All About Home Care

All About Home Care strives to ensure quality of life for elderly residents on Rhode Island’s Aquidneck Island by providing seniors the opportunity to remain living at home with the assistance of AAHC’s knowledgeable, reliable and compassionate professionals. Companion care is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Services range from driving clients to doctors’ appointments to preparing meals; helping with light housekeeping to accompanying a client to a wedding.

When Kathleen Devlin started her business in 2003, she was the sole employee working out of a small home office. Devlin attended Rhode Island Small Business Development Center (RISBDC) seminars on marketing and writing business plans. She became a Certified Geriatric Care Manager (one of seven in RI). She also added a Certified Companion Aide (CCA) program, developed to provide caregivers with specific skills necessary to handle daily challenges.

The counseling she received from the RISBDC led to an SBA-guaranteed loan from Sovereign Bank to purchase the office equipment and supplies she needed to launch All About Home Care.

By 2009, Devlin had a successful, growing company. She had clients who were with her from AAHC’s inception in 2003. In these clients, Kathleen saw a need for nursing care. To offer in-home medical care, she would need to go through an arduous, demanding process to receive a Home Nursing Care Provider License from the Rhode Island Department of Health. Kathleen saw this as an opportunity to realistically double the size of her business by offering a much needed service.

In August 2009, she enrolled in RISBDC’s Professionals Available To Help (PATH) program. A team of volunteer advisers with expertise in various disciplines question, analyze, challenge and offer recommendations, advice and guidance.

Through PATH assistance, Devlin was made to realize she needed a human resources manager; and needed to physically move her office to a space double the size in order to accommodate a training facility.  Today, Kathleen’s company is housed in a 2,100 square foot office and has 68 full- and part-time employees.

RISBDC also paired Devlin with a team of Salve Regina University business students who offered a comprehensive evaluation along with insightful recommendations.

Kathy admits she wouldn’t have been positioned for such growth without the Small Business Development Center’s PATH program.

The company continues to enjoy consistent and significant growth.  Despite the economic downturn, AAHC experienced a 35 percent growth in revenue in 2010.

Kathleen believes in sharing her success with the community.  She supports a number of community programs and local organizations including the Alzheimer’s Association of Rhode Island; Newport County Child and Family Services; Visiting Nurse Services of Newport and Bristol Counties; Save the Bay; and the American Cancer Society.

Devlin also served on the Ambassadors Committee of the Newport County Chamber of Commerce; and on the committee to develop the Resource Directory of Services for Newport County Elders and Their Families.  She is a member of the Rhode Island Partnership for Home Care and National Association of Professional Geriatric Care Managers.

For her demonstrated success and potential for continued growth, the U.S. Small Business Administration is honored to name Kathleen S. Devlin the 2011 Rhode Island Small Business Person of the Year.