Press Release

PRESS RELEASE 

June 27, 2011                  

                                                                                 

For Immediate Release

Independence Day is Celebrated Every Day by Many Area Seniors

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – The 4^th of July. Independence Day. For many aging Americans the word independence is meaningful every day. On July 3, Marjorie T. will be turning 100 years old. It is a special day for her as well as Amanda Thrush (several decades behind) of Seniors Helping Seniors because they share a birthday on the eve of our great country’s “birthday”. Marjorie does not want to be in a nursing home, but rather, she wants to stay right where she is, living with her grandson and his wife in Ada. She wants to be as independent as possible. Their situation is not unique as many seniors are living longer and want to maintain their independence. But as anyone who provides care for an elderly relative knows, care giving comes with its own set of challenges and rewards. Amanda met with Marjorie and her family to see how Seniors Helping Seniors could help. After getting to know Marjorie, she matched her up with Rita Chorley to provide respite care, allowing Marjorie’s grandson Dan and his wife Margaret to get out of the house knowing they did not have to worry about Marjorie.

Rita is a very active senior herself who found Seniors Helping Seniors to be a good way for her to get out, help other seniors maintain their independence and supplement her retirement income at the same time. “They are so happy to have people their own age around them. So I can see that it makes a big difference in their lives and that’s what I like to do, is make a difference in their lives,” says Rita about her experience with Seniors Helping Seniors. Another thing that Rita loves is the flexibility. She gets to choose when she wants to work and how much work she wants to take on, giving her the ability to spend time with her family as well as those she is providing care for.

Although it is quite a feat, it turns out that having that century birthday is not as rare as it used to be. The United States has the greatest number of centenarians in the world, estimated at 70,490 on September 1, 2010. Did you know that the majority of centenarians, about 85%, are women? In developed countries, the prevalence of centenarians is about 1 in 6,000. Centenarians are the fastest growing segment of the US population. About 15% of centenarians live independently, completely on their own.

Not all of SHS’s clients are 100. Some like Eleanor W. of Grand Rapids just turned 90. “Elaine is like having a second daughter and I don’t know how I would be able to live on my own without her,” says Eleanor about her provider, Elaine W. Eleanor is able to live independently in a condo on the NW side of Grand Rapids and receives care from Elaine three times per week.  Elaine assists Eleanor with housekeeping, chores and personal grooming. The SHS office in Grand Rapids has provided service to about 200 seniors in the community since opening in 2009. Owner Dave VanderLinde Sr. says, “When we met the founder Kiran Yocom in 2009 and had the opportunity to see her passion for helping seniors and serving both sides of the equation, Judy (his wife) and I knew this is what we were being called to do in the next phase of our lives. We have been actively involved in running the senior citizens group at Saints Peter and Paul Parish for over a decade and this was an opportunity to do even more for those seniors that need help and also a great way to give other healthy seniors a way to earn a little extra money in this economy. It really is a way to give and receive.”

A family owned and operated business in Grand Rapids, Dave and Judy brought their daughter Amanda and son Dave Jr. into the family business early on. “I was working in nursing homes and just felt like a walking pill dispenser. I saw so many seniors that didn’t want to be there and in many cases if they had a little help at home, could have stayed at home longer. They could have been independent instead of going into the nursing home. I got into nursing because I love working with the elderly and now working at Seniors Helping Seniors it is my job to assess the seniors that need help and match them up with the right loving, caring and compassionate provider that works with us. I am doing what I love now; spending time with our greatest generation and helping them celebrate their independence every day.”

Dave Jr. assists the family business as a Regional Owner for Seniors Helping Seniors. With several thousand baby boomers turning 65 every day until 2029 the number of seniors in our community is growing daily. “We doubled our number of offices in Michigan last year from 4 to 8 and are seeing more growth. Many entrepreneurs are realizing the need for these services in their communities across the state; especially after having their own personal experiences with aging relatives. Even more rewarding for me is when I get to help out with some of the small home repair projects that we do for some seniors. The gratitude they show for some of the things that seem so little is the most gratifying part of what I do. When I helped Linda Spencer with some things around her house and got a big hug, smile and thanks it really brought home how important these services are to seniors who are struggling to maintain their homes to stay independent,” adds Dave Jr.

“People are thrilled with the personalized quality of care and companionship they receive through Seniors Helping Seniors in-home services” says Judy VanderLinde.  Throughout Michigan Seniors Helping Seniors franchises are providing thousands of hours of service every month and demand is increasing. “There is clearly a need for our special brand of caring service that helps seniors maintain their self respect, stay in their home independently, and be connected to their community,” relates local caregiver Suzanne Woods.  

To celebrate their second anniversary the local Seniors Helping Seniors office will be having an annual picnic to recognize some of the outstanding caregivers who work for them, thank the receivers who allow SHS to serve them and show appreciation to others in the community who have supported their venture. Stop and chat, there will be plenty of information that you can take for a friend or loved one.  The picnic is being held at Millennium Park on Wednesday August 17 from 12PM – 2PM.  For more information on the picnic and for directions you can contact Seniors Helping Seniors at 616-234-0190. 

“We are excited to present our first Kiran Yocom award to one of our providers at this year’s picnic,” says Amanda Thrush. “The award is named after our founder who spent 14 years working with Mother Teresa and it is being presented to one of our providers who has a passion for helping other seniors and the same loving, caring heart as Kiran,” continued Amanda.

Seniors Helping Seniors provides a variety of help including companion care, transportation to doctors and healthcare facilities, around-the-clock in-home care, basic handyman services, lawn and garden work, food shopping, cooking, cleaning, personal grooming, respite care, Alzheimer’s and dementia care and more.  Seniors Helping Seniors has about 165 locations around the country and 8 in Michigan.

Seniors Helping Seniors Franchises are located in 36 states. For more information on Seniors Helping Seniors in-home services, or its franchise system, contact Dave VanderLinde Jr.

Phone:  (616) 234-0190

Email:   info@shsmichigan.com

Website:  www.seniorshelpingseniors.com/

New Franchise Opens in Michigan

Our Seniors Helping Seniors family here in Michigan is growing! A big welcome to our newest Partners, Nancy and Sarah. They will be providing the same services for the elderly in their community that we do in the greater Grand Rapids, MI area for those seniors who want to maintain their independence and stay in their own home.

This is our 8th franchise in the state of Michigan, dedicated to providing loving, caring and compassionate in-home health care for seniors. Some of our services include: Companion Care, respite, Alzheimer's care, handyman services, yard word, meal preparation, transportation, medication reminders and other non-medical home care services.

The full press release for Nancy and Sarah can be read below -

For Immediate Release - April 26, 2011  

Mother and daughter team join forces providing heartfelt assistance for senior citizens in Northern Macomb and Southern St. Clair counties providing jobs and in-home assistance.

Rochester Hills, MI – To help meet the growing demand of older Michigan residents who want to remain in their own homes and stay as self-sufficient as possible Nancy Olson and her daughter Sarah Mullins have established a new Seniors Helping Seniors^® in-home service franchise location in Rochester Hills. Their office will be providing services for seniors throughout Northern Macomb / Southern St. Clair Counties, and they will be hiring local seniors to help provide services.

Seniors Helping Seniors in-home services offers loving, caring, compassionate non-medical services by seniors for seniors to help them live independently with dignity and respect.  Seniors Helping Seniors Receivers are matched with senior Providers. They provide services, such as: companionship, transportation, meal preparation, overnight stays and handyman services among others. Providers are seniors with the heart of a volunteer, but are compensated for their time.

Nancy has had experience providing care for family members. “Through this experience I have learned how quickly circumstances can change in a family due to illness and/or aging and how important it is to be able to find caring, reliable people to step in and help families cope with those changes.”  She realizes how much her own mother and aunts could have benefited from Seniors Helping Seniors services and looks forward to the opportunity to help other families.

                                                         

After Nancy lost her husband she cared for a woman with cancer and helped her stay in her home.  “I found great satisfaction helping this woman each day.  Small things became big memories. She had no appetite and was very thin. I could carry her upstairs to help her bathe, change and get tucked her into bed.  She wouldn’t eat for her sons but with persistence and patience I was able to find things she was willing to eat. Although she only lived another three months, those months were some of the most rewarding for both of us. We formed a genuine bond and friendship. We began as strangers and ended as friends. That relationship motivated me to make the decision to bring Seniors Helping Seniors services to our area.”  

Sarah, a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN), has seen a change in healthcare from patient based care to finance based care focused on volume and cost. Sarah has always enjoyed working with people and providing them quality care. “I am so excited to have this opportunity to be involved in seniors’ lives and to help them remain independent and living in their own homes.”   My mother and I are embarking on this franchise endeavor mostly because of past personal health hardships in our own family.  We want to be able to create a safe, compassionate place for people to turn when they need help.  After experiencing what it is like to go through a long illness as the sole caregiver we recognize the need for quality, empathetic care.  We would like to become a trusted resource for our community.  We have always felt the desire to help others and we believe this will be a way to put words into action.”

The Seniors Helping Seniors organization differs from other area services in that they find providers who are mature and have a lot in common with those for whom they are helping. These providers are people who truly want to help others and have the heart of volunteers not just employees motivated by a paycheck. These providers welcome to opportunity to provide comfort and care to members of their own peer group while supplementing their incomes.

Both Nancy and Sarah are active in the community. Nancy has volunteered in the Rochester Hills community schools.  She has also participated in the Rochester Junior Women’s League, and the annual Wayne State University brain tumor fund raiser.  Sarah has volunteered with the Fayetteville, NC MacPherson Presbyterian Church Youth Group, the Fayetteville Animal Protection Society (A no kill animal shelter), The Salvation Army Christmas gift drive and was a member and volunteer for the Fayetteville, NC chapter of the Jaycees. She has been a leader of the Family Readiness Group for the 37^th Engineer Battalion from 1999-2003 at Fort Bragg, NC.  Sarah is also active in the National Multiple Sclerosis Foundation annual walk-a-thon.

“We know that in order for our Franchise Partners to be successful in this industry, they need to have a passion for both working with seniors and doing good. When we met with Nancy, we knew that she had the heart we look for in our Partners along with the desire to be successful. We did not talk to Sarah until after both of them went to an Open House in Reading, PA to meet our founders, but we were very pleased to hear from the home office that Sarah had many of the same qualities as her mother. We know that Nancy and Sarah will be a wonderful resource within their community as well as a great addition to our growing Seniors Helping Seniors family here in Michigan.”  Dave VanderLinde, Jr., Regional Owner Michigan

Philip Yocom, and his wife, Kiran Yocom, co-founded Seniors Helping Seniors in-home services, which began as a non-profit organization serving Berks County, Pennsylvania over ten years ago. The original Seniors Helping Seniors center continues that tradition, providing over 1,000 hours of service every month.

Philip Yocom said, “What began as a heartfelt mission to fill a need that was not being served by our local community is now being recognized as a prime business opportunity being fueled by the fastest growing demographic in our society.” He continued, “We want the existing Seniors Helping Seniors organization and our franchises to be the first place that seniors in need of non-medical services and those seeking extra income call.”

Seniors Helping Seniors organization has grown to over one-hundred franchises in over thirty states including Arizona, Alabama, Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, North Carolina, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia and Washington.

Philip adds, “We support all of our franchises with the expertise we have gained in running the Seniors Helping Seniors Berks County office.  We also provide marketing, sales, management, and technology support. We believe we have found a practical, cost-effective way to help seniors remain independent and continue contributing to their community.”