IKOR Leverages Unique Position as the Leading Life Care Management Brand to Ensure Quality of Life and Dignity for Seniors and Those With Disabilities

With more than 46 million Americans aged 65 or older, and growing daily, the need to find quality care providers and guidance for the elderly to navigate medical decisions is at an all-time high. Patricia Maisano has spent years holding these needs as a personal goal and top priority, beginning her career as a registered nurse, and overseeing case management for families dealing with both short and long-term health crises. After decades of operating in the care industry, she discovered a way to change how the industry operates to meet a need that everyone else seemed to be overlooking.

While working in case management, Maisano answered a phone call from a woman who was looking for help with her mother. The woman wasn’t sure where to go in order to find the right advice for her situation, and she wasn’t aware of the options available in her local market that fit her mother’s financial and physical restrictions. While providing that specific help was outside of Maisano’s former employer’s capabilities, that phone call made a lasting impact.

“Something about that phone call really stuck with me. I talked it through with the vice president of the case management company where I was working, and he asked for the name of the person I spoke to, wondering if it was one of the many that our team had fielded calls from before. That’s when I saw the need for a new type of service,” said Maisano. “It became clear to me right away that there was a process that needed to intervene in the industry. People were looking for a way to get the best possible care, and they weren’t finding the solution that they needed.”

That’s where IKOR comes in. Officially founded in 2000 by Maisano, IKOR set out on a mission to redefine life care management. Maisano designed the company to help people navigate through the increasingly complex health care system. At the core of its business model is to always act in the best interest of its clients so that they can lead an independent life.

To make that goal a reality for its clients, IKOR’s Life Care Managers coordinate and manage a variety of services that support independent living. The brand’s Life Care Management program includes care coordination, oversight of life services, health and well-being screenings and routine visits for quality assurance. The company’s Medical Advocacy services assist with treatment compliance, medication analysis, attending doctor appointments and updating families on a client’s health status. IKOR’s Environmental Evaluations help create a safe environment for aging in place. IKOR can coordinate home modifications and repairs, assist in identifying safe and secure living arrangements and aid in transitioning into a new living environment. The brand’s other service offerings include Financial Advocacy services that aid with simple bill pay, financial abuse prevention, guardianship and power of attorney.

“At our core, we are a life care management company that advocates for seniors and people with disabilities. We act as consultants that provide advice and guidance to help our clients navigate through the complex and fragmented systems of care,” said Brian Petranick, Chief Executive Officer of IKOR. “Our primary goal is to be an advocate for our clients and put their interests before all else. That’s what makes us different from hospitals, assisted living communities, insurance companies and senior care brands—we’re only working on behalf of our clients to help improve their quality of life. By recommending the best tools and resources at our customers’ disposal, we’re achieving our core values by helping those in need maintain their independence.”

In order to achieve those core values, IKOR takes a unique approach to providing Life Care Management. For every new client that the brand serves, it starts with an initial needs assessment that takes a wide variety of factors into consideration that affect the well-being of the client. By looking at the medical, psychosocial, environmental and financial aspects of someone’s life, they’re able to uncover factors that are often overlooked. IKOR’s Managing Directors then use the results from the needs assessment to create a unique Life Map for its clients that provides a report and detailed recommendations. The goal is to achieve the best level of wellness for each client.

After clients and their families have the opportunity to review IKOR’s recommendations, the team coordinates the services that the client and his or her family would like to participate in. While this typically involves coordinating healthcare between providers, the brand also goes above and beyond to ensure that top quality care is being received by vetting vendors, finding contractors for home modifications and providing simple bill pay. As soon as those services are completed, IKOR then sends team members to make unannounced visits to ensure that providers are delivering the services they’ve been hired to complete in a respectful and honorable manner.

IKOR’s Life Care Management process are organized through Datikor, the brand’s client management software that’s fully encrypted and HIPAA-compliant. The innovative technology is designed to ensure full transparency between the IKOR team and its customers.

“There’s no other company out there that does exactly what we do. At IKOR, we’re trying to pave the way for ourselves in this rapidly growing industry. You’re not going to find a competitor that can match our services,” said Petranick. “. We go the extra mile to understand the details of our clients’ situations so that we can recommend the best possible care solutions and ensure that those solutions are implemented in a timely and financially feasible way.”

Because of IKOR’s unique positioning as a top resource for aging seniors and those with disabilities, the brand launched its franchise opportunity. By opening up the door for professionals to run their own business and bring the brand’s unparalleled services to their own local communities, IKOR realized that it had the potential to expand into new communities to help even more people in need.

With 47 franchisees currently operating across 68 different territories predominantly located on the East Coast, the brand’s proven model is catching on. There’s a high demand for IKOR’s services in communities across the U.S., and right now, the brand is helping its customers receive the care that they need. Going forward in 2017, IKOR has plans to bring those unrivaled services to new areas across the country.

“There are so many changes impacting the medical and care industries on a daily basis that it’s hard to truly grasp what the future will bring. That’s why we are on the forefront of innovation, constantly looking for opportunities to expand on and improve our offerings, ensuring that we’ll continue to increase our reach and help more people in need,” said Maisano. “IKOR is truly in a league of its own when it comes to matching people with their ideal care programs, and we’re looking forward to growing in the years to come as the population ages and those living with disabilities have no where else to turn. IKOR is here to help people lead a fulfilling life.”