Meet Mark Friedman, Owner at Senior Helpers and ALCA Corporate Partner
May 8, 2023 | Corporate Partner Spotlight
Mark Friedman
What is your company and role, Mark?
I am the Owner of Senior Helpers Boston and South Shore. Senior Helpers is a Platinum Sponsor of ALCA.
What geographic area do you cover?
South Shore, Massachusetts and metro Boston as far west as Wellesley/Westwood.
What services do you provide that would be helpful for care managers and their clients to be aware of?
We provide all forms of personal and companion care on an hourly or live-in basis. We have special programs for dementia care, medically complex care (e.g. Para/Quadriplegic care) in the home), Recovery care for post hospital or rehab discharge, end of life care and Med management support. All of our caregivers are full employees, have either a CNA or HHA certification. We have two RNs on staff and one MSW, GCM. We have been corporate partners with ALCA for several years.
Why did you get into this business and what separates you from others in the field?
Life as a Home Care Agency owner was never intended to be my career. I actually spent my first 25-plus years as a management consultant working with large practices and as a sole practitioner focused on business turnarounds, both strategic and operational. It was a very rewarding career and I developed an expertise in diagnosing major business problems by crafting and/or navigating forces of disruption. I had the opportunity to lead organizations through small, large and huge transformational changes.
Along the journey I took a couple of detours.
The most significant detour was getting involved in my local synagogue. Along with a committed membership and board, I guided the consolidation of two synagogues and proceeded to lead the combined congregation in its first few years.
My wife and I were transplants to the area, with no local family, and therefore the synagogue soon became our family. Getting involved brought me closer to families of all ages and, with seniors. I witnessed that their connection to our community was more than just a critical part of their lives – it was woven into the fabric of their identity. Over my tenure of leadership, I heard about their fears about aging, while at the same time celebrating special life moments with them, learning the histories of these remarkable people and, sadly, attended many funerals and making many calls I never wanted to make to families in mourning.
But throughout this remarkable time, I also listened intently to the impact aging had on these wonderful individuals and the challenges it brought to so many. I learned about the multi-generational impact of this journey and about the very real financial tradeoffs aging can present as funds become scarce. I learned about loneliness, about the role of community, and how poor advice from well-intentioned people can send people spiraling off course.
The experience of being around an older population spoke to me in volumes that could not be ignored. It told me elder care was a critical need and one in which I could utilize the business skills I had honed over the years. I made the decision to invest in this area and began my journey, first with a partner and then on my own.
The past 13-plus years have been a remarkable learning opportunity. My business background has come in handy, allowing me to diagnose the challenges of our aging population, the impact on the family structure and for those with no family, and how to navigate the confusing structure of working at the intersection of the healthcare, legal and non-medical support systems. In truth, I came to the realization that the business side of this industry is a mess. I have sought to do four things:
- To build the best Home Care Agency designed to help people age in place successfully.
- To share what I have learned by teaching professionals, guiding families, and helping shape the franchise system to which I belong.
- To solve the toughest problems of aging for which Home Care is designed and to do so by setting the bar high, being uncompromising in the standard of care, and refusing to be limited by “how things have always been done.”
- To challenge the flawed nature of the industry by doing things better.
I believe my agency has been successful and for that I owe deep appreciation to my excellent team who share my vision and my passion.
This calling is very personal for me. I am a caregiver from a distance, watching and participating in my parent’s process of aging from over 600 miles away. I owe them more then I can ever repay for instilling in me the drive to make a difference and to do so with honor and integrity. I have learned what it means to be a caregiver and that influences every action we take as an agency. It has instilled great respect for our caregivers, my incredible agency staff and the professionals we work with.
What do you enjoy doing in your free time?
Family time, caring for my aging parents who live in Virginia. My dog, Moose, and I are fairly inseparable, and I enjoy working on and showing my two classic cars – a 1967 Camaro Convertible and a 1948 Chevrolet Pickup Truck.
To reach Mark: Mark Friedman, Owner, Senior Helpers: www.SeniorHelpersBoston.com and www.SeniorHelpersSouthShore.com
Are you interested in participating in our new “Spotlights” series of the ALCA New England Chapter’s new members, Board and Committee members, and Corporate Partners? This is an opportunity for all Chapter members and partners to get to know each other better. To learn more, visit this page.