Paula Goode, general manager of Comfort Keepers of Damariscotta, sits in the company’s office on the morning of Monday, Dec. 2. The family-owned arm of national caregiving provider Comfort Keepers will now offer live-in services to clients in a move Goode said she hopes allows more locals to age in place. (Molly Rains photo)
Damariscotta’s family-run branch of in-home care provider Comfort Keepers will now offer live-in support for aging Mainers in a move the group hopes will help more locals age in place.
“We want people to be happy, and there’s just no place like home,” said General Manager and Client Care Specialist Paula Goode.
Comfort Keepers employs caregivers to provide clients with companionship and support with tasks from shopping to toileting and bathing. Sometimes, caregivers can help family members take time for themselves by taking over for a few hours at a time, said Goode. The organization can also provide end-of-life care.
The addition of live-in caregivers is a big step for the franchise, said Goode.
“It’s not necessarily a new need, but we had to do some research to make sure we could do it with the various labor laws … We wanted to make sure we fully understood what we were doing,” she said.
While Comfort Keepers does currently offer 24/7 care, that model requires caregivers to rotate through shifts on a constant basis. Live-in care can be more affordable and less intensive, for those clients who are looking for reliable support but don’t necessarily require direct interaction around the clock, said Goode.
Under the live-in model, a caregiver will move into a client’s home and provide on-the-clock care for 10 hours daily. They will also sleep in the home, something that Goode said she hopes boosts peace of mind for clients.
“We hope that we can help somebody stay at home longer where they want to be, that maybe we’re helping them to heal, because they don’t have the anxiety and the worry knowing that they can call on somebody,” she said.
Supporting older adults is a passion that Goode originally developed while working in finance and advising older adults with retirement accounts.
“I found how much I really enjoyed working with individuals who are seniors, who are elderly, knowing that you’re making a difference to make sure they’re getting the most out of their accounts and that they’re doing all the things they need to. That started something for me,” she said.
At the time, Goode’s father and brother were working together in medical equipment sales and noticed that Maine lacked in-home care providers. The pair initially considered opening an independent business to provide in-home care, said Goode, but then discovered national company Comfort Keepers. Liking the company’s business model and structure, the family decided to open a franchise in Damariscotta, where Goode was born and raised.
When Comfort Keepers opened in Damariscotta in May 2012, Goode was the only office employee. As the company began growing its client base, more of Goode’s relatives joined the crew. Goode’s younger sister, Stephanie Welton, is now human relations manager; her older sister, Alicia Oliver, is the business’s administrative assistant; and her aunt, Janice Somerville, does scheduling; and just this year, Goode’s daughter, Julia Goode, a registered nurse, joined the team to help Goode perform intake assessments.
“It’s definitely a family affair,” Paula Goode said.
The family nature of the business and the challenges and rewards of working in home health care have kept Goode invested, she said.
“Every day is new,” she said.
As a certified senior advisor, Goode added that the opportunity to connect with clients and their families has also made the work rewarding.
“I’ve made some wonderful connections,” she said. “I met every single client first, so you gain that connection and rapport with the client and the family. All of that is just really sweet and special.”
The Damariscotta Comfort Keepers office currently serves about 125 clients over two geographic areas: one stretching from Freeport to Camden and another in Hancock County.
Every situation is different, and the scope of the organization’s work is broad, said Goode.
“There are so many different scenarios as to why somebody may give us a call and ask for help,” she said. “We hope that we can bring peace of mind.”
Comfort Keepers is located at 661 Main St. in Damariscotta. For more information, call 563-2273 or go to comfortkeepers.com/offices/maine/damariscotta.
