Cordele — Young business owner, Jessica Wright, strives to keep her and her sister’s business, Innovative Senior Solutions, growing to new communities.

ISS, a licensed home care provider, recently expanded its services to Crisp County. They are already serving areas in Dooly, Sumter, Lee, Macon, Marion, Schley, Stewart, and Webster counties.

Wright started the business with her sister, Eshonda Blue, in 2007 after observing the problems their grandmother had with another home care agency. “There was nothing locally owned in Americus,” says Wright. “All services came from Albany or Columbus.”

Both Wright and her sister have 15 years of combined experience in long-term care, non-medical homecare, and healthcare management. They have taken on every role of nursing which has provided them with the invaluable knowledge, experience, and expertise with care for the elderly as well as health care management.

“We provide personal care and sitter services to the elderly and anyone with a medical disability in the comfort of their own homes,” explains Wright. “We also help people who are injured, have had a stroke, in rehab, or just had surgery.”

 They deal with hospice patients as well. “We will also provide sitter services at the retirement home, nursing home, and hospitals,” says Wright.

Innovative Senior Solutions assists with everything from eating, dressing, bathing, toileting, and transferring in/out of the bed, to light house keeping, preparing meals, escort to physician appointments, picking up prescriptions, grocery shopping, and managing medication.

To make sure her aides and clients have a compatible bond, Wright does a personality test when matching them. “This helps build relationships with not only clients but also their families,” she says. “You really become a part of the family.”

Wright, a native of Cobb, now resides in Smithville with her grandmother. She is a ‘00 graduate of Americus High School and graduated from Darton College with a degree in nursing. She hopes to one day further her education and get a bachelor’s degree as well as become a nurse practitioner.

Starting out as a CNA, Wright learned she loved working with the elderly. “I spent a lot of time with my grandmother,” she says, “and I loved hearing stories about her reminiscing.”

“My sister and I did an extended amount of research before we began our business,” Wright adds. “We found it was a definite need because there are over 3,000 elderly people in Sumter County.”

Wright and her sister come from a family of entrepenuers. “I guess it’s just in our blood,” she laughs. “My father taught us that anything is possible and we can make it happen.”

“We have been very successful,” she says, “but there is still a lot of work to do. We have definitely grown though which is very exciting.” Wright and her sister are moving their business to 124 West Lamar St. on Monday.

They have been located in the Business Expansion Center at South Georgia Technical College. “SGTC has been wonderful in providing this program for us,” says Wright. “They have been a blessing to our company.”

“Wally Sumners, vice president of Economic Development Services, has been like a mentor to us guiding us through everything. He has been a great help.”

Wright, who is director of Personal Support Services in her business, says the best part about her job is helping others and seeing their wish being carried out. “My grandmother (who is passed now) was so happy to be taken care of in her own home instead of a nursing home.”

A scholarship fund was started by Wright and her sister in her grandmother’s name, Ora Mae Fields. “We provide this to graduating high school students going into the health field,” adds Wright. “We just started it this year so it is small but hopefully we will be able to grow with it.”

Future plans for ISS include starting a CNA school at the beginning of next year, reports Wright. “We will certify our own aides which should take no longer than six weeks. This will create jobs in the surrounding communities.”