For more information, or to reach out to Kathy Uveges and her team directly:
Call (919) 761-5346.
Website: seniorcareeastraleigh.com
Email: inhomecarenc@gmail.com
Valerie V: Hey everybody, this is Valerie VanBooven with Approved Senior Network and today I have the pleasure of interviewing a home care agency owner who is amazing with her community outreach. Her name is Kathy Uveges, and she has done an excellent job with the Alzheimer’s Association and fundraising and really reaching out and I think because her heart is in the right place and she’s been doing this for three years. It’s really awesome to talk to her today and get the scoop on why she went into the business and what her business model is all about. I think you’re going to enjoy it too. So with that, we go to Kathy Uveges.
Valerie V: Hi Kathy. How are you?
Kathy Uveges: I’m doing fine. Valerie, how are you doing today?
Valerie V: Great. Thank you so much for taking the time out of your busy day to be on the show with us. We have seen a lot of cool things about you and the things that you’ve done all summer and fall. Especially with Alzheimer’s disease, and we read your story and folks really want to know more about you and your business. So I thought what we would do is just a short conversation today about you and the business and how you got started. And all those cool things. So the first question I have for you is, tell us how you got started with home care and what drew you into this business.
Kathy Uveges: So it’s sort of fell in my lap really. I wasn’t looking for it or I didn’t know I was looking for it. My grandmother had dementia so I cared for her for many years at the end of her life and learned a lot about the disease and caring for older people. But went back to my day to day job and have the opportunity to join Seniors Helping Seniors franchise in my area in Raleigh. And it was just the perfect fit for me. For where I was in my life and what I wanted to do for the rest of my life and helping others.
Valerie V: That’s great. And it certainly does suit you well because you are so involved and we just love seeing that. So how long have you been in the business?
Kathy Uveges: We had our three year anniversary in July. In the home care business in Raleigh.
Valerie V: Wow, three years.
Kathy Uveges: Yep.
Valerie V: That’s great. You’ve gotten over that new business hump. You’re doing awesome.
Kathy Uveges: Yes, yes, yes. We have.
Valerie V: Tell us what makes owning and running a home care business so rewarding.
Kathy Uveges: The reward comes from the phone calls that I get from clients’ families. The smile that I get when I walk into a client’s home, to just check on them, see how they’re doing. Telling me how much the caregivers mean to them and the notes. I mean, they go out of their way to just thank us for treating their family like our family, which is exactly the way we want it to be. And I wake up every day and that’s what keeps me going. It’s the gratitude from the people that we’re helping. Absolutely. Number one.
Valerie V: That joy is not replaceable. It’s just amazing how giving of yourself and giving and having a helping business. There’s just no replacement for that kind of reward so. Well, what advice then would you give families who are struggling with senior care issues? You see this all the time. So what would you tell them?
Kathy Uveges: Well, to do your homework, go out on the internet and research all about home care and look at the agencies, what do they have to offer? And then call them, do your due diligence. I mean call multiple agencies and there is the right fit for everyone. And I’ll be the first to tell them, I mean you have to go with your gut and you have to really feel good about your decision. And you keep at it until you find that good fit. And I also invite them to ask the hard questions to these agencies. What kind of caregiver training do you give? How much oversight does the owner have in the business? What do they do in the community for seniors? These are all things that set businesses apart in this ever population of home care business. But that there is help out there and just go for it.
Valerie V: Yeah, there is. I know that competition over time and there are tons of choices and so you have to really feel good about the choice that you make for your family members or with your family members. And I think that really is one of the most important things is feeling that you can trust what’s happening with this whole process. Absolutely.
Kathy Uveges: Yes, yeah. Trust is of the utmost importance.
Valerie V: And so that comes to caregivers themselves. So I know your model is just a little bit different and that’s really important to us too. I think I really liked the way you guys handle caregiving. So when you hire a caregiver, what qualities are you looking for?
Kathy Uveges: So number one, we’re Seniors Helping Seniors. And so what that means is that we’re hiring active adults that have lived their life. They often are retired teachers, retired nurses. Maybe they’re looking for extra income or a lot of them are just looking for a way to give back. They’ve lived their life, they’ve cared for someone in their family and this is their opportunity to give back and feel good about what it is that they’re doing. So they have the heart of a volunteer. A heart of helping and giving. And that’s what I look for. I mean it’s just that heart of that special person who I know wants to do the very best for each and every one of our clients and has their best interest at heart.
Valerie V: And that is really a unique model in this space. I know there are lots of older caregivers, but your focus is actually Seniors Helping Seniors. So folks that like you said, maybe it’s a second income or an additional income, but it’s also this sort of a calling that they have to-
Kathy Uveges: To give and receive. What they give, they receive back twofold.
Valerie V: Yep. That’s awesome. Okay. So, tell everyone the best way to get in touch with you.
Kathy Uveges: So you can call the office at (919) 761-5346. You can reach us on the web at seniorcareeastraleigh.com or you can email us inhomecarenc@gmail.com. Any of those are acceptable ways and we will reach back to you in whatever fashion works best for you.
Valerie V: Great. And I will put all of those up on the screen for everybody. So there’s no doubt as to how to get ahold of you and talk to you about maybe their senior care challenge or something that’s come up in their life. Even if, they just have questions. It might be a great time for them to reach out to you and get some of those answers.
Kathy Uveges: Yeah. I value myself and my team with having resources. So any question that somebody might have, they’re navigating this journey and they just have questions. I mean, call us, we’re happy to help. We’re happy to point you in the right direction. We’re there to just provide education to anybody out there in our community. So happy to talk to anybody that has questions. Valerie thank you so much for inviting me here today. I really appreciate it and hope that you have a wonderful holiday, which is, I can’t believe coming up.
Valerie V: I know, I know. Yes. Thank you so much. I know everybody wanted to learn so much more about you and the business that you have, and we’ve all been so impressed with everything you’ve done for your community. So thank you very much. Have a great holiday season and a Happy New Year, and we’ll be in touch soon. Thanks Kathy.
Kathy Uveges: Okay, thanks Valerie, bye.
Valerie V: Bye.