Laura Carmody, former owner of Home Instead Senior Care in Springfield, completed the sale of the franchise this week to her cousin, Amy Best.
Best cofounded the franchise with Carmody in 2011 and served there as HR director - a role she continues to fill as owner.
Home Instead Senior Care is a network of franchise offices providing in-home care for seniors as an alternative to nursing homes. Established in 1994, the company is based in Omaha, Nebraska.
Before helping Carmody establish the Springfield franchise, Best opened one in Jerseyville in 2008. That was prompted, Best says, by her mother-in-law needing such care.
"There wasn’t much out there at the time," she said. "We really struggled then to find help for her."
The Jerseyville franchise now operates under separate ownership.
Best says she likes working with Home Instead because of its uniform standards across franchises.
"You should be able to walk into any franchise anywhere and get the same feeling, knowing they have the same training and the same screening," she said.
The ownership change at the Springfield franchise won't mean any changes from the clients' perspective, Best says. She's keeping the same team, but she and Carmody nonetheless sent letters to clients explaining the sale.
"They shouldn’t see any change in the high-quality of service they’re receiving," she said. "I love being able to help people stay in their own homes."
