Few things are guaranteed in this life. Aging is one of them. Fortunately, there are angels who grace our journey along the way, easing the burdens of growing older. Ali and Altagracia (Alta) Naqi are the owners of At Your Side Home Care in Huntsville. The couple draw from their calm, caring demeanors and personal experiences to provide love and kindness to families all over the area—from Lufkin to Huntsville, Coldspring to New Caney…and beyond. Their business provides in-home care services to help families address the needs of their aging loved ones.
The Naqis are dedicated to the betterment of the community. This value was instilled in Ali during his military career. He served 10 years in the army, with his first duty station in Korea and two deployments to Iraq. After retirement from the service, he returned home to New York and pursued his education, graduating with a master’s degree. This led him to Houston in 2016 after taking a human resources role with Amazon. Alta joined him in 2020. The couple has now planted their family in the Huntsville area. They’re excited to be a part of the community and to provide quality care for their neighbors.
“Community is a big thing for us,” said Ali. “We found Huntsville to be our new community where we’ve built our forever home. This is where we want to be. We’ve found a great need for something like this in this area.”
This heart for service, time spent caring for their own parents, and considerable human resources backgrounds led them to open their business in November 2023. Ali’s father and Alta’s mother suffered from difficult illnesses, and Ali and Alta acted as caregivers for them both. “We understand what the families are going through and what they’re looking for in those tough times. A lot of times, they don’t know which way to turn,” said Ali.
It was through their personal experience that the Naqis realized the need for senior home care. Today, they’re able to offer several services to families that are often desperate for guidance. “We are a resource first before anything. If a family comes to us and there is something we cannot help them with, we will find a referral source that we partner with to make sure we get them some type of guidance or someone else to talk to where they can get assistance,” said Ali.
The work of the Naqis and their staff of caregivers is never ending and full of new challenges and opportunities for growth. When a family calls in to their office, Ali and Alta are both involved in the intake process. “We are introduced to families in their most vulnerable time. That’s why we value them coming to us and allowing us to provide that service—because it’s hard. It’s hard to find resources,” said Alta.
Once they’ve assessed the caller’s situation, they schedule an in-home consultation, which can take as long as needed based on the client. “It allows us to meet the family, and it also feeds into the briefing with the caregiver. Personalities are a big factor. It allows us to make the process smoother and allows the first shift to go really well,” said Alta.
At Your Side Home Care is a franchise of ComForCare, a national senior care organization. With that, the Naqis have the support and knowledge provided by their system.
They offer a variety of non-medical services that include light housekeeping, transportation, meal planning and preparation, family respite, grooming, bathing, ambulation, companionship, and more. Once they have determined the client’s personality and care needs, they begin the work of finding the perfect caregiver.
These caregivers have been interviewed in person by the Naqis, undergoing national background checks, drug tests, and reference checks. They have also completed orientation and training. “We do a deep dive into who they are and where they’re coming from,” said Ali. The Naqis utilize their own extensive staffing abilities and technology to input their client’s characteristics and pair them with a caregiver that can provide the best companionship and care. Once the match is made with the caregiver and client, they work to build in situational goals and activities for their clients.
One of the most difficult situations a family may encounter with a loved one is dementia or Alzheimer’s diagnosis. At Your Side Home Care specializes in memory care (in partnership with the Alzheimer’s Association). Members of their staff that care for those suffering with memory loss are specially trained.
The business is participating in a pilot program within Medicare known as GUIDE. The GUIDE model provides support and resources to individuals with dementia and their caregivers. While there are several qualification requirements, it’s a helpful program for those eligible.
In addition, they provide specialized services to veterans. Ali is a part of the local VFW and is honored to provide care for those who have served. “We have a contract with the VA that allows us to provide in-home services for home health aides. If there are veterans out there who are looking for services, they can talk to their social worker at the VA,” said Ali.
To provide the best quality service possible, they provide a blended approach with technology. “We’re always trying to incorporate new technology and stay up to date with developments in care giving,” said Alta. They utilize in-home devices that can detect falls by sound. This helps lower costs while enabling rapid response to falls, which pose significant risks to older adults.
Unfortunately, individuals are sometimes afraid to ask for help because of the potential cost of needed services. However, Alta and Ali work hard to find resources for those with in-home care needs. “Our goal is always to provide resources,” said Ali. “When someone calls us, we have a checklist that we go down based on pay sources…and the last thing we have on there is self-funded, not the first thing.”
While this type of work certainly comes with its challenges, the Naqis are quick to identify what makes their work fulfilling.
“I think just being part of the client’s family,” said Alta. “It’s heartbreaking at times. I’ve had plenty of moments that I’ve cried. Just being a part of their family—them allowing us to be a part of their families. We’ve gotten to know a lot of wonderful people.”
There are many factors that lead to the success of the Naqi’s business, but Ali and Alta attribute it most to their staff of caregivers. “I want to give a huge shoutout to our caregivers.” said Ali. “Without them, I don’t think any of this would be possible. They’re the ones out there doing the tough work, showing up when it matters and taking care of our clients as they should be cared for. I personally feel like we have some of the most compassionate and empathetic caregivers.”
For more information about At Your Side Home Care, call 936-339-0991 or visit them online at atyoursidehomecare.com.
