Keep your independence Right At Home

The aging process has many unknowns, but where you live doesn't have to be one of them. Right At Home Chattanooga is working to help families navigate these ever crucial next steps from start to finish.

"Right At Home provides in-home care for aging adults to help them maintain their independence without having to move out of their home where they've made all their memories," said owner Ryan Naegle.

The local company employs a vast host of caregivers from CNAs to workers that can help run errands and keep the house for clients, and services can go from something as a few hours one day a week to all day every day and even overnights based on the individuals desires and needs.

"On one end of the spectrum, we can have someone help with things like meal prep and grocery shopping with the client or more involved care like bathing assistance or any sort of personal hygiene needs," Naegle explained.

He went to share that a big part of what they do is care for people with Alzheimer's and dementia who often can't be left alone.

"They have a spouse that's taken care of them, but now they're both aging and it's become cumbersome, or they have adult children caring for them that have to work and can't be there all the time, so we can come in to give them the break they need and help navigate and give them that peace of mind. We can be there to keep eyes on them and make sure they're taking their medicine properly and getting out of the house."

Right At Home aims to be honest and transparent in all they do with their clients and their families. From the first phone call inquiring about a consultation, to the signing of the paperwork after a schedule is completed, the goal in mind is comfort.

"When someone calls, we get an idea of their needs from there and send out a member of our staff to help create a custom care plan," he shared. "We don't have a minimum number of hours. If the first few hours of the day are the toughest and that's where the help is needed, then that's where we come in."

Medicare doesn't currently cover costs for at home care, so Right At Home is private pay, but what many may not realize is that their funds can go a long way to staying in their home for much longer as opposed to other alternatives.

"Good financial planning is key to the aging process, and if you have a long term care insurance policy, then it can work well for you here," Naegle said, encouraging people to start looking at care before it's truly necessary.

"We advise clients to start a plan before it's really needed," he explained. "Even if you just start with four hours one day a week, that can get the family used to what it's like and get everyone comfortable and helps take the edge off."

He added that they want to help family time be quality time together and not a daunting to-do list.

"We can take that to-do list off your plate, so that your time together is making memories and not worrying about getting everything done," he said.

Once the custom care plan is created, Right At Home matches clients with caregivers who have the right experience for whatever their needs are. For example, if a client has dementia, they're paired with a caregiver that has great experience with working with patients with those specific sets of needs.

"Families also aren't obligated to any long term contracts," Naegle pointed out. "We can work schedules up or down based on needs, and there's no penalties for adjusting that."

When asked what sets them apart from others in their field, Naelge said it's the company culture of being open and honest.

"We work to make sure our staff is happy so that our clients are happy and always getting the best care possible," he noted.