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Meet Madison Hoover – Elevating Client Support Through Compassionate Guidance
Madison Hoover’s commitment to a high level of customer service through empathy, guidance, and compassion tailored to each client is unparalleled. Since joining the Client Services department in March of 2020, the clients and families that she serves at Leisure World have continuously sung Madison’s praises for the incredible support she has provided to them:
“Communications with Madison and her efforts to meet our caregiving needs are excellent, timely, and responsive.”
“Madison has been a joy to work with. She is very helpful, returns my calls promptly, and is knowledgeable.”
“Our new manager, Madison took over the job beautifully, maintaining a high level of coordination. In the very rare times when a Caregiver did not work out, Madison has handled the problem quickly and with sensitivity.”
Madison’s sense of organization and attention to detail, responsiveness, caring nature, and excellent communication skills, especially in complex situations, as demonstrated by the feedback above is a testament to her dedication to those in the community she serves, as well as the professionals she works alongside.
Madison holds a bachelor’s degree in Family & Human Services in addition to a master’s degree in Healthcare Administration. Prior to joining the Family & Nursing Care team, she worked as a case manager and mental health administrator for military families for four years.
Madison and her husband are excitedly anticipating the arrival of a baby boy this summer.
Client Spotlight: Phyllis Sheerin Ross
Phyllis Sheerin Ross is full of gratitude for the big and small beauty each day has to offer, like watching the sun rise with a steaming hot cup of coffee, surprise calls from friends, spending time with her family, and relaxing at home while listening to her favorite tunes that can range anywhere from a violin concerto to old time rock and roll.
When reflecting on the favorite year of her life, Phyllis recalls 1961 and her first real job as a Correspondent for Book of the Month Club in New York City. Even though the job had its share of learning curves, Phyllis thinks back to her first apartment in Greenwich Village – a converted hotel room with only a hot plate to cook on – with pride as it was a symbol of independence and an exciting time to grow and thrive in adulthood. She recounts getting her morning bagel and being so happy that she could tip the server, as well as making forever friends in the Village, including her future husband, Earl.
Though long past that New York rush era in her life, through Family & Nursing Care, Phyllis is able to maintain her independence with the support of a Caregiver who provides companionship to admire today’s joys, re-live fond memories, and lean on in tougher times. When Phyllis first met her Caregiver, Selam, her beloved cat Bugsy was feeling a bit shy. He hid under the bed, and it took some sweet talking and crunchy cat treats to get him out of his shell. Now that initial reticence feels like a distant memory. Bugsy is like a teenager in love when it comes to Selam, constantly nuzzling up to her and purring. Phyllis sees her Caregiver as a vital part of her family now and the trio continues to make so many new memories together.
As we head into 2024, Phyllis says her only resolution this year is to abide by John Wesley’s (1707-1791) “Rule of Conduct”:
Do all the good you can,
By all the means you can,
In all the ways you can,
In all the places you can,
At all the times you can,
To all the people you can,
As long as ever you can.
The Family & Nursing Care Foundation – Establishing a Legacy
Family & Nursing Care was recently recognized by the Washington Business Journal as one of the top 15 midsize companies for giving in the Greater D.C. area. The Family & Nursing Care Foundation plays a big role in the company’s philanthropic efforts.
“When I founded Family & Nursing Care in 1968, my dream was to provide older adults and their families peace of mind by offering them a resource for reliable, dedicated, and compassionate home care whenever it was needed,” says Family & Nursing Care’s founder and visionary, Sandy Kursban.
At Family & Nursing Care, they clearly understand that the cost of home care may be a barrier for lower income older adults who could benefit from home care. That’s why Sandy established the Family & Nursing Care Foundation, a fund of the Greater Washington Community Foundation, in 2008. Through grants to community partners the Foundation helps lower-income older adults gain access to needed home care.
“It warms my heart that so many members of our Family & Nursing Care staff have chosen and continue to choose to make donations to the Family & Nursing Care Foundation – whether through payroll deduction, at our annual holiday party, or through initiatives such as our GivHero challenge,” says Sandy.
Fostering the Next Generation of Caregivers
The Family & Nursing Care Foundation not only helps low-income older adults to have access to quality home care, but the Foundation also awards scholarship funds to Montgomery College to help local students become the next generation of trained Certified Nursing Assistants (CNAs).
Sandy says it’s rewarding to talk with the scholarship recipients – especially upon graduation – and hear how grateful they are for the support that provided them an opportunity to not only improve their lives, but also the lives of others.
“This is what my life, both personal and professional, is all about,” says Sandy. “With the work of the Foundation, our commitment to helping others can extend to more people than ever before.”
Sandy recalls a time when a scholarship recipient inquired with her about joining Family & Nursing Care as a Caregiver. After following Sandy’s guidance and gaining two years of long-term care experience in a nursing home or private duty setting (Family & Nursing Care’s prerequisite for onboarding Caregivers), the CNA scholarship recipient is now a Caregiver with Family & Nursing Care and is helping to improve the lives of clients through compassionate care.
What’s Next
The number of Americans aged 65 and older is projected to more than double to 98 million by 2060, and Maryland’s projected population of people over 60 is expected to make up 26% of the 6.7 million total population by 2030. Recent studies have shown that there will need to be more than 1.3 million new Caregivers to meet the home care demand for this growing population.
“I started the Foundation because I wanted to offer assistance for older adults who couldn’t afford care,” says Sandy. “Now, it’s also really important to make sure that we have enough Caregivers as the population ages.”
It is the Foundation’s goal to continue to advocate for low-income seniors and the care they deserve, all while supporting the next generation of Caregivers who will provide care for those seniors.
“Together, we can make a huge difference in the lives of so many others,” Sandy says.
Family & Nursing Care Awarded with the 2022 NBRI Circle of Excellence Award
Family & Nursing Care is thrilled to have been recognized with the National Business Research Institute’s (NBRI) Circle of Excellence Award for the seventh consecutive year. This prestigious award recognizes outstanding achievements in Customer, Staff, and Caregiver Satisfaction based on data gathered from 2021 annual surveys of Caregivers, staff, and clients.
The data collected from the survey helps our team understand the experiences of our clients and their Caregivers and allows us to identify areas of excellence, in addition to opportunities for growth and improvement. With a focus on delivering the best client, Caregiver, and staff experience, this validation is meaningful to Family & Nursing Care, and we are proud to share:
- Caregivers categorized all 10 topics addressed in the survey as strengths, with Technology and Benefits & Compensation seeing a significant increase in satisfaction over the 2020 survey results. Additionally, 94% of respondents answered that “Overall, I like being a caregiver with Family & Nursing Care.”
- This year, we added an office staff survey gauging 14 different areas. Our office staff identified all 14 areas as strengths, with Values & Vison and Supervision performing at a best-in-class level of 90% or above satisfaction rating.
- Clients expressed 94% satisfaction with the initial intake process, and 96% of respondents answered that they would recommend Family & Nursing Care to a friend or family member.
Family & Nursing Care embraces the best practice of continually assessing customer and worker experiences (including staff and Caregivers for Family & Nursing Care) and targeting the variables that drive these experiences to provide Family & Nursing Care with the keen insight and actions necessary for the continuous improvement of client, staff, and Caregiver thinking, behavior, and experience.
Meet Lauren Whaley – A Client Services Manager Who Has Made a Big Impact in a Short Timeframe
Lauren Whaley joined the Family & Nursing Care team in October of 2020 as a Client Services Manager Associate. In her short time with us, she has already made a big impact, including receiving a promotion and assuming a full caseload as a Client Services Manager.
The wealth of knowledge she gained assisting families in need through her prior work at Make-a-Wish Foundation and Easterseals, paired with her diverse skill set and passion to enhance the lives of others, has allowed her to jump right into her expanded role. Lauren provides home visits to her clients to better understand their needs, assists with our afterhours program, and more!
As a Client Services Manager, Lauren’s attention to detail, dependability, organization, and calm demeanor allows her to effectively communicate and connect with clients and co-workers alike.
A graduate of University of Maryland, Lauren enjoys spending her free time with her family, staying active with yoga and Peloton, and traveling.
Family & Nursing Care Select – A Home Care Agency That Advocates on Your Behalf
Family & Nursing Care Select is a home care agency that employs rigorously-screened and highly-qualified Caregivers to provide home care to older adults.
Upon starting care, a Supervisory Nurse will meet with you to assess the client’s needs and create a Plan of Care. Clients and their families enjoy the peace of mind that comes from knowing there is a Registered Nurse (RN) overseeing the care, checking in regularly, and making any adjustments needed.
Experience the benefits and comfort of Family & Nursing Care Select
- Our home care agency is focused on compassionate and reliable in-home care.
- Our nurse oversight is welcomed by adult children who find the extra reassurance comforting or are not able to check in on their loved ones regularly because they live too far away or their schedule will not allow it.
- Each Select Caregiver, as an employee, receives ongoing supervision and training specific to the health conditions and individual needs of each client. Each Caregiver is also covered by the company’s professional liability and worker’s compensation insurance.
- Caregivers are paid by Family & Nursing Care Select.
- Client invoices are sent and payable every other week.
- As an added service to clients with Long-Term Care Insurance, Family & Nursing Care Select help clients and their families better understand the benefits offered by their policy and helps them file the requisite paperwork for
reimbursement (see more information below). - Our Caregivers receive overtime pay when working 40+ hours/week. Unlike many other agencies, we don’t pass this cost on to you. We absorb that cost so that clients experience the many benefits realized from superior continuity of care with greater consistency of Caregivers.
Flexible Commitments to Meet Everyone’s Unique Needs
Many people aren’t aware of the flexible nature of home care. Care can be arranged for just a few hours a day up to 24 hours a day. There is no long-term obligation.
We recognize that every family’s needs are different and there is no one-size-fits-all answer. People who try home care experience such positive changes in their life and in the life of their loved one that they often choose to receive services long term. We work together with you to find a solution for your unique family situation.
A Home Care Agency that Advocates on Your Behalf
While services from a private duty home care company like Family & Nursing Care (both Family & Nursing Care Classic and Family & Nursing Care Select options) are not eligible for reimbursement from Medicare, Medicaid, or general health insurance, most Long-Term Care Insurance (LTCI) policies reimburse their policyholders for these private duty services.
LTCI policies reimburse policyholders either a daily, weekly, or monthly maximum amount for home care to assist them with activities of daily living. Some policies will also have a benefit for home care if your loved one is diagnosed with a cognitive impairment, and needs dementia or Alzheimer’s care.
As an added service to our clients who have LTCI, Family & Nursing Care Select helps you better understand the benefits offered by your policy and helps you file the requisite paperwork for reimbursement. We first have a conference call between the Long-Term Care Insurance carrier and our Family & Nursing Care Select Long Term Care Manager to support you in getting a full understanding of the criteria, benefits, and next steps to a successful and smooth experience with the claims reimbursement process.
Family & Nursing Care Select can also assist you with getting reimbursements from your LTCI carrier for the cost of our Services by submitting the necessary claim documentation to your LTCI company.
Our specialized support allows us to advocate on your behalf.
We believe it is our job to ease your mind and present solutions to your challenges—not cause you more paperwork and aggravation.
In need of home care services? Contact us to get started!
We’re Ringing in 2022 with a Win!
Happy New Year 2022! We hope you had a wonderful holiday season.
Here at Family & Nursing Care, we are ringing in 2022 by celebrating being voted “Best In-Home Health Care Provider” in Bethesda Magazine’s Best of Bethesda Readers’ Poll!
Every year, local feature and lifestyle publication, Bethesda Magazine, enlists its readers to vote on the best of the best in the Bethesda area. The program accepts only write-in votes to identify local companies that its readers believe provide premium service to their customers and community while helping make the Bethesda area a great place to live, work, and play.
This is our 7th time winning the “Best In-Home Care Provider” crown, having had previous wins from 2013-2019, and making the list as a Top Vote Getter in 2020 and 2021. We are humbled and honored to receive this distinction as it’s public recognition like this that enables us to reach out and provide support to even more clients.
At Family & Nursing Care we work tirelessly to fulfill our mission to enhance the lives of older adults in our region. We continuously seek to innovate and find ways to improve the client experience and exceed clients’ expectations. Being voted “Best of Bethesda” honors that work and gives us the confidence to keep moving forward in making a difference in someone’s life every day.
We thank the clients, Caregivers, and professionals with whom we are privileged to interact, for placing their trust in us and allowing us to continue our valuable work.
Industry Insights from Family & Nursing Care’s CEO, Neal Kursban
Family & Nursing Care CEO, Neal Kursban, is a well-respected industry leader and is regularly sought out to share his wisdom and insider industry know-how with others. Recently, Home Health Care News (HHCN), the leading source for news and information covering the home health industry, featured Neal and/or Family & Nursing Care in the following pieces:
- the need for increased standards across the industry
- how Family & Nursing Care prioritizes recruiting the “best of the best” Caregivers – “We’re very selective about the caregivers we choose to bring on,” Neal said. “This calendar year, we brought on 7% of the caregivers who were interested. We’re able to select, I’d say, the best of the best.”
- eight industry leaders share predictions for how the industry will fare in 2022.
- Family & Nursing Care’s efforts to rebuild a strong Caregiver workforce after the effects of COVID-19, was featured in the round-up of the Top 10 Home Health Care News Stories of 2021.
Neal serves as a member of the Private Duty Home Care at NAHC Advisory Board, and he was recently invited by NAHC as a webinar panelist where he joined with other industry leaders as well as legal experts for an open conversation about vaccine mandates and the impact they could have and are already having on the home care industry. Neal said, “I think it’s a no-brainer that clients want vaccinated caregivers … and as a business person, when they ask for that I want to find a way to get to yes.” Neal also shared that nearly all caregivers currently working with Family & Nursing Care have already been vaccinated.
