Interview with Carmen Davis, Owner of Assisting Angels, Inc
Interview with Carmen Davis, Owner of Assisting Angels, Inc., a Certified Senior Approved Service since September of 2005
Assisting Angels, Inc. is a family-owned non-medical home care service in Mauldin, South Carolina. Mrs. Carmen Davis, C.N.A, and her staff of companions are committed to providing affordable in-home care to seniors, the disabled or those recovering from illness of any age.
Responding to the needs of the community, they now offer specialized services for those with dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. They are a service provider for the Greenville Chapter Alzheimer's Respite Care Program.
Senior Approved Services (SAS) recently had the pleasure of interviewing the owner, Ms. Carmen Davis.
SAS: When did you start Assisting Angels? What was it that led you to establish your own home care service?
Davis: Assisting Angels was started 4/22/02. We recognized the need for quality in-home care in our community.
SAS: What does your home care service offer that is unique from other homecare services in your area?
Davis: We are not a franchise! We are a family owned, small, personal service that can readily respond to the needs of our clients.
SAS: What signs might a family watch for that would indicate that some in-home assistance would be wise to consider?
Davis: In-home assistance should be considered in times of illness but also if signs of depression or memory loss are evident. Anyone that wants to remain at home independently but needs some assistance with daily routines, companionship to ward off depression and isolation, and so forth, would benefit from in home care.
SAS: Can a family contract with your services on an occasional need? For instance, if the family is now providing all the care and assistance for an aging loved one – but they need to take a break for a week or a weekend – can they call upon you for ‘respite care?’
Davis: Yes, we are happy to provide short-term respite care to give family members a well-deserved break.
SAS: Why did you apply for Senior Approved Certification?
Davis: We wanted to verify externally that our clients were happy with our services before expanding our agency.
SAS: Are you involved with other community-based advocacy services and/or programs in your local area? If so, please describe.
Davis: We are involved actively with The Alzheimer's Association and the local Council on Aging providing respite care.
SAS: Could you please describe one instance where through your service; you know you (and your staff) have made a positive impact on the quality of life of an elderly person?
Davis: We make a positive impact in the quality of life of our clients on a daily basis. They are very gracious and typically send notes of thanks.
This is just one of many examples of how our service is customized based on the client’s needs.
Alberta H.
When we first met Alberta H., she was spending her days confined to a wheelchair and rarely ventured out of her home. She had just returned home from a temporary “rehabilitation” in a nursing home.
Alberta had been living with her adult daughter who had been her primary caregiver for years. Alberta had become severely dehydrated due to a nasty UTI infection and so the nursing home stay had become necessary. However, this separation from her daughter and her familiar surroundings at home were devastating for both Alberta and her daughter even though her daughter spent every day with her at the nursing home.
During the period that she was at the nursing home, Alberta’s health declined rapidly. She stopped walking and stopped eating. She was experiencing a serious depression. She also developed a bad bedsore on her heel. Her daughter could not bear to see her this way so she made the decision to bring her mother home and called Assisting Angels, Inc. for help to assist her in caring for her mother.
We took special care, as we do with each of our clients, to match Alberta’s personality and her needs to one of our caregivers. Since the assigned caregiver has been working with Alberta at home, she has flourished. She is eating well-balanced healthy meals, has gained some much-needed weight and loves to talk!!! She continues her physical therapy exercises with the encouragement of her personal caregiver. She also expressed the desire to go to the beauty shop.
Since Alberta’s daughter had trouble lifting her wheelchair in and out of the car before, her caregiver was glad to assist. Once she started going to the beauty shop weekly, she decided to make a needed dermatologist appointment & other appointments to get out of the house.
It makes Alberta feel good to have a tidy room and bathroom. She doesn’t feel like a burden to her daughter since her caregiver does the tidying for her! She also enjoys telling all of her old stories to a new face.
Today Alberta doesn’t even need her wheelchair! She is comfortable walking with her walker as long as her caregiver is by her side. Alberta’s daughter also welcomes the break from caregiving six days a week and is full of praise for her mother’s caregiver.
SAS: Tell us about one of your caregivers on staff that deserves some special recognition for going above and beyond the call of duty.
Davis: It's hard to choose one caregiver that deserves special recognition. I you asked our clients, each one would recommend their personal caregiver. I believe, however, that our PRN caregiver deserves special praise for responding to a constantly changing schedule and a never hesitating to respond to our emergency needs.
To learn more about the variety of services offered by Assisting Angels, feel free to call 864-288-7100. If you would like to learn more about their survey results, you are welcome to contact Senior Approved Services by phoning 440-471-4179 or toll free at 877-620-6448
Assisting Angels is the first non-medical home care service in South Carolina to obtain certification. Assisting Angels offers a flexible schedule for those that need short-term or respite care to 24-hour long-term care.
