An innovative service that helps out senior citizens has come to Dallas Called Seniors Helping Seniors, it's an in-home care service in which some senior citizens help out other senior citizens with tasks and chores — whether it's running errands, a ride to the grocery, cleaning out the cat litter box, or just basic companionship.

The service has been in the Dallas area for more than 15 years, but mostly in the suburbs. Now longtime Dallas native Lauren Walters, a former PR and communications pro, has opened a location that serves Dallas proper. This new location marks the 14th in Texas and focuses on serving the communities within Dallas, Grand Prairie, Irving, Duncanville, and Mesquite.

The services offered do not include medical consults but otherwise run the gamut: meal preparation, shopping, bathing, light housekeeping, lightbulb changing and other small repairs, yardwork, and more.

Walters gravitated to the industry after she found herself caring for her own aging parents and family members, navigating the challenges of finding compassionate, consistent care for them.

The demand for in-home care for mature populations continues to grow, with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services reporting that nearly 70 percent of retirees will require some form of long-term care.

Seniors Helping Seniors was founded in 1998 by husband-and-wife Philip and Kiran Yocom, who began franchising in 2006. There are now more than 400 locations across the U.S.

Home care allows people who might need a little help to stay in their own home, rather than moving into an assisted living facility.

What's special about Seniors Helping Seniors is that it not only services seniors, it hires them as caregivers. The seniors and mature adults who are hired are still active, with a passion for serving others, helping clients who might be a little less active.

The Seniors Helping Seniors mission is based on two ideas:

• Seniors can help each other age more happily and gracefully
• Seniors who provide help, and those who receive it, benefit equally

"Senior caregivers often bring more life experience and perspective to the job," Walters says. "Some are seniors who aren't ready to fully retire. It's beneficial for both sides."