Nurse Next Door cares

As the owner of a new agency that provides skilled, vetted caregivers for everything from laundry to nursing and companionship services, Tiffany Rubin is a Registered Nurse who said she opened Nurse Next Door - a franchised home healthcare service - in June to help close a gap in Delaware.

Nurse Next Door provides screened, licensed, insured caregivers for live-in nursing, temporary assistance or end-of-life care as a franchise with more than 70 locations in North America, Rubin said.

With a personal concern for home care and an eye on the demographics of Delaware, the owner said she worked as an R.N. in four different states and most recently at Kent General Hospital after her husband was stationed in Dover and realized opening a Nurse Next Door franchise could help narrow a growing gap in healthcare.

"We provide both medical and non-medical services," she said. "That medical aspect of our agency really sets us up to be an alternative; 93 percent of seniors that live at home want to stay there."

Now operating the service out of a central location in Camden, Rubin said she has a total of 12 clients statewide and is looking to expand in her services in the Cape Region, offering flexible levels of care primarily serving an elderly population.

One of her clients at Nurse Next Door is Mary Watson, who lives north of Milford and needs temporary help after a setback. Watson said she had a seizure and mostly needs assistance with driving and errands until she is cleared by her doctor to get back on the roads.

"They are excellent drivers; these are people who have really been tested on the roads; they have really been cleared for that and their cars are safe," she said.

Watson said the service providers at Nurse Next Door have been able to help her in other ways as well.

"They are very young, they are very pleasant and prompt, on time; they do make some excellent suggestions and remember things I can’t," she said.

With regular visits from Rubin herself, Watson lives alone and said she's been comforted and assured by the extra help. "It’s a light touch' its never a heavy touch when they come. They are very pleasant and they have a very nice feeling about them."

Rubin said she has 22 employees at Nurse Next Door, including four R.N.s, four caregivers and 13 Certified Nursing Assistants to help clients with everything from bathing and light housekeeping to blood draws, medical assistance, Alzheimer's and dementia support.

Many of the calls she has so far received at the agency are from daughters who are trying to cope with a parent's medical issues and day-to-day living as well as their own, Rubin said.

"Most of the time our phone calls are from daughters who are exhausted; they are on the brink; they are physically, mentally and emotionally drained," she said. This is a circumstance when Rubin believes Nurse Next Door can make a big difference.

"One of my goals is to be able to come into the home before they reach the point of breaking," she said. "We can give that peace of mind to clients and we can help daughters be daughters again."

Years ago as a nursing student, the owner said she worked her way through school as a C.N.A. and provided home care services, developing strong bonds with her patients and falling in love with that aspect of nursing.

As the owner of Nurse Next Door, Rubin said she has made it a personal mission to offer superior home care services and enhance her clients quality-of-life.

"Everything is completely customized; its all about making their lives better and giving that peace-of-mind guarantee," she said. "I personally am determined to bring caring back to health care."

For more information, go to www.nursenextdoor.com or call the Delaware offices at 302-264-1021.