When the SarahCare staff learned of this situation unfolding each day at home with their participant and his caregiver, the solution seemed obvious, didn’t it? The man clearly wanted to continue to go to his office each morning, so the professionals at SarahCare went to work and made sure that he could. They transformed one of their rooms into an office, put the man’s name on the door, and had a Wall Street Journal delivered to him each day. There were “contracts” waiting for him to review, and staff available to attend to his medical and non-medical needs. This man found his “work” satisfactory each day, and the caregiver got the respite she needed.
Your first thought may be, “Who does that?” And the answer is, “SarahCare does.”
This is just one of hundreds of individual stories from SarahCare participants and families. Whether it’s a former museum curator who continues to paint and teach art history classes to fellow seniors at a SarahCare center, or a group of veterans who get together each day to play cards, go fishing or bowling, have lunch together, SarahCare is the place that makes all that possible. The philosophy of care is to allow seniors to age gracefully, pursuing their passions and hobbies, while making the lives of their caregivers just a little easier.
The approach to this personalized and specialized care for both the senior and their caregiver, is the result of the leadership by SarahCare founder Dr. Merle Griff, and her own experiences as a highly trained healthcare professional and caregiver for her mother and husband.
“What we do at SarahCare benefits families in three ways,” Griff said. “First, there is the health benefit.” SarahCare centers are staffed with RNs, LPNs, and others professional caregivers. They administer medications, monitor vital signs and activity, and interface with doctors and other members of the care team to make sure each participant is well cared for.
“Then, there is the mental and emotional benefit that comes with keeping seniors engaged with their peers, encouraging the continuation of their hobbies, taking them on outings, and staying active.”
Lastly, but equally as important according to Griff, is the benefit SarahCare affords caregivers. “We give caregivers respite during the day, either to rest, work, or whatever it is they need to do.”
The journey of a caregiver is something Dr. Griff has experienced in her own life. Having been in the same shoes as some of the exhausted, exasperated caregivers who bring their loved ones to SarahCare, she feels equally as strong about supporting them and their needs. So much so, that she has written a book full of tips and recommendations to make the lives of caregivers easier, written in smaller, easily digestible chunks.
“Caregivers don’t have time to sit down and read an entire book, or watch an entire film, in hopes of finding solutions to their everyday concerns,” she said. In the book, Solace in the Storm (Forbes), which will be available in September of this year, Griff provides “tips and help for caregivers to survive caregiving, with quick, convenient, affordable, solutions that will work.”
SarahCare franchises are located throughout the U.S. and will continue to offer territories within the states where they currently have a presence. Griff and her team seek financially qualified administrators who know how to run a business. Medical qualifications are a plus, but not a requirement. Most importantly, according to Griff, is that they have a passion for working with seniors and empathy for the caregivers. “I have to trust them,” she said. “I ask myself, would I trust this person with my 88-year old father with dementia?”
SarahCare is a CARF Accredited facility (Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities). “There are 4,500 adult day centers in the U.S.” says Griff, “and only 110 of them have this accreditation. We’re very proud of that.”
Spadea Lignana is incredibly proud to have Dr. Griff and the team at SarahCare as franchise clients. We congratulate all of them on their continued success doing important work with our senior and veteran population, and their families.
“I can tell you honestly, that Spadea Lignana has been the best team we have ever worked with,” said Griff.
We all look forward to many more years of continued franchise development for you and your team, Dr. Griff!
To learn more about SarahCare please visit: https://www.sarahcareconnect.com/
