People of the OCQ: Melissa
When Melissa King, owner of Home Instead Nanaimo, talks about her work, it’s clear the business didn’t start with a traditional business plan — it started at the bedside.
“I was working as a palliative care nurse,” she says. “Toward the end of life, I often saw families doing everything they could to care for their loved ones, but many were exhausted. Caregiver burnout was incredibly common.”
That repeated experience of watching exhausted spouses and adult children struggle to care for loved ones stayed with Melissa. She began wondering what more could be done to support families before they reached that level of burnout.
At the time, she was working full-time as a nurse while raising her two children. As she continued to see the challenges families were facing, she began exploring ways to expand support for people wanting to remain at home.
“As I started looking into what it would take to offer in-home care, I realized there was a lot involved behind the scenes in setting up a home care service.”
Her search eventually led her to Home Instead, which was originally started by Paul and Lori Hogan after helping care for Paul’s grandmother.
“The story behind Home Instead really resonated with me,” Melissa says. “It began with a family wanting to help their grandmother remain at home with dignity. That mission aligned closely with my own values as a nurse.”
The Nanaimo office officially opened in October 2020 at 327 Prideaux Street, Unit 14, in Nanaimo’s Old City Quarter. For Melissa, the location felt like a natural fit.
“I like the smaller, independent feel of the Old City Quarter,” she says. “It’s a community of local businesses that support each other, and I wanted to be part of that.”
Since opening, Home Instead Nanaimo has supported over 200 clients across the community, ranging from young adults to aging adults well over 100 years old. Some clients have even celebrated their 100th birthdays while receiving support at home — a milestone that includes a congratulatory letter from the King.
When asked what Home Instead actually does, Melissa smiles.
“We often say we support people from A to Z,” she says. “We provide both non-medical and nurse-supported care to help people remain safe and independent in their homes. Most of our clients are aging adults, but we assist people of all ages who need extra support.”
That support can look very different depending on the individual. Services range from companionship, meal preparation, housekeeping, and transportation to appointments, to personal care and 24-hour support for people living with complex conditions such as Parkinson’s disease, dementia, or ALS.
“We are licensed for both medical and non-medical support,” Melissa explains. “Because the organization is nurse-led, we’re able to provide nurse delegation and clinical oversight, which allows us to assist clients with more complex needs, including end-of-life care.”
Independence remains at the core of her approach.
“People want to remain connected to their homes and the lives they’ve built,” she says. “Even when care needs increase, maintaining dignity and familiarity is incredibly important.”
Melissa has also witnessed how remaining at home can positively impact both clients and their families, allowing loved ones to spend meaningful time together rather than feeling overwhelmed by caregiving responsibilities.
That philosophy also shapes how she builds her team.
Care professionals come from many different cultures and backgrounds, including experienced caregivers and internationally trained nurses. Interviews and training are conducted in person, and the office includes hands-on training equipment to help ensure staff feel confident before entering a client’s home.
“If we wouldn’t trust someone to care for our own family member, we wouldn’t hire them,” she says. “Compassion is the most important quality.”
Before opening Home Instead Nanaimo, Melissa spent many years in nursing leadership roles, including serving as a charge nurse. That experience helped shape her approach to supporting and guiding her team today.
Some team members have been with the company since the very beginning — including Steve, the first caregiver she hired, who now serves as the Care Services Coordinator in the office.
For Melissa, the most meaningful part of the work isn’t business growth — it’s seeing families regain the ability to simply be families again.
“It allows daughters to be daughters again and sons to be sons again,” she says. “Instead of feeling overwhelmed by caregiving responsibilities, families can spend meaningful time together during an important chapter of life.”
Located in Nanaimo’s Old City Quarter, Home Instead is proud to be part of a neighbourhood known for its independent businesses and strong sense of community.
“At the end of the day,” Melissa says, “our goal is simple: helping people remain safe, supported, and at home.”
Home Instead Nanaimo is located in the Old City Quarter at 327 Prideaux Street, Unit 14, and supports clients and families throughout Nanaimo and surrounding Central Island communities, including Ladysmith and Duncan.