Ama

My journey to founding CareRoyal didn’t begin in a boardroom; it began in a sun-drenched compound in Accra, listening to the rhythmic sound of my grandmother, Nana, pounding fufu.

Nana’s compound was the heart of our family and community. The air was rich with the scent of nut stew and plantains, and her courtyard was a revolving door of life neighbors seeking her counsel, children gathered to hear Anansi stories, relatives sharing laughter and news. She was our pillar, our keeper of history and tradition. We cared for her with a deep, unwavering respect. It was never a burden; it was our honor and duty.

When I arrived in the United States, full of ambition and hope, I carried the memory of that compound and its spirit of community like a guiding star. Years later, when I was finally established, I brought my mother here to live with me, eager to provide her with the comfort she had always sacrificed for my future.

But I witnessed a different reality. I saw my joyful, resilient mother grow quiet and isolated in my comfortable apartment while I was at work. The language barrier was a constant challenge. The fast-paced culture was a stark contrast to the communal life she knew. Her world, once so vibrant and full of connection, shrank to the confines of a television screen. I felt a profound guilt I had given her safety, but I had unintentionally stripped away her community and her sense of purpose.

The breaking point came when I visited a friend’s father at a large, institutional care facility. It was clean and clinical, but it felt empty. The fluorescent lights, the impersonal hallways, the kind but overworked staff who rushed from task to task. I saw an elderly woman sitting alone in a common room, and I saw my mother. I saw my Nana. I saw a system that managed schedules but neglected souls.

In that moment, my two worlds collided: the deep, communal respect that is the core of my Ghanaian upbringing, and the lonely, isolated reality I saw here. I thought, This is not care. This is storage.

I didn’t just see a business opportunity; I felt a profound calling. My immigrant ex feeling of building a bridge between two cultures—uniquely equipped me to understand this problem. CareRoyal is my answer. It is the promise I made to my Nana, and to my mother, brought to life. It is the home I wished my mother had when she first arrived a place that feels like a warm, welcoming compound, not a foreign institution. A place where staff don’t just complete chores; they know your name, your stories, and the songs you love. A place where dignity isn’t a feature; it is the foundation.

We are building more than a facility. We are building a new community for those who built ours. We are weaving the compassionate, communal spirit of my Ghanaian roots with the excellence and opportunity.