Business Spotlight: Brentwood's HomeLife provides in-home senior care

By Roni Gehlke
For the Contra Costa Times

Name of business: HomeLife Senior Care

Type of business: In-home senior care

Owners: Angela and Vinny DiNicola

Founded: April 2010

Address: In-home business; P.O. Box 1069, Brentwood

Phone number: 925-521-8665

Hours: Phones are answered 24 hours a day every day.

Number of employees: 10

Products and services: HomeLife Senior Care provides personal care and companion care services to help seniors stay in their homes as long as possible. The services are available for as few as three hours on an as-needed basis, or up to 24 hours/day, seven days per week. They offer a free service to their clients called "SafeSenior," an automated medication reminder and well-being telephone call service.

If seniors do not respond to a representative's calls, emergency services are dispatched and family members are notified immediately.

All of HomeLife's caregivers are trained as Certified Companion Aides in a nationally recognized certification program offered through "The Senior's Choice." The Senior's Choice a national membership organization that, according to the DiNicolas, they joined voluntarily because they uphold high standards.

How did you get into the business?: Angela and Vinny DiNicola became caregivers to an aging parent for 10 months last year and saw the need for a service, which would provide seniors with the dignity and compassion they deserve.

Considering the needs of our own aging parents, our immediate desire was to use what we learned to build a premier, affordable, in-home care service built on a foundation of compassion and dependability to offer families peace of mind by providing mom or dad, or grandma and grandpa, with the best trained caregivers in the industry," Vinny DiNicola said.

Best part about the business?: The best part of the business, according to DiNicola, is helping seniors to stay in their homes longer and not experience the loss of their familiar surroundings and independence.

"We also assist by helping family members to have peace of mind that mom and dad are well-cared for by our caregivers who are well-trained, certified, bonded, insured and who are the cream of the crop," DiNicola said.

He also said it is rewarding to witness the relief in the families of seniors who are very concerned about a parent and really don't know where to turn for help.

"We make it possible for them to enjoy their aging parents when visiting instead of caregiving. That's very rewarding," he said.

Worst part about the business?: All the paperwork that has to be done is the worst part of the business. The DiNicolas would rather be out marketing and talking to seniors and their families.

Key to success: "We are a family business owned and operated by a husband and wife team; we are not a franchise," DiNicola said. "HomeLife Senior Care is different because of the passion that we personally bring as owners to be the best."

They consider seniors in their care as their own family and their success is a result of HomeLife's caregivers.

"The training we provide our caregivers, their compassion for seniors and their commitment to excellence," DiNicola said.

Biggest misperception about the business: "There's a void in our community because many families do not know these services exist," DiNicola said. "It's our pleasure to be able to share this information with them and to let them know we are available to help."

Future plans: They are expanding to new offices in Brentwood in the near future. They want to get the word out more that families in East County, Rio Vista and Tracy can call and ask for a no-obligation, free assessment to find out if their services will fit their needs.

"Our future plan is to be the very best, most compassionate and most dependable senior care provider in the area," DiNicola said. "We don't judge our success on whether or not we are the biggest senior care provider in East County. Our only criteria are to be the best."
— Roni Gehlke