Senior Helpers steps in to fill a gap in non-medical in-home help

Company acquires local Caring Hands company to provide continuity of services in the Estes Valley

Story by Patti Brown

Estes Park is often called the “oldest” community in Colorado.

That has nothing to do with when the town was founded – April 17, 1917. Estes is considered the oldest community because more than 50 percent of the population of the community’s population is 60 years of age or older.

Compare that to the entire state – where 16 percent of the population is 65 and older.

And with that claim to fame, the community has some unique healthcare needs, especially since Estes Park Health closed its home healthcare and in-home hospice services a year ago.

To fill some of the void, Senior Helpers, a franchise founded in 2002 in Baltimore, has begun to provide what Gil Atanasoff calls “highly skilled non-medical” services in the Estes Valley including assistance with bathing, dressing, personal care, housekeeping, meal preparation, companionship, transportation to medical appointments, help with errands, and transitioning back home after a stay in a hospital or skilled nursing facility.

The company also can provide respite care so an individual’s care partner can have some relief in order to run errands, go to an appointment, or have some personal time.

Additionally, the company can partner with medical care providers to provide services for more complex needs, said Atanasoff, the owner and executive director of the franchise.

The company expanded to northern Colorado in 2017 and in October acquired Caring Hands, a home healthcare company that was started in 2002 by Rosemary Donahue, a registered nurse who lives in Allenspark.

In an interview with the Estes Valley Voice, Atanasoff said Senior Helpers is providing services to about a dozen clients in the Estes Valley, a third of whom are veterans whose care is funded through the Veterans Administration.

“There are folks that don’t even realize they had some of these benefits,” said Atanasoff. Senior Helpers employs a liaison on their client services team who specializes in helping veterans to figure out their VA benefits.

Services begin with an in-home care assessment to help determine what an individual’s needs are and what their resources are, such as the availability of family support and transportation. The assessment will also look at an individual’s mobility, their cognitive functioning, their medical issues, and their ability to attend to activities of daily living.

There are some things that Senior Helpers does not do. While it can remind a client to take their medication, Senior Helpers does not prepare a medication box, administer medications, or take vitals such as blood pressure readings.

“People that live up here full time want to be able to age in place and stay in their home,” said Atanasoff. Senior Helpers will work with hospice, or a physical or occupational therapist, or with independent nurses in private practice to provide care so someone can stay in their home.

“It’s not uncommon for us to stay with folks through the end of life,” said Atanasoff who stressed the importance of matching the personality of caregivers with clients.

“The company has a special commitment to support those with Alzheimer’s, dementia, and Parkinson’s,” said Atanasoff who sits on the board of Dementia Together and has been a supporter of the Parkinson’s Support Group in Larimer County.

To talk to someone at Senior Helpers about services in the Estes Valley, call 970-806-6040.