Giving the Elderly a Sense of Belonging – At Home
December 11, 2008
by Tina Steck

Frances Price is 91 years old and lives at home in Palos Verdes with her husband Carl, who is 96 years old.  They have lived in their California ranch house for 50 years and have no plans to move.  The feel strongly that they belong at home, and their desire to keep it that way is nurtured and sustained by Adia LLC, an in-home care business that has been serving the elderly and post-surgery clients in the Beach Cities and Palos Verdes Peninsula since 2005.

Adia's trained caregivers, known as Personal Care Assistants, have been a regular part of the Prices' daily life at home for about two years.  "We've become attached to them," said Mrs. Price.  "They are very caring, and we've become friends," she added, gesturing toward Dinorah Flores and Theresa Chavez, two of Adia's Personal Care Assistants, or PCAs, who provide services to the Price couple on a regular basis as part of a 24/7 team of caregivers.  Also part of the Price team is Michelle Forbes, a group supervisor, or Friendship Case Manager, who makes sure the 24/7 care is a seamless experience for the clients and the caregivers.

“We take our clients where they need to go and make sure they are well taken care of, but it is really much more than that,” said Forbes. “Both Mr. and Mrs. Price are still very sharp and very smart. We all have a sense of humor and every day we look for ways to laugh and enjoy each other’s
company.”

On a recent Friday, Chavez drove Mrs. Price to a beauty salon to get her hair styled and nails manicured. Flores took Mr. Price for a walk, once in the morning and once in the afternoon, and reminded him to take his medicine. She also made sure he ate the right foods and drank the correct amount of water with his medicine, and recorded all of this information on a log sheet kept in a large three-ring binder. Adia’s care is non-medical in nature, but its caregivers are trained to understand the specialized needs of those with Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, rheumatoid arthritis, sight impairments, and cancer, among other medical conditions.

The cornerstone for the in-home services provided by Adia is the idea that senior citizens are better off living at home than in a residential facility. “Our services are a celebration of life and built on the idea that it is important to be living at home,” explained Pamela Penson, one of the co-founders of Adia. Penson’s co-founder is Nick Arquette, who was thrust into the business of elder care when his grandmother broke her hip about five years ago and needed in-home post-surgery care. Arquette was not satisfied with the patchwork of in-home resources available to his grandmother during her recuperation, and also realized that he was not adequately equipped even to ask the right questions of potential caregivers during the hiring process.

Around the same time, Penson, who was working for another company that provided in-home services to senior citizens, became frustrated with the restrictions her company imposed on her work, as she realized her philosophies about the elderly care industry differed from those of her employer. Penson, who also had a grandmother who was confined to bed near the end of her life, knew first-hand how the elderly should be cared for at home.

“I was born into a family for which service and giving back to the community meant everything,” explained Penson, whose parents are both doctors and taught their daughter the meaning of the Hippocratic oath and the value of compassion and reverence for those in need. Penson also enjoys the title of doctor, as a PhD in international economics and business management; in addition she has an MBA, Fortune 500 corporate marketing experience, and was a professor at Asuza Pacific University.
 

Frances and Carl Price, who are both clients of Adia LLC, surrounded by Adia employees (left to right) Theresa Chavez, Adia personal care assistant; Michelle Forbes, Adia case management supervisor; and Dinorah Flores, Adia personal care assistant.

Arquette’s business background is also impressive, complementing Penson’s wide-ranging educational and professional experiences. Arquette is an actor, a cousin of actors Patricia and David Arquette, who has appeared on television and the big screen, and still maintains ties to the entertainment industry through a side business that helps television and movie producers secure filming locations.

About a year before creating Adia, Penson and Arquette co-founded a non-profit counseling organization called Walk With Sally, which provides healing and comfort to children who have lost a parent or close relative to cancer. Walk With Sally is named after Arquette’s mother Sally, who died of cancer when he was 16. The counseling service uses a mentoring system that matches children who have lost a loved one to cancer with adults who have gone through a similar experience, and seeks to provide an emotionally safe place for children to share their suffering.

It was through the mentoring aspect of Walk With Sally that Penson and Arquette grasped how important the human connection is for people who are vulnerable, frail, and need support and guidance. Penson explained, “Nick and I strive to connect with our clients and make sure their needs are being met, both physically and emotionally.” Arquette agreed: “We value the human connection, and try to make a positive match between our caregivers and our clients.”

Adia’s service philosophy has enabled it to grow during the past five years, and the company now has almost 85 employees. Penson and Arquette foresee their business growing even larger, and consider their employees their most critical assets. Employees are eligible to receive health benefits and training; Adia also sponsors regular employee social events and offers incentive-based awards with the goal of creating a sense of community and support for their caregivers. “They recognize your hard work as caregivers,” said Forbes of her Adia employers, confirming that Adia’s positive attitude toward its employees is appreciated.

When a potential client calls Adia, the phone is always answered, reflecting the company’s “always on call” way of thinking. Clients are given the opportunity to meet and interview several personal care assistants before assignments are made. Adia is always prepared to consult with the sons and daughters of their clients, who in many instances are managing care for their elderly parents long distance.

The team approach to caregiving enables Adia to provide not only back-up support in the event of an emergency or unexpected schedule change, but to also offer the extras that give meaning to the daily lives of their clients. “We ask our caregivers to ‘look for the gift,’” said Arquette. For example, when a personal care assistant recently discovered her client’s desire to see the Nutcracker, Penson snatched up tickets for the client, the caregiver, and the client’s daughter to attend the ballet together.

Arquette and Penson, who are comfortable with public speaking, are involved in community outreach through presentations and roundtables. They feel that they are in a unique position to gather, analyze and offer back valuable information to the public about the in-home care industry. “It’s like I’m giving away my trade secrets,” laughed Arquette. They speak to groups at churches, women’s groups, schools and social organizations free of charge, and sometimes invite local and national experts in the field to share their knowledge as part of the presentation. In February, Penson and Arquette will speak at a community outreach presentation at American Martyrs Church in Manhattan Beach, on two topics: “The Top Ten Questions to Ask When Hiring a Caregiver,” and “How to Avoid Being a Victim of Identity Theft.”

Adia means “gift” in Swahili, and both Penson and Arquette believe they are going beyond what is expected by giving the gift of friendship to their clients. “Everyday, I am touched and inspired by my work,” acknowledged Penson. She added, “When you have a sense of belonging, it gives meaning to your life. We strive to connect with our clients and their needs, and to give them that all important sense of belonging.”