For more than two decades, Erin and Chris Couchell have built a strong presence for Comfort Keepers® across North and South Carolina. What began as a personal search for better care for Erin's mother — who developed early-onset Alzheimer’s at age 46 — has evolved into a multi-unit operation serving families across the region. Now, the Couchells are expanding again, adding the Rock Hill, South Carolina, territory to support the growing demand for in-home care.
Erin Couchell traces the roots of her Comfort Keepers journey back to her years as a schoolteacher. When her mother became ill, Erin found herself balancing caregiving responsibilities with work and relying on an agency that didn’t meet her family’s needs.
“We were thrust into caregiving with no experience," she said. "And we were using an agency that did provide a little bit of care, but it was just not a great experience.”
That experience opened her eyes to the real gap in senior care services. After researching franchises with her father-in-law, she felt Comfort Keepers stood out.
“It had all the things that we were looking for,” she said. “I took a big leap of faith, left teaching and opened up my very first franchise in Spartanburg, South Carolina.”
She returned from her franchisee training with new tools and best practices and built the business from the ground up — often personally visiting homes, meeting families, and caring for her mother along the way.
Over the years, the Couchells have added territories across the Carolinas, including Greenville and Anderson additional South Carolina markets, and regions in North Carolina. Most recently, the pair acquired the Rock Hill territory — a fast-growing suburb of Charlotte and a market seeing rapid population growth among older adults.
“We purchased Rock Hill territory which is south in South Carolina but really considered the suburbs of Charlotte,” Couchell said. “We have a lot of people that are moving there and retiring there… this is just an opportunity for us to continue providing care and filling in additional gaps that others do not provide.”
She added that expansion isn’t just about serving families — it’s also about creating meaningful employment.
“We’re not just providing care for people,” she said. “We are giving people livelihood… employing them and training and giving them better work opportunities.”
With five territories spanning two states, Couchell has learned that each community requires its own strategy and approach.
“Every territory is unique,” she said. “You can't go in and think that you're going to just rubber stamp out the same thing. Every community is unique… ultimately it's taking care of people and always doing the right thing.”
At the center of their operations is a people-first philosophy:
“When going in with the attitude that we're always going to do the right thing, make the best decision and put people at the heart of every decision we make, then good things come about.”
While Couchell believes deeply in the brand’s mission of elevating the human spirit, she emphasizes that the people behind the brand — especially franchise owners and corporate leadership — are what truly differentiate Comfort Keepers.
“The owners of the Comfort Keepers franchising systems are amazing people,” she said. “I can call anybody I need any time of day and get an answer… I always feel like I have the support and commitment from the franchising system and that goes a long long way.”
Weekly or bi-weekly check-ins with regional directors ensure consistent support, guidance and oversight across territories.
The Couchells have watched the needs of seniors shift significantly in the past 20 years. Families now wait longer before calling for in-home support — and arrive with more complex needs.
“People are still needing care and they're needing more care than ever before because they're waiting later to call us,” Couchell said. “Twenty years ago we would have a lot of calls that were strictly just companion care… but now when people call, they're already past that basic level of care.”
She also sees rising demand coming from hospital systems seeking partners to reduce readmissions.
“Our goal is always to keep our people home and safe and keep them out of the hospitals so that they are just healthier for longer.”
Even as the footprint grows, the Couchells maintain a consistent culture across every office.
“Every huddle in every office begins with a 'culture moment,'” she said. “We talk about how did you bring joy today? It is culture and elevating the human spirit is not a one-and-done and let's put it on a poster. We have to live it and breathe it.”
With Rock Hill officially added to their growing portfolio, the Couchells plan to turn their attention to new service offerings and enhanced technology — including AI — to better support caregivers and streamline operations.
“I'm going to really work on optimizing technology in the homes and leveraging AI,” she said. She also hopes to expand into more advanced and nursing-level services “depending on state licensure.”
After two decades with Comfort Keepers, Erin and Chris Couchell remain committed to the same mission that inspired their first franchise: caring for people, supporting families and elevating the human spirit across the Carolinas.
To find out more information on costs to buy this franchise, please visit https://1851franchise.com/comfort-keepers.
Comfort Keepers
SPONSORED
Longtime operators in North and South Carolina expand their footprint, continuing their mission to bring compassionate care and "Elevate the Human Spirit" across the region.
For more than two decades, Erin and Chris Couchell have built a strong presence for Comfort Keepers® across North and South Carolina. What began as a personal search for better care for Erin's mother — who developed early-onset Alzheimer’s at age 46 — has evolved into a multi-unit operation serving families across the region. Now, the Couchells are expanding again, adding the Rock Hill, South Carolina, territory to support the growing demand for in-home care.
Erin Couchell traces the roots of her Comfort Keepers journey back to her years as a schoolteacher. When her mother became ill, Erin found herself balancing caregiving responsibilities with work and relying on an agency that didn’t meet her family’s needs.
“We were thrust into caregiving with no experience," she said. "And we were using an agency that did provide a little bit of care, but it was just not a great experience.”
That experience opened her eyes to the real gap in senior care services. After researching franchises with her father-in-law, she felt Comfort Keepers stood out.
“It had all the things that we were looking for,” she said. “I took a big leap of faith, left teaching and opened up my very first franchise in Spartanburg, South Carolina.”
She returned from her franchisee training with new tools and best practices and built the business from the ground up — often personally visiting homes, meeting families, and caring for her mother along the way.
Over the years, the Couchells have added territories across the Carolinas, including Greenville and Anderson additional South Carolina markets, and regions in North Carolina. Most recently, the pair acquired the Rock Hill territory — a fast-growing suburb of Charlotte and a market seeing rapid population growth among older adults.
“We purchased Rock Hill territory which is south in South Carolina but really considered the suburbs of Charlotte,” Couchell said. “We have a lot of people that are moving there and retiring there… this is just an opportunity for us to continue providing care and filling in additional gaps that others do not provide.”
She added that expansion isn’t just about serving families — it’s also about creating meaningful employment.
“We’re not just providing care for people,” she said. “We are giving people livelihood… employing them and training and giving them better work opportunities.”
With five territories spanning two states, Couchell has learned that each community requires its own strategy and approach.
“Every territory is unique,” she said. “You can't go in and think that you're going to just rubber stamp out the same thing. Every community is unique… ultimately it's taking care of people and always doing the right thing.”
At the center of their operations is a people-first philosophy:
“When going in with the attitude that we're always going to do the right thing, make the best decision and put people at the heart of every decision we make, then good things come about.”
While Couchell believes deeply in the brand’s mission of elevating the human spirit, she emphasizes that the people behind the brand — especially franchise owners and corporate leadership — are what truly differentiate Comfort Keepers.
“The owners of the Comfort Keepers franchising systems are amazing people,” she said. “I can call anybody I need any time of day and get an answer… I always feel like I have the support and commitment from the franchising system and that goes a long long way.”
Weekly or bi-weekly check-ins with regional directors ensure consistent support, guidance and oversight across territories.
The Couchells have watched the needs of seniors shift significantly in the past 20 years. Families now wait longer before calling for in-home support — and arrive with more complex needs.
“People are still needing care and they're needing more care than ever before because they're waiting later to call us,” Couchell said. “Twenty years ago we would have a lot of calls that were strictly just companion care… but now when people call, they're already past that basic level of care.”
She also sees rising demand coming from hospital systems seeking partners to reduce readmissions.
“Our goal is always to keep our people home and safe and keep them out of the hospitals so that they are just healthier for longer.”
Even as the footprint grows, the Couchells maintain a consistent culture across every office.
“Every huddle in every office begins with a 'culture moment,'” she said. “We talk about how did you bring joy today? It is culture and elevating the human spirit is not a one-and-done and let's put it on a poster. We have to live it and breathe it.”
With Rock Hill officially added to their growing portfolio, the Couchells plan to turn their attention to new service offerings and enhanced technology — including AI — to better support caregivers and streamline operations.
“I'm going to really work on optimizing technology in the homes and leveraging AI,” she said. She also hopes to expand into more advanced and nursing-level services “depending on state licensure.”
After two decades with Comfort Keepers, Erin and Chris Couchell remain committed to the same mission that inspired their first franchise: caring for people, supporting families and elevating the human spirit across the Carolinas.
To find out more information on costs to buy this franchise, please visit https://1851franchise.com/comfort-keepers.
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