For the U.S. Army war veteran with advancing Parkinson’s disease, simply brushing his teeth and eating meals left him without the energy to care for himself and his home. His daughter, a single mother with four children and a full-time job, was finding it increasingly difficult to coordinate all the care her dad needed.

“It was chaotic and very stressful, especially with transportation,” said Roy’s daughter Claudia.

“I would try to do stuff by myself, and I couldn’t do it,” Roy said. “I got worse and worse.”

Eventually, Roy’s doctor referred him to hospice to receive extra care. Then, the hospice put him in touch with Senior Helpers, a premier in-home care company that offers specialized care for seniors so they can age safely in place and enjoy an improved quality of life.

The first thing local Senior Helpers owners James and AnaLaura DeVary did for Roy was complete a LIFE Profile assessment. LIFE Profile is a proprietary assessment tool that takes a more comprehensive and in-depth look at a senior’s living environment, analyzing 144 safety risks and the 13 key areas in which a senior must have their needs met to successfully age in place.

At Roy’s initial LIFE Profile assessment, he was identified as having a greater than 80% risk of being hospitalized in the next six months.

Senior Helpers presented a customized LIFE Profile plan, including descriptions of how to make Roy’s living environment and daily tasks safer. The scorecard not only outlines what can be done but identifies who is responsible for each item—family, caregivers, or community services.

"Roy and his family incorporated the majority of the LIFE Profile recommendations and reduced Roy’s risk of being hospitalized to less than 10%!"

“LIFE Profile is a game changer!” said James. “Using a system that is evidence-based to ensure its effectiveness is one of the things that sets us apart. It’s hard to overstate how crucial LIFE Profile is in our business, especially when you are dealing with someone’s life.”

Today, Roy receives visits three days a week from his Senior Helpers caregiver. James, a former Staff Sergeant in the U.S. Army, was instrumental in helping Roy take advantage of benefits that help support care services, first through his insurance company and then through the Veterans Administration.

“Often people aren’t aware of the benefits that are available to them, or they get turned down the first time,” James explained. “With our knowledge of the system and contacts in the industry, we can act as advocates for our clients to get the care they deserve.”

Care that has had a direct impact on Roy’s safety and quality of life. Instead of sitting at home and figuring out how he is going to prepare a meal and change his sheets, he is now having those things done for him by his caregiver, and he can go out and do things in the community.

MAKING A DIFFERENCE

Hydration & Nutrition: Roy was dehydrated and undernourished. Now, his caregiver prepares breakfast and lunch, reminds and encourages him to drink plenty of fluids, and he receives Meals on Wheels for dinner.

Activities of Daily Living: Roy didn’t have the energy to do tasks around the home and take care of himself. Now, his caregiver does household chores such as light housekeeping and laundry, so he has more energy for things like brushing his teeth and bathing.

Quality of Life: Roy is now able to get out of the house more often with the assistance of his caregiver. They grocery shop, go to his doctor’s appointments, and attend veterans’ events. The improvement in quality of life decreases Roy’s risk of depression, improves his mobility and cognitive status, and lessens the burden and burnout for his daughter.

VETERANS HELPING VETERANS

“I’ve done a lot of things in my life,” said James, a combat war veteran, “But whenever you can make a positive impact on someone’s life, there is no dollar amount that can replace that for me.”

"When I met James, my quality of life was at a 1. Now...everything’s different. It’s a 10,” Roy said.

Special thanks to the Senior Helpers office in Chandler, AZ for sharing this story with us.

Find a Senior Helpers location near me.