By Jim Rada
Melody Carithers has spent most of her career helping seniors, working in marketing and sales in senior communities and the medical industry. Her husband, Shannon, is a registered nurse who worked at the Medical University of South Carolina.
However, 11 years ago, they decided they wanted to work for themselves rather than someone else. With both their personal and professional experience, senior care seemed like a natural fit.
“I had dealt with senior care issues for my own family, so I knew what people were facing,” said Carithers. “I can say I know what families need because I’ve gone through it myself.”
An opportunity presented itself to purchase a Home Instead franchise – a home health care service that provides care to seniors – that serves Charleston, Dorchester and Berkeley counties. “We saw the need and opportunity to support seniors and keep them at home as long as we could,” Carithers said.
The Carithers’ had a customer base to work with when they took over the business. More importantly, they received support from Home Instead and access to business coaches and other franchise owners who helped them make the transition from employee to business owner.
Their hard work has paid off, and the business has grown in the past 11 years. “I love to challenge myself and my team to grow and be better,” Carithers said.
The biggest challenge she has faced as a health care business owner is finding and developing the best people to work with seniors.
“You ask yourself, ‘How do I find them?’ ‘How do I keep them?’” Carithers said. “Sometimes the people who are the best in this profession don’t know that the opportunity is here. I have to find them.”
Melody Carithers
Home Instead
11 Gamecock Ave., Ste. 1105, Charleston
843-571-3000
homeinstead.com
