FCP Live-In Helps Donald and Dorothy Kinsley Age In Place And Recover From Injuries As They Get Older.

In 2020, while Donald Kinsley was taking out the trash, the trash can overturned, and he fell in the driveway of his home, badly injuring his knees and head.

“It was too heavy,” Donald recalled. “I thought I could make it, but I couldn’t.”

Donald was not hospitalized at the time. However, his wife, Dorothy Kinsley, said, “he went downhill after that.” So, the Kinsleys, who lived in New Hampshire, decided to hire a home care agency to help Donald during his recovery because Dorothy, who also had health concerns, could not handle the task alone. The couple was pleased with their part-time service, but they needed a caregiver available to help Donald at night.

Sometime later, the Kinsleys’ son, Don, talked to his supervisor at work about what was happening with his parents. Don, who lives in Connecticut, was worried about his father’s well-being and wanted someone to be in the home around the clock to help him. Don’s supervisor told him that his parents had a live-in caregiver from FCP Live-In and were pleased with the agency’s services. FCP Live-In, based in Stratford, Connecticut, provides live-in care services to residents throughout New England.

In August 2023, Don contacted FCP Live-In and spoke with Stephanie Hess, the agency’s Care Coordinator. Stephanie came to the Kinsleys’ home to assess Donald’s needs and created a care plan for him.

Through information gathered from hospitals, rehabilitation facilities, clients, and their families, FCP Live-In creates a customized care plan tailored to a senior’s needs. Sometimes, the plan includes helping seniors transition from a hospital or rehab facility to their homes. The intake process also helps Stephanie determine the live-in caregiver to best meet a client’s needs.

“I always feel comfortable knowing that our company is providing, especially for couples, assistance so they can stay in their homes together and do it safely in an environment they are most comfortable in,” Stephanie said.

After that, FCP Live-In’s caregiver, Yasheca, arrived. It didn’t take long for the Kinsleys and Yasheca to make a positive connection.

“Yasheca is wonderful,” Dorothy said. “She’s marvelous she takes care of us. She keeps this house very, very clean. (She prepares) all of our meals and all of our laundry are laundered, folded, and put away.”

Not only is Yasheca helping the Kinsleys, but their son, Don, is reassured about his parents’ safety and well-being. Dorothy said: “He is relieved to know that someone is here with his parents in the evening hours.”

FCP Live-In Provides Affordable Solutions With Live-In Care

Many older adults prefer to age in place, meaning they want to stay in their homes as they grow older. In some cases, seniors have raised their families, become well-acquainted with their neighbors, and volunteer in their communities. But all it takes is a personal injury or chronic illness to stop older adults from being able to take care of themselves. An unexpected event can place them in jeopardy of leaving the home they have lived in for decades. Senior residential communities are not always the ideal choice, and hiring part-time caregivers might not work well for older adults who need around-the-clock assistance.

FCP Live-In provides a unique solution by offering live-in, one-on-one caregiving services for seniors who want to remain independent but need help staying in their homes.

“FCP Live-In is about caring for people,” said FCP Live-In’s CEO, David Anthony, who founded the company in 1997. “Right now, you either have a home health aide who comes to the home for a few hours, or a loved one needs to go into an assisted living facility. But what if you take the best of both? An insured and bonded live-in caregiver who provides one-on-one care stays in the home and is there 24/7. That’s where FCP Live-In comes in.”

FCP Live-In caregivers are Certified Nursing Assistants, Home Health Aides, or Personal Care Assistants with two or more years of experience, and the agency provides ongoing training for the caregivers. What’s more, FCP Live-in has a 24/7 professional support system, which begins with live-in caregivers and expands to a multi-faceted corporate structure. This means that live-in caregivers and their clients receive whatever help they need from the agency. For example, FCP Live-In field supervisors visit clients and their live-in caregivers to update the care plan when necessary and provide them with any support they need.

“We’re very passionate at FCP Live-In about providing care and helping (our clients) stay home where (they) are comfortable,” said FCP Live-In Sales Development Manager Andrea Maroto.

FCP’s Rigorous Vetting Process For Caregivers

FCP Live-In has a stringent hiring process to ensure that live-in caregivers are a good fit for the company. For example, the agency runs in-depth state and national background checks, and all caregiver applicants must undergo a round of interviews. Candidates are called back for a third interview if they demonstrate exceptional performance. In addition, the applicants must complete a skills assessment and attend a two-day orientation during which their capabilities and attitudes are further assessed.

Finding highly trained and well-qualified candidates for the job is necessary since the agency’s live-in caregivers help clients manage various health conditions, such as cancer, dementia, Parkinson’s disease, heart disease, and stroke. Sometimes, the live-in caregivers provide compassionate end-of-life care and are with their clients when they take their last breath.

Live-In Caregivers Take On Multiple Tasks

FCP Live-In caregivers are dedicated to providing clients with personal care such as bathing, dressing, grooming, and assistance in the bathroom. In addition, they handle light housekeeping tasks like making beds, doing laundry, and cooking healthy meals. As important as housekeeping chores are, live-in caregivers take time to provide companionship to their clients, especially those who do not have nearby family or friends, and help them stay connected to their community.

Although FCP caregivers live with their clients, they do not work every minute of the day and night. Live-in caregivers are allowed time to rest and sleep at night in a bedroom provided by their clients. However, FCP Live-In caregivers help their clients when needed.

For example, when Yasheca is needed overnight, Dorothy said she uses Alexa, Amazon’s virtual assistant, to call Yasheca, whose bedroom is on a different floor. Dorothy said by the time she told Alexa to hang up, “Yasheca is at our door.”

Because of the agency’s excellent services and the great relationship the Kinsleys have developed with Yasheca, Dorothy has also become an FCP Live-In client because she sees the many benefits of having an FCP Live-In caregiver.

“I sleep better,” Dorothy said. “I feel good having somebody else in the house and knowing that she can take care of us.”

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