Looking for a franchise? 10 reasons to consider AHCS

March 22nd, 2011

1. An AHCS franchise uniquely lets you run a business AND give back to your community. Since 89% of seniors prefer to age gracefully in their own home, you’ll be providing a community service as you earn a living.

2. Home care is in demand. The demand for in-home care is growing with the senior population. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the number of Americans 65 and older is expected to  double to 89 million by 2050.

3. You’ll learn how to run a  home care agency the most efficient way possible. Why learn the business the hard way from trial and error or from another franchise with only a few years experience in home care.  Let our 30+ years combined experience help you hit the ground running.

4. We’ll show you how to profitable. Our earnings have increased every year since we opened AHCS’ doors nearly a decade ago.

5. You’ll receive daily on-going support  from the top. As an AHCS franchisee, you won’t be “supervised” by field managers with limited knowledge of the home care industry. You’ll be treated as our partner with  constant access to our owner who has a 20+ year track record in the home care industry.

6. The key to success in our industry is knowing how to recruit and maintain the highest quality and most experienced caregivers. As an AHCS franchise, you’ll learn our trade secrets.

7. The other key is knowing how to treat people especially your clients and their families. If you are a compassionate entrepreneur, you are special. We need you and will value your contributions to our company.

8. You won’t be expected to spend tons of money on advertising. But our in-house marketing department will provide you with lots of great ways to grow your AHCS franchise with a minimal dollars. Things like our E-news – “Home Care Today,  a social media presence, PR and more.

9.You could start your own home care agency, but then you will have to learn everything by trial and error. From getting licensed by the state to applying to provide home care to Medicaid clients, we’ve done it all. We’ll help you navigate through these steps, therefore alleviating unneeded stress.

10. A 7K franchise fee. Not 30K. If you are one of our first three partners, your franchise fee. We’re ready to grow and we’re looking for compassionate entrepreneurs to help us do just that.

For more information about an Alternative Home Care for Seniors (AHCS) franchise territory, please contact Franchise Marketing Systems:  (800) 610-0292

Need a little help with Spring Cleaning?

March 11th, 2011

Introducing our new Silver Platter Menu Items.  Served up on a shoestring budget.

Call 770-736-7977 for information and to schedule!

The Dust Buster 55.00

  • Vacuum
  • Dust
  • Unload dishwasher
  • 1 load of laundry, washed, dried,
  • folded/hung
  • Make bed
  • Medication reminder
  • Serve coffee or tea

Spring Clean-Up 90.00

  • Organize one closet or pantry
  • (Take out expired food or clothes, or
  • items no longer used.)
  • Change bed and bath linens
  • Vacuum
  • Dust
  • Unload dishwasher
  • 1 load of laundry, washed, dried and
  • folded/hung
  • Make bed
  • Medication reminder
  • Serve coffee or tea

Wake-Up Call 55.00

  • Get client up and out of bed
  • Assist with bathing, grooming and dressing
  • Make and serve breakfast
  • Do dishes
  • Medication reminder
  • Tidy up bathroom
  • Make bed
  • Dust & vacuum

Good Night Tuck-In 55.00

  • Help get ready for bed
  • Read a book or play cards
  • Assist with bath and bathroom trip
  • Medication reminder
  • Lock and secure home for evening
  • Serve snack and beverage in bed
  • Make sure phone, remote control
  • and reading materials are within
  • easy reach

Plans may be altered to fit specific needs. Rates may vary slightly based on location, time of year.

Each and every patient and their family is special to us

February 18th, 2011

Thank you for taking the time to write us this note, Luther. It was a pleasure to take care of Janeanne. With sympathy and prayers — Derrick, Aisha, Cassandra, Njeri, Sharna and the AHCS staff.

A caregiver Q&A with Derrick Merchant

December 29th, 2010

Q: You’ve (co-)owned your home care agency for over eight years. What do you attribute your success in the home healthcare provider industry? We’ve been able to grow and nurture a wonderful network of caregivers. We have over 100 CNA’s on our roster right now.

Q: How did you grow your network of caregivers? Over time, word of mouth leads them to us. The ability to retain their services is key. We’re here at all times to address their questions and concerns. We also create accountability from them.

Q: Give an example of how you create accountability.
Before we assign a case, we have them call the client in order to establish a relationship. This helps them take responsibility right away for their assignment. We also communicate with them before the weekend and ask them things like ‘How’s your car working’ and ‘Do you have a babysitter lined up’?
Q: What exactly is a CNA? What unique qualities do they have?
The job of a certified nursing assistant is challenging both physically and psychologically. A CNA helps with a variety of things depending on the situation-housekeeping, errands, companionship, lifting the client in and out of bed, preparing meals, personal hygiene.
Q: Do you have an example of an ideal caregiver?
He or she is caring, genuine, down to earth, able to communicate and follow instructions.
Q: How do you communicate with your clients and families?
It’s important to help the patient and family establish reasonable expectations from the onset. Many families believe their mother or father will get better soon, but that is rarely the case. Still, they need to have hope. Our job is to be empathetic and realistic. We, as a company, really have to care.
Q: So, explain how these elements-family, patient, caregiver and management-come together.
Of course, the patient needs to feel in charge. The caregiver shouldn’t feel disposable. The family needs to trust that the patient is in good hands. And we, as a company, need to stay profitable in order to continue to offer our service.
Q: Do you have any advice for those thinking of getting into the home care industry?
When you get that call on Friday afternoon needing help for a new client on Sunday, you better enjoy the business. Providing good service is our number one priority. You have to have some sort of passion for humanity.
Derrick Merchant is co-owner of Alternative Home Care for Seniors (AHCS) in Snellville, GA. He has nearly two decades experience in the home care industry and caregiver management.

3rd Annual “Sweaters For Seniors” buttons up in Fulton County

November 15th, 2010

Sweaters for Seniors "Fulton County" team left to right: Sharna Fulton, AHCS; Steven Hargrove, SCS Metro Atlanta, Missy Hirsh and Lexi Fields, the Galloway School

In one metro Atlanta county, there’s a socially minded school responsible for educating the next generation. Also, in that same county (Fulton) is SCS of Metro Atlanta that cares for the needs of seniors.

Last Thursday, representatives from both organizations met for the first time in a hallway at the Galloway School on behalf of  “Sweaters For Seniors.”

It was a really happy day, but not just for the warm sunlight that beamed through the school’s big windows. Or because of the melange of yellow and red trees just outside those windows as you overlooked Chastain Park. What made this morning special was like-minded people in various careers assembling on behalf of a common cause – to help keep Atlanta’s seniors warm this coming winter.

In attendance were Missy Hirsh, Assistant to the College Counselor for Galloway, Lexi Fields, Galloway Economics Teacher and Service Fair Director, Steven Hargrove, Director of Special Events for SCS and myself, Sharna Fulton, Director of Marketing of Sweaters for Seniors and AHCS. (As a friend, Craig Pigg accompanied Steven Hargrove to Galloway as he is considering sending his son, Cooper to the school next year.)

So why were three different organizations involved in the collection of 174 pounds of sweaters you may ask? (Missy Hirsh weighed the many green bags of beautiful sweaters made with heavy wool, cashmere, fleece and dry cleaned just for S4s.)

The answer is that we at AHCS, sought for the first time this year, to make “Sweaters For Seniors” truly a community endeavor. Why?

#1:  Schools were the best resource for collecting sweaters for seniors the past 2 years. We realized it was students were the most enthusiastic and truly what made the program special.

#2: We thought it would be a good way to connect Atlanta’s youth to Atlanta’s seniors. (After all, young or old, we are all one!)

#3: We wanted to put the spotlight on the senior service agencies and what they do for Atlanta’s elder population. We felt that by connecting schools with their same county senior agencies, we could make school communities aware of the seniors’ needs in their own neighborhood. What’s more, with blog and Facebook posts like these, we could further illuminate the existence of and what agencies like SCS of Metro Atlanta does to help seniors.

In conclusion, I’m really pleased with the outcome of this partnership for 2010. Galloway’s Missy Hirsh puts it best.  “I want our students to learn about thinking outside of their own box. Sometimes, there’s a stigma attached to not having ‘things.’ By collecting sweaters for seniors, our students were able to know there are people with needs and that it’s okay to understand that and to help them.

Thanks to the outstanding organizational skills of Steven Hargrove and his staff — Hargrove reports SCS just raised $504K last week during their annual black tie fundraising event –  the sweaters will have value too! When I approached Hargrove last summer as to whether SCS could find use for “sweater donations,” he responded “yes.” Within a few days, he had the perfect idea for the sweaters — to deliver them to  SCS’s 300 clients along with their Thanksgiving Meals on Wheels.

As we button-up collections for Fulton County’s seniors this year, we look forward to more schools joining us in the “4th Annual Sweaters for Seniors” coming next fall!