Open Your Own Senior Care Agency With Our Home Care Franchise

CEO and Founder

Lia Smith is the Founder, CEO, and Principal Partner of A Better Solution Franchise Services and A Better Solution In Home Care, in San Diego. Lia started as a caregiver and has since been a force in senior advocacy for the past 25 years. She has served her community relentlessly, advocating for senior issues at a state legislative level where she addresses critical subjects that affect the industry workforce, seniors, and the medically fragile.

Lia's broad knowledge base has offered her the needed insight to author four books on aging-related and business management topics. After finding her own success in business, Lia turned her attention to mentoring. Becoming a SCORE mentor has enabled Lia to help dozens of her mentees achieve their dream of business ownership. In addition to her home care endeavors, she is also Principal Partner of A Better Solution Home Health Services.

VP of Operations

Weston joined A Better Solution Franchise System in October 2021 as the VP of National Business Development. His role entails leading all functions of the franchise system that pertain to system growth, both individually and systemwide. His goal is to grow ABS's reach and serve even more clients and families with the exceptional care A Better Solution is known for.

Prior to joining ABS, Weston was a Senior Market Development Manager at Honor, a leading nationwide home care operations and technology company. Prior to Honor, he was a Managing Director at 24 Hour Home Care, an innovative in-home care company, providing high-quality, customized, professional caregiving services to seniors and children/adults with developmental disabilities.

President & Managing Partner

Kurt Buske, MSW, is one of the managing partners of A Better Solution Franchise Services. Kurt brings over 20 years of experience in the health and aging space with a focus on quality assurance, organization, and structure. Kurt works on the development end of the franchise spectrum. Kurt’s efforts are focused on licensing of all new systems and ensuring the systems remain in compliance once licensure is completed successfully.

Kurt’s passion has kept him active in the healthcare arena. He is tied into his local community and serves as the part-time Executive Director at The San Diego Brain Injury Foundation (SDBIF). His commitment to the medically frail, seniors and their families has allowed him to keep his finger on the pulse of regulatory changes within the industry.

VP of Franchise Development

Tim Valencia is a nationally recognized franchise development executive with more than 20 years of leadership experience spanning franchising, operations, manufacturing, and national sales. He is widely respected for building scalable franchise growth systems, advising founders and executive teams, and helping brands expand with a strong focus on long-term success.

As Vice President of Franchise Development for a national senior care brand, Tim played a key role in growing the organization from an early-stage franchise system to more than 275 locations nationwide. Throughout his career, he has personally awarded and launched more than 200 franchise territories, guiding entrepreneurs through every stage of the process—from first inquiry to signed agreement and successful launch. His background also includes overseeing teams of 300+ employees and leading national sales initiatives.

VP of Support

Diana Young has been with the A Better Solution (ABS) Team since 2002 and has played an integral part in the development of the ABS Culture of Care. Diana started with ABS as a caregiver and after two years caught the attention of the CEO, Lia. Diana’s friendly and approachable nature, coupled with her above-and-beyond attitude, are traits that set her apart. Diana moved into the role of Care Manager, later, Director of Client Services and quickly began to use her community contacts for the good of ABS clients.

The ABS Wrap-around model was born due to Diana’s ability to assess client needs and connect them with much-needed services, helping to fill the gaps in the continuum of care. Diana lends her passion to the marketing and case management training each franchisee receives while on-boarding.

VP of Growth

With over 20 years of executive leadership experience in home care, senior living, and healthcare operations, Lynn Welch serves as the Vice President of Growth at A Better Solution (ABS). Known for her hands-on leadership and practical approach to scaling businesses, Lynn specializes in building high-performing teams and implementing the robust systems necessary for sustainable expansion.

She leads the development of the ABS coaching team, where she provides franchise owners with structured, performance-driven support rooted in accountability and measurable outcomes. By guiding owners through operational and financial challenges, Lynn empowers them to build stronger, more profitable businesses while upholding the organization’s core commitment to delivering compassionate, high-quality care to every community they serve.