Sahara Homecare opens 11th location in Crystal Lake

Sahara Homecare, which provides day-to-day help for qualifying seniors, recently opened its 11th location in Crystal Lake, the agency said in a news release.

The new office is located at 1024 McHenry Ave. and its opening came only a few days after the agency celebrated its 11th anniversary earlier in May, according to a news release.

“We have been afloat throughout this pandemic, and I really hope we can continue the way we’ve been doing things,” President Armaghan Rana said in a statement. “We just have to keep on moving forward.”

Sahara receives funding through the Illinois Department on Aging to provide additional assistance to the older adults if they meet certain qualifications, according to the release.

Homecare aides assist clients with everyday tasks that can become difficult due to old age and deteriorating health, such as laundry, light housekeeping, meal preparation, grocery shopping, as well as help with feeding, grooming, bathing and dressing, according to the release.

To qualify, clients must be at least 60 years old, a U.S. citizen or legal resident, a resident of Illinois, meet certain financial requirements, have an assessed need for care, and have applied for Medicaid.

Sahara’s other locations include Lombard, Skokie, Melrose Park, Hanover Park, Bolingbrook, Chicago, Albany Park, Justice, Elgin and Mount Prospect, according to the release. Starting wages for homecare aides is $15.50 an hour and caregivers are eligible to receive health benefits if working at least 20 hours per week.