A South Georgia in-home care service provides seniors with an alternative to nursing homes, offering Medicaid-covered support and family caregiver training.
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South Georgia in-home care offers seniors a nursing home alternative
Many families in South Georgia think nursing homes are their only option for aging relatives, but in-home care services are providing an alternative that allows seniors to stay in their own homes.
With seniors making up about 20% of the population in Thomas Countya number expected to growaccess to care can be limited even as needs continue to rise.
Desserrita Dyson started Hawkins Heart In-Home Care to help bridge this gap. The service, which in many cases can be covered through Medicaid, helps seniors stay in their homes instead of moving into a facility.
“Well, I’ve talked to several people that were unaware of the service. Even like yesterday, I spoke with an employee at AT&T, and I was like, I know a lot of people that can use this in the Colquitt County area because that’s where they’re from, but a lot of people really don’t know that this program exist,” Dyson said.
The program is fully covered by Medicaid. The process includes eligibility verification, medical records, and state approval through a case management system. It can take anywhere from 60 to 90 days, depending on the type of Medicaid and individual needs.
Dyson said the services are not limited to Medicaid clients alone.
“We do accept private pay clients. And what we do is I’ll send my nurse out to do an assessment to see what all they need, and the rate is based off of the needs in the home,” Dyson said.
The services offered include light housekeeping, help with medications, meal preparation, errands, transportation, and personal care support.
Carolyn Coachman, a senior who uses the service, said it makes a big difference.
“Oh, it’s awesome. I should have had it a long, long time ago,” Coachman said.
Coachman relies on the service for daily tasks that her family members are unable to assist with due to their work schedules.
“And she just do the things that I can’t do. My kids, they have jobs like manager jobs and stuff. And it’s kind of hard for them to get off, you know, for work. And so she’s always free. So I call her to do things for me like that,” Coachman said.
The consistent care provides peace of mind for both Coachman and her family.
“So she comes twice a week and stays about three hours. And she’s always in and out. So I’m safe. She always wanna know where I am. You can’t go nowhere without her,” Coachman said.
Hawkins Heart In-Home Care currently serves about 26 clients across 10 counties in South Georgia. Services are based on the number of hours approved through each care plan.
“This allows them to stay home and be in a safe environment and allow their families to not have to worry about taking care of them, or if that family member does end up having to quit their job, it allows them to get paid to take care of the family member versus putting them in a nursing home,” Dyson said.
The company also trains and hires caregivers, helping some family members get paid to care for loved ones instead of having to quit their jobs or turn to a nursing home.
Dyson said she is now focused on expanding the people she serves, hoping to offer these services to veterans and eventually provide in-home care for children with special needs.
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