CUSTOM HOME CARE - Chicago, Illinois
For over 30 years, Custom Home Care has been a trusted name in home care for Chicago seniors – nurse-managed, family-owned, and built on the belief that families deserve care they can rely on.
Every client's care is supervised by a licensed nurse to ensure quality, safety and peace of mind."
For more than 30 years, Custom home Care has been guided by its mission and values: to encourage independence and improve the quality of life for Chicagoland seniors while empowering and elevating its care professionals and the profession of caregiving.
Founded in 1994, Custom Home Care was built on a simple but powerful belief: families deserve care they can truly rely on. As a visiting nurse and a busy working mother of young children, Founder Tamara Jackson, RN, saw firsthand the gaps in consistency and caregiver oversight and knew there had to be a better way. Driven by compassion and a commitment to higher standards, she set out to redefine home care, launching the agency from her own basement.
Today, the agency is one of Illinois’ most trusted and successful family-owned, nurse-managed home care providers, employing more than 350 professionals and having served more than 10,000 clients since its founding. Tamara’s son, Robert Jackson, RN, now co-owns the agency alongside her, continuing the family’s commitment to delivering exceptional quality of care.
What sets the agency apart from the rest is the focus on nurse-led oversight.
NURSE-LED PERSON-CENTERED CARE
“Every client’s care is supervised by a licensed nurse to ensure quality, safety and peace of mind,” says Tamara Jackson, RN.
Adding to that is the exceptional retention of staff members. More than 25% of the agency’s staff have been with Custom Home Care for five years or longer, a rare achievement in the field, notes Tamara. That is largely in part due to her emphasis on supporting them as well. “We know that when our caregivers thrive, so do the families they serve,” she adds. “We believe caregiving is not just a job but a profession worthy of recognition and growth.”
“We focus on individualized, relationship-based care, matching clients with compatible caregivers for long-term continuity,” says Executive Director Jennifer Avila. “Excellent service means care that feels personal, dependable and transformative, improving not just safety, but also quality of life.” This is accomplished through thorough caregiver screening, training and matching; 24/7 nurse oversight and availability; regular quality checks, client feedback and family communication; and creating a culture of empathy, accountability and professionalism at every level.
PRAISE-WORTHY PERFORMANCE
Custom home Care’s dedication to clients and their families has been acknowledged time and again. Ava B. says, “On my Mom’s behalf, I am writing to express my confidence in – and appreciation for the wonderful care provided by – CHC Director Jennifer has been an absolute pleasure to deal with. And Nurse Manager Natalie has been hands-on throughout, always willing to go the extra mile, and always sunny, caring, understanding and extremely helpful. My Mom, my very best friend, deserves the very best, and Custom Home Care delivers and exceeeds all expectations.”
“CHC has been very responsive to our family’s needs and has made what could have been a challenging experience, quite seamless and stress-free. The caregivers are kind, caring and knowledgeable. I highly recommend Custom Home Care,” says Debby D.
In addition to rave reviews from clients and their families, Custom Home Care has earned a host of awards and accolades, including 11 consecutive Spectrum Awards for Outstanding Client Satisfaction. Recently, the agency was named winner of the 2025 Chicago Star Small Business Award, given by the City Treasurer’s Office for significant contributions to the economic and social well-being of the city. CHC has two care professionals honored by the Home Care Association of America in recent years. In 2020, Karen B. was selected as the National Caregiver of the Year and in 2022, Josie V. was a finalist for the same award.
These recognitions reflect Custom home Care’s commitment to excellence and person-centered care. Custom home Care is proud to celebrate over 32 years of compassionate care and community impact. From humble beginnings in a Lake View basement to becoming one of Chicago’ leading home care agencies, our mission remains the same: to help seniors live with dignity and independence, while uplifting the caregivers who make it possible.
We are a Chicago success story: family-owned, rooted in the community and focused on the future, continuing to build a stronger city through care, opportunity and connection."
