Concierge Care offers taxi, home-maintenance service

LONGMONT ? Lenore Berg’s home-health agency, Concierge Care Services LTD, was born out of necessity.

In 1987, while running her own marketing and communications business in New Jersey, Berg began looking for an assisted-living facility for her aging mother. Many of the facilities had 10-year-waiting lists. Berg explored her options and was so ?horrified? at what she found that she decided to build her own facility. She invested $600,000 of her money into a $12 million project, partially financed by the New Jersey Department of Health. ?I started to create an alternative living facility that I would want to be in when I grow older and that my mother would enjoy,? she said.

The establishment had hobby areas, raised gardens, pets in the rooms and chiropractors on-site. Unfortunately, Berg’s mother never lived to enjoy it, but Berg said it probably wouldn’t have impressed her much. ?I learned that older people really want to stay home. You can give them the most fabulous facility in the world, and they still prefer to stay home,? Berg said. ?They have their lifestyle. They don’t want to be herded around.?

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From 1995 to 2001, Berg looked for potential Colorado investment opportunities. In October 2001, she created Concierge. Startup costs were approximately $225,000 and included liability and workers comp insurance, advertising, marketing and the cost of the two cars. Berg’s son, Braun Keiss, Concierge’s chief financial officer, privately funded the company.

And although the 21-employee company was founded October 2001, Berg is negotiating to purchase a similarly sized home-health agency in Boulder. She would not name the business or disclose the asking price, but she said a decision would be made by mid-October. By fall 2003, she intends to expand into the Denver-metro area and Colorado Springs.

Berg would not disclose first or second quarter 2002 revenues, but she said Concierge has about 20 clients. Within the next 12 months, Berg hopes to purchase additional in-home care businesses to help increase the Concierge referral and staffing network.

Concierge Care Services LTD is a private-pay health organization offering a transportation service and home maintenance.

Some Concierge clients use the in-home care and the transportation services, while others simply opt for the car and driver service. Regardless, patrons pay $35 per hour with a two-hour minimum. The licensed, insured and bonded driver personally escorts customers in and out of the vehicle, a large station wagon or Mercedes-Benz, as well as to and from their appointments.

?Transportation is the number one need of the senior population,? said Concierge competitor Neil McElhinney, director of Boulder Community Home Care. ?There’s a growing senior population that has the money to buy these services and wants to remain independent.?

Suzanne Barrett’s 88-year-old stepfather, Peter, has been a Concierge client since June. Barrett chose Concierge because, ?Other agencies are expensive, and their people aren’t allowed to transport patients.?

Janet Puglisi, director of home-care services at Good Samaritan Colorado in Boulder, believes the car service is nothing new to the industry. Good Samaritan offers a Lincoln Continental and driver for its private-pay patrons, as well. However, Puglisi believes Concierge has a niche when it comes to home maintenance. ?I think they probably have a good idea there. Certainly, my people do not fix things.?

Home-health agencies serving patients receiving Medicare, the federal health-care insurance program for the disabled and for people older than 64, are required to monitor client homes to assure that they are safe and accessible. Often, many Medicare-based agencies won’t make necessary home repairs. This can leave seniors at-risk for unscrupulous contractors. However, Berg performs extensive criminal background checks on her staff upon hire and every two months throughout their employment. Because Berg is not a Medicare provider, she is not bound by this home monitoring requirement. Yet Berg offers this service for $25 per month.

?Elderly people can become victims easily and can be intimidated, so you have to be very careful who you bring into your home,? Berg said.

The home maintenance service is $22 per hour, not including the cost of materials.

Concierge refers clients to massage therapists, physical therapists, chiropractors, certified nursing assistants, and licensed practical and registered nurses. Concierge’s staff is made up of non-medical personnel that will cook, do laundry, care for pets, shop for groceries, remind clients to take their medicine, and even bathe and manicure patrons for $16 per hour.

?My feeling is that unless they’re ill and need to be in the hospital, a visiting nurse for one hour or so when needed can help keep costs down,? Berg said.

Puglisi agreed. Though Medicare requires at least a certified nurse’s assistant for in-home assistance, she said, ?Most of what keeps people at home is that personal care. That doesn’t require medical training.? Contact Sheryl Bass at (303) 440-4950 or e-mail [email protected]