Comfort and Care at Home

Too many of us worry about eventualities that never happen and seek solutions to problems that may never emerge.Very often these are related to age - be it our own encroaching years, or our very real concern related to our parents, who have already reached a stage of not being able to cope with encroaching medical problems, with daily chores,clerical requirements, modern paraphernalia,computer skills, difficulty with communicating in Hebrew- the list is endless. It is exacerbated by caring children when life finds them as the sandwich generation (between children on one side and parents on the other-as well as holding down demanding jobs -all requiring attention and guidance) or miles away geographically from parents and unable to give physical or emotional support.

It was this realization by a group of people attached to Beth Protea Retirement Home in Herzliya that created the formation of Protea Home Care. Its aim is to provide an all-encompassing formula to address the urgent need of extending the friendly, warm and loving care provided by this outstanding Home to the outside community. And so a light was lit in the fertile minds of compassionate people, and a project was born in the Sharon area that has grown and developed. It is a joint effort of committed and professional workers, together with numerous volunteers assisting in its essential work.

At the head of the project is Gadi Sharon, in charge of the Beth Protea kitchen (which in itself is recognized as a superb institutional catering facility). He is proud to introduce this Home Care service as essentially one that caters to every person's individual needs. This is a service, not a luxury, and it is priced fairly and accordingly.Comprehensive, intimate and very personal, it attempts to provide peace of mind to all involved.

Some of the services provided include:

• A case manager who makes regular home visits and is on call 24/7 to address unexpected emergencies and organize assistance.
• Provision of substantial meals delivered to your door (four-course nutritious meals, kosher, traditional).
• Administrative help with filling in forms, making appointments, simplifying the bureaucracy.
• Provision of transportation and assistance to hospitals, shopping, errands,visits.
• Handyman assistance such as changing lights, fixing leaks and other repairs.

Protea Home Care is also available on a temporary basis - (I used the meals-on-wheels option post-operative for six weeks).Each package is planned according to the needs of the individual or couple, and can be cancelled or altered at any stage.

Below are some comments from satisfied customers recently interviewed about the service.

Ella Slom told me how grateful she was that some months ago, when her husband was ill and ailing, her children living all over the world organized assistance from the Protea Home Care for her. While she herself is independent and able to go shopping and to cook, she needed help with caring for her husband.Her weekly case manager took over and assisted her with every problem that arose. He accompanied them to doctors' appointments and to the hospital for necessary scans and procedures.No task was too big or too small for him.When her husband died, she was faced with bureaucratic changes, translating official communications, needing to apply for her pension, notifying essential services of her change of status. Her case manager was indispensable and she is forever grateful for his assistance. 

Anton Felton praised the service that he and his wife June enjoy from this humanitarian home care. They made aliyah from England many years back and have no children here. He spoke of the wonderful quality of the people who assist them, and says they are like surrogate children. Their attention is loving, caring and competent, and the Feltons appreciate the security and peace of mind gained from Protea Home Care. Nothing is too much trouble. He referred to an emergency hospital visit, when their case manager accompanied June to the hospital in the ambulance. He swiftly took care of having her seen urgently, filling in all the necessary Hebrew forms and taking charge- an impossible task for Anton to have accomplished.

To quote Anton's words: "They are absolutely marvelous,totally wonderful caring people involved in this scheme."

A few of the care service customers were reluctant to be named. One of them spoke of his gratitude at receiving nutritious meals three times a week, and a visit once a week from a most concerned individual who helped him with bureaucratic problems and truly cared for his welfare. He felt he was not forgotten and was most appreciative of the service.

What rewarding interviews, and what a wonderful service this innovative crowd have established.How reassuring to know it exists.

Interested? Arrange a consultation without any commitment with Gadi, who can be reached at telephone 0546323603.