• Prescott, AZ
  • Sedona / Verde Valley, AZ

Arizona Small Business Development Centers Honors Local Business

The Arizona Small Business Development Center Network is proud to have played a role in the success of Tender Hearts Senior Care, whom they nominated for their 2012 Success Award, presented to owners Rick and Debra Judy on March 29th at the State Capital Building in Phoenix.

Rick and his wife, Debra left successful careers in property management (Rick) and nursing (Debra) in the Los Angeles area to move to Prescott.  The move went well, but the couple soon found themselves faced with special needs challenges by their ageing parents.  After failing to find the services that they and their parents required, the Judy’s decided to start a non-medical in-home care business to serve other families with similar needs.

Tender Hearts Senior Care opened in 2007.  According to Rick, the company places mature, caring people into the homes of seniors to assist them with the non-medical challenges of daily living so that they can stay in their own homes as long as possible.  “A lot of older people need some help with daily chores like cooking, making the bed, getting to the grocery store or personal care and they don’t want to go to an assisted living facility,” he explained.

The AZSBDC is a high-impact program that facilitates small business growth, job and capital creation and economic recovery throughout Arizona.  Rick Judy met Yavapai College SBDC Business Analyst Fred Kennedy when he took a finance and accounting class at the college.  Rick’s new business was at a point where it needed higher-level attention and Kennedy agreed to help.  He assisted Rick with accounting, capital formation and strategic planning, and he now plays a supporting role as Tender Hearts continues to grow.

“I call Fred whenever I have a question or need,” Rick said.  “His insights and advice are invaluable.”  The Judy’s recently acquired a competitor to expand a related company, Tender Hearts Transportation Services, which they started in 2009.  Kennedy was called in to discuss refinancing options.  “He saved us a lot of money.”

Today, Tender Hearts employs 225 people, including office staff and service providers, has offices in Prescott and Sedona, and has furnished services to about 1,500 clients in Yavapai and Coconino County.  Sales in 2011 reached $2.79 million and expansions are planned for Williams, Flagstaff and Payson.

 

Non-emergency Medical Transportation

Paratransit Watch showcased our Tender Hearts Senior Transportation services this week:

PRESCOTT, ARIZONA - Tender Hearts Transportation Service is a Non-Emergency Medical Transportation (NEMT) company serving the transport needs of the elderly and disabled throughout Yavapai County, Arizona. Their CPR/First Aid trained and security screened drivers provide trips for doctor’s appointments, shopping trips, errands, and other occasions. Tender Hearts Transportation Service is a division of Tender Hearts Senior Care. With approximately 200 caregivers on staff, Tender Hearts Senior Care provides a variety of in-home health care services. They have offices in PrescottSedona/Verde Valley, and Flagstaff, Arizona.”

Tell your grandma

PunctualityPrescott Senior Transportation

We will wait for you. You won’t wait for us!

Availability

Prescott, Prescott Valley, Verde Valley and Flagstaff. . . We are there for you 24/7. Including nights and weekends. We answer the phone Monday thru Friday, 7:30am to 5:00pm. Beyond these hours leave a message and we’ll return your call within approximately 15.

Caring

All of our drivers are licensed, bonded Certified Care Givers trained and CPR and First Aid.

Exceptional

Exceptional services with a friendly compassionate driver.

Tender Hearts Transportation Services is the largest and best senior transportation company in Prescott. We take you door-to-door, in Prescott, in Yavapai County, and in Phoenix.

SAVE $5 ON YOUR FIRST RIDE WITH US!

Take $5.00 of the cost of your first ride with Tender Hearts Transportation Services!

Print this page and take the coupon with you!

How Can Seniors Have Better Communications with their Doctors?

End-of-life communication is very important but physicians may not be as comfortable with
this discussion, even though the senior client may not be upset by addressing end-of-life care issues. It is important that clients’ views be clearly communicated and recorded before an unexpected crisis develops. Clear thinking is more likely when a patient is relatively healthy and not suffering from anxiety.

Unfortunately, this type of communication is the exception rather than the rule. Among older
respondents, 87% thought CPR should be discussed routinely with health professionals, but
only 3 % had engaged in such discussions. Interestingly, videos may be more persuasive than
words. When it comes to making advance care decisions, older persons who view a video rather
than hearing a verbal description are more likely to choose comfort care over life-extending
treatment.

How can bringing a companion with you to your doctor enhance your visit?

A majority of physicians, and even higher percentage of patients, found the arrangement to
be helpful. Bringing a client companion, when visiting a doctor, is beneficial, although some are reluctant to do so. A client’s companion can provide a vital service to both the health professional and the client, serving as an independent monitor of a person’s condition and providing helpful feedback on client’s collaboration with treatment regimens. A companion can make sure that questions are asked and answers are understood.

What are some of the barriers between health professionals and clients?

The satisfaction of older clients is positively associated with the length of their visits with physicians’ and with physicians’ support of topics initiated by the clients. Researchers have found that doctors seem reluctant to discuss psychosocial and prevention with older clients and are less receptive to these issues when raised by older clients than when raised by younger ones.

Physicians give older clients considerably less cardiac risk reduction advice regarding diet, exercise, weight control, smoking, stress management and work than they give younger clients. Thus older clients are systematically denied the opportunity to lessen their risk of future heart problems by adopting the behavioral advice of the physician.

What is Jargon and Elderspeak?

How many of you have said; “Stop talking to me like I’m a baby?” Continue reading, you might
be surprised what you’re about to find out!

Jargon is language- often technical or obscure-used by people who work in a particular profession or area of interest. The reason health providers continue to use incomprehensible language may be habit; the belief that comprehension of a medical problem might increase the client’s stress level; the fact that hard-to-understand terms may be conversation stoppers, making more time available for other clients; or the belief that the use of jargon elevates one’s apparent status and authority. Clients, obviously, prefer health professionals who are willing to listen, communicate clearly, and show warmth and concern. When these expectations are met, clients are able to offer more significant diagnostic details, have greater trust, and litigate less.

Elderspeak (the counterpart to baby talk) is a term some use to describe the sweetly belittling of infantilizing form of addressing older adults, usually involving the use of terms such as “Sweetie” or “Dear”, or addressing an unfamiliar older adult by his or her first name.