Home Instead Senior Care Expands into Finland, South Korea and Austria

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I see clearly that Home Instead Senior Care can play a major role in offering quality care to seniors around the world.

Omaha, NE (PRWEB) November 7, 2008

Home Instead Senior Care, the world's largest provider of home care services for seniors, has expanded into Finland, South Korea and Austria. The company currently does business in 15 countries worldwide including the U.S.

Business abroad for Home Instead Senior Care now represents 10 percent of the company's total revenues and is growing at a 100 percent annual rate, company officials said. "We are pleased to see our network expand into more areas of the world where seniors can benefit from the kinds of companionship and home care services that will keep them independent for as long as possible," said Home Instead Senior Care Co-Founder and CEO Paul Hogan, who started the company in 1994 with his wife, Lori.

"This expansion shows that these services are needed worldwide," added Yoshino Nakajima, Vice President of the Home Instead Senior Care Global Business Group. "I see clearly that Home Instead Senior Care can play a major role in offering quality care to seniors around the world."

New master franchisees include:
May Park of Seoul, South Korea: Park is the majority shareholder and CEO of Senior Partners, Korea's leading senior portal Web site service and senior industry consulting service provider. Senior Partners was developed less than one year ago and is currently the leading Web site of its kind in South Korea, with 140,000 current members and a projected membership of 200,000 by the end of 2008.

From her work with Senior Partners, Park discovered a lack of quality senior care in South Korea. "Without hesitation, I knew Home Instead Senior Care was the right business for me," said Park, who earned a bachelor of arts degree in Korean literature from Korea University and completed a master's degree in counseling at Westminster Theology Graduate School in Korea, specializing in counseling the elderly.

Samuli Suominen and Birgitta and Kari Suominen, Helsinki, Finland:
"Scandinavian countries have moved toward the private pay sector with reservation, but I've seen radical changes taking place in Finland, where challenges are associated with offering quality care," said Home Instead Senior Care's Nakajima. Master Franchisee, Samuli Suominen, and his parents, Kari and Birgitta Suominen, have established this territory through Home Instead Finland Oy. "I have been in business several years, most of it as an entrepreneur," Samuli Suominen said. "After selling my companies, I was looking for a business opportunity that would make a difference and fit into my own values."

Suominen graduated with a bachelor of science degree in economics from MJK Institute in Helsinki, Finland. Five years ago, he founded Mediakeidas Oy Ltd., a company specializing in marketing, communication, advertising and technology services. He served as CEO at the company until he recently sold the business.

Birgitta Suominen studied dental nursing at the College for Health Care in Helsinki and was certified as a dental hygienist by Vocational High School. She has worked in the dental industry for 25 years. Kari Suominen earned a bachelor of science degree in mechanics at HTOL Helsinki Technical College and a second bachelor of science degree in commercial at Lohjan Kauppaopisto Commercial College. He is the country president and managing director of Alstom Finland Oy, a major power and transportation company. Birgitta and Kari Suominen will work with their son, Samuli.

Paul Fritz of Austria: Paul Fritz, Home Instead Senior Care's international franchise partner in Switzerland, recently signed an agreement to expand his network to Austria, where he will open offices in Vienna and Salzburg.

Fritz, a native of Innsbruck, Austria, became Switzerland's master franchisee in May 2007 and now has four offices there. Previously, Frtiz was CEO for a real estate and construction company that plans, builds and sells barrier-free living environments for the elderly.
"Our government does a great job to make sure that seniors' health care needs are taken care of," Fritz said. "Nevertheless, there are seniors who are lonely or needy and, of course, many have a wish to stay at home rather than move to a care facility."

With the addition of Austria, Home Instead Senior Care is now the only senior-care franchisor doing business in all three German-speaking markets: Switzerland, Germany and Austria, Nakajima noted.

Based in Omaha, Home Instead Senior Care now has more than 800 independently owned and operated franchises that offer older adults a variety of non-medical services including companionship, meal preparation, light housekeeping, medication reminders, errands and shopping. In addition to the U.S., the three new countries, Switzerland and Germany, Home Instead Senior Care now has offices in Japan, Canada, Portugal, Australia, Ireland, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, Taiwan and Spain.

For more information about Home Instead Senior Care and their growth into international markets, contact Dan Wieberg, Public Relations Manager at 888-484-5759, email dwieberg@homeinsteadinc.com or visit http://www.HomeInstead.com.

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