Just a little more about US.

Good evening! I wanted to take some time to introduce myself, my passions in life and why we do what we do. My name is Karen Horgen, I am the owner of Home Companions and I have lived here in the city of Eau Claire going on 3 years now. I grew up locally and have spent most of my adult life within Eau Claire county. I am married and a mom to three wonderful children who are now grown adults and having weddings of their own. I began my journey into caregiving twenty-five years ago, when I answered an employment ad in the local newspaper. The job was to take care of an elderly man with Alzheimer’s. For those of you who are unaware of what Alzheimer’s is, Alzheimer's disease is a brain disorder that slowly destroys memory and thinking skills, and eventually, the ability to carry out the simplest of tasks. The job sent me to his house daily to help him get ready for the day. I’d also help him with cleaning the house, taking him grocery shopping, and taking him somewhere local for entertainment. I came back each evening to help him with dinner and help him get ready for bed. Throughout my time caring for him I learned just how interesting of a man he truly was, He talked about his adventures in the military and landing on the beaches of Normandy. His intense love for golf and how he owned 5 golf shops in Chicago. He loved to talk about his most interesting and favorite clients, which just happened to be the mafia! (Hard to believe I know, but, this isn't going to be the craziest thing you ever hear when you take the time to just listen.) There was not a moment spent with him that I didn’t learn or spend in awe of all he had accomplished in his lifetime. I fell in love with my job and quickly understood that THIS is what I was created to do! I loved that I was able to care for him and, have a wonderful time with him when most people in his life had a difficult time helping him, if they could get him to cooperate with them in any way. My time caring for him shaped who I am today and pointed me in the direction I needed to go. When my time with him ended, I went to school at Madison Area Technical College to get my CNA Certificate. After I received my CNA Certificate I then worked at Divine Savior in Portage, WI. After a few years I went to work at Columbia Health Care Center, where I worked another couple of years. Life took on a whole new twist when my own grandfather needed help and could no longer live on his own. With all the training and a few years of experience under my belt, I had the confidence to invite him to come live with us. I knew then that keeping our loved ones home was a passion of mine, so as we were raising our three children we took care of my grandpa. Those three years also ended up being the last 3 years of his life. In 2017 I took a position at an Assisted Living center in the area where I had the title of Life Enrichment Coordinator, which is a leadership position. While working there, I became aware that the waiting list for potential residents to move in was at minimum two years. I also knew that while those in their care were taken care of, there was still a large percentage of people waiting to get in and those people were in very serious circumstances. Loved ones still needed to be cared for and there just wasn’t enough support in our communities to help them. In even more dire situations were those with dementia, or Alzheimer's at any stage. Knowing these facts changed everything for me and I could no longer work there. I took the leap of faith and started my own In-Home Care company. So, after a lot of work, and even more heart We are Home Companions LLC. I started this company in July of 2019 with just myself and a desire to help people stay in their homes longer, where they can have a better quality of life in the place they feel most comfortable! It’s now 2025 and I have just celebrated five years, and I am amazed at how much we have grown every year! We are now up to 16 employees and 30 clients. Based on my experience in the industry the common issues I saw that turned the best people away from caring for our loved ones was a lack of support. In my five years of business I have pursued my vision of creating an environment that nurtures and supports the best of the best. Allowing them to get better with each day. In turn that means that our patients, clients and friends receive only the best. Remember the movie “The Titanic”? Albeit the tragic ending, I could never get over the level of personalization and how everyone on it received the best of the best. So, that’s my model. Only the best will do. I personally meet with and vet each of our care team members, and I personally meet and get to know each of our patients. It has been more than important to me that each of our patients and caretakers get the support they need in life, work, and emotions. I have worked so hard to create that environment for everyone who works with us on either side. I have started this blog as a way to bring you along on my journey, the journey of my staff, and to share the ups and downs of caring for loved ones all across Wisconsin. Until the next Blog, Yours, Karen