Top Choice Home Care is a premier health care agency in the state that typically offers an array of non-medical personal care services to senior citizens, disabled persons, and others in need including those with HIV or AIDS. All of the services are provided by a trained group of caregivers. Normally, Top Choice’s day-to-day services rely on personal contact, and for their employees and clients, that contact is typically something they look forward to daily. Top Choice has had to alter how they service their clients, but with over seven years of experience, the main priority of the organization is still providing quality service, even through times of uncertainty.
Most recently, the organization has opened its second location at Allegheny Avenue and Metro spoke with Maria Morales, Top Choice Home Care’s Client Service Coordinator, to get more info.
The services we provide would be light housekeeping, assisting with bathing, dressing, assistance to medical appointments, making sure they take their medication, medication reminders, meal prep so we cook for them as well—pretty much their needs for their basic day living.
What’s the best way for people to contact you?
They can go online to topchoicehomecare.com, or can call the office at 215-792-6884, and actually that phone number will give them the Top Choice on Frankford Avenue and then the one here at Allegheny, they can transfer the call here.
What kind of safety measures have been taken since COVID-19?
Ever since COVID hit, we were working first from home and doing most communication by phone and by Zoom. We were bringing in clients through there if they wanted to sign up, doing all of the home visits we had items delivered through our security guards, they would go out and put items in like the mailbox with no contact and when they were done they would pick them back up. For our caregivers, we were giving out masks, hand sanitizers—but this is the protocol we always followed. We always make sure that safety comes first, we always make sure our caregivers are sanitizing at home when with their clients, always wearing their gloves even before COVID hit. We always had that measure in place.
Have you still been able to do your events, just virtually now?
Not all of the events, some we do outside. We just had our food drive for Thanksgiving where we gave out food bags and we were able to do that because it was permitted by the city. We follow their restrictions and protocols, and if we are able to do the event then we do it. Then some of our events we can do through Zoom, like our popular Bingo event. We can’t bring our clients into our office, so we go on Zoom, get our clients who would want to participate and we give out prizes and gift cards. It’s kind of like being there with them.
We normally take them out to one-on-one events, but since we can’t do that it’s nice to do it through Zoom. We’ll talk to them over Zoom, not just for Bingo but even if they have anything to say and they get to meet other clients as well. It’s all kind of like a family all together. It’s to keep their minds occupied, with COVID, there’s a lot of depression and anxiety and they need someone to talk too. So we want to make sure we’re there not only to provide the services, but beyond. We want to provide what they need both physically and mentally.
Why is Top Choice a good choice for people who are in need of these services?
For me, I’ve been with Top Choice Home Care for about 45 years. I think we’re the best—we put our clients first always. We want to make sure we provide the best services that we can, I think that should be the way it is because we have parents as well and we know at one point they are going to need those services also. For me particularly, I love it. I love taking care of everyone, I love to see their smile when I do something that I know is bringing happiness. It makes me so happy just to know that I was able to help this person.
Is there anything else that you would want people to know?
I think our logo—commitment, compassion—we try to provide quality care with commitment and compassion to all of our clients and their loved ones in times of need. Especially during COVID. We always try to reach out to them and if they need anything to let us know. Once they sign up with Top Choice, we are also a part of Philabundance, if they are older than 60 they can sign up with them as well. But also, we give our clients food banks every month too. Once COVID is over and things are back to normal we can hopefully go back to events.
