Seniors Helping Seniors Opens Waterford, CT Location

By: Seniors Helping Seniors | 5 Shares 291 Reads

October 24, 2007 // Franchising.com // - Wyomissing Hills, Pa.--To help meet the growing demand of older residents of New England who want to remain in their own homes and stay as self-sufficient as possible, Seniors Helping Seniors® In-Home Services (SHS) has established a new franchise in Waterford, Conn., that will serve central and southern Connecticut communities.

Seniors Helping Seniors--which has four master license holders and some two dozen franchise partners in Connecticut, Massachusetts Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Virginia, Maryland and the District of Columbia--is a national caregiver organization and the only one that matches seniors who need in-home care services with seniors who provide them. New England franchises are also located at Granby, Fairfield, Stonington and Branford, Conn., and on Cape Cod, Mass.

The newest franchise is owned and operated by Karen M. Wasserman, Waterford, who has more than 30 years of intensive management experience in real estate, staff development and training, performance and productivity consulting, small business development, marketing, software development and teaching She received a BS in mathematics from Upsala College, East Orange, N.J., and is pursuing an MS degree in management from Rensselear Hartford, Hartford, Conn.

Currently, she holds a real estate license with William Pitt Sotheby's International realty. Previous employment includes serving as a sales executive for Prudential Connecticut Realty, as director of technical training for the Mass Mutual Financial Group, Springfield, Mass.; as director of professional services for CASEwise Systems, Inc., Waltham, Mass., as director of Computer and Information Technology Professional Development for Rensselaer Hartford, as manager for Aetna CASE implementation, and as technical instructor for The Hartford Insurance Company

Wasserman's decision to establish a Seniors Helping Seniors franchise is based on her experiences helping seniors with computer training and real estate. "I feel rewarded when I know I have been a positive influence in seniors' lives and I know the same will be true for other seniors as they help each other."

Daniel Jan and Namrata Yocom, Seniors Helping Seniors' master license holders for New England, said they are pleased to welcome Karen as a franchise partner. "She comes to our Seniors Helping Seniors community with many years of diverse business experience and a deep commitment to applying and sharing her knowledge with senior New Englanders who want to remain in their own homes and maintain the dignity and independence they deserve. She will make an excellent franchise partner, one who is dedicated to fulfilling our mission in serving central and southern Connecticut," said Jan.

Added Wasserman, "That's why I love the concept of Seniors Helping Seniors. I feel so strongly about wanting to give back and this is exactly the opportunity I have been seeking."

Philip Yocom, and his wife, Kiran Yocom, co-founded Seniors Helping Seniors In-Home Services (SHS), which began as a non-profit organization serving Reading and Berks County, Pennsylvania. That first non-profit organization today encompasses more than 250 senior providers helping more than 600 senior receivers. In 2006, Seniors Helping Seniors provided nearly 13, 000 hours of service.

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 said, "We want the existing Seniors Helping Seniors organization and any future franchises to be the first place that seniors in need of non-medical services and those seeking extra income call."

"We will support Karen and all of our master licensees and franchisees with all of the expertise we have gained in running Seniors Helping Seniors. We'll also provide marketing, sales, management, and technology support."

He added, "We believe we have found a practical, cost-effective way to help seniors remain independent and to continue contributing. As we grow nationwide, we remain committed to providing our brand of loving, giving, caring, compassionate service."

For more information contact Karen Wasserman at Seniors Helping Seniors at seniorshelpingseniors@ct.metrocast.net or call her at 860-447-1316. For franchise details, e-mail Philip Yocom at philip@seniorshelpingseniors.com .