Great Place to Work certified Qualicare once again this spring, recognizing that our proud employees find their work rewarding and meaningful. Qualicare was also awarded 39th place overall in Best Places to Work in Canada 2024, in the category of companies with 100-999 employees. Additionally, for the second year in a row, Qualicare was named as a Best Workplace for Women.
Qualicare’s successful model of in-home caregiving is exemplified in caregivers like San Diego’s Larry Carl and Jasmine Gomez, and Whitby’s Amanda Fisher [<--link here when caregiver spotlight is live.] Compassion, patience, humor, professionalism, and a positive outlook on life are what caregivers say makes them great at their jobs. Today’s blog highlights these values, and more, that Qualicare’s caregivers, nurses, and franchise partners bring to clients.
Caregiver Amanda Fisher began her position in April of this year at Qualicare Whitby, and she’s already making an impact! After looking for a job where she “gives to others” Amanda says she “hasn't looked back” and is currently caring for 9 different clients. Amanda works with individuals with dementia, and provides Palliative and personal care. She says, “I believe that if you provide care to others the way you would want someone to provide care to your loved ones, it helps you be a great caregiver.”
Tim, a Vietnam veteran living in San Diego, said that he “felt like he’d been kicked to the curb” before Qualicare entered his life. A U.S. Marine with two purple hearts, Tim worried that his healthcare needs put an undue burden on his beloved wife Mabel. Fortunately, this year Qualicare was able to acquire a contract to help care for Tim and his family by partnering with Veterans Affairs, granting this military family the comfort they deserve.
New franchise partners Lori and Derrit Daigle launched Qualicare Calgary at the beginning of October 2023. In the early phases of the business where, as Derrit said, “nothing is routine,” they already served five clients within the first month! Derrit’s professional experience as a senior manager in a number of businesses, and Lori’s experience as a registered nurse and healthcare administrator, with a master’s degree in leadership, have fused to make the new Qualicare branch “a great thing to do together,” Derrit said.
Generational shifts in living arrangements will bring more opportunities for caregivers to accompany families
From college dorm rooms, to intentional community housing situations, to the classic retirement home model, people of all ages are continuously re-discovering what it means to live in a community. In a previous blog we explored how Qualicare’s senior care franchise owners help new generations of aging parents live independently, and maintain healthy relationships with their children. Hiring a Qualicare caregiver to accompany an aging parent who lives alone through their twilight years is a powerful element of our business. But equally important, is the way our caregivers accompany individuals who live at group facilities, and provide additional care when patients are hospitalized.
Bobbi Jo Aoki, a caregiver at Qualicare Edmonton East for a couple of years, was selected to be highlighted this month’s for our caregiver spotlight series. Bobbi Jo says that working for Qualicare has made them a “better home care aid, and human being.” Prior to coming to Qualicare, Bobbi Jo worked as a home care aid on a dementia unit in a care facility.
Bobbi Jo says the work “gives me the joy of working for an amazing company with work-life balance. It has made me want to do better, and be better for every client I have. The chance to have one-on-one interaction and build relationships with my clients is not something you can get from working at a facility, and it has changed the way I look and feel at my job.”
In August, new franchise partners Chris and Dana Hiser launched Qualicare Sarasota in Florida, starting out strong with 3 territories! As the couple researched franchises, Qualicare stood out to them as a business that “just didn’t have any cons!” The Hisers also experienced grandparents who needed home care, and it was “near and dear to our heart,” Dana said.
Caregivers answer the call to accompany individuals in their twilight years as the number of aging adults living alone booms
In past generations, aging adults moved in with their children when they became isolated, and needed more help. But these days, more people don’t have children, and the people who do, often do not want to ask their children to take on more responsibility. Fortunately, Qualicare has met this generational shift by easing the burden on families, and allowing parents and children to maintain healthy relationships.
Linda Larson, a Nurse Manager at Qualicare San Diego and Qualicare’s home office, said that many people do not want to have to provide nursing, and personal hygiene services for their family members. Larson remembered a memorable client’s quote, “I would lay down my life for my mother, but I’m not giving her a shower!” Larson said the client’s mom agreed with her son.
In addition to the work of caregiving, oftentimes children are the main social connections for their parents, which creates an emotional burden on the relationship. A significant aspect of Qualicare’s caregiving, said Larson, is how it improves the social and emotional lives of patients.
“When we first bring in a caregiver to a new patient, I always say to give it two weeks and they’ll be best friends,” Larson said. “Sometimes they say ‘my caregiver is like family’ and they do all these fun things together! I had a client who told me that her mom used to call her several times per day. But after getting a caregiver, now she has to be sure to call her mom at a time that’s good for her, since she and her caregiver are often off doing fun activities.”
Launched in May of 2023, Cheryl & Anthony Graham wanted to create a Qualicare franchise in Augusta, GA to help give families “peace of mind.” Having cared for Anthony’s parents in their homes during illnesses, the couple understood how much having a professional to help families adjust to home-care eases stress, and increases the well-being of everyone involved. “There is nothing better than knowing that your mom or dad will be cared for properly in the comfort of their own home,” Cheryl said.