Concordia Tele Caregivers

OUR MISSION IS TO DELIVER QUALITY HOME HEALTH SERVICES, IN GOOD FAITH, ON BEHALF OF THOSE WHO ENTRUST THEMSELVES TO OUR CARE AND TO MINISTER TO THE UNIQUE NEEDS OF EACH INDIVIDUAL WITH RESPECT, DIGNITY, AND COMPASSION.

THE MISSION OF CONCORDIA TELE CAREGIVERS DBA CONCORDIA PRIVATE CARE (CPC) IS TO DELIVER QUALITY HOME CARE SERVICES, IN GOOD FAITH, ON BEHALF OF THOSE WHO ENTRUST THEMSELVES TO OUR CARE AND TO MINISTER TO THE UNIQUE NEEDS OF EACH INDIVIDUAL WITH RESPECT, DIGNITY, AND COMPASSION. APPROXIMATELY 820 CONSUMERS WERE SERVED ACROSS FIVE COUNTIES IN WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA. A TOTAL OF 68,577 VISITS, EQUATING TO 90,073.4 HOURS OF CARE, WERE DELIVERED BY OUR STAFF. WE SERVE THOSE OVER 65 IN THE COMMUNITY IN ORDER TO HELP THEM AGE IN PLACE IN THEIR HOME AS SAFELY AS POSSIBLE. OUR STAFF OF CAREGIVERS HELPS THEIR CONSUMERS WITH FUNCTIONS OF EVERYDAY LIVING INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO: BATHING, GROOMING, TOILETING, LIGHT HOUSEKEEPING, LAUNDRY, GROCERY SHOPPING, AND MEAL PREPARATION. THE CORONAVIRUS (COVID-19) PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY (PHE) POSED MANY CHALLENGES, AS WELL AS OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE ORGANIZATION THROUGH THE YEAR. WE SAW A SHIFT IN HEALTHCARE. THE PANDEMIC HAS CREATED NEW WAYS OF THINKING AND SOLUTIONS THAT WILL HELP TO CARRY HEALTHCARE SERVICES INTO THE FUTURE. IN MARCH 2020, THE ORGANIZATION IMPLEMENTED ITS EMERGENCY DISASTER PLAN. THE LEADERSHIP TEAM ACROSS THE CONTINUUM MET ROUTINELY TO CONTINUOUSLY EVALUATE THE SITUATION REGARDING THE PHE AND EVER-CHANGING STATE AND FEDERAL GUIDANCE FOR THE SAFE CARE OF PATIENTS WITH SUSPECTED OR KNOWN COVID-19 INFECTIONS WHILE ATTEMPTING TO KEEP ALL STAFF SAFE AND HEALTHY. AT TIMES, STAFFING BECAME A CHALLENGE WHEN STAFF NEEDED TO QUARANTINE DUE TO EXPOSURE OR TESTING POSITIVE FOR COVID-19. A STAFFING CONTINGENCY PLAN WAS PUT INTO PLACE SO THAT THE ORGANIZATION WOULD BE ABLE TO CARRY OUT ITS MISSION TO CARE FOR AS MANY PATIENTS AS POSSIBLE IN THE SAFEST OF WAYS. THROUGHOUT THE COVID-19 PHE, THE ORGANIZATION PROVIDED FOCUSED EDUCATION ON VARIOUS RELATED TOPICS. THESE TOPICS INCLUDED WHAT COVID-19 IS, HOW TO PREVENT THE SPREAD, HOW TO CARE FOR PATIENTS THAT ARE POSITIVE FOR COVID-19, MITIGATION EFFORTS, PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT UTILIZATION (THE ORGANIZATION PURCHASED $4,148 OF PPE AND RELATED SUPPLIES THROUGHOUT THE PAST YEAR) AND OTHER INFECTION CONTROL PRACTICES. THIS EDUCATION WAS PROVIDED THROUGH VARYING PLATFORMS SUCH AS SECURE MESSAGING, AT VIRTUAL STAFF MEETINGS AND THROUGH THE LEARNING MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE, ELSEVIER. STAFF HAVE ALSO BEEN EDUCATED ON COVID-19 VACCINATIONS AND THE IMPORTANCE OF VACCINATIONS AS A TOOL TO HELP END THE PHE. OUR CONSUMERS ARE REFERRED TO US FROM A WIDE VARIETY OF SOURCES. THESE INDIVIDUALS ARE OFTEN NURSING HOME ELIGIBLE FOR THEIR LEVEL OF CARE. OUR STAFF OF CAREGIVERS PROVIDES PERSONAL ASSISTANCE SERVICES TO THIS GROUP OF CONSUMERS. ANOTHER SOURCE OF CONSUMER REFERRAL IS THE LOCAL COUNTY AREA AGENCIES ON AGING. WE WORK WITH ALLEGHENY, BUTLER, AND WESTMORELAND COUNTY OPTIONS PROGRAMS WHICH FUND PERSONAL CARE AND HOME SUPPORT SERVICES TO FINANCIALLY QUALIFIED SENIORS. IN ADDITION, OUR ORGANIZATION ACCEPTS REFERRALS FROM THE VA TO ASSIST VETERANS WHO HAVE BEEN APPROVED FOR IN-HOME SERVICES INCLUDING HOME SUPPORT AND PERSONAL CARE. OUR ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF PROVIDES EDUCATION TO THE COMMUNITY BY SPEAKING AT DIFFERENT ENGAGEMENTS ON TOPICS REGARDING SENIOR INDEPENDENCE. THE CPC PRIVATE DUTY MANAGER AND THE CPC SERVICE COORDINATORS HAVE ADDRESSED DIFFERENT CONSUMER GROUPS LOCATED AT CONCORDIA CONTINUING CARE RETIREMENT COMMUNITIES WITHIN BUTLER AND ALLEGHENY COUNTY. OUR GOAL IS TO EDUCATE THE COMMUNITY WE SERVE, IN THE TOOLS AVAILABLE TO HELP THEM STAY IN THEIR HOMES AS SAFELY AS POSSIBLE FOR AS LONG AS POSSIBLE. WE HAVE CONTINUED TO OFFER AND ARRANGE CONTRACTED SPIRITUAL VISITS FOR OUR CONSUMERS THAT WERE PROVIDED BY CONCORDIA VISITING NURSES AT NO ADDED COST. WHILE MANY FUNDRAISERS AND EVENTS IN THE AREA WERE CANCELED AFTER THE START OF THE PANDEMIC IN EARLY 2020, DURING THE FISCAL YEAR CPC WAS ABLE TO SUPPORT MANY LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS WITH DIRECT FINANCIAL SUPPORT. THE FOLLOWING ORGANIZATIONS WERE SUPPORTED THROUGH SPONSORSHIPS: BHS FOUNDATION HANDBAGS FOR HOPE, BUTLER COUNTY COMMUNITY COLLEGE GOLF OUTING, CHRIST LUTHERAN CHURCH-PITTSBURGH GOLF OUTING, COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTER JEAN B PURVIS AWARD DINNER, CROSSFIT RECREATE EVENT, SAXONBURG AREA BASEBALL ASSOCIATION (SABA) TEAM AND FIELD SPONSORSHIP, SABA 13U TOURNAMENT TEAM SPONSORSHIP, SAXONBURG MINGLE ON MAIN EVENT. A SEVEN-WEEK LONG MISSION EVENT WAS HELD IN JANUARY AND FEBRUARY 2021 CALLED MONDAY BLUE JEANS DAYS. THE EVENT WAS ORGANIZED BY THE CONCORDIA COMMUNITY SUPPORT SERVICES MISSION COMMITTEE. EMPLOYEES WERE PERMITTED TO WEAR BLUE JEANS FOR A $5 DONATION AND THE DONATIONS WERE MATCHED BY CPC AND THEN USED TO SUPPORT A LOCAL CHARITY. A NEW CHARITY WAS CHOSEN EACH WEEK AND THE FOLLOWING ORGANIZATIONS WERE SUPPORTED DURING THAT TIME: CITY MISSION, THE LIGHTHOUSE FOUNDATION, TRINITY CHURCH OF WASHINGTON PA-KIDS CLOSET, AND GOOD SAMARITAN ENDOWMENT FUND. A TOTAL OF $60 WAS GIVEN TO THE CHARITIES; THAT AMOUNT WAS OFFSET BY EMPLOYEE CONTRIBUTIONS OF $15 FOR AN EXPENSE TO CPC OF $45. A DONATION WAS ALSO GIVEN TO BUTLER COUNTY YMCA. TOTAL DONATIONS AND SPONSORSHIPS MADE DURING FISCAL YEAR ENDED 06/30/2021 TOTALED $645. EMPLOYEES OF CPC WERE GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO PARTICIPATE IN SEVERAL MISSION EVENTS ORGANIZED BY THE HOME AND COMMUNITY-BASED AGENCIES OF CONCORDIA SUCH AS SERVING AT THE CABOT FOOD BANK DRIVE-THROUGH DISTRIBUTION AND COLLECTING NON-PERISHABLE FOOD ITEMS FOR THE ST LUKE LUTHERAN FOOD BANK. THESE ARE PART OF OUR ONGOING MISSION COMMITTEE THAT WAS FORMED TO ORGANIZE OPPORTUNITIES FOR EMPLOYEES TO SERVE THE COMMUNITY.

THE CONCORDIA TELE-CAREGIVERS PROGRAM IS A FREE PROGRAM AVAILABLE TO ANY PERSON IN THE CONCORDIA SERVICE TERRITORY. CLIENTS OF THE PROGRAM ARE CONTACTED VIA TELEPHONE EACH WEEKDAY MORNING BY A VOLUNTEER JUST TO ENSURE THAT THE CLIENT IS AWAKE, FUNCTIONING AND ABLE TO ANSWER THEIR PHONE. DURING THE PHONE CONVERSATION, WE ENSURE THAT THE CLIENT HAS TAKEN STEPS TO EAT BREAKFAST AS WELL AS TAKE ALL DIRECTED MEDICATIONS. IF THE CLIENT DOES NOT ANSWER THEIR PHONE AT THEIR ASSIGNED TIME, ACTION STEPS ARE TAKEN TO ENSURE THAT SOMEONE IS REACHED WHO CAN EITHER CONFIRM THE CLIENT'S WHEREABOUTS OR CAN GO TO THE CLIENT'S HOME TO ENSURE THAT THEY ARE SAFE. THIS PROGRAM PROVIDES ADDITIONAL COMFORT IN ONE'S HOME, AND CAN GIVE FAMILY MEMBERS OF ELDERLY RELATIVES LIVING ALONE AN ADDITIONAL SENSE OF COMFORT. DURING THE FISCAL YEAR ENDED 06/30/2021, 12 CLIENTS WERE PROVIDED WITH DAILY PHONE CALLS BY A TOTAL OF 4 VOLUNTEERS. AS PART OF OUR CONCORDIA CARES PROGRAM, A MULTI-PART PROGRAM TO LIFT OUR RESIDENTS' AND PATIENTS' SPIRITS DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC, ADDITIONAL PROMOTION OF THE CONCORDIA TELE-CAREGIVERS PROGRAM OCCURRED TO BE ABLE TO REACH MORE CLIENTS INTERESTED IN THE SERVICE. WE CAME TO LEARN THAT SEVERAL MEMBER CHURCHES WERE WORKING TO SUPPORT ELDERLY HOME-BOUND MEMBERS IN A SIMILAR FASHION WITH DAILY OR WEEKLY TOUCH POINTS. WE OFFERED TRAINING AND ASSISTANCE WITH THEIR GROWING PROGRAMS CONSIDERING OUR KNOWLEDGE IN THE SUBJECT MATTER.