2. COMPANIONS
FOR GRAMMY
AND GRAMPY
Mission Statement:
Getting old and being alone can be tough on all of us. Can we help you or an
elderly family member feel less lonely and isolated?
• To address the need of companionship for the elderly who are isolated and alone in the
early on stage of Alzheimer's Disease and dementia.We can not only provide the
socialization these elderly people need but can give their caregiver a break when we visit as
well.
• Target population would be within 20 miles of the agency office located inWaterbury,
Connecticut.
• The companion staff would be made up of juniors and seniors in high school and college age
students who have a keen interest in the human services field or a major that they are
studying.
• I aim to develop a friendly companionship between our companions and the elderly they
serve.Weekly visits that include friendly conversations over coffee or tea or a good snack,
playing a board game or doing a puzzle, looking at old pictures, taking a walk,watching a
movie can make a world of difference in an elder client's week.
3. COMPANIONS
FOR GRAMMY
AND GRAMPY
Political, economic, social, and technological factors that affect my clients.
• POLITICAL:Unfortunately,this companion service would not be
covered under Medicare.
• ECONOMIC:I would consider for the elderly that could not afford to
pay for this service to reach out to some local churchesor outreach
programsthat could help absorb the cost of the service for these
individuals.
• Social andTechnological:This would require affiliating with senior
housing and 55 and older communities,churches,and healthcare practices
that deal with the elderly specifically,senior centers,and outreach
programs
4. COMPANIONS
FOR GRAMMY
AND GRAMPY
• Cultureand Diversity
• How will I be inclusive? My staff will consist of differentsocial, economic
and cultural backgrounds.I would interview my employees and have them
share there likes, dislikes and beliefs with me.The community my program will
serve is elderly people who remain in their homes but can still care for
themselves without assistance.These people are lonely,maybe because they
have no family or close friendsthat live nearby.Many seniors fall under the
description that there is a great need for companionship.I would access their
needs through their feedback responsesof those who want the service and
then plan for the staff to get the job done as we start to grow.
• How will culturaldiversity impact my program?We would have to
interview our clients with a questionarrie developed that our staff would also
be required to anser and try and match them up accordingly.I would want to
match up similar cultural backgroundsand personalities with each other to
make for a smooth client/staff member relationship.
5. COMPANIONS
FOR GRAMMY
AND GRAMPY
The theory I plan to apply for my program is classical theory. I chose this because I want my employees
to share their experiences of what works for them and what does not. All my employees will be treated
equally. It is essential to do this so we may give positive feedback and ward off any feelings of
discouragement. I would plan monthly two-hour meetings for everyone to come in and share what is
happening with their clients. It is essential to share this information because we are all different and might
use other techniques to handle certain situations that can benefit all of us.
Staff would be scheduled with clients according to their personality and cultural backgrounds. Each
client's file will include their likes and dilikes for my staff to review. My staff will have a form to fill out after
each client visit to document what they did with the client during their visit. Our goal is to bring them some
much needed joy and happiness into their life.
As the business grows , I could then add a support staff to handle payroll and operational tasks that I
would designate to them. I will keep track of my team and effectively delegate and coordinate
their workwith time management and a schedule. I will coordinate a schedule for all my clients first and then
schedule my staff accordingly using a couple of floaters to fill in for staff when absent. Our monthly meetings
will assist in making it a seamless transition for the floater or possibly someone new taking over for a
previous staff member. It could also help alleviate any stress it might cause the client as the staff member
would be somewhat knowledgable of the client's likes and dislikes.
Organizational Chart
Christine Murphy Owner
Office Support Manager
Staff of Companions
6. COMPANIONS FOR GRAMMYAND GRAMPY BUDGET
FIXED COSTS:
RENT $24,000
ELECTRIC $3000
WATER $360
PAYROLL $286,000
OFFICE SUPPLIES $600
HEALTHCARE $16,800
LIABILITY INSURANCE $1920
TOTAL FIXED COSTS $332,880
VARIABLE COSTS:
UNIFORMS POLO/FLEECES $3500
COMPUTERS/MISC $5000
7. COMPANIONS
FOR GRAMMY
AND GRAMPY
• The information system for Companions for Grammy and Grampy will include the collecting and
storage of information that we collect about our clients and staff. It will assist us in managing our
clients and transmitting data amongst the team. It will help us in supporting our clients and transmit
data with the staff.
• It will also store data of our employees so that we can match up our clients with an employee
with likes and dislikes. The form will include the following.
• Name/Address
• Age
• Phone number
• Nationality
• What was your occupation
• College degree
• Hobbies
• Like and dislikes
• Emergency contact
• Collecting and storing this information in our data base becomes a record we can read and add to.
Clients will have a form that must be filled out during the first session. Employees would have
to fill out the information on their job application as well. We would add social security number,
date of birth, and future study plan. A documentation form would need to be completed after each
visit and stored in our client's file. It is essential to record information about our client's. A
clients visit form would include their name, date of visit, activities, snack, client's mood, what was
discussed and if there was any reason for concern. All this information should be entered into the
computer system as it is essential to our records. Payroll would be done through our system as
well so paychecks can be transmitted efficiently and on time.
8. COMPANIONS FOR GRAMMYAND GRAMPY
• Evaluation for my program will be conducted quarterly at the beginning via questionnaires given to our clients to measure how we are doing. The questions
would be as follows:
• Do you look forward to your companions' visits? Why or why not?
• Do you like the way you have been treated by your companion?
• Have they ever made you feel uncomfortable? If yes, please explain.
• Is there anything that they do not do that you would like them to do?
• How satidfied are you with your companion?
• Is there anything that they can do better?
The answers to these questions would be compiled in our information system and stored. The data will assist in giving us a true perspective on how we are
doing and where we can improve. The evaluations would be shared with the staff during our quarterly meeting. The results would be shared and I would
engage the staff on possible ways we need to improve upon.
9. COMPANIONS
FOR GRAMMY
AND GRAMPY
Companions for Grammy and Grampy is here to help! This agency is
committed to giving older people the companionship they crave to become
less isolated and not feel so alone. We provide the socialization and
interactions they desire to feel viable. Our companions provide emotional
support in their weekly visits and daily activities that your loved ones enjoy.
Our goal is to bring some happiness and joy into their lives. Our staff is
dedicated to our mission. We employ young people interested in the human
services field, from high school juniors to college-age kids.
We make every attempt to match our clients and staff members with like
personalities. Our goal is for them to enjoy a quality relationship with a
member of our staff. We have a data base that stores information about
their visits so that if a replacement is ever needed you can feel confident
that a new staff member will be able to fill in for the previous staff member
seamlessly. We have quarterly evaluations where we are interested in what
you have to say about the service we provide. We want to always make sure
that our clients are completely satisfied with our service. We look
forward to being your companion!
