In-home care service opens

Comfort Keepers, a new in-home care service in Green Valley, will host a grand opening Wednesday, Sept. 16, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the Green Valley Village, Suite 36-1, just west of The Greens restaurant.

Comfort Keepers provides in-home, non-medical care to clients who wish to remain independent in their own homes.

Scott J. Manzi is general manager of the Green Valley satellite office of Comfort Keepers, whose partner franchise is based in Sierra Vista and owned by Sandra Chancellor, who has overseen the operation since 2001.

Comfort Keepers has more than 550 franchised locations worldwide.

Comfort Keepers provides in-home assistance with services that range from companionship, meal preparation, transportation to doctor appointments or other commitments, light housekeeping, in-home safety technology, grocery shopping, mail assistance and organization, and personal care services like bathing, feeding, incontinence care and more.

Manzi, who took care of his elderly parents before they passed away, said he realizes the importance of an in-home care service, especially in a retirement community like Green Valley.

“I know how stressful and emotional care giving can be and I understand how demanding it is, too,” Manzi said. “I started out caring for my mother for what was to be only a short time and it turned into a very long commitment to my parents, which I did because I loved them. I know what caregivers go through and it can be very difficult.”

That’s why Comfort Keepers offers respite care for those caregivers who need to get out of the house for their personal needs, Manzi added.

Comfort Keepers will provide companionship for those who have dementia but want to stay home, as well as Alzheimer’s care.

The service works to provide long-distance support by caring for loved ones whose family members do not reside in Arizona. Comfort Keepers utilizes in-person, telephone, and Internet communication to monitor the care of the client.

Family members can view their loved one’s schedule via a secure Web site to see when the caregiver is coming and when. A private Internet-based telephone time-clock system shows when a caregiver has arrived, A cell phone alerts Comfort Keepers when a caregiver does not clock in within a few minutes of the scheduled arrival time.

There are also emergency response devices available, and monitoring devices to check for the safety of the elders at home alone.

Comfort Keepers also works with veterans or their surviving spouses in seeking information about the Veterans Non-Service Connected Improved Pension, a federally funded program for those who are eligible.

Comfort Keepers is accredited by the Better Business Bureau of Southern Arizona. Private payment for services is accepted, as well as some long term health insurance plans, AHCCCS/ALTCS, and other assistance programs listed by Comfort Keepers.

For more information call Manzi at 520-399-1092 or 1-888-399-1092, or e-mail him at: scottmanzi@comfortkeepers.com. For more information about Comfort Keepers visit www.comfortkeepers.com or visit Scott J. Manzi on Facebook. Calls are accepted 24/7.

rford@gvnews.com