Senior Care Franchise Industry News & Announcements

Episode of Hit CBS Reality Series, to Rebroadcast Friday, June 1
GURNEE, Ill., May 24, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The CBS Television Network is rebroadcasting the episode of the Emmy-nominated reality television series UNDERCOVER BOSS that features BrightStar Care CEO and Co-Founder Shelly Sun, Friday, June 1 (8:00-9:00 PM, ET/PT).
BrightStar Care, one of the fastest growing home healthcare and staffing providers in the country has more than 250 locations across North America. BrightStar Care is one of the few full-service healthcare agencies to offer both medical and non-medical homecare to clients of all ages within their homes, as well as supplemental healthcare staffing to corporate clients such as hospitals and nursing homes...

New Home Care Assistance partnership assists NJ Veterans, who incur medically-related expenses, in predetermining eligibility for the Veterans Administration Aid and Attendance Pension.
Monroe, NJ (PRWEB) May 24, 2012 - When a family arrives at a point where they need to secure in-home care services for an aging loved one, one of their biggest concerns is how they will pay for these necessary services. While some individuals do have long-term care insurance and others qualify for Medicaid, the majority of recipients receiving in-home care services pay privately. Most veterans and their surviving spouses are not aware of the VA Aid and Attendance Pension, which will provide financial assistance to those who lack the necessary funds to meet their medical needs...

May 25, 2012 // Franchising.com // GURNEE, IL – BrightStar Group Holdings announced today it has promoted Jayson Pearl to the newly created role of Chief Brand Officer. As CBO of BrightStar Care® and emerging new brands, Mr. Pearl will be responsible for the innovation and implementation of fully integrated brand development strategies across all communication channels, such as the incubation and deployment of BrightStar’s future Assisted Living franchise opportunity.
Mr. Pearl joined BrightStar in 2009 as Vice President of Marketing and Franchisee Onboarding where he led the implementation of a system-wide rebranding effort, development of the BrightStart franchisee launch program, and the pilot program leading to Joint Commission Accreditation of all US BrightStar Care® locations...

National Senior Care Company Demonstrates Commitment to Quality Care
Gilbert, AZ (PRWEB) May 23, 2012 - SYNERGY HomeCare today announced the completion of a comprehensive national client satisfaction benchmarking research project with Home Care Pulse. SYNERGY HomeCare is now officially a Home Care Pulse certified quality home care provider.
“Home Care Pulse certification reinforces SYNERGY HomeCare’s commitment to provide the highest level of quality care," says Dallas Bennewitz, Vice President of Marketing for SYNERGY HomeCare. “Our clients now have additional proof of our dedication to provide compassionate high quality care and we are proud to have earned Home Care Pulse certification.”
More than one thousand surveys were completed over three months for SYNERGY HomeCare agencies...

Proper Implementation of Discharge Plan and Medication, Coordination of Follow-Up Care, Attention to Nutrition Are Key
May 17, 2012 // Franchising.com // LOS ANGELES – Hospital readmissions have become a serious issue for seniors and their families. The good news is most of these readmissions can be prevented by paying careful attention to aftercare instructions.
Steve Barlam, Chief Professional Officer of LivHOME, explores the specific steps that families and caregivers can take to avoid post-discharge readmissions in Episode 29 of The Senior Care Podcast by LivHOME. He also looks at the broader implications of readmissions, which have become a significant issue for hospitals, insurers and seniors themselves.
Overall, Barlam says, 1 in 3 seniors are readmitted to the hospital within 90 days of discharge and three-quarters of all readmissions are preventable...

May 17, 2012 // Franchising.com // Cincinnati, OH - FirstLight HomeCare, a franchised provider of professional, non-medical, live-in and hourly care services to seniors and others who need assistance, is pleased to announce the addition of Clay Neff to its corporate team as director of franchise development. After eight years working in franchise sales and development for various companies, Neff brings his business acumen and franchising expertise to his new position at FirstLight. In his new role, he will be responsible for guiding well-qualified franchise candidates through the franchise award process.
“I’m looking forward to working with a company that is poised for optimum growth where I can utilize my skills and experience to further elevate the brand,” said Neff...

Home Care Assistance, the leading provider of in-home senior care, is hosting a live informational webinar for entrepreneurs interested in learning more about the booming senior care industry. The webinar will be held this Thursday, May 17th, at 10AM PST.
Palo Alto, CA (PRWEB) May 16, 2012 - The senior care industry has been named as one of America’s fastest growing sectors by CNBC, Fortune and Newsweek. Every day over 4,000 Americans turn 85. These older adults have a strong preference of ‘aging in place’ and many have the financial means to do so.
Home Care Assistance, North America’s leading provider of in-home care, has consistently capitalized on the growing opportunity in senior care. The Home Care Assistance business model, focused on affluent older adults who require full-time care at home, has helped over 60% of locations join its Million Dollar Club...

Groundbreaking Program Offers a Fresh, Life-Changing Approach to Managing the Disease
OMAHA, NE--(Marketwire - May 15, 2012) - Home Instead Senior Care today announces the launch of a groundbreaking online Alzheimer's training program -- Alzheimer's CARE. The program is free for families and others caring for loved ones with the disease. Experts estimate that some 5.2 million people 65 and older currently have Alzheimer's and the total number of cases among all age groups is expected to surge 50 percent in the next 20 years.
The Home Instead first-of-its-kind family training program addresses current and future health needs by offering family members a fresh approach to providing Alzheimer's care -- one that encourages mental engagement to help relatives remain safely at home and in familiar surroundings as long as possible...

HomeCareNurses.org shares valuable tips on choosing the best long-term care option and educates seniors and their loved ones.
Palo Alto, CA (PRWEB) May 14, 2012 - Home Care Assistance, the leading provider of in-home care for seniors, is proud to announce the launch of homecarenurses.org. The site is one component of an impressive educational suite of materials by the company to increase awareness around the topics of aging in place and healthy longevity. While it is not difficult to see why senior advocates and health groups have been so vocal in recent years around the importance of independence for the senior population—it’s easy to rally around images of centenarians traveling the world and enjoying a day on the golf course—it is important to keep in mind that independence into ones’ 80s and beyond does not necessarily mean that seniors will be as active as they were in their younger years...

Comfort Keepers, a leading in-home care company for seniors and other adults, has selected the top caregivers in its franchise system.
Dayton, OH (PRWEB) May 11, 2012 - Comfort Keepers, a leading in-home care company for seniors and other adults, has selected the top caregivers in its franchise system. These “Comfort Keepers® of the Year” were voted on by the franchise system as the top caregivers in the nation. Comfort Keeper is the name given to caregivers in the Comfort Keepers national network.
It is not every day that one comes across an individual who goes out of their way to help a dementia patient remember a piece of themselves by playing make believe, or who spends countless hours learning how to quilt because it is the only way a grandmother will come out of her shell, and who goes above and beyond their calling as a caregiver to make sure their clients are loved, cherished, and taken care of like a member of their own family...

May 10, 2012 // Franchising.com // “According to the National Institute on Aging, by the year 2015, 25 million U.S. residents will be between the age of 65 and 74. As the baby boomer generation continues to age, the need for cost-effective, in-home caregivers is expected to grow. This is reflected in data from the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services, which noted that in 2009, the home healthcare market reached $72.2 billion,” said Richard Ueberfluss, a physical therapist and president of Assisting Hands-Naperville, who has successfully franchised his home care business in the Chicago area.
Assisting Hands is a niche player in the home care industry, staffing its operation with private duty professional caregivers who work in the home...

Comfort Keepers recently announced its top performing franchise owners at its 2012 Leadership Conference held in Dallas, Texas.
May 10, 2012 // Franchising.com // Dayton, OH - Comfort Keepers recently announced its top performing franchise owners at its 2012 Leadership Conference held in Dallas, Texas. These franchisees were recognized for outstanding business performance and their hard work and dedication to help care for adults in their communities. Comfort Keepers is an in-home care company providing medical, non-medical, and companionship care to seniors and other adults with over 700 offices worldwide.
“It is a pleasure to recognize the performance, hard work, and tenacity of our top franchisees. In addition to consistently providing quality care to seniors and other adults, they are true role models to other Comfort Keepers franchisees around the nation,” said Jim Booth, President and CEO of CK Franchising, Inc...

Health Care Franchise Leader Seeks Entrepreneurs to Expand in Monmouth, Brick, Atlantic City and Ocean County
SUNRISE, Fla., May 9, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Interim HealthCare, the nation's leading home care, hospice and healthcare staffing franchise, announced today it is seeking to expand its presence into New Jersey. With the home healthcare industry experiencing exponential growth and increase in demand, Interim HealthCare is poised to rapidly expand and is seeking entrepreneurs to own and operate new franchise locations in various counties throughout New Jersey including Monmouth, Brick, Atlantic City and Ocean County.
Interim HealthCare was the first health care franchise company to offer all levels and types of the continuum of care including nursing, therapy, personal care and support, hospice and healthcare staffing...

A new program is bringing hope to family caregivers who are struggling to help senior loved ones with the challenging behaviors of Alzheimer’s disease remain home longer.
Omaha, NE (PRWEB) May 09, 2012 - A new program is bringing hope to family caregivers who are struggling to help senior loved ones with the challenging behaviors of Alzheimer’s disease remain home longer. The Alzheimer’s Disease or Other Dementias CARE: Changing Aging Through Research and EducationSM Training Program, developed by the Home Instead Senior Care® network, removes some of the fear and confusion associated with those diseases. The no-cost program bolsters in-home care by providing an innovative method that helps families make the most of a senior’s life journey, including that individual’s history, passions and hobbies...

Bonnie Snow joins Home Care Assistance after Working Eight Years for Upstate Hospice Organization as a Regional Marketing Director and Community Education Representative
Greenville, SC (PRWEB) May 08, 2012 - Home Care Assistance of Greenville, a leading provider of in-home care for seniors, is proud to announce that Bonnie Snow is the new Community Outreach Director. Snow spent the past eight years working with hospices in Upstate South Carolina, showing compassion to families and educating the community on the benefits of hospice to the patient and the family. Snow’s past work experience in the hospice field will allow her to easily build strong partnerships within the local community and surrounding areas.
Home Care Assistance of Greenville partners with a number of organizations such as the Senior Action Senior Centers to provide cleaning services for low income seniors...

Susan Freilino Named 2012 Interim HealthCare Nurse of The Year
SUNRISE, Fla., May 8, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Interim HealthCare, the nation's leading home care, hospice and healthcare staffing franchise, announced today that Susan Freilino, RN of Interim HealthCare Bakersfield, California as the 2012 Interim HealthCare Nurse of The Year. In celebration of National Nurses Week, which begins May 6th and ends on May 12th, Interim HealthCare is saluting all nurses and healthcare workers who provide care to their patients at over 300 franchise offices across the country.
"Susan is an inspiration to all nurses as she demonstrates the qualities of excellence and care to her patients," said Kathleen Gilmartin, RN, president and CEO of Interim HealthCare, Inc...

Certification provides families choosing a senior care agency with useful information and eases the decision making process.
Greenville, SC (PRWEB) May 07, 2012 - Home Care Assistance of Greenville, South Carolina the premier provider of in-home care for seniors, is proud to announce its Home Care Pulse Certification. To achieve this certification, Home Care Assistance of Greenville was reviewed on a monthly basis in the following areas to measure overall quality care and client satisfaction: loyalty, benchmarking improvements, caregiver performance, caregiver morale, agency incentives and caregiver rewards.
“We know that it is sometimes difficult for family members to make care decisions when they don’t have prior experience with an agency...

Recognized among a select few of the best agencies in the country, Home Care Assistance of Toronto-York Region ranks in the top 1% in client satisfaction scores.
Richmond Hill, Ontario (PRWEB) May 05, 2012 - Home Care Assistance, the leading provider of in-home care for seniors, today announced that it has been recognized with Home Care Pulse’s "Best of Home Care" distinction. Awarded to the top 25% of agencies in client satisfaction scores from Home Care Pulse, Home Care Assistance of Toronto-York Region is now ranked among a select few of the best agencies in the country.
“We know that sometimes it is difficult to make care decisions when you don’t have specific experience with an agency. It was our goal to provide families with the ability to make an informed decision, have tangible ways to measure quality and help them find a comfort level when choosing an agency to work with,” commented Aaron Marcum, founder of Home Care Pulse...

Recognized among a select few of the best agencies in the country, Home Care Assistance of Albuquerque ranks in the top 1% in client satisfaction scores.
Albuquerque, NM (PRWEB) May 03, 2012 - Home Care Assistance of Albuquerque, the leading provider of in-home care for seniors, today announced that it has been recognized with Home Care Pulse’s “Best of Home Care” distinction. Awarded to the top 25% of agencies in client satisfaction scores from Home Care Pulse, Home Care Assistance of Albuquerque is now ranked among a select few of the best agencies in the country.
“We know that sometimes it is difficult to make care decisions when you don’t have specific experience with an agency. It was our goal to provide families with the ability to make an informed decision, have tangible ways to measure quality and help them find a comfort level when choosing an agency to work with,” commented Aaron Marcum, founder of Home Care Pulse...

Senior Helpers workshops help families conquer heartbreak with real-life role playing as they learn to cope with deadly disease.
Towson, Md. (PRWEB) May 02, 2012 - Half of all Americans know someone who has Alzheimer’s disease - a disease that has now replaced cancer as the most feared disease among seniors. It affects more than five million people in the United States; and that number is expected to reach 13 million within the next fifteen years!
While Americans wait for a cure for this debilitating disease, a nationally renowned Alzheimer’s and dementia care expert, Teepa Snow, is kicking-off a year-long, 24 city tour, to offer families help. Teepa turns auditoriums into active environments where she engages the audience in real-life scenarios, giving them free, riveting, hands-on Do’s and Don’ts of caring for a loved one with dementia or Alzheimer’s...