Updated January 22, 2019.
The 75 million Baby Boomers are retiring in full force now, and savvy entrepreneurs looking to buy into one of the best in-home senior care franchises available have 15 great choices covered in this list, with no fewer than 11 of the companies having achieved rankings on Entrepreneur magazine’s Franchise 500 list.
This is one industry segment that all experts agree will continue to grow at a very rapid pace. Home care and home healthcare as a global industry is growing at 8% each year, but the more specific in-home senior care franchise segment is growing at 9.7% each year. The non-medical in-home care segment is worth $70 billion in the U.S., and $9 billion of that are revenues to franchise companies.
This industry’s growth shows no signs of stopping, and for good reasons. Right now, more than 10,0000 people turn 65 every day in the U.S. alone, and the number of people 60 and older worldwide is going to triple by 2050 to 2 billion people. Meanwhile, older people are not only living longer, but also further away from their children. All of this helps explain why in-home care services make up one of the fastest-growing segments within the overall healthcare industry.
Alzheimer’s care is an important aspect for most companies since every 65 seconds someone in the U.S. develops Alzheimer’s, which is now the sixth leading cause of death in the country.
Here are the top 15 in-home senior care franchises of 2019:
1. Home Instead Senior Care
Home Instead Senior Care offers in-home senior care services 24 hours a day, 365 days a year based on a client’s needs and desired schedule. It offers a fairly typical array of non-medical services, along with a special focus on servicing those with specific conditions such as Alzheimer’s, dementia, arthritis, Parkinson’s, diabetes, depression, and others.
This company currently ranks #287 on Entrepreneur magazine’s Franchise 500 list. Founded in 1994 and franchising since 1995, the number of locations has expanded over the past nine years from 846 in 2009 to the current total of 1,131, of which five are company-owned and 528 are located outside the U.S.
2. Visiting Angels
Visiting Angels is a national private-duty network of home-care agencies providing in-home care, respite care, senior personal care, elderly care, companion care, Alzheimer’s and dementia care, end-of-life care, and more. The company created Life Care Navigation, a collection of customized programs to meet specific care needs. The company has achieved a high level of brand recognition through robust national advertising campaigns.
This company currently ranks #169 on Entrepreneur magazine’s Franchise 500 list. Founded in 1992 and franchising since 1998, the number of locations has grown steadily over the past nine years from 378 in 2009 to the current total of 620, none of which are company-owned and 11 of which are located outside the U.S.
3. Right at Home
Right at Home provides a range of in-home care services to seniors and disabled adults with Custom Care Plans that cover such service categories as companionship, Alzheimer’s care, hospice care, and skilled nursing. An initial phone call includes a basic needs assessment, followed by an in-home family meeting. Based on the information collected, a recommended Custom Care Plan is created, which the customer can modify line-by-line as needed. Robust supervision of caregivers and extensive notes by caregivers keep the quality of service high, reducing preventable readmissions to the hospital by 65%.
This company currently ranks #211 on Entrepreneur magazine’s Franchise 500 list. Founded in 1995 and franchising since 2000, the number of locations has expanded rapidly over the past nine years from 209 in 2009 to the current total of 579, none of which are company-owned and 104 of which are located outside the U.S.
4. Interim HealthCare
Interim HealthCare provides three categories of in-home care: 1) Home care provided by licensed healthcare professionals who provide medical care including rehabilitative assistance or by care professionals who support daily living activities; 2) Hospice care for those who are chronically or terminally ill, focused on symptom relief while attending to emotional and spiritual needs; and 3) Specialized home care to meet unique needs arising from illness or injury, including respite care.
This company currently ranks #144 on Entrepreneur magazine’s Franchise 500 list. Founded in 1966 and franchising since then, there are currently 560 locations, none of which are company-owned and 231 of which are located outside the U.S.
5. BrightStar Care
BrightStar Care helps meet the medical and personal needs of the elderly with a full continuum of care services, offering personal care, post-hospitalization transitional care, Alzheimer’s and dementia care, medication management, skilled nursing, and even 24-hour live-in care, if needed. Each professional care team is led by a Registered Nurse Director, and this RN oversight ensures care quality. The Joint Commission, a nationally recognized healthcare standards organization, has named BrightStar Care an “Enterprise Champion for Quality” for four consecutive years.
This company currently ranks #184 on Entrepreneur magazine’s Franchise 500 list. Founded in 2002 and franchising since 2005, the number of locations has nearly tripled during the past nine years from 130 in 2009 to the current total of 331, of which four are company-owned and one is located outside the U.S.
6. Synergy HomeCare
Synergy HomeCare provides care to families impacted by aging or illness and does not require any contract to begin services, which can include personal assistance, errands and transportation, meals, light housekeeping, companionship, post-hospitalization care, live-in care and 24-hour care, and respite care to support family caregivers who need a break. The company’s website includes an online needs assessment that will help estimate the level of care a person needs.
Founded in 2001 and franchising since 2005, the number of locations has grown rapidly over the last nine years from 95 in 2009 to the current total of 312, none of which are company-owned and all of which are located in the U.S.
7. Always Best Care Senior Services
Always Best Care Senior Services provides non-medical in-home care, Alzheimer’s and dementia care, assisted-living referral services to help clients find the right facility when the time comes, and home health services from skilled nurses and licensed therapists as needed.
Additional services include Always in Touch – a complimentary telephone reassurance program that provides companionship to seniors and disabled adults through daily check-ins or weekly socialization calls; Always Safe combining in-home care during the day with a fall detection system for evenings/nights; and Always on Call to give immediate access 24/7 to a nationwide network of U.S. Board Certified physicians, available for live visits over smart phone, web, or phone whenever needed.
Founded in 1996 and franchising since 2007, the number of locations has increased over the past nine years from only 33 in 2009 to the current total of 201, none of which are company-owned and one of which is located outside the U.S.
8. ComForCare Home Care
ComForCare Home Care specializes in providing personalized non-medical home care in the form of assistance with the full range of daily-life activities. Its approach is patient-centered care, which means listening to and honoring patient and family perspectives and choices in a collaborative caregiving relationship. The company is very focused on its brand recognition and marketing efforts at both the local and national level.
Founded in 1996 and franchising since 2001, the number of locations grew yearly from 2009 to 2016 when it hit 200 locations, where it stayed throughout 2017 and then dropped slightly to the current total of 191, none of which are company-owned and eight of which are located outside the U.S.
9. FirstLight HomeCare
FirstLight HomeCare is a provider of in-home senior care and respite care to any adult in need with a people-first philosophy that recognizes how caring is a calling, not just a career. The services are available for seniors, those with disabilities, those who are in recovery or rehabilitation, veterans, and even busy moms. Services for seniors include companion care, personal care, dementia care, respite care, and even a companion travel program.
This company currently ranks #222 on Entrepreneur magazine’s Franchise 500 list. Founded in 2009 and franchising since 2010, the number of locations has grown rapidly since then to 185, none of which are company-owned and all of which are located in the U.S.
10. Home Care Assistance
Home Care Assistance has its own proprietary Cognitive Therapeutics Method (CTM) to address cognitive decline and boost brain health through targeted cognitive stimulation along with the typical full range of in-home care services for seniors. The company was also chosen as an exclusive partner for Maria Shriver’s inaugural Move for Minds event, promoting exercise as a pathway to cognitive health.
This company currently ranks #422 on Entrepreneur magazine’s Franchise 500 list. Founded in 2003 and franchising since 2004, the number of locations has grown steadily during the past nine years from 50 in 2009 to the current total of 165, of which 42 are company-owned and 27 are located outside the U.S.
11. Nurse Next Door
Nurse Next Door aims to make aging happier with its range of senior home care services, including live 24/7 scheduling support for companionship, meal preparation, homemaking, caregiver relief/respite care, personal care, home nursing care, Alzheimer’s and dementia care, end-of-life care, transportation/accompaniment, even around-the-clock care, if needed. It is committed to a minimum of three visits per week, with each lasting at least three hours.
This company currently ranks #190 on Entrepreneur magazine’s Franchise 500 list. Founded in 2001 and franchising since 2007, the number of locations has grown steadily from 34 in 2009 to the current total of 155, nine of which are company-owned and 59 of which are located outside the U.S.
12. Assisting Hands Home Care
Assisting Hands Home Care is a provider of personalized in-home medical and non-medical care for seniors, including companionship, meal preparation, medication reminders, shopping and errands, light housekeeping and laundry, and help with bathing and dressing. Some locations also provide home health care nursing services, such as therapy, medication administration, and wound care. The initial assessment and care plan will include identifying any programs, community resources, or benefits that might be available to help clients.
This company currently ranks #429 on Entrepreneur magazine’s Franchise 500 list. Founded in 2006 and franchising since then, the number of locations has grown steadily over the past nine years from 14 in 2009 to the current total of 114, of which four are company-owned and one is located outside the U.S.
13. Amada Senior Care
Amada Senior Care offers four kinds of services for seniors, including in-home senior care (non-medical), senior housing advising, home monitoring, and financial care coordination (help with long-term care insurance and other funding options for senior care).
Amada helps family caregivers and distant family members stay involved and updated through two signature technologies: Its BeClose app that reports daily activities and behavioral changes, and the Transparent family web portal to stay apprised of what Amada services have been rendered and when.
This company currently ranks #275 on Entrepreneur magazine’s Franchise 500 list. Founded in 2007 and franchising since 2012, the number of locations has grown since then to 82, none of which are company-owned and all of which are located in the U.S.
14. IKOR International
IKOR International provides what it calls “life care management” for seniors and individuals with disabilities, taking a holistic approach to the lives of clients by looking at all relevant medical, environmental, psychosocial, and vocational/educational aspects.
An initial assessment is conducted by a trained, experienced Registered Nurse Advocate. When a Life Map of needed care is agreed upon, IKOR then uses its local knowledge base to assemble the required care services from local providers, with ongoing monitoring to make sure the services provided are meeting the needs. The company’s work is managed through its proprietary client management software called Datikor.
Founded in 1991 and franchising since 2008, the last reported number of locations was 63 in 2017, all franchised within the U.S.
15. HomeWell Senior Care
HomeWell Senior Care is a full-range senior home care provider that is available 24 hours a day and can provide same-day staffing when needed. It can provide hourly personal care, live-in care, care for couples, companion care, care management (an extensive holistic assessment that helps families realize what is needed in all areas of life), essential daily services, transportation services, and transitional care (hospital-to-home).
This company currently ranks #484 on Entrepreneur magazine’s Franchise 500 list. Founded in 1996 and franchising since 2003, there are now 60 locations (a loss of three units from last year’s total), none of which are company-owned and three of which are located outside the U.S.
An Important Note About Our Methodology
The franchises on this list were ranked according to the number of units in the franchise system. If you are a prospective franchisee searching for franchise opportunities that meet or exceed certain performance benchmarks for sales, profits, and return on investment, please check out this list of America’s Most Lucrative Franchises.
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