Expanding Respite Care Services to Meet Demand and Increase Organizational Competitiveness

This paper presents the results of student efforts in an undergraduate Capstone course at Molloy University’s School of Business. During the 14-week Spring 2023 semester, these 12 students worked in small teams to address an opportunity presented by a senior executive of The Viscardi Center, a highly regarded 70-year old nonprofit organization based in Albertson (Long Island), New York. To help executives evaluate whether Viscardi could expand its respite care services, students were asked to conduct: (1) research about competitive respite care services/programs; (2) market research with key stakeholders; and, (3) an analysis of financial viability. Students gave Viscardi the “green light,” and delivered their recommendations in three business reports and presentations at the end of the semester. Recommendations were based on industry and organizational research. All recommendations included turn-key implementation plans, projected benefits, potential risks and mitigation efforts, and more. With this collaboration, The Viscardi Center, joins a growing list of repeat Capstone clients which is a testament to the valuable work of our Molloy business students. Capstone is a culminating course required of all Molloy business students in their final year or semester. It involves three mixed methods: the flipped classroom, community engagement, and experiential learning.