For Seniors Helping Seniors’ latest franchisees, Joseph and Joy Fowler, caregiving has always been a part of their lives. Growing up, Joy watched her mother care for her grandmother, never questioning that family should take care of each other. That belief became even more personal in May 2023, when Joy was laid off from her job just days before her mother was in a serious car accident. For nearly a year, Joy became her mom’s primary caregiver, helping her through surgeries, hospital stays and rehabilitation. Even with the help of her sister, Joy saw firsthand how difficult it can be to manage care and how much of a difference extra support can make.

That experience, combined with Joseph’s own family background, made Seniors Helping Seniors the perfect fit when they started looking into business ownership. The Fowlers will officially open their franchise in Temecula, California, on March 18, bringing a unique senior-to-senior care model to their community. Their goal is to provide compassionate, reliable support so that local seniors can continue living independently with dignity. For the Fowlers, this isn’t just a business, it’s a way to give back to the place they’ve called home for more than 30 years.

1851 Franchise spoke to Joy about her franchise journey and plans for the future. Here’s what she had to say:

1851 Franchise: Frame your personal story for us. What did you do before franchising, and how did you decide franchising made sense for you?

Joy Fowler: Prior to franchising, I was working as a program manager at a software company. My husband and I had always thought about owning our own business, but we never really knew the way forward. In May 2023, I was laid off from my job. After about six months of searching without success, I started a part-time job in January 2024, hoping it would turn into something more, but it didn’t.

At the time, my cousin had started looking into franchising and reached out to me. That was my aha moment — I realized we didn’t have to build something from the ground up. We could franchise and have guidance along the way. Seniors Helping Seniors stood out to us because of its model — seniors working with other seniors. Home care in general resonated with me because I grew up with my grandmother living with us. Culturally, that was the norm. I never considered the idea of my mother living somewhere else when she could no longer care for herself. We were raised to take care of our elders, so it felt like the right fit.

For my husband, his grandmother lived independently because she didn’t want any help or to move into a home. While she was alive, we visited her regularly to ensure she had what she needed. Later, my mother-in-law moved my husband's grandmother closer to her and visited daily to make sure her needs were met. Finding Seniors Helping Seniors felt like the perfect opportunity for us.

1851: What was your perception of franchising prior to becoming a franchisee, and what do you want people to know about franchising now that you are in it?

Joy: Our biggest misconception was that franchising was too expensive. We thought it was only for big names like McDonald’s. We assumed you needed millions of dollars, which we didn’t have. When we started working with a franchise consultant, we realized there are different tiers and opportunities for people at various investment levels. It was a great feeling to know we could actually do this with what we had.

1851: What made you pick this brand? What excites you most about this company?

Joy: I thought about my mom and grandmother. My grandmother is 97, and my mom, who is in her 70s, still takes care of all her needs. They have a great relationship — they talk, laugh and share a strong bond. The idea of giving someone who is nearly retired or about to retire the opportunity to give back to their community and build those relationships really resonated with me. It just felt right.

I also prayed a lot over this decision. I constantly asked if this was the right path, and I truly felt led in this direction. Seeing the structure of Seniors Helping Seniors and how it aligned with my values made everything click. That’s why I chose this brand.

1851: What do you hope to achieve with your business? What are your plans for growth? 

Joy: We're hoping to be able to give back to our community. My husband and I have lived in this area for over 30 years. We grew up in this area — our friends are here and our families are here. Being able to give back would be amazing. Would we like to build a very strong name brand? Yes, absolutely. We purchased two territories. We'd love to be able to expand and grow both territories and to become that name brand. We just really want to give back to all the people in this area, because we love this place. This is our home. 

1851: Is there anything else about your story you want us to know?

Joy: In May of 2023 — two or three days after I was laid off — my mom was in a horrible car accident. For about a year — 10 months or so — I was her caregiver. And so it's not just seeing it from my mom with my grandmother [that inspired me], but it's also that personal experience that I had with my mom. 

My sister, who lives in Texas, is a nurse. She actually quit her nursing job because she wanted to work here over the summer. She found a role, but then it ended up falling through, so she was free for the summer. And then I was laid off in May. My sister flew from Texas and stayed here for three months during the summer. And because I wasn't working, my sister and I worked together to really rehab my mom. My mom had two surgeries — two hospital stays — so I have that perspective of knowing that if I wasn't here, if my sister wasn't here, what would have happened to my mom? Who would have been taking care of her? And that's not a good feeling. So all of the things that happened leading up to this decision really did play into it all.

1851: What advice do you have for other people thinking about becoming franchise owners?

Joy: Do your homework. Ask a lot of questions. Don't be shy. I'm a shy person. I don't like bothering people, but if I didn't ask the questions, then I wouldn't really truly understand the process. I asked a lot of people questions about different things just because I wanted to make sure that we were doing the right thing. My husband and I spent hours every night talking about it. 

Do your research, because even as much as you do before stepping into it, once you're in it, then you find out other things that you realize you should’ve asked about. So you're still going to find that you don't know everything, but you will be as comfortable as you can be if you ask questions before you step into it. 

ABOUT SENIORS HELPING SENIORS:

Seniors Helping Seniors® franchise system was founded by husband-and-wife duo Kiran and Philip Yocom. Kiran, who grew up in India, later worked to advance humanitarian efforts alongside Mother Teresa. After moving to the U.S. in 1995 and marrying her husband Philip, the Yocoms felt called to provide loving care to seniors and to cultivate an exchange of gifts at every generational level. Together, the Yocoms founded Seniors Helping Seniors® in-home services in 1998, opening the brand up to franchising in 2006. With a mission to be the most respected and rewarding home care provider in the U.S., Seniors Helping Seniors® locations stand apart from competitors as the only company that prioritizes hiring active seniors to provide care services to their less-active counterparts. Seniors Helping Seniors® service aligns caregivers and care recipients based on the abilities and needs of both by offering a wide range of care services. Seniors Helping Seniors® network has grown to 350 territories nationwide and over 180 franchise partners in 38 states. For more information on Seniors Helping Seniors® in-home care, visit https://seniorshelpingseniors.com/.