Sharon Perez, co-owner of BrightStar Care® of Santa Barbara County, California, had an extensive history of working in healthcare before purchasing her first BrightStar Care franchise in 2017. Today, she and her husband, Mike, own and operate two locations, having opened a second territory in Santa Ynez, California, in 2022. They have more than 270 employees, including nurses, therapists, caregivers and an office staff of 23. By Patty Horansky
Franchising is a great place for women to lead, as a female founder, business owner or supplier to the industry (like me). Women owners continue to grow as taking advantage of a wide variety of opportunities every day. Whether operating solo or hiring employees, they add value to the local economy, create wealth, empower others and lead the next generation. You may not be aware of the many resources available in the industry. By Dawn Abbamondi
Greg Macchia joined FranServe, Inc. in June 2019, just days before the company’s convention in Denver. Recognizing it as a prime opportunity to connect with the FranServe community, he jumped right in, attending his first consultant convention and immersing himself in the world of franchising. By Rose Mango
Kefah Hasan had been working as a retail manager when he realized it was time to pursue his own business venture instead of working for someone else. Because starting a business from scratch is a bit daunting, Hasan decided to explore the franchise route. Before his career in retail, Hasan had owned pizza shops and furniture stores. This time, franchising felt like a way to minimize the risks of opening a new business while benefiting from a steadfast support system. By Kelsi Trinidad
When an unexpected tragedy strikes, American Family Bio-Clean swoops in to restore calm and cleanliness with compassion and empathy. By Lizzy Yeserski
In the age of social media, it’s easy to see how much power influencers wield in advertising. What happens when a popular business influencer decides they love a brand so much that they want to become an owner? By Nancy E. Williams
As part of a small family-owned and operated business, John and Sierra Phelps bring a personal touch and a strong sense of responsibility to their Zerorez® location in the Treasure Coast area of Florida. By Shelby Green
As one might guess from the brand’s name, PAINT CORPS™ provides exceptional commercial and residential painting services nationwide, specializing in interior painting, exterior painting, roof coatings and cabinet refinishing. However, there’s one remarkable distinction that sets this company apart from the others. By Lizzy Yeserski
EPHRATA, Pa. — Senior Helpers, the nation’s premier provider of in-home senior care services, is the first private duty in-home care provider in the United States to be Age-Friendly Care at Home certified by Community Health Accreditation Partners (CHAP). On August 26, 2024, locally owned Senior Helpers of Lancaster County joined the list of Senior Helpers CHAP Age-Friendly Care at Home Certified locations.
“Senior Helpers’ achievement as the pioneering Age-Friendly Care certified home care organization is truly remarkable. Their proactive approach in implementing numerous tools to enhance care for older adults, even before receiving the AFC certification, speaks volumes about their commitment to excellence,” said Teresa Harbour, COO of CHAP. “Their use of LIFE Profile to reduce the risk of hospitalizations, their Senior Gems program for dementia care, and their Centers for Excellence for staff training and competency set them up for success, so adding the Age-Friendly Care at Home Certification was a logical next step.”
Owners, Kent and Rebekah Terry stated, “It is an honor to be the first franchise in the country to attain this certification. Our decision to voluntarily pursue this certification, further demonstrates our dedication to providing a higher standard of care throughout Lancaster County.”
What is Age-Friendly Care at Home?
The first-of-its-kind certification was created to help meet the demand for high-quality care for older adults and showcases companies that use all-encompassing, person-centered care to address the unique needs of every individual. The focus is on the 4Ms (What Matters, Medication, Mentation, and Mobility), a research-backed and evidence-based approach to care. To receive the CHAP certification, Senior Helpers of Lancaster County worked to ensure that the 4Ms Framework is an integral part of operations and daily interactions with clients.
CHAP provides training, certification, and accreditation for senior care providers, ensuring quality and compliance with the highest standards of care using the 4M Framework and other guidelines.
Senior Helpers Elevates Care Standards for Seniors
In addition to the CHAP certification, Senior Helpers of Lancaster County elevates its care for clients through three key programs: the proprietary LIFE Profile assessment tool, the Senior Gems® program, and the Center of Excellence training spaces.
LIFE Profile is a research-based technology tool that uses data to identify a client’s risk of being hospitalized.
The Senior Gems® program provides effective strategies for supporting and caring for loved ones from normal aging through late-stage dementia, focusing on what is precious and unique about each senior at each stage.
The Senior Helpers Center of Excellence is a training space designed to simulate a client’s home, allowing caregivers to learn and train in a real-world environment and demonstrate their ability to provide the highest quality of care in a client’s home.
Senior Helpers of Lancaster County provides in-home care for seniors to help them age in place and live quality lives. They provide personalized care, including chronic disease care, Alzheimer’s, dementia and Parkinson’s care, transportation, end-of-life care, and more.
To learn more about Senior Helpers of Lancaster County services, visit www.seniorhelpers.com/pa/lancaster-county
About Senior Helpers® and Senior Helpers of Lancaster County
Senior Helpers® is the nation’s premier provider of in-home senior services ranging from specialized care for those with diseases such as dementia, Alzheimer’s, and Parkinson’s to personal and companion care to help individuals looking for a little assistance with daily activities. Locally owned Senior Helpers of Lancaster County is proud to serve the needs of seniors and their families in the Lancaster County area. Learn more by visiting www.seniorhelpers.com/pa/lancaster-county.
About CHAP:
CHAP is an independent, nonprofit organization accrediting providers of home and community-based care. Founded in 1965, CHAP was the first to recognize the need for and value of home and community-based care standards and accreditation. As a Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)–approved accrediting organization, CHAP surveys organizations providing home health, hospice, and home medical equipment services to establish if Medicare Conditions of Participation and DMEPOS Quality Standard are met and recommend certification to CMS. CHAP’s purpose is to partner with organizations nationwide to advance quality in the delivery of care and services in the home and community.
CORAL SPRINGS, Fla. — September marks Blood Cancer Awareness Month, a time dedicated to raising awareness and supporting the fight against leukemia, lymphoma, and myeloma. Cruise Planners, the nation’s leading travel advisor network, is proud to reaffirm its commitment to this cause through its philanthropic initiative, CP Cares, and longstanding support of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS).
CP Cares, the charitable arm of Cruise Planners, has been a driving force in the company’s efforts to give back to the community. Through CP Cares, the Cruise Planners family has helped raise over $3 million for LLS and blood cancer research, thanks to the support of its travel advisors, staff, and industry partners.
Cruise Planners’ founders, Michelle Fee and the late Vicky Garcia, were both honored as “Women of the Year“ by the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society for their remarkable fundraising efforts. Vicky Garcia raised $115,000 followed by Michelle Fee who raised a record $292,000, during her campaign. Their leadership and commitment have inspired the entire Cruise Planners network to rally around the cause, with fundraising efforts continuing to grow year after year.
Through a variety of activities, CP Cares has brought the Cruise Planners community and fellow travel partners together to raise funds and spread awareness about blood cancers:
Blood cancers affect millions of people globally, and many within the Cruise Planners network have been personally touched by these diseases. “At Cruise Planners, we know that the fight against blood cancers is personal,” said Michelle Fee, CEO and Founder of Cruise Planners. “Our commitment to supporting research and patient services through CP Cares comes from a place of deep empathy for those impacted by these life-threatening illnesses.”
In honor of Blood Cancer Awareness Month, Cruise Planners encourages the community to get involved. Whether through donations, participating in a local fundraising event, or simply spreading awareness, every action makes a difference. Together, we can bring hope to those battling blood cancers.
For more information on how to get involved or to donate, please visit Cruise Planners CP Cares.
Cruise Planners was founded in 1994 and is the nation’s largest home-based travel agent franchise network. As a leader in the travel franchise industry, Cruise Planners positions a nation-wide network of 2,500 franchise owners for success by providing innovative marketing programs, proprietary and cutting-edge booking and technology tools, as well as professional development and hands-on training with the industry’s top executives. The company continues to be an industry leader and was named the No.1 travel franchise by Entrepreneur magazine for 18 consecutive years and awarded by Franchise Business Review as “Best-In-Category” for 2 years.
Cruise Planners received a 99% franchise owner satisfaction report from Franchise Business Review for 2024. Franchise Business Review also ranked Cruise Planners #3 OVERALL on their list of Top 200 Franchises of 2022. Cruise Planners was recently featured in Entrepreneur as one of the top 30 franchise innovators in technology, has been consistently named as one of the Top Women-Owned Businesses by the South Florida Business Journal, is on the Inc. 5000 list as one of the fastest-growing private companies in America, and was recognized as one of the Top Workplaces by the Sun Sentinel.
Visit our website, www.cruiseplanners.com, for more information or to view the complete list of awards and honors. For those interested in becoming a franchise owner, please visit https://www.cruiseplannersfranchise.com/.