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For years, Judy Lane heard stories from families struggling to find the right services to meet the needs of their aging parents. While many ended up in special care or nursing homes, it wasn’t always what they wanted.
“Many seniors struggle to find and coordinate various service providers to meet all of their needs. Canadians want to age in place, I believe that this can happen with a focus on redesign and innovation in the way we care for people. This is my passion,” says Lane.
Lane has 30 years of experience as a nurse, 17 years running a long-term care facility and a business degree that she’s used to help her develop a business around aging in place. She got some start-up help through Enterprise Saint John.
“ESJ helped me get my business started. Their funding helped me with startup expenses. As well, the funding enabled me to secure a line of credit at the bank.”
Home Care By Design will offer a variety of mix and match services that allows seniors to continue living in their homes. From basic services such as home support, personal care, transportation and home maintenance to more specialized services such as dementia care, nursing care, rehabilitation, and healthcare navigation.
Lane’s new business may be coming in at the perfect time.
The Canadian Institute for Health Information released a study in July, that looked at more than 59,000 seniors in residential homes across Canada. It found that about 1 in 5 (22%) seniors who entered residential care didn’t really need to be there and could have stayed at home longer with appropriate supports.
New Brunswick has one of the highest proportions of older seniors (75 and older) in the country. While many seniors may want to stay at home while they age, Lane finds many are not properly prepared so Home Care By Design is also offering aging in place planning for families.
“Our service business is unique in many ways. Firstly, we are a one stop shop for seniors. For many, navigating the health and social care systems is complicated and confusing. We are here to provide custom solutions to match their goals and meet their needs,” adds Lane.
While her business is just starting up, the reaction from new clients have been positive.
“They love it and are happy to know that they will be able to live at home longer than they are today,” says Lane.
Right now, the services are available in Saint John, Fredericton and Moncton. In five years, Lane would like to see the business grow around the province, but she’s also looking to make a difference in another way.
“We are a social enterprise company wanting to make a difference in society. Our goal, while helping seniors live well at home, is to help our staff earn a living wage through our profit sharing program. It is our goal for both groups to live a good life,” adds Lane.
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