20 Years of Story
Right at Home of Essex County is thrilled to be celebrating twenty years of service in 2024. This year has given the team at Right at Home of Essex County ample space to reflect, reminisce and celebrate memories both big and small. This journey has helped us to better understand how Right at Home of Essex County has come to be the leader in home care in our community.
The seeds for establishing Right at Home of Essex County did not begin in New Jersey but in Virginia, when Sophia Brown Scott, known for her wisdom, strength, calm, quiet demeanor, and deep love of family was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. As the disease progressed it became increasingly difficult for the Scott family to provide the level of care she deserved.
It was during this time that the Scott family found Patty, a caregiver who would change their lives. Patty’s compassionate care for Sophia didn’t only bring comfort to her—it left a lasting impact on the Scott family. As Patty attended to Sophia with compassion, grace, and patience, she unknowingly planted the seeds for Right at Home of Essex County to bloom.
“Dad wanted a Patty for everyone, and he wouldn’t settle for less,” Maeghan Scott, Right at Home of Essex County’s co-owner and Moses’ daughter, explained, “The loving care and attention my grandmother received from Patty in the waning days of her life set the impetus for establishing only the highest quality of care.”
After leaving the corporate world, Moses Scott took a personality test which recommended three types of franchises – business consulting, tutoring, and homecare. The home care industry resonated with Moses’ values— service, generosity, community, and collaboration. With the memory of Patty’s dedication to Sophia close to his heart, Moses decided to open Right at Home of Essex County.
In April 2004, Moses opened the first Right at Home of Essex County office at 47 Park Avenue in West Orange, across from Llewellyn Park, close to the Thomas Edison Museum, and near the West Orange Town Hall. It was a community he knew well after calling it home for two decades, and one he was committed to serving.
Moses was joined by a team of compassionate caregivers, including Rhoda, Ella, Kousalya, Susan, Eula, Alix, Val, and Barbara. From Barbara’s ever-present smile to Ella’s attention-to-detail, they set the tone for Right at Home of Essex County’s commitment to providing the best possible care to each client. Several of those caregivers are still with the company today.
Moses’ warmth and generosity were a part of his personality, and are now core values of the Right at Home of Essex County business today. His kindness and caring spirit also bolstered Right at Home of Essex County’s success in the community.
“My dad was a natural connector,” Maeghan recalled. “He approached every conversation with a genuine curiosity and desire to learn as much as he could about the person he was speaking with. The details of someone’s life were important to him, and we are lucky enough to still hear about some of these relationships today, often from the most unexpected sources.”
Moses’ vision for Right at Home was not only about providing home care, it was about fostering relationships, building trust, and offering the highest quality of care possible. His philosophy was simple: every person has a story to share and deserves to be treated with dignity, respect, and love.
Following Moses’ passing in 2017, his daughter, Maeghan, and his widow, Melodie Toby, assumed operation and ownership of the business. Both Melodie and Maeghan came from different professional backgrounds—Maeghan in public relations for consumer food brands, and Melodie as a college professor with a background in finance and international business and a doctorate in business ethics.
Together, their varying backgrounds have coalesced to infuse Right at Home of Essex County with compassion and trust as they’ve led the 160 caregivers, administrators, since 2017.
In 2021, they purchased, renovated and moved to the office space at 735 Northfield Avenue in West Orange, transforming it into a warm, welcoming environment that reflects the company’s values.
“When clients walk into the office for an in-person meeting, they immediately understand who we are from the way it is intentionally decorated,” Maeghan explained. “We want it to feel like a place where people would want to spend time, much like one’s family home.”
On April 20, 2021, Maeghan and Melodie held a ribbon-cutting ceremony to mark this milestone in Right at Home of Essex County’s growth. They are proud to have a business that serves not only West Orange, where they have lived for 41 years, but also the surrounding towns in Essex County.
In addition to their own roles, the entire Scott nuclear and extended family has been instrumental in the success of Right at Home of Essex County. As a family business, all family members have pitched in over the years. Trust, clear expectations, and healthy boundaries have been key to supporting Maeghan and Melodie as they’ve navigated their relationships as business partners and family members, always with the goal to infuse warmth and compassion into their work with clients, caregivers, and the team.
Matt Scott, Maeghan’s brother, has been an integral part of the team from the beginning. He helped Moses with everything from caregiver orientations to marketing, and he continues to play a role in various aspects of the agency’s operations today.
Matt reflected on the lessons he embodied working with Moses in the early days of the business and how those lessons have helped him in his work with Right at Home of Essex County and beyond. “I learned that you can always make a situation better by listening, showing up with a smile, and treating others like they’re your own loved ones, whether caregivers, clients, or others in the community.”
Over the years, Right at Home of Essex County has grown to include more than 150 caregivers—each one an essential part of the family. Some, like Barbara and Val, have been with the company for over a decade. Both have spent 19 years building deep, trusting relationships with clients, many of whom have advanced dementia or other complex needs. Their ability to connect with people, no matter their age or health, is remarkable.
Amay, too, who has been with Right at Home of Essex County for 11 years, embodies the values of Right at Home of Essex County, bringing her empathy, patience, and compassion to every interaction. Her smile lights up a room and brightens everyone’s day. Together, they represent the heart of Right at Home of Essex County: compassionate care that centers connection.
Every time Right at Home of Essex County hears from clients or families about their trust in the dedicated caregivers and staff, there is so much gratitude and joy. Right at Home of Essex County strives to support them through ongoing training and professional development, ensuring that they feel valued and empowered in their work because it is their unwavering dedication that has helped the business flourish over the years.
“Our caregivers are not just providers of care—they are beacons of hope, compassion, and support,” explained Maeghan. “Melodie and I are proud to stand alongside these extraordinary individuals as they continue to make a positive impact in our community and beyond.”
The community and the business partners are also a fabric of Right at Home of Essex County’s success over the twenty years. Through the years, the company has partnered with organizations like the Alzheimer’s Association, the West Orange Chamber of Commerce, and the Women’s Healthcare Referral Network, honoring the precious power in connection.
Looking ahead, Maeghan and Melodie are excited about what the future holds. “We’ve accomplished a lot in the past 20 years,” Maeghan said. “And we are excited about how we will continue to honor Moses’ legacy through providing the most excellent compassionate care for the Essex County community.”
Right at Home of Essex County sends immense gratitude to everyone who has helped bring to life and support the family business over the past 20 years. Celebrating two decades is only made possible from the commitment, dedication, and hard work of every caregiver, community partner, family member, nurses and administrative staff, and of course, Patty and Sophia, who inspired this work so many years ago – thank you.
