Heidi and her son didn’t have to sift through a mountain of home care providers—they knew The CareSide was their top choice from the beginning. Here’s their story.
Alex E. is a no-nonsense kind of person. He’s honest and forthright, and he makes his point with a quiet confidence that leaves little room for interpretation.
His Mum, Heidi, 81, is also direct; she doesn’t hesitate to call a spade a spade.
In early 2022, when Alex inquired about home care for his Mum, The CareSide sent Care Manager Janina Dickerson to visit them and provide a free care assessment at Heidi’s home. It didn’t take long for Alex and Heidi to reach a conclusion.
‘My Mum is very black and white,’ Alex says. ‘And she instantly liked Janina.’
As it turned out, Janina was the perfect blend of caring and forthright herself. She helped Alex and Heidi feel comfortable, answered their questions about home care, and made a lasting impression.
‘We joined The CareSide because of Janina’s attitude,’ Alex shares now. ‘Some of my Mum’s friends also [spoke highly] of The CareSide, so that’s the first and only home care provider we’ve been with.’
Some things have changed since that initial meeting. According to Alex, The CareSide’s services and operations have only improved over time —so much so that Alex has never even considered other providers for Heidi’s care. Janina also moved on. She was promoted to Regional Manager at The CareSide, but the Care Managers and caregivers who’ve followed her have made lasting impressions of their own.
‘That’s what I like most about The CareSide,’ Alex says. ‘The people always have good intentions, and they always want to do right by us as much as possible.’
These days, Alex and Heidi lean heavily on Michaela.
Michaela has been a Care Manager at The CareSide since the start of 2024, and her genuine willingness to help Heidi in every way she can continually impresses Alex and his family. Whether it’s promptly responding to Alex’s inquiries or collaborating with third-party vendors to get Heidi the support she needs, Michaela never fails to go the extra mile.
‘Mum’s hard of hearing,’ Alex says, ‘and a lot of people don’t adjust themselves accordingly when [communicating] with her.’
‘But Michaela is quite sensitive and very patient—Mum really likes her.’
As he speaks, Alex is noticeably thankful for the care Heidi receives with The CareSide. Years ago, he had to navigate a similar path with his Dad, who was living with Alzheimer’s.
‘We were waiting for my Dad’s Home Care Package, and we waited as long as we could,’ Alex recalls. ‘But eventually, we had to move him into a residential care facility.’
That experience, however, didn’t diminish Alex’s appreciation for the Home Care Package program and government-subsidised care. In fact, he wishes his Mum would leverage her funds even more than she already does.
‘She still wants privacy and independence, which is understandable,’ Alex explains. ‘But when her caregivers visit, I know she’s in great hands.’
Through her Home Care Package, Heidi receives support several times per week. Her caregivers provide companionship, clean the house, complete chores, and accompany her on errands. They do everything they can to assist Heidi, from helping her get around safely to packing and unpacking the car after trips to the grocery store.
One caregiver, in particular, consistently goes above and beyond.
‘Please give Cheryl some acknowledgement,’ Alex requests during our conversation.
‘Cheryl texts my Mum just to check in. Our family recently had the flu so we had to cancel our care visits, and Cheryl has texted Mum multiple times.’
That balance of professionalism and sincerity has kept Alex and Heidi with The CareSide since the very beginning of their care journey, and in Alex’s estimation, that isn’t going to change anytime soon.
‘No one ever wants to switch home care providers, because then you have to go through the process of re-establishing care,’ he says. ‘Luckily, with The CareSide, we’ve never even been in a position where we need to shop around.’
