About Us

 President & Founder, Traci Goudy, RN

As a young woman, Traci Goudy became a registered Nurse and began one of her first jobs in a nursing home. The demand for assistance was so high, and yet she witnessed as many of these precious seniors were treated as less than human by other staff, as if they were a burden for having any needs whatsoever in their aging years. She knew that surely, there had to be a way to improve the conditions and circumstances these seniors were in.

Eventually, Traci found herself working her way up the ranks in retirement communities after moving to the city of Lafayette, IN with her family. After having worked 10 years helping open, manage, and market three local retirement communities, she thought surely, there must be a way to improve on seniors' retirement options without forcing them to move out of their homes.

Not long after, Traci took a leap of faith and opened Homecare By Design in early 2008, one of the first homecare agencies in the Greater Lafayette area. She and her team worked tirelessly to grow the business to meet the needs of the seniors in the area, and she began seeing the fruits of their labor early on. After being awarded Small Business of the Month by the Greater Lafayette Chamber of Commerce in August 2011, we went on to be recognized as Small Business of the Year 2011, an incredible milestone for us, as the first ever (and still the only) homecare agency to receive recognition of this level in our community.

However, after a few more years in the homecare industry, Traci began noticing some interesting patterns - Why is it that so many seniors come to us in crisis mode after an injury or illness? Why is it that so many of our Clients are lonely and depressed? Why is it that so many of our Clients' homes or lawns were in disarray? Why is it that our Clients' children are not sure how to advocate for their parents' needs? Once again, she knew that surely, there must be a better way to assist seniors and their families through these issues... But then, it dawned on her that is there was no way to help them, then she would create something that would.

Homecare By Design’s Evolution

 Over the next few years, Traci expanded Homecare By Design's services and resources, calling the expansion, "Senior Community Without Walls." The idea is simple - Homecare By Design would offer as many of the perks of a retirement community as we could, without seniors having to move into one. So, she opened a Clubhouse in West Lafayette, where seniors could attend activities like book clubs, art classes, fitness classes, social engagements, etc. to address their issues with social isolation and the resulting depression. She took it a step further by introducing home maintenance services with the oversight of her husband, Lee, so that seniors could take preventative safety measures to avoid injuries in their homes and help them maintain the appearance and value of their home when they can no longer perform the maintenance duties themselves. And finally, the idea of a Membership program popped into Traci's mind - a way to help seniors prepare a retirement plan in advance, which can grow and change as their needs transition over time, as opposed to waiting to make life-changing decisions in the event of a crisis. 

Since then, Homecare By Design has gained media attention with Local news outlets and a recent national articles by Home Health Care News. Our story isgaining traction, and as the need for senior care rises over the coming decades, we believe this story will become even more relevant as seniors seek flexible solutions for their retirement.