Serving Ada, Cascade, Rockford, Lowell, East Grand Rapids, Kentwood and surrounding communitiesloginLink

About Us: Gauthier Family Home Care

 

At Gauthier Family Home Care, when we say our service is from the heart, we mean it. Why? Because we understand the struggle first hand. We’ve been there, too.
 
In August of 2008 Marion’s mom, Muffy, was diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer. The initial pain levels rendered her permanently bedridden. It shook our family, but Marion took the reins. With no formal training, she became the primary caregiver; attending doctor’s visits, monitoring medications, managing meals, bathing, bed changing, and doing laundry. Marion slept night after night at her parents’ home to ensure Muffy’s continuous comfort.
 
By the fall of 2008, Marion also realized she and her dad Walt couldn’t do it all. She enlisted the expertise of local home health agencies. Instantly, both she and our family recognized the transformative affect the caregivers had on the situation. Though Marion remained a staple at Muffy’s side, she felt relief with the aid of a trusted hand. And most importantly, Muffy remained in comfort and at ease.
 
Muffy passed away in April of 2010. Caring for Muffy was one of the most challenging and rewarding times our family has experienced together, and we cherish her memory every day. In celebration of her spirit, we decided to continue this important work by opening Gauthier Family Home Care. We want to make a difference in people’s lives at a time when they need it most. Our service, backed by both experience and compassion, will fulfill that goal.
 
We’re here for you. Welcome to the family.

 

Mission Statement

Gauthier Family Home Care exists to provide options for our clients to retain their independence in their own homes, improve their quality of life and support their extended families. We will accomplish that by providing compassionate, professional caregivers who will nurture, stimulate, and cater to each client’s specific needs without fail.

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Our Caregivers

CQA CERTIFICATION (Caregiver Quality Assurance)

We are CQA Certified. We collaborate with Leading Home Care, a Tweed Jeffries company, to assure our clients and their families that every caregiver we hire is screened through state-of-the-art assessment testing and subjected to stringent background checks to guarantee they deliver only the highest levels of quality and compassionate care. Our philosophy is; “if they’re not good enough for our loved ones, they’re not good enough for our clients. ”

 

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Professional Memberships

We pride ourselves in our commitment to stay abreast of the ever-changing landscape of senior services and aging research. To this end, we are members of the following professional organizations:

 

   

NATIONAL PRIVATE DUTY ASSOCIATION We are members in good standing of the National Private Duty Association.  The NPDA is 1,200 members strong, representing 250,000 employees dedicated to sharing best practices in an effort to continually improve industry  standards for home health care.

 

 

 

MICHIGAN HOME HEALTH ASSOCIATION  Established in 1981, the Michigan Home Health Association (MHHA) is the state trade association for providers of home health care.  The Association provides a unified voice for all components of home health care and promotes high standards of patient care in the delivery of home health services.

 

     

 

Council on Aging  We work with the Council on Aging to identify and assess the needs of the older population in Kent County and to strengthen the network of services designed to address those needs.

 

 

  

CAREGIVER RESOURCE NETWORK  The Caregiver Resource Network is a collaboration of West Michigan organizations dedicated to providing for the needs and welfare of family and professional caregivers within the community. The Caregiver Resource Network is facilitated by the Grand Rapids Community College Older Learner Center and Area Agency on Aging of Western Michigan.

 

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Additional Resources

Some of the following are unique to west Michigan, and some are national in scope.  But all of the following links connect family caregivers to vital, supportive organizations in the elder health care market.

 

Area Agency on Aging of Western Michigan  Mission Statement:  The purpose of the Area Agency on Aging of Western Michigan is to provide older persons, including those in the greatest social and economic need, with an array of human services designed to maintain independence and dignity in their homes and communities.

 

 

 

 

 

Caring Sheets   Lansing Community College, Mental Health and Aging Project,  Educational site with many print friendly "Caring Sheets" detailing the causes of, and interventions for, cognitive impairment caused by dementia.

 

 

 

Michigan Dementia Coalition Excellent resource site dedicated to improving the lives of those afflicted with various forms of dementia including Alzheimer's, Huntington's, Parkinson's, Lewy Body, and others.

 

 

 

National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke  Alzheimer's Disease information site with updates on current research and affiliated network and support groups.

 

 

 

 

SarahCare Adult Day Care Center  Located in the heart of Metro Health Village in Grand Rapids, SarahCare is a licensed adult day care facility.  The professionally and medically trained staff strive to enhance the quality of life for both the participant and their families.

 

 

 

Senior Neighbors  Mission Statement:  We are dedicated to promoting independent living for adults 60 years and older in our community and providing essential services that help seniors remain independent into their later years. We focus heavily on health and wellness programming as we work to aggressively pursue our mission of enhancing senior lives.

 

 

 

A Place For Mom  Out of town?  Shopping for elder care facilities for a loved one from far away is problematic.  This site offers free elder care referral services with over 17,000 national and local partners.

 

 

 

Emergency Response Systems by SafeCall   SafeCall’s automated medical alarm products provide the tools to maintain your loved one’s independence. Enjoy the reassurance and peace of mind that you, and all family caregivers, need.

 

 

 

 CareLinc  Home Medical Equipment and Supplies, retail stores in Michigan, with catalog of products numbering in the thousands.

 

 

 

 GRCC Older Learner Center  In an attempt to help prepare and educate our community regarding this Aging Revolution, Grand Rapids Community College created the Older Learner Center. The main goal of the Older Learner Center is to meet the educational needs of our aging society.

 

 

 

Seniors Moving Smarter Senior moving specialists: "Our goal is to ease the moving process for you and your family by providing professional, personalized and comprehensive service sensitive to your needs." - Elizabeth McCulloch, MSW

 

 

 

The Caregiver Cottage  Grand Rapids based coaching team that will walk the family caregiver through the caregiving experience.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Our History

Gauthier Family Home Care was founded on the belief that we can make a difference in those families' lives whose loved ones are faced with the inevitable challenges involved in the aging process.  We have been the primary caregivers for our parents over the last ten years and we are convinced we can collaborate with and support our clients and their family caregivers in two important ways:

  • From our experience, and through this highly informative e-library we can shorten the learning curve for others who are going through this very stressful, but highly rewarding experience of taking care of a loved one.
  • We are fully committed to bringing into our client's homes only the most compassionate, trustworthy and well-trained caregivers in the West Michigan market.
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Our Partners

The Alzheimer’s Association: The Alzheimer’s Association - Greater Michigan Chapter, founded in 1981, is a private, non-profit, voluntary health organization. MISSION: To eliminate Alzheimer’s disease through the advancement of research; to provide and enhance care and support for all affected; and to reduce the risk of dementia through the promotion of brain health.

 
Gerontology Network: Gerontology Network was established in 1979 to improve the lives of older adults in West Michigan, while preparing for the increasing aging population. Since its inception, Gerontology Network has been continuously providing a variety of services and programs to meet the ever-changing needs of adults as they age at home.
 
Care-Resources (PACE) Program: Affiliated with the national organization Program of All-inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE), Care Resources' mission is to offer long-term care choices that promote independence, dignity and a high quality of life for the frail elderly members of our community.
 
Hope Network: Hope Network is a Christian organization that empowers people with disabilities or disadvantages to achieve their highest level of independence. For seniors, Hope Network also operates an Adult Day Services Program to facilitate socialization opportunities.
 
Elder Law Attorney: Caroline Dellenbusch is a second generation attorney specializing in the myriad issues facing the senior population, such as; Navigating Medicaid, Nursing Home issues, Long Term Care Planning, Estate Planning, Disability Planning, Trust Administration.

 

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