How Vivian Vance Fulfilled Her Life’s Purpose with Griswold Home Care

Griswold Home Care, the non-medical home care franchise with 170 locations, gives entrepreneurs the opportunity to provide an essential and meaningful service as the growing senior population creates a steadily increasing need for quality home care. Today, the brand has expanded into 30 states across the country, thanks to the dedication and hard work of its franchisees. In addition to giving its owners the opportunity to run a strong business, Griswold Home Care makes it easy for those passionate franchisees to exit the system when they have realized their investment and are ready to retire. Vivian Vance, a Griswold Home Care owner with 25 years of experience running the business in the Poconos, is one of those passionate franchisees ready to start the next chapter of her life.

The Journey to Griswold Home Care

Vance was first introduced to Griswold through a former coworker who started working at a nearby Griswold Home Care office and loved the brand. “When I saw there was an opening at that corporate-owned office, I applied and started working there as a manager in 1997,” she said. “I had a little bit of a background in home care on a personal basis and had cared for elderly people in the neighborhood who had dementia. Although not always easy, I found it to be very rewarding to help them and their families. At the time, I didn’t even know there was such a thing as non-medical home care.”

Founded in 1982 as the first non-medical home care franchise in the United States, Griswold Home Care is backed by 40 years of experience providing quality home care to the elderly, disabled adults and individuals recovering from illnesses. 

In early 2000, Vance decided to invest in a Griswold Home Care franchise of her own, primarily due to a personal need for the brand’s unparalleled non-medical home care services. “The idea of franchising came about after I had been managing the corporate office for a few years,” she said. “My mother was living with me for the last years of her life, and as her health started to decline, I needed help just like the clients I was working with. But because I lived an hour away, I couldn't use my own Griswold caregiver and I had to use other companies. I experienced the good, the bad and the ugly. But, most importantly, I saw how much Griswold stood out from the crowd.” 

When Vance reached out to the Griswold team about opening an office in the Poconos, they were all for it. 

“A big reason I was attracted to Griswold to begin with was because of founder Dr. Jean Griswold and her mission to deliver top-quality care,” said Vance. “Griswold works hard to screen caregivers and find a perfect match between the caregiver and the client, which prevents a lot of the issues I saw as a consumer. Griswold’s caregivers are dependable and reliable, which allows us to offer the best care possible. As a business owner, I was also drawn to Griswold’s compassion for the elderly and disbaled and their families. That really reflected my own desire to help those in my community.”

A Meaningful and Enriching Path

Over the past two and a half decades, Vance says there have been several milestones that stand out, but the most fulfilling part of Griswold Home Care ownership has been the connections she has made along the way. 

“In addition to helping clients, I’ve been able to employ hundreds, if not thousands, of caregivers over the years,” Vance said. “Many of those caregivers have been with me for 20 years, which is unheard of in this industry. I truly believe that longevity goes back to the team at Griswold — it is all related to Jean’s philosophy of showing caregivers the respect they deserve. I also have to pass on a lot of credit to my office staff — they’ve been invaluable and I've been lucky to have them.”

But of all the relationships Vance has formed, she says the most rewarding have been the ones with clients and family members. “From talking with them on that first call to helping them during the last days of their lives, I will treasure those experiences forever,” she said. “Those relationships have truly been the most fulfilling aspects of my career.”

Vance says she has also found a lot of value in working with the community of elder care and the disabled, both through her business and as a volunteer. Vance has been involved with several organizations in the Poconos area, including the Elder Abuse Task Force and the Retired Senior Volunteer Program. She also utilized the Jean Griswold Foundation — a public non-profit organization foundation created by Jean Griswold to support caregivers and better their lives — to donate to various fundraisers in her community. 

“I’ve always been very involved with the aging population in our community, speaking at senior center events, contributing to Altzhimer’s support groups, volunteering at hospice centers,” said Vance. “We’ve done a lot to raise awareness of topics like dementia care, hearing and vision loss, elder care legal issues, mental health issues and hospice care. It has been so rewarding to assist the aging community in any way I can, and Griswold ownership has been a big part of that.” 

Starting a New Chapter

This year, at the age of 72, Vance decided it was time to embark on her next adventure: retirement. “I’ve known for a number of years that I was approaching and bypassing retirement age,” she said. “I started to make arrangements for exiting the system, and the Griswold corporate office has been incredibly supportive every step of the way.”

Vance’s location was sold back to the Griswold corporate office, which will run the operation as a corporate-owned entity. “The transition was seamless for our clients — they were able to maintain service, and we retained our same caregivers,” she said. “That was very important to me, and the support from the team has been overwhelming. This experience was both an emotional transition and a logical one. The team made it as smooth as possible and even came up to visit us and lend a hand. This is the first franchise office that has been converted to a company-owned location, so in a lot of ways it was uncharted territory, but they did a phenomenal job.” 

Although it was an overall positive experience, Vance says leaving the business has certainly been bittersweet. “Turning over my baby has not been easy,” said Vance. “There are a lot of parts to this business that I will miss, especially working with my caregivers and clients. Some of our caregivers have already sent me cards and flowers, and the Griswold team arranged an open house for the caregivers and a retirement party for me. It was a wonderful way to bring everyone together and show caregivers how they would be included in the transition. Everyone has felt very supported.”

A Life Full of “Griswoldness”

Looking back at her career, Vance says Griswold Home Care ownership was never just a job — it was an opportunity to give back in a meaningful way. Now, never one to slow down, Vance says she is already looking into ways she can continue to devote time and energy to the elderly. 

“My association with Griswold and working with the senior population has helped me grow in ways I never could have imagined,” Vance said. “They have given me more than I could ever have given to them. I started with Griswold when the brand was just 15 years old, and now it is enjoying its 40th year. I’m most happy to have created some good in the world over the past 25 years, and I’m incredibly proud to be part of the Griswold Home Care family.”

Franchise opportunities range from $108,181-$181,431, including a $49,500 franchise fee. For more information about franchising with Griswold, please visit: https://www.griswoldhomecare.com/franchising/investment-info/.