Kathy DiDonato prayed for a miracle.
The fates had dealt her mother, 78-year-old Dorothy Laux, a bad hand. For 30 years, multiple sclerosis had mercilessly chipped away at the once-vibrant woman, stealing her ability to walk, move freely, speak clearly and enjoy life as she always had. The toll piled on her further as she developed diabetes, and her excessive weight had also become a major issue.
Despite losing her self-sufficiency, Laux recoiled at the mention of relocating to a care facility. She was a proud woman and cherished the comforts of home.
So DiDonato, of Springfield, hired an in-home care service to tend to her ailing mother for two hours in the morning and two hours each day. Her dissatisfaction with that company caused her to hire yet another care service, then another, and another. But DiDonato discovered none showed themselves as remotely attentive to her mother’s needs as she had hoped. In one unfathomable, irresponsible instance, a caregiver refused to perform a contractually obligated duty for Laux and walked out, leaving the ailing woman alone and potentially in danger.
“I didn’t know what we were going to do,” DiDonato recalls. “And then, at last, I found ComForcare.”
And her prayers were finally answered.
ComForcare is a Media-based, premier provider of private-duty home care services to people of all ages in Delaware County, Philadelphia and parts of Chester County. Company president Gene Bonner and a team of 50 caregivers, all of them certified nurse assistants, home health aides and home companions, make life easier for those coping with a chronic medical condition, recovering from an illness or injury, or dealing with the challenges of aging—all in the comfort of their own homes.
“I grew up in a family of doctors, so I was always around people who cared for the well-being of others,” says Bonner, who purchased the ComForcare franchise in 2006. “My father was a doctor, I have brothers who are doctors, and my mother was a nurse. I even considered attending medical school because I was always interested in caring for people.
“So when this opportunity came along, I saw the need for this type of service for the senior population in our area. It’s been extremely gratifying knowing that we are helping people.”
A provider for the Delaware County Offices for Services for the Aging and the Chester County Services for the Aging, ComForcare customers are typically children whose elderly parents require daily assistance, sometimes 24 hours a day.
The services include grooming and hygiene, meal preparation, planning of the day’s schedule, writing letters, reading, current events, transportation and errands, pet care, grocery shopping, medication reminders, safety supervision, light housekeeping, companionship, family respite and other essential and/or social needs of the client.
“In some cases, the caregiver goes to the client’s home once or twice a week for a few hours,” Bonner says. “In other cases, we have two types of cases, where the caregivers go to the client’s home in three shifts, eight hours at a time, to tend to them. We also provide live-in caregiving service, where the caregiver actually lives in the residence in an extra room, and provides care to them. Whatever type of care people need, we can provide it.”
Meeting Every Need
ComForcare employs caregivers who are experienced, compassionate and reliable, and who truly have a passion for caring for others. Its 10-step hiring process is the most thorough in the home-care industry, and its comprehensive training and continuing education programs ensure that their caregivers are uniquely qualified to deliver the highest level of service to every client.
Bonner personally reviews, screens and hires each caregiver, because, as he says, he takes caring for people who need care very personally.
“When a client or their family contacts us, we have a nurse visit the home to perform an assessment of the client’s physical, mental and social needs,” Bonner says. “We then assign a caregiver who is best for that particular client. We try to individualize all our placements and develop a personalized care plan. It’s the best way to serve people who need help.”
ComForcare’s follow-up care is an important aspect of the company’s involvement in a client’s well-being. Throughout the process, the company will phone the client or family members at the end of the first shift, the first week, the second week, the first month and every month thereafter.
ComForcare also performs in-home supervisory visits of its caregivers and client reassessments to ensure their needs are being met, making adjustments to the care plan as needed. Caregivers are provided ongoing training and education to best assist the client’s needs. If the client’s needs change, ComForcare’s knowledgeable staff will coordinate resources to address those needs.
“We are here to address all of the client’s needs,” Bonner says. “We can fill a case within 24 hours’ notice. We are on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week. When you call, someone will answer the phone to take care of you. We care about people.”
DiDonato can vouch for that.
“The people at ComForcare have treated my mom like she’s family,” she says. “They come into her home in the morning with a smile, tell her good morning, and help her get started with her day. They help her with bathing, do her nails and hair, dress her, take her out of bed. You don’t know what that kind of attention and care does for my peace of mind, knowing there are people who care about her so much are there for her.
“I have no doubt that without ComForcare, Mom would be in a nursing home. They’ve allowed her to stay home where she’s most comfortable. I’d recommend ComForcare to anyone. They are simply the best.”
Phil Gianficaro is an award-winning writer based in Doylestown.
Rob Hall is a photographer based in Plumsteadville.
ComForcare
111 N. Olive Street
Media, PA 19063
Phone: 610-566-5102
Fax: 610-566-5109
Web: www.comforcare.com
Email: wecare@comforcare.com
