An Orlando senior care business opened after the local owner found inspiration caretaking for her grandmother.
Seniors Helping Seniors in-home care services, a franchisor with over 125 franchise partners and more than 200 territories nationwide, has grown rapidly in recent years by building a workforce of talented caregivers who create meaningful relationships with their senior care clients. Now, local residents Djuan and Gwendolyn Irvin have opened a new location to serve the Northwest and Southwest Orlando communities.
Gwendolyn found inspiration to open a senior care business after caregiving for her own grandmother. Thanks to her and her family’s dedication to her care, they were able to keep her home for as long as possible. She understands the process for caring for aging loved ones and recognizes first hand the demand for senior care businesses in the area.
Djuan and Gwendolyn Irvin have very different career experiences, but share the same values: serving and giving to others. With skills and lessons learned from Djuan’s 34 years’ experience as a dedicated power lineman and Gwendolyn’s extensive background in banking and administration, the two are venturing into franchising with a shared commitment to making a meaningful impact on the lives of seniors in their community.
The married couple have recently become franchisees with Seniors Helping Seniors, purchasing two and a half territories in Northwest and Southwest Orlando. In looking for a way to transition out of their careers and into a project they can continue beyond retirement, the Irvins wanted to do something meaningful.
“I want to sow it forward and I hope someone will be there for me when I get to the age or condition where I need some help. I love helping seniors; they have a lot of wisdom and learned a lot of life lessons,” said Djuan. “It’s a privilege and an honor.”
Not only does the couple hope to sow it forward for themselves, but they also want to do so for the sake of their children and grandchildren. The couple hopes to create a legacy that keeps their family close for generations to come.
“Hopefully they can carry it on to pass down to my grandkids,” he said. “We can keep the family together instead of everybody doing their own thing and working a nine-to-five. We made those sacrifices for them so they don’t have to do that. Hopefully the sacrifices we’ve made pay off for them to where they can spend time and do life together in this model while also providing a blessing to seniors in the community.”
Now with 15 caregivers and five senior caregivers on board, Gwendolyn is proud to serve the local Central Florida seniors around Orlando with both care and companionship.
The demand for in-home care for mature populations continues to grow, with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services reporting that nearly 70% of retirees will require some form of long-term care. Seniors Helping Seniors services is expanding in Florida with its unique care services and approach to caregiver-client matching. This new location in Orlando, Florida will mark the eighteenth in the state and will focus on serving the communities within Northwest and Southwest Orlando.
The Seniors Helping Seniors franchise said it stands out from other brands in the elder-care space in part through its commitment to hiring senior caregivers, which provides employment opportunities for seniors and better cultivates meaningful relationships between caregivers and care receivers.
“We’ve become a leader in this industry by prioritizing the best possible care for our seniors, and that means partnering with only the most passionate and hard-working franchisees,” said Seniors Helping Seniors® President Namrata Yocom-Jan. “That’s exactly what we’ve found with Djuan and Gwendolyn as new franchisee Partners, who are well-equipped to provide unparalleled in-home services to those in need throughout Orlando.”
Seniors Helping Seniors® franchise system was founded by husband-and-wife duo Kiran and Philip Yocom. Kiran, who grew up in India, later worked to advance humanitarian efforts alongside Mother Teresa. After moving to the U.S. in 1995 and marrying her husband Philip, the Yocoms felt called to provide loving care to seniors and to cultivate an exchange of gifts at every generational level. Together, the Yocoms founded Seniors Helping Seniors® in-home services in 1998, opening the brand up to franchising in 2006.
