Celebrating our Volunteers, by FCS CEO Delly Beekman
During April we celebrate National Volunteer Month, honoring the innumerable people who volunteer throughout our county, state, country and world to help those in greater need and build stronger communities. Volunteers are precious to our community as they offer their time, skills and resources as commitments from the heart. Throughout Monmouth County, they are critical to the health and success of cities and towns, schools, hospitals, churches, civic organizations, human service agencies like Family & Children’s Service (FCS), and more.Read more
March’s Aide of the Month; A Member of the Family
Frances and Joseph R. have five sons and 14 grandchildren. So when the couple describes someone as “a member of the family,” it’s not something they do lightly -- yet that's exactly how the two refer to their home health aide, Donna Moody.
Donna is a Certified Home Health Aide (CHHA) with Family & Children's Service Home Care Services, a program that serves nearly 160 seniors and disabled clients, a majority of whom qualify for home care grant assistance from the Monmouth County Division on Aging, Disabilities and Veteran’s Affairs. Read more
Myths and Facts: Navigating Through Your Medicaid Journey
“We simply want to put to rest the misinformation, the confusion that has been raised.”
-David Church
Whether you are researching Medicaid for yourself or a loved one, the process can be overwhelming. There are the emotions surrounding the decision making process. There is the physical work of collecting what seems like a mile-long list of required documents, (‘Five years of bank statements! We threw everything away when Mom moved two years ago!’) And there is the false information surrounding the application process which can be the most disheartening.
Dispelling these “Medicaid Myths” is the greatest way to help seniors and their families arrive at the best long term care plan. Here are a few of the most common myths about Medicaid.Read more
With a Song in her Heart
When Norma Whiskey was a little girl growing up in Trinidad, she dreamed of becoming a doctor.
"I was a good student, very bright, and I always loved taking care of people," Norma recalls. "When I was just 8 years-old, the neighbor would ask me to help her and I would go. My mother did not always like it, but I would go. It was something I was called to do."
Norma, like many from her island nation, was forced to leave school at an early age and abandon her dream of becoming a doctor. But Norma's desire to care for others never faded.
Safe and Sound
When Minetta Brockington woke up to nearly ten inches of snow last Tuesday, her first thought was her client, Marjorie W.
"Miss Marge is 99 years old. She depends on me to come to her house every day, to get her washed and dressed and prepare her food for the day," Minetta says. "I knew I needed to go see her that morning, even if I couldn't drive in the snow. I just had a feeling that something wasn't right."
Preparing our Clients to be safe and secure during Hazardous Weather
For more than 50 years, FCS Home Care Services has been assisting vulnerable clients throughout Monmouth County, many of whom live alone with limited resources and little support from family or friends. Our Certified Home Health Aides, Supportive Aides and Registered Nurses make it possible for our clients to continue to live at home, safely and with dignity, with the evolving physical and mental limitations associated with aging and illness. But when hazardous weather hit, new challenges arise.
Five ways to Update your Wardrobe by Shopping Thrift
Are you looking for ways to spruce up your wardrobe this winter without dropping a bundle? You may want to consider shopping the FCS Thrift Boutique. The fashion boutique, located at 307 Branchport Avenue in Long Branch, offers quality men's and women's clothing, shoes and accessories at deeply discounted prices. Name brand and designer items are donated every day and are marked for sale as quickly as possible. Some of the items are brand new with tags! If you've never visited our Thrift Boutique, FCS volunteer Diane "Dee" Trillo has some suggestions for making your shopping experience a pleasant one.Read more
Five Tips for Staying Safe in the Cold
As cold weather continues to grip much of the nation, it's important to remember that the elderly and disabled are especially vulnerable to hypothermia. Hypothermia occurs when the body cannot produce enough energy to keep the internal body temperature warm and body temperature falls at or below 95 degrees Fahrenheit.
A Caregiver at Heart
For nearly 30 years, Lois Gidaro has worked as a certified home health aide for Family & Children’s Service (FCS), caring for clients who sometimes have no one else to care for them. Lois is one of more than 80 FCS certified home health aides and supportive care aides who provide care to nearly 220 clients throughout Monmouth County. Lois spoke with us during National Home Care Aide Week about her lifelong career choice to be a caregiver.Read more
Helping you understand your Medicare Choices
The all-important fall Medicare Open Enrollment period begins on October 15th, but you don’t have to wait until then to receive answers to your Medicare questions. Family & Children’s Service offers free, impartial and confidential counseling to Monmouth County residents all year long.