More than one third of Connecticut’s population is over the age of 50. As state and business leaders strive to address the challenges posed by the looming Silver Tsunami, private agencies are already partnering to create care plans that keep seniors at home. Leading innovators in the homecare industry - Assisted Living Services, Inc. in Cheshire and Growing Options, Inc. in Southbury – share their strategies for bridging private and state social services for families.
“As the elderly population in our state increases each year, more agencies and care facilitators will be needed to properly meet the demand for care,” explains Mario D’Aquila, MBA and COO of Assisted Living Services, Inc. (ALS), a family-owned company founded in 1996. “Forging positive working relationships is a necessity to successfully serve seniors and their families.”
ALS has been partnering with Growing Options (GO) for several years. Founder Lisa Krauss, MA, LPC, NCC, CMC has specialized in geriatrics for 30 years and is an Aging Life Care Professional, also known as a geriatric care manager. Geriatric care managers serve as an advocate for their senior clients and even follow them into hospital and nursing home settings, if needed.
Krauss is also a health and human services specialist who acts as a guide for families that are caring for older relatives or disabled adults. Aging Life Care Professionals are members of the Aging Life Care Association™ (ALCA) and differ from patient advocates and elder advocates. ALCA members must meet the stringent education, experience, and certification requirements of the organization, and all members are required to adhere to a strict code of ethics and standards of practice. Launched in 2002, Growing Options is also a family business, as Krauss’ daughter, Carly Cartisano, LMSW, is an Aging Life Care Manager at the company.
“As we advise our clients on what care is needed and appropriate for their particular situation, we refer them to many outstanding companies that support the geriatric and disabled population,” explained Krauss. “We work with ALS often when companion or caregiving services are required. We also partner with ALS when medical assistive technological devices [provided by Assisted Living Technologies, Inc.] will be a benefit.”
Both ALS and GO receive referrals from client families, elder law attorneys, financial planners, geriatricians, senior centers, the Alzheimer Association and State of Connecticut Social Services. Social workers have contacted GO for protective service cases when assessment and management are needed.
“We are not a state or insurance funded company,” explained Krauss, “A great benefit of being a private company is that we are able to assist our clients based on their needs and wishes, as opposed to criteria dictated to us.”
However, Krauss points to the fact that ALS is contracted with the State of Connecticut Home Care Program as being critical for her clients who are already on Community Title 19, or at some point will deplete their funds and will need to transition to Title 19. The ALS State contract allows clients to stay with the agency that they depend upon.
“We have developed a trusting relationship with ALS staff members. As service providers, we are dedicated to providing the highest level of care and working together with others like ALS who share the same mission, benefits all that we serve.”
Krauss notes that ALS is also committed to finding the right caregiver match. If it is an emergent case, ALS tries to fill the request immediately and then continues to find a perfect long-term caregiver. GO often has challenging cases, and ALS works with them to find a staffing solution.
As an example, GO had a client who needed an aide, but was feeling very unsure about letting someone into their home. “ALS understood when we had to reschedule multiple times until the client felt ready. ALS recognized the complexity of this case and not only found the right person, but also, took the time to ensure that the caregiver understood the specific expectations and challenges with which they would be faced. ALS coordinated with us so that we could be there to introduce the aide and we were successful in helping the client and caregiver build a rapport. Our client has enjoyed having a clean home, going out for enjoyable activities and making home cooked meals together.”
“What differentiates ALS from other homecare agencies is their responsiveness, compassion, and commitment,” adds Cartisano. “They have on-call supervisors, so we are always able to talk to someone in a reasonable amount of time as we are a 24/7 service. We appreciate that ALS understands the importance of working as a team since it takes a village to offer the best care.”
Since 1996, award-winning home care agency Assisted Living Services, Inc. in Cheshire, with branch locations in Clinton and Fairfield, has provided quality care to residents across Connecticut. Their unique CarePlus program blends personal care with technological safety and monitoring devices from sister company Assisted Living Technologies, Inc. Learn more by visiting www.assistedlivingct.com or calling 203.634.8668.
Growing Options, Inc. was founded in 2002 to assess and create individualized care plans for the elderly, individuals with mental and physical disabilities, and those with mental health difficulties throughout the Fairfield, Litchfield and New Haven Counties of Connecticut. Visit www.growingoptions.com for more information.
PHOTO: The mother and daughter team of Carly Cartisano (left) and Lisa Krauss (right) operate Growing Options, Inc. in Southbury, Conn, in which they assess and create individualized care plans for the elderly, individuals with mental and physical disabilities, and those with mental health difficulties.
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