Aid & Comfort

With 27 years of experience in nursing, 16 of them as administrator of a large local home-health agency, Ryerson in 2002 opened Millennium House, an adult day-stay facility in Bonita Springs.

The venture carried financial risk, and banks are often leery of financing start-up businesses, she discovered.

"Keeping a positive cash flow has been a challenge," she says. "Costs keep going up, and there are always things that you don't anticipate. We just started turning a profit this past December."

At Millennium House, a caregiver, who often is a family member, drops off the client for a few hours or an entire day. Unlike at a senior center, clients have to meet the criteria of at least one physical or mental disability to join the program. Because Ryerson is a registered nurse, she can administer medication, which companions are not permitted to do.

Located in Springs Plaza near U.S. 41 and Bonita Beach Road, the 3,500-square-foot Millennium House has several activity rooms, a dining area, sitting rooms with comfortable chairs and is equipped for assisted showers. With 11 employees, it boasts a one-to-five employee-to-client ratio. Therapeutic activities range from arts and crafts to music, dancing, impromptu skits and exercise twice a day. The cost is $8 an hour with a four-hour minimum, or $60 for an eight-hour day. Clients come from as far as San Carlos Park and north Naples.

For Ryerson, Millennium House is a dream come true. "When I was administering the home-health agency, I knew that I wanted something smaller, more hands-on, that I could manage myself. This was a calling from my heart," she says.

In June, the Bonita Springs Area Chamber of Commerce named Millennium House as Business of the Year for 2005. For Ryerson, the positive reinforcement has been inspirational.

"I felt that I needed to provide a place where there is a lot of love and nurturing care being given to the elderly population," she explains. "The award was given because of all of the hard work the staff and everyone put forth to make this a business. My goal has always been to provide a home-like environment where we could help with self esteem while improving quality of life."