The timing of Ari Tiktin’s BrightStar Care opening was not ideal. Two weeks after New Jersey’s governor approved sweeping restrictions in response to Covid-19, Tiktin acquired the franchise serving Passaic County and western Bergen County, New Jersey, just miles from Manhattan. By Jessica Jones
The timing of Ari Tiktin’s BrightStar Care opening was not ideal. Two weeks after New Jersey’s governor approved sweeping restrictions in response to Covid-19, Tiktin acquired the franchise serving Passaic County and western Bergen County, New Jersey, just miles from Manhattan.
The governor’s executive order of March 16 ushered in a new normal: schools closed, non-essential businesses shuttered and social distancing became mandatory. BrightStar Care, an essential business, remained open, and Tiktin had to quickly adapt.
As a new owner, Tiktin should have been making connections with other local business owners, networking and hosting staff events – but much of that activity became secondary to new priorities prompted by the pandemic.
Tiktin found new ways to serve his community, introducing a grocery delivery service in his territories, gathering personal protective equipment for his staff and caregivers, and sending out email blasts to clients announcing the safety precautions put in place. He says he has watched his team adapt gracefully amid the changes.
“The most important factor in all of this is safety,” Tiktin says. “We have to ensure that we can keep whatever promises we make to our clients and our community. Whether that be stepping up for our co-workers or providing additional services for our clients, we’re all hands on deck to make it happen.”
BrightStar Care serves symptomatic and asymptomatic covid-19 patients. Caregivers working at the 330 independently owned and operated BrightStar Care locations were allowed to choose whether they would work with symptomatic patients. Those who made that choice received training and PPE to do so safely.
While Tiktin works hard to remain positive and motivate his team, he says the resiliency and passion shown by his director of nursing and his caregivers are truly unmatched. He calls his staff the guiding light in a dark time.
“The bond between caregivers and their clients is truly special – similar to a kinship,” Tiktin says. “Above all else, I’m thankful for my staff and all the caregivers and frontline workers for their bravery, optimism and connection they have to all the people they are helping.”
For more information about the BrightStar Care franchise, visit brightstarfranchising.com.
– Jessica Jones