The Valley Catholic March 6, 2018 | Page 6

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COMMUNITY
March 6 , 2018 | The Valley Catholic

Catholic Charities and Honor Home Care Collaborate to Better Serve Older Adults

Catholic Charities of Santa Clara County and Honor Home Care , the largest non-medical in-home care provider in the Bay Area , today announced a Care Network Partnership .
Through the new relationship , Catholic Charities will recommend Honor Home Care to clients of its Day Break Cares In-Home Care program . Catholic Charities will no longer directly provide in-home care services . Instead , agency caregiver staff will work with Honor , who will provide services to the agency ’ s existing inhome clients .
Ten years ago , Catholic Charities had a vision for creating a social enterprise that provided jobs for clients and helped seniors stay in their own homes , while paying market rate fees that could raise funds for the agency . Out of that vision , Catholic Charities formed Day Break Cares , a three-part social enterprise providing Geriatric Home Aide Training , In-Home Care Services , and Adult Day Care . Their vision was to provide entry-level healthcare jobs to refugees and other low income clients that would provide
a hand-up out of poverty .
To date , Day Break Cares provided employment to approximately 122 home care staff . They served 200 clients and provided about 200,000 hours of service . The home care professionals who were former Catholic Charities clients represented all walks of life , including veterans , immigrants , and refugees . This was the first healthcare job for many of them .
However , throughout the years , clients ’ needs and the senior services market changed dramatically . Catholic Charities also had to change with the times and restructured their Day Break Cares social enterprise based on these new realities . A more competitive home care market and increasingly complex regulatory environment were pulling the agency away from their original priority of providing job opportunities through senior services .
“ The market has changed and the needs of our clients have changed ,” said Gregory R . Kepferle , CEO at Catholic Charities of Santa Clara County . “ To respond to these changing needs , we chose to work with Honor to create
this Care Network Partnership . We are confident that Honor ’ s specialization in the Home Care market and their use of innovative technology tools will add more value to our former clients and employees .”
Honor has invested significantly in building tools and training to provide caregivers with exceptional support . With its private venture investors , Honor is able to provide better potential earnings and more work for its Care Professionals , helping Catholic Charities meet its original Day Break Cares In-Home Care goal of providing upwardly mobile employment opportunities for our community .
“ Catholic Charities is proud to join with Honor to provide our clients with best-in-class non-medical home care services ,” said Jacqueline Copeland-Carson , Chief Operations Officer at Catholic Charities of Santa Clara County . “ The Catholic Charities / Honor Home Care Partnership helps us reach a larger critical mass of seniors and their families , while extending employment opportunities in the burgeoning home care market .
Honor shares our values of blending compassionate care and economic opportunity with cutting edge technology for the good of all people in our community .”
Catholic Charities has a Social Impact Technology Initiative whereby they partner with technology companies to better use technology to improve people ’ s lives and become more efficient as an agency . Honor is an ideal partner .
After the transition , Catholic Charities will direct clients seeking nonmedical home care services to Honor , and Honor will ensure that clients who are not ready for home care are aware of Catholic Charities for Adult Day Care services . Catholic Charities will also continue its Geriatric Home Aide Training Program .
To learn more , please visit www . catholiccharitiesscc . org / daybreakcares .
Therapy Dog Brings Joy , Stress Relief to Students at Catholic School
By Mike May Catholic News Service

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OMAHA , Neb . – Every Wednesday morning , Bo roams the halls at Saint James-Seton School in Omaha . He ’ s a golden retriever / labrador mix eager to offer a friendly greeting .
As a trained therapy dog , Bo helps students de-stress before and after school , and between classes , by providing unconditional love and comfort as they pet and hug him .
His owner , Suzi Richardson , the school ’ s director of student services , began bringing her 7-year-old dog to school in October to greet students at the beginning of the day , walk the halls between classes or rest in her office , ready for any students who need some “ Bo time .”
One student who especially benefited from Bo ’ s special brand of love is Sydney Gatzemeyer , a kindergartner being treated for brain cancer .
Currently in remission , Sydney required frequent trips to the school nurse ’ s office for temperature checks or when not feeling well , which upset her , said her mother , Sarah Gatzemeyer .
“ She ’ s calmer when Bo is there , and
Students greet Bo , the therapy dog , January 10 at Saint James / Seton School in Omaha . As a therapy dog , he brings joy and stress relief to students every Wednesday . ( CNS photo / Mike May , Catholic Voice )
she always talks about it when she gets home ,” Sarah told the Catholic Voice , newspaper . “ She tells me , ‘ Bo likes to cuddle with me when I don ’ t feel good .’”
“ I think it ’ s great for the kids ,” Sarah said . “ Dogs just have that sense of when someone doesn ’ t feel good . Sometimes that ’ s all a child needs is someone to make them comfortable .”