Meet Tori Taylor of Deaconess Abundant Life Services and ALCA New England Corporate Partner
April 29, 2024 | Corporate Partner Spotlight
What geographic area do you cover, Tori?
We cover a 25 mile or so radius around Concord, MA—call to see if we can service a particular town.
What services do you provide that would be helpful for care managers and their clients to be aware of?
We are a not-for-profit, non-skilled private pay home care agency that provides caregivers to assist with daily tasks, ADLs, iADLs, light housekeeping, errands, companionship, escorts to appointments and engagement in daily life and activities.
Why did you go into this business? What separates you from others in this field?
I am a physical therapist by trade and have worked in acute care, outpatient, SNF and rehab hospitals. Prior to becoming the director at Deaconess Abundant Life Services (DALS), I was the Executive Director of an IL/AL with memory care in Wayland, MA. I have worked in healthcare for over 30 years in several different capacities. I had met the leadership team and Deaconess and was immediately drawn to their mission and not-for profit status and jumped at the opportunity to join the organization when this role was offered to me. DALS was started over 10 years ago as a request by the independent living residents at Newbury Court, a CCRC in Concord, MA. The residents were wanting to age in place and were uncomfortable with the number of caregivers and unknown home care providers that were in the community that they did not know anything about. They went to the board and DALS was born. Since then, we have grown to provide services to not only the residents at Newbury Court, but in the greater community, as well, and we are also the preferred private home care provider at Lasell Village in Auburndale, MA.
Besides our non-profit status, another of our greatest differentiators are our dedicated nurse care managers who are available for support and guidance 24/7 for our clients, their families and our caregivers. They are the primary point people for communication and follow our clients from the initial contact through their course of care with DALS. We are not a franchise, but are a stand-alone private home care agency that is supported by a 135-year-old not-for-profit organization, New England Deaconess Association. We pride ourselves on our client centered, individualized care as well as the support and training we provide for our caregivers. We are accredited by the Massachusetts Home Care Alliance and are proud to have been awarded both the Employer of Choice and Leader in Training for 2024, by Home Care Pulse , the leading firm in experience management for post-acute care.
How long have you been an ALCA member, and when did you first get involved in committee work?
It has been great to get to know the other committee members to plan this year’s conference and to learn about their experiences and ideas. I’m a planner by nature, so this is right up my alley!
What do you enjoy in your free time?
I love to walk and hike with my husband and 2 dogs, unwind with friends over dinner and glass of wine and spend quality time with our kids (son 19 who is currently living in St. Louis, daughter 16 who is a junior in high school and our foster daughter who is 17 and also a junior in high school). My mom also has an in-law apartment and we spend a lot of time together in the garden and enjoying our membership to the Boston Ballet.
To reach Tori: Tori Taylor, Executive Director of Deaconess Abundant Life Services (DALS), ttaylor@nedeaconess.org, www.deaconessservices.org
Are you interested in participating in our new “Spotlights” series of the ALCA New England Chapter’s new members, Board and Committee members, and Corporate Partners? This is an opportunity for all Chapter members and partners to get to know each other better. To learn more, visit this page.