listen to this articlesummary:
– The Sisters bring decades of medical and humanitarian experience to OKC.
– Griswold helps seniors live safely and comfortably in their own homes.
– Individualized services range from daily care to companionship and support.
OKLAHOMA CITY — Two sisters with years of experience in medicine, caregiving and humanitarian work with the United Nations are partnering on a new venture to help local seniors age in the comfort and safety of their own homes.
Manar Landis and Maha Jirun Kashur launched Griswold Home Care in October and began matching caregivers and families to provide a wide range of non-medical support, from a few hours each week to up to 24-hour care.
Elderly people often say they can live alone and don't need anyone, says Jirun Kashur.
The first step is to get to know the client through a thorough assessment and convince them that they are safe to accept care.
“This transition is necessary to allow them to live independently and safely in the safety of their homes,” she said. “Once they start realizing how useful it is, it becomes life-changing.”
Jirun Kashur worked for 25 years at the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, while Landis worked with UNICEF on women's education and early childhood development and as a registered nurse at Norman Regional Hospital and Integris Health Baptist Medical Center.
Jirun Kashur said the transition to home care was a natural progression after years of supporting people in need and vulnerability.
“Hospitalized elderly people were my sweet spot,” Landis said. “I always listened to them and they trusted me.”
After both sisters spent years caring for their grandparents and parents, they decided to open a new business north of Oklahoma City. It is the second Griswold franchise in Oklahoma. The first store opened in Tulsa 10 years ago, and the third will open in Edmond.
With approximately 200 locations in 31 states, Griswold helps adults maintain their quality of life as they age, develop an illness or recover from surgery through services such as companion care, home services, personal care and respite care. Founded in 1982 by the late Gene Griswold, the company was named Best of Home Care Endorsed National Provider in 2023, 2024 and 2025.
The sisters realized there was a lack of awareness in the community, even among doctors, about home care options for the elderly.
“People leave the hospital without any support at home and end up falling again and coming back to the hospital,” Landis said. “We complement the whole system well.”
Care is temporary, with visits as few as twice a week for two to three months after hip replacement surgery, up to and including continued end-of-life care. Care plans are developed in agreement with the client and involve the client in decision-making wherever possible.
“Everyone wants to stay home,” Landis said, adding that spouses and children appreciate outside support and professional guidance.
Personalizing the service is important because each customer “has a unique story and situation,” Jirun Kashur said.
It's not just about doing housework or making sure you take your medication. One person might want makeup and hair done, Landis said, while another might want transportation to meet a friend for lunch.
Griswold Home Care also serves residents in assisted living centers that don't have the staff to provide additional services, she said.
But about 90 percent of its customers live at home, and about 60 percent have no children or no children at all in Oklahoma.
The sisters' new business now has 16 employees and is growing.
In September, Forbes magazine wrote:
“Purchasing a franchise in the booming nursing home care industry can be a lucrative investment. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the number of Americans age 65 and older is projected to increase from 58 million in 2022 to 76 million by 2035, an increase of more than 30%, meaning the demand for senior care will continue to grow.”
Griswold is one of five franchisors listed as “solid choices” with initial investments ranging from $99,600 to $180,600.
family ties
Jirun-Kashur said she and Landis are close in age and are as close as sisters. “We grew up like twins.”
After living in Switzerland for the past 20 years, she purchased a home in Quail Creek and will be living next door to her sister.
Landis and her husband, University of Oklahoma professor Joshua Landis, came to Oklahoma in 2003 and raised their two sons here. “I have had a great relationship with the state of Oklahoma on many levels,” she said.
The sisters said their enjoyment of helping people was something they inherited from their parents, and they believe their new business is the best way to use all of their experience to help the community.
