be with her and I can’t say enough good things about them. They were compassionate and skilled, and always there when I needed them. I could relax knowing that my mom was in good hands.”
“Scott and his team provided excellent companion care for Mom as her dementia progressed. They ran errands with her, provided meals for her and Dad, and generally kept her engaged and entertained during the pandemic. Scott was a wealth of knowledge and always available to help us navigate the disease and it’s effects. I highly recommend him and his team!”
“I had the good fortune to work for Scott Maguire at ABC following my move from New Hampshire to Virginia. I was with the agency for eight years until last month when I moved to Florida. Scott always cared about his clients, and had a knack for matching them with compatible caregivers. He was always available for questions and concerns. I had opportunities to work for other agencies between clients, but chose to stick with Always Best Care, because the name of the agency says it all.”
“Anyone reading this is likely where my family was. Completely exhausted and desperate. My husband and I had been primary caregivers for my in-laws when one ended up with non-COVID pneumonia and the other had a stroke followed by a fall-- all since early January. Now vaccinated, they were ready for outside help and wanted it to start right away. We had been talking to an agency throughout the process that came highly recommended, Old Dominion. But they were not able to turn around an awesome caregiver in 72 hours and recommended I call one of their friendly competitors-- Scott- At Always Best Care Senior Services in Herndon. Scott understood that we were looking for stopgap care until Old Dominion could find someone permanent and after a call Friday afternoon, he had someone at my in-laws on Monday, 8:00am. And she was terrific. It makes all the difference to have such a positive experience from the beginning. My in-laws were very pleased and appreciated that Scott had been upfront that the caregiver he had available had a thick accent and that, combined with a mask, might be challenging for someone hearing impaired. This is an issue for my mother in law and it made all the difference that she knew in advance. The other thing I appreciated is that all of Scott's caregivers are vaccinated or on their way. The one he sent was getting her second shot later in her start week with us. Unfortunately, my father-in-law is going to need a stint in skilled rehab, so we won't be continuing with Scott's wonderful caregiver. But Scott stepped up to help provide some insiders perspective on facilities. There was nothing to gain from that, except putting goodness out into the world. The process is overwhelming and it made such a difference to get his perspective. We could not have been more pleased to have had such a terrific experience and highly recommend Always Best Care Senior Services if you or a loved one is looked for quality care.”
“Wow--my family has worked with a number of companies to assist us through the years in the Annandale area. This is the best. Scott Maguire--the owner is responsive, collaborative, and empathetic to unique questions and requirements. This is the company we will work with hereafter.”
“I couldn’t be happier with the care Scott and his team have provided my mother this past year. They’ve been very responsive and flexible to her changing needs. I would recommend this very well-run company to anyone seeking top-notch care for their loved one.”
“I can't say enough good things about Always Best Care. They have have been very flexible with providing services for my dad, and have a top-notch staff. We're extremely pleased!”
“They were able to find a suitable care-giver within a relatively short time frame”
“Scott Maguire at ABC was very helpful when I needed to find an assisted living facility for my mother. Later, when my mother's needs increased, ABC provided a very good companion for her. I recommend Scott and ABC without reservation.”
“I have worked with this company for many years as the leader in an assisted living community in the local Herndon neighborhood. I have found that the caregivers at "Always Best Care" were compassionate, caring and engaging with the the residents they served with our community. The management team at Always Best Care, in addition, were very responsive to any questions or concerns that we may have had and resolved issues immediately. The management team often visited their team members in the community ensuring that their employees were engaging with their clients and performing professionally in the "guest community". I would highly recommend this organization if you are looking for a team who can understand the needs of the senior as well as the needs of the family.”
“Always Best Care has provided a wealth of knowledge. They helped me deal with all the issues that appeared once my Mom got sick and could no longer take care of herself. Scott shared ideas and information. He was able to direct me to VA services I didn't realize my Mom was entitled. This money thanks to Scott has allowed my Mom to stay in her home and have services provided to her. I highly recommend Scott and his caring wonderful staff at Always Best Care.”
“Always Best Care is a very respected business in Herndon. It is always a pleasure to work with Scott and his team.”
“Scott was a huge help to the Nay family by helping us find an Assisted Living Home that suited my parent's budget and lifestyle. Scott identified our financial concerns and then went to work looking for a place for my parents. He found a great place closer to my home and my parents are thrilled with it and are able to bank money instead of wasting money at the place they were at before. Scott's referral service will always be remembered by the Nay Family”
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. That way, older adults can enjoy their favorite local activities, such as visiting Lake Fairfax Park with friends while also receiving the care they need daily or weekly.
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. So, if you've always wanted to eat at the local PassionFish Reston or visit Oatlands Historic House Gardens, don't feel bad. 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 Reston, VA, 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 Reston, VA 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.
Some of the most popular assisted living communities to consider in our area include the following:
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 Reston, VA 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.
Join us at Scrawl Books on Tuesday, November 19 at 7PM as we welcome Tracy Banghart! Tracy will be discussing her new YA horror Perfect Girl with intern Asha. This is a thriller that will have you questioning what it means to be a "perfect girl" - and what you would do to get out of the world's worst sleepover alive.Order ahead here: https://www.scrawlbooks.com/event/tracy-bang...
Join us at Scrawl Books on Tuesday, November 19 at 7PM as we welcome Tracy Banghart! Tracy will be discussing her new YA horror Perfect Girl with intern Asha. This is a thriller that will have you questioning what it means to be a "perfect girl" - and what you would do to get out of the world's worst sleepover alive.
Order ahead here: https://www.scrawlbooks.com/event/tracy-banghart-intern-asha
ABOUT THE BOOK
Jessa must shed her "perfect girl" image after a killer targets her and her friends at a sleepover gone very wrong in this edge-of-your seat thriller.
Jessa has been raised to be a "perfect girl." Speak politely to those around you, don't rock the boat, and follow the rules - no matter what. Her friends love to give her a hard time for being such a goody two-shoes, but Jessa likes it this way. She knows what's expected of her, and she's happy to be the person her parents (and society) want.
When Jessa parents go out for the night, she invites her friends over for a sleepover. Pizza, a movie, gossip - what can go wrong? But things go south before the pizza gets cold. First the power goes out, and then there's unexpected guest after unexpected guest (some more welcome than others). Before Jessa knows it, she's at a neighbor's house drinking tea with a classmate's mother who seems more than a little off. And it only goes downhill from there.
If Jessa wants to save her friends - and herself - she's going to have to reject everything she's been taught and reclaim her own power. This is a thriller that will have you questioning what it means to be a "perfect girl" - and what you would do to get out of the world's worst sleepover alive.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Tracy Banghart grew up in rural Maryland and spent her summers on a remote island in northern Ontario. All of that isolation and lovely scenery gave her the time to read voraciously and the inspiration to write her own stories. Always a bit of a nomad, Tracy now travels the world Army-wife style with her husband, children, and rescue pups.
This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.SportsSeahawks gave up three early TDs and couldn't take advantage of opportunities to come backCommunity ContributorA TeamSnap message went out over the South Lakes High football team’s account on Friday. A parent suggested the parents and fans make a tunnel on the field at Westfield after the game. The team deserved the suppo...
This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.
Community Contributor
A TeamSnap message went out over the South Lakes High football team’s account on Friday. A parent suggested the parents and fans make a tunnel on the field at Westfield after the game. The team deserved the support, he said. They had played much better than their record.
The team then went out that night and delivered a performance that demonstrated exactly what that meant. South Lakes had more yards rushing and passing. They ran 11 more plays and possessed the ball just two seconds shy of half the game. But the Bulldogs from Westfield got more out of their touches, scoring four first-half touchdowns and cruising to a 49-21 victory that ended South Lakes’s season and sent the Bulldogs to the playoffs as the No.3 seed in the Region 6D playoffs.
South Lakes, which went 10-0 in the regular season and won the Concorde District with a 5-0 record, finished 0-5 in the district this year and 2-8 overall. They lost their last six games and gave up 30 or more points in all five of their league games.
Westfield scored on its first three possessions and had a 21-0 lead barely 10 minutes into the game. They got an 8-yard run by Malachi Lee, then a 25-yard pass from Ryan Carlson to Connor Morin and a 47-yard run by Lee in a dizzying display of offensive efficiency.
“The idea was to keep them inside and not them get outside of us,” said South Lakes Coach Jason Hescock. “But he’s a good back, and he got outside of us a couple of times.”
But even the disastrous start the Seahawks would make a bid to reclaim the momentum.
Westfield pinned in Nicholas Picarelli’s kickoff returns as effectively as any opponent all season, and the Bulldogs hauled down the elusive sophomore at the South Lakes 17 after their third touchdown. Two plays later, senior running back Cody Wood took a handoff on an inside reverse, faked to his right then turned back to his left into open ground. Wood raced 83 yards untouched to make it 21-7 with 41 seconds left in the first quarter.
The Seahawks defense then stuffed two running plays and forced an incomplete pass to get the ball back. But South Lakes couldn’t move, and Westfield romped 57 yards downfield after a short South Lakes punt to make it 28-7 and essentially put the game away.
The second half opened disastrously for the Seahawks as Westfield’s Morin returned the second half kickoff 82 yards to the South Lakes 11, and Lee scored a play later for the third of his four touchdown runs and a 35-7 Bulldog lead.
The Seahawks didn’t quit. They responded to that score with a 68-yard scoring march of their own, most on the back of Wood, who scored from a yard out. Wood finished with 147 yards, his second-highest one-game output of the season.
Senior Alec Saunders, who had eight of South Lakes’ nine catches against Westfield, caught two on this drive, one for a key first down in Westfield territory.
South Lakes recovered a fumble two plays after that, but the Seahawks again couldn’t move and again, Westfield answered with a touchdown run by Lee, a dynamic sophomore who finished with 114 yards rushing, to make it 42-14.
The Seahawks still didn’t quit, responding with an 81-yard scoring march that culminated in a 1-yard run by Dalton Blakeney. But again, the Bulldogs answered with a scoop-and-score fumble recovery return by Caleb Cho to make it 49-21.
The Seahawks still didn’t quit, driving to the 21 before the game ended on a Mohamed Shuaib interception.
“We gave our entire hearts to this,” said Nathan Deglel, senior defensive tackle and one of the leading tacklers against Westfield. “We gave it everything we had. It’s tough the way we went out. But we went out doing things the right way.”
Amare Thaxton addressed the “young bucks” in the postgame huddle. “You see how this feels?” he said. “Every time you think about sleeping in on a green day, think about what we’re feeling right now. Get up and go to the green day.”
“You’re not done doing great things,” Hescock told his seniors. “You’re just going to do them somewhere else. And you’re going to hold us accountable. And you’re going to keep setting the example.”
Xvavier Swain, the only full-time starter to return from last year, said his team learned the lesson even if they didn’t get the glory of the previous season. “We learned to play for the guy on your left and the guy on your right,” he said. “All of us got brought together by this. It wasn’t easy, but we took care of each. I love this team so much.”
South Lakes 7 0 7 7 – 21 Westfield 21 7 14 7 – 49W-Malachi Lee, 8 run (William Wiemann kick)W-Connor Morin, 25 pass from Ryan Carlson (Wiemann kick)W-Lee, 47 run (Wiemann kick)SL-Cody Wood, 83 run (Nicholas Bertoni kick)W-Hayden Thompson, 4 pass from Carlson (Wiemann kick)W-Lee, 11 run (Wiemann kick)SL-Wood, 1 run (Bertoni kick)W-Lee, 1 run (Wiemann kick)W-Caleb Cho, 28 fumble return (Weimann kick)SL-Dalton Blakeney, 1 run (Bertoni kick)
SL WFirst Downs 9 13Rushes-Yards 40-194 32-168Passing Yards 106 79Passes (A-C-I) 18-9-1 9-5-0Penalties-Yds 7-83 2-8Fum-Loss 0-0 1-1Punts-Avg. 6-33.6 2-32
Rushing – South Lakes: Wood 26-147, Mohamed Shuaib 9-34, Blakeney 4-13, Alec Saunders 1-0. W: Lee 15-114, Prince Jaden Sutherland 4-22, Binyamin Johnson 3-9, Huda Johnson 4-9, Carlson 4-7, Kennedy Duda 2-7.Passing – South Lakes: Shuaib 19-8-1, 75 yards; Campbell Short 1-1-0, 31 yards. Westfield: Carlson 9-5-0, 79 yards, 2 TDs. Receiving – South Lakes: Saunders 8-75, Nicholas Picarelli 1-31. Westfield: Thompson 2-28, TD; Ameer Rafee 2-26, Morin 1-25, TD.
This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.SportsSouth Lakes takes 11-point halftime lead but allows 28 third-quarter points to fall to WildcatsCommunity ContributorAfter nearly every game this season, South Lakes High Coach Jason Hescock has reminded his team that the goal is to play its best football game at the end of the season. The Seahawks met him halfway on Saturday....
This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.
Community Contributor
After nearly every game this season, South Lakes High Coach Jason Hescock has reminded his team that the goal is to play its best football game at the end of the season. The Seahawks met him halfway on Saturday.
They played perhaps their best half of football this year in the first half, but Centreville responded with a 28-point third quarter to defeat South Lakes, 31-21, on Senior Day at South Lakes.
The Seahawks lost their fifth straight and now stand 2-7 on the season, 0-4 in the Concorde District going into the season finale next Friday at Westfield. Centreville improved to 4-5 overall but 3-1 in the Concorde District with a Week 10 matchup Friday at unbeaten Madison.
“We were dominating for a half,” Hescock said after the game. “But 28 points in the third quarter … that was the difference. That can't happen."
The start of the game had all the makings of a repeat of last year, when the Seahawks trounced Centreville 45-3. South Lakes drove 72 yards in seven plays on its first possession – six of them, including the 4-yard touchdown – runs by Cody Wood. The Seahawks gave up a first down on Centreville’s next possession, but a penalty stalled the drive for the Wildcats.
South Lakes then marched in again, getting 41 yards on a double-reverse run by Nicholas Picarelli to set up a 1-yard scoring run by Dalton Blakeney, his second touchdown of the season.
Even when the next drive stalled, Nicholas Bertoni got off his best punt of the year – a perfect spiral that hit on the nose and rolled 15 yards for a 49-yard punt.
The Seahawk offense cooled down some after the hot start – Hescock said Centreville changed the look of its defensive front, and it took away some of the running lanes South Lakes had capitalized on.
But the defense was dealing three-and-outs until nearly halftime, when the Wildcats got first-and-goal on the six only to be pushed back five yards and have to settle for a 29-yard field goal by Emiliano Lucero Gonzalez that made it 14-3 South Lakes at the half.
The Seahawk defense had done its part, limiting Centreville to four first downs and 76 total yards in the first half. And the offense had provided a lead. Senior quarterback Mohamed Shuaib hit seven of his first 10 passes on the way to a 13-of-22 day, Wood had 77 yards rushing and Alec Saunders had three of his seven catches on the day.
But things came undone shortly after intermission. Centreville’s Jackson Rakes returned the second half kickoff 48 yards to the South Lakes 33. A defensive pass interference penalty by South Lakes’ depleted secondary moved the ball to the 18, and the Wildcats scored two plays later on a keeper to the right by quarterback Will Shields.
The Seahawks clapped back with a drive of their own, reaching the Centreville 24 before they ran out of downs on an incomplete pass to Matthew McArthur.
Two plays later, Shields hit wide receiver Cardin Stover with a pass, and Stover rambled 32 yards until Sebastian Blanco hauled him down at the South Lakes 35. Stover landed hard on Blanco, and the game stopped for about 20 minutes for an ambulance to take Blanco to the hospital.
There were no head or neck injuries, Hescock wrote in a TeamSnap message to South Lakes parents.
When the action resumed, the Wildcats seemed to find another gear. Six plays later, they took the lead for good with a 2-yard run by James Marion with 4:30 to go in the quarter.The Wildcats were back in the end zone less than three minutes later after they forced a 3-and-out then scored on a 34-yard pass down the middle from Shields to Jahan Denny to make it 24-14 Centreville.
The Wildcat defense also stepped up. It sacked Shuaib four times in the fourth quarter, three on his final drive. “Our pass protection broke down,” Hescock said. “We were moving the ball, but then they began to get to us. We didn’t finish blocks. We didn’t execute.”
Centreville 0 3 28 0 – 31South Lakes 14 0 0 7 – 21SL-Cody Wood, 4 run (Nicholas Bertoni kick)SL-Dalton Blakeney, 1 run (Bertoni kick)C-Emiliano Lucero Gonzalez, FG 29 C-Will Shields, 3 run (Lucero Gonzalez kick)C-James Marion, 2 run (Lucero Gonzalez kick)C-Jahan Denny, 34 pass from Shields (Lucero Gonzalez kick)C-Denny, 25 pass from Shields (Lucero Gonzalez kick)SL-Wood, 6 run (Bertoni kick)
C SLFirst Downs 12 12Rushes-Yards 25-67 33-88Passing Yards 191 152Passes (A-C-I) 22-15-0 22-13-0Punts-Avg. 6-31 5-32Fum-Loss 2-1 2-1Penalties-Yds 4-30 3-25
Rushing – Centerville: Marion 16-53, Cardin Stover 3-30, Shields 6-minus 16. South Lakes: Wood 19-80, Nicholas Picarelli 3-38, Blakeney 3-8, Alec Saunders 2-4, Mohamed Shuaib 6-minus 42.Passing – Centreville: Shields 22-15-0, 191 yards, 2 TDs. SL: Shuaib 22-13-0, 152 yards.Receiving: Centreville: Menyelek Pilgrim 3-22, Denny 5-80, 2 TDs; Stover 4-52, Matthew Walker 1-17, Marion 1-9. South Lakes: Saunders 7-57, Picarelli 3-56, Blakeney 1-2, Sammy Alfred 1-18.
This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.SportsSouth Lakes will honor its 23 seniors before its Saturday, 4 p.m. game v. CentrevilleCommunity Contributor|Updated Fri, Nov 1, 2024 at 11:16 pm ETJoey Falls poked his head one step into the coaches’ office Wednesday afternoon at South Lakes HIgh.“I can’t play this week, Coach,” said Falls, ...
This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.
Community Contributor
|Updated Fri, Nov 1, 2024 at 11:16 pm ET
Joey Falls poked his head one step into the coaches’ office Wednesday afternoon at South Lakes HIgh.
“I can’t play this week, Coach,” said Falls, a two-way lineman, to Seahawks Coach Jason Hescock. “I failed my test.”
Joey Falls is an exemplary student … he didn’t fail a test in the classroom. He failed his concussion test. For a second straight week, he will miss thanks to a concussion suffered in practice.
And this will one will be painful. Joey Falls is Mr. South Lakes Football at this point. He is a starter on the offensive line, but more than that, he is the spiritual leader of the team. When things go south – as they have some during this 2-6 season – it is Falls who refuses to let the team quit.
“I don’t care what the score is,” he shouted at teammates on the bench as South Lakes fell behind in one early game this season. “Hit somebody.”
And now with its playoff hopes all but dashed and his grandmother coming to town for Senior Night – or rather Senior Late Afternoon since the Seahawks entertain Centreville at 4 p.m. on Saturday – Falls can’t play.
“The world’s not fair. Life’s not fair. Football’s definitely not fair,” said Hescock after Falls departed. “Joey is a kid who does everything the right way. He epitomizes our five Cs – character, commitment, competition, community and classroom. I hate this for him.”
A spot in the playoffs is highly unlikely for the Seahawks, who are 0-3 in the Concorde District after winning it last year, coming into their game against Centreville (3-5, 2-1), which beat Chantilly, 28-27, in overtime last week. But Saturday’s game will give fans their last opportunity in Reston to honor a group of seniors who had a star-crossed trip through the program.
They lost every game as freshmen – most by lopsided margins. They won three JV games as sophomores. As juniors, they were backups to the best team in school history – the 10-1 Concorde District champs led by region offensive player of the year Nick Harris. Only Xvavier Swain, a two-way starter on the line, and Amare Thaxton, a standout defensive lineman, were full-time starters last year. Cody Wood played some at running back.
This year, the Seahawks have paid for that inexperience with an interception that led to a 4-minute breakdown and a 27-6 loss to Robinson, a last-drive breakdown that led to a last-play touchdown in a 30-28 loss at Chantilly and an extra point kick tipped into the crossbars that cost South Lakes in a 48-47 overtime loss at Oakton.
They’ve played everyone tough – even the 35-7 loss to Madison last week was only 14-7 at the half. But the horseshoe, as Hescock calls it, has not resided on South Lakes Drive.
From one standpoint, this will be the class after the class that produced the greatest year of sports accomplishment in Seahawk history – with an unbeaten district championship in football, the first boys’ state basketball championship in school history and a state tournament team in baseball.
But Hescock said he’ll have other memories of this group. “They were born leaders,” he said. “We had a sub-group, sort of a clique of leaders, and they made sure everyone was here every day and everyone did what they were supposed to do. Some like Joey are more vocal; others, like Swain and Sammy Alfred, are quieter and lead by example.”
Hescock said Wood also was an example of the tenacity of this group. “When he came in, undersized is an understatement,” Hescock said of Wood, who leads the team with 13 touchdowns. “But he made up his mind he was going to get bigger and stronger and faster so he could compete, and now we call him the Muscle Hamster because of all the work he’s done.”
Hescock said he hurt for Nick Cooper, who tore his ACL in the first half of the first game of the season and had his surgery just this week. David Sam, Hescock said, “was a lost boy, shuffling between positions.” But he’s found purpose on the offensive line and has become a key performer. Matthew McArthur has been a leader from Day 1 “both on the field and in the classroom,” Hescock said. “Smart guy who can do a lot of things.”
The mission now is “to get those guys a couple more wins because they deserve it,” Hescock said. That’ll mean corralling a Centreville team that is not big but fast and athletic, he said.
“We like our matchup,” he said. “They do a lot of good things, and they have defensive backs who can jump out of the roof. But we think we can do some things too. These losses have hurt. We’ve been in every game. I feel like it’s our turn to do it for our seniors.”
Virginia Department of Health says cases of Mycoplasma pneumoniae have increased by a factor of seven for young children since the spring. Michael O'Connell, Patch Staff|Updated Tue, Oct 29, 2024 at 4:53 pm ETVIRGINIA — It’s possible the persistent cough that has been nagging your child for weeks is a type of “...
Michael O'Connell, Patch Staff
|Updated Tue, Oct 29, 2024 at 4:53 pm ET
VIRGINIA — It’s possible the persistent cough that has been nagging your child for weeks is a type of “walking pneumonia” that has been surging this year, especially in young children.
The percentage of children ages 2-4 who have been diagnosed with this common type of pneumonia grew from 1 percent to 7.2 percent from March 31 to Oct. 5, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The agency said the increase is “notable” because the bacteria that causes it — Mycoplasma pneumoniae — historically hasn’t been recognized as a leading cause of pneumonia in this age group.
In Virginia, emergency department visits associated with Mycoplasma pneumoniae have increased by a factor of seven in children aged 2-4 since spring, according to the latest Virginia Department of Health’s situation update.
VDH is monitoring the increase in emergency room visits and outbreaks caused by pediatrict pneumonia, especially among children who are 5-17 years old, over the last few months.
"The increase in cases and outbreaks of pneumonia have been seen particularly in K-12 schools. In the past week (Oct. 20-26, 2024) there were 2,420 visits with diagnosed pneumonia among 0–17-year-olds," according to a VDH statement. "This is a 40 percent increase from the previous week and nearly triple the weekly peak observed in the past two years. This has prompted enhanced surveillance and increased testing, which are both ways for VDH to try to determine the cause of this increase. Laboratory testing so far has identified a variety of viruses and bacteria through this testing, including some viruses that typically cause the common cold such as enteroviruses, rhinoviruses and bacterial infections caused by Mycoplasma pneumoniae."
The bacteria is easily spread by coughing or sneezing, and while respiratory infections are generally mild, serious complications can also develop.
Virginia parents can take the following core prevention strategies to protect themselves and others from common respiratory illnesses, according to VDH:
Below are things Virginia parents need to know about Mycoplasma pneumonia:
Walking pneumonia is a colloquial term to describe atypical pneumonia — that is, mild lung infections whose symptoms are similar to a chest cold, including a sore throat, sneezing, coughing, headache, mild chills and low-grade fever.
People who have walking pneumonia generally feel well enough to go about their lives.
Unlike “regular” pneumonia, which is caused by various microorganisms, usually bacteria and viruses, walking pneumonia is caused by the difficult-to-detect bacterium Mycoplasma pneumoniae.
People of any age can develop walking pneumonia infections, but they’re most common among children ages 5-17 and young adults. Younger children may have different symptoms, including diarrhea, wheezing or vomiting.
An estimated 2 million infections are confirmed every year in the United States, but the CDC said the true number of people who are affected every year is unknown, as there is no national reporting or dedicated surveillance system for tracking.
The CDC data from March 31 through Oct. 5 that shows young children are getting sick at higher rates also shows an increase is diagnoses among all age groups. And although infection rates are highest among young children, the number of kids ages 5-17 diagnosed with walking pneumonia increased from 3.6 percent to 7.4 percent from March 31-Oct. 5.
The CDC also looks at lab data showing how frequently patients are testing positive for walking pneumonia infections. The positivity rate has also gone up since late spring for all age groups, from 0.7 percent to 3.3 percent.
First-line antibiotics for children, including amoxicillin and penicillin, don’t work on this type of pneumonia. Instead, the CDC recommends macrolides, such as azithromycin, clarithromycin and erythromycin. Patients who don’t improve may need second-line treatments, such as fluoroquinolones or tetracyclines.
Although Mycoplasma infection rates are now more in line with pre-pandemic levels, they have not exceeded them.
“It seems very dramatic now, but it’s more because during the peak of the Covid pandemic, just about everything else went down,” Dr. Geoffrey Weinberg, a pediatric infectious disease specialist at the University of Rochester Medical Center, told CNN “But the actual countrywide rates are fairly similar to what it was before 2019.”
Also, according to the CNN report, most infections cycle, meaning some years are worse than others. Mycoplasma pneumonia rates tend to spike every three to seven years as people lose their immunity to the virus.
Also, tests are more advanced. Multiplex tests can check for multiple types of viruses and bacteria at the same time, so doctors may be picking up on it more often, according to health experts.
The bacteria can remain in the body for one to four weeks before a person gets sick. This type of pneumonia easily spreads through crowded settings, such as schools, college dorms and nursing homes, according to the CDC
One of the best ways to control its spread is to practice good hand-washing and other hygiene techniques, such as coughing into a sleeve.
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