- 2 October, 2003 -

Miguel Vasconcellos/Irvine World News Ellen Ransons (left), owner of the Irvine franchise for Visiting Angels, discusses care-giving strategies with Lynn Mitchell. Ellen Ransons could be an angel in disguise. In fact, the 48-year-old former school teacher recently started Visiting Angels, which provides non-medical home care for the elderly with services that include basic chores, personal hygiene, meal preparation, shopping and companionship. Visiting Angels also provides a respite for family caregivers. Fully insured and bonded, the business' goal is to help elderly persons who wish to continue to live in their own homes. " The elderly is the fastest growing segment of the American population, with about 300,000 citizens living in Orange County now over the age of 65," Ransons said. " At the same time, working families have less time to spend caring for their aging parents, which has created a real crisis in America. " Visiting Angels empowers the family by allowing them to choose a caregiver after the caregiver has been carefully screened and background checked. We believe in building relationships and friendships and therefore, personal fit and safety are of the utmost importance," she said. Ransons said she became interested in the health care industry when her own father's illness progressed and the family was faced with care-giving issues. " I gave up education to give in another field. It is as simple as that. I have given 27 years of my life to children," she continued, "now, I want to work on the other end of the spectrum. " I loved teaching and school administration and I always will. I feel that I have gleaned a lot from the education profession that I can take into this one. I will always do a job that involves people and giving. That is my nature and who I am. I really enjoy it and have fun doing it." To date, Ransons has invested about $25,000 on fees and general costs to start Visiting Angels. This includes the initial franchise fee as well as licensing costs, filing fees, incorporation costs, and marketing expenses, she said. Wanting to work from home, Ransons said the company, for many reasons, intrigued her. " Quality and attention to detail is what caught my eye. I was impressed with the tenets and values that the company shared, as well as the kind of people who were attracted to become a part of this franchise family. " We pay careful attention to establishing relationships and friendships with families, while finding the best fit in a caregiver for care recipients. The assembly line mentality is not a part of our hiring philosophy and we only employ qualified, experienced caregivers," she said. And while caring for the elderly may have received a bad rap over the years, Ransons said she believes she can make a difference. "Caring for the elderly is no more difficult than caring for anyone else who has extraordinary needs. Unfortunately, this is an area that needs serious attention. The quality of one's life needs to be considered and enhanced no matter what the age or condition. This is about humanity and giving back to a group of people who have given so much to us. " What interests me is to have the opportunity to provide quality care, independence and self-dignity to a population of people who are challenged daily by the expectations of a fast paced and hurried society." Married to Silvio for 25 years, she and her husband have three children: Paul, 19, is a sophomore at Cal State Fullerton; Keith, 14, is a freshman at Foothill High School and Amy, 11, is a sixth grader at Pioneer Middle School. " As life partners, my husband and I are in this together. Although I am doing the bulk of the work, he is handling the accounting and tax issues. In addition, to that, he is a fabulous resource for moral support," she said. A change is already in the air, as Ransons, who said she began the business out of her home, has since opened an office in Irvine because things got too hectic. "Although I did a lot of administrative stuff at home, I found that I needed an office to meet with employees and others who I might interact with during the day," she explained. As for employees, Ransons said she is only interested in hiring individuals who are truly dedicated to the industry. For instance, she said potential caregivers must first be experienced, at least six months worth, and preferably a year or more. Second, they must have viable professional and personal references. Third, they must pass a criminal background check. "With that, we look for compassionate, caring individuals who feel that this work is a calling, or a ministry of sorts," she said. As an example, she mentioned one caregiver she is anxious to place. "One who has a history of care-giving within her family, including one of her own children. Her courage and life experience goes unmatched and she feels a call to do this work," Ransons continued. " In addition, in an effort to really understand the profession, she voluntarily trained in the Stephen's Ministry, through her church. This ministry focuses on the care-giving profession and providing needed and quality care in a ministry to those in need. She is just an example of the variety of phenomenal people I have met and hired thus far. " We are not an assembly line, nor are we in a contest to have the longest list. I hire only caregivers who I would be confident to place with my own parents. "I think caring for anyone whose mobility is compromised for a variety of reasons can be difficult. I wish that I could say that our elders always got great care, but that simply is not true. Convalescent homes are often understaffed and nurses and nurses' assistants are often caring for more individuals than is practical. " In this circumstance, it would be safe to assume that most of those patients were not getting as much attention as they might need. This is not to fault those caring for them, but to say that sometimes the system just does not make it possible to provide one-on-one care. I cannot speak for those who abuse elderly people or take advantage of them," she said. The ultimate goal for Ransons is to provide consistent and quality care for elderly or housebound patients. Founded in 1998, there are 150 Visiting Angel franchises nationwide, with more to open during 2003.

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