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Burnaby NewsLeader
June 16, 2007
Business provides timely service
by Michael McQuillan, NewsLeader
Timing is everything and the time is right for Marcel Newell’s business, Nurse Next Door.
Consider this: the last Canada Census reports that 14 per cent of Burnaby’s population is over the age of 65 and it’s slightly higher in New Westminster. By the year 2030, 25 per cent of the population will be over the age of 65.
And with public health care struggling to keep up with the needs of seniors, Nurse Next Door is a service that will increase in demand.
Nurse Next Door claims to be Western Canada’s largest home healthcare company with franchises serving Vancouver, Burnaby/New Westminster and Kamloops. Providing its services to mostly seniors, they provide a range of health and home care services, using registered and practical nurses and other care providers.
Newell, who runs the Burnaby-New Westminster franchise, says they’ll even do windows.
“We offer full spectrum service. We have home support, we have care aides, we have LPNs and we have RPNs. So we really do everything.”
Newell had a customer recently ask what was his company’s list of “don’t dos” and he told the client it wasn’t much of a list. “No we do shopping, we do windows and we really tailor the service to the needs of the person.”
Some would argue that the business is treading on the services that public healthcare provides but the public versus private health care discussion is not one that Newell gets involved in.
“We work hand in hand with [public healthcare]. We work together and we basically supplement their care. A lot of our clients are already receiving care from the government. We’re just there to pickup where they leave off,” said Newell.
“The unfortunate thing is the government can not provide as much care as is needed, so our service addresses that.”
Nurse Next Door founder Ken Sim agrees.
“We’re big advocates of universal healthcare system. The challenge facing the universal healthcare system is the impression that it should be all things to all people. Unfortunately it’s not financially feasible for government to pay for all the services,” said Sim.
“We work to meet the growing need for senior care.”
Traditionally the needs of seniors living in their homes was met by family and government, said Sim. But those needs have grown and will continue to grow.
It’s important for Nurse Next Door to provide the full spectrum of care they provide, he said. By helping seniors continue to stay at home they can help keep down costs to healthcare and government.
“By providing the full spectrum of care we enable the elderly to live independently at home. We help them wash windows or do light house work. If we don’t those services they could end up in a long term care facility,” he said.
For more information on Nurse Next Door, phone 604-268-6262 or go online to www.nursenextdoor.com.
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