BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT:

Doug and Leanna Dickstein have taken it upon themselves to provide a dignified alternative to assisted-living facilities as the number of senior citizens continues to grow.

The husband-and-wife duo recently opened a Right at Home franchise on Wilson Avenue in Glendale that connects older residents with nurses and skilled care workers in a familiar setting: their home.

“We want to allow them the opportunity to live comfortably and maintain a standard of living they are accustomed to,” Doug Dickstein said. “There are many fine facilities out there, but the majority of people want to stay at home as much as possible.”

The Dicksteins opened their Glendale office in March and have picked up a steady stream of clients in a field in which both claim little experience.

For years, Doug Dickstein worked as a head of marketing in the entertainment industry and served as a member of the neighborhood council in Silver Lake, where he and Leanna Dickstein live.

While on the council, he worked with a Silver Lake senior citizen group, which paved the way to his current venture.

“I found that it was an enjoyable thing to do, much more enjoyable than working in the entertainment industry,” he said. “So I started looking at opportunities.”

He didn’t have to look too far for a business partner who shared his passion.

As a former emergency medical technician and caretaker for her ailing grandfather, Leanna Dickstein, 39, saw first-hand the need for a home care option that aided seniors without shipping them off to an assisted-living center.

“We took care of our grandfather, which was just expected,” she said. “Now, people have multiple jobs that make looking after people difficult. It’s too bad that it’s gone to the wayside. This is a way to maintain that care within how our society functions.”

The two first looked into starting a business on their own, but, frustrated by the roadblocks inherent in delving into a business neither had much experience in, they came across Right at Home, a national organization that franchises in-home care offices to independent operators.

The Omaha, Neb.-based company opened its flagship office in 1995 before expanding to 130 locations nationwide and 12 offices throughout California, officials said.

As a franchisee, the Dicksteins are required to contribute a percentage of their royalties and have spent about $50,000 to start up the business, a cost that includes overhead payments to nurses and rent in Glendale.

They decided that Glendale would work best as it is a central location between three hospitals and between Downtown Los Angeles and the San Fernando Valley.

By the end of the year, they hope to turn a profit, as the number of seniors in this country is expected to double to 70 million by 2030, according to the United States Census Bureau.

While some of those people may be heading for assisted-living facilities, Doug and Leanna Dickstein are hoping to provide a more personalized service for a price that can reach $20 per hour.

Depending on the needs of the individual, Right at Home offers a free consultation to senior citizens en route to connecting them with appropriate levels of care.

The first level involves providing personal care service that Doug Dickstein, 37, described as “not hands-on.” They include light housekeeping, meal preparation and medication reminders. The next level includes bathing assistance and dental hygiene help for those who need more help.

“We realize sometimes the reality of life makes it impossible to take care of someone in their home,” he said.

Andrea Sheppard, whose uncle has terminal cancer, finds it difficult to see to his needs given the distance from her home to his Reseda residence and her lack of knowledge about what services are needed.

“It’s getting to the point where he doesn’t want to leave home, but he needs help badly,” she said. “[The Dicksteins] answered all my questions, even ones I didn’t know I had to ask. It’s been almost a month, and I’m really happy with what they’ve done so far.”

At the moment, Doug Dickstein works at Right at Home full-time, while his wife still has kept her day job as a counselor with the State Bar of California.

Soon, though, she hopes to work with him full-time as the two continue to provide a basic necessity they feel is lacking in current senior care.

“We’re trying to give people the ability to stay in their homes and not go to a nursing home,” she said. “It gives people a certain sense of dignity.”

Right at Home is located at 517 E. Wilson Ave. For more information, call (818) 956- 5905 or visit www.glendale. rightathome.net.