HCAN’s Year in Review

  • by Mark Goetz, co-founder, and president of the HomeCare Advocacy Network

As we wrap up 2021, all of us at the HomeCare Advocacy Network look back with gratitude and ahead with anticipation. It was a busy, inspiring, and very fulfilling year – here are a few of the highlights.

Announced Franchise Partnerships with Bickford Senior Living and American Baptist Homes of the Midwest

We joined forces with two amazing senior living partners this year – partners who understand the changing senior care landscape and know that adding home care will give them an opportunity to expand their mission and grow their business.

With the help of HCAN’s franchise support team, Bickford Senior Living began offering home care services through four of its locations – Iowa City and Davenport Iowa and St. Charles and Crystal Lake, Illinois.

Alan Fairbanks, executive vice president at Bickford Senior living said there are plans to offer in-home services in more of its communities in the coming months and years.

“Home care will be a significant part of our organization’s future because it complements what we already do so well,” he said. “We look forward to extending the love and care we give our residents out into the community, as well.”

(Click here to read a Senior Living News article about the Bickford partnership)

In November, American Baptist Homes of the Midwest (ABHM) joined the HCAN family. Initially, it will offer in-home services through its location in Muskego, Wisconsin – Tudor Oaks Senior Living Community. 

“It’s important to adapt to the changing environment,” said Jeff Hongslo, CEO of ABHM. “There will always be a need for senior living and home care. We’re focusing on the needs of our current and future residents and how we can best serve them.”

(Click here to read a Home Health Care News article about the ABHM partnership)

Opened a Franchise Office in Lincoln, Nebraska

Owned and operated by native Lincolnite, Sarah Pappas, the Lincoln-based HCAN franchise will serve seniors and families in Lancaster and Saunders counties. 

“Our team looks forward to giving our caregivers the opportunity to commit to a fulfilling career,” Pappas said. “We feel very fortunate to be working in a business that allows us to give back to our community while building meaningful relationships with our caregivers, our clients, and their families.”

(Click here to learn more about our Lancaster/Saunders County franchise)

Sponsored an Eye-Opening Market Landscape Survey

Earlier this year, we released results of an HCAN sponsored market survey that got a lot of industry insiders talking. Among the eye-opening findings:

  • More than 95% of respondents said they would be somewhat or very interested in-home care services offered by a respected, local senior care community – prior to moving into the community.
  • Nearly 50% of respondents said they would likely engage a respected senior care community to provide in-home services over other options, including Home Instead (24%), Right at Home (15%), and  Senior Helpers (11%).

(Click here to read a McKnight’s Senior Living article about our survey)

Expanded the Home Office Leadership Team

We were thrilled to expand our franchise support team – welcoming Teresa Steinfatt as our new Vice President of Business Performance and Stephanie Thompson as our

Franchise Services Manager.

With more than 25 years of industry experience, Teresa is now responsible for the franchisee selection process, franchise business performance, strategic analysis, and business operations. She also serves on the HCAN Board of Directors.

Since 2007, Thompson has held a number of home care industry positions, with expertise in accounting, scheduling, and operational systems implementation. In her new role at HCAN, she will assist franchisees in developing operational excellence and best practices, while working with the leadership team to ensure the success of all businesses within HCAN.

(Click here to learn more about the HCAN team)

Launched Family and Friends Dementia Education Class

Sierra Goetz, our Co-Founder, and Operations Manager teamed up with Linda Lundeen, our Care Advocate Success Trainer, to develop and launch HCAN’s Family and Friends Dementia Education class – a high-touch approach designed to help family members and friends understand what to expect with dementia and how they can beat care for their loved ones and themselves. 

The class covers a full slate of dementia-related issues, including the stages of dementia and the care that’s needed for each stage; the changing family dynamic; decision fatigue and how to overcome it; important safety measures, and more. 

The two-hour class is offered in-person and via Zoom. It’s free and will be offered regularly in 2022.

(Click here to learn more about the Family and Friends Dementia Education class)

Moved the Corporate Headquarters 

Finally, with the addition of new team members and franchise owners, we outgrew our original corporate office space. To accommodate our current staff and plans for future growth, we recently moved our corporate headquarters to an amazing, much larger space in Omaha Regency business park. We hope you’ll visit us at 440 Regency Parkway, Suite 222. 

While we’re very proud of what we’ve accomplished during the past year, we know there’s still a lot of work to do. The need for compassionate caregiving and reliable in-home services – inside and outside of senior living communities – continues to grow. 

We’re grateful for our many blessings, and we’re optimistic for the future as we aggressively pursue our goals to provide quality, compassionate care for seniors and their families, support senior living providers, and generate good, quality jobs in our communities.

On behalf of all of us at HCAN, thank you for your continued support, and best wishes for a happy, healthy new year!