Dee Petry has always had a passion for home care and helping the elderly. Five years ago, she was working as a recruiter in the healthcare field and recognized the great need for high quality in-home care. Dee decided to combine her experience as a recruiter with her passion for assisting others. In 2013, Dee founded Our Family Friend, LLC and began serving clients and families.

Our Family Friend provides in-home assistance to seniors who desire to remain in their homes. The services provided include providing help with activities of daily living and personal care, assisting with household responsibilities, transporting on errands and to appointments, and interactive companionship. A specialized division of Our Family Friend provides care for survivors of Traumatic Brain Injury, helping them reach the highest possible levels of independence and success. Our Family Friend takes pride in providing exceptional care that goes above and beyond.

“I feel honored to have the opportunity to go into a family’s home and provide care for their loved one,” said Dee. “Being able to support them is very humbling and rewarding.”

Our Family Friend is extremely successful for many reasons. One is their meticulous matching of clients with caregivers, setting Our Family Friend apart from other providers. They are very deliberate with their recruiting strategies, ensuring that they can find the right caregiver for the job. In fact, Our Family Friend is so committed to this process that they will turn away a client if they do not have an available team member who is an outstanding match for the client. The deep level of care and purpose that drives Our Family Friend’s team has created an amazing culture where employees can be flexible with their schedules and team members share mutual respect.

“When I started this business, I wanted to make sure to use my recruiting background to get the right person for the job. If an individual didn't have the experience but embodied our core values, I knew I could provide them with the training needed to successful,” commented Dee. “I wanted to do something a little bit different in the home healthcare industry, and it has turned into a place where people want to come and work.”

Dee began working with the Michigan Small Business Development Center as soon as she started writing her business plan in 2013. She has worked closely with a few Michigan SBDC consultants but most recently has been working with SBDC team member Shawn Preissle. Together they have worked on calculating financials, growing with intention, and much more.

“Shawn has been instrumental in helping me grow my business. She is so knowledgeable and if there’s something I ask that she doesn’t know, she will find out. She has been that person that I can speak to openly and honestly,” reflected Dee. “I feel like she wants me to succeed. I would not be where I am today without Shawn’s advice and guidance.”

Dee is eager for Our Family Friend to continue to grow but insists on staying true to her mission of providing exceptional care. She believes that if she continues to focus on providing outstanding caregivers carefully matched to each client, the business’s growth will be exponential.

“It’s tempting when you see so much opportunity for growth to want to cut corners and potentially slip away from your mission,” stated Dee. “I don’t plan on doing that. Our Family Friend isn’t just a job to me, it’s a calling. We will grow at the rate we are able to grow exceptionally.”

To learn more about Our Family Friend, you can visit their website at www.ourfamilyfriend.com