Sunland Home Care provides one-on-one caregivers, companions, or personal care aides to assist its clients with the activities of daily living, from personal care to meal preparation. Owned by members of the Farnsworth Family, who have been serving seniors in the East Valley since 1958, Sunland is locally-owned and -operated with a firm commitment to the family name and legacy that it carries.
“I grew up working and serving seniors since my family has been doing it for over 60 years. This is something that I have carried on with my own children and these ideals are exemplified within my company culture,” partner Traci Ahlstrom Beagley says.
The Sunland mission is focused on preserving the independence, dignity, and quality of life for aging or infirm loved ones who prefer to stay in their own homes. It’s a mission that Beagley has a personal connection to.
"In 2018 I was diagnosed with breast cancer. I was so sick from chemotherapy, and my life revolved around doctor's appointments. I was the primary caregiver of my own family, but I wasn’t able to do that anymore. I lost my independence and had to rely on others for everything. I was so frustrated and scared. Now, I bring that knowledge of having been a patient myself, to Sunland. I can relate to people on a more personal level. I empathize, and validate the feelings they (and their families) are going through."
Sunland Home Care strives to provide high continuity of care by having the same handful of care professionals coming in and out of the client’s home. Sunland has also implemented a Remote Nurse Monitoring Program during these trying times.
"We have a nurse calling each one of our clients and caregivers each week to follow up with them on any questions they have about COVID-19 and ask about any symptoms they may have. We have all the necessary PPE, and have been providing these items to our caregivers and clients at no charge. Our nurse has made extra visits to clients, when requested, to work with them during this time."
Beagley has felt a strong pull to support the community during COVID-19 as well, by giving back to front line workers. From hiring an ice cream truck that visited 10 communities to distribute ice cream sandwiches to seniors and healthcare workers to holding food drives for United Food Bank at a time when they didn’t have any food to distribute, Sunland works to help those who need it most.
"It’s all about people. When you put people first, everything else falls into place. We feel a privilege to provide a service in our community that helps people and we don’t take that lightly. It’s our responsibility to take care of our neighbors in the community when they can’t take care themselves."
The Sunland Difference:
—Ted hired Sunland Home Care three years ago to care for his wife before she passed away. Ted retells the story (with tears in his eyes) of his wife's caregiver Claire next to his wife while she was passing, and holding her hand.
—Karen was with her client, Duke, for over a year. The family was apprehensive about having someone come in the home, but with his Parkinson’s diagnosis, caring for Duke was getting really stressful for his wife. Not only was Karen there for Duke, but she was a great support for his wife as well. Eventually, Duke’s health declined and he was admitted to hospice. Karen sat by his side and watched him breathe, rubbed his hand and gave him water. Karen was with him and the family until the very end.