Town Square Franchising

Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce small business award recognizes the franchise’s growth, market service and promising future. 

SARASOTA, Fla. — Town Square Sarasota, an adult daycare and memory care center, is the winner of the Rising Star Award, an annual award from the Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce recognizing best new Small Businesses. Part of a national reminiscence therapy franchise model, Town Square Sarasota opened February 2022, serving individuals with Alzheimer’s or related dementias.

The Sarasota Chamber 2023 Frank G. Berlin, Sr. Small Business Awards celebrates companies that have exceeded targets for growth and financial performance; best demonstrated an understanding of their competitors, customers, and their markets; and have the foundations in place for continued success. Awards were presented at a luncheon for 600.

“The Town Square Sarasota team is humbled to receive the Rising Star Award as the best new Small Business by the Greater Sarasota Chamber,” says Michael Finn, who along with his wife Sherri owns and operates the center. “We’re proud of the work we do daily helping individuals affected by Alzheimer’s and dementia – and their families and caregivers – and especially want to thank Center Director Jill Grinnell-Blehinger and our incredible staff for their ongoing commitment to care, kindness and love, which makes all of this work.”

He also notes that Grinnell-Blehinger was separately chosen by the Chamber as part of its leadership program. The Sarasota Chamber leadership program – whose past graduates lead companies all over the area – creates awareness of the community and its needs by examining how leadership in the historical, economic, governmental and cultural segments work together to advance Sarasota County.

“This event today is hands down a favorite event that we do every year,” says Sarasota Chamber CEO & President Heather Kasten, citing the organization’s mission of supporting businesses in a competitive market, helping them grow and creating an attractive business climate. A short video from the event can be found here.

Town Square Sarasota is a 12,000-square-foot 1950s-themed Day Care Center built for seniors affected by aging, Alzheimer’s and other dementias. The interior looks like a 50s main street with a diner, theater, city hall, park, library and more; guests move through these storefronts with the aid of highly-trained care staff, and participate in programming in each storefront, built to engage and entertain. Seniors enjoy socialization and programming while families and caregivers get a much-needed respite.

Michael and Sherri Finn are developing three additional Town Square locations, from Sarasota to Ft Myers. Nearby, Town Square University Parkway, on the border of Bradenton and Sarasota, opened in March of this year.

PERRY HALL, Md. — SH Town Square Franchising, Inc. (Town Square), which fills a nationwide elder care market gap for adult daycare and memory care centers, continues its growth, with new locations opening, leases signed and additional franchise owners coming on board. The four-year-old organization also is expanding its leadership team with the addition of a new position, Vice President of Marketing & Business Development.

With a just-opened University Parkway (Bradenton, FL) Town Square; the lease signed for a Town Square in the Greater Charlotte area (Fort Mill, SC); and new owners of a Bergen County, NJ, Town Square ramping up, Town Square Franchising improves the momentum already established in 2022.

“We’ve been on a roll since June of 2021,” says Pete Spillum, VP of Operations for Town Square. “In addition to seven centers up and running, we have 15 other committed locations. Like families and caregivers, franchise owners are recognizing incredible national demand for quality daycare for those with dementia. We are delighted to serve more seniors while also giving caregivers a respite from 24/7 care.”

University Parkway Town Square has strong start

Spillum notes that Town Square University Parkway, on the border of Bradenton and Sarasota, opened its doors March 6. More than 450 people attended the Open House to see the innovative adult day facility offering activities and enabling reminiscence and socialization. Town Square University Parkway franchise owners John and Catherine McDermott have plans to open two more Town Square centers in the coming years to serve the Manatee County area, north of this first location.

Geriatric psychiatry expertise drives Town Square near Charlotte

Likewise, franchisees Kelli and Rob Gagne recently signed a lease for their Fort Mill, SC, Town Square, due to open in early 2024, serving the Charlotte, NC, area. Kelli is a psychiatric mental-health nurse practitioner with her own geriatric psychiatry practice and Rob served in the U.S. Navy before a long career as a director of facilities overseeing the campus of a state university, so they are well-suited to provide senior care in an area that lacks adequate adult day care and memory care facilities. They too plan to open additional locations in the Charlotte market.

Town Square aligns with existing businesses

Some of the latest Town Square owners have just completed New Owner Training and will be opening in Bergen County, NJ, in 2024. Owners Mike Tucci and Stacey Lopis and business partner John Lopis are excited that Town Square will offer families affordable and engaging memory care, as well as rewarding and consistent work for their caregiving staff, including opportunities for career advancement.

Growth drives leadership team expansion

As its first Vice President of Marketing & Business Development, Sarasota-based Lori McCauley brings 25 years sales & operations experience, with a decade in healthcare and 15 years in franchise development.

“I know from experience there is nothing quite like Town Square in the healthcare marketplace,” McCauley says. “The brand is exciting plus the team is passionate, and our centers, as we call them, benefit not only the member, but also caregivers who need respite support. Our goal when we partner with franchise owners is for Town Square to be the ‘Center of Excellence’ in adult day dementia care. From every activity to the centers’ décor, we’ve built it with strategic, meaningful purpose.”

Sixth in the franchise and first in Atlanta, Town Square Sandy Springs offers support that may delay progression of Alzheimer’s, other dementias.

ATLANTA — Town Square^® Sandy Springs, an innovative adult day center for those in need of memory or cognitive care, is now open. The first of its kind in Atlanta and the sixth in the U.S., the facility offers experiential adult day enrichment.

“Our person-centered, strengths-based approach to healthy aging supports interventions that reduce risk for disease, may delay dementia progression and postpone the need for long-term care,” says Town Square Sandy Springs Director Mary Caldwell, an experienced and credentialed gerontologist. “We are committed to serving our members, but also any person impacted by Alzheimer’s or dementia by providing free care consultation, care planning, care partner support groups and education.”

Town Square provides a safe, comforting and immersive environment where members spend the day while caretakers are at work, running errands or taking a break from daily routines. Members – as Town Square day guests are called – take part in a range of engaging activities facilitated by highly qualified Program Assistants (with an 8-to-1 caregiver/participant ratio) who leverage therapeutic reminiscing techniques to spark memories and stimulate the mind.

“The impetus for Town Square was to be part of the innovation of the adult day space,” says Kellen Stennett, owner of Town Square Sandy Springs. “We saw a huge need to elevate the level of dignity and compassion of people who need cognitive or memory care. I’m proud of the impact we’re making in the north Atlanta community.”

The 12,000-sq. ft., state-of-the-art facility (8601 Dunwoody Place, Suite 130, just off GA 400 Exit 6) resembles a mid-century American town, with 13 stylized activity rooms representing popular storefronts that existed during that era: a 1950’s diner; Starlite Theater; a music room called Spinners; Health Club with themed exercise; a vintage 1964 Ford Thunderbird; as well as a library; working hair and nail salon; craft room; recreation room, among others.

“There is an incredible demand in Atlanta and around the country for quality daycare and resource centers for those with dementia,” says Pete Spillum, VP of Operations and Franchising for Town Square. “We are delighted to serve seniors while also giving caregivers a respite from 24/7 care.”

In addition to daytime programming (Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.), Town Square is available for rent, evenings and weekends, for corporate meetings, birthday and anniversary parties, and group visits from senior living facilities.

Spillum notes that the seventh Town Square will open in Bradenton, FL later this year. In addition to Atlanta (Sandy Springs), other Town Square locations include Sarasota, FL; Perry Hall, MD; Jersey Shore (Brunswick), NJ; Princeton, NJ; and (NW) Austin, TX. Four additional locations are in-process to open in 2023: two additional New Jersey locations, one in North Carolina and one in Las Vegas. As the population shifts, the 50’s and 60’s theme of Town Square facilities will roll through subsequent decades.

Local and State Dignitaries Welcome Interactive Adult Enrichment Center to the Baltimore Community

BALTIMORE — Today, Senior Helpers®, the nation’s premier provider of in-home senior care, announced the unveiling of the first Town Square®, an innovative adult day enrichment center tailored towards senior citizens, including those with Alzheimer’s and dementia. The company will hold an official ribbon-cutting event to welcome the company’s inaugural location to the Baltimore area on Wednesday, October 16. The new 11,000-square-foot center will be the first of many new Town Square locations planned nationwide and will open its doors to the public the following month.

“Town Square represents an important step forward in the future of senior care in this country,” said Peter Ross, Town Square CEO. “It offers all seniors a location to gather, socialize and find a sense of belonging. For families of those living with Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia, the safe, affordable care provided at Town Square and the thoughtful design of the center itself is truly groundbreaking.”

Town Square features an interactive midcentury “town” with 13 distinctive storefronts and experiences. These include a 1950s-era diner, movie theater, library, game room, garage with a beautiful vintage car and garden center all arranged around a green central park. The storefronts and their programming evoke a time when members were young adults and have been designed to appeal to all seniors. For those with dementia it can be particularly beneficial. The behavioral approach, known as reminiscence therapy, uses prompts such as movies, music, photographs and activities to stimulate long-term memories and has been shown to reduce anxiety and lessen symptoms and side-effects of the disease.

“Reminiscence therapy makes Town Square unique and is truly a game-changer not only for those diagnosed with Alzheimer’s or dementia, but for all seniors,” said Ross. “By creating this environment, we’re aiming to create a sense of shared community that people from all backgrounds can enjoy and benefit from.”

Future Town Squares will be modeled after the Baltimore location and will be designed to accommodate approximately 100 members per day, for half- or full-days every day of the week. Leveraging learnings developed as part of a strategic alliance with the George G. Glenner Alzheimer’s Family Centers Inc.® Glenner Town Square®, based in Chula Vista, CA, Town Square is able to uniquely cater to the needs of Alzheimer’s and dementia patients.

“We started by looking at the Glenner Center’s personalized and innovative approach to care and made a number of alterations to tailor the experience to members’ specific needs,” noted Greg White, vice president of franchise development. “For instance, one of our storefronts is a health club that will accommodate the physical and occupational therapy needs of our members, and we plan to partner with Silver Sneakers to offer classes there as well. We’ve also created a state-of-the art learning center with programs to stimulate members with educational activities. All of the programming at Town Square has been carefully designed to deliver enriching, safe, affordable and accessible care.”

Senior Helpers, whose employees will staff Town Square, finds the new center completely aligned with its mission “to provide compassionate care and improve the quality of life for our clients, their families and our employees.”

Executives from Town Square, including Ross, White and Bob Pearce, director of operations, will be joined at the ribbon-cutting by Brent Howard, CEO of Baltimore County Chamber of Commerce and local dignitaries.

For more information about the grand opening of Maryland’s first Town Square, located at 9708 Belair Road in Perry Hall, please visit https://shtownsquare.com.

Leading Specialized Senior Care Center Elevates Executive Team by Welcoming Robert D. Pearce, MBA

BALTIMORE — Today, Senior Helpers®, the nation’s premier provider of in-home senior services, announced that Robert D. Pearce, MBA will join the company as Director of Business Operations of Town Square®, the nation’s leading specialized senior care centers that tailor to those living with Alzheimer’s and dementia. With more than 20 years’ experience in home health and home care business operations, Pearce joins Town Square from Valley Health System. His experience in strategic planning, business development and process improvement in progressively complex roles will prove valuable as Town Square begins to expand nationally and transform senior care to improve the health and wellbeing of elders.

Pearce will play a pivotal role in helping propel Town Square’s success as a premier leader in the senior care industry. In his new position, he will drive process improvement across all business functions as the company develops a franchise model that will create a dynamic business opportunity across the country and will radically improve care for those in search of senior care centers.

“I’m thrilled to be joining the Town Square team and help to continue revolutionizing the senior care industry,” said Pearce. “It’s an exciting new concept that’s reimagining senior care for Alzheimer’s and dementia care patients. With Alzheimer’s disease affecting an estimated 5.7 million Americans, I look forward to making a difference serving more seniors by bringing more Senior Helpers Town Square facilities across the nation.”

Town Square offers seniors a one-of-a-kind, interactive environment set in the 1950s-era. Using reminiscence therapy to help elicit positive, long-term memories from an individual’s past, the company is ushering in the next wave of senior care and setting a new industry-standard for elder care—especially those living with Alzheimer’s or dementia.

“Bob couldn’t be joining at a more exciting time and we look forward to him leading our team through this exciting chapter in our company’s growth,” said Greg White, VP of Franchise Development of Town Square. “As a seasoned home health and home care executive, he has wide-ranging experience and an outstanding reputation in the industry. Tapping into Bob’s knowledge will give us some critical tools and insights that will help us grow, while ultimately driving high-quality care for our seniors.”

Town Square provides an attractive investment opportunity for entrepreneurs looking for exceptional corporate support and an exciting franchising concept in a booming industry and is currently accepting applications for Town Square locations. For more information about Town Square Franchising opportunities, visit shtownsquarefranchise.com or call 855-454-3056.