Giving Mom and Dad The Best: 13 Questions with Leslie Knopp

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Nov. 2, 2020

Russ and Leslie Knopp own and operate Comfort Keepers, helping people in their homes with errands, cleaning, medications — even fresh meal delivery — all throughout northern Michigan, from Manistee to Mackinaw. The business is rooted in caregivers helping seniors stay in their homes. And now more than ever — with an aging demographic, a health pandemic, and a need for good-paying jobs — Comfort Keepers is at the center of the conversation. So we had one recently with Leslie about opportunity: for families to keep their parents in their own homes, and for individuals to try a new, rewarding career.

1. My own mother went into an assisted living facility last year, and our family sure would have liked to know there was a viable option to let her stay happily in her own home all the way through the end of her life. 

Absolutely. Most people go to assisted living because they’ve fallen and have an injury or because the family is worried about nutrition or medication. That is all very manageable at home. All of it. And most people really, really want to stay in their own homes, but the family caring for them just doesn’t know how to handle it all with their own jobs and kids and lives. Not to mention how disruptive it can be if the parent has dementia, too. 

2. And the rules and regulations at a facility now with the pandemic …

Yes, now with COVID, there’s really a value for a loved one being safe, cocooned in their own homes where family can visit, versus being in a facility and only seeing them through glass. 

3. Your services have come so far since you started 15 years ago. Tell us all the things you do for clients, many of whom are not anywhere near the end of their lives.

Right, we’ve gone from being a companion service to doing whatever it takes to help seniors or other adults live where they want to and maintain their lifestyle as much as possible in safety and comfort. We’re pretty much doing anything a family member would do if they had the time or ability to do it, so we take people to doctors' appointments, do shopping for them or take them shopping. Then things at home, like cooking meals, cleaning…and personal care like bathing, showering, or even helping get socks and shoes on or washing hair for people with limited mobility. Our people are highly trained, and some are nurses, so we know how to keep someone safe, comfortable and clean …

4. But not only safe and clean. I’ve heard you now actually prepare and deliver meals?

Yes, we saw a need a few years ago, and one of the major things causing people to have to leave their homes is not eating well. So we worked with NMC in Traverse City and with NCMC in Petoskey to build a program where three days a week we bring fresh meals to clients. They get a menu the week before with lots of choices, and that menu changes every week. It’s a pretty special program, and we were actually the first in the country to do it.  

5. And the only provider around here doing it …

Right. And the biggest difference between this and say, some meal delivery service is that they’re delivered by a trained caregiver. Families are assured the food gets into the fridge and so on, and that, at least three days a week, there’s someone checking on them, looking them in the eye. 

6. I look at all the things your people do, I think it sounds like either a really tough job or an incredibly rewarding one. 

Oh, so rewarding. We asked a bunch of our team members why they joined, and nine out of 10 said because they cared for their own mother or grandparents and now they want to help someone else’s. It’s amazing. And our clients develop very real relationships with the caregivers. They love recognizing the same faces and genuinely getting to know them. We work really hard to get the right match between client and caregiver.  

7. And your staff is giving care and attention, but getting something, too …

Absolutely! It’s not all giving: Our people are really getting something out of it. They see and feel the rewards of having that bond and having person be able to stay at home and be comfortable.

8. And your team is so diverse but tight-knit.

We consider ourselves a family. And yes, many are retirees. A lot of them are former teachers, like me. Some choose to do personal care, others choose to just serve as companions. Some work full-time, some just nights, some just work 10 or 12 hours a week. It really has the ultimate flexibility.

9. Flexibility, but also some very real opportunity.

Right. I think about one woman who’s been here for 14 years. She started part-time and has progressed to being a full-time coach for our staff and is a salaried team member earning a great living. We really have ambitious goals for our employee pay here, and we offer retirement plans, 401ks, health, vision, dental, and again, a really flexible schedule and full training.

10. What areas do you serve? 

All over! Manistee, Ludington, Cadillac, Traverse City, Charlevoix, Petoskey, Harbor Springs, Gaylord, Mackinaw City … and lots of places in between!

11. What if people are intimidated or unsure about a first step in maybe getting help for their loved one? 

Well, if you have a loved one you’re taking care of, you’re probably putting a lot of pressure on yourself to do everything perfectly. I do it myself with my parents, so I know. My dad had a recent hospitalization, so I’m seeing all of this from a daughter’s perspective, the only in-town daughter to care for my parents. And I absolutely, 100 percent trust the people who help me. It’s been invaluable to me and my family. 

12. And what about someone intimidated about maybe exploring a career with you?

I’d say if you have a big heart, even if you’ve never tried anything like this before, just know that the vast majority of caregivers did not go to school for this. So just give us a call, come on in and talk and decide together if it’s the right thing. Try something new!

13. I love that one of the things you ask your staff is to document something they did every day to make a client smile.

That’s true. And seeing all those responses make us smile, too!