![\"Comfort](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/1791915730_648_REG-L-ComfortKeepers1401_00c22f.jpg\")
Comfort Keepers of Berks County, 2209 Quarry Dr., Spring Township.(BILL UHRICH\/MEDIANEWS GROUP)\nA Nurturing, Helping Culture for Employees and Clients<\/p>\n
Jennifer Teller is in no rush to transition out as the owner of Comfort Keepers of Berks County, a Spring Township-based in-home care company she\u2019s led for more than 20 years.<\/p>\n
When she eventually does retire, however, there\u2019s no one she\u2019d rather leave with the business than her son, Michael Mish.<\/p>\n
Mish, 23, already is a part owner and works closely with Teller, learning every detail of how the business works while considering new ideas for the future.<\/p>\n
Together, the mother and son team is exploring new ways that technology could benefit clients and employees, while continuing their work to improve the hands-on care they provide.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur plan is to keep building on what Mom has done and to continue finding ways to serve our clients even better,\u201d Mish explained. \u201cWe have a vision for the future, and we wanted to keep the business in the family.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mish, who graduated from Northampton County Community College with a degree in criminal justice, is no stranger to Comfort Keepers, having spent many hours in the office as a child and teenager.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve been hanging around here since I was two or three years old,\u201d Mish said. \u201cI practically grew up in this building.\u201d<\/p>\n
Comfort Keepers of Berks County, 2209 Quarry Dr., Spring Township.(BILL UHRICH\/MEDIANEWS GROUP)
\nA Nurturing, Helping Culture for Employees and Clients<\/p>\n
Amid mounting challenges in the field of health care, Teller is committed to providing a nurturing environment for the more than 150 people she employs.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe recognize the need to care for our caregivers,\u201d she said. We\u2019ve really taken off in assuring a culture that makes this a place where people want to work.\u201d<\/p>\n
Valued and cared-for employees, she explained, are better able to provide superior care for clients.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe want to be the very best resource we can for the people we serve,\u201d Teller said. \u201cOur employees don\u2019t just perform tasks for clients; they engage and connect with them.\u201d<\/p>\n
That interactive caregiving, she explained, encourages trust and closeness between an employee and a client, which helps to reduce hesitancy on the part of the client and create a comfortable relationship.<\/p>\n
Comfort Keepers staff also serve as liaisons between clients, families, and outside resources, connecting clients with senior living facilities, hospice care, or other services, as needed.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re serving our families in as many capacities as we can,\u201d Teller said.<\/p>\n
Planning for the Future<\/p>\n
Although Teller, who is 52, plans to continue working for about another 10 years, she has already begun transitioning the business over to her son.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m handing over pieces of the business to Michael, making sure he completely understands and feels good about the components he\u2019s taking on,\u201d she explained. \u201cAnd we need to navigate having people accept that he\u2019ll be in charge. Some people here still call him Mikey.\u201d<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, they are looking to consolidate their office space and a nearby location that houses a skills lab where employees are trained before they begin interacting with clients.<\/p>\n
As the population ages and the need for care increases, it will be helpful to maximize their space and resources to be able to hire and train more employees.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are all about growing and expanding in a thoughtful way,\u201d Mish said.<\/p>\n
![\"Jennifer](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/1791915730_468_REG-L-ComfortKeepers1399.jpg\")
Jennifer Teller, left, has owned Comfort Keepers of Berks County for more than 20 years. She is starting to think about the future of the company, and preparing her son, Michael Mish, to eventually take on a leadership role. (BILL UHRICH\/MEDIANEWS GROUP)
\nComing Full Circle<\/p>\n
Teller comes to caregiving naturally, she said, and currently cares for her aging mother, who suffers from dementia.<\/p>\n
Her natural tendency toward caring for others has been passed along to her son.<\/p>\n
\u201cI feel that Mom and I are both empathetic and able to relate to older people,\u201d Mish said. \u201cAnd watching her take care of my grandmother has just reinforced my determination to provide the very best care we can for our clients and their families.\u201d<\/p>\n