Cave Creek resident launches Seniors Helping Seniors

By Maya McFall
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Cave Creek resident Bobbi Jo Kyte launched a North Valley location of Seniors Helping Seniors to aid neighbors in need.

The senior care business will serve families across Cave Creek, Carefree, Anthem, north Phoenix, north Scottsdale, New River, Sun City and surrounding North Valley communities.

The Cave Creek Independent asked Kyte about her background, how the business will help neighbors, and how the community can get involved in volunteering opportunities.

Here are her answers:

What sparked the idea for Seniors Helping Seniors? Was there a specific moment, or was it an idea you developed over time?

Seniors Helping Seniors actually started back in 1998 in Pennsylvania, founded by a husband-and-wife team, Kiran and Philip Yocom. Kiran had spent 14 years working alongside Mother Teresa, and that experience shaped her belief that caregiving is about more than just tasks — it's about dignity, love, and companionship. Philip had the business background to help turn that vision into something that could grow and reach more communities through franchising.

For me, it started when my job was eliminated in a restructuring earlier this year. I knew the next chapter of my career needed to be purpose-driven, but I wasn't sure yet what that looked like. When I was introduced to franchising opportunities, the mission behind Seniors Helping Seniors immediately resonated with me. My father battled multiple myeloma for over three years before he passed in 2012, and I watched how hard that journey was for both him and my mom, who was his caregiver. Jeremy's mom cared for his grandmother for many years after she suffered a stroke. We were both raised in small South Dakota communities where neighbors simply took care of each other — this felt like a natural extension of that.

How does the business work? How can seniors sign up?

We're actively looking for mature, empathetic, and reliable caregivers. Anyone interested can call us at 602-883-9517 or fill out a short application on our website.

For those who need support — for themselves or a family member — the process starts with a short call to understand their needs. From there, we arrange an in-person visit with a care coordinator to build a care plan and schedule that works for them. Then we match them with the right caregiver and make a warm, personal introduction to ensure everyone feels aligned before care begins.

Many of our caregivers have their own experience caring for a spouse, parent, or other family member. The fond memories of those relationships are often what draws them to apply with Seniors Helping Seniors. Our caregivers truly get as much out of this as our neighbors do.

Who helps you in the business? Who makes up your team and your ring of support?

Right now we're running a pretty lean operation, but we lean on an amazing support network of friends and family, prayers and encouragement from our church community, and even our kids pitching in around the house.

What do you think the future of seniors helping seniors looks like? What are some of your goals?

Short-term, it's building a caregiver team our clients trust and getting to know the referral partners—doctors, senior centers, churches—who see these families every day. Longer-term, I want this to be the name people in the North Valley think of first when a parent or grandparent needs help. We want to become a trusted partner to the communities we serve. That means partnering directly with families to give them reliable support in caring for aging loved ones and also building relationships with healthcare and senior care organizations so we can offer a broader network of resources.

Do you feel fulfilled by your work?

Yes — in two ways. First, being able to help people find work with heart and purpose in their second career. Second, being able to support families in a moment of real need and help their loved ones stay in their homes safely and comfortably.

What else would you like to say to the community about this program that we haven’t covered already? 

If you have an aging parent or loved one who wants to stay in their own home, you don't have to figure it out alone — and you don't have to wait until things feel like a crisis to reach out. We'd love to talk with you, even just to answer questions. And if you're someone who's retired or slowing down but still wants purpose, connection, and a reason to get up in the morning, we'd love to hear from you too. This community has always taken care of each other — we want to help make that a little easier.

Visit seniorshelpingseniors.com to get involved today.