April 20th, 2023 – South San Francisco, CA – ESC Correspondent, Allie Saults [Old Soul Social Media Design]
Our local business and an ESC sponsor, Chajinel Home Care Services provides an invaluable service to the Bay Area. They are responding to a need and filling it with quality care for local senior citizens who require special attention.
Chajinel is a Mayan word that translates to “Caregiver of the Soul. Their owner, Daniela Jonguitud relates their goal is to revive the importance of the word “Care” in Home Care Services, something that is lacking in this time of franchised and corporate-owned Senior Care Centers.
Chajinel strives to “provide emotional and physical support to patients and their family members with the power of kindness and patience.” In times of need, there are some people who may feel that they do not deserve care or support, causing them to hold back from trusting and relying on those around them. This can lead to a lack of reliance on others and a decreased level of trust. The caregivers at Chajinel not only give the patients material support but also provide them with emotional comfort and understanding. They stay with the patients and their families throughout the entire process, offering a level of compassion that is often hard to find elsewhere.
Daniela Jonguitud, who has worked in the healthcare industry for more than two decades, is well aware of how invaluable a few hours of genuine companionship can be for our elderly family members. She tells us, “I’ve always had a passion for helping others and for community improvement. I have always enjoyed a good conversation with a wise senior too.”
She is passionate about the elder members of our community, feeling that their invaluable contributions have been overlooked in recent years. She believes that the heart of our family, community, and society lies in their wisdom, experience, and insights.
Years of working in the industry made her realize that it was time to start a business that would highlight the vital contribution made by our senior citizens. She wanted to put greater emphasis on their role. Emphasizing a personal concern, she says, “Just one client at a time, our aim is to give each senior back a little of what they have done for us.”
Local neighbors gather for a free workshop at Chajinel, located on Cypress, SSF
When asked if she had any memorable experiences from working with seniors, she said yes and went on to explain how rewarding it was, “Oh, so many! I’m reminded of one recent case where I was introduced to a 98-year-old who had refused several in-home care companies, fiduciaries, care managers, and other such professionals.”
She would come to find out that he had no family and was living alone while his wife of 65 years, who suffered from dementia in a rehab center. “He was living on peanut butter sandwiches as he had no one to take him grocery shopping….and even if he could shop, with his anemia and other conditions, he would have been unable to carry the groceries anyway.”
As she looked at him, she could tell he had become dejected, feeling secluded and on his own. Despite his strong and independent character, this senior’s mood had taken a turn for the worse.
She says that “Over time, we gained his trust, cleaned his apartment, took him to do grocery shopping, buying the food choices he preferred, began cooking meals from scratch the way he liked, purchased new clothes, took him to the doctor and much more.”
She was delighted to observe the man’s attitude improvement after a few months of dedicated attention. “Soon we were able to reunite him with his wife back home. He was so happy to see her and I could just feel the depth of the love between them. It is moments like these when I am I’m so grateful I’ve chosen this profession. It is so rewarding to witness and have a hand in bringing about such immense improvement in people’s lives.”
When queried about her opinion on Chajinel’s position in the forthcoming times, Daniela answered that “We are working to create a resource center for seniors. We would like everyone to know that our doors are open to the community. There are hundreds of in-home care agencies around but none of them dedicates time to give back to our community. We are trying to be pioneers in it, opening our doors to invite seniors to know more about our services, get to know our staff, and utilize the resources available to them.”
She strongly believes Chajinel can give elderly people the help they need to remain in the safety and comfort of their own home. She is keen to make sure people know that Chajinel is a place where seniors and their families are welcomed and supported.
Daniela says, “We offer any services that are non-medical. We can do simple companionship and safety to prevent further complications, falls, isolation, and/or depression just to mention some. We can also help with transportation, medication reminders, Alzheimer’s, dementia, and any other neurocognitive disorder care, grocery shopping, meal preparation, assistance with showers, or any other activities of daily living, as well as end-of-life care.”
Chajinel Home Services kicked off 2023 by establishing two new Senior clubs in Mexico, which were christened as GereOM-Conscious Geriatric Care in the month of January. Founder and CEO, Daniela Jonguitud stated, “This serves several purposes, but most importantly, is the opportunity for me, the founder, to retribute and share the blessings that immigrating to the States has brought to my life. I would not be honoring my roots, and ancestors if I do not return to my birth country and share the medicine of senior care.”
To learn more about this special business, visit their website: https://www.chajinel.com/