Providing parents of neonates or medically-complex children respite care and peace of mind! Shona will allow parents a much-needed break!
Shona is a company that provides parents with top-notch child caregivers. These caregivers are parents themselves, who just happen to also be skilled nurses and are familiar with medical treatments, conditions, and modalities. Shona clients will fall into one of two categories, neonatal and respite. Neonatal care would be advertised as something that would allow new parents to get a full night's s
leep; a caregiver would take a night shift and care for baby while the parents catch up on sleep. If mom is breastfeeding, the carer would bring baby through for feedings. The neonatal service, of course, could also be provided during the day. The idea behind Shona is centered around the neonatal care: I remember being one week postpartum, not having slept for more than two hours at a time in days, nursing Millie and sobbing "I would literally pay $500 if someone would just come over and watch her sleep!" - I was terrified of SIDS and so afraid to sleep while she did! I soon realized I was not alone with this plea, especially as the "traditional" family changes: Mom or Dad might be older or single, extended family might not be in the picture, Mom might be at risk for Post-partum Depression . . . Respite care would be a little different, naturally. In this instance, the child's insurance pays for one or two eight-hour shifts a day, but then that means a parent or family member must remain by the child's side for the remainder of the time. Many parents with special needs children are reluctant to get a babysitter for their child, as explaining equipment and warning signs can be difficult for someone without a medical background. Likewise, potential babysitters for might be scared away by g-tubes or ostomies. For these clients, Shona provides the chance to have a less rushed trip to the mall or grocery store, see a movie, or go to a sibling's school concert. We are at a very interesting stage of development with Shona. There is the possibility that our services could be prescribed to the parent by their P*P or ObGyn as a non-invasive, non-pharmaceutical intervention to aid with fatigue and stress. We want to eventually build a website with a password-protected "Nanny-Cam" so that parents can always look in on their child. It's time to think about recruiting caregivers; can you see yourself with us, even for one shift a month?
