Keepsake Companions brings the personal touch to its non-medical, in-home care for seniors
By Diane Y. Welch
Porsha Vogt loves to help others. It’s in her nature. To channel this love she recently founded Keepsake Companions, a non-medical, in-home care agency, located in Carlsbad, that services the San Diego County area. Although only six months old, her company is part of a well-established franchise that has been around for seven years.
Vogt’s caregivers — required to be Certified Nursing Assistants – are carefully vetted and selected by Janie Hunt, office manager and a former caregiver. They go through an in-depth interview process. Criminal and DMV background checks are run on each applicant who is also required to complete a test to determine how knowledgeable they are, Vogt said.
The agency is a member of the California Association for Health Services at Home [CAHSAH].
“It makes sure that we have all the necessary employee requirements, like bonds, insurances and workers’ compensation. It sets us apart from our competitors as in California as this is not a mandated requirement,” Vogt explained.
Keepsake Companions’ mission is to improve the lives of seniors and their families by providing exemplary care in the home. Help comes in the form of meal preparation, light housekeeping, running errands, transportation and grocery shopping. It also provides bathing assistance, incontinence care and social companionship.
Each caregiver clocks in on arrival and clocks out by calling headquarters on a landline. Client binders, which contain comprehensive details of the care, remain in the client’s home.
“Not only does it keep us in the loop but it keeps the adult children or other family members updated and involved in the care,” said Vogt, who personally interacts with all her clients and meets all of them. “I’ve always enjoyed working with seniors, ever since I was little,” she said.
Vogt, who grew up in Rancho Santa Fe, received a finance degree from the University of Colorado, Boulder. She initially worked in the finance field, but wasn’t passionate about it.
About two years ago, seeking a change of career, she researched the options for combining her love of seniors with giving back to the community, and Keepsake Companions provided “the best of both worlds,” Vogt said.
Clients are treated like extended family, and Vogt goes “above and beyond” in her passion for her business. “One of our clients loves boats, so I took him down to the Yacht Club and we had dinner together. It was great way to bond with him and get to know him,” she said.
Another client was a former pilot for the Navy. “He thought it would be fun for us to go to the commissary on Camp Pendleton’s base together. So we made a day of it. I helped him grocery shop and then we grabbed lunch together afterward,” said Vogt.
This passion for helping seniors came from Vogt’s own experience with her aunt Alice, who had advanced MS (multiple sclerosis) and desperately needed a caregiver. “But we didn’t know then that this type of caregiver service existed and consequently she passed away in her home 20 years ago,” Vogt recalled. This sad memory reminds Vogt to offer the very best services to seniors. “We really do provide our clients with the best quality care possible and go first class in everything.”
To find out about hourly or day rates and availability, call Porsha Vogt at (760) 622-3422 and visit
to learn more about services offered.