Burnaby Now

August 11, 2007

House calls are their game

Nurse Next Door lets people stay home longer before they have to move to a care facility

by STEPHEN THOMSON

A move away from home can be disruptive in any walk of life, especially when it's not wanted. For many seniors, there is little choice in the matter as deteriorating health conditions often demand a move to a care facility that can meet those needs.

But a Lower Mainland-based company, now operating in Burnaby and New Westminster, aims to make staying at home a possibility. Nurse Next Door provides a range of in-home services - from companionship to palliative care - that allow people to stay where they are while getting the attention and assistance they need from trained care workers.

"More people want to age in place," said Kristan Ash, the company's vice-president of franchise and business development.

The company employs staff with a variety of qualifications, ranging from housekeepers to home support workers to licensed practical nurses and even registered nurses.

And they will visit anywhere from a few hours a week up to 24 hours a day.

Ash said the support costs from $18 to $26 per hour.

"We provide assistance to seniors living in the home, allowing dignity and allowing them to live in the home," she said.

By offering a range of services, Nurse Next Door can adapt to the changing needs of patients in an effort to keep them in their homes while providing continuity of care.

"We call it the full spectrum of care," Ash said. But she noted that Nurse Next Door does not directly provide occupational or physical therapy services.

Marcel Newell, who opened a franchise in March that covers Burnaby and New Westminster, said he gave up a career in electrical engineering because he was looking for a more fulfilling career. Last year he heard about Nurse Next Door.

"I couldn't think of a better way to do that, so it was perfect," said Newell, a Vancouver resident.

He said the company helps families stay together and removes the stress that can come when older couples are separated due to differing care needs. After making it through a rigorous interviewing process, he said he was given the chance to open a franchise for Burnaby and New Westminster, one of only three in existence so far.

"It's an honour," he said, referring to his chance to pilot the business.

As part of the services Nurse Next Door provides, clients can have personal home health care that includes monitoring of medication, help with bathing and personal hygiene and companionship.

With more specialized care, clients who have disabilities or who have just had surgery can get assistance, as well as those with Alzheimer's, dementia or other conditions that require individual attention.

And there are also house management services available that include meal planning, cleaning, laundry and grocery shopping.

Ash said Nurse Next Door is filling a niche in the home-care market since it provides a quality of support that was not previously available.

"That's really what we've done," she said.

She said that quality means having permanent employees instead of contract workers, conducting criminal record checks on staff and ensuring they meet a threshold of training and relevant work experience.

The goal of offering a higher standard of home care was what inspired the co-founders of Nurse Next Door.

John DeHart and Ken Sim started the business in September 2001.

Around that time, both were trying to find caregivers for relatives. DeHart's grandmother was dealing with Alzheimer's disease, while Sim's wife was in need of help during a pregnancy.

They were disappointed with the lack of certification, insurance and screening many providers had and wanted to fill that void, according to the company website.

The founders have been recognized with the Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award, and a spot on the Business in Vancouver Top 40 Under 40 list, both in 2006.

But the goals of Nurse Next Door, buoyed by an aging population, extend beyond providing quality care.

The company hopes to one day have 500 franchise partners around the world and be the "911 equivalent" for seniors in the cities served.

Ash said the aim is to have 10 franchises in Canada by the end of 2007, including those in Burnaby/New Westminster, Kamloops and Vancouver.

After that, the company will expand its franchise operations to the United States, she said.

"We know that the business is one that is only going to grow," Ash said.  

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