5 Star Home Care making business personal for clients

photo Kenny and Melissa Higdon find and hire only the best employees to work with clients in their homes.

When it comes to caring for their clients, owners and employees alike at 5 Star Home Care aim to treat them like part of their family.

"We care for your family like they are one of our own," said company President Kenny Higdon.

5 Star takes pride in the caregivers it sends into clients' homes, and the company is very selective both about who it pairs with clients and how they are managed to ensure the best working relationship possible.

"We're not going to send someone to your home that we wouldn't send to our own," explained scheduling coordinator Richard Williams, adding that all caregivers must have at least six months of managed care experience and pass a very thorough two-phase interview process.

The process of caregiver selection begins with an interview with 5 Star's caregiver manager and is followed by another interview and extensive national background check with the company's scheduling coordinator.

More Information

For more information about 5 Star Home Care or to setup a one on one consultation, visit 5starhomecareusa.com or call 423-893-8181.

"We check the sex offender registry, abuse registry and meth registry," Williams explained.

Potential caregivers must also pass a 10-panel drug test at hire, and they are given random drug tests during the duration of their employment with 5 Star.

Beyond this process, 5 Star goes yet another extra mile to ensure clients get the best care possible by having caregivers complete an employee assessment consisting of their strengths, weaknesses and basic personality information.

"There is a fine art to what we do matching caregivers and clients," Higdon said. "Matching personalities is a key part of it."

Higdon gave the example that while one caregiver may complete the tasks in the correct fashion according to a client's request, if their personalities do not mesh well, the whole working relationship will not be a success.

"That's why you won't be hired today and then working tomorrow," Williams said. "We take our time to be sure the right people are paired together, and we're very selective." Higdon added that the ability to match the right caregivers with the right clients is something that truly sets 5 Star apart from its competitors. "Nine times out of 10 we get it right on the first try," he said. "And we want clients to know that in that one instance of it not working, we will find the right person for them."

Higdon added that with more than 100 employees, 5 Star's selection makes it possible for the company to find a caregiver that is the best fit for each client and their needs. Above all, the professionals at 5 Star Home Care agree that continuity and valuing people are key to making clients and caregivers happy.

"We want to be sure clients have the same caregivers each week and that we are treating [clients] like our own family," Higdon said. "You are trusting 5 Star with your loved one, and we take that seriously." To prove that point, 5 Star conducts monthly quality assurance checks for both caregivers and clients by revisiting each of them to see how the relationship is working to be sure everyone is still happy with the arrangement. If any changes need to be made, the company works to make the necessary tweaks and keep everything in working order.

"We've also invested in new technology to aid in supervising our caregivers even closer," Higdon said.

The company is utilizing a scheduling program in which caregivers must call in from the client's home phone both upon arrival and departure from their shift. If anyone is late, the company's scheduler is notified, and the scheduler must speak to the client at both times as well to ensure all is as it should be.

"This way we know clients are getting the services they are supposed to, by who they are supposed to and when they are supposed to," Williams explained.

5 Star Home Care provides professional, comprehensive home care to people who need help performing day-to-day activities. The staff assists individuals living with a disability, recovering from an injury or illness, or facing daily challenges that come with aging. They are set up to work in the home, or at assisted living facilities, hospitals or nursing homes.

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