CareFor is an incredible gift to anyone you may know who requires caregiving, as well as emotional support. We initially had CareFor set up to come and help my grandmother with my grandfather's care as he regained his strength following an illness. They are flexible, compassionate, and able to staff any situation - whether it's a few hours of support in the afternoon, or around the clock care. Catherine, the owner, reached out to me personally and quickly had Nova, the dear, compassionate caregiving coordinator lined up to meet with me, my grandmother, father and I to gently discuss my independent and able grandmother's new normal of having to rely on regular help. Nova navigated this delicate situation beautifully and her visit left ALL of us, especially my grandmother so encouraged, relieved, and enthusiastic about how helpful this would be to both my grandparents.
In a shocking turn of events, the day they were scheduled to come was the day we found out that my grandfather would instead be coming home to Hospice Care. I could only hope that the people we had in place were the right people for Hospice caregiving as well; Sonder Hospice was guiding us beautifully on the hospice end of things and I could only hope that the staff at CareFor were as able as Sonder assured me they were. Upon meeting WONDERFUL Pauline, our nighttime caregiver (who arrived 2 hours earlier than planned, for what would now be a 14 hour shift), all fears were quelled. She deftly guided me in managing his comfort and care, was gentle in her approach but also direct in helping me know what needed to happen when. She was a wonderful partner and help to me as I settled into becoming my grandfather's designated family caregiver. While not licensed as an RN, Pauline was extremely knowledgable, compassionate, and easy to be around. She knew when to step back around the family, and knew when I needed an ear. She offered ways to help my grandmother feel supported as well, at the time and in the months ahead. There were times late at night when her support of me personally was invaluable as I navigated this overwhelming, intense experience.
The morning came and our new caregiver, Karina took over. What an absolute joy Karina was to have around in such a time. She was positive, knowledgable, and comforting, and her background as a former nurse tech was so helpful. Like Pauline, Karina was extremely experienced with hospice care and guided us in some best practices for preparing the soul and body to depart, including a beautiful bathing and lotion massage ritual that helped us feel more at peace and ready to let my dear grandfather pass on. Both of them helped my grandfather get comfortable with a new injury that had just occurred prior to him leaving the hospital, and I cannot express how grateful I am to them both for their support and guidance on that front. They were supportive and thoughtful each step of the way, and was perfectly in tune with what was needed in my grandfather's final hours, including giving us space, letting us get a bit of sleep, watching for subtle signs of pain in my grandfather's demeanor - every single thing we could possibly ask for short of administering medication (*this must be done by a family member in Hospice care) was handled by our experienced caregivers and I'm so grateful they were on our team. They are gifted at what they do, and this line of work is a true calling.
In short, the CareFor staff were an invaluable component of our hospice caregiving team, and the very best gift we could give my grandparents in the hardest last days of their 69 years of marriage. We will call on CareFor without hesitation if the need ever arises for my grandmother, and I know she will welcome them back with open arms. What a gift they were to our family in an unimaginably difficult time. read more
