Guyanese-born entrepreneur expands healthcare legacy in New York

When U.S.-based Guyanese businessman Navin Shivpal first took over Cottage Home Care Services in a small Queens office just before the pandemic, he could hardly have imagined that five years later it would become one of New York’s largest and fastest-growing home care agencies.

Now employing over 3,000 caregivers and serving thousands of families across the state, Cottage Home Care has opened a new branch on Flatbush Avenue in Brooklyn. The new office is not just a business expansion; it’s being hailed as a cultural and care hub for the borough’s diverse Caribbean community.

“This isn’t just about business,” Shivpal said during the ribbon-cutting ceremony.

“It’s about helping humanity. We’re expanding across states not to make a profit, but to give people opportunity, training and stability.”

Shivpal’s rise from humble beginnings to leading one of New York’s top home care agencies is a true Guyanese success story. Born and raised in Guyana, he migrated to New York in 1995 at the age of 13 in search of a better life. By 18, he had ventured into the restaurant business with his brother in Florida, running two seafood eateries under the name High Tide.

But after the 2008 economic downturn shuttered that dream, he turned to healthcare — an industry that would become his true calling. In 2020, just before the COVID-19 lockdown, he took over an almost bankrupt post-hospitalisation facility in Queens that had only 25 patients. Today, it stands as one of New York’s largest home care networks.

Of the thousands employed, hundreds are Guyanese women, many of whom Shivpal personally helped train and certify through his vocational institutions, including the Brooklyn Institute of Vocational Training and the Care Guide Training Institute in Brooklyn.

At the Brooklyn opening, the atmosphere was charged with pride and community spirit. Locals, health leaders and members of the Caribbean diaspora gathered to celebrate a business that reflects their values.

Council Member Rita Joseph, herself of Haitian descent, spoke emotionally about caring for her elderly mother.

Claire Patterson-Monah, Interim Executive Director of the Guyana Cultural Association of New York, said the model of care practised by Cottage goes far beyond routine service. “When caregivers know their clients’ favourite foods, music, and traditions — from roti to reggae — it transforms the experience,” she said.

Deputy Brooklyn Borough President Kim Council called Cottage’s mission “the intersection of culture, compassion, and community,” while State Senator Kevin Parker praised the company’s investment in the community.

While his achievements in the U.S. continue to grow, Shivpal’s heart remains firmly tied to his Guyanese roots.

He hopes to replicate his success back home by establishing a senior centre, nursing home and dialysis facility in Guyana.