In-home care service opens in Steubenville

STEUBENVILLE -- The owner of Right at Home In-Home Care and Assistance said she knows most senior citizens and adults with disabilities want to be as independent as possible and that often means staying in their own homes.

April Wintermoyer said staff from its recently opened office at 630 Market St., Suite F, are available to help them with needs ranging from dressing and personal hygiene to general household chores and transportation for medical appointments.

She said a visit is made to the home of each new client to discuss his or her particular needs, which enables them to determine ways the home could be made more accessible.

For example, they may recommend installing handrails in the shower or applying a raised seat for the toilet, Wintermoyer noted.

With offices in Wheeling and Morgantown and her newest location in Steubenville, Wintermoyer aims to serve residents in several counties in Eastern Ohio and the Northern Panhandle.

Wintermoyer was inspired to pursue a career in in-home care by her grandmother, who suffered from Alzheimer's disease when she was a girl, and she opened her first location in Morgantown in 2008.

She later added another in Wheeling, and both are among more than 500 Right at Home franchises, dating to 1995, throughout the U.S.

Jennifer Longo, office manager for the Steubenville location, said emphasis is placed on providing qualified, reliable caregivers to those served by Right at Home.

She noted each prospective caregiver undergoes a criminal background check and drug testing and is bonded and insured.

Longo added the Steubenville location includes a training room where new staff learn to use a Hoyer lift and other equipment needed for those with disabilities and perform other tasks.

"We go further than many in preparing our staff and ensuring their credentials," said Wintermoyer.

A graduate of Steubenville Catholic Central High School, Longo has been employed by Right at Home for 10 years.

"I have always enjoyed helping people. It is just my thing," she said.

The Steubenville location is staffed by 15, and Wintermoyer plans to add others to support her goal of providing around-the-clock care, as needed, to those served by Right at Home.

For information about Right at Home In-Home Care and Assistance, including available funding options, call (304) 277-3236.

(Scott can be contacted at wscott@heraldstaronline.com.)