Seniors Helping Seniors®, founded as a non-profit in 1998 in Reading, Pennsylvania by husband-and-wife team Philip Yocom and Kiran Yocom, believe that seniors who help each other can age happily and gracefully—and that seniors who give, and those who receive, both benefit from The Power of Love®. 

The in-home care services franchise helps seniors maintain their independence while brightening their lives by pairing them with fellow seniors who are carefully matched to their specific needs, personality and preferences. In this way, not only do Seniors Helping Seniors® clients have the opportunity to age in place with dignity, but they receive compassionate and empathetic care. By hiring seniors to help seniors, the brand is creating meaningful employment opportunities for a demographic that is frequently at risk of being underutilized. 

"No matter their background, each of our caregivers have something in common: a big, caring heart,” said Daniel Jan, Seniors Helping Seniors® vice president of operations. “Our seniors know that helping others adds meaning and fulfillment to their own lives; they understand the importance of friendship and companionship. So whether they’re mowing the lawn or taking you shopping, our seniors aren’t just doing the chores, they’re helping to brighten lives and sharing The Power of Love®."

Seniors Helping Seniors® offers compassionate hands-on care that facilitates lasting, mutually rewarding bonds between caregivers and clients. Seniors are able to continue living independent lives full of richness and vitality in their own homes thanks to a wide range of care services including: companionship, personal care, dementia care, light housekeeping, cooking and shopping, pet care, aid with household tasks, transportation to appointments, fall prevention, 24-hour care and overnight stays, and more. 

In 2006, the Yocoms wanted to expand the brand in order to serve seniors in other parts of the country, so they decided to open the business for franchise owners who shared the same passion for helping the senior community and were excited at the opportunity to “Do Good and Make Money®.”

“The differentiating force of Seniors Helping Seniors® in the senior care industry is our mission to bring The Power of Love® to senior communities across the country,” said Jan. “What was missing before in the senior care space was the love, kindness, companionship and understanding that Seniors Helping Seniors® provides. Our caregivers and franchise owners are passionate about servant leadership and committed to bringing love into the lives of seniors with dignity and respect®.”

While some business acumen is preferred, more than anything else, Seniors Helping Seniors® looks for franchise owners who are passionate about The Power of Love® and truly enjoy contributing to the community every day. This includes those who find the most rewarding aspects to franchise ownership to be making a difference in the lives of seniors and having a positive impact on them and their families, especially when those families may not be local and in a position to provide regular care. 

One such franchise owner is Greg DeMaad, who co-owns the Monterey, California Seniors Helping Seniors® location with his wife, Ida. “The concept of peer-to-peer assistance was something we fell in love with right away when looking into the opportunity to franchise with Seniors Helping Seniors®,” said DeMaad. “We recently took care of one amazing woman who passed away in November at the age of 103. She was thrilled that she didn’t have to go into a facility, and our caregivers were by her side when she passed. We were so proud to offer her that comfort. We also hired a 96-year-old caregiver—the oldest caregiver employed by Seniors Helping Seniors®—and it was so inspiring to see her desire to help others.”

San Diego-based franchise owner, Matt Obermueller, joined the Seniors Helping Seniors® team with his family, bringing an intimate understanding of the needs of seniors and their families. “After helping my father through health issues, I came to Seniors Helping Seniors® with a personal passion for helping the senior community,” he said. “Seniors Helping Seniors® creates an incredible opportunity to help caregivers through their retirement while providing seniors with valuable and loving friendships.”

Overall, the brand’s approach to caregiving underscores the value of love. “Seniors Helping Seniors® is, first and foremost, all about making a difference,” said Jan. “We all have the power to bring love, dignity and respect into the lives of seniors: That’s why love is in our care. The Power of Love® is not just about logistical care like cooking a meal or vacuuming; it’s about the relationships that we create between client and caregiver.”

To learn more about franchising with Seniors Helping Seniors®, visit https://franchise.seniorshelpingseniors.com/