The National Post

October 29, 2007

Room for growth in home care

by GRANT SURRIDGE

....

Former investment banker, John DeHart knows this [caregiving] experience firsthand. He and Ken Sim started Nurse Next Door in Vancouver in 2001 after encountering difficulty finding care for sick relatives. But unlike many other home care providers, Nurse Next Door also provides full medical care to its clientele.

"We found an industry that lacked professionalism, it lacked standards, it lacked customer service, and it really lacked a brand," says Mr. DeHart. "But at the same time it was such a valuable and needed service."

When Mr. Sim's wife was confined to bed rest during her pregnancy, the first caregiver he hired had no criminal record check or medical screening, while the second had not met in person with the company that hired him.

Their goal is to build the first national home-care brand in Canada that offers the same level of care found in a hospital or nursing home. Nurse Next Door has four franchises in B.C., and plans to expand in Ottawa and Toronto.

...their goal is to keep seniors in their homes as long as possible at the most affordable price. It is possible to get their service for as low as $50 a week, for simple tasks like getting groceries, says Mr. DeHart.

In Canada the price of nursing home care ranges from $4,000 to $12,000 a month, he says. Full-time care 24 hours a day, seven days a week with Nurse Next Door costs between $5,000 to $7,000 a month. 

....

Return to Press Room