LifePath Inc. is seeking people who are interested in opening up their homes to provide care to those who would otherwise end up in nursing homes or be institutionalized.
Caregivers in the Adult Family Care program at LifePath, formerly Franklin County Home Care Corp., provide participants with private rooms, meals and assistance with activities like dressing, bathing, medication management and transportation to medical appointments, depending on needs. Participants cannot live alone safely due to medical, physical, cognitive or behavioral challenges.
According to LifePath Executive Director Barbara Bodzin, caregivers work from their own homes and work with a nurse and social worker on individual care plans. She said anyone who has extra room and the ability to provide a caring, safe environment and personal care assistance may be eligible to become a caregiver.
Caregivers — who receive a tax-exempt stipend for their work — can include a participant’s family member, excluding spouse, parent of a minor or legal guardian, or an unrelated individual who wants to enhance the life of a participant by caring for them in their home, she said.
The Adult Family Care program recently received three-year accreditation through the National Committee for Quality Assurance for case management for long-term services and support. The program matches caregivers with participants, who are at least 16 years.
Janet Calcari, Adult Family Care program director, said if there’s one thing everyone wants, it’s a sense of belonging, and that’s what the program gives participants, helping them feel like they belong to a community, to a family.
“We support the client and caregiver as much as they need,” Calcari said.
LifePath serves more than 135 people in Franklin, Hampden, Hampshire, Worcester and Berkshire counties.
“We take great pride in the success and longevity of our participants’ placements and the excellent care they receive from devoted caregivers,” Bodzin said. “The need for caregivers continues to grow as the population ages. Expanding the caregiver network allows us to serve more of our neighbors.”
For more information, call LifePath at 413-773-5555 or 978-544-2259 in the North Quabbin region, or email: info@lifepathma.org. Also visit: lifepathma.org.
You can reach Anita Fritz at: afritz@recorder.com or 413-772-0261, ext. 269