What Patients Say . . .

My mother should be released from Community Hospital soon. I will call you if I need your services. Please thank Tanya for me – my mother said she saved her life. Walter. B

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I just wanted to let you know that John is a great aid. He does his job well and will go overboard for anything I need, making sure I have everything. He helps me put a collar on my dogs every morning and really cares them like they are his patients.

He is one of the best aids I have had in 30 years. – Dana

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We really appreciate your efforts in trying to meet our needs. Scott and Craig have been punctual and compassionate in helping me, and I've really enjoyed getting to know them.

All my contacts with you and your staff have been positive. We're very grateful for all them help you give us. – Charles. O

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Our service through Home Health Works is just great. It has been a big blessing for me. Scott was just wonderful, always prompt and never had to be told what to do. When he saw a need, he just did what needed to be done.

Now we have Eva, I don't want to be disloyal to Scott but she is fantastic and so very compassionate. She's my angel. – Joan. S

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I am writing to tell you how wonderful your aid Laura is. Even though she has only been with us for a couple of weeks she is taking really great care of my Mom. She treats her with great respect and is very gentle with her and she and Mom get along really well.

Your company has been great so far and I really look forward to our future business together. – Michelle. H

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Dave comes to our house six days a week. He is always on time and eager to do anything requested of him. He is always positive and relates well to Rod and me. Dave clearly enjoys his work and is willing to share observations and concerns about any changes in my husband's condition.

Dave helps with catheter care and ostomy care. He helps in transferring Rod with a sling and hoyer lift. He has changed dressings and is skillful in bath and grooming care. He is extremely clean and is very professional and compassionate. Rod and I think Dave is great! – Nona. B

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I just want to say how much I appreciate your two aides who assisted my mother when her sister-in-law (living in the same facility) passed away. It meant so much that your aides were with my Mom and Dad during a very difficult day for them. The aides cared for them just as if they were caring for their own family.
Thank-you. - A.N.

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My husband who suffers from Multiple Sclerosis has been very depressed recently, and I haven’t been able to get him to do anything. However, with your new aide assisting and encouraging him he has been more willing to do things for himself and has even promised the aide that he will start giving himself his interferon injections, which I hadn’t been able to get him to do for months. - G. K.

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Your aide is taking such good care of my husband – she is so upbeat and she makes it fun for him to get going, moving, exercising and walking with his walker. She also does a crossword puzzle with him every morning and I swear he talks more to her than he does to me! - V. B.

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Ivy comes to my home to take care of Patrick. She is competent and confident and creates a comfortable space, and she does her job well. Even though I'm not the patient, I really felt like Ivy was notably competent, so I wanted to let you know.
K.J.

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I can only say that since we have been with Home Health Works, we have had the best of people to care for us. I don't remember when we started, but it seems a long time ago. Our present caregiver, Terri, is wonderful with Cyndi and she loves her and so do I. I am so fortunate to have two other caregivers who fill in and are affordable. I will try to keep Cyndia home as long as my health holds up.
A.L

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Tabitha is a great help to me. She sees what needs to be done and just does it. She helps around my home, makes the bed and does the laundry. She also helps me with any personal care I am unable to do with my arm in a sling. I really appreciate it.
B.L

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I want not only to thank Home Health Works for sending Tamora to us, but for sending someone so caring and understanding of Elsie's needs. Tamora is very patient with her. Not only is Tamora helpful, she took out her time to meet us prior to coming to make her working with us very pleasant. I hope Phatima gets better soon. But I'm glad you all took the time to send someone else who cares so much.
L.B.

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The girls Tamora and Cindy are all way smiling and on time. And we love them dearly. So all I can say is keep up the good work, because if everyone is as nice as they are, you have a great staff working with you. We appreciate your good care and service.
E.S.

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Thank you. Flavia has been a great help to me. She has made every effort to make me more comfortable and to help me manage. She is good company and tries very hard. Gives great massages, and I would recommend her any way I could.
T.C.

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The principle of your service is excellent. My mother is at the moment very content with her situation. Margaret is such a blessing. I have seen her twice at the house. Hang on to her. Thanks for all your efforts. We appreciate them.
C.W.

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I was pleasantly surprised to have Flavia work out as well as she did. She was very strong and was able to really help me. Made a great effort to please — I'm happy to have Cindy return and appreciate all your help. I feel very fortunate to have had such good care.
T.C.

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My very urgent, last-minute call was taken, and within an hour someone came out to help my dad. This staff member was fabulous! If it weren't for her patient persistence, encouragement and help, I could never have gotten him to the doctor's office.
M.V.

Remembering Alan A.

Alan A was the ‘founding patient' of Home Health Works, an association that lasted almost 20 years, up to his passing in October 2009. Here, Home Health Works founder, Sue Minkoff R.N. tells the story of this touching relationship.

In 1991, I was working for a Clearwater Home Health agency when I received a call from a friend saying her friend's husband had been in a car accident which had left him severely brain damaged, half his body was paralyzed and he was unable to eat or talk.

I went to visit Alan and his wife at their home and that was the start of our long association. I cared for Alan 6 hours a day, six days a week.

In 1992,  with Alan as my inspiration and at his wife's urging, I decided to start my own agency and Home Health Works  Nursing Agency was born.  She expected a very high  standard of care  and that's exactly what  my   nurses and I brought to Alan. 

I set up a tiny one-room office in Clearwater. One of my sons  later helped me expand Home Health Works. 

Early on we were inspected by State Farm (Alan's insurers who paid for his care). The nurse who did the inspection called me and said: " I have never seen anyone in Alan's situation so well cared for. His house is immaculate, he looks so healthy.  He has none of the problems which similar patients have.  This is the ideal standard of care.  I am moved to tears.  This is what we strive for."

From 1992 to 1998, I was sharing  Alan's shifts with my nurses and between us we made sure that every afternoon we would take him on an outing – swimming, shopping, visiting a theme park, the movies and visiting nature preserves etc. Our routine was rehab in the morning and then a trip in the afternoon. Alan was never at home for an entire day and I am sure this physical and mental stimulation kept him alive for as long as it did.

We also made all his food from scratch with lots of fruits, vegetables, fresh chicken, yogurt etc. so we could ensure he was getting the very best nutrition for someone who was tube-fed.  It was actually an ideal diet for almost anyone.  People always remarked how terrific his skin looked.

During this time, Alan and his wife divorced and I was honored that a judge chose me to be Alan's temporary guardian until I was able to find a highly qualified guardian, who was trained in his specific type of physical therapy.

Two of his nurses, Sue and Christy,  cared for Alan for a 15-18 year period, so he had great continuity of care. They made the atmosphere feel like a real family home which was a comfort to his relatives.   One of his nurses, Diane, was a certified swim instructor. She would take him swimming in his pool or in the gulf on her shift. Sue once took him boating in Wicki-Watchee.   Both of her kids helped with his rehab as did my 2 sons. When he passed away , his nurses felt like they had lost a close family member; as one of them said "I thought I would grow old with Alan."  We all shared lot's of hugs and jokes and laughs with Alan.

Home Health Works motto has always been “Caring for people like family” and that's a standard we always strive to meet. The Alan A story embodies what we offer.

Testimonials from Alan's family

“My father's care was second to none. Home Health Works has just been outstanding throughout all its years of providing great nurse care. Although I'm in Oregon , the nurses did a great job of keeping me in the loop and made me feel very connected to my father's life.” Chris A – Alan's son .

“Thank you from the bottom of my heart for making Al's home a home and not a hospital room.  For it to be a place Chris could come to and be happy with his Dad, and not be in some sterile environment.  Thank you for the laughs we shared.  He never would have received the quality of care that was established because of you and the others.  I know you considered Al as not only a friend, but a family member, as did Sue and Christy and that is what made all the difference.” Margaret – Chris's Mother.

Home Health Works is a home health agency servicing Pasco and Pinellas counties. They provide quality and affordable care in patient homes, assisted living facilities, nursing homes and hospitals.