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July 8, 2019 by Kirk Brechbiel

The Story and Vision Behind Ella Home Care

Ella Home Care LogoWithin your few first interactions with Ella Home Care, you will quickly learn why this home care agency makes everyone feel like part of the family. From the caregivers it employees to the families it services, Ella Home Care’s core mission is to allow daughters and sons to be just that again, daughters and sons, instead of caregivers.

In his own words, Kirk Brechbiel, owner of Ella Home Care shares his vision and inspiration for Ella Home Care. Read on to learn why Kirk started his own home care agency, and how family was and always will be a major piece of Ella Home Care’s story.

Kirk Brechbiel Photo
Kirk Brechbiel, Owner

Q: The Ella Home Care story begins with inspiration from both of your grandmothers and in memory of your father. Tell us more about how they played a role in starting the business.

A: My father was sick most of his adult life and my mother provided much of the care physically and emotionally. A great home care agency would have been a great benefit to him and her. This was the catalyst to me of wanting to provide these services. I learned a lot from my father over this time including how to be compassionate and understanding during difficult times.

Many of us love our grandparents and they played an important role in our lives. I’m no different. Up until recently both of my grandmothers lived independently in their homes. My 96-year old grandmother (my father’s mother) still does with a little help. She is quite the inspiration.

 Q: The name “Ella” has a special meaning to you. Who is Ella and why did you choose to name the business after her?

A: Ella is my daughter and only child. She is the main reason why I started this company. She is named after my wife’s grandmother who was a very special person. A truly unique woman well ahead of her time. After the passing of her husband in the 1960’s she lived another 40 years raising her family and living independently until her final days. I can’t think of a better name to represent our company.

Q: From its humble beginnings, how has Ella Home Care grown over the years and where do you hope to be 5 or 10 years from now?

A: Ella Home Care started out of my house. We did our caregiver orientations at a local church and we interviewed applicants at coffee shops and grocery store cafes. After 5 months, we transitioned into having our own office in an Independent Retirement Community in Lemoyne and stayed there for a few years. In January 2019, we purchased our own building with ample space for employee trainings and community seminars.

We have had incremental, managed growth for the first 5 years and we want to stay focused on managing our growth properly but have plans to be double in size within 5 years. In addition, we want to continue to develop our Caregiver Training Center which will not only allow us to better train our employees but also provide training and education to the families in the community who are taking care of their loved ones who may not be able to afford home care services.

Q: What sets Ella Home Care’s caregivers apart from the rest? How do you attract these types of caregivers?

A: Many agencies state they have the best caregivers, and maybe they do, but the word “best” is hard to live up to and is used too often. We also believe our caregivers are great, though we do not just hire anyone who applies. We hire based upon reliability, compassion and communication skills. It is difficult to find those traits at times, but we know what we want in a caregiver. We have missed on a few over the years, but the staff we currently have in place represents the traits that are most important to us which is reliability, compassion, and being able to communicate. A great source to attract other caregivers is our own employees. Many have referred applicants to us and we are sure to find meaningful ways to thank them for doing so.

Q: If someone’s loved one needs in-home care, what’s the process for working with Ella Home Care and finding the right caregiver?

A: The first step is to determine if that loved one’s needs fit our services, including location and scope of services. Once we determine that, we set up a one-on-one assessment with that person and his/her family to get to know each other better. After that assessment, we look at our employee roster to see who would be the best fit. We can also have the client meet the caregiver in advance so they get to know each other prior to start of services. All this can happen within a few days, or sooner if needed.

Q: Beyond physical services, tell us more about how the entire family may benefit mentally and emotionally from having a professional caregiver helping a family member.

A: We are all busy. Even with the best intentions, it is difficult and time-consuming for families to take care of another loved one. Many work and have their own families. This is where Ella Home Care can step in and provide peace of mind. Part of our Mission Statement reads: “Ella Home Care not only helps our aging neighbors stay independent in their homes, but allows sons and daughters to be just that again, sons and daughters, instead of caregivers.” This may be the single most important benefit of using our services, and we are truly grateful for every opportunity to fulfill this mission!

Would you like to learn more about the services provided by Ella Home Care? Contact us today and we would be glad to walk you through what options might be the best fit for your situation.

Filed Under: About Us, Blog Tagged With: adult, agency, aging, business, camp hill, care, central pa, ella home care, family, harrisburg, in home care, in-home caregiver, kirk brechbiel, lemoyne, loved one, new cumberland, pennsylvania, professional caregiver, senior

July 1, 2019 by Kirk Brechbiel

5 Signs You or a Loved One May Benefit From In-Home Care

Professional in-home caregiving is a very unique industry in that it allows families to care for one another, even as generations age, while still maintaining the balance of children being children, rather than fulltime caregivers.

If you have an aging loved one, possibly a parent, aunt, uncle, or grandparents who desire to continue living in their home as long as possible, but who need some additional assistance in order to do so, then this article is for you. Consider the following reasons why you might benefit from hiring a professional in-home caregiver to provide this extra assistance, while alleviating any added stress to the family.

  1. You don’t want full responsibility to fall on family members.

In many instances, family members are happy to step forward to offer some additional assistance to aging family members as they require it. This could be stopping by the house several times a week, driving them to doctors’ appointments, providing some meals, or running errands. These tasks are all manageable in moderation, but can quickly overwhelm any one person who feels responsible for it all, often while still needing to work and take care of their own family. A professional caregiver can assume a little or a lot of this responsibility to make caring for a loved one less stressful. Whether you need help just a few days a week, or require 24/7 care.

  1. You want to ensure safety and the highest level of care.

Professional in-home caregivers are specially trained in the industry’s best practices to ensure safety and the highest level of care. They also have the unique desire to care for another person and are passionate about forming a relationship that meets both mental and emotional needs. Not every family has someone like this who can step forward to care for an aging loved one. In our field of work, we often see how the right caregiver can greatly enhance the quality of life for an individual.

  1. You need more care than what any one person can provide.

Should your loved one require around the clock care, or even long day shifts, this is often more than what any one person can handle. We all need a break, and this is exactly what an in-home caregiver, or team of caregivers can provide. At Ella Home Care, we can cycle several caregivers in different shifts throughout the week to provide as much as 24/7 care. Additionally, this gives the person being cared for some variety in their week, which is something to look forward to.

  1. You or your loved one wants to stay in their home as long as possible.

One of the biggest benefits of having the help of an in-home caregiver is that it makes it possible for an aging adult to continue living in their home much longer than they could solely on their own. In many cases, without a caregiver, the alternative is moving into a retirement community or nursing home. Should your loved one strongly desire to stay in their home, the offer of hiring an in-home caregiver can provide a desirable middle ground for additional care without needing to move.

  1. You need reliability and consistency.

Finally, a professional caregiver provides reliability and consistency for your loved one. When the responsibility falls on family members who have other obligations like work or caring for their own family, there can be times when they can’t spend the time with the loved one that they had planned to. With a professional caregiver, this is their career and their calling. Even if an illness or unforeseen circumstance should arise with your caregiver, the agency they work for, like Ella Home Care, ensures an alternate caregiver will still cover the shift and be there to provide care as scheduled.

Are you or a loved one considering adding the help of a professional in-home caregiver to improve your quality of life?

Let us help answer your questions! Contact Ella Home Care today.

Filed Under: Blog, Caregiver Tagged With: aging, camp hill, care for, care provider, caregiver, caring, elderly, ella home care, family, growing old, harrisburg, home care, in home care, lemoyne, loved one, new cumberland, old, professional caregiver

September 10, 2018 by Kirk Brechbiel

Ways to Protect Your Aging Loved Ones from Scams

Your aging parents could be a prime target for any number of the many scammers out there that prey on innocent and vulnerable people. Our aging population is an ideal demographic for scams because cognitive function may be impaired, they may be less aware of new technology that makes some scams very convincing and they more easily believe claims that are simply too good to be true.

While the threat of being scammed is very scary, especially for adult children who are looking out for their aging parents, the good news is there are ways you can take a stand and stay in the know so that you can spot red flags as soon as they arise and help guide your aging loved one away from a scam before it takes place. Take a look at these tips for protecting a friend or family member from scams.

Stay Involved

Foremost, you don’t know what you don’t know. If you’re not able to check in on your parents regularly to monitor their mail and the types of phone calls and emails they are receiving, you may leave them open to engaging with scammers. If you live close by, be sure to visit regularly to make note of any suspicious behaviors or interactions you parents may seem to have with outside contacts. If you’re not local, ask a neighbor, friend or professional caregiver to the do the same. The more involved you remain, the sooner you can put an end to scam-like activity before it becomes serious.

Help Them Think Through the Reality of the Situation

One of the best things you can do is help your aging loved one take a step back and examine the reality and probability of the situation. Remind them of simple truths such as you can’t win a contest you never entered and you never have to pay money to collect lottery winnings. Explain the way things work as well as current laws that make such actions illegal. With a dose of common sense, and your reinforcement, your aging loved one is more likely to see the reality of the situation.

Don’t Spread Shame or Blame

Even if you become angry or disappointed by your parents’ actions, never shame or blame them. Scammers are very convincing and persistent, sometimes even hostile! Keep in mind that they may have harassed your parents to the point of complying. Instead, focus on finding solutions and justice. How can you immediately put an end to the scammers’ contacting your parents? Who can you call to report this activity and possibly work to get their money back? Rather than focusing on shame or blame, focus on preventing this from happening again.

Use Reverse Psychology

Many have found reverse psychology to help an aging loved one understand when a scam is taking place. If your aging parent or loved one claims that they’ve been offered a “double your money” guarantee, ask them how you can get in on the offer and do the same. Most often, they want to protect you, like you want to protect them, and in explaining the details of the offer, they realize the holes and risk that exist.

Empower Them to Help Others

If your aging parent or loved one does fall victim to a scam, work to find ways that their story and experience can be shared with others as a cautionary tale. Report the incident to higher authorities and take to social media. Warn people about the details of what took place and you will find that others will be grateful for the advice and may even have some advice of their own to share.

Ask for Oversight

Finally and most importantly, have the conversation with your parent about why it might be a good idea for you to have oversight of their bank accounts, bills, phone records and mail. This may feel uncomfortable at first, as your loved one may wish to keep their independence as long as possible. However, if the scamming won’t seem to stop, and your loved one is not capable of making good decisions on their own, the best thing you can do is explain that it’s truly out of love and care for them that you wish to take on this role. Work to set boundaries that everyone feels comfortable with.

Do you have a loved one that has been a victim of a scam? Or do you have another piece of advice to share that may prevent this from happening? Join in the conversation by sharing your experience below!

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: adult, aging, elderly, family, fraud, help, loved one, old person, phishing, prevent, psychology, resources, scam, scammer, senior, tips

October 20, 2017 by Kirk Brechbiel

How to Prepare a Family Member for Home Care

Maybe you have an aging parent who recently had an accident or illness that now requires they have more assistance at home? Or maybe you’re just beginning to explore the options for home care so you know the options available to you and your family. No matter where you are on the journey to hiring a professional caregiver, it’s so important that you and your loved ones properly prepare for this transition.

Here are some tips for preparing a family member for an outside professional caregiver to provide then with in-home care. Having clear communication and a plan for how you will transition can help ensure the process goes as smoothly as possible. Take a look!

Start the Conversation Early

If you are currently the primary caregiver for your aging family member, you will likely come to point when you know you need outside help. Don’t put off having the conversation about introducing a professional caregiver. Instead, introduce the idea early so that you have time to warm up to the idea and have multiple discussions before it becomes an urgent matter. This also allows your loved to feel like he or she has a say in the matter and can be a part of the process of finding the right caregiver to meet their needs.

Address Hesitations and Concerns

During your conversations about hiring a professional caregiver, allow your loved one to voice concerns or hesitations. Be sure to address each one. Maybe it’s the concern of privacy, safety or comfort. Maybe it’s the concern of cost or not getting to see you as much. Find a solution to resolve each concern so that unnecessary worries do not add stress to the transition.

Ease Into the Transition

Once you’ve come to an agreement on how often the caregiver will provide assistance and who this caregiver will be, gradually introduce the caregiver into your normal routine. Plan to stay and visit the first few times the caregiver comes over. This will help relax the situation for your loved one. Once they develop a familiarity to one another, you can gradually step out of the situation and allow the caregiver to take over. As your loved one becomes more comfortable with the caregiver, and also needs more assistance, you can increase the caregiver’s hours.

Stay True to Your Commitments

Finally and most importantly, keep your promises to your loved one. If they are concerned about not seeing you as much and you promised to still visit them once a week, keep your word! It’s natural that your loved one may feel tricked if you make promises to qualm their hesitations, but then do not stay true to your commitments. Make sure you are still emotionally available to your loved one whenever they need you. A casual visit or phone conversation to check in and say I love you will go a long way!

Do you need to have a conversation with a loved one about transitioning to a professional caregiver? Share your challenges or tips by leaving a comment below!

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: benefits, caregiver, family member, home care, home health agency, home health care, in-home caregiver, loved one, professional, relative, research, spouse

Our Promise To You

  • All calls answered by a live person
  • Engaged & well trained home care professionals
  • 24/7 access to your loved one’s care plan through our online portal
  • We will listen more than we talk
  • We will work one-on-one to develop your care plan

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Ella Home Care
Address:
839 Market Street
Lemoyne, PA 17043

Phone: (717) 379-1793
Fax: (717) 695-2892

Email: info@ellahc.com

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