Agape United Home Care strives to reshape senior support

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ONTARIO — A four-hour dinner conversation in March 2024 sparked the idea for two friends to start a home health care agency.

Brittany Rayburn and Desiree Nidiffer attended nursing school at North Central State College in 2018. They graduated in 2020 and stepped directly into the frontlines of healthcare during the height of COVID-19.

Rayburn launched her own business as a 1099 private duty registered nurse, while Nidiffer pursued travel and correctional nursing.

“After that, we hit the ground running,” Rayburn said. “We were licensed six weeks later by the state and accepted our first client two weeks after that.”

The two quickly expanded their vision. Rayburn said they took their business to a reality show called The Blox to compete for best new start up, where they did really well. Their season will air this fall on Facebook, BetaBlox and Prime Video.

On Aug. 18, they celebrated with a ribbon-cutting at 555 Stumbo Road, hosted by the City of Ontario, since the business operates entirely online.

Serving communities

Agape United Home Care currently serves communities from Mansfield to Cleveland. Rayburn said they accept Passport waivers through the Area Agency on Aging in Richland, Ashland, Knox, Crawford, Marion, Huron, Wyandot and Seneca counties, with plans to expand to the District 10A in Cleveland.

Rayburn said her passion for caring for seniors is part of what drives their mission.

“We don’t slow down enough to care for the elderly,” Rayburn said. “My passion is helping keep them in their homes until the very end.”

Agape United Home Care provides non-skilled services that include personal care, mail and medication organization, appointment transportation, errands, pet care and light housekeeping for seniors with dementia or are on hospice.

Rayburn said their business stands out because registered nurses completely own and operate it.

“Desiree and I have a classy and unique perspective on home care,” Rayburn said. “We bring a quality approach to in-home care due to our experience personally in the health field.”

Since Agape United Home Care operates entirely online, Rayburn said, this allows them to spend more time in clients’ homes, also providing convenience for employees.

Shaping new standards

Nidiffer said their vision for Agape United Home Care centers on trust, compassion and reshaping expectations.

“Our goal is to become Ohio’s most trusted home care agency by providing care that truly meets the individual needs of each client,” Nidiffer said. “As a company founded and led by registered nurses, we are committed to shifting the negative stigma often associated with in-home care.”

She said their focus is on delivering trustworthy, high-quality and compassionate services tailored to each person they serve. Their goal ultimately being to set a new standard for home care, one that families can rely on with confidence and peace of mind.

Nidiffer said they are building Agape United Home Care from the ground up, creating everything from their logo design to the creation of their own systems.

“Our goal is to take the focus away from a business-first mindset and bring back the true healthcare feel of compassion and connection,” Nidiffer said.

She said their approach is unlike the traditional structure of most home care agencies.

Rayburn and Nidiffer said they deeply appreciate the support they have received since day one, and they believe that with dedication and resilience, they can accomplish anything with Agape United Home Care.