In 1998, Comfort Keepers was established in by Kris Butler, a registered home nurse. Kris regularly tended to patients who required more than medical attention. She noted that her clients often valued companionship above all else and requested small favors to improve their quality of life. Because of Kris’s role, she could not satisfy their simple asks, whether it was to do laundry, help with transportation, or just spend time over a puzzle.
Kris recognized the emotional struggles of senior patients and saw an opportunity to help. She wanted to provide a solution, but the first step was to pick a name. She brainstormed with her husband, Jerry, and their young children to find a phrase that captured the emotion and sentiment of their future business. Ultimately, their daughter suggested “Comfort Keepers” based on the company’s goal: to keep clients comfortably within their own homes as an alternative to expensive nursing facilities. And Comfort Keepers was born!