From left, Brooklyn King, Ben King, Melissa King, Tracie Robertson, Terry Robertson, Connor Robertson and Owen Robertson conduct the official ribbon-cutting on the Home Instead Senior Care Courtenay office, Thursday, Dec. 12. Photo by Terry Farrell

From left, Brooklyn King, Ben King, Melissa King, Tracie Robertson, Terry Robertson, Connor Robertson and Owen Robertson conduct the official ribbon-cutting on the Home Instead Senior Care Courtenay office, Thursday, Dec. 12. Photo by Terry Farrell

Filling the need for growing senior home care in the Comox Valley

Tracie Robertson and Melissa King recently opened Home Instead Senior Care

Tracie Robertson and Melissa King talked at length about going into business together.

Now, after many discussions and going back-and-forth, the best friends always circled back to one idea: homecare.

“We kept doing research, and homecare kept coming back into focus. From our perspective, it’s a massive demand,” explained King, an LPN who works with hospice patients.

Robertson, an RN who works at the North Island Hospital Comox Valley Campus added she sees major overcapacity every day and understands many seniors who are admitted to hospital can’t return to their homes due to lack of support.

That’s when she and King began their research and decided to purchase a franchise to serve homecare needs in the Comox Valley, Campbell River, Parksville and Port Alberni.

“We were looking at homecare companies and we know it would something huge here. We did our due diligence and we decided that Home Instead Senior Care had the same values and ideas of what we stood for. It really spoke to us and we just couldn’t say no.”

King explained the pair have a few missions behind their business: to change the face of aging and to enhance the lives of people aging.

“It’s very personal to us. We want a little bit of a different twist on home care; we back the individual, give support to the family and give back to the community.”

Additionally, they have officially opened their Courtenay office at 350 17th Street which is designed to become an extension of the community. The pair created the space for educating, training and bringing together seniors and caregivers alike.

They currently have seven employees and ensure employees are trained and well prepared to handle any caregiving situation through their CARE program – Changing Aging through Research and Education.

Robertson said they offer a variety of homecare services, from companionship, transportation to more complex services such as IVs, some wound care and palliative care options and service.

“We want to give value to everything we do and ensure the client feels as though they’ve gained a family member and a friend,” said King.

For more information on Home Instead Senior Care, visit www.homeinstead.com/3049 or call 250-338-0554.


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Comox Valley Record