COVID-19 has negated some changes within the business community.  

Family Staffing Solutions (FSS) has been one of those companies forced to deal with change and even a temporary closure last spring. But the in-home care provider is back. FSS was purchased by Arosa Care in June and has since relocated to 768 North Main St., at Merchant’s Walk.  

Talks between Arosa and FSS began in February but were stretched out over several months due to complications arising out of the COVID-19 pandemic. Noting FSS was formerly located at Merchant’s Walk, Amanda Lankford, assistant area director, says it feels good to be back “home.”  

With 20 years experience in her field, she was recently promoted to her new position. She explains that she worked in Murfreesboro from April to June. She adds how she continued that FSS relationship with Shelbyville clients—even during those months of the Shelbyville office being closed.  

“I still had that ongoing relationship with them. They didn’t leave us . . . stuck with us. They really hung in there.”  

When FSS closed in April, operations were from an office located at 505 North Main St. Lankford mentions that owner Jim Tracy was good to them during their time at that location.  

Lankford said sadly during Shelbyville’s closing, she had to let then office administrator Kala Hargrove go. She had been with her 3 years; she highly compliments her work. She reveals that since the Arosa acquisition, Hargrove has returned to the Shelbyville office.  

“I called her immediately and said, ‘can you come back?’” Hargrove now has a new title with Arosa Shelbyville as office care specialist. Her duties include assisting prospective families. Lankford adds that Arosa Shelbyville still covers the same area, which of course includes Bedford. 

But, she says there’s much more to services than before.  

“The bonus side is that Arosa has care managers and nurses. We’ve never had that side before. I say this is our icing on the cake.”  

She reveals that such a team can work with facilities, doctors and family members in crisis.  

“So now, we have a bonus side. It’s like we’re a huge team now.” An official Arosa ribbon cutting will be held in the future.  

“We want everyone to know that we’re still here. We’re still doing what we’ve always done. We just have a bonus side.”  

With the Christmas season upon them, the staff recently held a holiday open house for caregivers.  

Lankford said Billy and Sharon Lowery of Lowery Jewelers and other businesses at Merchant’s Walk have been gracious to welcome them back. She also mentioned Tony Matusek, owner of the Merchant’s Walk building.  

Experts on aging  

Arosa is a premier home care provider serving the elderly population throughout middle Tennessee. Founded in 1999, the company also maintains offices in Nashville and Murfreesboro.  

The new Shelbyville provider has built its reputation on an integrated model— one which “elevates care” through the formation of teams of caregivers, care consultants, care managers, and care specialists—all who work together to craft and implement tailored care plans for clients and their families.  

Many of these teams have served the local communities for years (if not decades) and offer invaluable knowledge to clients and families throughout life’s aging journey, the company states.  

In addition to what it considers to be a “dedicated caregiving workforce,” Arosa employs over 70 care managers across the country.  

These certified professionals are experienced in a variety of fields that focus on issues related to aging and/or disability—many of whom are credentialed in gerontology, social work, mental health, nursing, physical therapy, and psychology.  

Arosa’s operations began more than 20 years ago with the founding of California’s LivHOME and North Carolina’s Nurse Care. In 2018, these merged together forming to increase the services for senior care and officially creating Arosa.  

Since that time, senior care providers including LifeLinks, InHome, Lifecare Innovations, and more have all joined the Arosa team.  

Arosa does not provide medical care, but what it considers to be “premier” health care services focused on companionship, transportation, meal preparation and other assistance.  

Chief Executive Officer Ari Medoff explained this summer that to acquire the FSS locations and its expansion in middle Tennessee has always been in the back of his mind; he highlighted this area’s growth.  

“It’s a core market for us and a fast-growing destination overall,” he said. “There’s obviously a huge hub in concentration healthcare service-related businesses. Being close to that ecosystem is important to us.”