CarePatrol of North Central Ohio can help you find the just-right level of care for you or your loved one, from in-home to independent living, assisted care or memory care
By Patricia Nugent
“Getting old ain’t for the faint of heart.” —Anthony Hopkins
There’s nothing quite as stressful or emotionally draining as your loved ones needing your help as they follow their journey through aging. Finding the just-right level of care—from in-home to independent living, assisted care or memory care—is a daunting task.
Luckily, now a local, family-run agency—CarePatrol of North Central Ohio—can do all the legwork for you, pinpointing your needs, setting up tours of facilities and making recommendations for your senior loved one. And the service is free of charge.
Meet Anthony and Angela Coleman
The passion this married duo feels about helping seniors and their families is personal. Several years ago, Anthony had to navigate the many pitfalls that came with helping his grandparents find a skilled nursing facility.
“It was an eye-opening experience, so many details and decisions to research,” he recalls. “In the end, we got them settled in a nice place. Then, a year later, I heard about CarePatrol and appreciated its mission and core values of acting as advocates. I thought about how invaluable it would’ve been for me to have someone I could trust during that time, so I opened a CarePatrol three years ago.”
As a certified senior advisor and certified dementia expert respectively, Anthony and Angela went through extensive training to walk to talk. The couple says that what really sets them apart from other referral agencies is the personal approach.
“Helping families find the safest care options is the heart of what we do,” says Anthony. “We understand that each client has unique needs. We find out what their capabilities, geographic preferences, personality and budget are to recommend the best places. Then we schedule tours.”
The couple has already done the research and due diligence, reviewing state violation reports for every care community.
Anthony says that the Covid-19 restrictions have spurred them to add new tools to their toolbox, and they’ve been able to arrange for online tours, Zoom meetings or “window” tours during the pandemic.
Help When You Need It
Oftentimes you need to find a place for your loved one right away, whether due to a fall or an ER trip. Planning ahead can make that an easier situation. Anthony likes to use the Benjamin Franklin quote: “If you fail to plan you are planning to fail.”
With the holidays coming up, now is a time when families might gather from out of town and notice that mom or dad is slipping. If you notice little things like unpaid bills lying around or lack of hygiene, this might be an opportune time to have a talk with them to see what their future plans are.
“Yes, where they will live is the biggest one,” he says. “But we also recommend grown children find out about their parents’ wishes, from finances to funeral planning. We have experts we trust in these fields that we can recommend.”
What Clients Are Saying
“Anthony Coleman was really wonderful. He is knowledgeable, honest and caring. He treated us as if it were his mom who needed a place to go. I would highly recommend him to anyone who needs help and a gentle help.” —Darlene
“Invaluable help. The team I worked with helped out in a very stressful time, with very little time to make some major changes for my mother. I couldn’t have gotten it done without their help.” —Steven
Headquartered in North Ridgeville, CarePatrol of North Central Ohio helps families in the following counties: Medina, Lorain, Wayne, Ashland and Richland. Call 440-387-5180 or visit NCOhio.CarePatrol.com for more information.