May 08, 2024 // FranchiseMarketingSolutions.com // SAN ANTONIO, Texas – Caring Senior Service celebrated its franchise owners with a variety of awards while offering educational seminars at the senior care group’s annual conference at the Iberostar Selection Resort in Cancún, Mexico, April 10–12.
“This conference allows us to celebrate our accomplishments, share knowledge and make plans to make 2024 another great year for Caring Senior Service and for our franchise owners,” said Caring Senior Service founder and CEO Jeff Salter. “Our franchise owners are the reason we continue to see success in the senior care space, and our annual conference is designed to honor their achievements and energize them for the year to come.”
The highlight of the conference is the presentation of the Hedgehog Award, which is given to the franchise owner who most embodies the spirit and entrepreneurship of the Caring Senior Service methodology. This year’s winner is Kreshna Sheplear, owner of Caring Senior Service of Johnson County, Texas. Sheplear worked as a nurse in the home healthcare industry for 12 years before opening her Texas location in 2016.
The award is named after the fable “The Fox and the Hedgehog,” in which the fox uses a variety of methods to attack the hedgehog while the hedgehog uses only one in his defense: curling up into a ball. This single, but highly effective, preservation method shows the hedgehog’s ability to focus on a single path.
“Kreshna represents the best of what Caring Senior Service can provide our clients and their families,” Salter said. “Her dedication and passion for the seniors in her community exemplifies the hedgehog’s ability to focus on the one thing that matters most: helping our clients stay healthy and happy at home.”
Caring Senior Service also presented several other awards during a ceremony held at the conference. These include:
- The Pioneer Award: This award is presented to a distinguished new owner with a groundbreaking location and was awarded to Dustin and Rebecca Rauch for their efforts in opening Caring Senior Service of Waco, Texas.
- The Voice of Caring: Given to the owner who sets the tone for the Caring Senior Service brand, this award was presented to Katy Packingham, agency director of Caring Senior Service of Galesburg, Illinois.
- The John Hancock Sign ‘Em Up Award: This award is given to the location that has the most new clients admitted. The Caring Senior Service of Lakewood, Colorado, took home this honor. This location is owned by Pat Abernathey, who joined Caring in 2005 as the marketing director. After holding many positions within the corporate structure, Abernathy decided to join the ranks as a franchise owner in 2012. He also owns locations in Boulder and Fort Collins.
- The “Shaking the Bushes” Award: The Lakewood location also won this award which is given to the location with the most referrals from referral sources.
- Caregiver of the Year: This award was presented to Christina Divine, a caregiver at Caring Senior Service of Brazoria County, Texas. Divine was honored for exemplifying the company’s GreatCare®method of delivering care and service.
The following locations achieved 2023 GreatCare® Certifications, a program that challenges owners and staff to address concerns relating to quality caregiving, care solutions and active involvement:
- Certified: Johnson County, Texas
- Advanced: Amarillo and Lakewood, Texas
- Master: Galesburg, Illinois
In addition to these individual awards, these locations were inducted into the Champions Circle, which is awarded to franchise locations that have provided the most hours of service to their clients:
- Abilene, Texas
- Amarillo, Texas
- Boulder, Colorado
- Chattanooga, Tennessee
- Essex County, New Jersey
- Galesburg, Illinois
- Houston North, Texas
- Jackson, Mississippi
- Johnson County, Texas
- Lakewood, Texas
- McAllen, Texas
- Mercer County, New Jersey
- Milwaukee, Wisconsin
- Nashville, Tennessee
- NE Dallas, Texas
- New Braunfels, Texas
- Tucson, Arizona
- Victoria, Texas
Of these, Galesburg, Jackson, McAllen, Mercer County, New Braunfels and Tucson achieved Champion Circle honors for all 12 months of 2023, and the New Braunfels location was awarded the Gold Medal Champions Circle for holding the No. 1 spot all year.
SOURCE Caring Senior Service