Seniors Helping Seniors Offers Unique Care Program for Seniors in Need

By Andrew Wilson

It can be difficult to know where to turn if an elderly loved one needs a helping hand. Seniors Helping Seniors® Southwestern PA has made the decision easier.

“Our agency is the only home care agency that focuses on hiring active seniors, a segment of our population that is often overlooked, to serve as companions and caregivers,” said C.J. Girod, the owner of Seniors Helping Seniors® Southwestern PA. “As a result, our employees are not only caring and compassionate, but mature, dependable, and attentive as well.”

Seniors Helping Seniors is new to southwestern Pennsylvania, but the company has been serving clients for almost 25 years and has more than 100 locations across the United States. The founder, Kiran Yocum, worked with Mother Teresa – honored by the Roman Catholic Church as Saint Teresa of Calcutta – for 14 years before establishing the first Seniors Helping Seniors location in 1998.

“As a result, Seniors Helping Seniors very much has a care-first mentality and approach engrained throughout the organization,” he said. “When I first heard about Seniors Helping Seniors, I felt an immediate connection and knew that I wanted to bring this service to southwestern Pennsylvania.”

The concept is a simple one. Most, if not all, seniors wish to remain independent as long as possible, but loneliness following the death of a spouse or the challenges of performing day-to-day tasks can create obstacles to independence. Who better to provide that needed companionship and assistance than someone who understands what they are going through?

“Our staff can better relate to the challenges our clients face in the aging process,” said Girod. “They often build genuine friendships with our clients, which are mutually beneficial, as many of our companions or caregivers are widows or widowers that sometimes may experience loneliness themselves. As we say, being a companion/caregiver with Seniors Helping Seniors is a way to give and to receive®.”

Seniors Helping Seniors is a home care agency, and most clients live in their own homes, but services are also provided to seniors in independent living, assisted living, and skilled nursing facilities. The range of services offered vary depending on individual needs, but can include companionship, personal care, light housekeeping, cooking, shopping, small repairs or yard work, or accompanying the client to medical appointments.

Seniors Helping Seniors also recently hired a dementia care and education specialist who is certified through Teepa Snow’s Positive Approach to Care (PAC) training program. “In addition to training our caregivers, the specialist will help assess our clients and develop their care plans, as well as educate their families on how to best serve those with Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia with person-centered care,” Girod said.

While not a medical provider, Seniors Helping Seniors has a care manager, Barb (Girod) Green, who is a registered nurse with almost 50 years of nursing experience, including being the former executive director of nursing at a local hospital.

“Barb performs all of our client assessments, develops our care plans, oversees the implementation of our care plan/services, and orients and trains our staff,” said Girod.
Girod says the majority of the calls they receive come from family members who have identified a need for assistance for parents, but they also receive calls for respite care – relief for a family member who has become the primary caregiver for a loved one.

“We do everything possible to be flexible and meet our client’s needs and expectations,” said Girod. “We have a wonderful staff that truly enjoys helping others. They don’t view this as just a job, but rather an opportunity to give back and be a part of the community.”

He said that Seniors Helping Seniors is always hiring companions/caregivers, who are found through a variety of ways, including word of mouth, ads in local newspapers, magazines, and church bulletins, social media, and job boards to name just a few places. Positions are typically part-time and offer very flexible schedules. However, before someone is hired they go through face-to-face interviews, a criminal background check, motor vehicle records check, at least two professional/personal reference checks, a state-mandated health screening, and must pass a competency exam.

“We hire one in 20 to 25 of the people we interview who express interest in joining Seniors Helping Seniors,” said Girod. “We are very selective. We are looking for people who are in this for the right reasons – the opportunity to do meaningful work.”

For more information about the services offered by Seniors Helping Seniors® Southwestern PA, to inquire about being a companion/caregiver, call (412) 944-2470 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, send an email to Info@swpaSeniorCare.com, or fill out the contact form at swpaseniorcare.com/contact/.