Today we’d like to introduce you to Kasie Miller
Hi Kasie , we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I have been in health care since I was 18 years old. I started out as a certified nurse assistant on a med-surg floor at a local hospital. After 4 years I decided I really enjoyed helping people who were unable to help themselves. I was a single mother of two daughters and needed to make a future for us, so I decided to go to nursing school. I graduated nursing school in 2012 and began my journey in geriatrics and long-term care nursing. Over the years I continued to do different aspects of nursing and then my aunt got married and her mother-in-law was in a nursing home facility in Texas. It was a 15-hour commute to check on her and she was very ill. I told my aunt let’s see if we can get her to Tennessee and I will help you take care of her. After 3 months of trying to get the insurance to approve transportation to Tennessee she made it and within minutes of arriving from a 15-hour ambulance ride I sent her to the hospital. She was admitted to the hospital with severe sepsis, osteomyelitis, a urinary tract infection, and pneumonia. Keep in mind this was a patient at a nursing home facility with trained healthcare providers. After a 2-week hospitalization we were able to bring her home during that time there was home health care providers in and out of the home that honestly were not that nice or helpful. I helped my aunt and trained her to take care of her mother-in-law. Her quality of life greatly improved. 1 year later she passed away in September of 2023 and we decided we wanted to put together a company that advocates for the elderly and disabled. Not everyone has family to bring them home or check in on them to make sure they are being cared for the way they should be. and we wanted to be the voice for those who do not have that. We wanted a company that could help provide care in the comfort of their own home. We are just getting started but are so excited to grow our company and be a community resource.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
No, it has been the hardest thing we have ever done. We struggled to find office spaces that were in our budget for a startup business, we struggled to write policies and procedures to satisfy the state requirements, we struggled with the choices program on contracting and getting all of the necessary documentation completed. We worked on this for 10 months before we were 100% approved through the Tennessee Department of Health and contracted with Medicaid as a provider. A lot of stress, tears, and questioning our sanity went into opening this business.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Ohana Home Care, LLC?
I am the Owner and CEO of Ohana Home Care, LLC and my aunt Malissia Gunn is the Co-Owner and Director of Operations of Ohana Home Care, LLC. We chose the name Ohana because Ohana means family and since we are a small family-owned business, we want our clients and caregivers to feel like they are part of our family as well. Our primary goal is to understand special needs of today’s senior citizens and disabled community.
We provide non-medical caregivers to allow clients to remain in their home as long as possible. Caregivers provide assistance with all daily living activities such as:
-Bathing, toileting, and dressing
-Medication reminders
-Transporation
-Housekeeping
-Meal preparation
-Companion Care
“Sometimes it takes only one act of kindness and caring to change a person’s life.”
Can you share something surprising about yourself?
My favorite part of nursing is wound care. Wound care is the one thing you can physical see heal on a human body if dressings and treatment are maintained. Most people have a very weak stomach for open wounds especially my friends and family, but I find it very fascinating to watch the body heal with the naked eye.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.ohanahomecarellc.org
