Helping at Home
Synergy HomeCare of Knoxville responds to the needs of East Tennesseeans with compassion, expertise, and a deep desire to serve
Story by Susan Alexander | Photography by Nathan Sparks
Yvonne Coffey and Caitlynn Ball have hearts for helping. The two native East Tennesseans opened Synergy HomeCare of West Knoxville in 2022 and have been helping seniors and others get the care they need at home ever since.
The women brought important experience and expertise to their new venture. Yvonne had been general manager of the medical equipment division of Lambert’s Health Care for 20 years. Caitlynn had a background in customer service and sales, and both women had previously owned a business. When they began looking for an opportunity to get into home care, Synergy came to the forefront. “Their beliefs and compassion for others aligned with our vision,” says Yvonne.
There When Needed
That’s not the only thing that sets Synergy HomeCare apart. “So we’re a little different than our competitors for multiple aspects,” Yvonne says. “One is that we don’t have any long-term contracts, we don’t have any minimum hours. If someone needs us just for an hour to take them to the doctor, we can do that. We also don’t have an age requirement. We take care of anyone from mamas who are pregnant and need us to help them around the house and watch other children all the way up to hospice care.”
They’ve also discovered a need among people who’ve undergone plastic surgery. “That’s kind of a niche service we’ve found where we can come in and be helpful during that post-op phase. If they’re coming in from out of town, we can even stay in hotels with them to make sure they’re taken care of.”
An Exceptional Team
Currently Synergy HomeCare of West Knoxville employs about 120 caregivers who visit patients not only in the Knox County area but as far away as Greeneville and LaFollette. All receive regular training in a range of topics, including disease states such as Alzheimers and caring for people with intellectual disabilities.
“We are passionate about trying every way we can to make sure no one goes without care. We have backup caregivers, people who are on call in case someone calls out. We also offer free emergency response equipment that will notify emergency services if they just say the word ‘emergency.’”
The same emergency response system learns the behavior of the patient so if a patient isn’t up and moving when they typically are or if the temperature of the house is too hot or too cold, it will alert the patient’s family. Families of clients can log into the Synergy app and see the care schedule for the week, what the care plan is, and notes from previous visits.
Caitlynn says she and Yvonne do a lot of networking within the homecare industry to stay up to date with technologies. “We also do a yearly meeting with all the other franchise owners to just to see what other new ideas we can get from them as well. So we’re always trying to see what new things we can bring out for our company.”
Reliable and Committed
Looking ahead, they hope to continue to grow their business throughout the area. But more importantly, “I want us to be known as reliable,” Yvonne says. “We are constantly trying to put measures in place to make sure that we’re not missing a visit if one of our caregivers gets sick.”
Adds Caitlynn: “We want to give back to the community that has done so much for us.”
865-474-9304
6716 Central Avenue Pike #8
synergyhomecare.com