For Kathie Snyder, president and owner of Assisting Hands in Cy-Fair, caring for other people has always come naturally. "No matter what I'm doing, I'm always looking for ways to help people around me or make life better or happier for someone else," she said. "I could be shopping at the grocery store and I'll be looking out for people who need help reaching the top shelf." Snyder launched the Cy-Fair location of Assisting Hands in July 2014. The home care franchise, which provides nonmedical care to seniors, has locations around the country, including four in the Greater Houston area. Services include light housekeeping, meal preparation, shopping, transportation and personal care assistance. Caregivers also provide companionship, post-surgical care management, respite care and experienced personal care for people with Alzheimer's disease, dementia and cancer, among other conditions. Cy-Fair's location operates 24/7 with a staff of 12 caregivers, but Snyder is looking to bring more people on board as the business continues to take on more clients. Snyder said she is selective about the people she hires as caregivers, subjecting all potential employees to a comprehensive interview process. "We have multiple interviews, and we also ask them to take a personality test," she said. "We want people who naturally make those around them feel comfortable. We try to hire certified nursing assistants for the most part, but extensive personal experience, including caring for family, is also taken into consideration." Snyder said she puts great effort into making sure each client is matched with a caregiver who can meet any physical need and has a compatible personality type. She meets with clients to learn about their needs. Those meetings rarely last less than two hours, she said. The business is still in its infancy, but Snyder said she has big plans for this year and the long term. By mid-2015, she hopes to have a nursing director on staff to lead an effort to train employees on the health care oriented aspects of caregiving. Snyder encourages staff to enroll in academic programs to become certified nursing assistants with the hope of having a full staff of CNAs. Long-term plans include moving into a larger building with space for seniors and families to visit for parties and other events. Ten years out, Snyder said she hopes to open a beachside bed and breakfast that caters to families on vacation with grandparents. Caregiving is a profession in which passion is needed to succeed, Snyder said. "Passion is what drives everything I do here, and it's another thing I look for in employees," she said. "We want people who take care of our clients like they would take care of their own parents."

Family portal

Assisting Hands helps family members stay in touch through a family portal that provides daily updates. The service, available anywhere via the Internet, shows an overview of the tasks caregivers are supposed to perform each day with times each task is performed. Family members communicate directly with clients and caregivers, Snyder said. "If a caregiver is supposed to sign into the system at a certain time, we receive an alert once they are five minutes late, allowing us to check in and make sure there aren't any problems," she said.

Home to hospital

Snyder has worked with departments within North Cypress Medical Center to develop a service to help patients recover from hospital stays and ensure they are taken care of once released. A staff member will meet a patient at the hospital and work with family members to get him or her home, get the right medication, set follow-up appointments and take care of other needs, such as obtaining wheelchairs or walkers. This may be extended into longer term home care service. "It's one of the things I think separates us from similar services," Snyder said. "We go through every detail to make sure family members, doctors and caregivers are on the same page."