Assisting with end-of-life care in the home in the Raleigh, NC area. Dedicated to preserving joy, reducing pain, assuaging fear.
Mission
When asked to imagine how they want the end of their life to play out, 90% of Americans say they want to die at home– yet in reality 76% die in hospitals. In the first case they imagine being in a familiar setting with family and friends supporting them in their transition from this life to what comes next. In the second case, the setting is unfamiliar, possibly frightening, noisy and stark.
What drives this dichotomy for many is that we never embrace the change from making quantity of life our first priority to having quality of life as our priority. Now I cannot dispute with any young person that quantity of life is an appropriate goal. But as a person reaches the latter stages of a full life, many find that there is a dignity and a serenity to changing that focus. Prioritizing quality of life in old age can mean the difference between a protracted and painful to struggle to keep an aging loved one alive at the expense of their comfort and dignity, or a peaceful and comfortable end of life surrounded by their most important people.
My mission at Stay Home Elder Care is to enable families to choose to keep their aging loved ones close to them with a maximum of comfort and serenity for the elderly and their family alike.
Services
I provide palliative and end-of-life care, respite care for over-burdened families, and assist families in relating to the dying.
Specific services include:
- Assisting with showers and other hygiene maintenance for patients with balance and coordination issues
- Accompanying patients to medical appointments
- Driving patients on errands they can’t accomplish by themselves
- Providing in-home oversight and assistance for patients who can’t be left alone in the home
About
Dusty is a longtime North Carolina resident who came to in-home elder care after working as a CNA in a nursing home. When a friend asked for his assistance in caring for an aging parent, he found that caring for a patient one-on-one let him provide a much higher quality of care than in a nursing home with many patients. When that patient passed away, he also discovered that he could provide needed support to the family in navigating their loved one’s final moments, and decided to start Stay Home Elder Care. He lives in Raleigh with his wife, cat, and chickens, and has two adult children.
Recommendations
Click Here to see all testimonials.
October 23, 2014
To whom it concerns,
I highly recommend Dusty Dunn to you as an exceptional caregiver for your loved one.
Dusty cared for my dad from February, 2014, until his passing in October, 2014. Dad was partially disabled from the effects of a stroke three years ago. He did not want to leave his home to move into an assisted living facility. This is when we called Dusty to provide nursing assistance in Dad’s home.
Dusty took wonderful care of Dad and allowed him to stay in his home . This made Dad very happy and was a blessing to the entire family. Dusty is compassionate and completely trustworthy. I got to know Dusty at my church two years ago and felt so fortunate to have him care for my dad.
While caring for my dad Dusty performed a variety of daily activities. He assisted Dad with bathing, dressing, dentures, exercises, car rides, eating, keeping appointments and administering medications. He took Dad out to eat and for walks around the mall and neighborhood. He kept detailed records of vital signs, the activities they did together, and his observations of how Dad was doing.
My brother, sister and I are very thankful Dusty was there to assist Dad through this hard transition in life- it provided much peace of mind that Dad was being cared for and kept from injuring his self when we were unable to be with him.
Please contact me for more information,
Carolyn Powell
Dusty came in to my home and cared for my mother who was dying from breast cancer. He was kind, caring, trustworthy, and very knowledgeable in the end stages of life. I knew, when he was with my mom, that she couldn’t be in more capable hands. He took very good care of her, kept very precise records of care given, always arrived on time, and stayed as long as he was needed to assure my mom was comfortable. I highly recommend Dusty in any and all capacities you need of him.
Blog
Oral Health and Alzheimer’s
When a loved one starts to experience advanced symptoms of Alzheimer’s and can no longer look after themselves, there are so many considerations in providing for them… Read more “Oral Health and Alzheimer’s”
Patient Dignity pt 3- The Patient Dignity Question
In considering patient dignity as a caregiver, the patient dignity question encompasses the simplest yet most important aspect of enabling a patient to have agency in their… Read more “Patient Dignity pt 3- The Patient Dignity Question”
Patient Dignity pt 2- Dignity Therapy
In helping address an aging patient’s dignity needs, the Patient Dignity Inventory is only an initial step in taking patients from feelings of helplessness, shame, apathy, or… Read more “Patient Dignity pt 2- Dignity Therapy”
Stay Home Elder Care 