03 Aug “We knew something could – and should – be done to improve the home care market”: Diana Farrow on the story behind VIPS Care
Diana had never imagined herself running a business.
Lead an allied health team? Yes. Manage physiotherapists? Definitely.
Assist a team of IT programmers in developing applications? Not quite.
And yet, since 2022, she found herself working alongside Doug Dick (who’s also her husband) and Bruce Anderson in building a home care management software: VIPS Care.
So, what led her here?
Diana, who’s now the CEO of VIPS Care, tells us the personal story behind the business – in her own words.
An idea prompted by personal pain
The idea of VIPS Care came about because of what we were experiencing in our personal lives.
As children of ageing parents, Doug and I wanted the best for our old folks. But at the same time, we knew we couldn’t manage it all ourselves.
After all, we were both still busy with our careers. We had our own lives to lead, with a house still full of growing children. And we were trying to enjoy our own leisure time and life as much as we could – before our capacity to do so dwindles.
There was a lot to manage, alongside caring for our ageing parents.
That’s when we decided to engage a home care support service provider.
Fuelled by frustration
Through our experience with our chosen home care provider, we saw what was clearly missing in the market.
Again and again, we found that we wanted – and needed – more information than we received.
We were asking questions like:
- Who were the carers who were going to the house to support Mum and Dad?
- Have they arrived as scheduled? How did the visit go?
- Do I need to drop around again today to check on my parents – or can I head out after work?
- How much is left in their package?
We needed a clearer way to see the care being given. And we needed better communication channels with the care team.
Put simply, we wanted assurance that the care provider was all over it, all the time. But that was not always the case.
The start of VIPS Care
Doug and I knew that something could – and should – be done to improve the home care market.
And that was when we had a lightbulb moment.
Doug has been the CEO of VIPS International for over 20 years. Specialising in technology for complex mobile workforces across industries, VIPS International is the go-to team for businesses like Chanel, Coty and Lindt.
And its clients have been loyal. Because they love the way VIPS transforms their operations with high-tech solutions. VIPS streamlines communications and generates reports for real business insight and intelligence.
As far as the technology was concerned, we believed we already had what we needed to transform the home care market. And with VIPS already in the family, we knew we could easily add a sibling.
So, in 2022, VIPS Care was born.
Meeting care and compliance needs
VIPS Care makes rostering, invoicing, claiming and reporting a smoother and simpler process.
But what really makes us stand out from other care management software providers?
We care. About what we do – and who we work with.
“Having run an allied health team and understanding the challenges of home care, I worked closely with our programmers to build a platform with a difference. A platform that helps providers meet updated service quality, compliance and governance standards. A platform that provides data on hand to meet audit requirements – and inform decision-making.
We know – and experienced first-hand – the challenges of home care provision. Care providers are facing ever-increasing compliance demands, ever-reducing margins, and ever-increasing costs. Without the right tools, it’s hard to meet the mark.
Knowing the advocacy required to assist our own parents in old age drives our passion. We want to provide aged and disability care clients with the same level of agency. Help care providers be their best. And give families peace of mind.”
At VIPS Care, we do that through smart software – and a caring team.
With VIPS Care, you can improve your management processes, governance, compliance and cost-efficiency – without capital expenditure.
Book a demo to see our solutions in action today.