Interim HealthCare Mother and Daughter Franchise Team Builds Family Business on Care and Compassion

SUNRISE, Fla., May 5, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- When we think of mothers, we reflect on the great love, care and compassion they bestow upon their families.  They nurture and protect, guide and comfort.  Every year on Mother's Day, we are reminded of how hard moms work to care for their families.  For two franchise owners of Interim HealthCare, the nation's first and finest healthcare and in-home senior care franchise company, every day they are reminded of a mother's love as they work side-by-side with their families to care for their patients.

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According to the Small Business Administration, an estimated 90 percent of businesses in the U.S. are family-owned or -controlled.  Additionally, an American Family Business Survey from MassMutual reports that almost one quarter of all family businesses are run by females. With an estimated 27.2 million small businesses in America, it is apparent that many families like these Interim HealthCare franchise owners are joining together to take control of their professional and financial futures.  

Heather Petersen's parents Rick and Elaine Petersen started an Interim HealthCare business 32 years ago in New Hampshire.  They were the first in the area to offer private nursing care.  Even when the early years were hard, Heather says her parents held onto their belief that patients needed and deserved the option to recover at home with as much nursing support as they wanted.  Today, her family owns six Interim HealthCare locations and has expanded their services, but private duty remains a core component.  

"Of all the patients and families we serve, I think my mom has a particularly special place in her heart for the mothers and fathers of our pediatric patients," said Heather Petersen.  " As a mother of three, she has tremendous compassion for these remarkable parents who handle the challenges of caring for an ill or disabled child with so much strength.  I'm a new mom myself, and I understand the incredible trust these parents place in Interim HealthCare when they invite our caregivers into their homes. That trust is something we do our best to honor every day."

Heather also credits her mother's family values for influencing the way they do business. "For my mom,  family is the most important thing," said Petersen   "As the owner of a home care agency, she takes great pride in providing a service that keeps families together and reduces the stress of caring for ill or aging family members.  We often hear from families who are completely overwhelmed and Mom can look these folks in the eye and say 'Don't worry—we'll take care of it.' And then we do."

Elisabeth Haslup works with her mother, Kelly at their Interim HealthCare office in Charlottesville, Virginia.  She also draws inspiration from working day-to-day with her mom and sees the bond they have with each other as a huge advantage in running their business.  "We are in tune to each other's strengths and can use those every day to balance our duties and responsibilities," said Haslup.  "The rewards of working together far outweigh any challenges that may arise.  My mother's compassion and work ethic inspire me in all that I do in and out of the office."

The mother and daughter teams of Petersen and Haslup are just examples of the network of more than 300 independently owned Interim HealthCare home care franchises across the country that include non-medical and medical personal care, nursing and healthcare staffing services. The system has a 45-year history within the healthcare industry, and franchisees have an average tenure of 24 years.

Franchise opportunities are available throughout the country.  Qualified candidates should possess a minimum net worth of $400,000, and a minimum liquidity of $50,000.  Franchisees can expect their initial investment to range from approximately $115,500 to $188,500 including the franchise fee. Additional franchise information is available at www.interimfranchising.com.

In the spirit of honoring the caretakers in our lives, Interim HealthCare Inc. is recognizing moms across the country with unique Mother's Day e-cards.  The e-cards, which can be customized online at interimhealthcare.com/garden, allow users to share their favorite stories about their mothers and create a customized flower in her honor. Each specially designed flower is then "planted" on the website's Mother's Day virtual flower garden, which will be in bloom for the month of May.

About Interim HealthCare:

Founded in 1966, Interim HealthCare® is the nation's first and finest healthcare franchise organization. Through a comprehensive network of more than 300 independently owned franchise offices, Interim HealthCare franchisees are the largest combined provider of community-based home care and health care staffing services. Interim HealthCare is unique in combining the commitment of local ownership with the support of a national organization that develops innovative programs and quality standards that improve the delivery of service through franchisees that employ more than 75,000 health care workers who serve 50,000 people each day. For more information or to locate an Interim HealthCare office, visit www.interimhealthcare.com.

Media Contact:
Carmen Ordonez
[email protected]
954-893-9150

SOURCE Interim HealthCare