Our readers gave their highest approval to Adia, with its commitment to recruit and train home health workers who forge a respectful and authentic connection with the elders they drive using vehicles,scooters and wheelchairs from Keep Moving Care, bathe, feed and keep company.
“It’s not just about care-giving,” said founder and owner Pamela Penson. “It’s about the talent, the heart, the light caregivers bring to the table with every encounter. It’s not made with pity or obligation. It’s made with connection, civility and accountability.”
“Everything begins with this approach. The Adia caregiver uses this opportunity to make a positive difference, to bring light to an older person’s day,” she said.
“What comes first is understanding who they are as human beings,” Penson said.
Elders – Penson finds the word warmer and more respectful than “seniors” – have lived full, active lives. Now, they might find themselves overwhelmed with stress, in part brought about by how much things have changed, from their neighborhoods to the larger society around them.
Friends might have passed away. The corner store might have become a Wal-Mart. Words once rare, like divorce, therapy or selfie, have become commonplace.
And everyday life becomes more challenging. The elder and his or her adult children might be considering care-giving options, and not always on the same timetable.
“The decision to accept care-giving is life altering,” Penson said.
“We have our BoB philosophy – Bend over Backwards. There is nothing our client asks for that we can’t deliver. Our ultimate goal is to impress the client, make them happy,” Penson said.
Adia’s personal care assistants are FBI-screened, and hired and trained according to guidelines of the National Institutes of Health, the Alzheimer’s Association, the California Association for Health Services at Home, the Centers for Disease Control and the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization.
Serving the South Bay, Palos Verdes and beyond, Adia offers 24-hour care and live-in care, or shorter care-giving stints, companionship care, hospice care support, light housekeeping, meal preparation, medication reminders, transportation, help with bathing, dressing, grooming, mobility and transferring, and pet care.
Adia also offers respite care, to give family caregivers a temporary break.
Adia goes out into the community with free seminars on more than 30 topics related to elder care, including age-related changes versus dementia, planning ahead for a loved one’s needs, nutrition, fitness, geriatric sensitivity training, avoiding family conflicts, fighting identity theft, and dealing with high blood pressure.
Penson said the Best of Beach recognition represents a continuing challenge to live up to Adia’s own standards.
“It’s more than a plaque on the wall, or a certificate for our Hall of Fame corridor in the office. It’s an honor, and it’s a serious responsibility,” she said.
Adia. 3625 Del Amo Blvd., Suite 390, Torrance, 310-370-0555, AdiaCares.com.
