Down Home Care

Thanks to Precision Home Health Care, patients can receive superior care right in their very own home.

With the holidays in full swing, it’s safe to say Precision Home Health Care has provided two local women the greatest gift possible — the gift of health inside their homes. Rather than spending Christmas in a nursing home or a hospital, Patricia Ballantyne of The Villages and Pauline Reed of Leesburg will be in the comfort of their own homes celebrating with family members.

“I have about 21 family members coming in for Christmas, and I cannot tell you how much it means to me that I’ll be home to enjoy them,” Pauline says. “I feel the best way to remain healthy is to be in your home.”

During the past two years, Pauline has utilized Precision Home Health Care’s services on four occasions. She has suffered numerous ailments, ranging from balance issues and heart problems to kidney failure and Parkinson’s disease. Despite that, she says the company’s team of nurses and physical therapists who visit her home has enhanced her quality of life.

“I have not been in the hospital for a year, and I attribute that to the care I receive from Precision,” she says. “The care they offer is second to none. It does not feel like I’m dealing with a business that is out to make money; it feels like I’m dealing with a company that genuinely cares about me and is there to do great things for me.” nurse a anothe e to th about r comp Patrici usban ide a n

Patricia is equally impressed with Precision Home Health Care. She suffers from emphysema and chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder and has received services from the company twice in the past year.

“I’ve had nothing but great experiences with my nurse and physical therapist and would never dream of using another home health agency,” she says. “They always take the time to thoroughly answer all my questions, and they truly care about my well-being. As far as I’m concerned, there is no other company out there that is as professional, warm, and caring.”

Precision Home Health Care has also brightened Patricia’s holidays by allowing her to spend Christmas with her husband and daughter rather than with hundreds of strangers inside a nursing home or hospital.

“Thanks to the outstanding care that I’ve received, my health has improved and I can even cook every now and then,” she says. “Precision Home Health Care has kept me from going into a nursing home and I’m forever grateful for that.”

There’s no place like home

d, my h hen,” s m goin h agen who p and fr ing ser apy, so happ e cover Centraal Flori e than and r home ort my pany a’s hold and ursing ealth she ng into ncies. refer riends vices, cial ier and ed lFl i-

Some people may be unfamiliar with home health agencies. Home-based care is provided to physically ill people who prefer to stay at home but require ongoing care that family and friends cannot provide. Home health agencies provide nursing services, physical therapy, speech therapy, occupational therapy, social services, and a home health aide so patients can live happier and healthier lives inside their homes. These services are covered by Medicare.

While hundreds of home health agencies exist in Central Florida, Precision Home Healthy Care certainly stands out by being a family-owned company focused more on high-quality care than large profits.

“Being a family-owned company means we understand how important it is to family members to find the best home care available for a loved one who needs assistance,” says Sarah Freitag, owner and administrator of Precision Home Health Care. “Our goal is to use a comprehensive, team-based approach to enable our patients to live as independently as possible.”

Fostering independence through education and quality medical care has been the driving philosophy behind the company since Sarah officially opened it in 2004. A former registered nurse, she looks at all aspects of the company’s operations from a medical and nursing perspective.

“Even though I own the company, I still go out and visit patients,” she says. “Patients are allowing us into their homes, and we have to be considerate of that. We will gladly work around their normal dinnertime or other daily activities they have. We treat all clients as if they are a member of our own family. And we communicate directly with their doctors to ensure they are receiving the best care for their specific needs.”

Sarah works at the company with her husband, Larry Freitag, and daughter, Lisa Hickey. She has assembled a team of health care professionals who are honest, compassionate, and committed to providing excellent patient care.

H u m

Bl Ebeginnings

Humble beginnings

g

During her career, Sarah has seen firsthand how money can override patient safety and care. In 2003, she served as a registered nurse and supervisor of a large corporate home health agency. She became disheartened when the company shifted its focus from patient care to financial gain.

One day, a therapist told Sarah she should start her own home health agency. She mentioned the idea to her husband, Larry. He, in turn, mentioned the idea to the late George Wilkes, who at the time was a prominent businessman in the community.

“Two days later I had my financial plan written down on a napkin,” Sarah says. “George said he would help me financially.”

George became a silent partner in the company, and Sarah officially started Precision Home Health Care in September 2003. She took a completely different business approach. “I noticed that other companies would open and then try to hire staff as business picked up. The problem with that is once you start helping patients, the quality of care is poor because you do not have a staff in place. Therefore, I hired a full staff before we officially started going into the homes of patients. That way, we had a quality staff in place and were never desperate for additional help. I only hired people who wanted to work at a company that would allow them to provide the best care possible to patients.”

For the first few months, Sarah and her team worked in the office putting together care manuals. “We really did very little at first,” she laughs. “However, I told my team I would get my mon-

ey’s worth out of them eventually.”

In January 2004, the company began providing home-based care.

“I said from the start that if you focus on patients, everything will work out,” Sarah says. “I have never wavered from that philosophy, which explains why 65 to 70 percent of our business comes from repeat patients or word-of-mouth.”

For Sarah, though, transitioning from a registered nurse to company owner did not come without its fair share of challenges. “When I opened, I felt the pressure of my staff needing a paycheck and felt responsible for their lives. It was not always fun handling those big responsibilities. I was the only administrator and took that very seriously.”

When the economy collapsed in 2008, Sarah strongly considered closing her company. However, she says God intervened.

“I had a lot of things going through my head at that point. However, the Lord talked to my heart and said if I don’t take care of my employees they’ll work for larger companies, and patients will no longer receive the quality care that we’re providing. I then realized how much of a blessing this company is to others. I now love every minute here, and what makes coming here enjoyable is knowing I’m making a difference in the lives of my staff and patients. I could retire if I wanted, but that is not what the Lord wants me to do. He opened the door to this company, and He will be the one to shut it.”

One big family

In 2004, Precision Home Health Care had a staff of seven employees who were taking care of 20 patients. Today, the business boasts 45 employees and treats 230 patients.

Of course, Sarah takes very little credit for the company’s success. Instead, she attributes it to her dedicated staff, many of whom have worked there since the beginning. The close-knit group of employees has celebrated birthdays, anniversaries, and annual Christmas parties at Texas de Brazil in Orlando. In short, Sarah has discovered having happy employees equals satisfied patients.

“I am not the business; my staff is,” she says. “I constantly receive thank-you letters from satisfied patients who praise my staff. They are all top-notch professionals who genuinely care