MONROE, Conn. — Allison E. Hulme is a registered nurse who has worked at Trinity Health and Yale. She has 11 years of experience as a home health care provider and recently opened her own agency on the second floor of Building One in Bradford Green, 755 Main St. On Monday morning, town officials held a ribbon cutting ceremony to welcome Nurse Next Door to Monroe.
Nurse Next Door is a “private-pay skilled home healthcare agency introducing a higher standard of in-home medical support, delivering concierge-level nursing care to both adults and new families seeking exceptional clinical oversight, discretion, and continuity in the comfort of home,” according to an agency press release.
Hulme said the agency was created to serve families who value medical excellence and personalized care beyond what traditional, insurance-driven models can provide.
“Families today are navigating increasingly complex medical needs at home — whether that’s recovering from surgery or adjusting to life with a newborn,” she said. “They want experienced clinicians, not just assistance. They want confidence that every detail is being managed with expertise and discretion.”
The ribbon cutting was attended by First Selectman Terry Rooney, Monroe Economic and Community Development Director William Holsworth, Monroe Chamber of Commerce President Ray Giovanni and some members of the Chamber and Monroe Economic Development Commission.
“On behalf of the town of Monroe, I certainly would like to welcome Allison and the Nurse Next Door,” Rooney said. “This operation, I’m sure is going to serve many local communities.”
The first selectman said the home nursing business is a great thing for Monroe’s seniors and other residents in need of these services. Rooney also told Hulme the staff at Monroe Town Hall and its Economic Development office will always be there to help.
“This is a wonderful industry that we certainly can use,” Giovanni said, “and as our populations are getting older we’re going to need these resources like nobody’s business, as we already are behind the eight-ball, I feel.”
As branch manager of Union Savings Bank in town, Giovanni said he hears stories from clients with all kinds of needs for the services Nurse Next Door provides.
“We thank you for bringing this to our town,” he said. “We have someone that is local that we can recommend and we’ll look forward to doing so — and our Chamber will help you in every which way and try to promote your good skill sets that you deliver.”
Three ribbons were cut Monday, including a pink ribbon representing family.
Hulme’s son, Jacob Pedroza, who is a certified nursing assistant and a caregiver at Nurse Next Door, attended the ceremony along with her stepmother, Carolyn Finch-Hulme, and friends Dr. William Petit, Mary Hill and Tara Conte.
Nurse Next Door is based in Canada and Hulme owns a Monroe franchise, whose business entity honors another family member.
“My business is owned by an LLC that I named after my sister Wendy Hulme, who was killed in 2014,” Hulme said. “It is named Wendy’s Heart LLC. Wendy was a special education teacher in Connecticut with the most loving heart. There was nothing she wouldn’t do for anyone. I surround myself with hearts and kindness to always remember my sister and I truly believe she is with me in spirit.”
Services Nurse Next Door provides
For clients across all life stages, care is delivered with professionalism, discretion, and respect for the home environment, ensuring medical support enhances daily life rather than disrupting it, Hulme said.
Nurse Next Door is a private-pay skilled home healthcare agency serving Fairfield County and surrounding communities. The agency provides high-level nursing care, recovery support, and newborn family assistance in the home through a concierge-style approach focused on clinical excellence, privacy and happier aging.
“Operating on a private-pay basis allows the agency to maintain higher clinical standards, longer visit times, and greater continuity of care,” Hulme said.
The model supports:
- Carefully selected, highly experienced nurses and clinicians
- Individualized care plans not restricted by insurance limitations
- Proactive monitoring and prevention-focused support
- Professional, discreet integration into the home environment
- Consistency that builds trust and improves outcomes
By offering competitive compensation and supportive working conditions, the agency attracts seasoned professionals committed to attentive, detail-oriented care, according to Hulme.
“When caregivers are valued, clients feel the difference,” she said. “That stability translates into safer recoveries and greater peace of mind.”
Services for adult clients include:
- Post-surgical recovery and complication prevention
- Chronic disease management
- Medication oversight
- Skilled nursing interventions
- Monitoring designed to reduce hospital readmissions
“The focus is on helping clients heal, maintain independence, and avoid unnecessary hospital stays while preserving comfort and dignity,” Hulme said.
The agency also provides clinical support for families welcoming a newborn — a time when professional guidance and rest can be critical to recovery and well-being.
Services include:
- Overnight nursing care so parents can rest and recover
- Breastfeeding support and maternal education
- Newborn care guidance and monitoring
- Postpartum recovery support for mothers
- Early infant wellness education for families
This service is designed for families who want medically knowledgeable professionals supporting them during the transition home, ensuring both mother and baby receive attentive, skilled care during the earliest weeks, according to Hulme.
“Those first weeks are joyful, but they can also be physically and emotionally demanding,” she said. “Having experienced nursing support allows families to focus on bonding, healing and confidence.”
‘Angels exist’
A copy of the book, “Bold Kindness: A Caring, More Compassionate Way to Lead,” is prominently on display inside the Nurse Next Door offices.
“The book is authored by the franchise CEO Cathy Thorpe and discusses the importance of bold kindness in life and in work,” Hulme explained. “I have always lived my life with kindness first and foremost in all of my interactions and the Nurse Next Door culture lives it every day.”
Tara Conte befriended Hulme after she helped Conte’s 96-year-old mother in hospice at her Wolcott home. Conte said she could not have gotten through it without Hulme. While celebrating the opening of Nurse Next Door, Conte said she is happy for Hulme.
“She deserves it. There’s really no words to explain how wonderful she is,” Conte said of Hulme. “I always said she makes people believe that angels exist. She’s my angel on Earth. It’s like she knows ahead of time how you’re feeling. She’s warm and personable and makes you feel like she’s known you your whole life. Even though I lost a mother, I gained a great friend.”
For information about the Nurse Next Door, call 203-930-2993, visit the website or follow the agency on Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn and Facebook.
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