One Call Establishes a Caring Relationship

VNA Support Adapts to Meet Changing Needs
Each day, families throughout Northern New Jersey discover that “One Call. Home Care Services for Life” is much more than a marketing slogan when the VNA adjusts or expands the assistance it provides to conform to their changing needs.

“As life expectancies have increased and the elderly have clearly expressed a preference for aging in place, the number of clients and caregivers who receive a variety of services over the course of several years has also increased,” observed Lisa Salamone, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer for the VNA. “It’s not uncommon for a patient who initially requires episodic home care, including skilled nursing and rehabilitation therapy, to require additional short-term care for recurrent or new conditions before ultimately turning to us for ongoing assistance. In many instances, a declining medical condition or routine symptoms of advanced age take a toll and create a sustained need for help with essential household tasks or respites for a loved one who serves as the primary caregiver.”

In addition, families who might otherwise be reluctant to accept end-of-life Hospice support when needed are receiving that helpful, comforting service because they have confidence and trust in the VNA, she said. The agency’s supportive care process makes the transition to Hospice effortless for the patient and their loved ones.

From Skilled Care to Day Care
The experience of Kenneth and Lois Hammer vividly illustrates the VNA’s “one call” concept. Ken is a Parkinson’s patient who has also required acute hospital care and inpatient rehabilitation therapy due to a serious fall that resulted in a brain hemorrhage and knee replacement surgery. His wife Lois, who has her own health concerns, juggles caring for him, shared caregiving responsibility for her 91-year-old father and legal guardianship of a disabled adult stepson.

Ken first received VNA nursing, physical and occupational therapy and home health aide assistance for one month in 2010 following a hospital stay and again later that year into early 2011. A VNA social worker who visited Lois learned that the demands of attending to her husband, who requires constant supervision due to short-term memory loss and mild dementia, were beginning to overwhelm her.

Lois recalls that meeting as a turning point because it led to Ken’s enrollment in Friendship House, an adult day program operated by the VNA in Boonton. Now, Ken looks forward to the companionship and activities the center offers and Lois receives a break from her stressful routine. “I can’t say enough good things about the VNA,” she remarked. “As much as I hate to admit it, my situation was becoming too much for me. I was confined at home with Ken, unable to even go as far as the grocery or drug store without imposing on a neighbor to check-in.” 

​“Ken tends to be lethargic and depressed when he’s at home too much. He looks forward to attending Friendship House. He’s always greeted with a smile and his face lights up when he sees the staff there. Everyone is kind and respectful and he’s treated well,” she said. “Friendship House has been wonderful for both of us.”


Caregiver Support and Referrals
The experience of Kenneth and Lois Hammer vividly illustrates the VNA’s “one call” concept. Ken is a Parkinson’s patient who has also required acute hospital care and inpatient rehabilitation therapy due to a serious fall that resulted in a brain hemorrhage and knee replacement surgery. His wife Lois, who has her own health concerns, juggles caring for him, shared caregiving responsibility for her 91-year-old father and legal guardianship of a disabled adult stepson.

To her surprise, Lois has found that the center has more to offer than respite time and she enjoys participating in the monthly Caregiver Support Group. “I pick up good information there,” she said. “It’s helpful to hear from others dealing with similar issues and I learn from their experiences.”

​In fact, at one of the group’s meetings, Courtney Conway, LSW, MSW, a VNA social worker, spoke about the New Jersey Respite for Caregivers program. Through that referral, Lois discovered she was eligible for a custodial care respite benefit and she recently joined a family member for her first bona fide vacation in several years while Ken received inpatient care at a local assisted living facility.

“The synergies that have allowed us to meet multiple needs for this family are not coincidental or unique. We offer a comprehensive roster of home care solutions designed to work in unison and in succession to ensure that we can seamlessly accommodate the changing needs of our clients and their caregivers,” observed Lisa Salamone.

VNA services encompass everything from skilled medical care to homemaker and companion services. In addition to Medicare, Medicaid and private insurance eligible care, the agency provides private pay services and participates in numerous grant-funded programs that make its services available at no cost or reduced cost to those who meet income and eligibility requirements.

The VNA Friendship House, located on the grounds of St. Clare’s Behavioral Health in Boonton, is open from Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Adults who require supervision due to physical or cognitive impairment or advanced age are eligible to participate from one to five days per week. Financial assistance with program fees is available to those who qualify. If you have a loved one who might benefit from the Friendship House Adult Day Program, please call Mayelin Ravelo, the Program Coordinator, at (973) 451-4152 for a free consultation and tour.

Participation in the VNA Friendship House has proven to be an important turning point for Douglas Chaves and his wife and primary caregiver, Luz. “This program is fantastic and we have both benefited from our involvement,” she said.

Caregiver Lois Hammer (left) believes she benefits from Friendship House as much as her husband. In fact, she’s so grateful for the respite it provides, she sometimes volunteers to help the staff, including Mayelin Ravelo, Manager of Community Services (right), oversee activities and makes crafts such as fall pumpkin pins to distribute to everyone.