Senior1Care celebrates 20 years of success through innovative care, people

As Mom and Dad age and begin needing assistance in their day-to-day lives, finding senior services that provide necessary support without impugning dignity is paramount. For many seniors, that support may come through in-home care, assisted living, or a combination of services. When the Bossung family faced this decision, they recognized a growing need for high-quality, compassionate care that could be delivered at home—and from that vision, Senior1Care was born.

Co-founded by Indiana natives Carl Bossung and his son Kyle Bossung (CEO) in 2006, Senior1Care is a family-owned and operated organization providing in-home care to seniors while allowing them to maintain their independence wherever they call home. Founded by Hoosiers to serve Hoosiers, Senior1Care offers a variety of non-medical support to its clients ranging from light housekeeping and medication reminders to more involved personal and recovery care. In 2008, Carl’s son, Corey Bossung (Chief Engagement and Retention Officer) and his son-in-law, Patrick Broccolo (Chief Growth Officer), expanded the family business footprint to Indianapolis.

“The business really started as a result of the family caring for my wife’s grandmother Loretta, who was living by herself on the family farm,” Broccolo said. “We had a really difficult time finding reliable resources to help her out, and we thought, ‘There’s got to be a better way to do this.’”

Almost 20 years later, Senior1Care has grown to cover more communities throughout Indiana with locations in South Bend, Elkhart, Fort Wayne, Carmel, Angola, and Warsaw. The organization has created a culture of caregiving that puts senior independence first by recruiting the very best.

“The key at first was just to get the word out that these types of services exist,” Broccolo said. “Then, it became a factor of making sure we hire the right kind of people who have the heart to serve and really want to make a positive difference in someone’s life.”

Because the services provided by Senior1Care are not medical in nature, anyone with the right mindset and training can succeed with the company, but many of Senior1Care’s caregivers come from nursing backgrounds. Broccolo and Senior1Care leadership have found this additional knowledge to be so beneficial to clients that, when the South Bend area’s largest certified nursing assistant (CNA) school was closing, Senior1Care opened Legacy Medical Academy to train the next generation of caregivers. 

“We knew the community needed it. People want to help others; they just need chances to get in,” Broccolo said. “When we started Senior1Care, it was really about wanting to help seniors and their families reduce the burden of caregiving so they could focus on just being a family. We learned very quickly that we were also helping the individuals we hired, and it’s been very fun watching our teammates grow. The caregivers are amazing people doing amazing things for these families.”

Being involved in the training of future CNAs and qualified medication aides (QMA) through Legacy Medical Academy lets Senior1Care instill its values of care early and allows active recruitment, helping caregivers find a home within the agency right out of school. As the need for services expands and the population being served continues to change with the times, it also helps Senior1Care ensure its caregivers are at the forefront of home care service innovation.

“The physical needs of our clients have increased dramatically. There’s a lot more need for personal care support. Dementia care is also more prevalent, which really takes a special person to do, as well as a lot of supportive service from the office team,” Broccolo said. “We’ve shifted to having nurses on our team that, while they’re not doing any nursing duties, have a wealth of knowledge about healthcare. They can do anything from offering advice on navigating Medicare to helping clients and our teams communicate with doctors and the medical community on potential symptoms.”

“A lot of times, caregivers don’t think about themselves because they need to help their loved one,” Broccolo said. “Often, we’re not getting calls from the person we’re providing services to; we’re getting calls from their spouse or loved ones saying, ‘Gosh, I wish I knew about you sooner.’ Have us in the house to help with the tough parts of caregiving, so you can go back to being family.”

Senior1Care is always looking to lessen the burden of caregiving for families, and that includes connecting families with the quality contacts the organization has built after 20 years of service.

“You may not even need our services, but we can tell you what services you may benefit from,” Broccolo said. “Our contacts aren’t just names; they’re real people we’ve worked with for some time. It’s been a great help having those relationships out there.”

Senior1Care’s commitment to innovating home care can also be seen in the training offered at Legacy Medical Academy. Using immersive virtual reality (VR) courses, our caregivers can experience what their future patients may be going through, from physical diseases like Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia to more social issues like loneliness and being in hospice. This prepares caregivers for situations and conversations that may come up—in a controlled environment. The VR experiences can also be shared with family members to give them a more in-depth understanding of what their loved one is experiencing.

“It’s not just about providing home care services; it’s about contributing to the communities we serve. We’re going to continue to do that as we continue to grow,” Broccolo said. “We’re also keeping our fingers on the pulse of technology. We are always looking to improve upon how we deliver service, and it is something we have really invested heavily in.”

As life expectancy begins rising again and seniors remain active in the workforce longer, Broccolo and the leadership team at Senior1Care are keeping their eyes open for opportunities to bring their brand of care to even more homes in the state.

Whether a senior needs personal care, recovery assistance, or just some help running errands, Senior1Care is there to do it all with a focus on exceptional quality. Those looking to support their own community with Senior1Care and its 20-year legacy can check out the organization’s job opportunities or enroll in Legacy Medical Academy.

“There’s just something about being a Hoosier company taking care of Hoosiers,” Broccolo said. “We don’t spend a ton of time thinking about it, but it’s almost organic to help your neighbor. We want to provide independence to the caregivers and the clients, and it’s really neat to watch that happening in our communities.”

Senior1Care has been serving seniors and their families in Indiana for 20 years with a continued dedication to providing exceptional care to the benefit of the whole family. Learn more about Senior1Care and the services it offers at senior1care.com.