North Oakland Caregivers in Clarkston and Bloomfield Hills Celebrates 30 Years
“We started this business for all the right reasons. And here we are 30 years later still helping people.”– Lance Baylis, President
North Oakland Caregivers Team
North Oakland Caregivers, Inc
After being in the Medicare certified home health care business for 10 years, we decided there were too many people that still needed help in their home after their certified care had come to a halt. That’s when we opened North Oakland Caregivers, Inc. in 1992. And here we are 30 years later with the desire, dedication, commitment, warmth, kindness, compassion, expertise and EXPERIENCE to provide care to so many people in the Oakland County area. We’ve helped people in Bloomfield Hills, Birmingham, Rochester, Lake Orion, Oxford, Clarkston, Waterford, Royal Oak, Huntington Woods, Goodrich, Ortonville, Farmington, Franklin Village, Troy, Oakland Township, Auburn Hills, West Bloomfield, Pleasant Ridge, Holly, Walled Lake, Madison Heights, Sylvan Lake and EVERYWHERE in between. AND we are still doing it with our heart and soul, and a smile that all our clients have come to expect.
30 Years of giving you peace of mind while we take care of your family.
There comes a time when your mom, dad, or another loved one will need help with their daily lives. And hiring help to care for them at home is one of the best options for them and you for many reasons. Whether your family has already decided to go down this path or you are just researching your options, one of the most important questions that come to mind is how to select the right home care agency for your loved ones.
Let us share with you our recommendation based on almost 30 years of experience. This practical and straightforward checklist includes 5 factors you should focus your research on. It will help you ask the right questions and form a very informed opinion on your home care agency of choice:
#1. EXPERIENCE
Look for companies that have been in business for a longer period of time and at the same location. This shows stability and most likely a favorable reputation. Equally important is how long the management team has been in place. Years of experience speak volumes regarding satisfied customers.
Example – Why North Oakland Caregivers agency might qualify: Our company has been providing home care for almost 30 years since 1992, and it’s still run by the original family of founders, from the original location.
#2. REPUTATION
Reviews can reveal the true reputation of the company among clients. The company website is an obvious place to go to first but make sure you also check Google and Facebook as the next best places to find such information. Besides the ratings look for details of the reviews which might show if their relationship with the company was personable and warm or simply matter-of-fact.
Example – Why North Oakland Caregivers agency might qualify: We are honored and humbled by the trust our clients put in us by giving our services their highest ratings over and over again.
#3. CLARITY
The planning stage of setting up your home care services is the critical part of the process, and you should look for whether the company makes all the necessary steps to ensure success? For example, does it include the client or their family members in developing the plan of care? Do they explain clearly all available options and recommend a scenario, including its financial aspect, that would fit your particular situation? Do they take into consideration the compatibility of the client and their caregiver?
Example – Why North Oakland Caregivers agency might qualify: All our clients are offered a free consultation over the phone or in person. Then our team will involve you in the planning discussion which will result in a meet and greet package handover, with each detail documented and agreed on.
#4. FLEXIBILITY
Some companies have a one size fits all plan or a few choices. Try to find the company that will match your exact needs with a customizable plan.
And while it is a good idea to have a plan of care in place for the client and caregivers for the first two weeks, it is also good to know that plan can be flexible enough to accommodate the “ebbs and flows” of a very fluid care process.
Example – Why North Oakland Caregivers agency might qualify: We are known for offering help in situations where little help could be found via a cookie-cutter approach. We stand by our clients and adapt our care program as their needs change.
#5. RELIABILITY
It’s important to understand how reliable the caregiver services are going to be. For example, is the company insured? Is the client protected in their own home? Are all of the personal belongings protected in the home? Is there a backup plan if a caregiver calls in sick?
Finally, when it is all said and done, look for a “team” of people that genuinely care for your loved one, just as your own team of family members does. You can tell when you talk to them.
Example – Why North Oakland Caregivers agency might qualify: From the technical point of view, all our caregivers are screened and our company is fully insured to provide you with peace of mind when it comes to your loved ones. What is equally important is we have a team of people who are fully committed to serving each family as their own.
When you search for a home care agency using this guide, consider giving us a call, too. It would be a pleasure to speak with you regarding your situation and see if we can be the right fit for you.
We have been living through devastating events brought by the COVID-19 pandemic for a year now. It disrupted the flow of our ordinary lives, but it also taught us valuable lessons. Here we share 3 lessons we learned at North Oakland Caregivers, and they showcased the advantages of our home care services for our clients during the pandemic.
I. A dedicated caregiver provided required support while limiting the risk of COVID-19 exposure. Having one caregiver in the home to help with the client’s needs combined the best of both worlds – it limited the client’s exposure to potential virus carriers and made sure the client received the help they needed. It goes without saying that all our caregivers were following daily protocolto keep everyone safe.
II. Social interaction with a trusted caregiver helped relieve the pandemic side effects of anxiety and isolation. In an environment of social distancing limited social contact provided a safe haven for our senior and immune-compromised clients. However, isolation, loneliness, and anxiety were a cause of concern and a potential situation for both physical and mental decline for many of them. Looking forward to their caregiver on a scheduled, weekly basis brought great relief to our clients in those times. It was their time for a much-needed social interaction, an opportunity to distract themselves from grim news in the media and enjoy some smiles and positive energy. Besides the immediate benefits described here, simple social interaction is known to be the most important factor of longevity as we wrote in our blog earlier.
III. Our caregivers helped fill in where family primary caregivers could not manage their pandemic-driven workload of working from home and looking after their children. Families providing care for their elderly family members were all of a sudden finding new demands on their time. Many experienced added responsibilities with children at home with virtual schooling and many were working more hours from home in their professional careers. We received many inquiries for help to relieve the family caregiver because of these increased demands on their time, and our schedulers made sure the transition of care from a family member to our caregivers was done quickly and efficiently. It was the ultimate example of our motto – providing relief and bringing peace of mind to the family that their loved one had someone to take care of them.
These are just three out of many advantages of home care we witnessed during the pandemic. Let us know how our home care services can help you and your loved ones in similar situations – or in situations different from what we described but still created by the pressures of the pandemic – we’d love to help and we are just a phone call away!
We are proud to announce that North Oakland Caregivers has recently opened an additional office located in Bloomfield Hills, MI!
North Oakland Caregivers has been steadily growing all these years, and a big part of our success is our clients spreading kind words about our dedicated home care services and attentive caregivers.
With our services reaching far and wide, we decided we could make it more convenient for the families we have been taking care of in the Bloomfield Hills, Birmingham, Franklin Village, and surrounding areas to connect with us whenever it might be needed by opening another office in that neighborhood.
Our new additional office makes it very easy for the local families to reach out to us. It is located in the middle of Bloomfield Hills at the corner of Maple and Lahser Roads and provides a comfortable confidential space to discuss their specific needs and personalized home care with the same exceptional level of service we have been known for.
Call our dedicated line for an appointment or to simply start a conversation with questions you have. We will be happy to work with you and advise you about your particular home care situation. We look forward to your call!
As our mom and dad age, living on their own becomes increasingly difficult. Yet, they might be doing anything they can to stay independent, even if it means letting go of the quality of life they are used to.
Their motivation is understandable – they probably do not want to become a “burden” for the family and have the family members facing pressure of finding time in their busy schedules to become their caregivers. Or – if the family support system is far away – they simply want to avoid having to go to a nursing home as this would mean a disruption of their lives they are so used to.
With home care services the stress for both the aging parents and the rest of the family can be avoided. The home care option might be the best solution for your seniors for many reasons. Here we will highlight the main three.
#1. THE SAFEST OPTION:
Why important: Staying at their own home is a sign to our seniors that they are still independent and doing well. Once they lose that, they are likely to lose this mental reassurance as well and feeling defeated might lead to prematurely feeling frail. Additionally, in the times of the pandemic and concerning news about nursing homes’ higher rates of COVID-19, it’s advisable to look at other options.
How can home care help: With a caregiver around, your mom or dad can stay in the comfort and familiarity of their own home safely, both with regards to their positive mental outlook and avoidance of unnecessary exposure to the virus in big groups. It goes without saying that our caregivers have to pass all the required health and safety procedures daily.
#2. DEDICATED ONE-ON-ONE CARE:
Why important: We all want to be treated the way we deserve. Without a dedicated caregiver it’s hard to juggle other responsibilities that a family member or a long-term care facility staff might have.
How can home care help: A dedicated caregiver’s level of care is the best – their client is their one and only responsibility. So, your mom or dad will be getting a reliable quality service every time that is immediate and fully focused on their needs. And the family will have peace of mind that their loved ones are taken care of.
#3. THE BEST REMEDY FOR LONELINESS:
Why important: Daily social interaction has been proven the key to longevity. So, even though feeling lonely might seem intangible, it needs to be taken as seriously as any medical diagnosis at an older age.
How can home care help: A one-on-one interaction with a dedicated caregiver is one of the key reasons home care is becoming so popular. The senior and the caregiver develop a bond that provides a variety of positive emotions, from a simple pleasure of human interaction to joy and anticipation of seeing the other person to do things together, things that your mom or dad would not do on their own.
We think these three reasons of why home care might be the best option for seniors in your life are good food for thought for the families that are still looking into different options. If you are one of them, please give us a call, and we will be happy to share with you how it might work for your loved ones.
Dear North Oakland Caregivers Clients and Families,
We have been following the recent events of the corona virus very closely. We have been keeping informed of best practices for our caregivers and clients regarding this virus and sharing them with all our caregivers. Besides the guidance we are getting through our Michigan Home Health Association, we are also monitoring all national, state and local guidance and updates. On top of that, we are consulting our Medical Director if there are any other precautions we need to take.
The wellness of our clients and team is our top priority. We are being very diligent to keep everyone safe and healthy. We have not had ANY clients or caregivers exhibit ANY symptoms. We feel good that our care is done in a home with few interactions with other people. This does not in any way lessen the serious nature of the virus and how we will address these concerns each day.
If a caregiver thinks they are exhibiting any of the symptoms, they will stay home. Jason or Cheryl will contact you to discuss other options. All efforts will be made to provide a substitute if that is what the client or family wants. Keep in mind that there is the chance that no replacement will be available. Even though this is outlined in our contract, we all need to be more mindful of this possibility in lieu of what is going on and how everyone faces the same challenges simultaneously.
All of our caregivers will continue to be informed of all that we learn as we move forward. This is a fluid situation that can change daily or weekly. We will continue to provide the best and most safe care for all our clients.
We will put our heart and soul into helping our clients just as we have done for 28 years. We hope conditions improve across our country and state as quickly as possible so we can all resume our normal daily routines.
‘Tis the season to wish one another peace, love and joy! We at North Oakland Caregivers also wish the closeness to your loved ones in the comfort of your home may renew your spirits this festive season!
Maria Baylis, Founder of North Oakland Caregivers, mother of nine
Happy Mother’s Day to all who are mothers and mothers-to-be, to sisters, aunts and grandmothers who gave motherly care to those who were in need of it. Thank you for your nurturing love and support. Thank you for believing in us. We ended up good people because of you. Thank you!
Many of us with elderly parents know how fiercely they protect their ability to live independently, even if their health is declining. According to a research report by the National Conference of State Legislatures and the AARP Public Policy Institute, up to 90% of people over age 65 want to stay living in their home as long as it is possible.
Families support this desire of their elderly loved ones. Staying in their home and feeling connected to their community helps them maintain a positive outlook and live longer. But at some point it becomes challenging for the family members to support the growing needs of their aging loved ones. And everyone dreads the discussion of a nursing home or assistant living facility. After all, it often implies an emotionally heavy time period and a sense of loss on the part of the aging parents. It’s something that one can never fully adjust to.
Many families do not know that this can be avoided and that they have a better option in their arsenal – a 24/7 home care assistance where 1 or 2 caregivers would support the elderly parent still in the familiarity of their home. This option removes the unnecessary stress of changing the environment for the parents and, on top of that, gives them a better one-on-one care than many facilities can provide.
We at the North Oakland Caregivers see how the 24/7 home care option becomes a welcome choice for many families who have not even thought of it at the beginning. We see how our elderly clients bond with the caregivers and their families gain peace of mind that their parents will be taken care of around the clock. We have given this kind of experience to many of our clients and we are happy to help your family too. Call us to start the conversation. We are happy to answer any of your questions to help you explore your options!
When it comes to the decision of starting a home care support for your loved ones, people want to be sure they choose the right provider.
What defines the “right” provider might be slightly different for different families. Businesses are not created equal, even in the same sphere of home care services, every business tries to stand for something they do best. We at North Oakland Caregivers have our own set of strengths. They are not generated by our staff, they are called out by our clients. They are what our clients noticed and valued when they were looking for the “right” home care for their families.
So, how did they search, and what made them choose us? We asked that question to our customers in order to understand what stood out for them in our business, what they found most persuasive in our profile. And their answers were consistent, they kept giving us three key reasons:
Our experience of 25+ years makes us experts
25+ years of home care experience means we have withstood the test of time and are not going anywhere
It also means we have gathered great expertise in the field of home care and in understanding of what seniors and their families look for
We are a local business connected to our community
We grew up in this area, know and understand the local community and use our knowledge for the benefit of our clients. For example, if bad weather is coming, we know and plan ahead.
We offer a face-to-face communication. In the age of virtual offices,phone calls might be perceived as too generic and anonymous. It’s reassuring for our clients that they can come to our office and discuss their situation in a much more personable environment.
We have amazing 5-star reviews
We are proud to have 5-star reviews in Google, Facebook and our website. We consider this our best recommendation as the words of appreciation are coming directly from our clients’ experience.
These outstanding reviews are testimony to our human touch that comes from our hearts, not our duties. We know all our clients personally, we call them to just ask how they are doing, we stop by when we can. We like it when it feels like a family.
These three reasons are our strengths we are proud of. Something that our clients experienced and appreciated to trust us with their families. It’s a reputation we’ve built, and now are working hard to maintain and improve. Will you trust us with your loved ones? We hope to be the “right” home care provider for you, too.
Recent Comments