The Horowitz family of five had dinner table discussions no different than any other caring household in Greenwich.
Paul and Jodi’s oldest child, Elizabeth, was in her first year of college. Jared, just a sophomore in high school, was earning All-American accolades for lacrosse, and their youngest, Tate, had just begun her years at Greenwich Country Day School.
Jodi, who worked in public relations and who also founded the footwear industry’s fundraiser for breast cancer research, Shoes on Sale, then received a life-changing diagnosis at Greenwich Hospital.
A July 2007 diagnosis of leukemia would send the working mother of three to Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City the day after the hospital visit.
The feeling of isolation at both Sloan Kettering and at home in Greenwich was enough to put Paul’s plan of hope and personalized care into action.
At first, Horowitz visited his wife seven days a week, but as school started back up, the visits were contained to five times out of the week. Still, he kept his word of never letting his wife go a day without a visitor.
Then, before iPads were around, he purchased a laptop and set up the video chatting feature.
Soon after, family meals would be complete again, but this time with Jodi’s face appearing on another laptop placed on the dinner table.
“It was there every night if we weren’t there,” said Horowitz. “It would be the same jokes and chaos at the dinner table, like it normally is. It was really a game changer in keeping her connected and getting her spirits up. When we first did it, it was like a big uplift.”
Horowitz also realized the importance of staying active and keeping things as normal as possible while undergoing treatment for her illness.
“I also had someone come in and cut her hair,” said Horowitz. “I also had a masseuse come in and help work with her circulation because she was just staying put in bed so much. I would work with her with some very light weights and bands, too. We would work on keeping her muscles from atrophy.”
He was also able to get a nutritionist to help maintain Jodi’s diet. It took 130 days of remission before the family could celebrate a milestone of coming home and attempting to get daily life as close to normal as possible.
“I didn’t give up hope,” said Horowitz. “I was her biggest cheerleader. I got her to do a second round of stem-cell transplants when she didn’t want to do it. I know what it’s like to have those little victories and to have those setbacks. I’ve been there.”
Still needing assistance in balancing parenting, a job and care for his wife, Horowitz turned to a nearby home care service.
“When we came out of the hospital, we hired an agency….we had a real problem with it,” he said. “I would come home and so often she would be in her room with the caregiver just watching TV.”
The illness would take a turn for the worse. After a 19-month battle with cancer, Jodi Foster Horowitz died at the age of 49.
“One of the first things I did was I got rid of the TV,” he said, recalling the stark reminders of the battle his wife fought. “I got rid of the rocking chair where the aide sat.”
What Horowitz did most recently, however, is a testament to his dedication of family care.
This year, he founded Greenwich HomeCare, a premier and local home care agency that uses the combined technology and personal touch that Horowitz provided for his wife when she was sick.
“I wanted to differentiate myself by using the techniques and applications I used and applied towards my wife’s care,” the former hedge fund industry worker said.
Greenwich HomeCare offers in-home concierge services like hair stylists, geriatric personal trainers and massage therapists.
“When you’re sick and have been in bed for days, it can build their confidence and promote socialization, as well as just feeling good about themselves,” he said. “We will talk with the families on what activities they once enjoyed or what used to make them happy that they have gotten away from. We’ll sit down and plan and enable those activities in modified form.”
The situations that Horowitz can relate to in his client’s own care is a comfort to those who are going through frustrations of what can seem like a losing battle.
With aides aimed at re-engaging their clients in hobbies and activities they once enjoyed, Greenwich HomeCare strives to be positive and uplifting in their care. The agency even has a registered nurse that oversees all patient evaluations, unlike many other services offered in the area.
“I can empathize what it’s like to be a caregiver,” he said. “I try to make things less stressful for families. Sometimes they can’t deal. People are really resilient. Kids are really resilient. Unfortunately, life just keeps going on. You have to take the positives out of things.”
Horowitz recalled a client who used to enjoy gardening and had not taken part in the activity in a decade.
“We went out and bought a pot, some soil and a plant,” he said. “The caregiver sits with her at the kitchen table and will help her garden. She can skip a day or garden three times in a day, really whatever she wants. She was so happy to be gardening again that she wanted to show her family through video chatting. But she first wanted to have her hair done so she looked good for the video chat.”
The agency specializes in fall prevention, personalized services, their video-chatting services and their 24/7 availability with only high-quality aides.
The personal connection to his new business (that serves all of Fairfield County) keeps the new founder’s overall positivity involved in nearly everything he does.
“I try to be a good influence on my kids,” he said. “Wake up everyday with a smile, keep them on the right path. Sort of like that with my clients.”
Today, as Horowitz awaits his youngest daughter’s departure to college next spring, he’s able to reflect on how the experience changed his family nearly eight years ago.
“I could see my son’s values change,” he said. “Instead of wanting to play lacrosse, he wanted to be with his mother in the hospital. It definately changes you. My wife gave them a good base.”
Each of the older siblings lives with Greenwich friends in New York City. Meanwhile, the sports-loving father is taking full advantage of seeing his youngest child play out her last season on the Greenwich Academy varsity field hockey and lacrosse teams.
“It’s upsetting, but I also know it’s part of life,” said Horowitz of his youngest finally leaving for school. “It would be nice to know that I did a good job. She’s really a good person.”
Horowitz is often personally delivering items needed for clients in his growing business. As busy as he is already, he knows Greenwich HomeCare will soon transform into the dependable and reliable home care service that will ease the pain of others who will go through similar stressful events.
“I’ll be able to put more time into my business,” said Horowitz. “Somethings are just maybe too painful and you’ll just deal with it when it comes. It’s not like I’ll never see them again, but it’s part of life. The thing that upsets me the most is when my daughter leaves, I’ll be going from a household of five down to one.”
Visit GreenwichHomeCare.com for more information.
