by Owen Wiese, guest writer
A recent article published in the Gazette told of the challenging job that Holly Schleuter has in Sioux Falls. She locates adequate housing for homeless individuals and families who already live in Sioux Falls, and for those who come to Sioux Falls without any prospect for housing and no plans on how to find housing.
This article will tell of the challenges Laurie Bruggeman has in her job as Office Manager and Human Resources Coordinator for the Right at Home franchise in South Dakota. Right at Home advertises itself as a Home Care and Assistance organization that assists older persons with their living situations. Right at Home also is part of a National Joint Commission which provides assistance and occasional inspection.
Laurie is the Office Manager, supervising office personnel, and is also the Human Resources Coordinator responsible for the hiring of all the care givers.
The owner of the Right at Home franchise in this area is Tony Mau, who began the franchise in Sioux Falls in 2013. Presently the franchise offers services in a large area, including Flandreau, Madison, and Elk Point. It has about 100 employees and 200 clients; the people living in their homes, who receive help from Right at Home.
Virtually all the clients are older people, or people with handicaps, who need help to live in their own homes. They get help with housekeeping, transportation, preparing meals and most any task that will allow them to stay in their home.
An employee of Right at Home is assigned to each client. Sometimes a client has special needs and an employee who can provide that help is assigned. A category of employees who are hired are people who are retired from their own work and want to have a part-time job. One person who is in this category is Judy Ellis, of Garretson. She is often requested because she has experience helping her own family members, and is very kind and compassionate. There are other employees who are community members in Garretson as well. Employees may work as much time as they want to. Some work only a few days a month.
There are many ways that clients can pay for the services. Some have long-term care insurance, some have savings, and in some cases the state of South Dakota will help.
Franchise is a kind of cold word, an organizational word. My own thoughts on the services provided by Right at Home are that so many of them help alleviate the loneliness and isolation that so many people living alone may feel. Do they spend the day listening to the noise of the TV, reading the paper, or just gazing out the window? The visit from the caregiver from Right at Home must be very important and welcomed by the clients. The caregiver is somebody to do necessary household tasks and, more importantly, someone to talk with and bring a little light to what may otherwise be a dark and boring day. There are so many people living alone who are hungering for companionship.
Another service Right at Home provides is to help people who are afflicted with Alzheimer’s disease. It puts a patient in a different world and can be terribly difficult and exhausting for the family member who takes care of the patient. The Right at Home caregiver gives help and some relief for the person who must take care of the Alzheimer’s patient.
Approaching death is a very difficult period for the person who will be dying and very difficult for the family members who must cope with it. Right at Home will help with Hospice care by helping family members who are often not trained or emotionally qualified to handle Hospice care.
This article is being written in the midst of the Coronavirus Pandemic. There must be little doubt what is happening now is adding greatly to the workload for Laurie and her office staff. With more than 100 employees who will be facing new individual challenges servicing the needs of 200 clients who will all need the new information and requirements associated with the pandemic, Laurie and her staff will be very busy distributing the new information.
Right at Home provides an essential service for the mostly elderly clients who would be hard-put doing all those things themselves. Laurie Bruggeman is the key person who will see all the needs of all the clients are met.
