Person-Centered Companion Care 

Visiting Angels provides elderly companion care to seniors that could use a helping hand, joyous companionship, an improved quality of life, or simply someone to keep a caring eye on them! Our caregivers are chosen with your loved one's specific needs and personality in mind to ensure comfortable companionship and the practical assistance they need. This individualized service  made us the continual "Best of" companion care for Norfolk, Portsmouth, and Suffolk area families. 

Here are some of the ways that our companion care can help your parent or grandparent:

• Emotional care
• Social Care
• Quality of Life
• Meal preparation assistance
• Light Housekeeping
• Companionship and engaging conversation
• Help with errands and shopping
• Medication reminders
• Transferring and walking assistance
• Fall prevention
• Safety in the home
• Going out for ice cream, shopping, movies, etc!
• Much more! 
  

For seniors that take pride in their independence but have a little difficulty with some daily tasks, elderly companion care is the answer. Our caregivers are well-versed in walking the fine line between respecting your loved one's space and giving them the day-to-day assistance and social interaction that they need.  Like all our care, Visiting Angels elderly companion care services are person-centered.  The care plans are custom-tailored to your loved one's needs and personality. 

Imagine the Possibilities with our Imagination Program

One of the first activities our caregivers perform in the home is completing the "Imagination Program" worksheet.  The Imagination Program helps our caregiver get to know the person they support -- and documents the activities your loved one used to enjoy, but can't do anymore because of a physical or cognitive impairment.  (mobility limitations, dementia, etc); it identifies the activities they enjoy now, and even those they've always wanted to try but never had the opportunity.  It's a fun, ice-breaker that the caregivers use to plan activities.  

Case Study:  Grandma's Kitchen -- Open Once Again!

Esther* loved cooking.  She had a fully stocked kitchen, all the tools, recipes handed down through the ages, as well as enough pots and pans to make a professional chef jealous.  Every week Esther's daughter, husband, and two grandkids came over for dinner. (and homemade dessert!)  It was a great family evening shared by everyone.  Then one day, Esther fell and broke her hip.  She underwent surgery and spent weeks in the hospital, followed by weeks in rehab.  The rehab center discharged her to go home, but when she got there, she found she lost a lot of her mobility.   A couple of months go by, and Esther fell again, re-breaking her hip.  More surgery, more hospitalization, more rehab.  When the rehab center discharged her this time, the family called Visiting Angels to give Mom some help.  

Our caregiver, Anna reviewed the Imagination Program, learned about Esther's dinners, and found out how important they were.  She encouraged Esther to do another family dinner.  Unfortunately, Esther was weak, limited to a walker, and had little stamina.  She was lucky to be able to put a frozen meal in the microwave.   

"I can't," Esther remarked. "I can't even walk from the dining room to the kitchen.  There's no way I can make those meals again."

But Anna found a way to make it happen.  

Anna and Esther planned dinner for the following week.  Esther found her favorite recipe and gave it to Anna.  They dug through the kitchen for the ingredients.  

Anna listed the ingredients they found in the house and went shopping for the rest.

Esther got excited.  She anticipated the dinner plans all week.  When the day finally came, Esther sat at the kitchen table while Anna brought her all the ingredients.  Anna did the legwork; Esther did the cooking.  She made an oven stuffer roaster, mashed potatoes (from scratch), her special green bean casserole, and she baked Grandma's Impossible French Apple pie for dessert.

When Esther's daughter, husband and kids arrived, Anna wished them a great evening and ended her shift.  Esther moved to the dining room table, the kids brought the food to the table, and everyone enjoyed Esther's family night meal once more.  (we hear Grandma's Impossible French Apple Pie was as big a hit as ever!)

... The only reason we know about this event, is we received a call the following week from Esther's daughter:

"Dean, I really need to thank you and Anna for what you did for Mom last Thursday."   

"For all the things wrong in Mom's life; for all the struggle she's been going through; for all the problems she's facing ... for that one night, everything was good again."

"And we have Visiting Angels to thank for it."

"We can't thank you enough.  You'll never know how much a difference it made in Mom's life."

*name changed for privacy

Transparency in all We Do

We put a high value on transparency.  This is your family. 

Our caregivers provide notes and updates on the day's events.  They are trained to watch for -- and communicate any concerns about your loved one's care -- and to continue advocating until the issue is addressed.

You also have 24-hour access to the Executive Director -- for any reason.

And you have a right to know costs up front.  We charge $34.00 per hour.  There are no additional surcharges if the care is more complex than we anticipated -- or becomes more complex as time goes on.  There are no additional surcharges for weekends or evenings.  And most importantly -- we do not require deposits to be held until the end of care. 

Let Us Make a Difference for You!

Our elderly companion care program is ideal for seniors who are largely independent, but may have recently suffered an injury, suffer from a long-term disability, or are simply looking for friendly companionship. Many seniors become lonely as children move away, retirement settles in or a friends and family pass away. Our elderly companion care services help to ensure that they are receiving the emotional support, social interaction, and quality of life they deserve.

If your demanding career and schedule dictate that you aren't able to spend as much time as you used to with your loved one, arranging elderly companion care can put your mind at ease so you can focus on the daily tasks at hand.

For more information on the elderly companion care that has led seniors in Norfolk and the surrounding communities to vote us as the "Best Home Care" company in the area, call our team at Visiting Angels team today to schedule your obligation-free consultation.