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 Yorklyn Mills 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 Yorklyn, DE 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. That way, older adults can enjoy their favorite local activities, such as visiting Auburn Valley State 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 The House of William and Merry or visit Yorklyn, Delaware, B&O Depot, 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 Yorklyn, DE, 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 Yorklyn, DE 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 Yorklyn, DE 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.
Wm. Shawn Weigel [email protected] @HCN_ShawnTooling along on winding Creek Road in Yorklyn, the last thing you might expect to see is a massive Victorian mansion surrounded by antique, one-of-a-kind cars – but that’s exactly what you’ll find.“I wish I had a nickel for every time someone came in here and said, ‘I’ve lived in this area my whole life and had no idea this was here,’” said Susan Randolph, executive director of the Auburn Heights Preserve and Ma...
Wm. Shawn Weigel [email protected] @HCN_Shawn
Tooling along on winding Creek Road in Yorklyn, the last thing you might expect to see is a massive Victorian mansion surrounded by antique, one-of-a-kind cars – but that’s exactly what you’ll find.
“I wish I had a nickel for every time someone came in here and said, ‘I’ve lived in this area my whole life and had no idea this was here,’” said Susan Randolph, executive director of the Auburn Heights Preserve and Marshall Steam Museum.
However, Randolph and her crew are working to change that impression of “Delaware’s best kept secret,” as the site reflects both a glimpse at Yorklyn’s past, and hints at its prosperous future.
PART OF YORKLYN HISTORY
The site – all 200-plus acres of it, and the aforementioned mansion – once belonged to the Marshall family, turn-of-the-century industrialists who owned and operated the Marshall Brothers Paper Mill in Yorklyn until it was sold in the 1950s.
In the early 1900s, T. Clarence Marshall developed a liking for steam cars, building his first when he was only 19. From 1910 to 1920, Clarence also worked for the Stanley Motor Carriage Company, where his interest in the unique cars continued to grow.
When he returned home from WWII, Clarence’s son, Tom Marshall, started helping his father collect steam cars and other similar machines, eventually installing a 1/8 scale steam train and track on the grounds.
By the 1970s, the family had opened its doors to the public to view its “Magic Age of Steam” collection.
In 2008, Marshall and his wife Ruth donated the property to the state, in an effort to preserve and protect the property from development, with the site being managed by Delaware State Parks.
Randolph said that while the 22 cars in the collection are one of the largest in the country, if not the world, what makes it distinctive is that the cars are all still in working order.
“Many times, they just slip away and become too much to manage or repair, and they just sit there,” she said. “Here, you can fire them up – literally, it takes a blowtorch to power up a Stanley Steamer – and see and hear how these cars work.”
Educating the public about the Age of Steam and its downfall through “Steamin Days” each first Sunday June through November, as well as open house days and ongoing youth programs, is part of the Friends mission, Randolph said.
SERVING AS A MODEL
According to Randolph, Auburn Heights presents a unique model for the park system, where the state owns the land and the buildings, while the Friends of Auburn Heights maintains control and ownership of the fleet of 22 cars, steam train, and other collection pieces.
“It can work,” Randolph said of the combination of private and state management and ownership.
“But for the state, we probably couldn’t afford to do what we do,” said Friends of Auburn Heights board president and volunteer Steve Bryce. “Yet, there are other things we can offer. So, I’d personally like to see that relationship expand; it would be mutually beneficial.”
Park superintendent Laura Lee said that site comprises roughly 240 acres, with another 100 or so as part of the Oversee Property on the far side of the NVF site.
Eventually, Lee said, those pieces will be made contiguous and expand the connectivity of the Yorklyn area as the proposed trail network for the NVF site comes to fruition.
“There’s nowhere safe to bike or run in Hockessin,” Lee said, citing last September’s tragic cycling accident that claimed the life of Hockessin resident Phillip Bishop as an example.
Those trails, she added, are also a part of Gov. Jack Markell’s “Walkable, Bikeable Delaware” initiative to create safer conditions for roadway recreationists statewide.
“No one is in more need of that than Hockessin,” she said. “Not only will the NVF project beautify the region, this will give them a safe place to recreate.”
A mile-long trail already exists, Lee said, with an additional three miles already out to contract. When completed, the paved, barbell-shaped trail will encompass six miles of safe, walkable and bikeable trails, according to Lee.
Bryce said that there are three types of people with an interest in Auburn Heights: area residents who don’t care about the cars but appreciate the preserve; local steam car enthusiasts happy to have so big a collection this close; and international fans of the cars who come from all over to view the collection in awe.
As a retired mechanical engineer, Bryce said he has become addicted to the steam cars at Auburn.
“It’s nice to drive something that you can understand and you know what’s going on,” Bryce said. “No electronics, all mechanical stuff.”
Despite being teased by his children about his new “job,” Bryce said that working at Auburn is a labor of love, and that he finds himself there at least twice a week on work nights to help in whatever way he can.
“We’re also teaching a skill here that would otherwise be long gone,” Bryce said of the ongoing efforts to keep the collection running.
Now at 91, Tom Marshall – a resident of Cokesbury Village in Hockessin – still stops into the preserve almost daily, bringing in the mail and sometimes still crawling under the cars to help out with maintenance.
“I’m highly pleased of the state’s interest in Yorklyn,” Marshall said. “Otherwise, unless some infusion of private funds came in, where the old mills were falling down would be a catastrophe. So the whole thing is coming together nicely – a bit slower than we’d like I think, but these things do take time.”
He’s also pleased at the way his family’s legacy – and his father’s collection – is being cared for and enjoyed by visitors.
“The Friends has been successful because we’ve had a lot of good people in the group,” he said. “They’re doing a lot more than just having a car museum. They’re trying to really educate people, and that has turned out very well.”
Wm. Shawn Weigel [email protected] @HCN_ShawnWork continues on the former National Vulcanized Fiber plant in Yorklyn, as the state of Delaware seeks partners for their plans for the site including possible residential and commercial development, with park land for recreational uses.Matt Chesser, Planning Preservation and Development Section Administrator with the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control, said he is tasked with working on the redevelopment side from the state par...
Wm. Shawn Weigel [email protected] @HCN_Shawn
Work continues on the former National Vulcanized Fiber plant in Yorklyn, as the state of Delaware seeks partners for their plans for the site including possible residential and commercial development, with park land for recreational uses.
Matt Chesser, Planning Preservation and Development Section Administrator with the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control, said he is tasked with working on the redevelopment side from the state parks perspective.
The state purchased 40 acres of the 80-acre site for $2.6 million following NVF’s bankruptcy in 2008.
In the past four months, Chesser said he’s overseen the demolition of some of the roughly dozen or so buildings left, as well as the near-completion of the Gun Club Road portion of the project.
The biggest delay, Chesser said, was in waiting for power lines to be installed along Yorklyn Road, which was completed roughly two weeks ago. The entire portion of the Gun Club Road project, which will connect the new road with the brick pathway installed by DNREC on the site, should be completed in the next six to eight weeks.
“Right now, it’s 80 percent complete,” he said. “There are turn lanes that need to be installed into the site, and it will connect by the railroad tracks on the back end. It’s exciting for us, as it’s the next step to shut down the existing Gun Club Road, which goes over a contamination area.”
Chesser said they’re also working with area water supplier and manager Artesian to bring water to the site, noting that they have already surveyed old Wilmington road down and portions of the site.
While contamination remediation continues on the site, Chesser said that the main reason they’re working with Artesian is that it’s the cheapest option.
“If we had wells, that would require a treatment plan to produce enough water for domestic consumption and fire prevention,” he said. “By the time you create that and have (water) towers, it was easier and more cost effective to have them run lines.”
He added that Artesian has been looking at both the NVF site and the surrounding area as wellhead sites.
“If they had any (contamination) concerns they wouldn’t be doing that,” Chesser said.
SITE REMEDIATION
Project co-manager and DNREC hydrologist John Cargill said that they have conducted tests at an existing well on the Snuff Mill Road side of the site, and found that it was not contaminated with “anything to be of concern.”
He added that the shallow groundwater is still contaminated with zinc, and that they have been correcting the problem through the onsite remediation system since 2008.
“We’re keeping it out of the creek, which is a big concern,” Cargill said. “The zinc is not very healthy to be in the creek.”
He added that while any groundwater is in the aquifer and could it potentially make it to the supply portion it hasn’t in over “decades and decades of use,” and that it was “not very likely” to happen.
“We’re removing 600 to 800 lbs. of solid zinc waste per month,” Cargill said. “That means it’s not getting into the creek, and we are pulling it from areas that are most contaminated based on the processes that went on there.”
He added that while Artesian is considering well sites, they would not be located on main plant sites.
“From a public perception standpoint, having centralized water is a very easy selling point,” he said.
DNREC has spent $4 million in combined state and federal funds on the cleanup of the site, with FEMA providing a portion of those funds with a grant through their flood recovery program.
NEVER THE SAME
Hockessin Historical Society head Joe Lake said that while DNREC’s plans for the site are ambitious, they’re not likely to find a partner with the reach and impact of NVF.
“It’s not just a matter of jobs, which they certainly provided – it was the support they gave to organizations like the Lions and the Hockessin Fire Company,” he said. “You’ll never find that again.”
He also lamented the way certain things were handled in the time after the plant closed over seven years ago.
“There were one-of-a-kind pieces of machinery in there, things that were as tall as the buildings they were in, and they’re gone,” he said. “We would have liked to see some of that kept in some way, and some of the buildings, too.”
Chesser said that demolition is slated to begin again in autumn, with five to six buildings that still need to come down due to location and deterioration.
While the site has been largely free of “active work” in recent months, Cargill said that just because no one sees workers and machines onsite doesn’t mean things aren’t progressing behind the scenes.
“There is a lot of stuff to juggle in background, with the removal of asbestos, monitoring wells – all those things being done, but they’re not highly visible activities.” Cargill said. “When the community sees that things appear idle, they’re not idle at all.”
Chesser said the project is still moving forward and progressing, with 2016 expected to be a year of a lot of changes.
“We’re still working on creating private development partnerships, and working on outreach and potential tenants and other partners,” he said. “We just help by supplying them with information. Meanwhile, we’re working on the contamination, structural changes and recreational parts of the parks components.”
ABOUT NVF
The company now known as NVF was formed by the merger of American Vulcanized Fiber Company, the National Fiber and Insulation Company and the Keystone Fiber Company on Jan. 1, 1923, according to a 1979 article in the New York Times.
The company created numerous products over the years, including Forbon, which was used in guitar pickups, and Yorkite, which has a wood grain pattern printed directly on the vulcanized fiber material.
NVF struggled with environmental issues in its later years, with a facility in Kennett Square, Pa. identified as a Superfund site in the 90s, when the soil was found to be contaminated with polychlorinated biphenyl.
Polychlorinated biphenyl is a synthetic organic chemical that has a zero Maximum Allowable Contaminant Level in the United States, with known toxic effects as endocrine disruption and neurotoxicity, according to the European Journal of Endocrinology.
The main product at the Yorklyn facility was created by soaking the plant cellulose essential to producing vulcanized fiber in a zinc chloride solution; that in turn lead to a buildup of the mineral in both the soil and the groundwater immediately beneath the site.
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