Devastating accident gives Port St. Lucie woman idea for Home Helpers business

PORT ST. LUCIE — Two experiences brought Jean Larsen of Port St. Lucie to where she is today.

She is the owner of the new Home Helpers of the Treasure Coast, a franchise agency that provides nonmedical home care, such as light housekeeping, transportation, meal preparation, companionship and mental stimulation to those confined to their homes. She also provides Direct Link, an emergency call system.

One of her defining experiences taught her the value of such care, she said. The other prepared her to run such a business.

“I owned and operated Personnel Plus for 23 years,” the 65-year-old said.

She sold the office and light-industrial staffing agency in Port St. Lucie just last year, a move she said was prompted by the sorry state of the economy.

The second was the traffic accident she was in in 1999. She was injured, but not as badly as her husband. “He almost died,” Larsen said.

It was during his recovery, she said, that she discovered the value of having someone to help her out in the home with his nonmedical needs.

“I actually hired people through my company (Personnel Plus) to come in and help us and it was a godsend,” she said.” It allowed me to go back to work for part of the day.”

Larsen said she thought she “could do some good for somebody” if she combined her skills and knowledge she has a master’s degree in social work in a business. Her new company was the result.

“It is scary because this is my life savings going into it, and there is no bank that is going to loan me money based on my past experience in another business,” she said. Still, her hopes are high.

“The signs are good for this field,” she said. The ever-increasing number of aging baby boomers creates a steady flow of potential customers.

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