Seniors Helping Seniors®, an in-home care franchise that primarily hires senior caregivers, is seeing increased demand for its services amid COVID-19. With seniors being the most at-risk group, and coronavirus presenting a major concern in nursing homes, the brand has seen a 14% increase in website traffic. 

“Seniors are one of the most high-risk demographics in the COVID-19 pandemic, and the mandatory quarantine guidelines can take a toll on their mental health and wellbeing,” said Daniel Jan, VP of Operations for Seniors Helping Seniors®. “Plus, with nursing homes presenting a major risk if an outbreak occurs, more people are moving their senior loved ones into an in-home setting to minimize exposure and ensure safety.”   

The increased demand for Seniors Helping Seniors® in-home services is allowing the company to create 1,500 caregiver jobs in markets across the country, providing job opportunities for seniors who are out of work due to COVID-19. Because Seniors Helping Seniors® primarily hires seniors as caregivers, the brand is uniquely positioned to help seniors, on both the giving and receiving side of care. 

Seniors Helping Seniors® was founded in 1998 by husband-and-wife team Kiran and Philip Yocom, to provide loving and compassionate in-home care to seniors. Kiran, who grew up in India, was inspired by Mother Teresa and the work she was doing in the country. After years of donating her weekly allowance to The Sisters of Charity, Kiran became a follower of the Catholic nun and worked alongside her to help with humanitarian efforts. This work solidified Kiran’s belief in providing loving and empathetic care to seniors and provided the foundation for Seniors Helping Seniors®. Kiran moved to the U.S. in 1995 and married Philip shortly after that. In 1998, the Yocoms founded Seniors Helping Seniors® in Reading, Pennsylvania as a non-profit. In 2006, the Yocoms decided to leverage Philip’s franchising experience and opened the business for franchising. 

“The senior community needs our help, now more than ever. We are very fortunate to be able to continue to provide our services through loving and compassionate care to seniors and offer job opportunities for those that have lost work due to the impact of this pandemic,” said Kiran. “Bringing Love into the lives of Seniors with Dignity and Respect® is at the core of our business model. We all have the power to bring love, dignity and respect into the lives of seniors; that’s why love is in our care. It’s not just about logistical care like cooking a meal or vacuuming; it’s about the relationships that we create between client and caregiver.”