Griswold, the fast-growing non-medical home care franchise with over 170 locations, is excited to announce its newest board member, Lori R. Griswold, Ph.D., M.S.G to the Board of Directors.
In 1982, Dr. Jean Griswold founded Griswold as the country’s first non-medical home care company, providing quality home care to the elderly, disabled adults and individuals recovering from illness. Under Jean’s guidance, Lori Griswold served as executive vice president of the company for many years until 2009. She was also executive director of the predecessor to the non-profit Jean Griswold Foundation, the Special Care Foundation.
A nationally-known policy analyst and gerontologist, Lori Griswold has worked with and advocated for older and disabled persons in a variety of positions and settings for nearly four decades. She has a BA in psychology from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, a Masters in gerontology from the Andrus Gerontology Center, University of Southern California and a PhD in Social Policy from the Heller School at Brandeis University. She currently serves as an advocate and consultant to help clients, colleagues, friends and family navigate the long term care maze when needing assistance with home care, hospice, facility or other health care needs.
“I am honored and humbled to join such a talented group of professionals to continue bringing Jean’s vision to life,” said Dr. Lori Griswold. “With the rapid growth and exciting developments in the world of home care, Griswold is poised to make a large impact on the industry. I’m looking forward to developing fresh ideas and strategies to help the company grow in a meaningful way.”
In addition to her experience at Griswold, Lori Griswold’s past professional career includes roles as a consultant for the Department of Justice/US Attorneys Office, Southeast Pennsylvania Region; executive director of the Special Care Foundation; long-time member of the PA Intragovernmental Council on Long-Term Care; researcher for the National Institute on Aging at UCLA; and visiting scientist in Sweden assessing quality of life for persons 85 and over.
“Throughout her tenure with Griswold, Lori helped build the company to where it is today,” said Griswold CEO Michael Slupecki. “She was influential in developing the regulatory framework for home care throughout the country. This isn’t just someone with the Griswold name — this is someone who can truly add value when it comes to home care, education, compliance, historical perspectives, long-term franchisee relationships and more. Connecting back to the Griswold family is great, but having somebody with her stature and strength within the industry is an honor. We are incredibly excited to have her on our Board.”
Lori Griswold also has a long history of involvement in federal and national, state and local advocacy and policy organizations and boards. She has worked with Fortune 500 and government agencies on pre-retirement planning and has authored various articles, book chapters and grant applications. She has received a variety of awards, including the Philadelphia Business Journal’s “40 under 40,” “Top 100 Professionals to Watch” and the “50 Best Women in Business.”
Vicki Hoak, CEO of Home Care Association of America, is an industry veteran and a dedicated long-time advocate for the home-based care industry. She has two decades of experience working with Dr. Griswold in the industry.
“We are thrilled to see Lori’s return to the home care space,” said Hoak. “Her participation will be invaluable because of her strong understanding of the value of in-home care. I worked alongside Lori many years ago when Pennsylvania was developing licensing for home care, and her collaborative spirit was instrumental then, as it will be now as our industry faces both challenges and opportunities in the years ahead.”
John Pouschine, a primary board member and owner of the private equity firm Pouschine Cook Capital Management that acquired Griswold in 2012, believes Dr. Lori Griswold’s unique background will help drive important initiatives within the Griswold system.
“Dr. Lori Griswold is an incredible addition because she brings a relevant regulatory background to discussions at the board level,” Pouschine said. “Better than anyone, she will be able to guide the board and franchisees as they continue to evolve during this pivotal time in the home care industry.”
Now, as a member of the board, Lori Griswold will leverage her decades of industry experience to help Griswold continue its expansion in line with its recent brand evolution. “Overall, we are thrilled Lori is willing to put time and energy back into the company, and it is really a testament to the mission Jean started all those years ago,” said Slupecki. “Lori’s expertise and wisdom will be invaluable as we navigate the future of Griswold.”
Previously, Lori Griswold has served as executive director for the predecessor to the Jean Griswold Foundation. The news of her nomination to the Griswold Board of Directors coincidentally comes shortly after the announcement of Griswold’s 2023 National Caregiver Scholarship Program in partnership with its nonprofit organization, the Jean Griswold Foundation, for the second year. The program aims to award $100,000 in scholarships to qualified caregivers across the country.
The Jean Griswold Foundation was founded in 2010 as a private nonprofit to support caregiving organizations in times of hardship, and was named after Dr. Jean Griswold to help carry on her legacy. Until 2021, funds raised through private donors, corporations, franchisees, and employees had been primarily awarded to individuals and programs dedicated to senior care, but the intention was always to offer a way for caregivers to improve their ability to pursue care-related work. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit and the need for home health became more pressing than ever, the foundation decided to reorganize its approach to fully focus on caregivers.
In 2022, the Jean Griswold Foundation awarded $24,000 in scholarships to 12 caregivers from across the country with amazing stories of perseverance and fortitude. This year, that number is jumping to a whopping $100,000 because of how successful the fundraising program was in its founding year. The denominations allocated to each caregiver will range from $2,000 to $10,000 depending on the scholarship.
These kinds of caregiver-focused initiatives help further position Griswold franchisees as employers-of-choice in the senior care industry. “The scholarships will set us apart from other home care agencies and will help us recruit caregivers, too,” said Chair of the Jean Griswold Foundation and Griswold franchisee, Maryanne Murray. “It’s also a good way to distinguish ourselves during a time of caregiver shortages and so much competition. We attract remarkable caregivers who seem to enjoy our culture, and we definitely enjoy what they’re bringing to the table. We have fabulous caregivers on our teams, and they’re really the lifeblood of our industry.”