Preferred Care at Home’s History

Home About Preferred Care at Home’s History

Preferred Care at Home’s History

Lest We Forget

In the early 1980s, when elderly people needed help with everyday tasks, they moved into nursing homes. In-home care was new, and few had heard of it.

Lois Whitesell, a registered nurse, saw this happen first-hand and recognized a need: Older people simply wanted to stay home. So Lois decided to open a home health-care agency.

She approached her son-in-law, Frank Guerrieri, for help. He’d been working in sales and marketing and immediately envisioned how home care would transform lives in their community. Just two years prior, he’d watched his grandmother lose all hope to live when she realized she’d have to move into a nursing home. With home care, fewer people would have to face that pain.

The First Agency

In 1984, in central Florida, Lois and Frank opened their home health-care agency. It was one of the first in the area that focused on private, affordable, live-in care. Frank’s wife, Jody, then an ER nurse, soon joined them, and together they built a formidable business.

Over a decade later, as Lois’s health failed, Jody and the agency’s caregivers came to her side. With the caregivers’ help, Jody and Frank could continue being the daughter and son- in-law they wanted to be.

Going Nationwide

Jody and Frank spent over two decades building their expertise in home care. By then, it was time to branch out. They wanted to share their passion with people across the country. So in 2007 they opened their first franchise location.

“Quality services at affordable prices” is and will always be at the center of every Preferred Care at Home location. It’s no coincidence that Preferred Care at Home has expanded over four times faster than the average franchise company and that the Preferred family now stretches as far northwest as Alaska, northeast as Vermont and south Florida.

Every office is run with a professional yet personal family touch. It’s about our family caring for your family. “Part of our legacy is home care,” Frank says. “We are now three generations working in home care; this family feel is never going to change.”


Today and Tomorrow

Soon, not only will the Preferred Care at Home franchise family stretch across every state in the nation, but the business will become an international enterprise. When you come on board with us, either in need of our services or to partner with us to help others in your community, you join a family with strong values and loyalty.

As they mentor franchise owners across the country, it’s Frank and Jody’s delight now to help others live out their dream of caring for people in need—others who have that same passion they discovered those years ago. At its core, Preferred Care at Home is about families caring for families. That’s what we trust you’ll find when you join with us.

contact us today