We learn to care at a very early age. We take care of our toys; we care for a new puppy; we model the care we see our parents give a new baby or sick grandparent. These lessons serve us well as we grow up. Sometimes, our early experiences help us navigate to a career with profound meaning for us. “When I was in my 20s, I watched my mother spend five years caring for my brother, who was ill,” Bill Bogage recalls. “She helped him with everything. There was very little outside help available. That memory has always been in the back of my mind.” Bill’s wife, Jill, also learned about caring from family. She was very close to her grandparents. “When it was needed, my grandparents hired a caregiver who lived with them. After my grandfather died, she stayed on and continued to take care of my grandmother,” Jill explains. “She taught us all and gave our whole family peace of mind. We could spend more quality time with my grandmother knowing that her needs were being met by someone who really cared.”

A NEW CAREER
When the Bogages decided to change careers, they looked for something to do that was worth their while–a needed service in the community–something that would provide a sense of personal reward. After an extensive investigation of the home health industry, Bill and Jill selected Interim HealthCare, a nationally respected home care and health care staffing franchise company. Bill serves as CEO, and Jill is HR and marketing director. Since its founding in 1966, Interim HealthCare has grown to over 300 independently operated franchise locations that employ more than 75,000 nurses, therapists, aides and health care personnel. Across the nation, Interim HealthCare franchises serve approximately 50,000 people each day.

“What differentiates Interim HealthCare is our focus on the continuum of care that we provide,” Bill explains. “Jill and I are both Certified Senior Advisors, and we understand that caring for someone in their home is much more than just making sure they get their meals and their medications. Our mission statement says so much–we improve people’s lives.” Indeed, the support Interim HealthCare offers allows patients to remain at home or transition back home after a hospital or nursing home stay. The list of services is extensive, and Interim’s in-home nurses and aides are thoroughly and professionally trained to provide excellent care that enriches lives.

IN THE COMFORT OF YOUR HOME
Assistance with daily living activities is a core service. Interim’s HomeLife Enrichment Program focuses on the whole person–body, mind, spirit and family. Addressing these areas of a person’s care can enhance his or her recovery, engagement with others, and quality of life. Programs that focus on the body include home safety assessments, exercise, and personal response systems. Brain games, puzzles and conversation are fun ways to keep patients thinking. A patient’s spirit is enhanced with Pals2Pets, a program that helps people keep and care for their four-legged companions, patient life reviews, and other interactive activities. And, of course, families are supported in so many ways: with respite care and Caregiver’s Coaching, an Interim support program for family caregivers.

Individuals, not just the elderly but anyone recuperating from surgery or illness, may need help with dressing, bathing, meals and medications, help with a walker or wheelchair. They can thrive with companion assistance in managing doctor appointments, reading, cooking, exercise or going on walks. Light housework, laundry, taking out the garbage, doing dishes, and shopping can become overwhelming to someone who has diminished capacity. Interim’s personal care aides and certified nursing assistants are trained to do many tasks like these with integrity, skill, and compassion. All Interim care professionals are interviewed, bonded, insured, and drug/background checked.

Higher level nursing care at home is available. Skilled nursing services, such as health assessments, teaching family members about diseases and treatments, taking lab samples, changing dressings, and giving medications are managed by RNs and LPNs. Specialty nurses provide dementia care, glucose monitoring, IV infusion therapy, injections, ostomy and wound care, pain management and other therapies. “We can provide as much as 24/7 in-home care, or as little as emergency or one-time hourly service; there’s no minimum. We also offer respite care for family members. We’re very responsive and flexible to what is needed on an individual basis,” Jill explains. “We recently got a call at 5:30 from a patient who needed immediate help, and we had a nurse there by 7:30. We match the right caregiver to each patient’s unique requirements and interests. Our nurses also take the guess work out of doctors’ orders and report back to primary care physicians.”

COMPASSIONATE CARE
Interim HealthCare serves ten counties, concentrating on Iredell, Rowan, Alexander and Stanley. Their office in Mooresville is in the Mount Mourne Springs Center off I-77 at exit 33. With hands-on administrative guidance from Bill and Jill, the team of over 30 in-home care professionals is supervised by Jamineka Davis, CNA and client care coordinator and Jacob Hedrick, RN director and service supervisor. “What impresses me most is that the Bogages are totally involved with our clients. Every one has direct access to Bill and Jill,” Jamineka shared. “Jill contacts our families immediately, she’s in touch with their doctors, and she’s even available to fill in if needed. The training and support they offer our caregivers is extensive and very important to our quality service. The Bogages go above and beyond.”

IN THE COMMUNITY
The Interim HealthCare team is a specialized resource for area families and patients. “Our job is to point folks in the right direction when they have questions or need additional services,” Jill says. “We work with helping agencies like Meals on Wheels, Kiwanis, organizations that address children’s needs, those that provide therapy dogs and others. As Certified Senior Advisors, we can answer questions that are important to the elderly and their families—social and health issues, financial and legal needs, as well as resources in other areas.” As an Alzheimer’s Foundation of America qualified dementia home care provider, Jill is a resource for those needing help with family members.

HELPING ANYONE GET BETTER
“About 25% of our clients are under 55. We care for children, teens, adults and elders, all with the same quality in-home service,” Bill states. “We can send caregivers to assisted living centers or re-hab facilities. Over half of our clients get better and move off of our services, which is what we want. In-home care is very helpful when someone is transitioning from hospital to home. If family would call us before someone leaves the hospital, we can provide useful support arranging for medical equipment, doing an in-home safety check or helping the individual become adept at using a walker, wheelchair or other items. They are less likely to go back to the hospital and are more confident that being at home is going to work for them.”

WHEN IT MATTERS MOST
I met Bill’s mom, Harriett, while I visited. She’s proud to turn 82 this month, and very happy to lend a hand several days each week. She’s been through the Alzheimer’s training and loves being active and helpful. “Mom moved in with us in June. She gives us perspective,” Bill said with a smile. Harriett says, “Being with family is the most important part to me.” I think all of Bill’s clients would say the same.

Interim HealthCare
235 Medical Park Road, Suite 203
Mooresville, NC 28117
(704) 658-0555
www.interimhealthcare.com/carolinas