Barb builds her community of care with FMS
Barb has formed a caregiver team that feels more like family than employees
Five years ago, Barb decided it was time for a change. After several years working with a different home care provider, she wasn’t getting the support she needed. Her caregivers “didn’t do the job.” She felt stuck.
Barb has fibromyalgia, a chronic condition characterized by widespread physical pain, fatigue, difficulty sleeping, and cognitive issues. Barb also has arthritis and uses a wheelchair to get around. Caregivers help Barb keep a daily routine, manage her medication, and assist with transportation.
Barb’s daughter, already an Accra client, recommended she make the switch to Accra. This helped Barb make the decision to move closer to family in La Crescent, Minnesota, and connect with Accra’s Financial Management Services (FMS) program.
Now 88 years old, Barb has formed a caregiver team that feels more like family than employees.
A Network of Support
Barb felt confident with Accra, knowing the organization had 30 years of experience providing home care services, and she has noticed a big difference in her quality of care.
“I found Accra very organized. I liked their way of doing things. It seems like they’ve been in the field a long time and they know what to do,” Barb said.
The FMS program enables people with long-term care needs or disabilities to easily hire and employ caregivers and purchase other supports needed to continue living in the community. Accra processes employee timesheets, vendor payments, expense reimbursements, workers’ compensation enrollment, and federal and state tax filings, allowing clients to focus on living their life.
Barb is part of the Elderly Waiver program offered through her county and uses FMS to get assistance in managing her budget that supports an independent life at home.
One of Barb’s caregivers is her granddaughter, Kristine. Kristine began working for her grandma four years ago and has recently stepped into the role of responsible party in addition to caregiving.
On a given day, one of Barb’s caregivers will work a morning shift, and one will work an evening shift. Barb’s caregivers assist her with some activities of daily living (ADLs), including getting ready for the day or for bed at night, taking her to doctor appointments, and helping with cleaning the house, laundry, grocery shopping, and cooking. Kristine also calls twice a day to provide medication reminders.
“I’m her chef, cleaner, administrative assistant, and chauffeur!” Kristine said.
With Accra’s financial collaboration and an FMS Service Coordinator available for support, Barb’s care team is well-rounded.
“She has peace of mind knowing she has paid caregivers to come in and give them a quality wage. It’s wonderful. Having payroll taken care of and apps to get paystubs through. Our service coordinator is great. She’s good at follow through, if we run into a glitch, she’ll follow up with that and take care of that as well. We are just overall so happy with the services we get from Accra,” Kristine said.
This support helps Barb pursue her passions in her down time. Some of which include keeping up with politics, watching documentaries on all sorts of subjects, and investing time into her art, such as creating handmade cards for her loved ones.
“I just feel really good with the caregivers I have. It’s very helpful,” Barb said.
Camaraderie and a Cat
It’s not just a paycheck that motivates Barb’s team of caregivers. It’s her.
“I think my personality helps! It’s always sunshine-y. They [her caregivers] like to come.” Barb said.
Barb’s team of six caregivers work together as colleagues. To keep lines of communication open, they use a text chain, a notebook at Barb’s house, and the whiteboard on the fridge to stay informed. The team is always working together to cover shifts and work around their unique schedules.
“We have a nice system down… The caregiver group she has now is the best by far. They’re reliable, they’re good at what they do. They love grandma, and she loves them.” Kristine said.
With help from her caregivers, Barb enjoys seeing movies at the theater, a recent favorite being Wicked, and going to her favorite restaurant, Red Lobster.
But perhaps an unexpected beneficiary of Barb’s services is her cat, Loki, affectionately dubbed “Prince Loki” by Kristine.
Usually found sun-bathing in one of his window seats (he has two), Barb’s caregivers feed him and make sure he has fresh water. In fact, the caregiver team even developed a system to ensure his pâté is as fresh as possible by creating a designated spot for it in the refrigerator. Barb and her caregivers indulge Loki’s playful nature and ensure he gets plenty of attention.
“We love him. I spoil him a little bit.” Barb said. “He’s a fat cat,” Kristine added.
Confidence in Care
With Accra’s support, Kristine knows that her grandma is getting the best care possible.
“For me, it’s just been really nice working with my grandma, knowing that she’s cared for, having her budget, having a great team. And we’ve grown a lot closer over the last few years,” Kristine said.
With Barb’s bold personality, she has no trouble sharing how she feels about her services with Accra.
“I’ve just been happy with it. You can put that on the record!” Barb said.