Care Across America
"Care Across America, an Approved Senior Network® Podcast"—your go-to source for engaging conversations and practical insights from home care and senior care experts across the United States. Each episode will spotlight industry professionals, and their referral networks, sharing impactful stories, proven strategies, and innovative solutions in senior care. This podcast is perfect for professionals, adult children of aging parents, and family members struggling with senior care choices and care.
Care Across America
Keeping Seniors Safe at Home: A Conversation with Rodney Malone
Caring for aging loved ones transforms relationships in ways most never anticipate until they're living through it. Rodney Malone, owner of Golden Heart Senior Care, brings twelve years of professional experience alongside personal caregiving lessons learned while being raised by his grandmother and later helping his in-laws navigate their senior years.
When families face the daunting reality of keeping seniors safe at home, the differences between private caregivers and agency-based care become critically important. In non-regulated states like Arizona, Malone explains how Golden Heart maintains rigorous standards—background checks, driving record verification, drug testing, and continuous training—that protect vulnerable adults from potential exploitation and harm. He shares sobering stories of families who learned these distinctions the hard way, dealing with financial exploitation and unsafe care situations that might have been prevented.
The scope of services Golden Heart provides encompasses everything from intimate personal care and medication management to transportation, meal preparation, light housekeeping, and rehabilitative support. Particularly valuable is their hospital-to-home transition package, addressing that precarious five-day period following discharge when seniors face unfamiliar challenges in their own homes. Beyond the practical assistance, perhaps the most meaningful benefit is how professional caregiving preserves the fundamental nature of family relationships, preventing spouses and children from becoming overwhelmed by the demands of personal care.
Ready to discover how professional caregiving could transform your family's approach to aging in place? Golden Heart Senior Care serves eastern Phoenix and Scottsdale with 24/7 live support and a team dedicated to keeping seniors safe, comfortable, and independent in their own homes.
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My name is Rodney Malone. The name of our company is Golden Heart Senior Care. We cover everything east of the middle of Scottsdale, so we have half of Phoenix, I'm sorry. Everything east of the city of Phoenix. So we have half the city of Phoenix and we love what we do.
Speaker 2:Awesome, very good. I love it. Let's talk about how. Okay. When did Golden Heart Senior Care start and what was the catalyst for you all to get into this business?
Speaker 1:what was the catalyst for you all to get into this business? We have owned Golden Heart Senior Care now for 12 years, and it started with both my wife's family and my family. I was raised by my grandmother. She had 10 kids. I was lucky enough that she adopted me as her 11th kid and at that time I was six years younger than her youngest.
Speaker 1:She was pretty much an empty nester, so when I came around, it became Rodney, help me do this, rodney, help me do that. And you realize that it's not just her asking for help to bother me. It's her asking for help because she needed help, and so I learned a lot of compassion and really skills through that. And then later my wife's parents got into their senior years and they needed and they didn't really want to accept help, but they needed it. So we got involved with helping them accept help and in that process my wife and I learned that this is really a business. People really help seniors live in their homes safely. And that's where it all started, with us me at home, her with her parents and then us in this business.
Speaker 2:And I bet along the way you realized how hard it was to find reliable, safe caregivers or maybe dependable caregivers or caregiving situations. It's when you're doing this on your own. I was just reading an article about the benefits of an agency over hiring a private caregiver, and you and I both know that when you're trying to do this on your own and you're hiring people privately, a lot can fall through the cracks and people call and say so it's, that's something, I think, when we're winging it, that we learn pretty quickly. And so it's that's something, I think, when we're winging it, that we learn pretty quickly. And so having an agency is so much it's a safer bet all the way around when you hire an agency, and so I can see.
Speaker 1:I agree.
Speaker 1:First of all, hiring an agency is safer because you have all those safe holds in place, you have insurance.
Speaker 1:See, we are non-regulated as a state, so there's nothing that tells us we should do and have the things we do and have, other than owning a franchise, and they keep us up to date on all the things the regulated states have.
Speaker 1:That way we are poised, when we are regulated, to be in line. But doing background checks and doing driving record reviews and doing drug screens and doing adult protective services checks, that stuff's all really important because we're not regulated, so anybody can step in and take care of people in this state. You know, part of what we do is we make sure that the people who come in to take care of the most vulnerable population that they're safe, that they're educated, that they're certified, that they don't have any dings against their record with APS and with national criminal background checks. We want to make sure that they don't have any excessive speeding or DUIs on their driver's license. That way when they're taking somebody to the store or to a doctor's appointment, we know there's a safe driver involved. Yeah, so yeah, making sure that the people who care for the most vulnerable are people who should be caring for them. That's something we take a lot of pride in.
Speaker 2:And that is. I don't think people who haven't ever been involved in in their parents haven't needed care. They've never experienced this before. They don't realize what a a huge amount of work that is and and just to do it by yourself is crazy. It's so much work and it never ends. So having an agency behind you is a bigger support and I would agree I'm in a non-regulated state as well, and it can be the wild west out there. So being part of a franchise, you're able to know what the best, safest practices are, or the regulations and rules from the toughest states are, and you can model yourselves after what a tough state would like. Florida, it's pretty tough and highly regulated. New York, highly regulated, and being part of a franchise helps what's coming down the pike and what the best and safest ways to approach all this are. So that's awesome.
Speaker 1:That's right and I'm really. I'm proud of our brand, golden Heart Senior Care. I'm proud of our leadership at the corporate office. Those guys do a great job of keeping us informed. We have a monthly meeting where they explain to us what the regulation is now and what the change is going to be, and how it affects us and why it's important for us to enact whatever is coming down the pipe. So I agree wholeheartedly.
Speaker 1:Also, we've gotten involved with some families who are on the back end of what can happen when you have somebody who's not monitored or checked. We got involved with a family whose caregiver was extorting money, writing themselves checks from a senior's bank account and, because they hired the person privately, they don't really have any recourse. Plus, if they do go after a legal position on it, they're going to be responsible for back taxes and all the things that weren't covered along the way, which, when you deal with an agency, we're going to make sure taxes are paid. We're going to make sure workman's comp is paid. We're going to make sure that family is protected in all areas. We're going to make sure that the caregiver is a safe caregiver, somebody that should be there taking care of my parents. We're going to make sure that the regulation is in place, that right now, the only thing you have to have in this state is CPR, first aid and TV. That's it.
Speaker 1:Wow, anybody can get that Right. But then when you go to help somebody with a transfer, if you don't know how to transfer somebody, that person's in physical danger you haven't been background checked. And now you're writing checks out of that senior's checkbook you haven't been checked. So there's a lot that goes into what we do on the agency end, and here at Golden Heart I know we take it very seriously because there are there's lives at stake, there's people's property at stake. It's a very serious thing to be responsible for and we accept it with pride and honor and dignity.
Speaker 2:Yeah, absolutely, I think there's. I could talk all day about the benefits of using an agency and I can tell you personally if my parents needed care, I would not hire someone privately, even if I knew everything I needed to know that the liability alone would no way. I would always hire an agency. But let's talk about what services you guys do provide. We've touched on it a little bit, but tell us all the things you do. I know it's a huge list, but All the things we do.
Speaker 1:You and I would be here for a couple of days, but the way I would answer that is we do anything that helps the senior remain in their home safely. Okay, so that involves helping them get cleaned up in the morning. We'll go before that. That involves helping them get from the bed to the wheelchair or however they get to the restroom to get cleaned up. We help with that. We help with the actual cleaning up. We will shave them, brush their teeth. If they can't get out of bed, we'll do bed baths. We'll do any, I'm sorry, phone ring. So if they can't get out of a bed, we'll do a bed bath. We'll do any kind of bathing that's required to help that person. And if they can get into the bath but they can't they're not mobile we'll help them transfer from the bed to a chair and from a chair to the shower chair and from the shower chair, we'll help with all that. We'll get them in the kitchen. We'll feed them breakfast. We'll remind them to take their medications. We'll help with all that. We'll get them in the kitchen. We'll feed them breakfast. We'll remind them to take their medications. We'll clean up while they're eating. We'll go. We'll clean up the bathroom, we'll make the beds, we do laundry, we change bed linens, we assist with things like letting the dogs out and cleaning up the dog's mess and making sure the house is clean. We don't do deep cleaning, like I've had a client ask us to take their curtains off the wall so that we could clean them. We're not going to go to that level of clean, but we'll sweep and mop the floors, wipe the counters, do the dishes, help with the meal prep.
Speaker 1:We'll do transportation. We'll take you to the doctor. We'll take you to the store. We'll help with your shopping. After that we'll get you ready for a nap or get you in front of the television or do whatever it is that portion of the day requires. Like for some people, they've been given OTPT orders from home health. We'll help them with those orders.
Speaker 1:We'll do the exercises. We'll promote that and in some cases even try to push them, because when you've been hurt, to exercise that area of your body that needs work or strength, it's hard to do on your own sometimes. So you need somebody to try and help you get motivated to do it and to do it, and then, once you do that, we're going to make sure you have your afternoon meds. We're going to make sure you're hydrated. We're going to make sure you're cleaned up. We're going to get you in bed for a nap. We're going to get you out of bed for a nap.
Speaker 1:We're going to prepare a meal for you so you're not eating out of a pre-processed box every meal, home-cooked meals. There's a real energy in supporting your body, because some of our people have dementia but some just have physical ailments where eating good, healthy food is a step toward getting better. We'll help you get ready for bed. We'll help you with your undergarments. We'll get you cleaned up. We'll get you in bed. We'll make sure you have your night meds. We'll make sure you have water and then, as you're asleep at night, if you're a 24-hour client, we're there through the night. Our caregiver is taught to stay awake, so if you need help going to the restroom or anything you need in the middle of the night, we're there and available to help. We do anything that helps a person stay in the home safely.
Speaker 2:I can read. That's a huge list and I think people aren't aware of how much a caregiver actually does for a senior. But all of it is important and I think something that folks don't realize is that when you have an aging parent who had, let's say, a knee replacement or a hip replacement or maybe they were just sick, they had pneumonia and they discharged from the hospital you guys are wonderful about helping with that transition from the hospital to home, because those first few days at home are rough. You're not. You don't have a nurse at your beck and call like you did in the hospital. You're relieved to be home, but there's, unless you have a family member or someone there there's no one really there to help with all these little things.
Speaker 1:And something people don't really think about the first five days home after discharge are the hardest, because when you're in a skilled nursing facility or when you're in a hospital, you know the restroom is right over there in the corner. You know the restroom is right over there in the corner. You know the beds are at a certain height, the couches are at a certain height. When you get to toilets, you're at a certain height. When you get home, all that changes and, depending on where you are physically and mentally, you're going to need help with that. You are physically and mentally, you're going to need help with that. The toilet may be lower than the toilet in the hospital. One of the things we recommend is a toilet riser. Makes it a little higher, gives you some support arms to help you get up and down, just little things like that. Since we are in this business and we've been around the business, we can make recommendations. We have partners who do DME, which is equipment. We have partners who do hospice and home health. We'd be happy to include those people if that's part of what you need.
Speaker 1:We have what's called a discharge package, so when you're being discharged from skilled nursing or hospital, it gives you. We have two packages. One is 24 hours, one is 12 hours and you can break it up into four hours or you can use it all straight in 24 or 12 hours. Whatever is best for your needs. You know, that package involves giving you a ride home from the hospital. That package involves, depending on how long you've been in the hospital we have one lady who was actually in the hospital in skilled nursing twice.
Speaker 1:She hadn't been in her house in five months. So when we got there we start with. Once we get her set up, we have to clean out your for me to say refrigerator, because the food will be spoiled. We have to get you fresh food in the house. So now you have something to eat. So that discharge package is very helpful. You know, when you get home and you realize that your couch is in a different position or your favorite sitting area is in a different height than what they had in the hospital, it becomes harder to get up sometimes, especially if your seat's lower when you're in your own bed versus a hospital bed that'll raise and lower for your tilt. You may need a little help getting out of the bed and getting to wherever it is you want to go. The first five days are definitely the most difficult for somebody after discharge and the discharge package we offer is very helpful, I think, for people who are open to it.
Speaker 2:Yeah, just the running of errands, just going to pick up prescriptions that you didn't have time to get before you left the hospital, or those groceries Groceries are a big deal If you forget that. If you're in the hospital for a week, some of that stuff that you may have even pre-prepared or thought you were prepared for are expiring or getting bad or yucky. So yeah, having somebody to do that and just the little things taking you to your first follow-up doctor's appointment if your family's not available, and being another set of years to listen to what they have to say, so that you don't have to worry about remembering everything you probably still don't feel very good. Just getting like I know my husband one time he had ankle surgery and just getting him from the garage to the doctor's office these hospitals are huge and it's a long mile from the garage. So, having somebody to be able to push you in a wheelchair or help you with a walker or whatever, it is just for the recovery period when you get home and I also know that you I can remember just a couple of times being in the hospital and just feeling so weak, so fast, just not feeling like I did before. It's amazing how we get a little debilitated. And you're right. You don't realize how squishy your couch is and how far you sink down in it, until you have had a knee replacement. And now you have to get up out of that couch and it's really hard. So having home care there that first few days, that first week or for longer, is a great way to keep yourself from having to go back to the hospital or after a fall or something else going wrong.
Speaker 1:A lot of us depend on our spouse or our mate to help us get through that, and there's nothing wrong with that A spouse and a mate. That's why we kind of lean on them and have them so that we can help each other when you are first home from a nursing facility or a hospital and your spouse is your major caregiver. Now you've changed your relationship. It goes from enjoyment and quality sharing time to them cleaning your undergarments, them putting you on and off the toilet, them helping you get around the house, them preparing your meals, them cleaning you. It just changes a lot of the relationship. The relationship I think it's really important for, whether it's parent-child or a spouse or intimate relationship connection, no matter what your connection is, I think it's important to maintain at least a portion of that connection and allow somebody else to come in and help with some of the things that your spouse now has to do for two people versus doing for one person.
Speaker 2:Yeah, or at least give them a break. If you give them, do that respite care, give that spouse a break. Let them go to the grocery and be alone for an hour. When your kids are little, going to the grocery is actually a really nice opportunity, because you're like Ooh, I get to be by myself for one hour. So when you're caring for a loved one, it's nice to have a break, whether you're, you know, going to the movies or just going to sit somewhere and have a coffee or whatever it is, be by yourself for a few minutes and just decompress. So home care makes that possible.
Speaker 1:Valerie, one of the things I enjoy. I enjoy getting out to see as many of our clients or potential clients as I can. That's one of the things I enjoy most. But when you have somebody who is adamantly, I don't need help, but they'll accept a little help because they have to and then they get used to it and they look forward to it and then they want more of it, that is really knowing that we're helping that person get through their day with some sunshine. That's one of the most rewarding parts of this job. I really mean that. Yeah, as a business owner, I have the. You have to pay the bills and have water and snacks in the office and you have to make sure people have their home. You have the owner's stuff, but when you're taking care of clients in their homes, it's. And another interesting thing is that we do what the client requests. So there's a different. We hire cnas, which are certified nursing assistants. We have nursing assistants. We are a hire Arizona certified caregivers, but their training is different than an RN's training, which is interesting because we have an RN and LPN on staff and we hire nursing students as caregivers.
Speaker 1:But sometimes you hit a weird space in the road because maybe the patient or client has a DNR. An RN is taught. You keep a person alive at whatever it takes, and we've had situations where we have someone who has a DNR whose request is I don't want doctors, hospitals, emts, nobody involved. You have an RN there or an RN student there as a caregiver. It becomes really. The coaching from the office becomes really important because, yeah, I know that person. Okay, they have. We had a guy with pneumonia. He was bed bound and all he needed was antibiotics and I understand that. But we have to do what his request is and his request is we do not call emts, we call hospice and hospice takes care of him the way that they've agreed. When you're dealing with home care, it's a real love of labor because you sometimes have to do things that are against what you think is right to do, what the patient wants you to do.
Speaker 2:That's true and yeah, I get. I was a nursing student once and I can remember my first client or he wasn't a client, he was in the hospital, he was a patient and I can remember that first person who passed away. They were I didn't know that, but they were no a DNR, they were do not resuscitate. So I was very upset, but the other nurses around me were like no, it's okay, this is what you wanted, it's okay, you don't have to get excited. And so it is great that you have coaching from the office to your caregivers to tell them you know what that's going to be. Okay, that's what this client wanted. Everything's going to be fine. You don't have to worry about calling 911. Let's make a new plan for this, for that.
Speaker 1:Part of that for us at least, valerie is that we have a live answer 24 hour phone line.
Speaker 1:So for clients, for caregivers, for anybody who has a question, it's answered by somebody. Live on our staff. It doesn't go to an answering service, it doesn't go to a voicemail unless they're on the other line, even in the middle of the night. We take a lot of pride in that, because that's a service a lot of companies don't offer and there's a need for it, because emergencies don't wait until you're ready to answer appropriately. Emergencies happen and for us we like to have somebody who has the knowledge and background of the client to help answer the questions along the way.
Speaker 2:So it's really important for us. That's great. It sounds like you have a bat phone, the bat phone, call the bat phone. That's great. That's wonderful for the caregivers and the clients.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it is, it is, and we call that phone transference. We transfer the phone from one person to the other.
Speaker 2:That's how we do it. We share the load.
Speaker 1:That's right.
Speaker 2:That sounds like you all not only have longevity there in the Scottsdale area, but you've been serving that population for a long time and it's really a work of heart for you guys. Golden Heart Senior Care.
Speaker 1:Yep.
Speaker 2:Yep, better so.
Speaker 1:I've been self-employed for 30 years.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:A little over 30. And I've had this for 12. And I'll tell you this is this is the best job I've ever had. This is my favorite company and we have a great team that works with us. Our care coordinator and scheduler does a fantastic job at listening to what our clients' needs are and fulfilling their needs the way they request. Our office manager does a great job of relating to people and hearing what their concerns are and answering their concerns, and we have a community liaison who is always working a health fair or getting out and sharing senior care information with the community. We're just really happy to be a part of the senior care community and we do a fantastic job. I'm not going to be shy in saying that, because we work hard to make sure that we are trained and prepared for situations, so we do a fantastic job.
Speaker 2:Thank you for what you do and thank you for letting us all know about what you do and we'll make sure that the Scottsdale folks out there are able to, and everybody in your territory knows exactly what's going on with Golden Heart Senior Care. So thank you, Rodney.
Speaker 1:Thank you, valerie. It's our pleasure to be here and be a part of the community, so thank you.
