Maggie Drag

In 1986, at 19 years old, Maggie came to the United States with no English, no plan, and no money. And with a $ 100 that her mother gave her. When she arrived, she immediately began working whatever jobs she could find to make ends meet. She worked in a plastic factory, a department store, and a restaurant. She was overworked and underpaid, working three jobs, seven days a week, simply to survive.

At one point, she even had to sleep in her car. But Maggie was not alone in her struggle. She was living in New Britain, surrounded by immigrants who had come to America with dreams of building better lives but were facing many of the same challenges she was.

Maggie knew what it felt like to arrive in a new country without a safety net. She knew what it felt like to struggle, to work hard, and to be mistreated. And she remembered the lesson her mother had taught her as a little girl: if you see someone struggling, you help.

Maggie didn’t set out to build a home-care company. She was already helping immigrants find jobs, apartments, and opportunities because she understood what it felt like to arrive in America without a safety net. Over time, one experience in particular would change the direction of her life.

Maggie recalls a story that marked the beginning of her journey into home care. It was the middle of the night when Maggie was awakened by a phone call. On the other end of the line was a woman who was crying. She had just landed at the airport and had nowhere to go. A friend had told her to call Maggie because Maggie was a resource for immigrants.

Maggie had no idea who this woman was, but she immediately went to pick her up from the airport and brought her home. The woman stayed with Maggie for a month. During that time, Maggie taught her English, taught her the basics of driving in America, and helped her with the legal paperwork she needed all without expecting anything in return.

Eventually, Maggie found her a caregiving job. She translated between the caregiver and the family and convinced the family to give the woman a chance. She told them they only had to try her for two weeks, and if it didn’t work out, Maggie would pick her up herself. Those two weeks eventually turned into nine years.

From a Client — Received After Years of Care

Over her 37 years of experience, Maggie has discovered that the meaning behind home care is about fit: finding the right human being for another human being, while protecting the dignity and respect of everyone involved.

Maggie began seeing a placement almost like a marriage.

The client has needs, and the caregiver has needs. For the relationship to last, both have to be respected; valued; appreciated; cared

That same belief in caring for the person not simply filling a position shapes the way Maggie thinks about caregivers, too.

She saw the kindness that her clients showed her caregivers, treating them like part of their families and welcoming them into their homes with warmth and generosity. Maggie wanted to create that same feeling of hospitality and care for caregivers when they walked into the office.

Caregivers are welcomed with kindness, warmth, and the simple comforts of being made to feel at home.

But appreciation goes beyond a warm welcome. Caregivers are recognized through Caregiver of the Month awards, birthday recognitions, benefits, health insurance, 401(k) plans, wellness programs, and financial awards for caregivers who go above and beyond their daily responsibilities bringing purpose, meaning, and joy into their clients’ lives.

Because Maggie believes that when caregivers feel valued and supported, they are better able to bring that same care and compassion into someone else’s life.

And just as Maggie understands the importance of caring for caregivers, she understands what it means to be the family member who needs care, too.

Maggie understands not only the struggles of caregivers, but also the struggles of being a daughter caring for a loved one.

Leaving her mother was the hardest thing she ever had to do.

And before even buying her first home for herself, Maggie renovated and rebuilt her mother’s home. She brought her mother to America for holidays, paid for her medical care and surgeries, and stayed with her in the hospital during those surgeries to make sure her mother’s needs were communicated and that she was never alone.

Maggie knows that this is what families do for the people they love.

She also knows how difficult it can be.

Caring for a loved one means being there for doctor’s appointments, preparing meals, helping with daily tasks, managing responsibilities, and making sure they are safe and cared for. But somewhere in the middle of all those responsibilities, it can become difficult to simply be their daughter, their son, or their family.

Maggie understands that struggle personally.

Her mother taught her that when you see someone struggling, you help. Today, Maggie wants to give that same kind of help back to families.

Let us take care of the needs, so you can go back to being family.

That belief is at the heart of the way Maggie approaches every family who walks through the door.

When a daughter calls the office today, Maggie doesn’t see just another client. She sees herself.

She knows what it feels like to worry about someone you love. She knows what it feels like to want to make sure they are safe, respected, and cared for. And that is why her team doesn’t simply ask, “Who is available?”

They ask, “Who is the right person?”

Because Maggie believes families deserve choices, and that there is no one-size-fits-all model for home care. The right caregiver is not simply someone who can perform the tasks. It is someone who is the right fit for that person, that family, and that home.