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Our Beginnings In June 2002, five extended family members (Sandy, Debbie, Carol, Val, and Bruce) began looking at ways that we could give back to our local communities, communities in which we were raised, and, in turn, have raised our own children. One of our partner’s mother came to live with her, having been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. Others of us have parents who are aging and facing the challenges of illnesses, while striving to maintain their dignity and remain in their own homes, as independently as possible. Clearly, we have walked, and are walking down the same Caregiver path as many of you are doing today. Many more of you will be faced with the same challenges in the future. With 2 partners having medical backgrounds, and the remaining 3, business experience, the Angels showed us that Non-Medical Home Care Service was the path to follow in order to help our community.
“What’s in a Name?” From the beginning, we felt that our own Angels were guiding us in everything… even how to name the company. We wanted a name that would bring to mind feelings of dignity, respect, trust, security, dependability, and a genuine warmth and caring were we the ones looking for services for ourselves or our loved ones. (We actually had an Angel naming contest… Debbie won!)
Our Angels at Work We began talking with family, friends and acquaintances about our plans, and nearly overnight, free office furniture (desks, tables, chairs, file cabinets), phones, computers, and a copy machine appeared. The core of the business developed quickly and excitedly with discussions about everything from the philosophy and goals of the company, what populations we felt experienced to serve, and the services to be provided. And, over and over, we felt the presence of our Angels leading, suggesting, and even gently prodding us to go in the directions we needed to go.
Our “Angel” Caregivers are the Heart and Soul The quality of care and services that are provided for our clients is significantly dependent upon the Caregivers that we entrust with the responsibilities they are given. We choose our Caregivers for their experience, dedication, genuine compassion, and respect for others. We gratefully acknowledge that Angels By Your Side, Inc. would be nothing more than a dream if our “Angel” Caregivers didn’t have the same visions.
Angel Logo While holding one of our “Angel Gatherings” (our weekly meeting of the partners), Bruce asked if we had been to the building where his employer had relocated, and was now in the process of remodeling, because he thought one of us had left something in his “new office”. With no one answering, he pulled, from his pocket, a small angel holding a heart. He had found it pinned to an old bulletin board, covered up by papers from the previous owners. Instinctively, we all knew that we had found our Angel Logo and format for all other materials to be developed.
Location… Location… Location In keeping with our goal of providing service to individuals in their homes, we wanted a location that would be warm, open, and inviting. Storefronts and office buildings were just too cold… and very expensive for these new entrepreneurs. Of all the properties considered, there was a house, which we felt would be an ideal location, but certain that it would be out of our price range. Downstairs, the layout looked like a typical office, with a layout that was not inviting, and twice as much as we could afford. Carol and Val went to the second floor, and immediately realized that we had found our “Angel House”… at exactly the price we had earlier agreed that we could afford. With a little bit of decorating, and Angels of all types surrounding us, we felt at peace and knew that others visiting or working with us would feel the same.
Our first Customer Prior to hanging out our shingle for business in September 2002, we began telling others of our intentions and asking them to begin helping us spread the word. In August, we had our first Client signed up for services, just waiting for us to open our door. About two weeks before that day, we received an anxious call from a family member saying that the Caregiver she had previously lined up while the family had planned an out-of-state vacation had fallen through, and that she would have to remain behind. Committed to providing the services we had promised, Sandy and Carol spent 9 days and nights with the Client so that the entire family would be able to enjoy their vacation and know that their loved one was safe and secure. During those 216 hours, we were privileged to have been invited into her life and to experience, first-hand, how to safely balance the Client’s needs and wants with her passionate desire, and right, to be as independent as possible while making her own choices and decisions. A couple of our business meetings even had to be held at her home during that time, and the Client was encouraged to be involved, providing insights, suggestions… along with a lot of smiles, laughter, and hugs. Once again our Angels were hard at work, providing us additional insights into the services we would be providing. To this day, this client has shared many memorable moments not only the Partners, but with quite a few of our “Angel” Caregivers. She now holds the well-deserved title of “Angel Trainer”.
"Lets get acquainted..."
MEET THE PARTNERS Our Director Sandy Diesel is a Registered Nurse, and over the past 14 years has worked for Centegra Health System in Medical-Surgical nursing, Associate Health; and was involved in the planning, implementing, and nursing care in their 40 bed Skilled Extended Care facility. She also worked for Healthtrends Home-Health Care, as well as the McHenry County Health Department, managing their Tuberculosis Control program. Sandy also has a Bachelor’s degree in Education and Special Education, having previously worked over 10 years serving adults and children with special needs such as Developmental Disabilities and Mental Illnesses in both respite and residential settings for Pioneer Center for the Exceptional. In her nursing and educational positions, she wrote grants and maintained compliance with IDPH, JACHO, OSHA, Medicare, and the Illinois Dept. of Labor’s rules and regulations. While working with her clients and their loved ones, Sandy witnessed many occasions over the years, where, if there had been a comprehensive plan to provide for short or long-term in-home non-medical assistance, the client would have been able to return to the comfort and safety of their own home, rather than having to reside with family members or in a costly long-term care facility. Our Co-Director Debbie Birchfield is a Certified Nursing Assistant, having worked with the Centegra Health System for over 30 years, and with Good Shepard Hospital for a short time before joining “Angels” as a partner. She worked in various departments including Medical-Surgical, O.B., Pediatrics, and I.C.U. As a certified Health Unit Coordinator at Centegra, her many responsibilities included involvement in the planning and implementing of their 40-bed Skilled Extended Care facility in accordance with IDPH, Medicare, and JACHO rules and regulations. She also coordinated patient care needs and physician orders, conducted unit-based training and inservicing of her peers, prepared staffing schedules to assure adequate coverage; and provided system-wide monthly computer training to new associates. She was named the 1999 Service Excellence Champion. Debbie felt through her years of experience she had the knowledge to help people stay in the comfort of their own homes, helping them to have the quality of life they so worked for and deserve and worked for. During her home visits, Debbie enjoys seeing the difference the “Angel” Caregivers are making in our Client’s lives. Our Operations Director Carol Weisbruch has been a Community Service Officer with the Crystal Lake Police Department for over 17 years, with first-hand experiences in safety, public relations, and public speaking. In the past, with a Bachelors Degree in Education, she also worked for over 7 years with two Special Education organizations, Pioneer Center for the Exceptional and Little City, as well as for 2 years in a Tri-County Health Department in Michigan. She previously had her own small business in Crystal Lake, which provided invaluable insights into our own venture. If the business needs something done, she’s the one to count on. Due to the continuing growth of the business, she is also assisting with installation of the 24 hour “Angel Link” Medical Alert Systems. Our Finance Director Val Coulson, worked for many years in the family’s lumber business. After having 2 children, she joined her husband in the security and fire alarm business, where she has been the office manager for several years. Val, and her husband Bruce, handle the “Angel Books” as well as invoicing/payroll responsibilities. These are increasingly busy positions at the “Angels” as we continue to increase our numbers of Clients and Caregivers. In the past, Val also worked at Crystal Pines Nursing Home, developing unique relationships and special feelings for the seniors. Now, she occasionally helps as one of the “Angel” Caregivers, thoroughly enjoying the one-to-one experiences and those special feelings again. Our Marketing Director Bruce Coulson has spent the majority of his working career in the security business. He has been involved in many aspects of security, including burglar and fire alarms, closed circuit TV, access control, and Medical alert systems. For 22 years he has been serving in many capacities for a Chicago area company, and has held the position of Vice-President for the last 14 years. Bruce’s security experience has been an invaluable asset for our 24-hour “Angel Link” Medical Alert Systems.
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Send mail to
brian@angelsbyyourside.com
with questions or comments about this web site.
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