By Caroline Downs

Candy Linder, who owns Candy’s Red Hats and More, and her partner Steve Wolfe both enjoy the company of Carpio’s senior residents. Now, they plan to open up their home and offer their elderly friends a place to live when living alone can no longer be an option.

Angel Care, as Linder and Wolfe call their new venture, will provide an opportunity for seniors to live in a family setting. "This is for folks who are not well enough for assisted living, but really not ready to go to the nursing home yet," Linder explained. "There’s evidence the elderly are healthier and live longer if they feel like they’re part of a family. We’ll keep them in a home atmosphere."

Linder and Wolfe invite elderly residents of Carpio and the surrounding countryside and small communities to consider Angel Care. "A lot of our friends who are here [in Carpio] are in their 80s," Linder said. "It’s hard on them to have to leave their community. We can think of so many people who will need something like this soon."

She shared her concern for one of her best friends, an elderly resident of Minot who moved to a nursing home in Bismarck for the winter at her children’s urging for convenience rather than need. "I see so many people who just give up because they don’t know what to do," Linder said. "Their kids may not have the facilities or don’t have the space to take them, and they don’t know what else to do with them."

She continued, referring to Angel Care’s philosophy, "There’s got to be these kind of places. Quality of life and attitude, that’s what it’s all about!"

Adult foster care homes are nothing new, but Linder was unfamiliar with the arrangement until a woman and her four 90-plus-year-old residents stopped by Candy’s Red Hats store one day. "When I heard about this, I got so excited!" Linder said. "There are several in the county already, but there’s a big need because they’re full. They all have waiting lists."

For the last six months, Linder and Wolfe have been researching the idea and visiting other adult foster care homes in the area. "I thought I’d have to wait until I retire to start this," said Linder, who works in Minot for a federal agency. "But Steve’s home, and he loves to cook. And I’m home Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays."

"There’s never a dull moment here," Wolfe added.

The couple’s enthusiasm spilled over as they spoke of their plans. "We’ll be certified by the state," Linder said, "and offer 24-hour, seven-day-a-week care. We’ll have to hire people to help us out when we need to leave for shopping, or for a day or a longer trip."

Residents will have a bedroom, meals and laundry services. They can join in Wolfe’s and Linder’s activities as they desire, as well as those of their own families. Linder and Wolfe will help as needed with daily tasks like dressing, bathing, and organizing or taking medications. Hair and nail care will be provided by professionals who come to Angel Care. "We won’t be cutting hair!" Linder said, laughing as she described her abilities with clippers and scissors.

"We’re going to assist them with whatever they need assistance with," Wolfe said. "If they have special diets or special food needs, we’ll take care of that also. We’re just going to assist them like you would your grandma."

The couple hopes individuals and families curious about the new service in Carpio will check it out for themselves. "Our doors are open," Linder said. "We encourage family members to come visit."

"We still want the families being active in [our residents] lives," Wolfe added.

Angel Care will cost less than a standard nursing home, with fees determined in consultation with the resident and family members, and based on what Linder and Wolfe will need to do for the resident. According to Linder’s research, some nursing home insurance policies pay for adult foster care, too.

One room available now
Angel Care has one bedroom open now, available to an individual, or two people related by blood or marriage. Any resident of Angel Care at this point would have to use the short staircase leading from the family room to the bedrooms. However, Linder and Wolfe have plans to expand their home as soon as digging can begin, to finish by July or August.

"We’re going to add on two bedrooms, a craft room and enclose this as a sun room," Wolfe explained, gesturing toward the patio that stretches the full length of the dining and family rooms. "This part will all be handicap accessible."

"We already have one person waiting," Linder said, referring to a former Carpio resident who has reserved a room in the new facility, "but she’s in a wheelchair."

A nephew who happens to be an architect has drawn plans for the addition, and the couple met with a contractor last weekend to begin making lists of jobs to be done and materials to purchase. "I can’t get added on fast enough!" Linder exclaimed as she sat in her dining area and waved toward the wall that will come down later this year when the bedrooms are constructed. "We hope to do everything in this area."

"Everything" could include routine chores like helping with meals or setting the table to joining the couple’s custom quilting projects or pursuing their own activities. Then there’s the outside fireplace for summer evenings. "We just enjoy the quiet and the fresh air out there," Linder said.

Worthwhile work
The couple admitted some of their peers and relatives had tried to discourage them from starting Angel Care. "People have said we’re crazy to open up our home for this," Linder said. "But we just love the elderly. They don’t have anything to prove. They want to be needed and to be appreciated."

"You can learn so much from them," Wolfe added.

Linder glanced around the dining and living area, as if looking for her future residents. "I’ll sit here at night picturing this all done and our people with us," she said. "I just want it done right now!"

"We know it’s a lot of work," Wolfe said, then smiled and winked. "But I can only sit on the couch and watch so much TV."

He turned serious then. "I don’t think we’ll be empty very long," he said. "They’re going to get good care."

"All of our best friends are older people," Linder said. "To us, they’re angels!"