Today we’d like to introduce you to David Koch
Hi David, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I came from a 30 year corporate IT career which was rewarding and always gave me something new to learn, but there are milestones in your career when you wonder what else you could do and what other challenges you could pursue. So after careful consideration, I stepped away from my previous career on good terms and started to see what else was out there. Along that journey I was introduced to Assisted Living Locators, and the more I thought about it, the more I liked the idea of helping families find the right senior living. I bought the franchise for the east side of Cleveland and never looked back. It has proven to be a whole new industry to learn and grow in, and the interactions with families are rewarding in ways I’ve never experienced before.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I had no illusions about going into this new role. I did not come from the senior living or healthcare industry, so I had a lot of learning and networking to do. It is also a different business model than what I was used to, which has prompted me to change how I look at the hours in a day and days in a week. Plus, being my own boss (with all that comes with that role) took some time to adjust to. But this was what I wanted — I wanted to shake up my professional life and tackle a new challenge, and this line of work provided me with just that. It has super-charged my way of looking at my career.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Just a few years ago, before I got involved with Assisted Living Locators, I didn’t even realize the Senior Living Advisor industry existed. Ten years ago, my sisters and I did what we could to help with our father’s vascular dementia, and if we had known services like this were there to help, we would have tapped into them. But like most people, we simply didn’t know companies like Assisted Living Locators were out there waiting to help.
An analogy I often share is when a family wants to sell their home, they immediately think of realtors — should they use one, and if so, who. Realtors are so closely tied with selling and buying real estate, it’s a given. But when an adult child becomes the caregiver to a parent, they don’t immediately think of resources like Assisted Living Locators, and therefore they go through a lot more work, stress, and expense than necessary.
I want to get the message out that companies like mine exist to help families when the situation of senior living arises. We are a free service to families that will help guide them through the entire journey — including recommending a variety of services that come into play during this time. We also help coordinate a potential move to some form of senior living, whether that’s assisted living, independent living or memory care. And because we cost the family nothing, they are free to lean on us as much as they want without any concern regarding whether or not they can afford us.
I work very closely with my clients to help them get to a better situation. I will spend time with them in their homes discussing their situation and what options are available, I will arrange tours of communities for them, and I will drive them to those tours if necessary. I am hands-on, boots on the ground, and closely involved with the families I help.
The crisis has affected us all in different ways. How has it affected you and any important lessons or epiphanies you can share with us?
Covid-19 was an extremely difficult time for senior living communities. Hard decisions were made about how to handle the day to day, and it’s no secret that many good people decided to leave the industry because things just proved too much to handle everyday. Things in the industry have settled back to more of a pre-Covid situation, but there are still lingering reminders. There are occasional incidents of Covid in these communities, and they now have procedures in place to respond quickly. But there is still a need for a better plan of action for the next pandemic, especially when it comes to seniors. Just because Covid is a few years behind us doesn’t mean the conversation about how to handle the next crisis isn’t more important than ever. Preparation is the key to managing the next situation better because it’s not a question of if there will be another pandemic, it’s only a question of when.
Pricing:
- Our services are always free to the family. Much like a headhunter is paid by a company for finding a qualified candidate, we are paid by the community for bringing them a well-vetted resident.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://assistedlivinglocators.com/care-advisor/cleveland-east
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/assistedlivinglocators.cle/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ClevelandEastALL/
- Twitter: https://x.com/ALL_CLE_East
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@DavidKochALL
