For Josée et Marcel
And for Barbara, Robert, Carol, Bill, Susan, Réal, Jim, Margaret, George, Shirley, Larry…
We became Damava a little at the time. It began with fulfilling one family’s need, and gradually evolved into meeting a need now being faced by a growing number of Canadian families. Josée and Marcel wanted to continue living together at home. Their son Ronald, resolved to honour their wish, so with the support of his sister Diane, they started their quest.
For the help and periodic care they needed, they turned to all that was available. Health center and social services, private agencies, direct hiring of caregivers and the Live-in Caregiver Program of the Canadian Government. With a mix of these services combined with the participation of their families, they managed to keep Josée and Marcel in their home for the rest of their lives.
Over time Ronald gained valuable experience in home care for seniors. Moreover, he found that caregivers who took care of his parents were very poorly paid and often the agencies had an hourly rate beyond double the wages of these same caregivers.
Following the death of his parents, Ronald was determined to make home care more accessible by creating a new concept that would offer lower prices while rewarding those who take care of our seniors more honourably.