Magdalena Brandon is a caretaker at heart.
The Las Vegas resident of more than three decades is a self-described “supporter” who, a few years ago, began doing errands for the elderly, taking her charges to doctor’s appointments or the grocery store and just generally being company to them.
“I really enjoyed it,” Brandon said. “Because they have so much information, and it’s just like you’re listening to a history book.”
Now, Brandon has signed up to be a “grandma” for Rent A Grandma, a company new to the Las Vegas Valley that provides caretakers—affectionately known as grandmas or grandpas—for babysitting, pet sitting and house sitting, as eldercare companions and more.
“I hope that we can reach the communities all through the Las Vegas and Henderson area and have an opportunity to show what we can do, because there’s a lot of us that are very caring individuals that want to help,” Brandon said. “So, I’m just excited to get started.”
Dianne Mayor, founder and CEO of Rent A Grandma LV, said she helped out a lot with her first granddaughter. She realized then she could do what she did for her own daughter by helping others and became a postpartum doula and newborn care specialist.
In that time, Mayor said, she also began to connect families in need that she didn’t have time to help with other doulas.
“That’s when I realized connecting families to quality care providers was a need in itself,” she said. “And then I found out about Rent A Grandma … and that they had not reached Las Vegas yet. And I thought it was the perfect opportunity to connect families with grandmas like myself, who were looking for work.”
She’s been surprised by the number of people who are willing and able to become a “grandma,” Mayor said. One thing they all have in common, she said, is the desire to stay active. The company charges an hourly rate for its service averaging $20 per hour.
“I never knew my grandma growing up, so I always had grandma envy,” Mayor recalled. “And now I’m surrounded by all these grandmas, and I’m loving it.”
A majority of what Rent A Grandma does is child care, particularly for new parents or households with two working parents, said Todd Pliss, founder and CEO of the first-ever Rent a Grandma operation in Los Angeles, which began in 2011 when it was featured on Shark Tank.
In addition to being available daily, Rent A Grandma is “more one-on-one” service than daycare, Pliss said, with more flexibility. The company has had grandmas who travel with the families they care for, grandmas who have teaching or nursing experience and more.
“I think they probably get more out of being with a grandma,” he said. “Kids are probably going to feel more comfortable at home, really. You know, they bond pretty quick with people, kids. So pretty soon, grandma seems like part of the family.”
The agency offers “so much more than just nannies,” however, Mayor said, even including laundry services.
“It’s so great to have grandmas,” she said. “They come to you with knowledge, experience and care you can trust. Who can’t trust their grandma? And there’s so many families in need, and so many grandmas looking to make a difference, and that’s why I’m here.”
Everyone wants and even needs a grandma or its equivalent, Mayor said, noting that she’s had positive feedback since the company’s launch in Southern Nevada.
“Especially in this town, it’s so transient that people don’t have their family here,” she said. “And I figured, with Rent A Grandma, we can provide them with that opportunity to have their very own grandma and help them in their time of need.”
For Brandon, a business owner, Rent a Grandma LV is a way to make additional money while doing something she loves.
She chose the company over other options because she said it felt like a compassionate choice with family values where she wouldn’t be just another “number,” Brandon said.
“I feel it’s a great business to be in, and there’s a huge need, because a lot of times they just don’t have people that are here, or their family’s busy or they need support, and they don’t know where to turn,” she said. “So, this seems to be like a very nurturing business.”
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