In 2001, Dave Kirchner was ready to make a career change from fine printing paper distribution and found himself looking at the home care industry, when he was referred to Home Instead Senior Care while he was exploring his options. Liking what he found, he started a new career in Franchise Development for Home Instead. As he learned more about private duty home care, he realized his real passion was around having direct contact with seniors, so he made the decision to run his own agency. He purchased Home Instead Senior Care of Yuma, Arizona in 2008 and he has never looked back.
Dave’s agency currently cares for more than 100 clients, and he employs 80 caregivers and five office staff. Between the months of March and November, Dave’s agency sees a significant increase in the number of clients they care for. This is due to the appeal of Yuma as a destination for the elderly, or as Dave and his staff like to call them, “Snow Birds.” Thoug
h, it is always good to increase business, it creates a bit of a headache for schedulers.
As a franchisor, Home Instead’s Home Office is very instrumental in exploring, evaluating and deciding on the most efficient business operating system platform for their franchise model. So after several years using a proprietary software, it was determined that due to the size and sheer number of franchises, they needed a new platform. In their search they realized ClearCare was so much more than a scheduling tool. It was a full platform - essentially a one stop shop for all his agency operating needs.
When Dave and his team evaluated different home care software systems. Because of the fluctuation of clients and the area their agency services, they had to make sure they chose the most efficient and scalable solution for their company. They realized ClearCare was that platform.
With any new software implementation there is always the apprehension of change. To ensure a smooth onboarding experience, Home Instead agencies - including Dave’s - were set up with a dedicated success manager who worked with them every step of the way. A couple months after implementation the office environment was totally different. Phones were no longer ringing off the hook, the constant challenge of dealing with caregivers schedules was minimized, and it freed up a lot of staff time so they could work on other projects that needed attention.
“There are enhancements that are continually introduced that remind me that we made the right decision to embrace ClearCare. I am always looking forward to seeing what ClearCare comes out with next.” --Dave Kirchner, Home Instead Yuma, AZ
