Home Care in Dallas, Texas
Laurie (as a newborn) with her mom, Joyce
How We Started
In 2005, Laurie Miller decided it was time for a career change. She knew she wanted a career that would make a positive impact on other people’s lives, and after much research, came to the conclusion that enriching the lives of older adults was what she wanted to do. She remembered how her grandparents had enjoyed the freedom and happiness that comes from living in one’s own home and on one’s own terms. They had round the clock help from caregivers to assist them with everyday activities which allowed them to experience independence without having to rely on their children. This allowed them to stay in their own home until they passed away.
In 2006, Laurie and her mother, Joyce Friedman, a licensed and board certified social worker (LBSW) started Apple Care and Companion.
Laurie later learned firsthand the stress of being a caregiver. In September of 2007, Joyce was admitted to the ER with complications due to lung cancer. Joyce was originally diagnosed in 2000 and had gone through surgery, rounds of chemo and radiation but had been living quite well since 2004. Laurie, her husband and brothers became full time caregivers while Joyce was in the hospital and rehab system. Joyce passed away 9 difficult months later in a long term acute care facility.
The lessons Laurie learned from being a caregiver to her mother, as well as being a wife and working mother, gives her a deep understanding of the difficulty that other families are going through.
Apple Care and Companion strives to not only care for the person receiving care but also for the family and caregivers who support their loved one.
Our philosophy is to provide competent and loving care while granting peace of mind to the families involved.
We believe that seniors have the right to age in place
We believe that seniors deserve quality, competent and affordable in home care
We believe our Care Pros are the most skilled and well trained available
We believe our Care Pros are ethical, compassionate, and empathetic
We believe that our Care Pros deserve respect and praise for the important work they perform
We believe anytime a client or client’s family needs to speak to someone in charge that a team member should be available 24/7/365, and they are!
We believe community outreach is a must to educate people about issues concerning older adults and their families.
Our Philosophy
About Mark & Laurie
Laurie Miller was born and raised in Dallas, Texas. She graduated from The Greenhill School and The University of Texas at Austin. After receiving a BBA in Marketing, she moved back to Dallas and went to work in her family’s 78 year old business. Laurie is passionate about serving older adults in a respectful way regardless of their mental or physical capabilities. She has held every position in the company including President, Marketing Director, Payroll Manager, HR Director, Scheduling Manager and Caregiver. She has been the Administrator of the agency since 2008. In 2019, Laurie went back to school and in May 2020 she earned her Masters of Arts in Gerontology.
Laurie has been an active member of the Dallas Area Gerontological Society, more commonly known as DAGS, since 2006, was a Board member for 6 years and was a two term President from 2013-2016. She is currently “championing” DAGS’ mission in promoting The Conversation Project through the Conversation Ready NTX initiative.
She was a committee member for Dallas County Caregiver and Aging Conference in 2008. She was a committee member for the Dallas Area Alzheimer’s Association Task Force 2010-2012 and was instrumental in developing their “Caregiver’s Day Out” program for local faith based communities. Laurie co-founded and organized the Dallas Compassion Fatigue Symposium in 2012, 2013 and 2014. She has spoken on aging, caregiving and end-of-life issues at the American Society on Aging National Conference, the Private Duty National Conference and Expo, the National Association of Home Care and Hospice as well as various local events.
In 2021, Laurie co-founded the Purpose Project with Emilia Bourland. The Purpose Project was founded to identify, create and unite people who need to give with the people who need to receive care with the goal of creating professional, competent and confident Companions through their online learning program.
In 2023, Laurie founded AgeTechNow.com, a database of Age Tech solutions available to older adults and their families.
Mark Miller has been with Apple Care and Companion since its inception. His 27 years of experience as a wholesale manufacturer’s representative and sales agency owner give him the business expertise needed to run an efficient home care agency.
In the beginning he worked behind the scenes mostly as a consultant on the business side of the agency. As the agency has grown, his responsibilities have increased and he is now an active participant in the day to day operations of Apple Care and Companion.
Mark is a native Dallasite. He graduated from W.T. White High School, attended the University of Texas and graduated with a BBA in Marketing from North Texas State University, which is now known as UNT.
In addition to helping Apple Care’s clients, Mark is also active in assisting his parents who both still live in Dallas.
Laurie and Mark