Worcester Business Journal

14 Worcester Business Journal | Book of Lists 2018 | wbjournal.com A D V E R T I S E M E N T I n 2005, Greg Lindstrom founded Visiting Angels with his parents Robert and Sandra, who were instru- mental in developing the company's core beliefs; upon their retirement, they have left Visiting Angels in their son's capable hands. Today the company has become one of the leading providers of private duty home care in the greater Worcester area. The company is the Worcester franchisee of Visiting Angels, Living Assistance Services, which was founded in 1998 and has more than 550 locations in the United States and a few overseas. The Worcester location has been independently owned and operated since 2005. Visiting Angels is a private duty home care agency that provides hourly companion and hourly live-in per- sonal care services for seniors for up to 24 hours a day. We assist elderly individuals and those with disabilities who live in the Worcester community and surrounding towns. Our staff strives to enhance the quality of life for our clients, while helping them continue to live at home. Visiting Angels home care professionals incorporate "Activities of Daily Living" into our services. Our case managers develop a personalized care plan that meets the needs of the individual client. Certified nursing assistants and home health aides provide respite care for families, companionship, personal care, meal prepara- tion, light housekeeping and medication reminders. They will also do laundry and run errands. "We firmly believe that excellent customer service depends on proactive communications between office staff and families and caregivers," Lindstrom said. The company encourages families to ask several important questions before engaging an agency: How responsive is the agency? Does staff answer every question promptly and respectfully? What is the hourly rate and how does it compare to other agencies? How do I know that my family member will be safe? A good agency will routinely conduct a national back- ground check as well as Massachusetts CORI check. Families should ask if the agency is employee-based and bonded and insured. Is the agency HCA (Home Care Alliance) accredited and how does it measure quality assurance with clients? The HCA of Massachusetts has accredited 60 agencies; clients can be assured of quality care when they choose one of these agencies. Also, does the agency periodically conduct an independent client satisfaction review? We use Home Care Pulse Inc. to measure our caregiver and client satisfaction scores every month. Additionally, families should inquire about the fre- quency with which staff is supervised in the field. Ideally, a good agency will make unannounced field visits for optimal oversight on caregivers. Do all caregiv- ers hold a home health aide (HHA) or nursing assistant license? We only hire certified HHA's and nursing assis- tants. Visiting Angels operates as an upside down triangle with clients at the top followed by office staff and sup- ported by leadership at the bottom. Leadership is responsible for providing staff with tools, structure and a positive environment in which to work. Staff passes these key tools, attitude and support on to the caregiv- ers, who are the most important people in our company. Lindstrom attributes the agency's success to his par- ents' backgrounds in social work and sales. "My moth- er's case management and general management ethos has served us very well over the years," he says. "My father's people skills taught me an invaluable lesson in building long-term relationships." Highly respected in the Worcester community, Visiting Angels has been voted one of the top three home care franchises every year, as well as one of the best franchises in general. Visiting Angels is proud of its 13+ years of service helping elders in Worcester County remain in their homes and is committed to continuing that tradition. n Visiting Angels: Communication the driving force behind success Street Address: 255 Park Avenue, Worcester, MA 01609 Phone Number: 508-757-4014 Website: visitingangels.com Product or Service Description: Private duty home care Number of Employees: 75 Head of Company and Title: Greg Lindstrom, President Year Founded: 2005 VISITING ANGELS HOME CARE Greg Lindstrom, President P H O T O / C O U R T E S Y

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