Palliative care has a special place in Ka-
zmaier’s heart. She feels “incredibly pas-
sionate” about supporting people who
need that level of care, allowing them to
live and die with dignity at home. It also
means going above and beyond to make
that client feel special, something that is
intuitive among the caregivers working
for CalaCare. Kazmaier remembered one
of her employees who was visiting with a
woman in her early 50s who had cancer.
Her appetite was poor but one day she re-
ally wanted an apple. Her caregiver was
happy to provide the fruit … after she had
carved it into the shape of a swan. The cli-
ent was so delighted that she sent a pic-
ture of the creation to Kazmaier. “That is
elegant care,” she explained. “It’s such a
simple thing that gives such pleasure.”
NAMED AMONG TOP
40 UNDER FORTY
Though CalaCare is only a few years old,
the business has been expanding steadily.
Today, Kazmaier has three office staff and
50 to 60 caregivers in the field and saw
growth of 500 per cent over last year. It’s
no surprise that she was named a recipi-
ent of the top 40 Under Forty Business
Achievement awards in 2014, an event
that recognizes Hamilton and Halton’s next
generation of business leaders.
Finding caregivers, primarily personal
support workers and registered practical
nurses, who embody CalaCare’s values is
important to Kazmaier and that makes the
hiring process a rigorous one, involving po-
lice and vulnerable sector checks, phone
and in-person interviews, and extensive
screening.“ They have to be reliable and
they have to have that elegance, that will-
ingness to go above and beyond and be
able to make that person feel special,” she
said. “My bottom line is, would I trust this
person to care for my mother? Do they
create that sense of trust with me?”
“We see people on their worst days so we’re trying to be there to simplify the complex
situation, give families peace of mind and provide clients with the services that they
need to make their life easier.” Jennifer Kazmaier, Owner & Director of Care
JULY 2015
H
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