Home care close to home
Webster City's Life & Health Care fills critical gap in the region
-Submitted photo <br> Life & Health Care office staff from left, are, Chief Executive Officer David Everson; Cheyenne Thoma, R.N.; Karen Schlief, LPN; and office administrator Corrie Mork. Not shown are the 18 additional staff who provide a long list of home health care services, all with the same objective: to allow people to live in their own homes as long as possible. Newest staff member, office puppy George, is more interested in something on the floor than having his photo taken.
-Submitted photo <br>Mona Everson founded Life & Health Care in Webster City in 2011 to fill a critical gap in health care she'd observed during her work as a nurse, first at Hamilton County Public Hospital and later at Hamilton County Public Health. She's stepped back from day-to-day work at the company recently, leaving it in the capable hands of her son, David Everson, who worked with his mother, first as chief financial officer, and now as chief executive officer.
-Submitted photo <br> Life & Health Care office staff from left, are, Chief Executive Officer David Everson; Cheyenne Thoma, R.N.; Karen Schlief, LPN; and office administrator Corrie Mork. Not shown are the 18 additional staff who provide a long list of home health care services, all with the same objective: to allow people to live in their own homes as long as possible. Newest staff member, office puppy George, is more interested in something on the floor than having his photo taken.
-Submitted photo <br>Mona Everson founded Life & Health Care in Webster City in 2011 to fill a critical gap in health care she'd observed during her work as a nurse, first at Hamilton County Public Hospital and later at Hamilton County Public Health. She's stepped back from day-to-day work at the company recently, leaving it in the capable hands of her son, David Everson, who worked with his mother, first as chief financial officer, and now as chief executive officer.
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WEBSTER CITY -- It's a familiar story in Iowa. People raise families on farms or in Iowa's small towns and cities, but their children, whether by necessity or choice, often leave the state for college or employment.
But what about the older generation left behind in Iowa? Most of them cherish the idea of staying in their homes. How, actually, is that done, when the rest of the family is spread out between two coasts and two borders?
Enter Webster City's Life & Health Care.
"Staying in your own home as you age improves your ability to thrive," said David Everson, Life & Health Care's chief executive officer. "We help you meet that goal, whether it's for another six months or another six years."
Ideally, you'll get some help from family and friends, but when the kids are 500 to 1,000 miles away, things can get complicated. Everson's company provides a wide variety of services "for those who are somewhere between optimum health and those needing institutionalized care." The company has a long menu of services from the simple and every day, to on-site nursing care.
If you need help making up a grocery list, going to the grocery store, help with housekeeping or doing the laundry, Life & Health Care will arrange it. Is your home safe for you to age in place? L&HC's experts will visit your home, identify potential hazards, and suggest improvements. It sounds simple, but steps like these can help you stay in your home longer.
Many chronic illnesses or injuries can leave an older person unable to bathe and dress themselves. Life & Health staff come to your home to help with even these once-simple tasks.
Maybe you've just had a surgery and need some help while you recover your strength. Maybe you have new medications and it's important to keep them all straight and take them at the appropriate time. Maybe you need help scheduling and keeping those critical follow-up medical appointments. In the absence of family or friends to help, L&HC will be there for you.
As a member of the Board of Trustees of Van Diest Medical Center, Everson is in a good place to see the bigger picture of health care in rural America.
"In the last 30 years everything has moved toward larger cities," he said. "Young doctors and nurses want to live and work where there's more infrastructure to raise their families."
And, if the last 30 years' trends are in sharp focus, Everson isn't sure what the next 30 years might bring.
Of one thing, though, he is in no doubt: home-based care will continue to grow. That's good news, both for his company and his clients.
Like almost everyone, you can't see a time when you won't be able to drive a car. But you're wrong.
"Transportation is a big problem, and driving people to medical appointments or just helping with everyday errands is something we've always done," Everson said.
In fact, 80% of L&HC's clients aren't competent or comfortable driving. Some no longer even own a car. In rural America, this can be a major cause of isolation and loneliness, and can contribute to depression.
Everson's staff do everything from picking up prescriptions or shopping for clients, to taking them to church, weddings and funerals. In one instance, Everson recalled, "One of our staff actually flew with a client so they could attend an out-of-state wedding."
Life & Health Care's present service area is Hamilton, Webster and Wright counties. With the existing and growing need for the company's services in this region, Everson said further expansion isn't part of his current plans.
The company's staff of 22 range in age from 16 to 70. Presently, it has one registered nurse, and two nurse's aides who oversee all care. Everson stressed that 100% of patient care plans are set and signed-off by physicians. The company's nurses then oversee the care to ensure the doctor's orders are strictly followed.
Life & Health Care receives no public funding for its services. It does not accept Medicare or Medicaid. Everson advised those with long-term health insurance to check details of their coverage; some cover services such as those offered by L&HC.
It was Benjamin Franklin who famously said, "Out of adversity comes opportunity." His words are an apt description of the founding of Life & Health Care.