Within 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.
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.
