Senior Home Health Care Denver - My Journey to Understanding the Challenges of our Seniors

The transition from a normal, independent middle-aged person to one with incapacitating Guillian Barré Syndrome is not a pleasant one.  A three-week hospital stay and countless diagnostic tests resulted in my GBS diagnosis.  This is an insidious immune system disorder that causes severe nerve and muscle damage.  My case is much less severe than many who are afflicted with it, but it still caused a paralysis that made me fall numerous times ultimately resulting in a broken ankle.

I’m glad to finally be home, but I  currently have to rely on a walker to move around.  Daily mundane tasks like running the vacuum, driving a car and watering plants are still out of my ability range.  My feet and hands are not working properly;  the broken ankle is the least of my problems.

On a positive note, this experience has given me a new appreciation for the challenges that so many people face every day.  I’ll never look at a person using a walker or a cane in the same way again; I will always wonder what chain of events led them to that predicament.  Severe illness can take you to a dark place.  I have been fortunate, until now, to be a very healthy adult and never visited this very frightening place before—one that forces you to realize that circumstances beyond your control can result in a loss of your independence.

Even though very little is known about the causes of GBS and there is no cure for it, the nerve damage generally reverses itself.  The time frame for the reversal varies from individual to individual.  There is hope for full recovery; many other illnesses do not offer this hope.  This experience has taught me to “empathize” with those who are dealing with severe health issues.  I have a better understanding of their fears and their hopes for recuperation.

Gerri Tyber, Operations Manager
Barton Home Care

Senior Care Colorado - You Do Have A Choice

As a result of these difficult economic times, many families are turning to hiring their own private caregivers in hopes of saving some money. In many cases, this may work out just fine - however, there are pitfalls that should certainly be considered. Our list below is meant to raise the awareness of all that goes into providing care to elder clients by a professional home care organization.

The advantages to hiring a professional home care company like, Barton Home Care, for your elder care is as follows:

1. We hand-pick our caregivers after careful scrutiny of their background, talents, personality, compassion and desire to make a difference.
2. We choose only those who have demonstrated their caring capabilities through helping someone in their family or from having a professional care background.
3. Everyone goes through a thorough background check including validation of their social security number, address check, criminal background check and screening of their motor vehicle record.
4. All employees are bonded and insured.
5. Employees sign off on an extensive Policy and Procedures document as well as an Employee Agreement. Nothing is left to interpretation.
6. Every employee goes through an Orientation session to ensure they know our expectations and requirements for providing superlative care.
7. All employees are required to access our training site which covers the spectrum of challenges facing our elder clients as well as the fundamentals of providing extraordinary care.
8. As a company, we carry general and professional liability insurance exceeding the requirements of the State of Colorado license law.
9. All employees are covered by Workman’s Comp insurance so if they are injured on the job - it is not the concern of the client. We take care of the problem.
10. All employees are supervised so if there ever is an issue, our client’s do not have to confront the employee - we handle the issues … and we have very few.
11. Our caregivers keep us constantly updated with the status of our clients. We, in turn, keep the family up-to-date on how things are going.
12. Compatibility is key - we ensure that the client caregiver match is as good as it can be.
13. If an employee gets sick or has personal problems, we will arrange for substitute care if desired.
14. Since we do employ, our clients are not faced with payroll tax issues including completing a 1099 at the year’s end and the potential for the IRS to consider their caregiver contractor as an employee requiring back payment of withholding taxes.
15. As with all home care companies in this area, we are to be subject to regulation by the State of Colorado. Independent, private caregivers have no overseeing authority.
16. Ours is a completely managed process. Our (almost) eight year track record is proof positive that our approach makes the most sense to those families needing elder care.

So, one can conclude that there is much to consider when exploring care for an elder in their home. The cost differential between a private caregiver and employing a professional home care company should not be the only consideration.

Tom Barton

Barton Home Care

The following was written by Ed, for whose mother we have been providing in home senior care, Denver metro area, since August 2007. It’s comments like these that keep us charging ahead. Thanks Ed for taking the time.

“My mother has multiple sclerosis and requires extra help with some of her day-to-day activities. My sister and I do what we can to help Mom, but our work and home lives preclude us from doing as much as we’d like. Thus, it’s been important to have a trusted home care professional in the house with Mom. This is where Tom Barton and Barton Home Care come in.

At first, we had no idea what to look for in a home care agency. We initially hired another company based on the recommendation of one of Mom’s hospital case workers. Unfortunately, that company had a “scheduling conflict” and stranded Mom without the care she needed on her first day home from a long hospitalization. We asked the case worker for a second recommendation, and she gave us Tom Barton’s name. Tom immediately impressed me with his professionalism and his genuine concern for Mom’s well-being. We’ve been with Barton ever since. (I later called that case worker again, and told her that Barton was the company she should have recommended first!)

Tom prides himself on hiring only the best and the brightest home care workers. In the last two years, Mom has had only two main caregivers (not counting the rare vacation fill-in). The first caregiver was replaced only because she moved on to further her career. Tom obviously understands what others don’t seem to: Continuity of care is crucial to the comfort and trust of his clients. He obviously goes out of his way to ensure that his people are in this field because they want to be.

I think it’s fair to say that Barton is the main factor that has allowed Mom to stay in her own house, and at least delay the need for an assisted living facility. This has tremendous financial AND emotional value. Barton has relieved a lot of stress for my sister and me. More importantly, Mom not only has a caregiver that helps her maintain her household and personal needs, but a valued companion and friend as well. This means a lot to our entire family.

Based on all of this, I am happy to recommend Tom Barton and Barton Home Care. They care, and it shows.”

If you or someone you know is considering in home senior care, Denver metro area, please consider Barton Home Care.  You can contact Tom Barton directly at 303.660.5120 or info@bartonhomecare.com. He’ll be happy to answer  all of your questions and share his “Caring to Make a Difference” home care philosophy.

For more information on choosing the best Senior Care - Colorado, please check out our post: Senior Care Colorado - The Benefits of Professional Caregiving.