Lions, Tigers and Seniors - oh my!

Detroit, Mich. – Lions, Tigers and Senior Citizens? Oh my!

Senior citizens living in Macomb, Oakland and Wayne counties are invited to enjoy a special day at the Detroit Zoo on Senior Day, Wednesday, September 5, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Seniors 62 and older and a caregiver will receive free admission to the Zoo, parking and rides on the Tauber Family Railroad. Seniors are invited to stop by the Senior Resource Area and visit with vendors. There will also be a special Senior Bingo Game with fabulous prizes and live entertainment.

One vendor will be present at Senior Day not only to provide information to seniors and caregivers about their non-medical in home services, but for some of the Detroit Area Franchise Operators this is also an unconventional job fair. Seniors Helping Seniors ® In-Home Care provides home care exclusively for seniors by seniors. “There are many seniors who need a little help to maintain their independence, but they prefer to get that help from someone who understands them and is closer to their own age,” says Mark Bobo, Franchise Owner from Ann Arbor.

“We just completed our training in August and are very excited to start serving seniors in Plymouth, Wayne, Canton, Westland and Garden City this September,” says Mary Ribiero, the newest Franchise Partner in Michigan. Mary has personal experience as a caregiver in her family and has opened a franchise with her husband, Carmo Ribiero, to help older seniors stay self sufficient throughout Western Wayne County. This newest franchise will be the 6^th center to open in Michigan in 2012, making Seniors Helping Seniors Franchises one of the fastest growing in the state.

Dave VanderLinde Jr., one of the Regional Owners of Seniors Helping Seniors In-Home Services says, “We all know that jobs are hard to come by in this economy, especially on the east side of the state. Many mature workers in particular have difficulty finding work. We recognize the invaluable life experience and work ethic that older workers bring to a company. We now have grown to 14 franchises in Michigan with 9 of them being in the greater Detroit area. Many of our newer franchise partners are looking forward to senior day as a way to inform the community about our services but also as a way to find healthy, active seniors who are loving, caring, compassionate and who have a desire to have a meaningful part time job. We will be creating 75 to 100 new job openings for seniors in East Michigan yet this year. Our business model is so unique that it is one reason we were ranked the #1 Senior Care Franchise in 2012 by Entrepreneur magazine.”

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. 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."

"We support all of our franchises with the expertise we have gained in running our Seniors Helping Seniors Grand Rapids office,” said David VanderLinde Jr. “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 to continue contributing to their community. We plan on granting about a dozen more franchises in Michigan over the next 2 years at which time we will be able to provide services to about 80% of the state."

For more information on Seniors Helping Seniors in-home services, or its franchise system, contact:

Dave VanderLinde Jr.

Phone: 616-234-0190

E-Mail: info@shsmichigan.com

www.SeniorsHelpingSeniors.com 

SHS Quoted in INC Magazine

The below is from INC Magazine's Article "The Shape of Franchising in 2011"
Read the full article here

Seniors Helping Seniors has ridden a dramatic change in the way care is provided for senior citizens. “We have been able to continue to add over 70 franchise partners over the past year and a half, during the exact same time the rest of our economy was shrinking, and to expand our franchise system to over 120 territories,” says Philip Yocom, co-founder and CEO.

When it started in 2005, the Reading, Penn., company planned to double in size annually for five years and then add 100 new franchisees a year for another five years. There’s every indication they’ll achieve that. “During our past week, we have actually granted as many franchises as we did throughout our first calendar year,” Yocom says. Seniors Helping Seniors is targeting the Midwest, the Southwest, and the West Coast in its expansion plans, Yocom adds.

Why is In-home Senior Care Growing?

The "Graying of America" is something we have all heard about now for years. News stories tell us daily about boomers, our elderly and upcoming changes in health care and so forth. And, it's true. Our population is aging and our resources are being more and more stretched as we try to care for our elderly in the manner that they want to be cared for. 

Why Is the Need for Homecare Greater than Before?
 

Did anyone ever want to go into a nursing home?

Not in most cases. But historically many families were able to provide care for their elderly relatives so that they did not need to go into a nursing home or assisted living facility. And families still do provide care - 65 million Americans are already serving as caregivers.

Who Are Caregivers

Many caregivers are baby boomers themselves. Older baby boomers are starting to turn 65 now and they are becoming more aware of the need to plan for their own needs. We are seeing our government start to talk about how to deal with our aging population in the best and most cost effective manner. Caregivers themselves in many cases are trying to juggle family, work and care giving.

What Happened?

What changes have happened in our society to make this issue bigger today than it ever was in the past?

1) Adult Children are more likely to live further away (do you know anyone who has left Michigan?)

2) Higher divorce rates mean more seniors are living alone and families caring for 2 elderly parents are stretched even more

3) Lower birthrates mean fewer potential caregivers

4) Nearly 40% of chronically ill adults live alone (according to a U of M study) and many of them are married to a spouse with health issues of their own 

Seniors Helping Seniors has a well defined process to help potential franchise partners get all the information they need to make an informed and prudent business decision. At the same time we are sharing information about us with you, we also want to learn more about why you think in-home care may be a good fit for you.

Throughout our process you will have the opportunity to meet our founders as well as our entire corporate team, speak with and ask questions of existing franchise partners, go through a detailed demographic analysis to define a territory that sets you up for success and review our franchise agreement. Email today to take the first step in learning more about the franchise opportunities available with Seniors Helping Seniors In-home Services.