New Kailua Senior Care Service Makes House Calls

Aging gracefully at home is probably the ideal for most seniors, but it isn’t always the easiest option.

Still, it’s something Butch DePonte-Merideth wants to make available to everyone, as the owner of Home Instead Senior Care.

“Studies have shown that, if you’re able to allow seniors to stay in their home as they age,” he said, “they can lead longer and more productive lives.”

Home Instead specializes in nonmedical, at-home senior care, ranging from “basic companions” for card games and conversation to “home helpers” who can do household chores, and “personal care” for those who need help with bathing and incontinence.

“There are other companies that do what we do,” noted DePonte-Merideth. “There’s going to be a lot of need for this … So we’ve done a lot to create a really warm environment so that caregivers are part of the family, and they really are bonded to the mission and the heart of the company and what we do.”

One of two Oahu affiliates of the Omaha-based senior care chain, Home Instead serves Central and Windward Oahu, including Kaneohe, Kailua, Waimanalo, Laie, Hauula, Ahuimanu and more. (The other affiliate serves Honolulu.)

“It was nice for me to be able to start a business in the town that I live in,” said DePonte-Merideth. “I’m a local boy.”

He’s only been in business since March 16, but things are going well for DePonte-Merideth. “It’s a very interesting balance at the beginning,” he said, noting the challenge of keeping clients and caregivers in equilibrium.

Home Instead also has launched the Sunday Dinner Pledge program, which promotes eating together at mealtimes. The organization will donate $1 to Meals on Wheels for each of the first 20,000 pledges taken, and will provide pledgers with a year of recipes and shopping guides to help.

Home Instead is located at 970 N. Kalaheo Ave. For more information about services or job openings, visit homeinstead.com/797 or call 744-0215.