Home Care: "How do they make you feel? And Thank you!" with Special Guest Matt Mainelli

Home Instead is a franchise and we are truly blessed to know many of the awesome people at the corporate office. 

Please tune in to learn a little more about our friend Matt Mainelli.  We know will enjoy this episode as you gain some insight about our home office and Matt's involvement there as well as asking yourself the question, "Is Home Care right for me?"

He's a dynamo and we love him dearly.  Tune in and enjoy!

To learn more about Home Instead Senior Care visit:
www.HomeInsteadSWFL.com
Call: 239-241-9765

Transcript

Speaker 1:

Hello and welcome to the Home Care pod, your local resource when considering care. Now, introducing the home care ladies, Laura Gilliam and Audra Bidwell at your service.

Laura:

Hello to all of you out there and welcome back to the Home Care pod. We're so glad you're listening today because we have such a fun treat for you. You are here with your home care ladies. I'm Laura.

Audra:

And this is Audra.

Laura:

Audra, I'm so excited about today's podcast because we have a very special guest with us.

Audra:

Yeah we do.

Laura:

I know our listeners are going to be... Really going to really enjoy it.

Audra:

Agreed. Would you please join us in welcoming the learning and development senior manager from Home Instead Corporate in Omaha, storyteller extraordinaire and most importantly, our great friend, Matt Minnelli.

Laura:

Yeah. Yay. We're so glad you're with us. For those of you-

Matt:

Thank you.

Laura:

For those of you who don't know Home Instead as a franchise. Our owners, Bill and Sue Bidwell purchased the Fort Myers office at the end of 2002, the Naples office in 2006 and our Charlotte county office in 2011. And we've made a lot of connections over the years with amazing people at corporate. But I have to say, and don't tell anyone, but Matt Minnelli is our favorite.

Audra:

He's my favorite too.

Laura:

Thanks so much for joining us on the pod. When we have someone new, we like to have our listeners know a little bit more about them. So take some time. Tell us about you. What are you passionate about? What really makes you tick. Anything you'd like to share with us.

Matt:

Yeah. Well thank you ladies. It's an honor to be here. Two of my favorites as well. So my name's Matt Minnelli. I live in Omaha, Nebraska, right in the middle of the country, if you don't know where that is and I've worked in senior care, home care for about 13 years now. I'm a teacher and a trainer at the home office here. I love to speak. I love to teach. I love to train. I love to help people feel better and get better every single day. I love the feeling of making a difference, and I think in my job, I love the people I work with. I love what I do and our company makes a huge difference in the world, so it's kind of a perfect storm when it comes to my everyday life, which I love.

Matt:

Passions, I have one major passion in life right now. My little son just turned three years old last week. His name is Bodhi and I'm a older first time dad. I was 40 when he was born and he's just the light of my life. I love hanging out with him. He's the only one who understands me. So it's nice to finally have that person in my life. He's just my best friend, and my little boy. So when I'm not here, you can usually find me at the park or at the playground or doing something fun with him.

Laura:

That's so awesome.

Audra:

That is awesome, and Matt has an amazing Instagram account that shows all of those awesome pictures of his adventures with Brody. It's really fun to watch. Thanks for your intro. You're awesome. Can you tell us a bit about Home Instead, it's history and specifically your history with it?

Matt:

Yeah. So Home Instead started in 1994 in Omaha, Nebraska. Started by a couple named Paul and Lori Hogan. They're the founders. They're still very much involved and it all started out of a need in Paul's family. His grandmother, Eleanor Manhart was in her nineties and she was struggling. Kind of lost that social aspect of her life. And so they started this home care company where caregivers would come in and spend time with the aging adults, take care of them, meals, transportation, things of that nature. And today there are 1200 franchises around the world in 12 different countries. So it's quite amazing. Interesting story, so they started Home Instead in Paul's mother's house, and when I first interviewed for Home Instead, there was a picture up behind the receptionist and I said, "Yeah, so interesting you have that picture. What is that?"

Matt:

And they said, "Oh, that's the house that Home Instead started in." And I could swear that it was my grandma's old house. Well, after the interview, I called my dad and it turns out that Paul's family bought the house from my family. So my dad and Paul Hogan grew up in the same house. So I figured it was fate or destiny at that point. That was 12 years ago. Yesterday was my 12 year anniversary with Home Instead. I started at a franchise, just like a you two ladies at the Omaha franchise, and after about three or four years there, I joined the home office to do learning development, teaching, training. Since then, I've been to 43 states, four different countries, teaching and training and helping people get better. I always argue, I have the best job at Home Instead. I would argue that with anyone. I love what I do and I love the people I work with. So that's their history and that's my history.

Laura:

That's so great. I love that longevity. Congratulations on your anniversary. So cool. People like to say that I grew up in the basement of Home Instead, but you kind of literally, or your family literally did. That's so cool.

Audra:

Yeah, that's real. Fun. Matt, why home care? There are a lot of different assisted livings and other options, but why do you recommend home care?

Matt:

Yeah, it's a great question, and I think home care is a new concept to a lot of people. Not everyone knows about it. More people are getting more comfortable with it, but for me, the number one factor is seniors want to age in place. Research shows that 90% of aging adults want to stay where they are, wherever that is. Whether it's a home, apartment, whether they're in a senior living community already, they want to age in place and they feel comfortable there. To me, that's the number one reason why home care is so important. In 2018, CMS, the center for Medicare and Medicaid services said that a home was the most cost-effective place for seniors age, so if cost is a situation that's huge as well. This last year, I think we learned that it's the safest place for senior stage alone one-on-one care.

Matt:

One-on-one care to me is a big thing as well. I actually started my career at a Alzheimer's community, a 40 bed Alzheimer's community, and there were 20 residents on each floor and there were two people to take care of them. So the ratio was 10 residents to one employee and they all had dementia. Just imagine what that looked like. And so when I talk to a family and they say, "Yeah, my mom really needs one-on-one care. I'm thinking about moving them into a senior living community." I always say, "Well, let's slow it down a little bit." With home care, you truly get that one-on-one care. And listen, there are different options for everyone. Some of these senior living communities, you guys have been there. They're gorgeous. They're beautiful. I mean, I'm excited about getting older, but that one-on-one care, that staying in your home... Some seniors that I signed up early on, they lived in their house 40 or 50 years. They're not in a big hurry to leave there. So I think that consistency, especially when there's some cognitive decline and some dementia, it's so important to stay in somewhere that you know.

Laura:

So true. I know, kind of in your previous role, when you were working in the franchise office, you signed up clients for care all the time. So say you're speaking to someone who's considering care. What would you say to them?

Matt:

Yeah. First of all, it's a family decision. Everyone's got to be on board. You guys have seen it. When families aren't on the same page, it becomes really, really difficult. We sometimes play the role of therapist, counselor, divorce lawyer, whatever the case may be. We play a lot of different roles and there are so many options. I mean, the senior industry is the fastest growing industry in the world. More venture capitalism money has gone into this industry in the last three years than any other industry because the opportunity. 10,000 people turn 65 every day, so we know that this is a growing industry and there are so many options. And for some people moving out of their home into a community is the right decision for them. They want that socialization. They want that experience. For other people it's staying at home.

Matt:

You really have to ask questions, tell them your story. I always tell people, understand with your aging loved one, whether it's a parent or a grandparent, find out what they want and what their goals are, and then figure out what the best option for them is. And when it comes to all those options out there, you might call three or four different companies or three or four different options. To me, it comes down to how do they make you feel? This is a big decision, and this is a very personal decision. You're asking people to take care of the person you love the most in life, so you really want to get a feel for who they are and how they go about their business. I mean, things like cost and reliability and availability in terms of 24/7 access, those are all really important. But at the end of the day for me, how do they make you feel? Do they make you feel safe with this decision that you're moving forward with?

Audra:

Yeah, that's so important. It really drives home our tagline. To us, it's personal. And that is in so many different levels too. From Paul and Lori, to what we do every day. To us, it is personal and to families it's personal. It's really a really great thing. Matt, how would you talk to someone who might be interested in being a caregiver or actually providing the care that we do every day?

Matt:

Audra, thank you for asking that. The first thing I would say to someone who's interested in this is thank you. We have quite a few years in this, between the three of us. We know that it takes a very special human being to be a caregiver. They have to have that compassion and that heart and that empathy and that patience and all the things that we see in our caregivers. But I'll tell you what, if someone told me right now, "Hey, I'm thinking about getting into this". I think there are two things that I would focus on and let's focus on the more rational one first. Consistency. Ladies, think about what happened last year. In 2020, the entire world stopped. Did Home Instead ever stop providing care?

Audra:

No.

Laura:

Not once.

Matt:

We never stopped. Candidly, I could have used a break. I would have liked to week off, right? But we never stopped. And so think about people who were laid off or furloughed or had jobs that... I grew up in the restaurant business. Restaurants closed. We provided consistent work. We never stopped working, and the demand right now for home care is higher than it's ever been. With a third of the deaths in the US being nursing home related no one's lining up to go into a nursing home. People want to stay home. So I think it's imperative that we have enough people, and the right people so we can give you consistent work. Even in the middle of a global pandemic, you'll still have that work. I think that's a huge part of it, but even more so, the meaningfulness of our work is greater than it's ever been.

Matt:

We're taking care of the most vulnerable population in a time where they're even more vulnerable. So if someone's looking to make a difference, if someone has that void and they're trying to find their purpose and their passion and meaning in life, and they're not finding it in certain areas, try caregiving. I mean, it is so fulfilling. You guys have had to go work shifts, I assume in your role. I know I've worked several shifts with clients. To take care of someone is the purest form of love there is, so when you go into someone's home and you take care of them and you support them and you help them achieve the goals that they've laid out, it's a remarkable feeling. I think of our younger generation, candidly, there's a lot of talk about the millennials and there's challenges there.

Matt:

But for me, what I love about that generation is they want to do meaningful work and I think there's an opportunity for them to join Home Instead as a caregiver and maybe grow into an office, maybe even a franchise owner someday. But that desire to do meaningful work... 2020 elevated the role of a caregiver. All three of us have heard caregivers say to us, "I'm just a caregiver". That is not the case anymore. Caregivers are one of the most important roles in our community, and in 2020, they were deemed essential. So there's a sense of pride. There's a sense of meaningfulness, and I think that's greater than it's ever been. So if someone was interested, the other thing I would say is if you have the heart for it, we'll teach you how to be a caregiver. That's the beauty of it. Anyone can learn the skills of caregiving if you have the heart, and I think that's what we look for when we recruit and hire.

Laura:

You're so right on.

Audra:

Absolutely.

Laura:

I don't know how many times we've said that on this podcast, but you hit it right on the head. So being that we're kind of in this generation of what Home Instead has deemed the 40/70... Matt, I like to ask people, "If you were hiring a caregiver for your parents-", which is conversations that we should be having with our parents right now, "...what are your wishes?". That sort of thing. But if you were to hire someone to take care of your parents, what type of person would you like?

Matt:

Yeah, it's a great question, and my parents... You know, it's funny you mentioned 40/70. I'll be 42 here in a couple of weeks. My parents are 70 years old. So I'm right in that wheelhouse there. I love the idea of a kind of a team of people. That's one thing I love about home care, right? Yes, you get your caregiver, but then the support behind it is so important. You have someone who manages that case. You have someone who does the scheduling. You have all these people who support. I love the idea of like, hey, you have the support system, this team that is there for you. When it comes to the actual people, I want people who are patient and kind and have the heart for taking care of people.

Matt:

We can get so frustrated with our own parents sometimes. My mom asks me the same question all the time, and I'm like, "Mom, you just asked me that". She's like, "I have three sons, I thought I asked someone else". I'm like, "I totally get it". But it's so important to have someone who's patient and wants to be there and understands the role of a caregiver. Someone who treats them the way they want to be treated. The older generation right now, none of us are here without them. None of us are here without what they've done, what they've taught us, what they've accomplished, so treating them with that dignity and respect towards the end of life is so imperative, and it's an honor for us to take care of them and we should treat it as such. So I'd want someone who understands the importance of it and just treats them the way they... My dad always said, "My one lesson is treat people the right way", and that's what I'd look for in someone taking care of my mom and dad.

Laura:

That's awesome.

Audra:

That is awesome. I look for the same things, Matt, just so you know. Lastly, Matt, I know this question has been asked of you a million times when you're working in the franchise office specifically. Why should a listener to this podcast choose Home Instead? There's so many options out there for home care providers, why us?

Matt:

Yeah. It's a great question, and Audrey you're right. I get asked that a lot, usually by new owners who are coming in. They're like, "Hey, so how are we different?". I'm like, hold on a second.

Audra:

Do you have an hour?

Matt:

Let's be honest. If you went to our website or look at our brochure, and then you went and looked at a bunch of other home care companies, they all say the same thing. We all do the same thing. We all hire the same people. There's not that big a difference between each of these. For me, it's about our focus. Our focus is not Home Instead. Our focus is not our company. Our focus is whoever it is that we're engaged with, right? We talk about the term person centered care. We're not going to put you into a category or put you into a program or offers some sort of package.

Matt:

We're going to sit down with you. We're going to hear what you need, and based on needs, based on finances, based on those things, we're going to develop a plan of care completely suited to you, and then we're going to make sure that you're getting what you want. One of the concepts that drives us is this universal law of service. It says, the only way we can be successful is to help other people be successful. So whether it's a client, a caregiver, a family member... We want to see them be successful, and our success will come secondary of that. So it's not about us, it's not about who we are. It's about you and what you want and what you need and how we can help you get it. Our number one focus is your best outcomes, not ours.

Matt:

I think that people can duplicate what other home care companies do. They can offer the same programs. They can say the same things, but to me at the end of the day, it's "What's your focus?". And our focus is whoever it is we're engaged with and making sure that they get what they want, they need. Our mission is to enhance lives. Enhancing the lives of aging adults in their families, and I'd add our caregivers to that as well. Providing a service... I wouldn't necessarily say is enhancing people's lives, but when we understand who they want, who they are and what they want and what their hopes and dreams are, even at the age of a hundred years old, that's enhancing lives. Helping them get part of that. I think that's the difference. We all do the same thing. We all offer the same services, but at the end of the day, it's how you treat people and what your focus is, and our focus is typically whoever it is we're taking care of.

Laura:

I just love that. That's great.

Audra:

Me too.

Laura:

That is so, so good.

Audra:

That is great.

Laura:

Well, thank you so much for all that insight and great conversation today. We absolutely loved having you on the pod and introducing you to our listeners. Anything you'd like to add before we sign off?

Matt:

I just want to thank you. I've worked with you two for a long time and when it comes to focusing on other people and doing that, you two do it as well as anyone. Everyone in your franchise... I just had a lot of people come through a class I did. Just a terrific group. You're some of the best people I know. So I'm honored to be a part of this podcast.

Laura:

Oh, thanks.

Audra:

Aww. Thanks Matt. It was great having you.

Matt:

Thank you.

Audra:

And thank you all for tuning in. Thank you again, Matt, for being with us. For everyone listening we'll see you next time right here on the Home Care pod.

Laura:

Bye.

Audra:

Bye.

Speaker 1:

Thanks again for listening to the Home Care pod with Laura and Audra, your home care ladies. To learn more about home care or a career as a caregiver, please visit our website at www dot home instead S-W-F-L dot com or call us at (239) 226-0007.