By MOLLIE BROWN / Business Columnist

Assisted living services has grown in popularity as an alternative to assisted living facilities in order to keep loved ones comfortable in their own homes.

Visiting Angels of Pelham is a professional home care agency, which offers non-medical home care assistance to the elderly and disabled. Caregivers offer companionship, live-in care, meal assistance, light housekeeping, assistance in hygiene, running errands and shopping for groceries. Owners Art and Paul McMahon were in the staffing business for 30 years prior to opening the agency. “My brother Paul and I owned the franchise for Manpower, a temporary employment service, but sold it back to Manpower in 2007,” Art said. “We were too young to retire so we looked at other services and research revealed the need for living assistance. Visiting Angels came up as the best, so we bought the franchise and opened last July.”

Though senior care is the majority of their business, Visiting Angels have disabled clients of all ages. A personalized screening is performed to assess the client’s need. The assessment may include consultations with the recipient’s physician, social worker or other service provider in order to place the best possible caregiver in the home. After the placement, Art’s wife, Chris, keeps in touch by phone and/or a personal visit.

Caregiving can often times become stressful. Paul said taking the burden off the wife or child caring for the patient keeps the relationship as that rather than as caregiver.

“Once that wife or child falls into the caregiver role, the dynamics of the relationship have changed.”

The McMahons have 22 employees who are certified nursing assistants or have at least two years experience of personal care in a home or facility. A comprehensive background screening is performed on all employees.

“The personality to be a caregiver is a unique and wonderful thing,” Art said. “It amazes me at what our people can do. I’m in awe of the ability they have to do this day in and day out. It‘s their passion. They love it!”

For more information about Visiting Angels living assistance services, visit Visitingangels.com or contact the McMahons at 358-3060.

Mollie Brown can be reached at dmjhb1@bellsouth.net