When Leslee Deanes-Bryant's grandmother was sent home from Cedars-Sinai after a catastrophic medical error, the pharmaceutical sales rep faced an impossible choice.
Her grandmother — sharp-minded and independent enough to have driven herself to the hospital — needed round-the-clock care. But Leslee had a lot on her plate: managing significant personal challenges, working full-time across her coastal territory and trying to hold everything together.
"I'm not a caregiver," she admits. "I don't even like the sight of blood. But I am a giver."
That personal crisis in 2010 sparked what founder and CEO Leslee Deanes-Bryant would build into UltraCare Home Services, a company providing non-medical home care services across Los Angeles County.
More importantly, it positioned Leslee at the forefront of what she calls "a silent surge" — the explosive growth of dementia care needs that most American families aren't prepared to face.
The Numbers Tell a Stark Story
Dementia ranks as the seventh leading health crisis globally, yet it remains largely invisible. "It's happening in everyone's living rooms, kitchens and bedrooms, but it's quiet. That's part of the problem," Leslee explains. Today, 55 million people worldwide live with dementia. By 2050 — just 24 years away — that number will triple to more than 150 million.
The primary driver isn't a new disease. "Aging is the number one risk factor," Leslee notes.
"We're living longer, and it's allowing dementia to show up." Advanced healthcare has increased life expectancy, but longer life brings increased risk. High blood pressure, obesity, diabetes, smoking, and poor sleep all contribute.
For baby boomers — all of whom will be over 65 by 2030 — this represents a healthcare reckoning most families haven't prepared for.
When Care Can't Wait
"The problem is, you don't know you need home care until it's time you need home care," Leslee says. "Then you are not financially prepared, mentally prepared or knowing what the next steps are." This creates delayed intervention, inadequate care, family burnout and spiraling costs.
The decision to seek home care isn't just about the patient, Leslee emphasizes — especially with dementia. The care is also for the family, the adult children still working and raising families, caught between generations with no roadmap.
Home care offers distinct advantages. Unlike assisted living where clients share staff — sometimes 10 or 20 residents to one caregiver — home care provides one-on-one attention.
"You're not paying for a package of care," Leslee explains. "You're paying for one-on-one quality care."
Clients remain in familiar surroundings. Family can visit anytime. "When they drop by and she's sitting in her house in her favorite chair — not hanging out in that hallway — there's no guilt when they go to bed at night," Leslee describes.
The True Cost of Waiting
When families delay, expenses mount beyond dollars.
"The longer we wait, the transitioning becomes too late," Leslee warns. "It costs more money and risk. You put your family at risk. And then the family members have regret."
That regret — wondering if you acted soon enough — can't be quantified. Families who wait too long face loved ones injured from falls, confusion from abrupt transitions or guilt over facility placement when home care might have worked.
While home care requires investment, it's often more cost-effective than institutional care when 24-hour support isn't needed. Long-term care insurance helps, though families should expect some out-of-pocket expenses.
Beyond Bodies: The UltraCare Difference
What separates exceptional home care from adequate care?
For Leslee, it starts with one principle: "We're not just sending bodies. We're giving peace of mind with quality care and trained caregivers."
Leslee personally conducts all home assessments, matching caregivers to individual needs and personalities.
"It's kind of like a roommate situation, but the beauty of it — you can return them," she says. For dementia care, this matching is critical. “I'll tell you I don't have a caregiver for you if that's the case," Leslee insists.
"Dementia care requires more than just presence. It requires preparedness,” Leslee emphasizes.
Her dementia-trained caregivers understand that repetition isn't rudeness — it's the disease. They know that wandering at night, called "sundowning," happens when someone's circadian rhythm becomes confused. They recognize that what looks like stubbornness may be fear and disorientation.
Families First: Supporting Those Who Support
Nearly 70% of families want loved ones to age at home. But caregiver burden has created a generational gap in caregiving capacity.
"The baby boomer era is starting to retire, but they're getting sicker earlier because they've probably been working longer than they should have," Leslee observes. Families are "choosing between presence versus absence, control versus compromise."
Professional home care doesn't replace family involvement — it enables it. When trained caregivers handle demanding physical tasks, family members can focus on connection: sharing meals, conversations, and memories without the exhaustion of being on-call 24/7.
Home care preserves family unity and dignity. With facility care, families often see loved ones becoming withdrawn. "Those are signs of depression," Leslee notes, "but with dementia, you can't relay that information."
A Personal Mission Becomes a Business Model
Leslee's path to founding UltraCare required betting everything — literally. After exhausting options to find quality care for her grandmother, she cashed out the last of her 401(k) to start the business. "I bet it all," she says simply. She worked two full-time jobs for a decade, from 2010 to 2020, building the company while still in pharmaceutical sales.
"No one saw the vision but me," she reflects. "I knew this need was coming, and I knew I wasn't a caregiver. But I knew I was compassionate. I knew I was a businesswoman. I knew I could train people."
That vision led to her building a powerhouse home care company that is now recognized on the prestigious Inc. 5000 List, ranking 103rd nationwide and 10th in Health Services.
But Leslee's mission extends beyond what she’s accomplished at UltraCare.
"I am an advocate for home care. I don't care if you do not use me." She tells prospective clients when they don't yet need her services, encouraging them to save their money.
Preparing for What's Coming
As dementia cases prepare to triple, Leslee emphasizes one message: preparation. Families need to understand when to seek help, what to look for, and what waiting costs.
"This is the era we're going to speak to — being prepared," she says. That includes financial planning. "You should pay for long-term care insurance the same way you pay for car insurance," Leslee advises.
Families need honest conversations about care preferences before crisis hits and education about early cognitive decline signs.
Leslee believes that the future of healthcare is increasingly home-centered.
Home is where comfort lives, where memories reside, where dignity can be maintained as abilities decline. As Leslee puts it: "Home care is not just about services. It's about sovereignty — ensuring your family member is more than just supervised. They deserve connection, and to stay in their home as long as they can."