Challenging the Paradigm of the Elder Care Industry

Every once in a while, someone comes along and challenges a system and won’t take, “…because that’s the way we’ve always done it…” at face value. The owner of Senior Approved Services, Barbara Mascio, is doing just that. In fact, her company, based in Cleveland Ohio (serving all of the United States) is making waves in the elder care industry.

Chances are when it comes time to use an elder care business; it will be the adult child of the senior tasked with the responsibility of making decisions. Where will this adult child find the appropriate service for her or his loved one and on what basis will this person decide between one service over another?

Case managers, discharge planners, social workers, physicians and other health care professionals are in the same boat – which company can be trusted to provide excellent care for his or her clients?

When you yourself are faced with contracting a home care company to provide one-on-one care for your mom or dad do you really want to guess? Or, suppose mom and dad must move into an assisted living facility. Do you want to go through the anguish of moving them into a facility only to learn thirty to sixty days later that your folks hate it there and demand to be moved? Let’s say you want a handyman, a maid, an elder law attorney. Where do you turn to find a company that can prove a history of excellent service and care?

Barbara states that she wanted to develop a service advocating for the right of all seniors to receive excellent care, and to most importantly remain safe in the receiving of that care. Nice idea, but how can you do such a thing?

“We decided to ask the seniors (and their family members) that have used or are currently using a service how they felt about the service they receive. Who better to attest to the quality of a service than the senior receiving the care …” states Ms. Mascio.

Question: Yes, but couldn’t the consumer simply ask a healthcare professional for a recommendation? Or go to the yellow pages, pick up a print directory of services or use the Internet to search the choices?

Barbara: Of course, that’s the way it’s always been done. But does it make sense? How do you tell which of the multiple choices available to you is going to serve your loved one with the up most concern? Any business can pay for an ad or market effectively enough to be listed on a discharge planner’s list.

Question: What services do you provide that are so different from ‘the way it’s always been done...’

Barbara:

• We are developing the industry’s first One-Call-Solution. Soon, regardless of what type of service you need, (medical or non-medical) you’ll have access to it through us.
  
• Businesses that receive clients from Senior Approved Services do not pay referral fees, however these business cannot receive clients until they’ve been surveyed. We accept and Certify those with a 90% or higher ‘senior satisfaction rating’.
  
• We remain as a link between the senior receiving care and the business providing the care, yet seniors access our full service at no charge.
  
• We take the heat off healthcare professionals tasked with making recommendations to their clients.
  
• We offer a free work/life benefit program for employers to pass on to their employees.
  
• We’ve created a method to help non-profit organizations generate additional funds.

Question: You certainly provide a broad service. Where does your revenue come from?

Barbara: We have one source of revenue. A business that wants to be Certified as a Senior Approved Service agrees to go through a survey process, which by the way, is compliant with HIPAA. We charge a nominal fee per survey, making this process affordable for all sizes of businesses.

Question: I know that you provide your service throughout the United States, what are your plans for other parts of the country?

Barbara: We have a waiting list right now, of both businesses serving the elderly and seniors that have contacted Senior Approved Services from Canada and from Japan. We’re a few years away to be able to handle an expansion of that magnitude. We’ve barely tapped into the United States market.

Question: How should a business that serves the senior and baby boomer population contact you?

Barbara: We are located in Cleveland Ohio, Eastern Time. Our toll free number is 877-620-6448 and our office hours are Monday – Saturday from 8:00 am – 6:00pm. Businesses, healthcare professionals, non-profit organizations and employers will also find in-depth information at Quality Elder Care Seniors, family members and caregivers will enjoy our free web community at Seniors Approve Free Web Community