At Seniors Helping Seniors®, we have a passion for meeting the needs of seniors in a way that provides both dignity and a sense of camaraderie. Our owner(s) Dianne Nugent-Ward, Joanne Nugent-Ward firmly believe we can do that through serving seniors in our community, which include the counties of Jefferson, Lewis, St. Lawrence, Clinton, Essex and Franklin.
About Seniors Helping Seniors Northern NY
For Dianne and Joanne Nugent-Ward, starting their own Seniors Helping Seniors center was about following their calling to support seniors in a meaningful and compassionate way. “One of my earliest jobs was as a care manager for elderly people who were homebound,” shared Dianne. “I spent the majority of my career in executive management roles for retirement communities, and what I discovered is that the times I felt most fulfilled were when I had the opportunity to work directly with residents and family members. Seniors Helping Seniors in-home services is, for me, a way to continue the work and ministry I began 25 years ago…the work of empowering seniors and families, of aiding in decisions and helping seniors age at home as long as possible. After all, isn’t home where most of us prefer to be? Home is where we feel most contented. Most of us readily admit, THERE’S NO PLACE LIKE HOME!”
Caring and compassion are at the heart of what Dianne and Joanne do. “The real difference with Seniors Helping Seniors in-home services is that we are truly there for both senior providers and receivers,” said Joanne. “We seek to match the gifts, talents, interest and abilities of Providers and Receivers. Through this matching process we give Providers meaningful work experiences. Providers often say that it’s the relationships and experiences they share with Receivers that drew them to and keep them involved with Seniors Helping Seniors services. Receivers, on the other hand, often talk about how grateful they are to have someone they trust come into their homes and into their lives. It’s really a win-win situation for everyone involved.”
The senior Providers who work with Dianne and Joanne offer a variety of non-medical services including but not limited to:
Companionship
Housekeeping, cooking & meal preparation
Shopping & errands
Transportation to appointments
Dementia/Alzheimer’s Care
Personal Grooming/Dressing Assistance
Respite
Pet care
Computer assistance
Minor home repair services
Yard work
Senior Care Advisor
Dianne and Joanne work with family members to talk about care options for their loved ones. They can be a sounding board for weighing pro’s and cons for future care plans as well as assist in resolving problems related to Social Security, Medicare and health insurance.
Both Dianne and Joanne have had career paths that have led them to this point. Dianne attended Eastern University where she earned a Bachelor of Social Work degree. In 1986, she graduated from Marywood University with a Masters of Social Work. After school, she became a caseworker for seniors and then became the Director of Social Services at a skilled nursing facility. She has also worked as the Manager/Administrator of two assisted living facilities. Since 1993 she has worked on the development and management of retirement communities in New York, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Nebraska. Most recently, Dianne was the Executive Director of Adirondack Mennonite Retirement Community. “Through my work I’ve become keenly aware of the challenges seniors face throughout the aging process, as well as the difficulties adult children of aging parents encounter when trying to balance their personal lives, work and caring for a loved one,” said Dianne.
Joanne earned a Bachelor’s degree from the SUNY system and her Master of Science in Education from St. Bonaventure University. At 19, Joanne entered the Sisters of St. Joseph and remained a sister for 23 years. As Sister Joanne Francis, she taught third through eighth grades as well as American History and Spirituality at Mater Dei College and served as a grade school Principal. In 1996, Joanne began a new career in substance abuse counseling. After working for 15 years in the field, Joanne started her own pet sitting business, which brought her into the hearts and homes of many older adults. “Dianne and I are both honored and excited to be able to use our gifts and talents to help seniors throughout Jefferson, Lewis and St. Lawrence Counties,” said Joanne.
Dianne and Joanne have been together since 2000, and share their home with two dogs, Kody and Ebony and two cats, Idgie and Simba. They have both lived in Watertown and the North Country for almost 15 years and love the area because of the change of seasons, small town living, the beautiful countryside and the proximity to bodies of water such as Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River. In addition to their hard work in their separate careers, they are both very involved in their church. Dianne is both a past and present chair of the Finance Committee and Joanne is a past Trustee and current Deacon. They both volunteer with Team Hope, a local group of friends who raise funds to assist others with high medical costs. They also volunteer with the National MS Society, National Cancer Society, the Alzheimer’s Association, Special Olympics, Hospice and SPCA.
Our Seniors Helping Seniors® Core Values
We match seniors who need a hand with mature, active women and men who have a passion for helping others. Seniors Helping Seniors® was founded in 1998 with two simple ideas:
- Seniors can help each other age more happily and gracefully.
- Seniors who give, and those who receive, benefit equally.
We Provide:
- An experienced, reliable resource for seniors who want to stay in their own homes.
- In-home care, companionship, and services from seniors who enjoy helping others.
- Reasonable hourly rates for seniors who want care and companionship.
- Reasonable hourly wages to seniors who want to provide these services.
Learn About Getting Help Learn About Providing Help
About Our Founders
Seniors Helping Seniors® in-home care service was co-founded by Kiran and Philip Yocom in order to realize Kiran’s personal mission of providing care for those who can’t care for themselves. Before coming to the United States from India, Kiran worked with Mother Teresa for 14 years.
How We've Grown
From our roots in Pennsylvania, and our first match in 1998, Seniors Helping Seniors® in-home services has grown to include hundreds of locations in the US and Internationally. We continue to grow and evolve, adding new services to better assist seniors and refining our caregiver training as new industry best practices come to light.
To keep pace with a rapidly growing senior population, we’re actively seeking Seniors Helping Seniors® franchise partners in open markets.