Local combat Veteran Jonathan Savage is getting ready to open Seniors Helping Seniors, a senior in-home care brand, in Fayetteville and Southern Pines. 

Savage has followed his passion for serving people since he joined the U.S. Army as a construction supervisor right out of high school. After being in the military for 21 years, Savage retired in 2008 and became a government employee at Fort Bragg. With helping people and business ownership always on his mind, he decided to open Seniors Helping Seniors in the Fayetteville and Southern Pines communities.

Savage said he wants to bring a senior in-home care brand to both the Fayetteville and Southern Pines areas that he could also use to care for his own parents as they age. Savage said he is looking forward to bringing the brand to the area and creating careers for seniors in the area, as well as finding another way to serve his community.

Savage is still working full-time on Fort Bragg, but he hopes that once this business takes off, he will be able to devote all of his professional time to Seniors Helping Seniors. 

“I've always wanted to own my own business, and I had the funds available. And I was working with a franchise coach to try to figure out what I was looking for and they introduced me to the Seniors Helping Seniors,” shared Savage. “I did 21 years in the military and my passion is taking care of people. I was a senior enlisted officer always taking care of the soldiers and the people and the officers. And I spent most of my time here at Fort Bragg…and I have always wanted to give back and to take care of people, and when they introduced me to Seniors Helping Seniors, I thought this is a great idea.”

Savage’s father suffered a stroke last year which caused him to lose his ability in his left hand and leg. Now his father and mother, who reside in Ohio, have been forced to move into an assisted living facility. Savage hopes to relocate his parents to North Carolina so that he can help take care of them. 

Savage is currently in the process of trying to get his North Carolina in-home care license. He has hired an admin person but is still looking to hire one caregiver and a registered nurse to be on his staff so that he may be approved for the license. The job openings are posted on Indeed, and Savage said that a few people have interviewed for the openings. He is optimistic that the business will get started around the middle of December. 

“I just want someone that's passionate about caring for elderly people. I think elderly people are more comfortable with someone their own age or close to it,” remarked Savage.

Seniors Helping Seniors® in-home services was founded in 1998. According to their website, the brand was born from two simple ideas:  

• Seniors can help each other age more happily and gracefully. 
• Seniors who give, and those who receive, benefit equally. 

Seniors Helping Seniors appealed to Savage because not only were they a brand that reflected Savage’s desire to care for others, they also provided support and mentorship to individuals looking to open up a branch of their business in a new location.