Business of Care Franchisee Spotlight: Northbrook, IL

In honor of Alzheimer’s Awareness Month, during the month of September we are spotlighting stories our franchisees have shared on how their businesses are part of the “Business of Care.” For more information on how you can be part of the business care, visit our Franchise Website.

“Mr. S began services with Homewatch Caregivers of Northbrook in 2011, after his Parkinson’s disease diagnosis. When Mr. S began services, he was receiving 60 hours of care weekly and needed help with bathing, grooming and transportation assistance.

Since Parkinson’s is a degenerative disease, Mr. S’s physical condition began to worsen. It became difficult for him to swallow and he was put on a feeding tube in 2014 since he was no longer allowed to eat food by mouth. He needed more help, but was unsure how he could afford home care service expenses.

Owner Mitch Abrams discovered his client had a Long-Term Care insurance policy with exceptional benefits. Long-Term Care insurance policies can be difficult to understand, so Mitch sat down with him to explain the many benefits he had available. Mitch and the team walked him through the process of getting through his elimination period, and got him approved to receive the live-in care he needed. Candace, one of our caregivers, was then assigned to his case.

Mr. S began working with a physical therapist to improve his strength and flexibility. Candace attended his appointments so she could learn how to properly assist him when doing exercises at home. Although Mr. S was doing therapy regularly, his condition continued to decline little by little.

One of Mr. S’s favorite things to do in life was to eat, and Parkinson’s disease took that away from him. The 2016 holiday season was approaching, and he became upset knowing he would not be able to enjoy another Thanksgiving dinner with his family. Mr. S and Candace had been together for some time, so they had become almost like family. Candace knew how important Thanksgiving dinner was throughout his life, and knew how difficult it was for him to miss eating food with his family. So, she made it their goal to get him to eat Thanksgiving dinner.

They met with a speech therapist a couple times a week to learn chewing and swallowing techniques, and Candace worked with Mr. S on those exercises daily. Occasionally there were days Mr. S was less motivated to do the exercises, but with patience Candace always managed to get him to do them. Shortly before Thanksgiving, Mr. S’s doctor gave him the ‘okay’ to eat solid food again after two years.

Thanksgiving Day finally came, and Candace assisted Mr. S to the dinner table. He ate turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes and finished his meal with a slice of pumpkin pie. He never thought he would be able to eat food again, but he and Candace worked hard each day to accomplish this goal.

Six years later, Mr. S is still our client and still working with Candace. Living with Parkinson’s is a challenge, but each day they continue utilizing homecare resources to keep him in the comfort of his own home.

Candace has assured our team that Mr. S will be having his pumpkin pie again this year during Thanksgiving dinner.”

—Mitch Abrams, Homewatch CareGivers of Northbrook, Illinois