Dear Traci,
"...You and your staff are a tremendous asset to the Lafayette community. You have made yourself visible and highly respected throughout the community as an excellent provider of homecare services. You deserve to be Small Business of the Year, and I wish you well on that journey.
It was approximately three years ago at this time when my dad called you and requested some help for he and my mom in their apartment at University Place. It was awkward for them to have someone in their home who was not a family member. They had a hard time accepting help and changed their minds frequently about wanting someone there. You visited them personally, were compassionate and patient with them, and you helped them get through this difficult beginning of a new phase of their lives. We have used your services almost continuously since that time.
You and your staff members care for my mom as a person, not just as a client. You make an effort to know her characteristics, her personality, her likes and dislikes and to assign caregivers who will be a good fit with her. [Her caregivers] are a wonderful quartet of caregivers who serve her 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. My mom is comfortable with them, is fond of them and has accepted them as her helpers. It is not easy to find and hire competent and dedicated staff, but in our case, you have done a wonderful job in finding these four women and assigning them to my mom. They are caring individuals who try very hard to keep her stimulated and comfortable and safe. I can go out of town on vacation for three days or three weeks and feel confident that they will take good care of her.
The caregivers frequently go out of their way to do things that make my mom happy and comfortable. They know that changes in routines cause her confusion and discomfort. When one of them is ill or has a conflict, they adjust their schedules among themselves to cover for the absent one, so that my mom does not have to have a stranger come into her apartment. They know she loves flowers and will frequently bring her something special on holidays and her birthday. They know she loves the green lizard from the Geico television commercials and will search for a stuffed animal or anything with his picture on it! They check out movies from the library to entertain her. They share pictures and stories of their families with her and it helps her to recall things about our family which she has trouble remembering.
I have recommended Homecare by Design to several of my friends whose parent needs homecare at some level. I know from firsthand experience how difficult it is to take that first step; but I also know the blessing of having wonderful caregivers to be with a beloved family member. Thank you for being a part of the Lafayette community and for providing this service that is so critical to families with these very important needs, especially to my mom."
Sarah J., client's daughter