Two Recognized for 50 Years of Service

CANTON – In July of 1974 Charles Bronson’s “Death Wish” was playing at drive-ins across the country, gas was only 53 cents per gallon, and Richard Nixon was in the final days of his presidency.

July of 1974 also marked the beginning of careers with United Helpers for both Joyce Simmons and Cynthia “Cindy” Cota, the first two employees in the 126-year history of United Helpers to hit the 50-year milestone.

Both women have worked in a variety of roles for the organization, something that Mrs. Cota said made working 50 years a bit easier than holding one position for that long.

Mrs. Cota has worked in Canton as a CNA, a therapy aide and a home health aide, while Mrs. Simmons has worked, mostly in Ogdensburg, as a cook, as a laundry aide and then as a housekeeper first for Rehabilitation and Senior Care in Ogdensburg and then for both Sparx and Northern Lights Home Health Care.

United Helpers Rehabilitation and Senior Care Vice President of Operations Timothy Parsons has worked with both women, working with Mrs. Simmons during his time as building administrator at the skilled nursing facility in Ogdensburg.

Mr. Parsons recalled celebrating Mrs. Simmons’ 40^th work anniversary. “She brought in cupcakes for everyone,” he recalled. “I asked her when she was retiring and she mentioned wanting to hit 45 years.”

Now on the occasion of her 50^th anniversary, Mrs. Simmons said she wants to be the first United Helpers employee to celebrate 51 years with the company. A feat that will made easier by the fact, Mrs. Cota is retiring at the end of this month.

“I work with a great bunch of girls and I just really love working,” Mrs. Simmons said. “I think I’m going to keep going as long as I’m healthy and able,” she said.

As for Mrs. Cota, she said the first few months of her retirement will be tied up with an ongoing home renovation project.

Mr. Parsons said he remembers the first time he met Mrs. Cota, noting it was his very first day on the job. “Whoever introduced me to Cindy said something like, ‘This is Cindy and she’s been here forever,’” he recalled with a laugh. “And that was 23 years ago.”

The careers of both Mrs. Cota and Mrs. Simmons were recently celebrated at the United Helpers Summer Awards ceremony, where each were presented with an engraved clock. Both women were also given a cash bonus.

This month Cynthia “Cindy” Cota and Joyce Simmons both celebrated 50 years of service with the United Helpers organization, becoming the first two employees in the company’s 126-year history to hit that impressive milestone. Mrs. Cota will be retiring at the end of the month, while Mrs. Simmons said she wants to become the first person to celebrate their 51^st anniversary. From left, United Helpers Rehabilitation and Senior Care Vice President of Operations Timothy Parsons, Mrs. Simmons, Mrs. Cota and Sparx Vice President of Operations Katherine Race.

Home Health Care Administrator: Nursing Homes Deserve Funding Too!

CANTON – For the past 15 years skilled nursing facilities across New York State have not seen an increase in their Medicaid reimbursement rates, leading to the creation of a coalition that is bringing the fight to Albany with the intent of receiving a 20% increase in the state’s 2023-2024 budget.

Local media coverage of the coalition and its efforts recently prompted newly elected Assemblyman Scott Gray (R-Watertown) to state he would like to see the state’s efforts focused on home health care, and allowing people to “age in place.”

Northern Lights Home Health Care Vice President of Operations Katherine A. Race said that while home health care is important, it’s not for everyone, making skilled nursing care an important part of the health care continuum.

“In order to be signed on for home health care there are federal guidelines you have to meet,” she said. 

One of those guidelines is you have to be able to exit your home safely.

“A lot of times we will meet with people seeking home health care, but they can’t be home alone for any period of time. That will disqualify them from qualifying for our services,” she said.

Another issue Ms. Race said is insurance policies which will not pay for home health care, but will cover skilled nursing care.

“There are a lot of people who do not qualify for Medicaid, but cannot afford to pay for home health services out of pocket if their insurance will not cover them,” she said. “These people need a place to go where they can receive the care they need and deserve.”

A shift to home health care for more people also assumes there are enough providers to give that care – something that Ms. Race says is not the case.

“Like hospitals and nursing homes, we too are facing staffing difficulties,” she said. “It takes a special kind of person to work in home health care. We are going into people’s homes and working with whatever they have available. Many of these people don’t have lift chairs or hospital-style beds.”

That doesn’t even take into account precautionary measures, as a result of COVID-19, which is still active in the community, and something home health care providers are dealing with on a near daily basis.

“Our staff is doffing and donning PPE (personal protective equipment) on people’s porches, in hallways, or in some instances while standing outside of their vehicles,” she said. “It’s very hard to recruit people who are willing to do all of this.”

Ms. Race said she is pleased that Assemblyman Gray recognizes the importance of home health care, but she said their funding should not come at the expense of skilled nursing facilities.

“It’s great to see the state wanting to put money in the community, but at the end of the day these folks are going to age out and need a place to go. We need options,” she said.

Those wishing to support the coalition’s efforts may send an automatically generated message to Gov. Hochul by visiting https://p2a.co/Q2wLwJZ. People may also reach out to Mr. Gray, Assemblyman Ken Blankenbush, Senator Mark Walczyk, and Senator Dan Stec.

Mr. Gray, Mr. Blankenbusg, Mr. Walczyk, and Mr. Stec all represent portions of St. Lawrence County in the state legislature.

 

On the web:

https://www.nysenate.gov/senators/mark-walczyk

https://www.nysenate.gov/senators/daniel-g-stec

https://assembly.state.ny.us/mem/?ad=116 (Mr. Gray)

https://nyassembly.gov/mem/Ken-Blankenbush 

Northern Lights Helps Galilee Woman Get Back on Her Feet

GALILEE – After spending more than a year of her life unable to walk and going back and forth between a recliner and a wheelchair, Sharon Nichols is thankful to once again be back on her feet.

The difficult stretch began with a broken hip in 2021 that was followed by knee replacement surgery this past spring.

Northern Lights Home Health Care Physical Therapist Natalie King has known Mrs. Nichols going back to the broken hip, which she suspects may have contributed to Mrs. Nichols’ knee problems.

Given the combination of her left hip and right knee, which was once “her good leg,” Mrs. King said as Mrs. Nichols’ knee would buckle due to bearing most of her weight following hip surgery, her good leg actually became “her bad leg.” 

Physical Therapist Natalie King walks with Sharon Nichols.

Mrs. Nichols was discharged home on May 21 following knee replacement surgery. Initially she was seeing Mrs. King three days per week. Those therapy appointments were eventually reduced down to twice a week, and as of Sept. 1 Mrs. Nichols is no longer in need of therapy.

When asked if she ever considered the possibility she may not walk again, she said she never considered that an option.

As soon as her physical therapy began, she knew it was time to get to work.

“I do my home exercises all the time and I’m not planning to stop,” she said, adding she would even do exercises in her husband’s truck while on the way to medical appointments.

As she was able to stand, Mrs. Nichols said she began walking with the use of a “platform-style” walker, eventually graduating to a traditional walker, which she now uses to move around her home.

“I was afraid of falling, but I knew I had to get over it, and I did,” she said, adding though that it wouldn’t have been possible without the help of Northern Lights.

In fact, her husband, Alfred “Bud” Nichols has also received physical therapy at home through Northern Lights.

“My friend, Linda told us about Northern Lights, and I said, ‘We’ll get them too. We’ve both had nothing but a great experience. You couldn’t ask for anything better,” she said.

For more information on Northern Lights Home Health Care, please call (315) 714-3135 or visit www.mynorthernlights.org. Northern Lights offers skilled nursing, physical therapy, occupational therapy, and assistance from personal care aides.

Northern Lights is owned and operated through a partnership that includes United Helpers, Canton-Potsdam Hospital, and Claxton-Hepburn Medical Center.

Northern Lights Experiences Second Baby Boom in as Many Years

It was déjà vu all over again for the staff at Northern Lights in Canton with the home health care agency experiencing its second baby boom in as many years. During the spring and summer of 2018, six Northern Lights employees welcomed babies. This time around, five employees welcomed new babies into their families, with a sixth welcoming twins into her family as a grandmother. All of the babies range in age from three to seven months old. From left, Physical Therapist Assistant Chelsea Reed and her four-month-old daughter Briar, Registered Nurse Kim Salton with her six-month-old grandchildren, Quinn and Dalton, Registered Nurse Tiffany Mitchell with her seven-month-old daughter Madelyn, Registered Nurse Courtney Perry with her six-month-old son Wyatt, and Licensed Practical Nurse Alexis Porter with her three-month-old daughter Rory. Absent from photo, Registered Nurse Jaclyn Pernice and her son Declan, who is five-months-old. 

Colton Woman's Nursing Career Began in High School

CANTON – Tiffany Mitchell, RN, of Colton said that for as long as she can remember she’s wanted to work in Home Health Care.

When asked why she chose this career path, Mrs. Mitchell said she wanted to be able to develop a relationship with her patients.

“I’ve always had an interest in home health care, even before becoming a nurse,” she said, noting that in 2012 while still in high school she began working for United Helpers at Maplewood Health Care & Rehabilitation Center as an activities aide. 

Tiffany Mitchell, RN

While still in high school and taking Health Careers at St. Lawrence-Lewis BOCES, Mrs. Mitchell even earned her CNA certification and began working per-diem as a CNA at Maplewood.

Following graduation, Mrs. Mitchell said she attended SUNY Canton, ultimately graduating in 2015 with a nursing degree and becoming a RN. She then spent approximately six months working at Maplewood as an evening supervisor, before the opportunity arose to begin her career in home health care.

“I really enjoy that one on one time with patients and for the most part, I can set my own schedule,” she said. “Being able to have that time and form those relationships is something that other types of nursing do not offer.”

Now that she’s nearly two years into her career as a RN for Northern Lights, Mrs. Mitchell said she’s certain she made the right choice.

“I would recommend Northern Lights to any nurses out there looking for a job,” she said. “Giving people the option to recover in their homes is something that’s important to me,” she said, recalling an elderly gentleman, who became a patient after developing a foot ulcer.

“Doctors told him that his foot would need to be amputated,” she said. “But to him, that wasn’t an option. He told doctors he would rather die than allow them to amputate his foot.”

The gentleman, with no guarantees of success, instead elected for home health care and for two years, nurses from Northern Lights came to his home to care for the wound.

“I worked with him for about a year and during that time his wound healed and we were able to discharge him,” she said, adding stories like that show how rewarding a career in home health care can be.

For more information on Northern Lights Home Health Care and how you can start your career in home health care, please call (315) 714-3135, like Northern Lights on Facebook or visit www.mynorthernlights.org/employment-opportunities.

Northern Lights is owned and operated through a partnership that includes United Helpers, Canton-Potsdam Hospital, Claxton-Hepburn Medical Center and Hospice and Palliative Care of St. Lawrence Valley.

Edwards Man on the Road to Recovery Thanks to Northern Lights Home Health Care

EDWARDS – While recovering at home following a joint replacement surgery isn’t something that everyone can do, given the right circumstances Home Health Care can be a viable option.

Warren Lounsbury, of Edwards had knee replacement surgery on his left leg at the end of January and spent roughly three weeks under the care of Northern Lights at his home.

During that time, Mr. Lounsbury was under the care of Tiffany Mitchell, RN, Physical Therapist Sara Klock and Physical Therapy Assistant Chelsea Bill-Reed. He had nice things to say about each of the people he worked with.

“The care I received from Sara, who evaluated me initially, and then Chelsea was wonderful,” he said. “Not only were they highly professional, they also provided me with information and care in a warm and friendly manner which definitely facilitated in my post-surgical healing and enabled me to start getting back to normal.”

Mr. Lounsbury also had similar things to say about Mrs. Mitchell.

“Not only was she highly professional, she also has a warm and caring personality which definitely helped with my post-surgical healing,” Tiffany usually arrived on time, but if she was held up with another client, she would always call to let me know and make sure her new arrival time was acceptable. Her skills were exemplary and her poise and professionalism were a breath of fresh air.”

After three weeks with Northern Lights, Mr. Lounsbury is now receiving outpatient physical therapy with a provider close to his home, but he said if the need for home health care arises again in the future, he knows who he’ll call.

“I want to thank Northern Lights, and most importantly, Tiffany, Sara and Chelsea, for the wonderful care I received as a client,” Mr. Lounsbury said. “You should be commended on the high level of professionals you employ and if needed in the future, I will definitely request Northern Lights Home Health Care and recommend them to friends and family.”

For more information on Northern Lights Home Health Care, please call (315) 714-3135, like us on Facebook or visit www.mynorthernlights.org.

Northern Lights is owned and operated through a partnership that includes United Helpers, Canton-Potsdam Hospital, Claxton-Hepburn Medical Center and Hospice and Palliative Care of St. Lawrence Valley.

Northern Lights Helped Potsdam Man Keep His Business Running

POTSDAM – Eric J. Matott is an active man. He and his wife, Stephanie run the Northern Family Motel, and in addition this past fall he was in the midst of a campaign for the village board.

Little did he know he was just weeks away from a lengthy hospital stay, followed by complications that required home health care.

Mr. Matott became ill and found himself in the hospital undergoing surgery. He was then discharged, under the belief that his recovery was on track. However, three months into his recovery, he experienced a setback, which led to another operation this past February.

Regaining his health required time and continued medical care. Because of the need for ongoing care, Northern Lights Home Health Care was a welcomed solution, allowing him to remain home and involved in the family business.

Following his release from the hospital, he received visits from a registered nurse with Northern Lights every day. He said those visits were reduced to three days a week, then twice a week and finally once per week.

Although, he no longer requires home care, Mr. Matott said he is going to miss the regular visits.

“Every single nurse who came was great,” he said. “Over time you kind of develop friendships with them.”

One nurse who visited regularly was Allison Cole. Ms. Cole was also the first nurse to visit once his home care began.

“I was kind of apprehensive at first,” Mr. Matott said. “I’m a little hesitant to let people into my home (which also doubles as the office for the motel) and then to have to show them my body, but Allison was very professional from the get go.”

Mr. Matott said during his initial appointment, he lifted up his shirt to show her “the wound.” Then as she began examining it, he said he faked laughter, as if he was being tickled, noting that he wasn’t actually being tickled.

“She said, ‘Alright now, we’ve broken the ice.’” he recalled.

When asked how Northern Lights aided in his recovery, Mr. Matott replied, “They were my recovery. It was important for me to get back on track so I could be doing what I’m supposed to be doing and Northern Lights helped get me there.”

Mr. Matott said he feels like home care is an option that’s not taken advantage of enough in the medical community.

“I feel like more people should be discharged to home care,” he said. “People can recover a lot more comfortably in their homes.”

Ms. Cole agreed. “Depending on their diagnosis, a lot of times people can recover better in their own homes. It’s a more positive environment and they have more energy to put into their recovery when they’re consistently getting a good night’s sleep in their own bed,” she said.

For more information on Northern Lights Home Health Care, please call (315) 714-3135 or visit www.mynorthernlights.org.

Northern Lights is owned and operated through a partnership that includes United Helpers, Canton-Potsdam Hospital, Claxton-Hepburn Medical Center and Hospice and Palliative Care of St. Lawrence Valley.

Walrath Receives Life Improved Nomination

From left, Greg Walrath and Warren Bullock

IT Systems Administrator Greg Walrath was among the recipients of a Life Improved Award Nomination.

Nominated by his supervisor, Warren Bullock, Mr. Walrath has shown in just a short period of time to be a valuable member of the IT Team at United Helpers.

In his nomination, Mr. Bullock wrote, "Greg has been with the United Helpers organization for just over six months and he has already proved he is a great team member. Greg has a bright future with the organization and I'm excited to be part of his professional growth."

Giving several examples of Mr. Walrath's work, Mr. Bullock wrote, "The integration of technology in our Potsdam buildings has been a huge success because of Greg. We are also now able to explore new ideas and have great potential to add value to our web presence since Greg has joined our web team. I also get a sense for a great persistence to solve issues that are not easy to solve."

Mr. Bullock continued, "Greg is a very approachable, self-confident team member. He is not afraid to hold himself accountable and because of these characteristics there has been an overwhelming satisfaction from all of the departments and people he supports."

When SWISH and Northern Lights Team Up Great Things Happen

Thanks to SWISH and Northern Lights, Cambray Courts resident Martha Daniels was able to rebuild strength in her upper body and become active once again.

To see Martha's story, watch the video above.

Right at Home with Northern Lights Home Care

Canton – Ruby Rexford of Canton, NY will tell you that she had a battle with pneumonia this winter and while it was rough, she came out on top with the help of Northern Lights Home Health Care.

“I was so weak that the rescue squad had to take me to the hospital,” Mrs. Rexford said. She was admitted to the hospital and then later discharged a few weeks later to RiverLedge Health Care and Rehabilitation Center where she recuperated for two months until she was well enough to go back home.

“I was looking forward to going home to my apartment, but everyone wanted me to have some help after I got there,” Mrs. Rexford added. “That was when I learned about Northern Lights.”

Northern Lights registered nurse Sue Liebfred, met with Mrs. Rexford and set up a care plan for her so that she would be safe and cared for at home. Northern Lights coordinated visits with Mrs. Rexford’s schedule and they discussed the type of help she would need. “Recuperating from pneumonia takes time and Ruby still needed some help with breathing issues and assistance with activities of daily living.”

“It was such a relief,” Mrs. Rexford said. “Sue was such a big help to me and Peggy, my home health aide, was wonderful. She helped me clean and was willing to do anything I needed to have done. Northern Lights Home Health Services is great. I would refer any of my friends. In fact, I already have.”

Northern Lights Home Health Care is owned by Canton-Potsdam Hospital, Claxton-Hepburn Medical Center, Hospice of St. Lawrence Valley and United Helpers Management Company, Inc. To learn more, call (315) 714-3135, visit online at www.mynorthernlights.org or search Northern Lights on Facebook.

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Ruby Rexford Testimonial

When Canton's Ruby Rexford was diagnosed with pneumonia she turned to Northern Lights Home Health Care to help get her back on her feet upon returning home from the hospital.