Who is Seniors Helping Seniors?

We have people from all walks of life who have joined our Seniors Helping Seniors Family to bring our loving, caring and compassionate service to their community just as we have done for seniors in the Grand Rapids community who need some home health care to maintain their independence.

Today, we wanted to share with you the story of Gertrud - our Franchise Partner in Ft. Lauterdale, FL:

Growing up in a small village in Bavaria, Germany, where it is tradition to care for grandparents and parents as they grow older, it is no wonder Gertrud Lulla, owner and operator of Seniors Helping Seniors in-home services has dedicated so much to helping others, especially seniors.  “I believe we need to recognize the wisdom and knowledge of our elders,” shares Gertrud. “Assist them to live healthy, productive and joyful lives, remaining in their own homes as long as possible, just like my parents and many of my uncles and aunts in the village were able to do.”

Seniors Helping Seniors in-home services match seniors who need a little help with seniors who want to help.  This peer-to-peer care gives comfort to seniors who need some assistance.  Seniors and their loved ones can rest assured they will receive care from someone they can trust, rely on and relate to. 

A few years ago one of Gertrud’s neighbors, a 90-year-old woman, began to need assistance with daily tasks.   Despite the woman’s hesitance, her children brought in 24-hour care to help their mother manage.  Unfortunately, Gertrud noticed how unhappy her neighbor was.  She and her helpers did not connect to each other, there was no compassion coming from them, which made the woman very unhappy.  To Gertrud, it seemed the situation would have been so much better if the woman was assisted by someone she could relate to.  “If my neighbor had been able to find a companion who understood her, had grown up under similar circumstances, who was familiar with her like and dislikes, the outcome might have been different,” shares Gertrud.  This is exactly what Gertrud’s goal is with Seniors Helping Seniors in-home services.  She strives to match seniors together who will really understand each other thus making the experience of receiving care that much better. 

The senior providers who work with Gertrud offer many services including light house keeping, meal preparation, transportation, doctors appointments, shopping, yard work, house maintenance and small repairs, pet care, computer assistance and most importantly companionship. 

Gertrud immigrated to the United States in 1970 with her husband and is the proud mother of two children.  She is a Registered Nurse and has an Art degree from DuPage College.  For the past 21 years Gertrud has worked as a flight attendant for American Airlines.  She is extremely active in her community, in the past volunteering at her children’s schools and at her local Catholic church.  She has also worked as a Guardian-ad-litem, volunteered in a hospice setting and done literacy training for adults.

Seniors Helping Seniors in-home services has sites throughout the U.S.  The organization was founded by Kiran Yocom, who has a mission and a passion to help seniors live independently. Kiran’s personal interest in seniors grew out of her work with Mother Teresa of Calcutta. She leads the organization through compassion and caring for all.