Home Helpers' Caregiver Solutions Offer Safety For The Elderly
Media, PA (June 14, 2010) – The past few months in the Philadelphia area have proven particularly unsafe for some of the community’s eldest residents. Headlines have spotlighted violence against the elderly in their own homes. E.g.:
May 9: A 90-year-old was beaten and robbed in his home by men who gained access by claiming to be from the water department. Philadelphia police say the suspects are preying on the elderly. - Source: WPVI TV
Not all such episodes have to end violently. Take Margaret Peters*, a 78 year- old resident of a Philadelphia suburb. Margaret heard the sounds of someone breaking into to her apartment and immediately activated her “DirectLink” Emergency Home Monitoring system.
DirectLink, a service of Home Helpers of the Delaware Valley, is a two-way communications system whose operators immediately dispatched police to Mrs. Peters’ home and stayed in contact with her until their arrival. Police found a broken window in the rear door. DirectLink is just one of the services from the Home Helpers Delaware Valley Co-op that provide compassionate care, security or companionship for senior citizens.
Home Helpers employs fully-screened caregivers, personally matched with elderly, ill or disabled clientele. The agency works with families to customize an ongoing care program to help seniors live more safely. Services might include temporary relief for family caregivers, or live-in care at either a home or hospice. All Home Helpers’ caregivers are employed by the agency, which is often not the case when choosing from a registry list.
“It’s very sad that our elders are often targeted, but at least there are affordable and empathetic ways to make people’s loved ones less vulnerable,” said Tom Carroll, president of the Home Helpers Delaware Valley Co-op. “We’re glad to be part of that solution.”
About Home Helpers
Home Helpers is a premier provider of in-home, non-medical and personal care and companionship for seniors, people coping with a lifelong illness or disability, and those recuperating from a recent surgery or hospitalization, providing a proactive, not a reactive, program for families. From occasional visits, to respite, to hospice care, the team at Home Helpers is always there to provide guidance, reassurance and compassionate care. Call (877) 464-9090 or visit www.HomeHelpersPhilly.com.
* Name changed for privacy.