A hospital stay changes everything—routines, risks, and the decisions families must make under pressure. We open the door on a boutique, white-glove approach to home care that moves fast when life turns, and moves thoughtfully when families want time to plan. With Evan Loevner of Aviva In Home Care, we explore what it takes to deliver reliable, compassionate support across San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, and the Alameda Valley without losing the personal touch.
We talk through two pathways into home care: urgent trigger events that demand same-day or next-day starts, and slower, intentional transitions that let siblings and parents get aligned. Evan breaks down how owner-led care management, a small client census, and a large caregiver network create both intimacy and resilience. Backed by Honor’s nurse oversight and process rigor, Aviva can respond to health setbacks, update care plans quickly, and ensure caregivers follow best practices and physician directives—so the care stays safe, adaptive, and human.
Transparency and trust are constant threads. Families receive daily shift notes, access a secure portal, and coordinate decisions in real time, whether they live nearby or across the country. Caregivers benefit from clear directions, strong training in memory care and chronic conditions, and easy documentation—improving morale and continuity. We also detail the safeguards that matter: licensing, Live Scan background checks with ongoing alerts, drug testing, and thorough employment verification. If you’re weighing agency care versus hiring privately, this conversation demystifies the tradeoffs and shows how a layered backup system protects against missed shifts and mismatches.
If this resonates, follow the show, share it with someone making care decisions, and leave a review with the one question you still want answered—we’ll tackle it next.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
SPEAKER_00 (00:09):
Hi, my name is Evan Lovner.
I run Aviva in Home Care, andI've been doing so since 2014.
We established the agency in SanFrancisco at that time, and
we've expanded our services toactually four counties with the
help of our strategic partner.
I have a strategic partner whohelps us really optimize the
(00:33):
business and become a whiteglove concierge-level service
agency.
We service the counties of SanFrancisco, San Mateo, Santa
Clara, and Alameda Valley.
SPEAKER_01 (00:48):
You guys have grown tremendously over the last
several years, and it's so greatto work with home care agencies
that are growing and expanding.
And that's a really big servicearea for you.
So that's awesome.
SPEAKER_00 (01:00):
Thank you, Valerie.
Yeah, it's in large part due tothe really wonderful partnership
we have with Honor Care.
Honor helps us with really themore difficult parts of the
business, which are findingreally great care professionals.
Because, as Valerie, in ourbusiness, the biggest pickle is
getting reliable, solid careprofessionals.
And they are so good at it.
(01:22):
So we really optimize ourbusiness for our clients.
It also frees up my time.
And my right hand Gal Hazel,who's my client services
director, it frees up both ofour time to be more so with
clients.
So we do a lot more handholding.
We are uber attentive to everyclient that we have in terms of
our personal time, which I thinkis very atypical for most
(01:45):
agencies.
So you actually have an ownerwho's spending more time and a
director providing that level ofbasic care management, which I
think is so vital for a goodcare experience.
SPEAKER_01 (01:57):
And I know that you guys emphasize care management
as one of your concierge typeservices that you guys offer.
Care management can becomplicated and challenging when
you have multiple physicians andhospitals and family members
involved and care providers.
So it's great that you guysincorporate that care management
piece and you're able to do thatbecause have a little bit of
(02:21):
weight lifted off your shouldersabout where the caregivers are
coming from.
You have an excellent setup anda great backup system for
caregivers.
So tell us more about whathappens when I'm an adult child,
I'm 54 years old, my mom is 75,I may live close by, or maybe I
(02:42):
live all the way across thecountry.
And I call Aviva, and what can Iexpect?
What happens?
I think one of the things we tryto do is help people understand
that when you call, there's aseries of things that happen.
And so what happens in youroffice?
SPEAKER_00 (02:59):
Yeah, and I think, Valerie, it's somewhat dependent
on the nature of the situationas people engage in different
ways with home care.
In a lot of cases, excuse me,it's a trigger event.
It's due to a hospitalization,something unexpected.
It's a very emotionally chargedsituation.
Obviously, we're trying to beproviding some of the calm
amidst the storm, talking tofamilies in person about how we
(03:24):
approach care, about how quicklywe can start working with them.
If it is that type of situationwhere it's a trigger event, we
can often get out to the familythe same day or even the next
day.
And we do an intake, like mostagencies do, where we sit down
with the family, collect all theinformation we need to set
ourselves up for a successfulrelationship.
And that can be done in thehospital, in the home.
(03:47):
We really want to go to theclient because getting eyes and
ears on the client is so vital.
So we do that again as quicklyas possible.
And in some cases, we're needingto staff quickly.
It can be same-day staffing ornext day.
It can be challenging, but in insome cases, we need to do that.
So we make it happen.
The other scenario is wherethere's a more general decline
(04:09):
and people are bringing us infor respite care potentially for
a spouse, or they just see asituation where the care has
been needed and they've come togrips with the fact that we need
to start having folks in thehome helping myself or helping
my loved one, what have you.
And we sit down with the familymembers in a bit more relaxed
(04:31):
time frame because it's not sorushed and talk through our
approach, what we can provide,how our caregivers work, again,
collecting all the necessarypoints we need to make sure that
the care happens.
Usually, then we're going to apoint where we go into staffing
and we try to set up some formof care within a few days.
(04:51):
Sometimes it takes families alonger period of time.
Not everybody is necessarilycopacetic.
The kids might feel one way andthe parents feel another way.
So it can be a process oftalking through the utility and
the value and what to expect.
And that might take some time togel.
So we might go in once, we mightgo in twice, it might stretch to
(05:13):
a period of months where weactually have that conversation
and it's all fine.
Everybody moves in their ownpace, but we try to move as
quickly as we need to.
SPEAKER_01 (05:22):
When I call the office and I get a hold of you
or Hazel, and that's pretty muchyou guys manage this with all
the caregivers and all the thatcome from Honor and with all the
clients.
I have to say, when I go downthis road, what I'm saying is
that it is refreshing that youguys, you two of you who've been
(05:43):
together for a long time in thisbusiness, Hazel's been with you
for many years, maybe from thebeginning, I don't know, but
that you guys together are ableto go out and really give that
extra touch and that white gloveservice and really make sure the
families are comfortable withwhat's going on.
That that makes that makes ahuge difference.
SPEAKER_00 (06:03):
Yeah, it's a really great model because again, we
have through our relationshipwith Honor, we have nurses on
staff who ensure that we'refollowing best practice with
every client, ensure that we'recomplying with doctor's orders.
They jump in if there's any sortof health setback or, God
forbid, occurrences within thehome, a fall or somebody gets
(06:24):
sick.
And the nurses then step in anddo a more intensive form of care
review to make sure that, hey,if these care plans need to
change, let's change it in theright way.
Or did the caregiver respond inthe right way to a specific
situation?
So together, through Hazel's andeyes, care management and honors
support and oversight, we'rereally optimizing the care.
(06:48):
So it's a great model forclients.
SPEAKER_01 (06:51):
That's wonderful.
And what would you say?
I mean, besides this, which ishaving the owner or the care
manager or the office manager,care manager.
I know Hazel wears a lot ofhats.
And you do too.
SPEAKER_00 (07:02):
More than me, probably, but yes.
SPEAKER_01 (07:05):
But when uh what would you say sets you guys
apart?
You've been around for a longtime now.
And if you weren't really goodat this, you wouldn't have
survived.
You're in a very competitiveenvironment.
What would you say set you apartbesides that one-on-one
conversation with an owner or athe care manager?
SPEAKER_00 (07:24):
I think it's more than a conversation.
I think the the again, thecontact with the owner is
pervasive throughout the wholelife cycle, the whole
relationship with the client.
So that is a key part of it,Valerie, is that we are in some
rare cases going out and evenfilling in a gap in care if that
happens.
And that is myself or Hazeldoing that.
So we will bend over backwardsto make sure that a client is
(07:48):
not missing a shift or put insome awkward situation because
of our uh caregiver's inabilityto make it on a day for some
reason or what have you.
So that is really adifferentiator.
There's very few agencies,especially where the owner would
go out and intervene.
Yeah, that's exactly my ownhorn, but that is fairly unique.
SPEAKER_01 (08:06):
And we get that is very unique, especially in a
bigger agency where you guys areserving a nice size set of
clients.
It's still very manageable foryou.
I love it that you're veryinvolved.
SPEAKER_00 (08:18):
So that's one thing.
And then secondly, with honorsprocess orientation and really
technology that is, I would say,state of the art.
And people think about tech inthis business and they're like,
oh, how important is that?
There's a lot of stuff that youdon't see happening behind the
scenes, the way that we areoptimal in terms of scheduling
people, making sure that peopleunderstand when they're going to
specific clients, moving peoplearound if we have to avoid those
(08:42):
gaps in care.
The training systems are reallystate of the art.
So we're making sure thateverybody is well-briefed in
terms of memory care or specificaspects of how do I handle a
chronic certain chronic diseasethat might be more rare.
We're making sure they'rebriefed and competent in working
with those types of clients.
That's another thing.
Also, the communicationsplatforms that we're able to
(09:04):
offer clients, everything iscloud-based, which means, in
reality, you can get shiftreports pushed to your email
every day.
If you have siblings orrelatives out of state who want
to stay in tune or dialed in towhat's going on with regards to
mom or dad's care or uncle'scare or whatever, they can log
into a portal, check it out, getan email report to understand
(09:27):
what's going on, even as go asfar as blocking or favoriting
caregivers online.
It affords clients a very sortof real-time open communication
system that is not that common.
I think we're still in a verypaper-based industry, which does
not lend itself to real-time,real-time communication.
So our system definitely doesthat.
SPEAKER_01 (09:47):
That's great.
Yeah, the communication piece iswhat it used to be, everybody
would say pick one person to beour main contact.
And that still is a good idea.
But now anybody who really wantsto be involved can download the
app or log in or get an email ora notification if they want to,
and all get the same informationat the same time.
(10:10):
So it's you're right.
It's still a very paper-basedworld and a very it's hard to
manage when a lot of people wantinformation.
However, when you havestate-of-the-art system set up,
it's much easier for thosefamilies to be able to talk to
each other and say, Did you seethat report?
Maybe we should have another addanother caregiver tomorrow or
(10:31):
another shift.
Or maybe he's doing great.
That's so nice to see.
Yeah, that's pretty nice.
SPEAKER_00 (10:36):
And how I think it also one comment I would make
Valor too is it makes we're muchmore professional and pleasant
in a way, environment for thecaregivers to work in.
In some maybe even direct way,it makes our caregivers more
loyal, happier, because they cantake notes easier and share
information easier andunderstand directions a lot more
easily than they would in a morearchaic system.
SPEAKER_01 (10:59):
That's really nice to hear that Honor has done such
a good job with this piece of itand the communication and all
the technology that goes behindit.
And I think they started in yourarea.
So I'm guessing they do a reallygood job where you guys are too.
SPEAKER_00 (11:13):
So yes, they did.
They did exactly.
SPEAKER_01 (11:15):
So that is really nice.
Is there anything else aboutAviva that you would think that
you think that a an adult childwould want to know before they
call a home care agency?
I know there's lots of questionsthat people should be asking,
but what would you recommendthat people be asking about a
home care, asking a home careagency before they sign?
SPEAKER_00 (11:37):
I'll answer that in three different ways.
Number one, things about us.
If I can speak to my ownbackground a little bit, I'm an
ex-hospital administrator.
I'm a healthcare careerist.
I've been in healthcare for over20 years.
I have a master's in inhealthcare administration.
So I again, not that this makesme tremendous, but it does
afford me some level ofcompetence and rigor to bring to
(12:01):
the business that I think a lotof agencies don't necessarily
have.
And it's in large part why Idecided to work with ANV,
because I think the marriage ofthose two things, having a
company to work with that isequally knowledgeable and
process-oriented is very, veryvaluable and benefits our
clients tremendously.
So that's one thing.
In terms of what else peopleshould know, one aspect of our
(12:24):
model, again, we have a censusright now, Valerie, just to
paint a picture of 31 clients,which is fairly small, small,
medium-sized ish in terms ofagencies around here.
We've never had more than 35.
I don't know that we'll ever getto a 50, 60 client agency.
So we're not, we'll never behuge.
But on the other hand, becauseof the Honor Partnership, I have
(12:45):
access to about 425 caregiversthroughout the four counties
that we work with.
What that means are fasterstarts of care and also more
reliable backfills.
So for clients, the reliabilityfactor goes way up.
Even the choice factor, becauseit's not the marriage between
caregiver and client, doesn'talways work right away.
(13:05):
And we know that.
Sometimes it's just an energything or some other aspect of
the relationship that's notquite clicking, in which case we
can switch people out.
We have people to choose fromand other people to draw from.
All of those things make workingwith us, I think, a lot easier
(13:27):
and a lot more comfortingbecause you know that we're
going to backfill, we're goingto get things done, and we're
going to get really good peopleto work with your loved one.
SPEAKER_01 (13:36):
Yeah.
I think, you know what, that wetalk about agency versus hiring
someone privately, and there isno better example of this than a
Viva.
If you want to make sure that ifthat caregiver is sick or they
have a flat tire, or there'ssomething else, their children
are sick, that there is a backupplan on top of a backup plan on
top of a backup plan to helpfill that role while that person
(14:00):
is out.
Hiring an agency, first of all,provides that level of
assurance.
But when you have in Viva'scase, it's layers of backup
plans, which is really nice.
Right.
So that's great.
And I would say all thelicensing and all of the
background checks that you canexplain and all of those things
(14:21):
are also questions that peopleshould be asking anybody that
they have.
Sure.
Any agency.
SPEAKER_00 (14:26):
Absolutely.
As a licensed agency, obviously,we're complying with state
mandates, which means thateverybody's fingerprinted
background checked against thesame systems that the police
departments and the firedepartments use, which is called
the live scan database.
I'm sure it's that way in manystates.
But they're checked 10 yearsback against the FBI and the
Department of Justice databases.
(14:48):
And it's a live database.
So if we hired someone two,three years ago, and then a
felony comes onto their record,like a DUI, for example, we get
notified.
So it's a dynamic, constantlyupdated database.
And of course, we drug test, wego thoroughly into employment
backgrounds and such.
So these people are verythoroughly vetted and of course
(15:08):
trained.
SPEAKER_01 (15:09):
That's great.
Yep.
I think safety is one thing thatadult children, especially if
they're not right there or theycan't be there during the day,
they they worry about and fullyspot with all of those, all of
those things put in place, andthat makes it a very trustworthy
service.
So I appreciate that.
And I love it that you're ableto talk to us about Aviva and
(15:31):
all the benefits of using Avivafor the San Francisco area
because you have a there are alot of home care agencies to
choose from.
But if you want a very niceboutique, concierge, white glove
service, I think you guys youreally are the choice.
SPEAKER_00 (15:47):
Thank you, Valerie.
SPEAKER_01 (15:49):
Thank you for talking to us.
SPEAKER_00 (15:50):
My pleasure.
Thanks very much.
Hi, my name is Evan Lovner.
I run Aviva in Home Care, andI've been doing so since 2014.
We established the agency in SanFrancisco at that time, and
we've expanded our services toactually four counties with the
help of our strategic partner.
I have a strategic partner whohelps us really optimize the
(00:33):
business and become a whiteglove concierge-level service
agency.
We service the counties of SanFrancisco, San Mateo, Santa
Clara, and Alameda Valley.
SPEAKER_01 (00:48):
You guys have grown tremendously over the last
several years, and it's so greatto work with home care agencies
that are growing and expanding.
And that's a really big servicearea for you.
So that's awesome.
SPEAKER_00 (01:00):
Thank you, Valerie.
Yeah, it's in large part due tothe really wonderful partnership
we have with Honor Care.
Honor helps us with really themore difficult parts of the
business, which are findingreally great care professionals.
Because, as Valerie, in ourbusiness, the biggest pickle is
getting reliable, solid careprofessionals.
And they are so good at it.
(01:22):
So we really optimize ourbusiness for our clients.
It also frees up my time.
And my right hand Gal Hazel,who's my client services
director, it frees up both ofour time to be more so with
clients.
So we do a lot more handholding.
We are uber attentive to everyclient that we have in terms of
our personal time, which I thinkis very atypical for most
(01:45):
agencies.
So you actually have an ownerwho's spending more time and a
director providing that level ofbasic care management, which I
think is so vital for a goodcare experience.
SPEAKER_01 (01:57):
And I know that you guys emphasize care management
as one of your concierge typeservices that you guys offer.
Care management can becomplicated and challenging when
you have multiple physicians andhospitals and family members
involved and care providers.
So it's great that you guysincorporate that care management
piece and you're able to do thatbecause have a little bit of
(02:21):
weight lifted off your shouldersabout where the caregivers are
coming from.
You have an excellent setup anda great backup system for
caregivers.
So tell us more about whathappens when I'm an adult child,
I'm 54 years old, my mom is 75,I may live close by, or maybe I
(02:42):
live all the way across thecountry.
And I call Aviva, and what can Iexpect?
What happens?
I think one of the things we tryto do is help people understand
that when you call, there's aseries of things that happen.
And so what happens in youroffice?
SPEAKER_00 (02:59):
Yeah, and I think, Valerie, it's somewhat dependent
on the nature of the situationas people engage in different
ways with home care.
In a lot of cases, excuse me,it's a trigger event.
It's due to a hospitalization,something unexpected.
It's a very emotionally chargedsituation.
Obviously, we're trying to beproviding some of the calm
amidst the storm, talking tofamilies in person about how we
(03:24):
approach care, about how quicklywe can start working with them.
If it is that type of situationwhere it's a trigger event, we
can often get out to the familythe same day or even the next
day.
And we do an intake, like mostagencies do, where we sit down
with the family, collect all theinformation we need to set
ourselves up for a successfulrelationship.
And that can be done in thehospital, in the home.
(03:47):
We really want to go to theclient because getting eyes and
ears on the client is so vital.
So we do that again as quicklyas possible.
And in some cases, we're needingto staff quickly.
It can be same-day staffing ornext day.
It can be challenging, but in insome cases, we need to do that.
So we make it happen.
The other scenario is wherethere's a more general decline
(04:09):
and people are bringing us infor respite care potentially for
a spouse, or they just see asituation where the care has
been needed and they've come togrips with the fact that we need
to start having folks in thehome helping myself or helping
my loved one, what have you.
And we sit down with the familymembers in a bit more relaxed
(04:31):
time frame because it's not sorushed and talk through our
approach, what we can provide,how our caregivers work, again,
collecting all the necessarypoints we need to make sure that
the care happens.
Usually, then we're going to apoint where we go into staffing
and we try to set up some formof care within a few days.
(04:51):
Sometimes it takes families alonger period of time.
Not everybody is necessarilycopacetic.
The kids might feel one way andthe parents feel another way.
So it can be a process oftalking through the utility and
the value and what to expect.
And that might take some time togel.
So we might go in once, we mightgo in twice, it might stretch to
(05:13):
a period of months where weactually have that conversation
and it's all fine.
Everybody moves in their ownpace, but we try to move as
quickly as we need to.
SPEAKER_01 (05:22):
When I call the office and I get a hold of you
or Hazel, and that's pretty muchyou guys manage this with all
the caregivers and all the thatcome from Honor and with all the
clients.
I have to say, when I go downthis road, what I'm saying is
that it is refreshing that youguys, you two of you who've been
(05:43):
together for a long time in thisbusiness, Hazel's been with you
for many years, maybe from thebeginning, I don't know, but
that you guys together are ableto go out and really give that
extra touch and that white gloveservice and really make sure the
families are comfortable withwhat's going on.
That that makes that makes ahuge difference.
SPEAKER_00 (06:03):
Yeah, it's a really great model because again, we
have through our relationshipwith Honor, we have nurses on
staff who ensure that we'refollowing best practice with
every client, ensure that we'recomplying with doctor's orders.
They jump in if there's any sortof health setback or, God
forbid, occurrences within thehome, a fall or somebody gets
(06:24):
sick.
And the nurses then step in anddo a more intensive form of care
review to make sure that, hey,if these care plans need to
change, let's change it in theright way.
Or did the caregiver respond inthe right way to a specific
situation?
So together, through Hazel's andeyes, care management and honors
support and oversight, we'rereally optimizing the care.
(06:48):
So it's a great model forclients.
SPEAKER_01 (06:51):
That's wonderful.
And what would you say?
I mean, besides this, which ishaving the owner or the care
manager or the office manager,care manager.
I know Hazel wears a lot ofhats.
And you do too.
SPEAKER_00 (07:02):
More than me, probably, but yes.
SPEAKER_01 (07:05):
But when uh what would you say sets you guys
apart?
You've been around for a longtime now.
And if you weren't really goodat this, you wouldn't have
survived.
You're in a very competitiveenvironment.
What would you say set you apartbesides that one-on-one
conversation with an owner or athe care manager?
SPEAKER_00 (07:24):
I think it's more than a conversation.
I think the the again, thecontact with the owner is
pervasive throughout the wholelife cycle, the whole
relationship with the client.
So that is a key part of it,Valerie, is that we are in some
rare cases going out and evenfilling in a gap in care if that
happens.
And that is myself or Hazeldoing that.
So we will bend over backwardsto make sure that a client is
(07:48):
not missing a shift or put insome awkward situation because
of our uh caregiver's inabilityto make it on a day for some
reason or what have you.
So that is really adifferentiator.
There's very few agencies,especially where the owner would
go out and intervene.
Yeah, that's exactly my ownhorn, but that is fairly unique.
SPEAKER_01 (08:06):
And we get that is very unique, especially in a
bigger agency where you guys areserving a nice size set of
clients.
It's still very manageable foryou.
I love it that you're veryinvolved.
SPEAKER_00 (08:18):
So that's one thing.
And then secondly, with honorsprocess orientation and really
technology that is, I would say,state of the art.
And people think about tech inthis business and they're like,
oh, how important is that?
There's a lot of stuff that youdon't see happening behind the
scenes, the way that we areoptimal in terms of scheduling
people, making sure that peopleunderstand when they're going to
specific clients, moving peoplearound if we have to avoid those
(08:42):
gaps in care.
The training systems are reallystate of the art.
So we're making sure thateverybody is well-briefed in
terms of memory care or specificaspects of how do I handle a
chronic certain chronic diseasethat might be more rare.
We're making sure they'rebriefed and competent in working
with those types of clients.
That's another thing.
Also, the communicationsplatforms that we're able to
(09:04):
offer clients, everything iscloud-based, which means, in
reality, you can get shiftreports pushed to your email
every day.
If you have siblings orrelatives out of state who want
to stay in tune or dialed in towhat's going on with regards to
mom or dad's care or uncle'scare or whatever, they can log
into a portal, check it out, getan email report to understand
(09:27):
what's going on, even as go asfar as blocking or favoriting
caregivers online.
It affords clients a very sortof real-time open communication
system that is not that common.
I think we're still in a verypaper-based industry, which does
not lend itself to real-time,real-time communication.
So our system definitely doesthat.
SPEAKER_01 (09:47):
That's great.
Yeah, the communication piece iswhat it used to be, everybody
would say pick one person to beour main contact.
And that still is a good idea.
But now anybody who really wantsto be involved can download the
app or log in or get an email ora notification if they want to,
and all get the same informationat the same time.
(10:10):
So it's you're right.
It's still a very paper-basedworld and a very it's hard to
manage when a lot of people wantinformation.
However, when you havestate-of-the-art system set up,
it's much easier for thosefamilies to be able to talk to
each other and say, Did you seethat report?
Maybe we should have another addanother caregiver tomorrow or
(10:31):
another shift.
Or maybe he's doing great.
That's so nice to see.
Yeah, that's pretty nice.
SPEAKER_00 (10:36):
And how I think it also one comment I would make
Valor too is it makes we're muchmore professional and pleasant
in a way, environment for thecaregivers to work in.
In some maybe even direct way,it makes our caregivers more
loyal, happier, because they cantake notes easier and share
information easier andunderstand directions a lot more
easily than they would in a morearchaic system.
SPEAKER_01 (10:59):
That's really nice to hear that Honor has done such
a good job with this piece of itand the communication and all
the technology that goes behindit.
And I think they started in yourarea.
So I'm guessing they do a reallygood job where you guys are too.
SPEAKER_00 (11:13):
So yes, they did.
They did exactly.
SPEAKER_01 (11:15):
So that is really nice.
Is there anything else aboutAviva that you would think that
you think that a an adult childwould want to know before they
call a home care agency?
I know there's lots of questionsthat people should be asking,
but what would you recommendthat people be asking about a
home care, asking a home careagency before they sign?
SPEAKER_00 (11:37):
I'll answer that in three different ways.
Number one, things about us.
If I can speak to my ownbackground a little bit, I'm an
ex-hospital administrator.
I'm a healthcare careerist.
I've been in healthcare for over20 years.
I have a master's in inhealthcare administration.
So I again, not that this makesme tremendous, but it does
afford me some level ofcompetence and rigor to bring to
(12:01):
the business that I think a lotof agencies don't necessarily
have.
And it's in large part why Idecided to work with ANV,
because I think the marriage ofthose two things, having a
company to work with that isequally knowledgeable and
process-oriented is very, veryvaluable and benefits our
clients tremendously.
So that's one thing.
In terms of what else peopleshould know, one aspect of our
(12:24):
model, again, we have a censusright now, Valerie, just to
paint a picture of 31 clients,which is fairly small, small,
medium-sized ish in terms ofagencies around here.
We've never had more than 35.
I don't know that we'll ever getto a 50, 60 client agency.
So we're not, we'll never behuge.
But on the other hand, becauseof the Honor Partnership, I have
(12:45):
access to about 425 caregiversthroughout the four counties
that we work with.
What that means are fasterstarts of care and also more
reliable backfills.
So for clients, the reliabilityfactor goes way up.
Even the choice factor, becauseit's not the marriage between
caregiver and client, doesn'talways work right away.
(13:05):
And we know that.
Sometimes it's just an energything or some other aspect of
the relationship that's notquite clicking, in which case we
can switch people out.
We have people to choose fromand other people to draw from.
All of those things make workingwith us, I think, a lot easier
(13:27):
and a lot more comfortingbecause you know that we're
going to backfill, we're goingto get things done, and we're
going to get really good peopleto work with your loved one.
SPEAKER_01 (13:36):
Yeah.
I think, you know what, that wetalk about agency versus hiring
someone privately, and there isno better example of this than a
Viva.
If you want to make sure that ifthat caregiver is sick or they
have a flat tire, or there'ssomething else, their children
are sick, that there is a backupplan on top of a backup plan on
top of a backup plan to helpfill that role while that person
(14:00):
is out.
Hiring an agency, first of all,provides that level of
assurance.
But when you have in Viva'scase, it's layers of backup
plans, which is really nice.
Right.
So that's great.
And I would say all thelicensing and all of the
background checks that you canexplain and all of those things
(14:21):
are also questions that peopleshould be asking anybody that
they have.
Sure.
Any agency.
SPEAKER_00 (14:26):
Absolutely.
As a licensed agency, obviously,we're complying with state
mandates, which means thateverybody's fingerprinted
background checked against thesame systems that the police
departments and the firedepartments use, which is called
the live scan database.
I'm sure it's that way in manystates.
But they're checked 10 yearsback against the FBI and the
Department of Justice databases.
(14:48):
And it's a live database.
So if we hired someone two,three years ago, and then a
felony comes onto their record,like a DUI, for example, we get
notified.
So it's a dynamic, constantlyupdated database.
And of course, we drug test, wego thoroughly into employment
backgrounds and such.
So these people are verythoroughly vetted and of course
(15:08):
trained.
SPEAKER_01 (15:09):
That's great.
Yep.
I think safety is one thing thatadult children, especially if
they're not right there or theycan't be there during the day,
they they worry about and fullyspot with all of those, all of
those things put in place, andthat makes it a very trustworthy
service.
So I appreciate that.
And I love it that you're ableto talk to us about Aviva and
(15:31):
all the benefits of using Avivafor the San Francisco area
because you have a there are alot of home care agencies to
choose from.
But if you want a very niceboutique, concierge, white glove
service, I think you guys youreally are the choice.
SPEAKER_00 (15:47):
Thank you, Valerie.
SPEAKER_01 (15:49):
Thank you for talking to us.
SPEAKER_00 (15:50):
My pleasure.
Thanks very much.
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