EGIS staff from left: Care Mgr. Patrick Christopher, Owner and Care Mgr. Kevin Koval, Business Development Mgr. Jennifer Riek, Office Mgr. Lori Stevens, Care Mgr. Mario Angel. Not pictured Care Mgr. Mary Peck. Courtesy/EGIS
By KIRSTEN LASKEY
Los Alamos Daily Post
kirsten@ladailypost.com
A common wish among senior citizens is that they be allowed to live in their homes. EGIS Complete Care (Elders Getting Information and Services), a Santa Fe-based business that provides caregiving services, can grant this wish.
“As people age … that is one of the criteria to keep them happy … and to feel independent and still being able to do things on their own,” Owner Kevin Koval said. “For most people there is a real connection to their homes … they really don’t want to lose their independence. It’s a feeling of pride.”
EGIS offers its services in Santa Fe as well as Los Alamos and White Rock. Koval said they hope to expand their services in Los Alamos and White Rock and possibly open a satellite office in town.
EGIS offers a wide variety of services to help people continue to live in their homes.
The business offers two main services Home Care and Eldercare Management with the help of 4 Care Managers and 150 more Caregivers.
The services in these roles range from companionship and transportation to housekeeping and meal preparation.
“One of the things we pride ourselves on is building a relationship with the caregivers and client,” Koval said. “Someone they (the client) can bond with … and not just send someone out to just sit there.”
Koval said all the services offered are non-medical. However, he said EGIS is in the process of getting licensed by the state to offer medical services.
Many EGIS employees also are certified nurses’ assistants or have backgrounds in nursing or social work, he said.
The cost of care is $31 an hour. Some clients request 24-hour care and others just need a several hours of assistance. Koval added the client is paying for one-on-one care.
COVID-19 has had a big impact on EGIS’ operations, Koval said.
“Obviously like everybody it is has affected us quite a bit,” he said.
Initially, people were fearful to utilize EGIS because they didn’t want anyone in their homes, Koval said. However, EGIS became a more appealing choice because care facilities have needed to sequester their residents and even family members can’t visit them in person.
Still, it is challenging because the elderly is among the most vulnerable to COVID, Koval said, adding that a lot of measures have been taken to keep clients safe. This includes staff to wash their hands often and are required to wear masks.
Additionally, Koval said staff are required to get tested for COVID monthly.
EGIS has been in business for more than 22 years. It was co-founded by Jeff Pine and two other prominent Santa Fe residents. EGIS was originally a nonprofit organization but as home care became a bigger part of the organization, it became a privately-owned company. Koval purchased the business in 2018. Originally a CPA, Koval said he became interested in running this business due to his own experiences with his parents.
He explained his father needed care and was admitted into a nursing home and his mother suffered from dementia. Koval said he realized this is something a lot of members of the baby boomer generation are experiencing with their parents and that there is a real need for at-home care.
“It’s been something entirely new, but I really enjoy it,” he said.
Koval added it feels good to be able to help seniors and their families and “keeping them (the clients) at home is really important,” he said. “We really try and create a match between the client and the caregiver. We want to provide the client with somebody who is going to get along with them … this can also be a big relief to the children. It is just really neat in a lot of ways. And I think we do a lot of things that Pine (original co-founder) put in place and I think we do a real good job providing that care.”
For more information, visit https://www.egisnewmexico.com/ or call 505.995.0485.
