Author: admin

Meet Bonnie Kessler, a Coordinator on our Client Services team. She joined our team in January of this year and is already an important part of our Care Family. As a Coordinator, Bonnie helps assess our clients’ needs and makes sure they get the care they deserve. We asked Bonnie to answer a few questions about herself and her role in the company. Take a few moments to get to know Bonnie a little bit better.

What is your favorite thing about your job?
Helping patients and/or their family members navigate the next steps in a difficult and stressful time. Knowing every day I help at least one person makes me love what I do.

What is one professional skill that you are working on?
Prioritizing and time-management.

What is one song you have completely memorized?
Every Taylor Swift song!

What’s your favorite TV guilty pleasure?
Watching old music videos on YouTube.

What’s your hidden talent?
I am extremely good at jump-roping. 

In ten words or less, what profession, other than your current, would you choose to do and why?
Travel agent – so I could travel the world!

What is a hobby that you would love to do?
Would love to learn how to sew and be good at it!

What is something (either professionally or personally) that you are proud of?
Received the top store manager award 3 out of 5 years working for Express.

If you could add one thing to the company office, what would it be?
Massage chairs.

In ten words or less, what is the best advice you were ever given?
Learn to stop and smell the roses.

Meet Danny Martin, Senior Advisor on our Client Services team. We asked Danny to answer a few questions about himself and his role in the company. Take a few moments to get to know Danny a little bit better.

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Describe your role day-to-day.

I am often the first person inbound callers speak to. Through our thoughtful conversations, I am able to determine their unique needs and help them determine a plan of action, leading them through their often difficult time.

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Why did you choose to work for our company?

I wanted to help people and be of service.

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What is your favorite thing about your job?

My favorite thing about this job is getting to relieve a small part of the stress and pain that is often felt by people in need of assistance.

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How long have you been working for the Care Advantage, Inc. family of brands?

3.5 years

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What are the top 3 reasons you would recommend our company to others?

We are sincerely caring, swift and thorough.

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What motivates you at work?

I am motivated by a combination of daily, metrics-driven goals as well as my desire to be of assistance to others.

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Who or what has influenced you the most in your professional career?

Tina Bell

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If you could add one thing to the company office, what would it be?

A client services administrator.

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What do you bring to the team and how would you describe your performing style?

I bring a calming interaction for clients as well as meticulous attention to detail and strong work ethic.

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Do you have a favorite quote or motto that you live by?

“Luck is a residue of design.”

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What is your go-to karaoke song?

Bon Jovi-Dead or Alive

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If you could invite three figures to a dinner party, who would you invite?

Abraham Lincoln, Charles Babbage and Socrates

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What is a hobby that you would love to do?

Gardening

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Favorite TV Guilty pleasure to watch?

Ghost Files

I strongly believe that people who work in healthcare have a calling. A “why,” if you will. It is impossible to have your heartstrings tugged at, deal with family dynamics, and do duties outside the box to help patients and families if your heart isn’t in the right place.

I have two “whys:” my mom and my daddy. 

In 2008, my mom was diagnosed with cancer in May and passed in October. I had the honor of seeing how hospice and personal care work together so beautifully! My only regret is not knowing enough about hospice to have gotten them involved much sooner in her journey. The caregivers gave Daddy back his freedom to attend Lion’s Club meeting and church on Sundays, knowing that Mom’s personal care needs – which he already struggled to provide – were attended to. When I visited, I was able to be “the daughter” again instead of cleaning toilets and trying to tell my parents what to do. That is a tough spot for any child to be in, when we have to become “the parent” to our parent. A third party alleviates that stress and allows the family to be just that. 

In 2014, Daddy took a tumble in the bathroom overnight. He was found the next morning by my sister, who just happened to stop by. He had surgery due to several broken vertebrae, got pneumonia during his inpatient rehab stay, and passed within days. We learned the hard way just how devastating an otherwise innocuous “fall” can be. 

I came to Care Advantage in May 2017, with the passion to “pay it forward.” I love educating families about what services in the home will allow their loved one to age in place to live out their retirement years the way they dreamed of. Because of my experiences with Mom and Daddy, I speak with families about the continuum of care in the home – from home health to palliative and hospice, and how personal care integrates with those disciplines for far better support. I wish my family had had someone like me to educate us on all of the options! 

Falls can be devastating, and far too many families underestimate the importance of prevention. I know we allowed Daddy’s stubbornness to get in the way of him having the extra help he should have had. While I cannot go back and redo things, I do often wonder if things had been different, if he would still be here today. Since life doesn’t give us do-overs, educating others about the risks like falls that can create premature crisis for a family, is my way of trying to make it right. 

In my time outside of work, I can be found most weekends at Smith Mountain Lake on the water in a 1973 KingsCraft houseboat that my husband and I totally renovated from the aluminum studs upward. And I am an honored furbaby momma to a 5 pound Pomeranian named Sazzie. I am a graduate of James Madison University with a BA in English with a concentration in communications, as well as a BA in theatre and dance. I have held some amazing positions over the years, but I have worked the longest and been the most rewarded in my heart during my seven years at Care Advantage! It has always been important for me to give back to my community, which was instilled by Mom and Daddy. I have been actively involved with the American Heart Association over the years, and have served on boards for the Junior League of the Roanoke Valley, the Square Society for Center in the Square, and Mountain View Humane Society, to name a few. I am currently in my ninth year on the board of the American Cancer Society, and in my fifth year planning their annual Cattle Baron’s Ball fundraiser in the Roanoke Valley. We are always seeking sponsors and other partners, if anyone is interested!

Every May, the Administration for Community Living leads the nation’s observance of Older Americans Month. This is a time to recognize past and present older Americans and their contributions to society, especially those who have defended our country. It’s also a time for highlighting aging trends, and reaffirming commitments to serving the older adults in our communities.

When I started my research for this month’s blog, my husband asked me what I was working on. When I told him about Older Americans Month, he looked at me and said “Aren’t you one of them?” Ha ha, honey, good one!

But that’s just it, we are all becoming Older Americans! Thinking about it now is what will allow us all to age in place and remain healthy in our retirement years! So this month we are recognizing a lifetime of hard work, devotion to family, and commitment to the community that has laid the foundation for the country we are today.

Did you know that in 1963, there were only 17 million living Americans that had reached their 65^th birthday? Today, we hear about people celebrating their 100^th birthday, and that is becoming more and more common. Also in 1963, a third of older adults lived in poverty, and close to half were without any health insurance. Changes were needed! In April 1963, a meeting was held between President John F Kennedy and members of the National Council of Senior Citizens, leading to the designation of May as Senior Citizens Month – now Older Americans Month.

The goals behind this designation are what led to the passing of Medicare to deliver affordable, quality health care to our seniors. It also strengthened Social Security, which is the bedrock of American retirement. The ultimate goal was to raise our older adults out of poverty and extend lifespans of those who had worked hard their whole lives. Certainly, there is still more work to do to see these benefits continue! We are all reading the articles expressing concerns over the continuation of Social Security as well as Medicare. But no older adult should lie in bed at night wondering how they are going to pay for life-saving prescriptions or to put food on their table.

Each year, every President has issued a formal proclamation in late April or early May, requesting all citizens pay tribute to the Older Americans in their community. This year, President Biden delivered the proclamation on Saturday, May 4^th. This year’s theme is “Powered by Connection,” recognizing the impact that social connections and relationships have on our health and happiness. As we all learned during the COVID-19 pandemic, loneliness and isolation definitely impact our mental health! Interactions support independence and allow aging in place.

This month, support the older adults in your life and help them to get connected! Here are some ideas:

1)     Invite them to community events, social clubs, and volunteer opportunities.

2)     Encourage businesses and organizations to offer mentorships and peer-to-peer support led by older adults and the younger members.

3)     Help set up transportation services for them so that they can overcome obstacles to ensuring social interactions.

4)     Take a look at the older loved ones in your family and see what changes could really make a difference in their overall well-being.

Interestingly, more than half of Americans aged 65 and above are online! That means they are connecting in our world of social media and staying current. Have you helped an aging loved one in your family do so? If not, help them set up a smart phone or tablet, or purchase them a voice-activated home assistant like Alexa!

Only 3.6% of older Americans are in nursing homes. That’s wonderful news! We are definitely seeing a shift in how people age in place, and that’s the beauty of options like in-home personal care (by Care Advantage, of course!) and today’s fancy senior living communities. These options allow people to remain vibrant and active, and truly live their best life in those golden years!

I will end this on another positive note: older adults regularly get a good night’s sleep and 9 out of 10 manage their stress better than they did in their younger years. There is hope for us all!

Happy Older Americans Month, everyone!

May is known for celebrating mothers, but did you know May also celebrates nurses?

National Nurses Week is celebrated annually from May 6th-12th. Nurses Week was designated to recognize the contributions that nurses make in our communities. May 6th is National Nurses Day and May 12th is the birthday of Florence Nightingale, the founder of modern nursing.

The idea for Nurses Week began in 1953, when Dorothy Sutherland proposed a Nurse Day to the White House. This holiday was never officially proclaimed, but in 1974, the U.S. established its own National Nurses Week after the International Council of Nurses declared May 12th as International Nurse Day. In 1990, the American Nurses Association petitioned to extend the recognition to a week-long celebration, which was granted.

Nurses Week is an opportunity to show love and appreciation for the people who take care of the sick, injured and dying. From neonatal nurses who welcome newborns into the world to hospice nurses that provide comfort to patients in the final stages of life, nurses play a crucial role in the medical world.

In fact, nurses make up the largest part of the healthcare workforce today. They are the primary health providers for patients in hospitals, and they give the most long-term care in the nation.

My own mother dreamed of being a nurse. As a child of 1929, dreams were quite a bit different for her than they are today! Women would not often have a career AND a marriage. Mom was in nursing school when she and Daddy decided to get married. She had to make a choice, and she chose Daddy, giving up her dream in healthcare. She volunteered at the hospitals wherever they lived, and she was heavily involved in charities that supported children and older adults. She would have made a wonderful nurse!

Can you imagine having to make that choice? I am sure she often wondered “what if” she had chosen nursing instead. Of course, I’m glad she chose Daddy! And I definitely inherited her passion for helping others.

I love working with the nurses here at Care Advantage! In 2023, Care Advantage employed more than 15,000 professional caregivers and 200 nurses. With that strong clinical team, we served more than 18,000 patients! Our clinical team has grown, especially since the Covid pandemic. Unfortunately, the pandemic was a time when many nurses elsewhere were not given the support they needed to do their jobs properly. Our nurses were given more support, not less, and were a solution to so many families’ biggest worries.

A Care Advantage nurse spends their days developing care plans for our new patient admissions, answering questions and concerns of families, guiding our caregivers, and visiting other patients to update care plans and make sure things are going well. As close companions and observers, our nurses are also in the best position to notice potential side effects from our clients’ medications. Because they put so much effort into our patients, they are the driving force behind our outcomes and our first line of defense against preventable hospital readmissions.

We have implemented a care scale system that helps our clinical team assess additional needs for our patients. Bringing in partners is what keeps those patients safe at home and improves their quality of life! We are the poster child for helping patients age in place with the continuum of home healthcare services we provide every step of the way.

We celebrate our nurses all year long, but in honor of Nurses Week, we provided a special selection of “swag” on our company store that nurses could select for themselves. Hopefully when they carry or wear these items, they are reminded just how special we think they are!

Join me in around of applause for nurses everywhere, but especially for our Care Advantage nurses! You truly are the heartbeat of healthcare!

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