With record low unemployment, workforce development and labor shortages as ongoing challenges for NH employers, Gayle and Dwight Davis, who started a Stratham-based Senior Helpers franchise in 2014, are offering in-depth orientation and job shadowing for new employees.
In addition to their own onboarding efforts, they also worked closely with the NH Apprenticeship Program at the Community College System of NH to develop and launch the first Home Health Aid Apprenticeship Program in NH in 2018.
Emily Zeien, grant manager for Apprenticeship NH, says, “The individuals who complete their apprenticeships with Senior Helpers have earned a steady income while being given the opportunity to develop a new skill set. Apprenticeship is part of the solution to New Hampshire’s workforce challenges that provides businesses the opportunity to grow their own talent and gives job-seekers the chance to pursue alternative career tracks that may not have been available to them otherwise.”
Gayle and Dwight Davis love what they do, and their clients love that they are doing it. Both learned firsthand while caring for their respective parents the challenges of caring for someone who is aging. When Gayle’s mom passed, she was constantly being asked by friends and family for resources available for aging parents. This passion for helping others led them to look at several business opportunities for in-home care companies. They decided on the franchise, Senior Helpers, because they like the idea of having systems for success in place and the support of a franchise behind them.
“We get paid three times,” says Dwight Davis. “Once when the invoice is paid, once when the client thanks us for the services we are providing, and a third time when a family member thanks us for making a difference in their loved one’s life.”
“We have not regretted our decision to open Senior Helpers for a minute,” says Gayle Davis. “It is a wonderful feeling to know at the end of day you’ve made a difference in someone’s life.”
In 2017, with the help of an SBA loan from Celtic Bank, the couple was able to grow their franchise into four counties serving Strafford, Merrimack, Rockingham and Hillsborough.
“With an aging population in New Hampshire, caring for elderly family members is top of mind for lots of employees these days. It is great to see our lenders supporting the growth of businesses like Senior Helpers that offer peace of mind services to families and rewarding long term careers to their employees,” says SBA Greta Johansson, district director.
Pictured: Dwight and Gayle Davis. Also Walter, director of security and pet relations.
Current Issue - April 2024