Seniors Helping Seniors(R) In-Home Services Establishes Franchise to Serve Raleigh, N.C., and Surrounding Area

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July 21, 2008 // Franchising.com // Wyomissing Hills, Pa – To help meet the growing demand of older North Carolinians 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 Raleigh, North Carolina, that will also serve the communities of Cary, Garner and Fuquay-Varina and other areas of Wake County.

Seniors Helping Seniors--which has four master license holders and some 36 franchise partners in North Carolina, New Jersey, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, New York, Delaware, Virginia, Maryland, the District of Columbia, Michigan, Georgia, Florida and California--is a national caregiver and companionship organization and the only one that matches seniors who need in-home care services with seniors who provide them.

The newest franchise is owned and operated by Hester Drummond, Raleigh, with support from her husband, James Drummond. She received an AAS degree in nursing from the University of the State of New York (SUNY), Morrisville, and a BS in nursing in 1994, graduating with honors for both. She also completed work at the University of the City of New York at Queens College, Excelsior College and SUNY at Utica/Rome. She has extensive experience working in several urban and rural hospitals and nursing homes, as well as serving as a home care nurse for a public health agency working with seniors. Most recently she was a nursing supervisor for the New York State Insurance Fund. She is a certified life care planner and is a licensed life and health insurance agent.

Drummond said becoming a franchise partner with Seniors Helping Seniors fulfills many of her postretirement goals. "I have always wanted to be an independent business owner and, after looking at several opportunities, attended a Seniors Helping Seniors Open House. It appealed to me immediately because it would also allow me to help seniors.

"One of the things I discovered during my nursing career is that nursing homes do not always offer the best solutions, especially for those seniors who can stay in their own homes with a little help from caregiver organizations like Seniors Helping Seniors. Also, I was able to care for my late mother, keeping her in her home surrounded with people who loved her, and without physical and financial strain," said Drummond.

Philip Yocom, who manages the national Seniors Helping Seniors franchise organization, said he is pleased to welcome Hester as a franchise partner. "They come to our Seniors Helping Seniors community with many years of business experience and a deeply personal knowledge about what it means to be a caregiver. They will make an excellent addition to our franchise family, people who are dedicated to providing the Seniors Helping Seniors brand of loving, giving, caring and compassionate service and who will fulfill our mission in expanding our care giving and companionship services into North Carolina and the rest of the South," he said.

Added Drummond, "With Seniors Helping Seniors, seniors can help and are helped to remain useful, independent and productive members of society. It's like the Beatles' song, 'I'll get by with a little help from my friends.' I am looking forward to meeting and helping many through my franchise."

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 2007, the non-profit Seniors Helping Seniors provided nearly 17,000 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 all our 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 Hester Drummond by e-mail at hester@seniorscaringforseniors.com or by phone at 919-559-1179. For franchise information, e-mail Philip Yocom at philip@seniorshelpingseniors.com.