Comfort Keepers Brings 'Comfort' Business to Ireland

Provider of Non-Medical In-Home Care Caters to the Growing Senior Population

Dayton, Ohio (December 19, 2005) - Comfort Keepers, an international franchise that offers companionship and other non-medical services for aging adults, has announced its expansion plans for Ireland, with its first office opening this month in Dublin.  Company projections call for 10 locations throughout Ireland by 2007. The launch in Ireland follows the opening of first Comfort Keepers office in the United Kingdom in July 2005.  With the growing senior population worldwide and continued expansion into Europe, Comfort Keepers aims to meet the demand for quality senior care across international markets.

According to the 2002 census, Ireland has approximately 436,000 seniors over the age of 65, representing 11percent of the population.  Of these seniors, 44 percent are over the age of 75, many of whom require senior care services. The Irish National Counsel on Ageing and Older People predicts that by the year 2021, the percentage of people over the age of 65 will be more than 15 percent of the total population.

"Comfort Keepers is expanding to meet the booming global demand for senior care services, and Ireland is ripe for our concept," said Ray Hays, director of international franchising.  "With the success of more than 500 locations in the U.S. and Canada, our strategy is to take the successful Comfort Keepers franchise model and duplicate those efforts worldwide. Our franchise is gaining rapid acceptance internationally, with our 2005 expansion into the U.K., Ireland and Australia. During 2006, we expect to continue our global growth into other key markets in Europe and Asia-Pacific."

The Comfort Keepers Master Franchisee for Ireland is a sister company of Dublin-based Elder Healthcare Group Ltd., which is well established in the nursing home sector. The group currently owns four nursing homes throughout Ireland and continues to expand into related senior care investments in the Irish market.

Comfort Keepers provides an affordable solution to aging adults, which includes personal and companionship care services. For example, Comfort Keepers assists seniors with meal preparation, light housekeeping, laundry, grocery shopping, transportation, bathing and grooming, incontinence care, recreational activities and other non-medical needs. Comfort Keepers is available on an hourly, daily or weekly basis with tailored packages customized to an individual's needs for a fraction of long term care costs.

Comfort Keepers will fill the void for family members who are attempting to balance the needs of aging loved ones with their own busy lives.  This gap is particularly evident among families with seniors who are in relatively good health who desperately want to continue to live at home, yet simply need some assistance with daily tasks.