A conversation with founder Julianne Roth:
As founder of Companions for Living, what motivated you to become a health care service professional?
I spent most of my career in the corporate world and I knew that I wanted to do something where I could make a real difference in people’s lives. I began researching companies for sale and found a companion service. While that particular company was not the right fit for me, it opened my eyes to working with the elderly and disabled. My family had been dissatisfied with the home care that my grandmother received, so I realized this business opportunity was exactly what I wanted. I could provide direct help to those who need it, and do it my way. No firm at that time was providing in-home care to people, while also working to help re-engage them in their lives and communities.
What level of training and education are essential today for a professional to provide the kinds of service your organization delivers?
Companions for Living offers two different levels of care on both an hourly and live-in basis. The first is Companion and Homemaking which includes meal preparation, light housekeeping, transportation and companionship. For this type of service, no formal training is required. We seek reliable individuals with compassion, who are gentle yet motivating. The second level is Personal Care which includes all of the Companion services as well as hands-on care such as bathing and dressing. In this case, we require our caregivers to have formal training and certification. We also offer a unique service called the Re-NEW process. In this case, our management team collaborates with the client and their family in the initial process, and then our caregiver helps our clients by keeping them motivated.
In what areas of health services do you perceive the greatest need and why?
As baby boomers age, more services geared toward seniors will be needed. Most people want to remain in their own homes. This means that more services need to be accessible to those who are home-bound. For example, some geriatricians and nurse practitioners are now making house calls. Personal services such as shopping, errand running and even haircuts are also well received by those who are home-bound.
What are the greatest challenges your company faces in its role as a health care service provider?
Our company strives to have the highest quality care givers on staff, which means that we must have a competitive rate of pay. We also work hard to keep costs as low as possible to maintain rates that our clients can afford. We must balance these two objectives of providing the best care at the best price for our clients.
How will the kinds of health care reforms being considered, if enacted, affect the way you and/or your organization deliver services?
The only type of insurance that pays for our services is long term care insurance. Medical insurance does not. As a result, healthcare reform does not impact our company directly. â–Â
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STATS:
Headquarters: West Hartford
Number of Employees: 50
President/founder: Julianne Roth
Quote: As baby boomers age, more services geared toward seniors will be needed.
