A Promise Made And A Promise Kept, JoBeth Foley Opens In-Home Angels

MILFORD, CT – When JoBeth Foley opened a non-medical home health agency, she wanted it to focus on compassion for others.

On Friday, June 23, Milford Regional Chamber of Commerce held a ribbon cutting and grand opening for In-Home Angles at 249 Research Dr. Site 9.

Foley, founder and CEO of In-Home Angles, said it originally opened in Seymore, Conn., but Foley wanted a training area, and the office in Seymore didn’t allow for the training area.

“When we were looking for a location, we ended up in Milford and found this space,” she said.

In-Home Angels caregivers go into private settings to provide quality care to many people at different stages of their life.

“It could be a home companion to hospice,” Foley said. “We also care for group homes and have different ties with locations like Hartford Health Care and St. Vincent’s Special Needs. We are also in a school and care for many cancer patients.”

In-Home Angles caregivers are certified in Alzheimer’s and Dementia care, CPR and First Aid Certified.

Foley said even before opening her agency, she's always been a caretaker starting with her family.

“My mother got sick with colon cancer, which was a big eye-opener for me,” she said. “My aunt got Alzheimer’s and Dementia while I was pregnant with my second child while caring for her,” she said.

Foley said she promised her aunt she wouldn’t put her in a home, but Foley said her aunt became combative and aggressive, which didn’t leave her much choice.

“I had to place her in a facility, and I always beat myself over it, but it wasn’t manageable for just myself,” she said.

After Foley’s aunt and mom passed away, Foley started to work for an agency as a caregiver.

“I loved the work but hated the morals behind their agency,” she said. “In 2016, I opened my agency and LLC. and started working for myself.”

“I loved it because I could go by my morals, standards and qualities,” she said.

During that time, Foley became the caretaker of a woman for over 11 years.

“She became like family. Even my kids called her grandma, and we had gotten extremely close,” she said. “Before her passing, I promised her that I would hire caregivers and train caregivers to be like me and make a change in a broken healthcare system.”

Foley said the woman she was a caregiver for had worked with other agencies but didn’t like them. Foley said when she hired her, the woman saw the difference in the care she provided.

“She ended up passing, and I opened up my agency In-Home Angles, in 2022 with W-2 employees,” she said. “I always had my LLC. and worked for me, but in January 2022, I opened the agency and hired employees.”

There were growing pains in starting In-Home Angels, but where Foley met the most hardship was hiring employees.

“It took us a while to hire people because I didn’t hire people just to have somebody there. I wanted good quality caregivers that were compassionate,” she said. “We can teach everything else, but we can’t teach compassion. You either have it, or you don’t.”

When they hire caregivers, Foley said they do everything to ensure they know they are appreciated, from bringing coffee and donuts to them to being there for them when a loved one passes, and they need help.

“Keeping our family motto and our morals keeps our caregivers happy and cared for,” she said. “Then they go out and perform high-quality work because they are valued and appreciated, not just a number and a body.”

Foley said she wants to change the home healthcare industry by providing quality care and ensuring they are not hiring people just to fill slots.

“It takes special people to do much of this,” she said. “It’s a gratifying job, but it can be challenging.”

Foley knows firsthand what it feels like to struggle to do something as easy as showering.

“In 2018, I had cancer and a rough road,” she said. “I’ve had a very rough road with everything, and if it wasn’t for my sister being there and taking care of me, I don’t think I would have gotten through many things I got through.”

Foley said she had a blood clot in her heart, which she said were the worst two months of her life.

“I knew firsthand what it was like when you were so dependent on somebody to take care of simple little tasks,” she said. “I’ve had some of my caregivers care for me in my home after my surgeries. If I don’t trust them enough to care for me, I wouldn’t want to put them in somebody else’s house.”