Alan Millikan, RN, MHA

Wouldn’t it be helpful and comforting if we Fearringtonians had ready access to reliable, reasonably priced at-home care for ourselves and/or our spouses or partners if and when it is needed—a qualified, vetted person to help with such things as activities of daily living, insulin injections, and meal preparation? Or perhaps what we’d like, especially those of us who live alone, is a regular visit from a kind and friendly person—someone to chat with and be a companion.

Good news! Thanks to Fearrington Cares, the at-home services just cited and many others are available to Fearrington residents through Aegis Home Care, an agency headquartered in Chapel Hill and Southern Pines. Alan Millikan, RN, MHA, is a Managing Partner of Aegis and its Agency Director. Alan had a long career working in hospital administration but missed seeing patients and realized that there was a need locally for a company like Aegis. So he and his wife (also a nurse) and another couple started the company in 2009.

About 5 years ago, Alan explained, Aegis and Fearrington Cares’ previous Executive Director, Karen Metzguer, entered into an agreement for the agency to provide home health services to Fearrington residents. Alan and Karen both realized how useful home care could be for a number of villagers, especially those who live alone or whose partner or spouse needs special care.

Depending on what a client needs or requests, an Aegis caregiver may be a registered nurse (RN), a certified nursing assistant (CNA), or a trained companion. RNs supervise all caregivers and work with them to develop a care plan for each client.

The multiple home care services that Aegis offers permit many of their clients to live independently in their homes as they age, even if they become frail or chronically ill. Those services include assistance with:

• mobility/ambulation
• taking medications as prescribed and on time
• cognitive impairment issues
• dressing/bathing/toileting
• meal preparation
• general safety concerns
• transportation (to medical appointments, the hairdresser, the grocery store, etc)
• household management (eg, cleaning, laundry)

Aegis offers these and other services in a variety of settings, not just clients’ homes. Some of their clients are in the hospital and need an advocate there. Others want help with discharge planning, perhaps in transitioning from the hospital to a rehabilitation center. Still others may need assistance in choosing a suitable long-term care facility to move to and in applying for acceptance.

For people who are living independently, Aegis will do an in-home assessment for a nominal fee. Their services are available 24 hours a day, and as a special “Fearrington Village Only” offering, care can be delivered through their à la carte service known as Custom Care. Selected nursing services (eg, wound care, injections, physician appointments) and supportive services (eg, shower assistance, application of compression stockings, vital sign checks) may be purchased for as little as 15 minutes at a time.

Many villagers want to age in place for as long as they safely can or even permanently. For those residents and for their family members or friends who want to help them achieve that goal, Aegis Home Care offers an excellent and affordable means of doing so.

Fearrington residents who want to learn more about the numerous services Aegis provides should call Alan’s office at (919) 442-5252.