Why Am I Passionate About Eldercare Home Placement!
After a lot of resistance (because I didn’t think I have the time, which remains to be seen!) I decided we should add a blog to this website. Since this is ‘my baby’ so to speak, as the founder and Director of Savta Care, I thought I’d tell you a bit about myself, and why I started Savta Care, what it means to me, and most importantly, how it can benefit you!
First, the name. ‘Savta’ is grandma in Hebrew. My own family’s Savta Rose, of blessed memory, my mother in law, was an ever present, loving force in our family & community. She was a regular visitor to my facilities, often bringing her wonderful baked goods, and always a smile and hugs. She, and my grandma Dolly, of blessed memory, set the example of compassion and strength that has guided and inspired me in this work, and truly, in all that I do.
Having come from a care home background, and seen the enormous benefits to elders, and their families, I’m a huge fan of them. I owned facilities for 10 years and I loved every minute of it. I considered it my great honor to take part in someones life in their twilight years, to soak up their stories, wisdom, and to be by their bedside when it was their time to pass away. I’ve always said one day I’d write a book about the many characters, the crazy things that happened, the poignant, the whacky, and the day to day goings on at a care home facility. It wasn’t until my own dad was diagnosed with terminal cancer that I decided I couldn’t be there for him while being on call literally 24/7 for my residents. I stayed on as a consultant for a year, transitioning out of my role and continued to visit by beloved residents and staff afterwards.
I’ve been so happy to be involved in another aspect of eldercare since then, using my expertise to build a passionate team of like minded professionals to assist families in making the best choice for care placement for their loved one. I joke that its the best of what I enjoyed most about owning facilities, without the headaches/pain of calculating payroll, the dreaded (often during a full moon, really!) middle of the night emergency call, or waiting for a state inspector to show up unannounced (just kidding, I love you Dolores!).
What I did notice even back when I was doing business as a facility licensee/administrator with eldercare placement and referral agencies, was a trend of using a business model of data bases and giving lists to folks looking at care homes for their loved ones. I had many people show up at our door who were not an appropriate match for our facilities. This is the last thing a family in such a challenging time and situation needs!
Today, most eldercare (senior) referral and placement is done on line, with some limited phone calls. Those companies have quota’s that their ‘sales staff’ must fulfill, often under pressure. They typically receive some training in eldercare (senior) issues, but the emphasis is on numbers rather than people. I actually interviewed and trained with one of the largest companies before realizing that sad fact. While I love all the internet has to offer, I don’t believe it has a place in eldercare placement and referral beyond finding us. I know first hand how critically important it is to access the potential resident to determine their individual needs, as well as to be familiar with the facilities in our communities that we place in.
Each of us at Savta Care is passionate about helping seniors and their families. We love what we do, and are happy to take the time to find a match we can feel good about, knowing it can enhance the quality of life for the elder resident, and their families, and for us, another job well done!
