Founding Nurses’ Legacy Establishes Home Healthcare Legend
It’s all about trust when we let someone enter our home. Nowhere is this decision more important than in home healthcare services. But how can we tell whom to trust when deciding on home healthcare? Who will offer us or our loved ones exceptional care and dignity? Two New York area nurses pondered this question more than 30 years ago. They knew the answer lay right in front of them. Today the A&T Healthcare co-founders’ motto, “Home Health Care with Dignity,” continues to ring true.
Founder Toni Babington’s legacy has grown from a small office to major homecare agency servicing the entire Hudson Valley and 16 counties in the Tri-State area. Even as her vision evolved and grew, she never wavered about the importance of the personal connection with her clients and patients.
“My mother was a nurse and she saw a need for a more personalized environment in hospital and in a lot of patients who needed homecare,” explains A&T Healthcare president Margaret Onody. “She saw them dying without this type of care and she knew how a good home healthcare provider could change lives.”
A&T Healthcare was created to place patients in a one-to-one relationship with their in-home nurse, aide, or physical therapist—a far more attentive relationship than is possible with nurses who are thinly spread at so many hospitals. As nurses themselves, the company founders understood this perfectly. They were confident patients would feel more relaxed and emerge healthier when living in their own homes, as opposed to sharing a hospital room or being relocated to an assisted living facility.
Working until one week before her untimely death from cancer, Toni provided the kind of personal interaction now legendary among the healthcare community. Linda Scalfani, a field clinical nursing supervisor, witnessed this firsthand when her nephew, born with hydrocephalus spina bifida, was a patient.
“My nephew wasn’t supposed to live past one week,” recalls Linda. “But Toni set up an intensive care unit in his bedroom so he was able to live at home. She was also dedicated to working with the family. My father, my nephew’s grandfather, could only speak with a device, but Toni would personally go over all the plans with him, determined to get him involved. My nephew lived to be twenty-one years of age.”
Toni’s influence didn’t end there. She also encouraged Linda to pursue a career in nursing. “I just laughed and said, ‘Ya right,’” she laughs. “But then I went back to Toni and today I am a nurse and supervisor in her company.”
Toni understood the importance of employee loyalty, often an issue in the strenuous nursing profession. She established a generous bonus policy that has awarded annual bonuses every year for 25 years. Not surprisingly, employee tenure at A&T Healthcare is among the best in the industry.
“We have always been very family oriented and very quality oriented,” says Margaret. “My mother said that if you take care of your employees, they will take care of you.”
“For us, nursing is not just a paycheck, but a career,” adds Carol. “Some of the people who first worked for us now have their kids work for us, so we are on to second and even third generations of family. We have aides who have been here for 30 years. A lot of people who walk through the door say they know they have entered a different place.”
The same can be said for the company–patient relationship.
“Because homecare is performed in the patient’s home,” adds A&T Healthcare’s Andrew Dennis, “family and friends can interact with the patient, making for a more positive experience than in a hospital or nursing home.” The caregiver can acquaint him or herself intimately with the patient, a familiarity that often reveals the nuances of a patient’s condition.
“One of our recent patients commented on the excellent clinical skills of the physical therapist, who recognized a change in mental status. The resulting quick admission to hospital prevented a lifetime of renal failure, dialysis, or transplant.”
Comfort at home is considered paramount, regardless of the condition or age of the patient. A child or senior remains much more comfortable when surrounded by family, friends, and even pets. Neighbors also visit more often, too,
“Toni taught us to take care of every patient like they were our own family members,” observes Carol Ianero, A&T Healthcare vice president. “We are all one family, both with patients and employees. We get along great, like families do. We are now trying to pass on the legacy to new employees and even our children.”
Relevant
In the spirit of comprehensive caregiving, during the recent flu epidemic all employees were frequently tested for symptoms. If heavy snow is forecast, aides and nurses are briefed on extra preparations, and advised to take an overnight bag and check the house for basic provisions like flashlights and water.
“Our spouses will even drive the aides and nurses to their patients,” adds Linda.
Toni insisted on meeting every new patient personally. Her personal touch remains visible with today’s patient–nurse or patient–aide relationship.
“Every time we open a case we do not leave until we know the aide is comfortable with the patient and vice versa,” Linda says. “By doing our own training we get to know our new employees and the aides. Out in the field, every time a new case has a new aide or nurse, a supervisor will go out and make sure that everything is correct in the patient plan.”
A&T Healthcare is owned and operated by nurses with years of professional experience to bring as hourly home companions or live-in professionals. While many agencies offer little more than housekeeping, A&T Healthcare’s highly trained nurses and home health aides provide additional medical services.
“A big misunderstanding about homecare services is that home health aides can only do housekeeping,” Dennis says. “Home health aides can do many things in the home for patients. Companion agencies are not allowed to touch the patients or do hands-on care.”
We appreciate legacy when it comes to our health. A lengthy resume provides us with essential reassurance; patient and family testimonials translate familiar conditions into seasoned solutions. Add a successful business history that combines dignity and respect with medical expertise and it’s obvious why home healthcare with a trusted agency can be so successful. When you come to understand Toni Babington’s incredible legacy, it’s also clear why A&T Healthcare is a trusted homecare resource for the Greater New York Metropolitan area.