Member Spotlight: Back Home Safely LLC
Published in
Home Modifications
on April 10, 2020
It is no secret that with the ever-changing climate of COVID-19, everyone is doing their best to stay healthy and safe. For home modification providers, they must follow these same guidelines while also continuing to provide quality services to their customers who rely on them to safely live in their own homes. Now, more than ever, this is especially important to the aging in place community, including Back Home Safely LLC.
When Gregg Frank and his wife, Karen, decided to open their own practice as licensed occupational and physical therapists, they realized that in order to allow elderly customers to live in their own homes after a medical episode, they would have to open and operate their own construction company in addition to doing their own assessments. Today, Back Home Safely mainly focuses on installing stair lifts, ramps, grab bars, accessible showers, and stair rails in order for their elderly customers to safely live at home. Now that the coronavirus pandemic has become a major focus, Back Home Safely has adjusted their model to accommodate the urgent need to stay safe and healthy while also providing high quality services to their customers.
"We’re not in profitability mode; we’re in survival mode," stated Gregg.
In order to continue safely serving their customers, Back Home Safely has started conducting most of their home assessments virtually, either by pulling up the customer’s home on Google Maps or through FaceTime phone calls.
"Customers are so thankful when we offer to look at their homes and conduct the assessment virtually because they don’t want us coming to their homes," Gregg said.
When it’s time to install the equipment for the customer, techs are going into the homes with masks and gloves, and they practice social distancing. No matter how disruptive the pandemic is, customers still need these services and modifications, and Back Home Safely is doing all they can to make sure the customer gets what they need.
Not only are they safely assisting their customers, but they are also reaching out to local hospitals and other healthcare facilities in their community to let them know they are there to help.
"We are seeing many instances where residents of an assisted living facility want to be home with their families during quarantine,” said Gregg. “This is where our services can be helpful. When this is all over, we’ll be remembered as a company that didn’t quit."
While the home modification industry has had to adjust during this unknown time, Gregg mentioned that many in the industry have been very understanding and accommodating, especially Live at Home vendor partners EZ-ACCESS and Harmar.
"They are so understanding and helpful," mentioned Gregg.
The coronavirus has been nothing short of disruptive for the home modification and aging in place community. However, it is companies like Back Home Safely that show the true value of our industry by continuing to focus on the needs of the customer while adjusting to the ever-changing climate of the pandemic. Staying true to their goal, Back Home Safely is focused on helping people remain living in their own homes despite all obstacles.