Jennifer Teller has spent nearly three decades helping people through some of life's most difficult situations. Her career began in mental health and developmental disabilities, where she worked in care coordination before moving into human resources and operations. Today, she owns Comfort Keepers® of Berks County in Reading, Pennsylvania, where she combines that professional experience with firsthand understanding of what it means to care for an aging parent.
"We talk a lot about culture because, as an owner, that's really where everything starts," Teller said. "This business isn't easy, but it's incredibly meaningful. Our goal is always to do what's right for the caregiver, what's right for the client and what's right for the community. Over the years, we've learned how to make decisions that serve everyone involved."
After earning her psychology degree, Teller worked in human services before seeing a newspaper ad for an HR manager opening at the local Comfort Keepers office. She applied for the job and, during the interview process, learned the owners were looking for someone who might eventually become a partner if the relationship proved to be a good fit.
"I was recruited by the existing Comfort Keepers that had opened in our area," Teller said. “Part of the interview process was basically if I liked them and they liked me, then I would have the opportunity to become a partner. Over time, I continued to buy out the original partners, and that's how I became the owner.”
Her operations background proved valuable, but she believes her years working directly with families prepared her just as much to lead the business.
For years, Teller worked with families whose loved ones were living with dementia. Those conversations became much more personal after her own mother developed dementia following cancer treatments. Her family cared for her at home for several years before bringing in a Comfort Keepers caregiver to provide additional support. That experience changed how she speaks with families who call looking for help.
"I had been working with adult daughters for years before I became one," Teller said. “Now I truly understand what they're going through. Being the owner and also being an adult daughter gave me more empathy. It made me realize these families are often just looking for some direction and some support. It's certainly all about the client, but it's also about making sure the family feels supported.”
That experience also shapes how she approaches dementia care as a Certified Dementia Practitioner. Instead of using the same approach for every client, she encourages her team to listen first and build care around the individual.
"It's not one-size-fits-all," Teller said. "The person with dementia still has a voice. We want to move from being caregivers to being care partners. We're partnering with the client and partnering with the family to make sure everyone is getting what they need while still honoring who that person is today."
At the end of 2025, Teller’s son Michael became a co-owner. While she had offered all four of her children the opportunity to join the business, Michael was the one who decided to explore it. Instead of immediately stepping into ownership, he spent more than two years working as an employee and learning every part of the operation.
"He worked in the office for over two years before becoming an owner," Teller said. “That gave both of us time to see if this was something we wanted to do together. We kept coming back to the answer being yes. I think if you asked him why he wanted to do it, he'd probably tell you it's because he wants the legacy to continue. He doesn't want it to end with me.”
Now, Teller is focused on preparing him for every aspect of ownership. He has spent time answering phones, meeting with clients, interviewing caregivers, learning financial responsibilities and attending company leadership meetings alongside her.
"The next phase is getting the things that are in my brain into his brain," she said. "Some of it is exciting and some of it is the parts of ownership that nobody really enjoys, but you still have to understand it. Over the next couple of years, he'll continue learning and we'll figure out which parts of the business fit him best."
Recruiting and retaining caregivers remains one of the biggest challenges across the home care industry. Teller believes the solution starts inside the office, not in a hiring campaign.
"The owner defines that culture through the relationships you build with your caregivers,” she said. “It's the phone calls, the communication, the cards you send and making sure they feel comfortable coming into the office. They need to know they're valued because they're the ones providing care every day."
She has seen that caregivers who feel supported are more likely to stay with the company, creating consistency for clients and stronger relationships with families.
Comfort Keepers of Berks County has served the community for 25 years, and Teller believes those years have been built on relationships. Whether working with referral partners, caregivers or families, she says trust comes from consistently showing up, listening and following through.
"What differentiates us is our involvement in the community and our relationships," Teller said. “We invest in training, we stay involved, and we work to become trusted advisers. I think that's one reason we've done well for so many years. We try to do what we say we're going to do.”
As Michael takes on a larger leadership role, Teller hopes those values remain at the center of the business. For her, the goal is not simply to pass along ownership, but to pass along the culture that has shaped Comfort Keepers of Berks County from the beginning.
To find out more information on costs to buy this franchise, please visit https://1851franchise.com/comfort-keepers.
Comfort Keepers
SPONSORED
After 20 years with the brand in Berks County, Jennifer Teller now works alongside her son to provide trusted in-home senior care while preparing the next generation of leadership.
Jennifer Teller has spent nearly three decades helping people through some of life's most difficult situations. Her career began in mental health and developmental disabilities, where she worked in care coordination before moving into human resources and operations. Today, she owns Comfort Keepers® of Berks County in Reading, Pennsylvania, where she combines that professional experience with firsthand understanding of what it means to care for an aging parent.
"We talk a lot about culture because, as an owner, that's really where everything starts," Teller said. "This business isn't easy, but it's incredibly meaningful. Our goal is always to do what's right for the caregiver, what's right for the client and what's right for the community. Over the years, we've learned how to make decisions that serve everyone involved."
After earning her psychology degree, Teller worked in human services before seeing a newspaper ad for an HR manager opening at the local Comfort Keepers office. She applied for the job and, during the interview process, learned the owners were looking for someone who might eventually become a partner if the relationship proved to be a good fit.
"I was recruited by the existing Comfort Keepers that had opened in our area," Teller said. “Part of the interview process was basically if I liked them and they liked me, then I would have the opportunity to become a partner. Over time, I continued to buy out the original partners, and that's how I became the owner.”
Her operations background proved valuable, but she believes her years working directly with families prepared her just as much to lead the business.
For years, Teller worked with families whose loved ones were living with dementia. Those conversations became much more personal after her own mother developed dementia following cancer treatments. Her family cared for her at home for several years before bringing in a Comfort Keepers caregiver to provide additional support. That experience changed how she speaks with families who call looking for help.
"I had been working with adult daughters for years before I became one," Teller said. “Now I truly understand what they're going through. Being the owner and also being an adult daughter gave me more empathy. It made me realize these families are often just looking for some direction and some support. It's certainly all about the client, but it's also about making sure the family feels supported.”
That experience also shapes how she approaches dementia care as a Certified Dementia Practitioner. Instead of using the same approach for every client, she encourages her team to listen first and build care around the individual.
"It's not one-size-fits-all," Teller said. "The person with dementia still has a voice. We want to move from being caregivers to being care partners. We're partnering with the client and partnering with the family to make sure everyone is getting what they need while still honoring who that person is today."
At the end of 2025, Teller’s son Michael became a co-owner. While she had offered all four of her children the opportunity to join the business, Michael was the one who decided to explore it. Instead of immediately stepping into ownership, he spent more than two years working as an employee and learning every part of the operation.
"He worked in the office for over two years before becoming an owner," Teller said. “That gave both of us time to see if this was something we wanted to do together. We kept coming back to the answer being yes. I think if you asked him why he wanted to do it, he'd probably tell you it's because he wants the legacy to continue. He doesn't want it to end with me.”
Now, Teller is focused on preparing him for every aspect of ownership. He has spent time answering phones, meeting with clients, interviewing caregivers, learning financial responsibilities and attending company leadership meetings alongside her.
"The next phase is getting the things that are in my brain into his brain," she said. "Some of it is exciting and some of it is the parts of ownership that nobody really enjoys, but you still have to understand it. Over the next couple of years, he'll continue learning and we'll figure out which parts of the business fit him best."
Recruiting and retaining caregivers remains one of the biggest challenges across the home care industry. Teller believes the solution starts inside the office, not in a hiring campaign.
"The owner defines that culture through the relationships you build with your caregivers,” she said. “It's the phone calls, the communication, the cards you send and making sure they feel comfortable coming into the office. They need to know they're valued because they're the ones providing care every day."
She has seen that caregivers who feel supported are more likely to stay with the company, creating consistency for clients and stronger relationships with families.
Comfort Keepers of Berks County has served the community for 25 years, and Teller believes those years have been built on relationships. Whether working with referral partners, caregivers or families, she says trust comes from consistently showing up, listening and following through.
"What differentiates us is our involvement in the community and our relationships," Teller said. “We invest in training, we stay involved, and we work to become trusted advisers. I think that's one reason we've done well for so many years. We try to do what we say we're going to do.”
As Michael takes on a larger leadership role, Teller hopes those values remain at the center of the business. For her, the goal is not simply to pass along ownership, but to pass along the culture that has shaped Comfort Keepers of Berks County from the beginning.
To find out more information on costs to buy this franchise, please visit https://1851franchise.com/comfort-keepers.
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