PhillyCare Coaching

PhillyCare Coaching

Connection despite dementia

Emily S. Gavin, MS, OTR/L, CDP

Dementia Care Expert

Occupational Therapist

Caregiver Coach

Book an Appointment

Touches the hands of an old woman - Concept of Elderly care

a young hand helping an older hand to reach for a red rose

“Working with Emily transformed our relationship with our aging elder! Emily is an incredible listener and a fantastic resource. So many of the challenges we as caregivers were struggling with - and our elder was suffering through - turned out to be solvable problems. I cannot recommend this service more highly - this is as good as it gets.”

--Mary Smull

The PhillyCare Approach

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Dementia Consultation In Your Home

I'll meet with you and your loved one in your Philadelphia-area home, where I'll get the fullest picture of who you are and what would support you best. I can provide cognitive testing at your location.

Dementia Caregiver Help –

Video or Phone

We can meet by video call or phone call. Telehealth consulting for caregivers is available on a self-pay basis for anyone in Pennsylvania.

Dementia Support With Skills2Care®

Skills2Care® is a research-backed method to help you meet care challenges and restore ease in your relationship with your loved one with dementia.

Skills2Care® is a Trademark of Thomas Jefferson University.

Reduce Dementia Behaviors with PhillyCare

PhillyCare coaching is the dementia care support you’ve been hoping for.

Dementia care is hard. Yet millions of family caregivers are doing their best on intuition alone. The result? Difficult behaviors that seem to come out of nowhere and a strained relationship that takes all your energy.

You can get dementia help with PhillyCare. Working with me will empower you with knowledge, strategies, and problem-solving to regain a loving connection with the person you care for – a connection that nourishes you both.

A young woman helping an elderly man rise from a chair.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does PhillyCare take Medicare?

Yes! We accept Original Medicare for the person with dementia. This covers education and coaching for family caregivers.

What if I have a Medicare Advantage Plan or Managed Medicare?

We are only able to accept these plans if you have out-of-network benefits for occupational therapy.

What will my first Medicare-covered visit with PhillyCare be like?

Emily will come to your home in the Philadelphia area and spend about 90 minutes getting to know you, the person you care for, and the challenges you’re facing. She will ask questions, take a brief tour of the home, and may perform cognitive testing.

How about follow-up visits?

Emily will meet with you online through HIPAA-secured video for 60 minutes. If using Medicare, the person you care for must be in the home but does not need to be on the call.

If my insurance doesn’t cover services, or if I don’t want to directly involve the person living with dementia in a home evaluation, can I pay privately?

Yes! Private pay rate is $160/hour, and can take place in person or online.

What if I can’t make it to my appointment?

If you cancel within 24 hours of your appointment, you will be charged a $25 dollar fee.

Emily S. Gavin, MS, OTR/L, CDP

I’m an occupational therapist and trained coach with 12 years of experience in creating better dementia care.

In my career I have advised on challenging dementia cases, developed therapeutic programming for a senior day center, and trained over a hundred dementia professionals.

Now in private practice, I equip family caregivers with knowledge and skills to reduce their burden and create more ease in their relationships. My priority is your confidence, self-care, and peace of mind.

What Clients Are Saying...

“Emily showed me that changing my approach to a challenging behavior situation in just subtle ways can completely change the behavior. She helped me see how I can help my husband feel safe and comfortable in any situation. Once I began implementing these changes, I saw a vast difference. Emily was my biggest cheerleader, urging me on and really giving me the confidence to know that I can do this.

My increased awareness of my capabilities and creating healthier coping strategies has reduced my stress in so many ways. I sleep again. I am less anxious. I even ask for help! We do things, go places, and travel. I also know that I am doing a good job. My husband feels loved and is happy.”

--Kathi Howland

“My family has worked with other OTs, but Emily is by far the most knowledgeable and helpful. Emily has definitely helped to reduce the stress in our lives.”

--Marilyn Allahand

“Emily was a caring and knowledgeable OT who made clear, direct suggestions to improve life in our home. We were so grateful for her help at a critical time!

--Pamela Kane

Learn more

Read

Article in the Chestnut Hill Local

Listen

Podcast interview on “Friends Life Care VigR®”

Podcast interview on “When the Flames Go Up”

Podcast interview on “Private Practice Success Stories”

Panel podcast interview on “Private Practice Success Stories”

Watch

Video podcast on “Friends Life Care VigR®”

Lecture at Center on the Hill: “Changing your dementia care mindset”