For over 50 years, HealthKeeperz has worked tirelessly to make a difference in the faith-based care industry. As part of its core mission, HealthKeeperz believes in attracting high-quality caregivers with the experience and strength of character needed for the job’s demands. The home care agency works in counties throughout North Carolina, providing services, including home health care, home medical equipment, and hospice. It has also launched the innovative Community Alternatives Program Case Management program.
“We want to be sure people are healthy at home,” says HealthKeeperz President Tim Brooks. “Our job is to oversee their care and make sure health care services are being provided, and there is some sense of well-being for these people we care for.”
Decades of Devotion
In the 1950s, HealthKeeperz was born of founder Howard Brooks’ need to help medically compromised members of his community. As a pharmacist, Brooks had experience in health care and decided to take his expertise and offer home-based services to Pembroke, North Carolina, locals. For decades, his company, formerly named Medicare Certified Home Health, providing exceptional home care to patients and their families.
Today, HealthKeeperz serves thousands of North Carolina patients seeking more home care options. Outreach is an essential part of the company’s goals for community care. The need for outreach is why Community Alternatives Program (CAP) Case Management was developed. The program works in association with the state’s Medicare program and provides home care options for those who qualify for care within a skilled nursing facility. Many patients look for alternatives to staying in a nursing home, and CAP makes that possible. Case managers assess each patient individually and create detailed plans for each client. The HealthKeeperz team aims to ensure the patient’s well-being with supplementary home care services.
Whole-Body Health Support
Currently, most clients of HealthKeeperz are 65 and older with Medicare coverage. The typical client may have chronic health conditions or undergo physical therapy for hip or knee replacement recovery. A future aim of HealthKeeperz is to integrate its faith-based care services to reach more patients. With case management services, providers could all work together to offer more whole-body health support to patients.
“For example, there is a cross-pollination of people who have things like heart disease and some mental health conditions,” states Brooks. “These are not separated but treated as such. Case Management could be used to bridge them, so the person is being addressed more integrally and allow providers to talk to each other.”
Providing home care services during the pandemic presented new challenges to the caregivers from HealthKeeperz. The company developed a set of protocols to keep everyone safe while also ensuring patients received continued care. All team members came together to help disabled and chronically ill clients remain healthy during a period of uncertainty. Staff members of HealthKeeperz include skilled nurses, speech therapists, physical therapists, social workers, home health aides, and occupational therapists.
‘Good Examples for Us All’
The company believes in faith-based care, but it doesn’t require staff members to maintain a religious affiliation. HealthKeeperz aims to make workers feel appreciated for their contributions to bettering the community with their efforts. The company accepts nominations for a Barnabas Award to honor any staffer who showcases a compassionate spirit, believes in providing excellent care, and puts their family above all others.
“We want to be compassionate, take ownership, be excellent in care and put family first,” says Brooks. “With all these things in mind, we want to recognize people who are living that out and are good examples for us all to see.”
HealthKeeperz will continue to offer more and more home care services to expanded areas in North Carolina. Along with in-house therapy, the company arranges home medical supply deliveries. These essential items, including hospital beds, oxygen, catheters, and more, significantly affect the patient’s quality of life. Hospice care is also among the services, and the company takes a personalized approach to guarantee the patient’s physical, emotional, and spiritual needs are met.
HealthKeeperz has achieved the highest standards in the home care industry and has received accreditation and licensing through the Accreditation Commission for Health Care, the North Carolina Division of Health Service Regulation, and the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control.