| When Peggy Reitz needed in-home care for her mother a few years ago, she had a difficult time finding a qualified, flexible caregiver to care for the woman, who had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. A longtime registered nurse, Reitz was inspired to start a service on her own that would help families like hers find geriatric sitters.
The Gig Harbor resident started small more than five years ago, keeping her nursing job at a correctional facility while developing her new business, Quality Sitters, in the evenings and on weekends. Shortly after her mother’s passing in 2001, she decided to run her business full time — and see where it takes her.
Reitz now contracts with 35 caretakers, most of whom are Certified Nursing Assistants, to provide in-home care as well as personal care in facilities such as hospices and nursing homes. Acting as a liaison between the family and the caretaker, Quality Sitters takes care of all the details ranging from background checks, scheduling, and setting up a routine or a care plan.
“It takes the pressure off the family,” because dealing with a family member’s illness is a stressful time, Reitz said.
Reitz started out with about 20 caretakers offering only in-home services. She has since expanded to facilities, for families who would like to hire a person for one-on-one care, especially when the facility is short on staff. Previously focused on Pierce County, she is starting to offer her services in Kitsap.
Reitz matches up her caregivers with the families based on the clients’ needs as well as personalities. The caregivers can offer basic companionship and live-in services — as well as any other level of care in between.
Reitz makes herself available 24/7, and even while out of town she takes her cell phone and pager along. She counts on one of her caregivers, Gloria Wright, to serve as backup. “She’s amazing,” Reitz said.
Although creating the schedule for all the families takes a lot of balancing, she stays flexible when they have emergencies or unexpected change of plans — and does the schedule again. The clients appreciate that flexibility, and know they can call Reitz any time with problems.
“I feel like it’s much more than a service. It’s personal for me,” she said. “I try my hardest in all cases to provide the best for people and put myself in their shoes.”
Reitz says managing all the people and the hours is challenging, but her years in nursing, including as a supervisor and director, give her the extra edge. The business aspect is where the real challenge lies, as she had to learn all the quirks of being an entrepreneur as she went along.
While serving as the advocate for the families, Reitz’s second role is to support the caregivers themselves. When a longtime client dies, it’s a difficult time emotionally for a caregiver who has become close to that person. Even Reitz, who doesn’t see the clients as frequently, feels a great sadness when someone passes away. She tries to give her caregivers moral support when needed, and helps them with other challenges. “I am there for them too,” she said.
Quality Sitters is now in its sixth year, and Reitz said that despite her “always on” schedule, she loves what she does. “I only have to answer to me,” she said. “Overall, it’s wonderful to manage (the business) and be able to run it the way I want.”
(Editor’s Note: Quality Sitters can be reached at (253) 857-1012.). | 
