There's No Place Like Home...Comfort Keepers Helps Seniors to Remain At Home

Comfort Keepers, Provides In-Home Care Services

With the graying of the baby boom generation (those born between 1946 and 1964), services catering to the needs of seniors is a growth industry in the U.S. Furthermore, in a more mobile society where people move and relocate far more than previous generations, having family members living close by to help as we grow old, is no longer a cultural norm.

So with aging parents and adult children no longer living nearby to provide assistance, what’s the solution for elder care? Comfort Keepers, a national firm offering local services, is one answer, now offering non-medical in-home care services to local residents in Nassau County, Florida. A main objective of Comfort Keepers is to help families keep loved ones in the comfort of their homes longer. In-home care services are less costly than alternative assisted living facilities and institutionalization. And, of course, there’s no place like being at home, in familiar and comforting surroundings.

Comfort Keepers is a franchised corporation with a significant presence in the United States and Canada, with over 425 offices. Ranked number 68 this year in Entrepreneur Magazine’s 2004 “Franchise 500” list, Comfort Keepers was also Entrepreneur’s top franchise in the “senior care” category. Each Comfort Keepers is independently owned and operated. The Jacksonville-based Comfort Keepers, Serving Nassau County as well as Duval, St. Johns and Clay counties, is independently owned and operated by Larry and Seth Movsovitz.

Comfort Keepers can provide non-medical in-home care to seniors, those recovering from illness or injury, and also new mothers needing a helping hand.

THE SANDWICH GENERATION

Called “the sandwich generation,” many parents today have children to care for, plus their aging parents in need of assistance. In this day and age, the situation adds enormous stress in families where two working parents are now also the norm, rather than the exception.

With the changing dynamics of our modern society, and a huge population approaching retirement, comes the ever growing need for senior services. The term “sandwich” is the emotional squeeze of the caregivers, who have the responsibility of “parenting” both aging parents and children. And the squeeze is not only emotional, but financial. Putting children through college, for example, while trying to help fund assisted living facilities and long-term care can be daunting.

Comfort Keepers, Serving Amelia Island & Nassau County, Florida

Consider that average life expectancy was a dismal 47 years old at the turn of the century in the early 1900s. Back then, it was also more common for two or three generations of a family to occupy one home or live within a few blocks of one another. By comparison, life expectancy for nearly 4 million Americans in the year 2000 was reportedly 85 years or older, and families are more dispersed geographically.

SENIOR CARE – WHAT ARE SOME OF COMFORT KEEPERS’ SERVICES AVAILABLE TO THE LOCAL NASSAU COUNTY, FLORIDA COMMUNITY?

Comfort Keepers offers the following services to the elderly and others in need of assistance: conversation and companionship, daily “TLC” phone calls, grocery shopping and meal preparation, light housekeeping, laundry, errand services, transportation, grooming and dressing, oral hygiene, assistance with mobility within the household, recreational activities, organizing incoming mail, and periodic reviews with family. These are just some of the services that Comfort Keepers offers in the Jacksonville metro area, serving Nassau County residents and those living on Amelia Island. Furthermore, 24-hour round the clock care is available, as well as 24-hour emergency care service and respite care.

A main objective of Comfort Keepers is to help families keep loved ones in the comfort of their homes longer – postponing the need for assisted living facilities that are far more costly.

PRESCRIPTIONS AND MEDICATIONS

Comfort Keepers Offers Companionship Services & In-Home Care

With regard to medication, Comfort Keepers’ caregivers cannot administer medications. However, they can assist the individual who shares in the responsibility of taking their own medication. Assisting with opening medication containers or medpaks, reading labels, and reminding the individual to take their medications are all ways in which Comfort Keepers can assist.

AVAILABLE BY THE HOUR, THE DAY OR THE WEEK...WHAT’S THE COST FOR ASSISTANCE FROM COMFORT KEEPERS?

For those who are familiar with elder care services, there’s often a 5-hour minimum. Just one of the benefits of the Comfort Keepers' franchise is its 3-hour minimum at a rate of $17 per hour. Comfort Keepers' rates are $17 per hour for three hours (up to 19 hours). For more than 20 hours, the fees are slightly less in the $16-dollar range. But if services are needed 24-hours a day (3-day minimum), the hourly rate is reduced to $13 per hour. (Rates subject to change.)

NASSAU COUNTY COMFORT KEEPERS

For a complete description of local services offered and fees, call the Nassau County Community Services Manager for Comfort Keepers, at 904-247-0402 (TOLL FREE 877-247-0402).

Comfort Keepers promises to treat clients with respect and dignity and offer compassionate care. Comfort Care employees are carefully screened and formally trained. Intensive background checks are conducted, including felony and Department of Motor Vehicle checks, and caregivers are chosen for their compassionate demeanors (and those with prior caregiver experience). Fully bonded and insured, Comfort Keepers employees can provide transportation using either a client’s vehicle or their own vehicle (mileage charge 40 cents per mile).

CAREGIVERS NEED A BREAK, TOO...

Anyone in the role of providing care to aging parents, a spouse, or a relative who is ill, sometimes needs a helping hand with a loved one -- a break for their own mental health and well being. For those who either don’t have other family members nearby who can share the responsibilities, or don’t want to impose on friends, an alternative solution is available in Nassau County, Florida.

Comfort Keepers can help the main caregiver, enabling some necessary time to themselves. For those caregivers who have not been able to take a vacation and get out of town due to the responsibilities of providing care, Comfort Keepers can offer relief and assistance. When you can’t be there, Comfort Keepers can be there for you -- whether it’s for three hours, a few days, a week, or longer-term care assistance to help keep loved ones in the comfort of their homes for as long as possible.
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For further information about Comfort Keepers, please contact:

Nassau County Community Services Manager

904-247-0402 (TOLL FREE 877-247-0402).

Comfort Keepers, 233 North Third Street, Suite 201
Jacksonville, Florida 32250

The national web site is www.comfortkeepers.com, and offers additional information on the company.
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