Published: August 30, 2008 10:59 pm         

Visiting Angels

New business provides nonmedical in-home care

Some Southern West Virginian senior citizens are getting visits from angels — that is, from the new Raleigh Avenue business Visiting Angels which provides nonmedical home care services.

Beckley’s Visiting Angels, which has over 170 locations nationwide, opened its doors July 1 and serves five counties: Raleigh, Fayette, Summers, Greenbrier and Mercer. Although Visiting Angels’ focus on these counties, they will also travel to Wyoming, McDowell and Nicholas counties, according Michelle Rotellini, director and owner of the business.

Rotellini said business has been increasing throughout the opening and more is expected more.

“So far, we have about a dozen clients and we’re expecting it to double by the end of the year,” she said. “As the number of seniors in the U.S. continues to grow, so does the market for non-medical senior home care. Chances are you will, at some point, be looking for a caregiver for an elderly family member.”

As an alternative to nursing homes, Visiting Angels assists seniors with daily living. Their services include meal preparation, basic household chores, personal hygiene, shopping and companionship.

Rotellini said one of the more interesting things they do are angel visits, services designed for people who need minimal care. The client can have a wake up call which includes bathing, dressing assistance and meal preparation in a three-hour visit.

The business also provides a peace of mind call, in which caregivers check in twice per day to offer peace of mind to family members who can’t be with their loved one.

Other programs include fixing minor household appliances such as a leaky faucet or helping with seasonal preparations and errand services. The services are also designed to solve the problem of high home care costs, Rotellini says. Fees are designed to reduce the financial burden to clients.

“Today’s seniors wish to maintain their independence and quality of life as long as possible,” Rotellini said. “At the same time, their adult children are often sandwiched between taking care of their own offspring and helping their elderly parent who may live hours away. That’s why the Visiting Angels non-medical home care has become popular throughout southern West Virginia.”

What makes them unique, she said, is that people are allowed to interview their caregiver before they choose. After Rotellini makes an assessment of their care needs, she chooses three possible caregivers and sends the person the top choice. The person is then allowed to ask them any question on their mind. If for some reason, however, they do not want that person, they call Rotellini and she goes down the list of matches and keeps trying.

“We do that until we find a match,” she said. “Character is an important aspect to our business. Interviewing is a good way for the person to find out about their character.”

Each caregiver is given a comprehensive background check and are required to have experience in the field they are assigned to. Most clients, according to Rotellini, have two years of experience in these services and have CPR training. These caregivers provide up to 24-hour care.

The business also prides itself in not dictating the person’s schedule. Meeting the needs of clients, one of the business’ mottos is “Our schedule is your schedule.” This allows the person to be independent and live their own life, Rotellini says.

“At Visiting Angels, we are dedicated to working with clients and their families to ensure the best possible non-medical home care,” she said. “Nothing is better than providing the quality care that allows and elderly client to stay in their own home.”

For more information, call Visiting Angels at 304-252-5060.