In 2023, the U.S. Surgeon General announced an “Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation,” drawing attention to the very real impacts — increased risk of cardiovascular disease, dementia, stroke, depression, and even premature death — that can result from a lack of social connection.
For homebound senior citizens already contending with illnesses or injuries that restrict their ability to leave the house, house-call services can become more than a means of accessing services otherwise unavailable to them; they can become a connection to the outside world.
The Star talked to four local professionals who have made it their business to take care wherever they are called.
Tina Landi, Hamptons Hairstylist
201-852-1969
Hamptons-hairstylist.com
Tina Landi of Springs has been working as an independent, on-the-go hairstylist here for 25 years. After starting to cut hair as a teenager by practicing on friends, she trained in a succession of salons across the country before ultimately deciding that she worked best on her own. Now, she takes her experience to clients who may not fit comfortably into the confines of a traditional salon, either.
“My kit is different every day,” she explained, describing the rolling suitcase and caddy she packs with a careful selection of tools and products for each client she visits. Over the years she has learned to navigate the delicate area of providing a professional service within a private setting, offering cut, color, and styling services to a wide range of individuals — many of whom have been homebound.
“I do get sad, knowing that people can’t get out and move around for themselves. But if I can give a service and help provide a little gift of like, you know, ‘I’m looking forward to getting my hair done today and the stylist is fun and excited about coming,’ “ she said. “Things like that make me have joy in my work because I’m giving people the hope and the happiness that they haven’t had in a while, so I love what I do.”
Carla Gargano, Hamptons Massage Therapist
516-449-5959
hamptonsmassagetherapist.com
Over the course of her 35 years as a massage therapist, and 25 years of offering house calls in the Hamptons, Carla Gargano of Sag Harbor has learned to be adaptable. “I’ve worked from infants to 100, so my hands are skilled for almost all situations, I would say.”
She travels with her own massage table and linens so as to leave a “small footprint” in each home she visits. When working with seniors, she said she is always mindful of “wherever their physical capabilities are within their homes, meaning if they can’t get on a massage table, then I might be working on their hands and feet in their comfort chair, or it may be more suitable for them to stay in their bed. It depends on their condition, of course.”
And she has seen those clients transform before her eyes. “Touch alone is very healing,” she said. “Their whole body language is just completely different, their coloring, they’re more alert.”
The difference, she said, is that to be touched “when it’s not someone medically probing at them” is a “caring touch.”
Betty Espinoza, Nails By Betty
631-903-2168
nailsbybetty.com
Betty Espinoza of East Hampton, owner of Nails by Betty, began her career offering house-call nail services around East Hampton in 2006, and says she has learned to adapt to a wide variety of contexts and client needs. In the process, she developed a loyal following. “I know how to take care of them,” she said.
She now works full time out of her private nail studio in East Hampton, and though she no longer has time to go on house calls herself, she employs a trusted technician who visits clients unable to come to her.
“It’s very important,” she said, for older adults to be able to access this type of service, as she has seen firsthand the impact a manicure or pedicure can have. “They feel like a different person. They feel comfortable, and they feel happy.”
Dr. Rachel Lys, East Hampton Physical Therapy
631-668-7600
easthamptonphysicaltherapy.com
Dr. Rachel Lys of Springs founded East Hampton Physical Therapy in 2013 and sees patients both in her Montauk office and in their homes.
Although working outside of the resources of a fully-appointed office can be limiting, she explained that there are benefits to conducting sessions in the home. For patients dealing with anxiety or agoraphobia, for example, being in the safety of their home “allows them to relax and be a willing participant in the treatment session.”
And for homebound seniors, it is also important to make sure that their space is as safe as possible to avoid further potential injury. “What we do is we analyze any potential fall hazards — like if they’ve got an extension cord sticking out, or a little area rug, or clutter all over the room, even shelves in the pantry stacked haphazardly so that something could fall out on them — things like that.”
“One of the rewarding things about this profession is that we do see progress on a regular basis,” Dr. Lys said. “Some patients are quicker than others, but there is always a change of some kind.”