Alternative Home Care for Seniors » Derrick Merchant

A caregiver Q&A with Derrick Merchant

Sharna — Wed, 29 Dec 2010 13:55:48 +0000

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.

The art of “Sweaters for Seniors” at JC Magill Elementary

Sharna — Thu, 30 Sep 2010 18:53:51 +0000

A "Create-A-Sweater" Pin-Up is decorated with crayons and tissue paper

Seeing how students and schools have collected the majority of sweaters with the most enthusiasm these past few years, we reconfigured S4S this year.

Sweaters for Seniors got a new mission, a new logo and a new tagline: “A youth based collection to warm Atlanta’s seniors.”

Finally, after months of planning, last Monday marked an important milestone in the history of “Sweaters For Seniors!”

Various art supplies used to "Create-A-Sweater" at JC Magill

It was the day Principal, Crystal Collins invited us (AHCS) into JC Magill Elementary for her school’s collections to begin!

And not just sweater collections, but monetary ones, too.

Students at JC Magill have signed on to our “Create-A-Sweater” pin-up program. They’ll color, design, exhibit and sell these pin-ups at school for 1.00 each. Alternative Home Care for Seniors will, in turn, match every donation from Magill dollar for dollar up to $1,000.00. All the funds and sweaters raised will go to Gwinnett County Senior Services, the nonprofit agency that helps seniors in need so they can continue to live independently at home.

As a “for profit” home care agency, that’s our mission, too. So, of course, being able to collect even more sweaters and raise funds for seniors is icing on the cake. Or should I say embroidery on the sweater?

A JC Magill student drops a sweater in the box

Plus, the program will reach beyond Gwinnett county this year with schools like the Galloway School in Fulton partnering with us as well.

“It feels good knowing we’re able to connect Gwinnett County’s youth with its seniors through Sweaters For Seniors,” says Derrick Merchant, Co-owner and Chief Administrator for AHCS. “After all – young or old – we are all one.”

Thank you Eric Hurst, CBS photographer for coming out to interview us and get it on tape. This is the 3rd year that CBS Atlanta has helped us get the word out about “Sweaters” thanks mostly to anchorperson, Tracye Hutchins. (You really must catch her morning show, Better Mornings! But I digress.)

Shown left to right: Eric Hurst, CBS Atlanta, Crystal Collins, JC Magill, Sharna Fulton, Alternative Home Care For Seniors

Also, we can’t thank Principal Collins enough for being the visionary leader in education that she is. Collins’ school recently partnered with ArtsNow, a nonprofit organization that encourages integration of creativity and the arts into the daily curriculum of GA Schools. With the help of Pamela Millice, CEO of ArtsNow, Collins set-up an impromptu art table while we we were there. As Collins was interviewed on camera by CBS, her students were busy, in the background, creating some very beautiful and original artwork on their “Create-A-Sweater” pin-ups. With this kind of talent and creativity and commitment to community, who could ask for anything more?

Have you ever seen prettier sweaters?

Loganville Rotary gives new speaking group a B.I.G. welcome

Sharna — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 15:39:11 +0000

Shown left to right, Damon Ladd-Thomas, Sheryl Fambrough, Derrick Merchant, Donnie Houston

Thanks to the Loganville Rotary Club, B.I.G. (Boomer Information Group), completed their first presentation October 1 at Sweet Aromas, the Rotary’s weekly place to meet. As Damon Ladd-Thomas explained, ”B.I.G. was formed to provide information on health and financial well-being to baby boomers and many of us in the sandwich generation.” (People raising a family and also caring for aging parents.) Derrick Merchant, the featured speaker, spoke about how and why to prepare for home care before you need it. B.I.G. hopes to be a community resource in matters of health and wealth. For information about having B.I.G. speak at your next business or civic association meeting or event, please contact sharna.fulton@att.net

Martin Barnes, Vice President of Loganville Rotary takes notes during Derrick Merchant's presentation

Donny Houston, CPA of Houston & Company, PC

The Loganville Rotary was chartered on November 22, 2002. The group of local business leaders meet every Thursday at 7:15 AM at Sweet Aromas in Loganville.

B.I.G. Helping you prepare and protect your nest egg