Better Business Bureau Consumer Foundation's Annual Award Recognizes Service Excellence
Homewatch CareGivers, the largest, most experienced international provider of full-service home care, announced today that its Charlotte office has been named the 2009 Silver Torch Award winner by the Better Business Bureau Consumer Foundation, also of Charlotte. The Silver Torch Award is given out once a year to a business that exemplifies service excellence within the older adult community.
As the winner of the Silver Torch Award, Homewatch receives recognition for providing excellence in service to the older adult community within the Southern Piedmont Better Business Bureau service area and a plaque indicating Homewatch CareGivers of Charlotte as the 2009 Silver Torch recipient.
"As a company dedicated to providing the highest quality home care and helping families who need support, we appreciate the recognition for our hard work,” said, Dr. Phillip Cooley, president and owner of Homewatch CareGivers of Charlotte. "This award recognizes the team effort of all of our Homewatch staff to preserve dignity, protect independence and provide peace of mind for the persons we support and their families.”
In addition to leading one of the most successful Homewatch CareGivers offices, earlier this year Cooley was tasked with finding examples of outstanding local caregivers in Charlotte, and recognized one caregiver with Homewatch CareGivers local Family Caregiver of the Year award, which came with a $500 prize and a scholarship to Homewatch CareGivers University. The winner, Laura Dover, was then entered by Cooley as a nominee for the National Family Caregiver of the Year Award, which Dover won last month, along with a check for $5,000. Without Cooley's persistence in sharing Dover's story with the media and friends, writing letters and the winning nomination for her, chances are good Dover would have never won the national award. Cooley's efforts shed light on a remarkable and touching story.
For Dover, 52, life changed dramatically the night her daughter Ashley was involved in an automobile accident, in October of 2000. Ashley had just turned 21 a few weeks earlier, and they had spent the day together getting ready for Halloween. Laura was not prepared to have her life "turned upside down.” The accident left Ashley with a traumatic brain injury, and totally unable to care for herself. Laura brought her home, in the process giving up her career and replacing it with a full-time job caring for an invalid child. Six years ago they moved into an apartment in Laura's mother's home, an environment where Laura has been able to provide total care for her daughter.
"This award means everything to me, and I was very, very honored to be selected,” said Dover. "I have given up everything to take care of Ashley and this extra money means that I can buy a few things that will help keep Ashley healthy.”
"Laura's story is so bittersweet,” said Cooley. "The manner in which she has handled such a severe life-changing experience is inspiring to those who face profound struggles.”
Many family members are caregivers to a loved-one. According to the National Family Caregivers Association, services provided by family caregivers represents 80% of all home care services, a market which is conservatively valued at $375 billion a year.
For more information on the Silver Torch Award, please visit: http://charlotte.bbb.org/storage/44/documents/NominationForm2009SilverTorch.pdf. For more information on Homewatch CareGivers and family caregiving, please visit www.homewatchcaregivers.com.
About Homewatch CareGivers
Founded in 1980, Homewatch CareGivers is the largest, most experienced international provider of full-service home care for people of all ages, including seniors, children, veterans, the chronically ill, and those recovering from medical procedures. In-home care services are personalized for each client and customized care plans are administered through an international network of 111 owners with 181 territories which includes 10 international owners with 19 international territories. Each office is locally owned and dedicated to ensuring quality of life for clients and peace of mind for their loved ones. Call 1-800-777-9770, visit www.homewatchcaregivers.com for company and caregiver information, or learn more from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UwSRiMuM2DA.
About the Better Business Bureau Consumer Foundation
The BBB Consumer Foundation is committed to the following objectives:
- To promote understanding and awareness of marketplace issues, including consumer fraud and financial exploitation.
- To be an information resource.
- To assist consumers in recognizing consumer fraud and financial exploitation and ways to avoid becoming victims.
- To serve as the community resource for information and education-related marketplace/consumer issues.
- To advocate and facilitate the planning of community services. To encourage and promote programs and presentations which enhance the financial quality of life for consumers.
- To promote wise charitable giving decisions for consumers through the Foundation's Charity Review Program.
For more information on the BBB Consumer Foundation visit http://charlotte.bbb.org/bbb-consumer-foundation-/.
Contacts:
SJI, Ltd.
Reid Wegley, 206-408-7208
reid@sjiltd.com
