When you start looking for home care for a parent, you are not really shopping for a service. You are deciding who to trust inside your family's home, often during one of the hardest stretches you will go through. That decision gets a little easier when you know the people behind the name.
BrightStar Care of Greater Middlesex, Monmouth, Passaic and Western Bergen Counties is a family-owned home care agency in New Jersey. It is owned and operated by Andy and Kelley Bailen. Here is who they are, and why it matters for your family.
A Family Business, Run by an Actual Family
Andy and Kelley Bailen have been married for 33 years. Andy serves as Co-Owner and CEO. Kelley serves as Co-Owner and President. They are locally based, and they are personally involved in how the agency is run.
This is a true family business. Their two sons work in the business as well. Chris works in sales, and Jake works in human resources and marketing. So, when you reach out to BrightStar Care, you are not calling a national hotline routed to another state. You are reaching an agency that a local family puts its own name on, every single day.
For a lot of families, that is the part that matters most. When a question comes up late at night, you want to know if there are real, accountable people standing behind the care.
The Backgrounds Behind the Care
Good home care takes two things at once. It takes compassion, and it takes operations. Andy and Kelley each bring one side of that.
Kelley comes from the healthcare world. Before BrightStar Care, she managed the front office at a New Jersey surgery center, where she spent her days coordinating patients, schedules, and clinical staff. She understands the patient experience from the inside, and she knows how much the small details matter when someone is anxious about a procedure or a recovery.
Andy spent more than 30 years as a senior executive in consumer-facing businesses. He served as President and CEO of KB Toys, Head of Specialty Retail at Toys R Us, EVP of Merchandising and Marketing at Party City, Divisional President at Jarden Corp.and EVP at Alex Brands. That background may sound far from home care, but it is exactly what keeps an agency dependable.
Reliable scheduling, well trained caregivers, fast response when a caregiver calls out, and the staffing depth to cover a case around the clock all come down to operations done right. It is the discipline behind every in-home care visit the team makes.
Put those two backgrounds together and you get an agency that leads with heart and runs with discipline.
What They Have Built Since 2022
Andy and Kelley acquired their first BrightStar Care territory in September 2022. Since then, the agency has grown more than five times over. A few markers of that growth:
- About 300 caregivers on staff today, up from 45 at the start. All of them are W2 employees, not contractors.
- A leadership team that has grown from 5 people to over 25.
- Seven service territories across New Jersey, with offices in Piscataway, Tinton Falls, Wayne, and East Brunswick.
That scale is not just a numbers story. It is what lets BrightStar Care take on cases many agencies turn away, including day, night, overnight and weekend coverage, live-in care, and complex, high-acuity situations, all overseen by a Registered Nurse through skilled nursing care.
The quality side is independently verified, too. BrightStar Care is Joint Commission accredited across all seven territories, which is one of the most respected standards in healthcare. The agency also earned the 2026 Best of Home Care Leader in Experience award, placing it among the top 10 percent of home care providers nationwide, and holds 5-star ratings on Google.
Andy and Kelley point to those recognitions for one reason. They are proof, not bragging. They give families an outside opinion to lean on when they are trying to choose.
What Drives Them
Ask Andy and Kelley why they do this, and the answer is simple. They want every family they serve to feel the kind of peace of mind they would want for their own parents.
That is the standard they hold the whole team to. Deliver excellent care for the client, and real relief for the family worrying about them.
Common Questions About the Owners
Who owns BrightStar Care in Middlesex, Monmouth, Passaic, and Western Bergen Counties?
Andy and Kelley Bailen own and operate the agency. Andy is Co-Owner and CEO, and Kelley is Co-Owner and President.
Is BrightStar Care of Greater Middlesex family owned?
Yes. It is family owned and operated. Andy and Kelley's two sons, Chris and Jake, also work in the business.
How large is the agency?
The agency employs about 300 W2 caregivers across seven New Jersey territories, supported by a leadership team of 28.
Is the agency accredited?
Yes. BrightStar Care is Joint Commission accredited and earned the 2026 Best of Home Care Leader in Experience award.
Talk With Our Family About Yours
If you are weighing home care for someone you love, the best first step is a conversation. BrightStar Care offers a free in-home care assessment, with no pressure and no obligation. A member of our team will listen to your situation, answer your questions, and help you understand your options.
Call us at 732-343-6767 to set up your free assessment. We would be glad to meet your family.