Everyone knows that “there’s no place like home,” and this sentiment lies at the very heart of Helping Hand Home Health Care Corporation. Since 1973, the company has offered compassionate home health care services to residents of Flint and the surrounding areas through their four locations: Bay City, Lapeer, Royal Oak and Grand Blanc. My City Magazine met with Jim Spangler, President/CEO, at his Grand Blanc office along with Marketing Director, Amy Meriwether, to talk about the high standard of care the company provides.
“Our ultimate goal is to keep people out of the hospital,” says Jim. They help patients transition from a hospital or nursing facility to living with dignity in the comfort of their own homes. Provided around the clock, seven days a week, 24 hours a day, their services include home health care, skilled care, transitional care, therapy, medication management and dietary consultations, to name a few. Helping Hand even hires senior citizens as companion sitters. It also has a Shared Care Program at select senior community locations in Michigan. A client enrolled in a program may receive both skilled and attendant care based on his or her needs, as well as transportation to and from doctor visits.
Jim bought the company 13 years ago when it was just a small operation on Dexter Street that was founded in 1973. He treasures a beautiful wooden sign hand-carved with the words “The Helping Hand,” which came from the original business. “It started with just 15 patients on Dexter Street!” he exclaimed. Forty years later, Helping Hand has grown to be one of Michigan’s largest and most trusted home health care organizations. “We work closely with all the hospitals in Flint and the surrounding area,” Jim says.
According to marketing director Amy Meriwether, Helping Hand saves people millions of dollars in hospital care costs. She says the ultimate compliment is when a doctor or other member of the medical community trusts them enough to ask, “Can you help me with my mom or dad?” Some of their patients don’t have relatives living in the area so they receive many calls from out-of-state family members needing help finding home health care. “A lot of people don’t have family. We become their family,” Amy smiled. “We help them find the care they need and we do it with compassion.” And, the company understands the importance of a caregiver in the life of a patient. “With Helping Hand, you choose your own caregiver!” she exclaimed.
Between the four Helping Hand locations, the staff includes 900 people who each undergo a lengthy screening process that includes drug testing, a criminal background check and previous employment check. Jim credits the success of the business to its staff. “The quality of service you provide is based on the people you hire,” he says. “We have a tremendous team here.” Helping Hand also works with insurance companies to make sure each patient’s needs are met. Amy says they work closely with Michigan’s My Choice Waiver Program. Through this program, eligible adults who meet income and asset criteria can receive Medicaid-covered services like those provided by nursing homes, but can stay in their own home or another residential setting. “We are one of the biggest providers of care to people in the waiver programs,” Amy boasted.
Helping Hand utilizes technology to give their patients the best care possible, specifically by using Telehealth services. Telehealth allows the company to deliver health care, medical information or health education long-distance, increasing the ease of contact between a patient and the medical system. “With Telehealth, medical information is transmitted via the Internet, displayed on a screen and monitored by a nurse in our office,” Amy explained. “If a patient’s condition changes, the nurse can then call a doctor.” They also use Skype, which allows doctors and patients to interact “face-to-face” via computer. In addition, Helping Hand has a Patient Emergency Alert System for patients who may have suffered a fall or other medical emergency – with the push of a button, an in-office nurse receives immediate notification.
As with his business, Jim Spangler is also passionate about his community and devoted to his role on the Flint Institute of Music’s Board of Trustees. “It’s one of my passions,” he said. “FIM is really a focal point of our community.” He also adores horses and raises Swedish Warmbloods on his Metamora farm. But he is most driven by his commitment to the patients of Helping Hand. “Our motto is, ‘Surrounded by memories of a lifetime makes life a little easier.’ Because, of course, there’s no place like home,” he smiled.
PHOTOS BY TRACI TURNER
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