NAPA and SONOMA -- Albert DeSilver, CFO of Visting Angels Senior Homecare, said one of the reasons employees voted the business as a best place to work is “probably because everyone in the office is very compassionate and understanding of our employees' needs. We have all been there as well. Every one of us in the office has served as a caregiver to one or both of our parents, or close family members, so we know what it's like. Taking care of an elderly client is very rewarding, but it can also be very intense."
So if employees are having a particularly hard day, they don't have to worry about hiding their emotions in the office. No one is going to look at them funny. Instead, they will probably give them a hug and lots of support.
Visiting Angels also has a full-time employee whose job it is to go to all the different sites and check on the caregivers and make sure they are well and happy. She offers help and praise, an ear to talk to, and brings flowers if the situation calls for it. "If our caregivers are happy, our clients are happy," Mr. DeSilver said. "We realize if we don't have caregivers, we don't have clients and we don't have a business. So, we make sure to take care of them.”
One way in which Visiting Angels makes sure their caregivers feel respected is to offer them paid continuing training. “We sometimes get employees who want to go into a field such as nursing and this is a stepping stone for them. That's ok with us,” Mr. DeSilver said. “For these people, one of the incentives of this job is that they can get paid training, which will help them in the long run. From our perspective, while they're with us, that training will help them be the very best caregivers they can be. It's good for the employees, good for the clients, and good for our business overall.”
The system seems to be working well. “We are the only 'diamond-certified' home care agency earning a 97.3 percent positive customer satisfaction rating,” he said.
