In conversations during the last four months of her husband’s life, Becky Feola agreed to carry out his wish that she use her 11 years of experience caring for him to benefit others after he was gone.
Neil Feola Jr. suffered from Huntington’s disease, a neurodegenerative genetic disorder that affects muscle coordination and leads to cognitive decline and physical instability that affects everyday tasks.
// After Neil was diagnosed in 1997, Feola became his sole caregiver and companion until his death.
“It was our joint belief that I take this experience and do something positive with it. We both felt it was a healing process,” Feola said.
The promise to her husband resulted in Assisted Living Advantage, a service that helps people find assisted-living facilities for their loved ones.
Feola runs the business she opened in January 2009 from her Scottsdale home, but serves clients all over the state.
Feola consults with her clients and asks detailed, often intimate questions so she can get a clear picture of a potential resident’s personality and requirements.
She takes into account their physical state, care needs, finances, where family members live and how much privacy they require.
Then, Feola takes clients to potential facilities and together they determine the best match.
She keeps a close eye on each facility’s state license records to make sure there are no serious complaints or issues connected with her recommendations. When visiting a location with clients, she asks questions and gets the answers that would assist their decision making.
Sometimes, she goes through 30 or 40 housing candidates before finding a fit.
Feola’s history with her late husband allows her to bond easily with clients, most of whom feel guilty about sending their mother or father away, yet are frustrated because they do not have the time or the energy to care for their aging parents or family member.”Unless you’ve been a caregiver yourself you cannot understand. Clients are reaching out to me because something critical has happened and at that moment, they realize (they) can’t do this any longer . . . they are in a very fragile mindset,” Feola said.
Elaine Ford sought Feola’s assistance a year ago, when she was looking to move her parents from their Sun City home.
At the time, her father was 100 and her mother, who has since passed away, was 94.
Ford had no idea where to start and relied on Feola to explain the options and determine what would suit her parents’ needs best.
With Feola’s help, Ford’s parents moved into Golden Swan Manor in Paradise Valley.
While Feola saved her time and frustration and prevented her from being overwhelmed, Ford said the best reward was her parents’ happiness.
“After they settled in, they said that was the best gift because it was a perfect fit for them,” Ford said.
Assisted Living Advantage 
