Ferrando Palacious always wanted to be a business owner. During his time working as a paramedic, he began to see the deficiencies in the community for senior care, which sparked an interest in pursuing a business helping seniors in the ways that they weren’t being helped.
As a nine-year paramedic, Palacious often saw that the emergent calls he was dispatched to could have been avoided or reduced by having some home care provided.
“The commonalities were that people would benefit from home visits or having someone check in on them. We would get a wide variety of calls, ranging from medically related to just feeling lonely, many of which could be prevented by having help in the home.” he said.
“I originally wanted to start a long-term-care facility, but there was a lot of red tape. I worked my way to home care, and I stumbled across Home Instead Sudbury for sale. It just aligned so well.”
Home Instead currently offers home care for all ages, which includes personal care, companionship, and nursing care. We also offer these services to motor vehicle accident clients.
“We offer both home care and companionship. Sometimes people don’t always need personal care, but they do need someone to interact and communicate with,” he said.
While he saw plenty on-the-job that made him want to move into senior care, his father’s 2018 cancer diagnosis also played a role.
“My parents lived in Picton and I moved them to Sudbury, where I could try to help more with my dad; however, the amount I was able to help was still limited. Seeing the home care that was provided to my dad was subpar, with many missed visits, I wanted something better for him and for all clients in the community,” he said.
“When I bought Home Instead, we put a lot of work into this. It was personal for me. At Home Instead, we match caregivers to clients and try to ensure our clients are comfortable and get the best care possible. I looked at what I know my dad needed, and it bugged me that he didn’t have it. With Home Instead, I can ensure we do things the right way.”
He says though people don’t like discussing getting older and the changes in their independence, it’s so important to plan for eventualities.
“Everyone wants to live the best life they can. We are there to make sure people can live at home for as long as possible, even if they can’t fully care for themselves. A retirement home or assisted living isn’t for everyone, and can be expensive,” he said.
“Although I am running a business, people and their needs are important. They deserve to be treated well and have the best care we can offer. Government subsidies only provide so many hours for care, so planning is so crucial. People don’t plan for the potential costs that may come in retirement, and it’s important to anticipate the need for home care. We are here to help.”
While he did have some frustrations with home-care for his father, Palacious points to the exemplary job Maison McCullough Sudbury Hospice did to help his father toward his final days. He notes that as the type of service he wants to offer.
“My father relied on some of the donations made to the hospice, which can get very expensive. But the staff at the hospice were incredible. The way they treated my family was amazing, and they went above and beyond. They didn’t make it about dollars and cents,” he said.
As a result, he recently held a senior’s gala at the Caruso Club to honour his late father, with all proceeds going to the hospice.
“I wanted this to be a community event people look forward to, and I wanted to do something good for the community I serve. This charity meant something to me and I wanted to show my appreciation. We will continue to host an annual senior’s gala where all the proceeds will go to the hospice,” he said.
Changes are still coming for Home Instead, where Palacious only bought a little under a year ago. They recently hired a marketing firm LaunchPad to help them advertise to more people, but he’s mainly focused on the care he can provide to Sudbury residents.
“We have nine office staff and 69 care providers, and over 120 clients. We are constantly supporting them in the best way possible. This business has been around 14 years, and I’m making sure we continue the legacy while also enhancing it,” he said.
“We want to have an impact on this community. With fresh eyes and ideas and this amazing, supportive team, I am really proud of the work we are doing here.”
For more information on Home Instead Sudbury and their services, visit them online here.