Local Comfort Keepers Owners win Presidents' Award at annual convention April 2009

COMFORT KEEPERS OWNER WINS NATIONAL RECOGNITION

Mainline, Philadelphia, Montgomery and Delaware County Areas – Clark and Sallie Bongaardt not only provide non-medical in-home services to area families, but were recently honored by CK Franchising, Inc. for their performance as Comfort Keepers franchise owners. The Bongaardts were recognized at the Celebration Dinner and Awards Ceremony during the Comfort Keepers Annual National Convention held in Louisville, KY in April of 2009.

Clark and Sallie received one of the top honors of the evening when they were inducted into the President’s Club for the fifth year in a row. Owners are selected for this honor based on several criteria including hours of service, revenues, and the adherence to the ideals and standards of the Comfort Keepers’ system. At the Awards’ Ceremony, Lisa Ripley, of CK Franchising, Inc., presented the Bongaardts with a crystal award to commemorate their achievement.

“Being recognized as one of the top performers in the Comfort Keepers system was a great honor,” said Clark Bongaardt.

In addition to the President’s Club award, Comfort Keepers of the Mainline, Philadelphia, Montgomery and Delaware County areas was recognized for hitting weekly operational milestones for hours of service provided to clients. “Ask any senior and most will tell you that they prefer to stay in their own home as long as possible,” said Sallie Bongaardt. “I am thrilled to own a business that can make their wishes a reality.”

Comfort Keepers provides in-home services on an hourly, daily or weekly basis with tailored care plans customized to an individual’s needs. Services offered include companionship, personal care assistance, meal preparation, light housekeeping, grocery shopping, incidental transportation, laundry, recreational activities, and more. All caregivers are employees and have criminal, driving, and credit background checks as well as personal and business reference checks that ensure dependability and reliability.

About Comfort Keepers
Clark and Sallie Bongaardt opened their Comfort Keepers’ business on July 1, 2002. Their office is an approved agency providing Medicaid services through the Pennsylvania Department of Welfare and the Delaware County Office of Services for the Aging. They are members of the Greater Springfield Business Alliance, the Delaware County Chamber of Commerce and the National Private Duty Association. Clark and Sallie are lifelong residents of the Delaware County area and have both worked in the area in the legal profession for over 20 years. Clark is a retired attorney and has been a member of the Delaware County Bar Association for 25 years.
Since opening in July, 2002, the Bongaardts have provided service to numerous residents in the area.

Founded in 1998 by a registered home health care nurse and her husband, the Comfort Keepers franchise system has grown to over 500 locations in 44 states, Canada, the UK, Australia, New Zealand, and Ireland. Comfort Keepers has ranked as one of the top three franchises in senior care Entrepreneur magazine’s Franchise 500 for the past four years. For more information about Comfort Keepers, visit http://www.comfortkeepers.com/. Each office is independently owned and operated.# # #

Best of Delco The Delaware County Daily Times 10th annual Best of contest please vote Comfort Keepers Senior Services 2009 Best of Delco

The 10th Annual Best of Delco contest is currently running from May 16 to May 26, 2009. Comfort Keepers has been nominated by the public to run in the Services Category under Best of Senior Services. Providing in-home non-medical services to anyone over the age of 18, Comfort Keepers of Delaware County serves many many seniors in their private home, assisted living and other facilities. Our award winning caregiving staff has won the prestigious John H. Bauer Direct Caregiver of the Year Award from the County Office Services for the Aging (COSA) in 2006 and 2007. In 2008, COSA awarded the Barbara White Direct Caregiver of the Year Award to another one of our caregivers. Also the Delaware County office has the 2006 National Comfort Keeper of the Year Award which is given by the corporate Comfort Keepers after nominations are made from over 550 offices around the country. The winner 5 years running of the Presidents' Award, the Delaware County Comfort Keepers hopes to add the Best of Delco title to its already impressive set of awards. Please vote for Comfort Keepers in The Daily Times' Best of Delco contest. For more information about the awards and our community outreach, see our webpage at: http://www.comfortkeepers.com/caregivers/326/

Comfort Keepers of Springfield, PA names Deidre Whitton Caregiver of Year 2008

Deidre Whitton (center) pictured with Sallie and Clark Bongaardt, Owners, Comfort Keepers, Delaware County and Mainline serving Comfort Keepers.

Comfort Keepers is proud to announce Deidre Whitton of Springfield, PA was named Comfort Keeper of the Year for 2008. A prestigious award bestowed on a caregiver who has demonstrated and fulfilled the Comfort Keepers’ mission statement throughout the year to treat clients as if they are taking care of a member of their own family. Deirdre is a shining representation of all dedicated caregivers. She maintains the highest standards in care, she is a team player willing to pick up different assignments, she readily fills in for last minute call outs and works closely with other Comfort Keepers sharing clients and assignments. She is always on time, a hard worker who genuinely enjoys her clients and her clients love her back.
In her four plus years working as a Comfort Keeper, Deirdre has faced some tough clients. With a low-key demeanor, not only has she handled each challenging situation with competence, she is also able to find the special interest, hobby or activity her clients like to do. Her skill of providing interactive caregiving is unmatched and her creativity allows the client to participate at their individual level of functioning. Comfort Keepers has received multiple, unsolicited letters with glowing accolades from clients and their families who have been touched by Deirdre. Phrases such “{Deirdre} connected immediately with my Mom and they were able to establish the trust that was needed in order to complete the daily routine”, and “Deirdre is not only capable in her duties but she is a caring and compassionate companion to my mother”, and “We were truly blessed to have had Deirdre assigned to our case…we will always be grateful for her help and good care”, are a few of the common expressions of gratitude that we have received. An accomplished interactive caregiver engaging her clients in games, conversations, activities and exercise, Deirdre’s client files are documented with notations of the positive effects of Deirdre’s caregiving on clients having been recorded from ongoing visits by our registered nurse and our ambassadors performing home visits. Clients who were depressed have reported lifted spirits looking forward to Deirdre’s visits. Clients who were struggling to maintain quality in their lives have reported a renewed feeling of hope; and clients who were lonely reported finding a new friend. For Deirdre, being a Comfort Keeper is truly a vocation – a way to give back and make a difference. All of us at Comfort Keepers are grateful to Deirdre Whitton on our team and congratulate her on her award. To see more of our award winning caregivers, click here: http://www.comfortkeepers.com/caregivers/437/jobopportunites.html