Gloria Kasler, RN/ CEO (Chief Executive Officer)/Administrator began her career as an ICU Nurse where she obtained her CCRN (Critical Care Certification). Gloria has always had a passion to be the best nurse she could be and to teach patients why they were in the hospital and how they got sick in the first place. Her primary goal is to help others become healthy, stay healthy, receive quality health care regardless of their income status and to remain in the comfort of their own home so they could avoid institutionalized care whenever possible. This passion led her, and two nursing peers, to start a home health agency in Beaufort County on Hilton Head Island in 1991 which earned Gloria, as the administrator, the prestigious Ernst & Young “Emerging Entrepreneur of the Year” award prior to selling the company to a local hospital 5 years later.
Now she would take that excellent level of service and use it to elevate the standard of care in Medicaid homes by opening an In-home care service, Nightingale’s Nursing & Attendants (NNA) in 2001 in her living room, on a computer. Her oldest daughter Brandy, helped her and together they began to train and hire caregivers, which led to their first office and soon afterward, accepting their first contract as a Community Long Term Care (CLTC) service provider in 2002.
Gloria’s daughter Brandy Strong, who has since gone home to be with the Lord, had an amazing love and passion for all children, but especially disabled children. Between Gloria’s ambition to enhance the standard of care for all, and Brandy’s deep love of helping the disabled, together they began the amazing journey of creating one of South Carolina’s leading in-home care agencies. It was founded then, and always has been since then, based on biblical principle ensuring all clients and employees are treated with the upmost care and respect.
They hit the ground running, naming their company “Nightingale’s Nursing & Attendants” after the Florence Nightingale pledge, a vow all graduating nurses take and one they still hold dear. Within the first month, they had admitted thirty-five clients while maintaining a high focus on training employees. They had also discovered very little oversight or requirements for training in the in-home care industry and wanted to make things better for the vulnerable of SC! Within the first year, they had already become well known for their superior care, knowledge, love, and compassion for their clients through word-of-mouth and they would wind up admitting around a hundred clients by the end of the year.
However, Gloria and Brandy still found the time to begin calling the other local in-home care providers in SC and they were able to identify many others who also wanted to work towards enhancing the standards of care in our great state! This led to the creation of a Personal Care Association who met for over ten years, while Gloria, who served as president for the first three years, continued as an active board member. Gloria and a few other industry leaders who still meet to this day and are now known as the Personal Care Coalition. They have had many great wins as they worked with the state to improve services for the vulnerable in SC, but the most significant one occurred In 2012, when SC’s legislature finally voted to require licensure of in-home care! Licensure instituted regulations and added South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) oversight. Now the SC Department of Public Health, this new licensure requirement and oversight helped to elevate the standard of care and it became more uniform across all of South Carolina regardless of income or status! These industry leaders continue to share best practices today and work to do their part hoping to always ensure that those who need it, and are eligible, can receive the best care possible.
By focusing on the welfare of others, and not the bottom line, Nightingale’s Nursing & Attendants (by the grace of God) has since grown and as the company grew, a second office was opened in 2004. It is located in Camden to serve the Camden / Columbia / Sumter area. Nightingale’s Nursing & Attendants opened its third office in 2007. It was located in Charleston where Gloria’s younger daughter, Babbette showed her mother and sister she could handle her own office by taking over 35% of the in-home care business in the Charleston area the first year and a half.
Gloria’s husband, Tom Kasler later retired from Georgia Pacific and joined the company in 2009 adding the financial expertise they would need to handle a larger volume. Babbette then relocated to Horry County and helped them open the fourth office in 2014. It is located in Myrtle Beach. Tom’s sons soon began to join the company, along with other great team members, and Nightingale’s Nursing & Attendants opened its fifth office in 2019 following a prophetic word that led them into Greenville, SC.
“We know what we’re doing and we are growing every day by treating others as we would treat our own mothers, fathers, children, or any family. When you are with Nightingale’s Nursing & Attendants, that’s the way it is! We are all one big family who cares about others. It’s a real family affair!”, says Gloria.
Nightingale’s Nursing & Attendants will continue to advocate for the vulnerable and help ensure their voices are heard! We contribute our growth to the glory of our Heavenly Father and the goodwill passed through word-of-mouth by, and because of our exceptional employees along with our precious clients!
Many have worked diligently putting in hours of dedicated service while maintaining concern for the welfare of others and above all placing their trust in God the Father as He leads us along the right path, protects us from harm, and allows us to be a positive influence on those we come in contact with. It is true what they say you know, you will never work a day in your life when you do what you love and at Nightingale’s, we love hard!