About Us

Compassionate Caregivers Serving Greater Houston Communities. Houston Family Owned and Houston Family Operated

The Founders Of Encore Caregivers Senior In Home Care Agency In Houston Tx.

Milton and Marilou Schopper, Owners

Thank You, Memorial and Katy/Fulshear Neighbors for Voting Us a Best of Memorial/Katy/Fulshear Business!

Milton and Marilou Schopper, husband and wife owners of Encore Caregivers say, “Thank you, Memorial and Katy/Fulshear neighbors, for voting us a Best of Memorial Business and Best of Katy/Fulshear Business once again! We love the attention, we love the appreciation, and we love serving your families. Thank you. Thank you.”

Encore Caregivers is on the job. That’s what we do – and have been doing – offering 2 million hours of service for Houston families over the past 13 years.

What is better than a high-quality business? A Houston family-owned, Houston family-operated, nationally award-winning business that is in your neighborhood and helps seniors every day, that’s what. And that is Encore Caregivers, a personal assistance service nestled at the edge of the Memorial Villages.

What exactly do we do? Following are some examples

Your senior loved ones need care:

You want to keep them at home – they want to stay at home, but they can’t do that alone.
They have begun to show signs of dementia and need care.
They just want more companionship and social interaction.
They live in a senior facility and the staff there is not adequate to ensure their safety.
They are admitted to a hospital and need more care and attention than the staff can provide.
They have a scheduled procedure or surgery and need personal care as they recover.
They are visiting Houston, staying in a hotel, with appointments in the Medical Center and they need care.

…and Encore Caregivers is on the job. That’s what we do — and have been doing – offering 1.5 million hours of service for Houston families over the past 11 years.

And those are just a few examples of the important, real, significant, meaningful, heart-warming impact that we make in the lives of Houston’s families, every day.

We don’t think it gets any better than this. We are licensed, bonded, and insured. We hire only professional, trained, skilled caregivers. Even though we are a non-medical service, we have an RN on staff who answers client, family, and caregiver questions every day and sets the standard for caregiver training which is very, very high. We have a 24-hour phone line answered by a staff professional around the clock – never an answering machine or answering service.

Let us show you how a personal assistance service of the highest quality can improve your senior loved one’s quality of life and your family.

Call (713) 686-2233 for quality care – Encore Caregivers, since 2009.

Encore Caregivers’ Story

A Perfect Fit

Encore Caregivers’ Story: In 1996, husband and wife Nora and Mike Aden decided to go into business. It was a perfect fit: Cameo Caregivers, a small in-home care agency. They acquired the company from an elderly couple who had started it more than a decade earlier because they couldn’t find quality care for their aging parents. When Nora, a Registered Nurse, and Mike, A CPA, acquired Cameo Caregivers, the small agency had only 13 clients and 25 caregivers. Through the Adens’ efforts, Cameo Caregivers had grown to become one of Houston’s most significant private duty, in-home care agencies.

An Offer at the Right Time

When a business-saavy doctor offered to purchase Cameo Caregivers in 2004, Nora and Mike considered the possibilities: 1) They wanted to travel. 2) They wanted to spend time with their grandchildren. 3) They needed a rest. 4) They knew a good offer when they saw one. They accepted the offer and retired to the Hill Country. Life was perfectly sweet (for a time).

An Expired Non-Compete Agreement

As the five-year mark of the sale of Cameo Caregivers passed, Nora and Mike again began to consider the possibilities: 1) They had traveled. 2) They had spent time with their grandchildren (whom they sometimes found to be too much of a good thing). 3) They were rested, but bored. 4) They missed the business. The Adens decided it was time for another plunge into Houston’s in-home care industry.

An Encore Performance

In 2009, Encore Caregivers was born. Nora and Mike had started their own agency, from scratch. Their idea was to keep the agency small with only a few caregivers and clients. The day after receiving Encore Caregivers’ license to operate from the Texas Department of Aging and Disability Services, Nora and Mike attended a local caregiver conference. It was there that ties were reestablished and the word got out, “Mike and Nora are back!” Later that afternoon, the first client call came in. Encore Caregivers was off and running. Since then, the agency has achieved steady, significant growth. Despite the rise and fall in oil prices, despite the economy, through bull and bear markets, Encore Caregivers became a shining star in Houston’s bright business sky. Once again, the Adens were at the head of one of the Bayou City’s largest private duty, in-home care agencies.

A Quality Friendship

When Mike and Nora decided to take a step back from the full-time operation of Encore Caregivers in 2015, they brought in friends, Marilou and Milton Schopper as partners. Milton has decades of experience as a business owner and consultant. Marilou has an equal amount of experience in public and private sector communications and public relations. Both have personal, family experiences with dementia and Alzheimer’s that bring vital knowledge and empathy to the table when advising families on care choices for their loved ones. Under their leadership, Encore Caregivers remains the solid, caring, skilled and professional in-home care choice for Houston’s seniors.

Honoring the Legacy

In the years following 2015, Milton and Marilou have ensured that Encore Caregivers continues to offer only the best kind of in-home care to Houston’s families. That statement can be backed up with telephone survey after telephone survey. Who is completing the surveys? Home Care Pulse is a benchmark marketing company, well known in the senior in-home care industry. The company calls 10% of Encore Caregivers’ clients and caregivers (current and recent past) each month and asks for a simple 1-10 rating to questions like these: (client) Does Encore Caregivers significantly improve your quality of life every day? (caregiver) Do you have the level of training necessary for you to excel at your job? Far from being cushy, softballs – the questions are bold and pointed and the answers quickly uncover the “good” and the “needing improvement” in the day to day. Using results from the surveys, the Schoppers have tweaked the company’s offering, for clients and caregivers – in an unequaled continual improvement program that has reaped rich results. Home Care Pulse announced in January of 2019 that Encore Caregivers was the only company in Houston that had won their national award, “Best of Home Care Leader in Excellence”. In January of 2020, Home Care Pulse announced that Encore Caregivers was one of only three Houston companies to win their national award. In a national Webinar in January 2021, Home Care Pulse announced a “three-peat” for Encore Caregivers – once again a “Best of Home Care Leader in Excellence” award winner. After 13 years of serving Houston’s families with 2 million hours of high-quality service under the company’s belt, you can be more confident and comforted than ever that Encore Caregivers provides the best in skilled, professional and caring service for your family.

Our Senior Caregivers in Houston, TX

The Caregivers Who Really Care and Make a Difference

Private In-Home Health Aides in Houston, Tx – Our Staff – Who Are They?

They are uniquely qualified for their work: Certified Nurse Aides (CNAs), Home Health Aides (HHAs), Patient Care Assistants (PCAs), Medical Technicians (Med Techs) – they may have different titles but are all skilled, trained with experience. Led by our Registered Nurse (RN) – they are all experienced, competent, trustworthy, and compassionate.

When we couple them with our well-qualified support personnel, Encore Caregivers has nothing short of a winning team!

What You Should Know About Our Staff:

Because we are licensed by the state, Encore Caregivers has high standards when it comes to employment.

As a Home and Community Support Services Agency (License Number 012553) for Personal Assistance Services, Encore Caregivers must comply with the standards, regulations, and periodic reviews mandated by the Texas Department of Aging and Disability Services. What does that mean for you? Without a doubt, it means much higher quality care for your loved one.

Ready to Serve

Our pre-employment process for hiring Certified Nurse Aides (CNAs), Home Health Aides (HHAs), and/or supervisory and support staff exceeds Texas state-mandated requirements. Encore Caregivers retains an outside investigation firm to verify social security number, employment history, driving record and absence of criminal history.

We also require an up-to-date TB test for all caregiving staff. Although not required by the state, Encore Caregivers requires pre-employment (and implements random) drug screens. And of course, verifiable on-the-job experience under the supervision of a nurse and successful completion of a skills/competency examination are necessary before an employment offer is made.

Management Carefully Monitors

Encore Caregivers’ goal is to exceed our clients’ expectations. We do this in a variety of ways. One way is that caregivers provide our nurse with regular updates as to client status and suggested changes. Our “Field Lead” also conducts periodic site visits to assure client satisfaction. Of course, we are always available to address issues presented by the client or family. Another plus – Encore Caregivers requires caregivers to complete a package of training classes before they come on board. Once on board, Encore Caregivers conducts mandatory regular training for its caregivers in subjects relevant to their job function. This training takes the form of three annual in-service trainings, monthly caregiver skills labs, video/written trainings on our Web site as well as an unequaled online training course offering with in-the-know caregiver training company. When it comes to training, we shine.

Proper Matching of Client and Caregiver

Our professional management and caregiver staff understand this simple concept: People are different. Encore Caregivers’ success is primarily due to achieving positive chemistry between the client and the caregiver. We excel in this aspect of client service. We read your preferences and assign a matching caregiver. But, when personnel changes become necessary to achieve the proper matching, every effort is made to achieve a smooth transition.

Minimum Personnel Rotation

Encore understands that both clients and caregivers appreciate stability and consistency in staffing schedules. Encore Caregivers makes every effort to minimize personnel changes once the “right” client and caregiver match is achieved. Understandably, clients are most satisfied when they are able to enjoy continuity of care with their chosen caregiver. However, if a client or caregiver emergency occurs, management reacts quickly to resolve the issue – smoothly.

You Can’t Teach Empathy

Encore Caregivers’ employees have big hearts. This personality trait is fundamental to achieving client and caregiver satisfaction.

If we have to put our finger on one personal trait necessary to predict success as a caregiver, it would be heart. We have it – and then some.

Bonded and Insured

Encore Caregivers’ clients do not have any employer obligations or responsibilities. As the employer, Encore Caregivers insures its caregivers against work-related accidents and pays all required payroll taxes. Also, because Encore Caregivers has stringent hiring practices including background and criminal investigations, we are able to obtain a fidelity bond for each of our employees.

Cindy Devlin RN, Alternate Administrator

Why Choose Encore Caregivers?

We make a positive, significant difference in your loved one’s quality of life.

As you do your research in preparation to select just the right team of caregivers for your loved one, please take a moment to consider:

Prior to the commencement of care, our nurse will schedule a time to meet with the client and family members to answer any questions they may have, and to conduct a no-obligation, no-charge, in-depth assessment of the client’s needs. When the decision for care is reached, the nurse, family, and client will jointly prepare a plan of care that is tailored to the needs of the client.
Encore Caregivers staff members’ schedules are flexible, to accommodate our clients’ needs.
Extensive pre-employment background checks are performed on our caregivers. Applicants must provide verifiable professional references that are meticulously verified.
Clients and family members can reach Encore Caregivers’ care coordinators 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. The same care coordinators working with families and caregivers during normal working hours take call evenings, weekends, and holidays. Whenever you call, the person on the other end of the phone has full, working knowledge of your loved one’s case.
Our caregivers are Home Health Aides or Certified Nurse Aides (CNAs), not just sitters.
Thorough verification of qualifications helps assure Encore Caregivers’ clients that their caregiver will be trustworthy, experienced, mature, and compassionate. From the first day that we began in licensed home care in Houston in 1996, we knew that the key to success in every case depends upon the good match of the caregiver’s personality and skills to the client’s needs.
Caregiver activities are also supervised and monitored by a competent RN and support staff – spot checks and regular communication ensures the best quality of care.

RN on Staff to Help

Caregivers reflect the values, qualifications, professionalism, and experience of their leader. Caring for seniors and elders in a health-related capacity is more than just providing caregivers. Encore Caregivers is unique in that the experience and training of an in-house nurse is available to define client needs, design an effective care plan, and communicate on specific issues with other healthcare professionals and the client’s family.

Licensed by the Texas Department of Aging and Disability Services

Encore Caregivers is a Home and Community Support Services Agency (as defined by the Texas Department of Aging and Disability Services – License Number 012553). We are certified to provide personal assistance services, including “hands-on” care. Encore Caregivers complies with state-mandated practices for client care, personnel hiring practices, personnel background investigation, record maintenance, and numerous other professional and ethical requirements.

“Hands-on” care in the home (i.e. touching the client in any manner) can only be performed by qualified personnel from a Home and Community Support Service Agency – typically a Licensed Home Health or Licensed Personal Assistance Service.

Note: Please be careful. Many firms disguise their services as companions, sitter, or staffing services to avoid the rigorous state licensing process and requirements.

Experienced Management and Proven Track Record

The founders of Encore Caregivers successfully operated home care agencies in the Houston, TX area for many years. They opened the doors of their first licensed home care agency in 1996. The founders and owners have personally experienced or are experiencing the pleasures and challenges of caring for our parents during their years of special needs. It is not an accident that we have chosen to serve the elder and disabled community – it is all about caring for others. It’s personal.

Experienced Home Health Aides and CNAs Mean Continuity of Care

As a licensed agency, state regulations require that Encore Caregivers hires Home Health Aides or Certified Nurse Aides (CNAs), not just sitters. Encore Caregivers’ staff exceeds state-mandated experience and skill requirements. In addition to the pre-employment competency evaluation and work history verification for employees, regularly scheduled training is required.

Thoroughly Screened and Criminal Background Checked Caregivers

Encore Caregivers is confident that its caregivers are qualified, dependable, honest, and trustworthy. Our pre-employment process meets or exceeds the state-mandated criminal background investigation. Additionally, Encore Caregivers performs pre-employment drug screens, which are not required by state regulation. As a result of our stringent hiring practices, Encore Caregivers’ is able to bond our caregivers with a surety bond.

Customized Services to Meet Client’s Needs

A representative of Encore Caregivers will meet with the client and client’s family to assess needs and to develop an individualized plan of care unique to the client. Since Encore Caregivers is responsible only to the client and client’s family, you are our first and only priority.

Proper Matching of Client and Caregiver Personalities

A primary goal of the complimentary nursing assessment is to learn enough about the client, their unique situation, and personality to successfully match them with a caregiver to whom they will relate and trust. While we would like to say this is always successful, there are rare instances where the “fit’ isn’t perfect. In this instance, one call from the client or family is all that is necessary to rectify the situation – either by counseling the caregiver or replacing them with someone more appealing to the client. This is done professionally and without undue stress to the client.

Competitive Rates with Maximum Protection for Clients from Liability

Rates for our services are directly related to the pay rate necessary to hire the most qualified caregivers. Encore Caregivers’ owners have personally committed to providing the highest quality service at the most competitive rates possible. Encore Caregivers’ staff members are employees – not independent contractors. What does that mean? Encore Caregivers pays required payroll taxes and carries workers’ compensation insurance and insurance in the event of work-related accidents. Clients are totally insulated from all risk.

Note: Please be careful – a client is exposed to many risk factors when employing personnel directly or using agencies that classify their personnel as independent contractors.

Minimal Personnel Rotation

Encore Caregivers makes every effort to minimize personnel changes once the “right” client and caregiver match is achieved. Understandably, clients are most satisfied when they are able to enjoy continuity of care with their chosen caregiver.

Our Process

Client-Focused Senior Care In Houston, TX. Our senior home care providers care about each and every client and providing the best care possible for them.

Quality Senior Home Care Begins With You…

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Step 1

Whether planned or resulting from an upset, you recognize the need for help. You are seeking solutions. Your call should be to Encore Caregivers at 713-686-2233 or e-mail us at:care@encorecaregivers.com

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Step 2

We will work with you to set up a time for a no-obligation, no-charge, in-depth assessment of the client’s needs.

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Step 3

Our in-house nurse will assess the client, visit with you to answer any questions and prepare a plan of care that is tailored to the needs of the client.

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Step 4

Reviewing the results of our client assessment, our professional staff carefully assigns a caregiver the client can trust and to whom the client will relate.

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Step 5

Care begins and you now have peace of mind that your loved one is safe and secure at home in the hands of a trained, compassionate caregiver.

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Step 6

Encore Caregivers welcomes family and client feedback. Caregivers are required to provide our supervisory staff with feedback as well. Additionally, periodic visits are conducted by supervisory staff to ensure that Encore Caregivers is achieving the client’s complete satisfaction.