Senior Helpers’ Senior Gems® Program Is Setting the New Standard in Alzheimer’s and Dementia Care

Leading in-home senior care franchise Senior Helpers knows first-hand how hard it can be for families with a loved one suffering from Alzheimer’s or another form of dementia. After all, co-founders Peter Ross and Tony Bonacuse’s inspiration to found the brand came from lackluster, impersonal experiences with the care their loved ones were receiving as they continued to age.

To ease the difficulty brought onto those directly and indirectly affected by Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia, Senior Helpers set out to establish a specialized care program that reflected the brand’s overall philosophy of focusing care on what a person can do instead of what they can’t. What resulted is a one-of-a-kind program that establishes personalized care plans for individuals living with dementia so they can continue to age in place called Senior Gems®.

Dementia care program

Senior Helpers works closely with renowned dementia care specialist Teepa Snow of Positive Approach, LLC to develop Senior Gems, a classification system that identifies the characteristics of aging from what’s normal through early- and late-stage dementia. Senior Helpers caregivers across the country are trained extensively on each of these stages to identify what each senior can still do based on their “gem level,” ensuring each senior receives the right kind of care for their unique situation.

The in-depth training Senior Helpers team members receive involves an introductory course as well as ongoing training and support, both online and in-person. According to Senior Helpers training manager Karen Scott, requirements are extensive and detailed in order to ensure top-quality care is provided 100% of the time.

“Senior Gems office staff training mandates that all internal staff must complete the ‘Introduction to the Senior Gems’ lesson, a three-part training on a basic introduction of normal aging vs. dementia, the Senior Gems, and the techniques and strategies associated with determining personalized care plans for each,” Scott explained. “Training also includes a mandatory ‘Train the Trainer’ session, a live training that educates them on how to train their caregivers on the Senior Gems program. Individuals who attend this session must have two years of dementia care experience.”

Caregiver training to receive certification in the Senior Gems program is equally as rigorous, Scott continued.

“All caregivers must complete the learning module on the ‘Sapphire’ gem stage, which covers the normal aging process,” she said. “We also require 50% of caregivers on a given staff to complete the same ‘Introduction to the Senior Gems’ training as office staff, and 10% of caregivers to have completed the live, six-hour comprehensive training that goes more in-depth about the different Gem levels as well as discusses techniques to use when working with a client.”

Staff training and support

This structure ensures each Senior Helpers staff has a wealth of individuals with the necessary skillset and expertise to create a positive environment and incorporate meaningful activities into the lives of individuals with Alzheimer's and other for forms of dementia.

Senior Helpers also offers several additional training programs for caregivers to complete to achieve even higher levels of specialized certification with Senior Gems, improving both quality-of-care for clients and employee retention for franchisees in the process. These include streamlined digital sessions to refresh caregivers on different Gem levels ahead of meeting with new clients and training on difficult situations that may arise in caring for seniors at each different Gem level.

Another crucial part of the Senior Gems program involves supporting the people who are caring for the clients, as well. “We also have a coaching program created for office staff members that teaches the ‘coach’ how to help caregivers work through difficult situations they may experience in their roles working with individuals with Alzheimer’s and dementia and guide them toward a solution,” Scott said.

With such a comprehensive program in place, Senior Helpers has developed a sustainable, long-term care plan structure that gives individuals suffering from dementia access to a quality-of-life previously inaccessible, distinguishing the brand as the clear leader in Alzheimer's and dementia care. The Senior Gems program creates the opportunity for seniors to enjoy the most purposeful life possible at every stage of these diseases, emphasizing ability, above all. What’s more peaceful than that?

The initial start-up cost for a single-unit franchise with Senior Helpers ranges between $104,800 and $144,300 with a franchisee fee of $49,500. Qualified veterans receive an additional 10% off the franchise fee. To learn more about franchising opportunities with Senior Helpers, visit *