10 Questions With Mark Ross From Right at Home In-Home Care and Assistance

Mark and Nicole Ross of Right at Home In-Home Care & Assistance in East Atlanta realize that aging isn’t easy — not for the person who experiences it and not for family members. But the Rosses have committed themselves to offering caregiving services through individualized care programs in order to help alleviate the challenging circumstances that arise as the years begin to add up.

Why? They understand the need to enjoy healthy lives in the comfort of a familiar environment. Mark discusses this in depth and shares with Patch his story and that of the Right at Home beginnings.

Patch: Can you tell us about the different services that Right at Home In-Home Care & Assistance offers?

Ross: We provide caregivers wherever our clients call home — a house, basement apartment, living with family, independent and assisted living communities and sometimes nursing homes. We provide non-medical, cost-effective, compassionate supplemental support.

This includes help with bathing and grooming, incontinence, light housekeeping, meal preparations, transportation to grocery store, pharmacy, doctors’ appointments, visits with a friend and even to a senior center. This allows our clients to live with independence and dignity while providing peace of mind to clients and families.

Patch: How did you get involved in the home care industry?

Ross: My wife, who is a physician, works as a hospitalist. She realized a need in the community for supportive care services, especially certain segments of her patient population who have a higher risk of being readmitted back into the hospital. We both understood the benefit of providing caregivers at home.

My grandmother received similar services when she lived with my mom and dad. The supportive care services helped to change the entire dynamic in their home. It allowed my grandmother to get the special attention she required, and it gave my parents a break and peace of mind that she was being taken care of while they had to focus on other things in their lives. In-home care helps families with their loved ones needs and also supports the medical providers who were being held accountable for lowering their readmission rates.

We knew if we could provide that service in a compassionate and professional manner, we would be embraced by the community, and after five years in business, I can say that we are now part of the fabric of multiple communities.

Patch: What are your three favorite books?

Ross: I have enjoyed “David and Goliath: Underdogs, Misfits, and the Art of Battling Giants” by Malcolm Gladwell, “Elon Musk” by Ashlee Vance and “EntreLeadership” by Dave Ramsey.

Patch: What’s your morning routine?

Ross: We start our day at 8 a.m. with our team morning meeting in the office, which includes Myla, our registered therapy dog. We are a 24/7 business, so we catch up on anything that happened overnight and any issues that we need to stay in front of for the day and the week.

Patch: What’s your favorite part of your job?

Ross: My favorite aspect of my job is building relationships with both clients and our caregiving team. We have two types of clients: the actual clients that we care for, but additionally, we also treat our caregivers with that same level of respect and dignity since they play such a large role in our clients’ satisfaction. We affect and change lives every day and leave families better than when we found them. That is very fulfilling.

Patch: How are you involved in the community?

Ross: My wife and I are both active in the community. I currently serve on the board of directors for Newton Federal Bank and on the board for the Newton Chamber of Commerce.

My wife, Dr. Ross, serves on the board for the Washington Street Community Center. She is active with her sorority’s community initiatives, and our office is involved the Parkinson’s and Alzheimer Walks annually, and we are excited to be involved with the local Relay for Life events.

In addition, our three children are involved with school activities and sports, which keeps us on the go.

Patch: How does Right at Home stand out from the competition?

Ross: At Right at Home, we have RightCare. This is our unique approach to home care. Our caregivers are compassionate. We pride ourselves on how well we match our caregivers with our clients. We have no minimums, we have a therapy dog, Myla, who visits communities and hospitals upon request, and we have a medical doctor on our team and two registered nurses.

We are proud to say, “We are the right people doing the right things the right way for the right reason.”

Mark Ross explains RightCare

Patch: What three questions should Patch readers ask when trying to find a reputable home care provider?

Ross: Three questions readers should ask are: “Is your agency licensed by the state of Georgia? Are your caregivers bonded and insured?” “Do you require a minimums number of hours of care?” and “Can the care recipient and his or her family members call with questions or concerns and will I be able to reach a nurse or staff 24 hours a day, seven days a week?”

Patch: Getting in-home care for a loved one can be a daunting decision to make. What tips can you offer to readers who might need a little help figuring things out?

Ross: Are you concerned about the welfare of your loved one when you are not around? Does your loved one suffer from memory loss or limited mobility? Does your loved one want to maintain their independence but needs a little extra help without feeling like a burden on family? If you have answered “yes” to any of these questions, in-home care is a solution.

Patch: Tell us about the Right at Home team.

Ross: We have over 120 active caregivers, and we also have an office staff of eight. We pride ourselves on the level of customer service we provide on a daily basis.

Each member of our team has their own story as to why they are working in the senior care field. It normally starts with a time when they had to find or personally provided care for a loved one, and they understand the benefits of what we do for families.

Patch: Patch readers care about their communities and the people who work to make those communities better. How can they reach out to you and learn more about Right at Home in East Atlanta?

Ross: We have a website, www.raheastatl.com, and we are also on Facebook as Right at Home East Atlanta. Additionally, you can contact any member of our office team at (678) 712-6636. We are available 24/7 to talk about solutions for your loved ones.

Photo credit: Right At Home