After Hurricane Ian, Right at Home Englewood Is Right There for the Community
No dial tone. No internet. No office. No way to reach out to 120 caregivers and their 100+ clients who count on Right at Home in Englewood for in-home care and support. That was the scenario after Hurricane Ian moved through the area.
That’s when Right at Home owner Heidi Nyvoll and her team jumped into action. She and her husband drove all across town to help clients and caregivers they could not reach by phone. They set up a temporary pop-up tent in the Walmart Neighborhood Market parking lot at 2150 Tamiami Trail, Port Charlotte, to offer the care staff and clients a place to check in, ask for help, or offer help to others. Office staff made and delivered dinners to caregivers and clients. And even an office staff member who was out of state at the time helped reach out to client and caregiver families to make sure everyone was safe.
“This is my community,” said Nyvoll. “Our work has always been about providing the best care to others, and during this time, we were absolutely going to take swift action and be there for our families, neighbors and friends.”
Now, after the storm, Right at Home in Englewood is getting back to better. Week by week, caregivers and clients are coming back home, and soon, a bigger and better office space will be able to support the growing in-home care needs in the community.
In December, Right at Home plans to move into a 3,000-square-foot office that will offer more room to host caregiver trainings. These trainings include everyday in-home care such as bathing and proper lift techniques; cognitive and dementia care; and, yes, emergency preparedness drills.
Nyvoll credits her team’s preparedness for their quick action to help others through this natural disaster. “Never think it won’t happen to you,” said Nyvoll. “We have taken every hurricane scare seriously by conducting training and going through protocols. As a result, our team was prepared to respond and be available as a resource for our care staff, our clients and our community after Hurricane Ian.”
