When families invite a caregiver into their home, they are placing an enormous amount of trust in that person and the agency behind them. At Everlight Care, owner and CEO Gina Kendall believes that trust must be earned through compassionate caregivers, thorough training, consistent oversight, and genuinely personalized support.
A Career Dedicated to Helping Older Adults
Gina’s work with seniors began more than 25 years ago, when she served as a social services director in large skilled nursing facilities.
A major part of her job was helping residents prepare to leave the facility safely. Many of those individuals were ready to be discharged but could not yet live completely independently.
Their adult children often wanted to help but were also managing jobs, children, households, and other responsibilities. At the time, regulated in-home care options were much more limited in California.
Without dependable help available in the home, Gina often had to discharge residents to small assisted living communities instead.
She remembers thinking how valuable it would have been to offer those residents another choice: professional care delivered in the comfort and familiarity of their own homes.
Years later, after also gaining experience supporting adults with developmental disabilities, Gina decided to create the kind of home care agency she had once wished was available to the families she served.
Everlight Care was founded eight years ago and now serves families through offices in Fresno and Bakersfield.
Growing Through Quality, Not Quantity
Everlight Care has experienced significant growth, but Gina is clear about the company’s priorities.
“We like to grow in quality, not in quantity,” she explained.
For Gina, successful growth means continuing to provide personal, responsive care rather than simply serving as many clients as possible. As a locally owned, family-operated agency, Everlight Care can create its own standards for hiring, training, supervision, and communication.
The goal is to provide the same level of care Gina would expect for a member of her own family.
That philosophy shapes every part of the agency, from selecting caregivers to monitoring the quality of care delivered in each client’s home.
Recognized for the Client and Caregiver Experience
Everlight Care has repeatedly earned recognition through the Activated Insights awards program.
These awards are based on independent, third-party surveys completed by clients and caregivers. Participants are asked about their experiences with the agency, allowing the results to reflect feedback from the people receiving care and the professionals providing it.
According to Gina, Everlight Care’s most recent survey results placed the agency first among participating California agencies. The company has also been recognized as a national Top 100 Leader in Experience and has earned multiple awards related to client and caregiver satisfaction.
Gina is especially proud of the California recognition because Everlight Care is an independent local agency competing in one of the country’s largest and most competitive home care markets.
The recognition also provides meaningful information for families evaluating care providers.
Independent survey results can help potential clients understand how current families feel about the services they receive.
They can also show caregivers that they are considering employment with an organization that values both its clients and its employees.
Finding Caregivers With the Right Heart
Caregivers are at the center of every home care experience. Gina believes that skills can be strengthened through education, but compassion must be present from the beginning.
“The number one thing for me is that you need to have someone who has the heart to do it,” she said.
Everlight Care looks for caregivers who truly enjoy working with older adults and who understand that caregiving is more than clocking in and completing a list of tasks.
Gina asks potential caregivers to consider an important question: How would you want someone to care for your mother, father, spouse, or another person you love?
The agency seeks people who will become trusted and familiar companions—caregivers whom clients may eventually view as an extension of their own families.
Once a caregiver demonstrates the right attitude and commitment, Everlight Care completes its required screening, vetting, orientation, and training processes.
Hands-On Training for Real-Life Care Needs
Everlight Care conducts caregiver training in-house. Caregivers do not simply watch a presentation or review written materials. They receive hands-on instruction and must demonstrate that they understand the skills they have learned.
Training may include:
- Safe transfers and repositioning
- Proper use of Hoyer lifts and other care equipment
- Assistance for individuals with limited mobility
- Dementia and Alzheimer’s care
- Parkinson’s disease support
- Lewy body dementia education
- Care related to other diagnoses commonly affecting older adults
Training also continues throughout the year rather than ending after orientation.
This ongoing education helps caregivers remain prepared as client needs change.
It also gives Everlight Care’s management team greater confidence that caregivers understand how to provide safe, appropriate, and respectful support.
Consistent Communication and Accountability
Hiring and training a caregiver are only the beginning. Everlight Care also conducts regular check-ins with both clients and caregivers.
These conversations help the agency determine whether:
- The client is satisfied with the care being provided
- The caregiver has the information and support needed
- The care plan is being followed
- The client’s condition or needs have changed
- Additional training, supervision, or services may be appropriate
Caregivers are also expected to document the care they provide throughout their shifts.
According to Gina, documentation is completed at regular intervals—every 30 minutes during daytime shifts and every 15 minutes during overnight care. The agency’s technology platform allows management to see when notes are entered in real time.
This process encourages accountability and provides added reassurance that caregivers are attentive, awake, and actively supporting the client throughout the scheduled shift.
For families, that level of oversight can provide valuable peace of mind, particularly when a loved one requires overnight assistance or extensive daily support.
Local Home Care With a Personal Commitment
Everlight Care is deeply connected to the communities it serves. The company is not managed by a distant corporate office. Its leadership and team members live and work in California’s Central Valley and understand the needs of local families.
That local connection allows Everlight Care to build meaningful relationships with clients, caregivers, healthcare professionals, and community partners.
It also supports the agency’s central promise: to provide dependable, personalized care while treating every client with dignity and every caregiver with respect.
After eight years in business—and more than 25 years of experience working with seniors—Gina continues to focus on building an organization families can trust.
For Everlight Care, success is not simply measured by the number of clients served. It is measured by the quality of each care experience.
Learn More About Everlight Care
Everlight Care provides professional in-home care for seniors and other adults throughout the Fresno and Bakersfield areas.
Visit EverlightCare.com or contact the office nearest you to discuss your family’s care needs.
Fresno Office
548 W. Cromwell Ave.
Suite 104
Fresno, CA 93711
Suite 104
Fresno, CA 93711
Phone: (559) 353-2847
Bakersfield Office
4540 California Avenue
Suite 520
Bakersfield, CA 93309
Suite 520
Bakersfield, CA 93309
Phone: (661) 489-5188
Home Care Organization Number: 104700031
