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July 8, 2019 by Kirk Brechbiel

The Story and Vision Behind Ella Home Care

Ella Home Care LogoWithin your few first interactions with Ella Home Care, you will quickly learn why this home care agency makes everyone feel like part of the family. From the caregivers it employees to the families it services, Ella Home Care’s core mission is to allow daughters and sons to be just that again, daughters and sons, instead of caregivers.

In his own words, Kirk Brechbiel, owner of Ella Home Care shares his vision and inspiration for Ella Home Care. Read on to learn why Kirk started his own home care agency, and how family was and always will be a major piece of Ella Home Care’s story.

Kirk Brechbiel Photo
Kirk Brechbiel, Owner

Q: The Ella Home Care story begins with inspiration from both of your grandmothers and in memory of your father. Tell us more about how they played a role in starting the business.

A: My father was sick most of his adult life and my mother provided much of the care physically and emotionally. A great home care agency would have been a great benefit to him and her. This was the catalyst to me of wanting to provide these services. I learned a lot from my father over this time including how to be compassionate and understanding during difficult times.

Many of us love our grandparents and they played an important role in our lives. I’m no different. Up until recently both of my grandmothers lived independently in their homes. My 96-year old grandmother (my father’s mother) still does with a little help. She is quite the inspiration.

 Q: The name “Ella” has a special meaning to you. Who is Ella and why did you choose to name the business after her?

A: Ella is my daughter and only child. She is the main reason why I started this company. She is named after my wife’s grandmother who was a very special person. A truly unique woman well ahead of her time. After the passing of her husband in the 1960’s she lived another 40 years raising her family and living independently until her final days. I can’t think of a better name to represent our company.

Q: From its humble beginnings, how has Ella Home Care grown over the years and where do you hope to be 5 or 10 years from now?

A: Ella Home Care started out of my house. We did our caregiver orientations at a local church and we interviewed applicants at coffee shops and grocery store cafes. After 5 months, we transitioned into having our own office in an Independent Retirement Community in Lemoyne and stayed there for a few years. In January 2019, we purchased our own building with ample space for employee trainings and community seminars.

We have had incremental, managed growth for the first 5 years and we want to stay focused on managing our growth properly but have plans to be double in size within 5 years. In addition, we want to continue to develop our Caregiver Training Center which will not only allow us to better train our employees but also provide training and education to the families in the community who are taking care of their loved ones who may not be able to afford home care services.

Q: What sets Ella Home Care’s caregivers apart from the rest? How do you attract these types of caregivers?

A: Many agencies state they have the best caregivers, and maybe they do, but the word “best” is hard to live up to and is used too often. We also believe our caregivers are great, though we do not just hire anyone who applies. We hire based upon reliability, compassion and communication skills. It is difficult to find those traits at times, but we know what we want in a caregiver. We have missed on a few over the years, but the staff we currently have in place represents the traits that are most important to us which is reliability, compassion, and being able to communicate. A great source to attract other caregivers is our own employees. Many have referred applicants to us and we are sure to find meaningful ways to thank them for doing so.

Q: If someone’s loved one needs in-home care, what’s the process for working with Ella Home Care and finding the right caregiver?

A: The first step is to determine if that loved one’s needs fit our services, including location and scope of services. Once we determine that, we set up a one-on-one assessment with that person and his/her family to get to know each other better. After that assessment, we look at our employee roster to see who would be the best fit. We can also have the client meet the caregiver in advance so they get to know each other prior to start of services. All this can happen within a few days, or sooner if needed.

Q: Beyond physical services, tell us more about how the entire family may benefit mentally and emotionally from having a professional caregiver helping a family member.

A: We are all busy. Even with the best intentions, it is difficult and time-consuming for families to take care of another loved one. Many work and have their own families. This is where Ella Home Care can step in and provide peace of mind. Part of our Mission Statement reads: “Ella Home Care not only helps our aging neighbors stay independent in their homes, but allows sons and daughters to be just that again, sons and daughters, instead of caregivers.” This may be the single most important benefit of using our services, and we are truly grateful for every opportunity to fulfill this mission!

Would you like to learn more about the services provided by Ella Home Care? Contact us today and we would be glad to walk you through what options might be the best fit for your situation.

Filed Under: About Us, Blog Tagged With: adult, agency, aging, business, camp hill, care, central pa, ella home care, family, harrisburg, in home care, in-home caregiver, kirk brechbiel, lemoyne, loved one, new cumberland, pennsylvania, professional caregiver, senior

July 1, 2019 by Kirk Brechbiel

5 Signs You or a Loved One May Benefit From In-Home Care

Professional in-home caregiving is a very unique industry in that it allows families to care for one another, even as generations age, while still maintaining the balance of children being children, rather than fulltime caregivers.

If you have an aging loved one, possibly a parent, aunt, uncle, or grandparents who desire to continue living in their home as long as possible, but who need some additional assistance in order to do so, then this article is for you. Consider the following reasons why you might benefit from hiring a professional in-home caregiver to provide this extra assistance, while alleviating any added stress to the family.

  1. You don’t want full responsibility to fall on family members.

In many instances, family members are happy to step forward to offer some additional assistance to aging family members as they require it. This could be stopping by the house several times a week, driving them to doctors’ appointments, providing some meals, or running errands. These tasks are all manageable in moderation, but can quickly overwhelm any one person who feels responsible for it all, often while still needing to work and take care of their own family. A professional caregiver can assume a little or a lot of this responsibility to make caring for a loved one less stressful. Whether you need help just a few days a week, or require 24/7 care.

  1. You want to ensure safety and the highest level of care.

Professional in-home caregivers are specially trained in the industry’s best practices to ensure safety and the highest level of care. They also have the unique desire to care for another person and are passionate about forming a relationship that meets both mental and emotional needs. Not every family has someone like this who can step forward to care for an aging loved one. In our field of work, we often see how the right caregiver can greatly enhance the quality of life for an individual.

  1. You need more care than what any one person can provide.

Should your loved one require around the clock care, or even long day shifts, this is often more than what any one person can handle. We all need a break, and this is exactly what an in-home caregiver, or team of caregivers can provide. At Ella Home Care, we can cycle several caregivers in different shifts throughout the week to provide as much as 24/7 care. Additionally, this gives the person being cared for some variety in their week, which is something to look forward to.

  1. You or your loved one wants to stay in their home as long as possible.

One of the biggest benefits of having the help of an in-home caregiver is that it makes it possible for an aging adult to continue living in their home much longer than they could solely on their own. In many cases, without a caregiver, the alternative is moving into a retirement community or nursing home. Should your loved one strongly desire to stay in their home, the offer of hiring an in-home caregiver can provide a desirable middle ground for additional care without needing to move.

  1. You need reliability and consistency.

Finally, a professional caregiver provides reliability and consistency for your loved one. When the responsibility falls on family members who have other obligations like work or caring for their own family, there can be times when they can’t spend the time with the loved one that they had planned to. With a professional caregiver, this is their career and their calling. Even if an illness or unforeseen circumstance should arise with your caregiver, the agency they work for, like Ella Home Care, ensures an alternate caregiver will still cover the shift and be there to provide care as scheduled.

Are you or a loved one considering adding the help of a professional in-home caregiver to improve your quality of life?

Let us help answer your questions! Contact Ella Home Care today.

Filed Under: Blog, Caregiver Tagged With: aging, camp hill, care for, care provider, caregiver, caring, elderly, ella home care, family, growing old, harrisburg, home care, in home care, lemoyne, loved one, new cumberland, old, professional caregiver

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Ella Home Care
Address:
839 Market Street
Lemoyne, PA 17043

Phone: (717) 379-1793
Fax: (717) 695-2892

Email: info@ellahc.com

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