“To reach this milestone you’ve got to have a number of things,” Pete First, chief development officer of BrightStar Care, told Home Health Care News. “You’ve got to have a really solid system and a solid business case for what you’re doing and processes in place. BrightStar Care has been franchising now for over 20 years. To have that longevity, the history, and the reputation and the brand recognition — all of that feeds into growth. You have to have successful and happy franchisees. That’s one of the big difference makers.”

Chicagoland-based BrightStar Care offers personal home care, home health care and supplemental staffing.

In July, BrightStar Care reported that it signed 15 new franchisees in the first half of 2024. It also signed 24 new franchise agreements and opened 16 new locations during this period.

First noted that BrightStar Care was able to break into new markets, such as New Mexico and Nebraska, for the first time.

The company credits a combination of marketing and operational plans for helping it reach 400 opened locations.

“On the marketing side, we’re very fine tuned with our pay-for-click advertising in markets that we’re trying to get into,” First said. “We’ve got that dialed in with our advertising to look for new candidates. We have existing owners that are really wanting to expand. A number of the new signed agreements were with existing franchisees, so that was a big group that helped us reach that number. Then we’re getting a lot of referrals. Our referrals come from existing franchisees who love the business model, love doing what they’re doing and want to share that.”

However, the road to achieving 400 opened locations wasn’t without its challenges.

“The challenges really are territories,” First said. “Many of our major metro areas are already sold out, but we have markets in smaller suburbs, or different sized territories, that are available. It’s about working with and finding the right people for those territories, and usually it’s somebody that lives there. Let’s say we’re looking at a market that’s maybe 250,000 people, and it’s not in a major metro area, but it’s a great location for a BrightStar Care agency, it’s finding people that are already in that market and who want to make a difference.”

Ultimately, becoming an even larger franchise network will be leveraged to the advantage of BrightStar Care’s franchise owners, First believes.

“With the large footprint that we have, we’re able to negotiate better rates with vendors that the franchisees can use, so it helps to have that scale,” First said. “The big difference is we have a very robust national accounts program, where we have a team internally that provides access to national accounts for all of our franchisees through a central intake system. What that means is, the more coverage that we have across the country, the more opportunities and new national accounts we can open up for franchisees.”

The post How BrightStar Care Got To 400 US Locations, And Where It Plans To Go Next appeared first on Home Health Care News.

Home care agencies that are part of larger franchise networks get to reap the benefits of operating under established names and reputations. But that doesn’t stop franchise owners from thinking up various ways to stand out in the crowd. 

Franchise owners at companies like Always Best Care, Right at Home and Griswold Home Care are doing this by offering services that fall outside of the norm.

At Griswold Twin Cities, this means incorporating therapy dogs, Scout and Ruby, into their care services.

The idea to bring therapy dogs into the mix started because of Griswold Twin Cities Owner Nicole Myhre’s love of dogs. She began working with Canine Inspired Change — a Saint Paul, Minnesota-based non-profit organization — to put Scout and Ruby through therapy dog training.

“Most people, I know, like animals,” Nicole told Home Health Care News. “It really was just a matter of wanting to have animals around us, and then the support that they bring to our team.”

The Blue Bell, Pennsylvania-based Griswold is a home care franchise. It provides personal care services in 30 states. Nicole co-owns Griswold Twin Cities with her husband Brett Myhre.

The agency brings therapy dogs into initial assessments and bi-weekly hospital visits. Brett noted that feedback from Griswold’s clients has been extremely positive.

“Some of these people no longer have a dog, whether because of where they live, or because they’re not able to care for an animal anymore, but they are still animal lovers,” he told HHCN. “We’ll get calls from some of our clients, wondering if we can come out and just do a quick home visit. We’ll bring the dogs out to do visits with people that don’t have the opportunity to have an animal anymore, and it just brightens their day.”

Brett and Nicole have also seen the advantages of having Scout and Ruby when trying to connect with the community.

“When we’re at community events, and we have a booth, or something like that set up, it’s definitely a good icebreaker to get people to come up and talk to us,” Brett said.

Parkinson’s support

Always Best Care of Central Connecticut has separated itself by getting heavily involved in the Parkinson’s disease community. The company has leaned into educating people about what to expect with a Parkinson’s disease diagnosis.

Taylor Lajeunesse — the director of operations at Always Best Care of Central Connecticut — began working with the American Parkinson’s Disease Association (APDA) in 2022.

Always Best Care of Central Connecticut decided to lean into Parkinson’s as an area of focus when the company started seeing an increase in clients coming in with the disease.

“A lot of our clients that have Parkinson’s are actually our VA clients, through their community care network,” Lajeunesse said. “These are mostly Vietnam veterans, because they were exposed to Agent Orange and different toxins that they think are associated with Parkinson’s. I’d say about 10% of our clients are VA, and maybe about 25% of them have Parkinson’s.”

Roseville, California-based Always Best Care is a home care franchise company that operates across 225 territories in 30 states and Canada.

Though the New Haven area has a lot of these different Parkinson’s programs through Yale University, areas like Hartford and Tolland did not, according to Lajeunesse.

“For somebody that’s coming from our area, that can be anywhere from a 45-minute drive to an hour and a half drive,” she said. “For somebody with Parkinson’s, it’s not practical to be taking an entire day to go for a doctor’s appointment or an hour-long program. We’re really trying to bring that up this way, with the help of the APDA and their program coordinator.”

Last year, the Central Connecticut location rolled out a web page that shared information about what to expect at each stage of Parkinson’s disease, as well as what services the agency suggested. The site also includes video content.

Lajeunesse is also in the process of starting a new support group in town.

Plus, the agency talks to clients and their families about the APDA and all the resources the organization offers.

“A lot of our families don’t really know where to start,” Lajeunesse said. “I think in being able to be that guide, we’ve had families that are really appreciative of those connections we can make.”

Avoiding scams

Scams and scammers have become a popular topic for documentaries and true crime podcasts, but Right at Home Orlando wants to ensure that its clients aren’t targeted.

Seniors are often targeted by scammers. In 2022, there were 88,262 fraud complaints which led to $3.1 billion in losses from individuals aged 60 and older, according to the National Council on Aging.

Though Right at Home Orlando doesn’t have a formal scam prevention program, the agency helps educate its clients in order to protect its clients from financial fraud and other scams.

“As a home care agency, we’re very opposed to elder abuse and people taking advantage of seniors, so all of our caregivers have always been trained to look for the signs of any of those situations,” Nikki Magyar, owner and president of Right at Home Orlando, told HHCN.

For example, during past tax seasons, the agency has been able to spot when people who were meant to help their clients file were taking advantage and charging exorbitant fees.

“They think that the elderly person is not going to balk at it because they’re more polite, or that they’re not tech savvy, so they won’t even notice,” Magyar said.

Magyar has also seen situations where people have entered their client’s life for nefarious reasons.

“We’ve had a few cases, sadly, where people have a boyfriend that is asking them to wire money, or brings into the bank a lot — we’ve had to advise the family that this person has become part of [our client’s] life,” she said.

Caregivers at the agency have also been trained to screen suspicious phone calls where the person on the line is claiming to be someone who they’re not, such as IRS agents.

Ultimately, it’s important for individual franchise locations to live up to the company’s standards while also going above and beyond.

“You want to make sure that you’re following the franchise’s lead, but then you also want to make sure you’re doing the most dynamic thing you can and taking it up a notch,” Magyar said. “You want to make sure that you’re doing your part for the community around you.”

The post Scam Prevention And Therapy Dogs: How Franchise Owners Are Setting Their Home Care Agencies Apart appeared first on Home Health Care News.

“Our commitment to fostering a culture of continuous improvement and adaptability has been instrumental in our journey leading up to this pivotal point,” HomeWell Franchising CEO Crystal Franz told Home Health Care News in an email. “Recognizing the dynamic nature of the home care industry, we understood the necessity of remaining adaptable to sustain our growth — a goal that can only be accomplished by working together.”

HomeWell Care Services – which is franchised under HomeWell Franchising Inc. – provides personal care and homemakers services for seniors in over 50 locations across more than 100 markets in 33 states.

Over the past several years, HomeWell has been known as one of the fastest-growing home care companies in the country.

Since its rebrand in 2019, HomeWell has prioritized continuous improvement by integrating new systems and technologies into the fold, Franz said.

At the same time, getting feedback from its franchisees has also been a driving force behind its success.

“We’ve welcomed feedback from our franchisees, ensuring that we’re providing the tools they need to excel in their local markets,” Franz said. “This milestone underscores our dedication to ingenuity, collaboration and even a dash of boldness at times — all of which have helped reinforce our position as a growing leader in the industry.”

Earlier this year, HomeWell was one of a dozen home-based care companies that earned a spot on Entrepreneur’s 45th annual Franchise 500 rankings.

In 2022, HomeWell grabbed a spot on Inc. 5000’s annual ranking after it experienced 88% three-year growth.

One of the main drivers of that growth was the company decision to waive its initial franchise fee for new owners. In turn, those owners were able to reinvest this fee into the company, spurring even more growth.

In order to sustain that, Franz said that it’s important to stay rooted in the business principles that have allowed the company to get this far. That includes building on innovation, creating new partnerships and making sure its franchise owners believe in home care’s impact on families and the broader continuum of care.

HomeWell recently announced its Franchise Advisory Council (FAC), made up of elected representatives from its nationwide network of franchise owners, and will use that group to guide its path in the future.

“Looking ahead, we recognize the strength of our diverse franchise system and aim to leverage it to its fullest potential,” Franz said. “We eagerly anticipate tapping into the council’s insights to guide our future endeavors and ensure we continue to equip both new and veteran owners for success. With our brand’s momentum and the invaluable contributions of our owners, we are poised to lead the industry into the future.”

One of the standout programs that HomeWell credits its growth to is a bonus program that rewards franchise owners for longevity with the company and overall excellence.

As far as the future goes, Franz expects a lot of the same: expanding national presence while continuing to build relationships with national vendors.

“By maintaining its commitment to quality, innovation and collaboration, HomeWell is well-positioned to continue driving positive impact and setting new standards in the home care industry for years to come,” Franz said.

The post HomeWell Reaches 2 Landmarks: 100 Location Owners, $100 Million In Annual Revenue appeared first on Home Health Care News.

The franchise company is also launching Homewatch Connect, a smart camera system that aims to promote longer independence at home, reduce isolation and boost social engagement.

“This all-inclusive suite of services is designed to provide personalized care to clients, allowing the opportunity to get into care earlier and stay longer,” Homewatch CareGivers President Todd Houghton told Home Health Care News in an email. “Clients will benefit from increased independence, improved safety and a greater peace of mind while care providers are equipped with tools to deliver more efficient and tailored care.”

The Denver-based Homewatch CareGivers is a home care franchise company that operates in over 30 states and seven countries. The franchise employs over 4,500 caregivers at over 230 locations.

The services offered through Total Care Solutions will include daily social engagement and clinical expertise from Homewatch’s caregivers.

Houghton said the new program will enable clients to age in place with dignity on their own terms by offering “several flexible levels of service.”

Paired with the smart camera, Homewatch hopes to give its clients an improved communication system, while also addressing cost efficiency and flexibility when monitoring clients in their home.

“These cameras are integrated into clients’ homes to provide real-time connection, engagement and insights into their well being,” Houghton said. “Care providers can use this data to tailor care plans according to individual needs and preferences. The smart camera technology also allows for remote communication and collaboration with increased touchpoints through virtual care — in addition to having the caregiver in the home.”

Features of Homewatch Connect will include video calls with care professionals, remote monitoring, motion and sound detection as well as on-screen alerts for medication reminders, appointments and other scheduled tasks to keep clients active and engaged in their care plan.

“As the demand for technology-driven advancements continues to grow, Homewatch CareGivers remains at the forefront of innovation,” Houghton said. “This reimagined approach helps clients enable longer independence at home, reduce isolation and boost social engagement while helping to preserve privacy.”

The tools should also assist caregivers and providers by streamlining many of the work processes that come with a more tailored care plan.

“By combining advanced technology with personalized care, we are offering families a solution they have been looking for,” Houghton added. “It helps to ensure loved ones are well cared for through improved communication and interaction, while also offering care providers increased support, automation, cost efficiency and flexibility in monitoring and engagement.”

Both new programs are expected to officially launch this month.

The post Homewatch CareGivers Launches Tech-Driven Personalized Care Program appeared first on Home Health Care News.

The impetus behind Right at Home’s hiring initiative was the increased growth in client populations that the company was seeing, Nikki Holles, vice president of people strategy for Right at Home, told Home Health Care News. 

“The world is continuing to age, and not only are we continuing to age, but we’re continuing to see people who, otherwise, would have gone into a facility realizing that their options include home care,” she said. “With that population continuing to grow, we know there’s an average number of hours that are generally used by clients. As our clients grow, we’re going to have to continue to increase the number of caregivers available to take care of those clients.”

Based in Omaha, Nebraska, Right at Home has more than 700 home care franchise locations across the U.S. and six other countries. The company recently earned a spot on Entrepreneur’s annual Franchise 500 list.

In addition to hiring to meet the care services needs of the senior population, Right at Home is also hoping to get ahead of turnover associated with the caregiver role.

“We also recognize that there are a lot of people who take caregiver roles while they’re in nursing school, or while studying to be a doctor or what have you,” Holles said. “There’s a little bit of a transient nature of this role. We also recognize that we have to continue to increase the number of people that we are hiring, because we know there’s kind of an organic cycle that happens based on the lives of the caregivers.”

Right at Home will be utilizing several strategies to reach 26,000 hires this year.

The company has formed preferred partnerships with a few job boards. These collaborations will allow Right at Home franchise owners to work with both local and national job board platforms, according to Holles.

Right at Home is also implementing different technology solutions across the franchise network.

“With different technology, it allows them to create efficiencies in their office and allow them to continue to hire more,” Holles said. “It gives their office staff the time and energy to be able to go through the mechanics that they have to go through to bring on a caregiver. Those pieces are things like electronic onboarding resources, or workflows that can help automate communications through an applicant tracking system, or engagement platforms to reward and recognize the caregivers.”

The strategies in place for Right at Home’s current hiring initiative fall in line with the company’s larger efforts around cultivating an appealing culture for caregivers, Right at Home CEO Margaret Hayes told HHCN.

“We want to be that employer of choice,” she said. “That [term] might be overused, but at the end of the day, we really focus on creating a culture and encouraging our franchise owners, and helping them develop a culture where they are the employer of choice in their local markets. We break down the elements of the caregiver experience into micro elements so that we can make it a great experience.”

The post How Right at Home Plans To Up Its Caregiver Count By Over 50% In 2024 appeared first on Home Health Care News.

In order to be ranked on the list, a franchise company needs to be courting new franchisees in the U.S. or Canada. Companies that made the list also need to have had at least 10 units open and operating as of July 31, 2023, with at least one U.S.-based franchise.

Factors such as franchise cost and fees, size and growth, network support and brand strength determined each company’s evaluation.

Companies like Interim HealthCare, Home Instead and Senior Helpers ranked the highest of the home-based care franchises that managed to grab a spot on the list.

Interim HealthCare

— Rank: 59

— 2023 Rank: 55

— Units: 655

— Based in Sunrise, Florida, and a part of Caring Brands National, Interim is a franchise that provides home health, hospice, palliative care and other services across locations in the U.S. and Saudi Arabia.

Home Instead

— Rank: 149

— 2023 Rank: 155

— Units: 1,217

— Home Instead is a Omaha, Nebraska-based personal care franchise company that has locations in over a dozen countries. In 2021, the home care technology company Honor acquired Home Instead.

Senior Helpers

— Rank: 172

— 2023 Rank: 172

— Units: 361

— Maryland-based Senior Helpers has a national personal care network, as well as adult day centers. The company was acquired by Advocate Health Enterprises in 2021.

Homewatch CareGivers

— Rank: 222

— 2023 Rank: 208

— Units: 222

— Denver-based Homewatch CareGivers is a home care franchise company that operates in over 30 states and seven countries. The franchise employs over 4,500 caregivers.

Griswold Home Care

— Rank: 252

— 2023 Rank: 267

— Units: 186

— The Blue Bell, Pennsylvania-based Griswold is also a home care franchise. It provides personal care services in 30 states.

ComForCare

— Rank: 254

— 2023 Rank: 402

— Units: 229

— ComForCare is a home care franchise organization that has hundreds of territories independently-owned and operated in Canada and the U.S. ComForCare operates as At Your Side in Houston, Texas. ComForCare operates under parent company Best Life Brands. Another Best Life Brands company, Blue Moon Estate Sales, also ranked on the Franchise 500 list.

BrightStar Care

— Rank: 279

— 2023 Rank: 141

— Units: 373

— Chicago-based BrightStar is a provider of home care, senior living and supplemental staffing. The organization has been deliberately increasing its company-owned footprint of late.

Assisting Hands Home Care

— Rank: 280

— 2023 Rank: 229

— Units: 193

— Assisting Hands Home Care offers both medical and non-medical assistance for seniors, including meal preparation, companionship, chores and more.

HomeWell Care Services

— Rank: 283

— 2023 Rank: 347

— Units: 136

— HomeWell is a Burkburnett, Texas-based home care franchise that operates across the U.S. The company offers companion care, personal care, as well as specialty care.

Right at Home

— Rank: 318

— 2023 Rank: 260

— Units: 716

— Omaha, Nebraska-based Right at Home is a home care franchise company with locations in the U.S. and six other countries.

Nurse Next Door

— Rank: 418

— 2023 Rank: N/A

— Units: 183

— Vancouver, Canada-based Nurse Next Door is a home care franchise system that operates in the U.S., Canada and Australia. As an organization, the company provides personal care, companionship care, homemaking services, dementia care and more.

FirstLight Home Care

— Rank: 438

— 2023 Rank: 327

— Units: 197

— Cincinnati-based FirstLight Home Care is a provider of non-medical home care. The company also has a specialized care program aimed at seniors with dementia.

Synergy HomeCare

— Rank: 449

— 2023 Rank: 483

— Units: 453

— Synergy is a Gilbert, Arizona-based non-medical home care franchise. The company offers companionship services, in addition to personal assistance, housekeeping, live-in care and 24-hour home care services.

Home Helpers

— Rank: 475

— 2023 Rank: 396

— Units: 308

— The Cincinnati-based Home Helpers is a home care franchise that provides personal care, nutrition and companionship services, among others. It serves over 1,000 communities in the U.S.

Visiting Angels

— Rank: 479

— 2023 Rank: N/A

— Units: 692

— Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania-based Visiting Angels is an in-home senior care company that provides companion care, personal care services and more.

The post 15 Home-Based Care Providers Rank On Entrepreneur’s Annual Franchise 500 List appeared first on Home Health Care News.

In 2023, Right at Home closed the year with 24 signings and 17 openings. The company attributes that growth to its strong lead generation and marketing strategy.

“We’ve only got so many open and available territories left in the United States, so it’s all about smart marketing and advertising, and looking for people to work franchises in markets that we have open and available,” Jennifer Chaney, vice president of franchise development at Right at Home, told Home Health Care News.

Based in Omaha, Nebraska, Right at Home has more than 700 franchise locations across the U.S. and six other countries.

The company’s successful expansion should come as no surprise to those who have been watching closely. Last year, the company ranked 100 on the Franchise Times’ top 400 list, which ranks the largest franchise systems in the country annually.

Chaney pointed out that there are roughly 300 territories left to sell in the United States. All of these territories are an opportunity for Right at Home to reach more seniors across the country.

“All 300 of those territories have seniors and adults with disabilities that need care,” she said. “We just laser focus on those open and available territories, and we continue to see that growth.”

Even with Right at Home’s “laser focus,” barriers to home care franchise growth still exist.

One barrier that is top of mind is a crowded and competitive senior care market.

“I think that this is the case with any franchise concept,” Chaney said. “Our business model is senior care. It’s no secret that there are a lot of senior care options to choose from. One of the challenges of that growth is when people are looking at joining a franchise, specifically a home care franchise, they’re shopping around with multiple brands. They’re comparing us to others, and they have lots of options to choose from. Our goal is just to shine brighter than the rest and show them what we have to offer.”

One of the ways that Right at Home does so is by focusing on franchisee validation. This means giving potential new owners access to all of the company’s current franchise owners.

This gives potential owners the opportunity to connect with current owners and learn more about the Right at Home franchise network, as well as all of the support and resources the company offers, according to Chaney.

“It’s in the name, franchisee validation,” she said. “These franchise owners are validating everything that we have educated these prospects on, everything that they’ve read about online. For us, franchisee validation is where we really shine because this is direct feedback from our franchise owners, who are running these businesses day in and day out.”

With 2023 in the rearview, Right at Home is focused on strategies for 2024. The company has a footprint goal of 24 new territories this year.

“We have the same aggressive goal as we had last year, but we’re doing things with a little bit more experience,” Chaney said. “We tried a lot of things last year. It was a learning year for us.”

Right at Home also earmarked markets that it is interested in growing in. Those include: Sierra Vista-Douglas, Arizona; Coeur d’Alene, Idaho; Johnstown, Pennsylvania; Warner Robins, Georgia; Sebastian-Vero Beach, Florida; Waterloo-Cedar Falls, Iowa; Bangor, Maine; Eau Claire, Wisconsin; Gainesville, Florida; Yuma, Arizona; Amarillo, Texas; and Barnstable Town, Massachusetts.

The post Unlocking Growth: Right at Home Targets 300 Untapped Territories appeared first on Home Health Care News.

LaunchWell will emphasize continued learning, as opposed to live, long in-person sessions that HomeWell didn’t believe franchisees were getting a lot out of. Staff training is also a part of the program.

“We created role-based learning paths for all those key associates that typically work at the agency level,” Michelle Cone, SVP of training and brand programs at HomeWell, told Home Health Care News. “We also wanted to be able to scale and meet the needs of our growing system. We’ve had record year-over-year signings.”

HomeWell Care Services – which is franchised under HomeWell Franchising Inc. – provides personal care and homemakers services for seniors in over 50 locations across more than 100 markets.

Cone mentioned that the characteristics of franchisees have changed after the pandemic, which is part of the reason the company is providing more learning services and support.

“It’s been very interesting in this post-pandemic landscape,” she said. “We talk often about the spotlight on home care. But there was also a spotlight on home care franchising. So, for the past 18 months, we’ve seen interest in home care franchising like we’ve never seen before. It has allowed for innovation, an investment in learning, and more tools and resources that our owners can tap into.”

The LaunchWell program is also available to longtime operators within HomeWell’s system. But, for the new franchisees, the company has taken note of new types of expectations.

LaunchWell, is, in part, helping HomeWell meet those expectations. Cone said the feedback from the program has already been “great.”

“We wanted to move away from that talking heads type style, and provide them with more flexibility in their learning, a more engaging platform, more relevant topics,” she said. “We want it to be much more interactive, giving them the confidence to be able to launch their business, to make a difference in their communities and to be profitable.”

The post After Record Year-Over-Year Franchisee Signings, HomeWell Bolsters Support Systems appeared first on Home Health Care News.

As the demand for home care grows, so do the industry’s largest providers. In particular, franchises are expanding rapidly across the country, adjusting operations slightly along the way.

BrightStar Care and Griswold Home Care are two examples of that growth. Both companies earned spots on Franchise Times’ annual ranking of the largest franchise systems in the country.

This year, BrightStar Care signed almost 40 franchise deals, and 17 owners expanded into 28 new territories across the U.S.

“It’s a year where we welcomed a lot of new franchisees on board, but we’ve seen a lot of our existing owners expand,” Pete First, chief development officer at BrightStar Care, told Home Health Care News. “That’s a strong testament to the brand and to where things are going in the future.”

Chicago-based BrightStar Care is a provider of home care and supplemental staffing. The organization has more than 380 locations nationwide. It also has a senior living portfolio.

On its end, Griswold Home Care saw 12 franchise sales in 2023, and expanded into five new territories.

“We’ve exceeded our goals in network same-store sales and year-over-year growth,” Griswold CEO Michael Slupecki told HHCN. “We look at growth in two different ways, the top line, with the network as a whole. We also look at the percentage of the network that grew year-over-year versus the percentage of the network that had a decline year over year. We were happy to have exceeded our goals.”

The Blue Bell, Pennsylvania-based Griswold provides home care services in 30 states. The company has more than 160 locations.

More than half of Griswold’s new franchise sales have been in the state of California. It’s a market that is considered both fruitful and challenging due to its wage and hour laws, according to Slupecki.

“It’s the sixth or seventh largest economy in the world, and there’s certainly a vast population of seniors that need our services,” he said. “We can’t just shy away from business climates that are challenging. We just have to figure it out, and be there for our clients.”

In general, the regulatory climate and senior population are factors that weigh heavily on Griswold’s decision to pursue expansion in a specific market.

Additionally, the company has seen the value in focusing on what are known as “secondary markets.”

“We prefer a secondary market over what some people call a primary market,” Slupecki said. “We see a lot of saturation in the major metropolitan areas, so focusing on smaller markets is appealing to us.”

For BrightStar Care, its entrance into new markets has been the result of research and strategic planning.

“We look at the demographics and where the demand is,” First said. “We have key markets and key states, like Washington State, that we’re looking to expand into. We also take a network strategy approach – [we look at] franchise development, look at the open markets, and we also work with our national accounts team, and we work with our operations team.”

BrightStar Care’s growth coincides with its focus on clinical outcomes data.

“It has allowed us to really prove the outcomes of what we’re able to do, and that continues to attract interest from not only consumers, but other payer sources from national accounts,” First said. “Being able to provide some of these clinical studies that we’ve done has given us an advantage, and our franchisees an advantage, because we can actually prove what we’re doing. That’s provided a lot of opportunity for growth.”

At Griswold, much of the focus has been on rebranding to embrace innovation.

“We felt like our other former brand was a little bit dated,” Slupecki said. “How could we talk about being a forward-thinking innovative company, when you look at the brand and it looks a little bit dated?”

In particular, Griswold has increased focus on things like caregiver engagement utilities and client monitoring technologies.

More broadly, Slupecki also believes that the company has “a different level of energy” in recent years. This has translated into a slightly more hands-on approach with the company’s franchise owners.

“Every franchise is an independently-owned and operated business, so each franchise could have something that’s specific and unique to them that’s either helping them grow or holding them back,” he said. “Our operations team is really problem solving, and helping them optimize their business.”

In addition to its franchise locations, BrightStar Care also has a number of company-owned locations. These locations continue to be a vital tool when it comes to testing new technologies, marketing strategies, payer sources and more.

One example of this is BrightStar Care’s ability to test automation and AI.

“We’ve been able to integrate and test some of those features, which are going to provide great benefit for new franchisees, whether they have one location, or they have multiple locations,” First said. “It’s about being able to streamline and become more efficient with some of the day-to-day tasks.”

BrightStar Care still sees some key markets in both the Northeast and the Midwest.

“Even though Brightstar care has been around for 20 years, we still have territories that are available and open where we know that providing new franchisees into that market will be a definite asset to the community,” First said.

Ultimately, Griswold is looking to continue raising the bar at its organization.

“Resetting the expectations around care and delivery of services — making sure we’re all aligned in what we’re trying to do – is critical,” Slupecki said.

The post ‘Can’t Shy Away From Challenging Business Climates’: Griswold, BrightStar Care Share Top 2024 Priorities appeared first on Home Health Care News.

The list is based on last year’s global systemwide sales — total sales for both franchise and company units — performance.

In order to earn a spot on the list, a company needs to be a legal U.S. franchise. It should also own at least 10% of the company’s total units.

At-home care franchise companies Home Instead Senior Care, Right at Home and Interim HealthCare managed to crack the top 100 portion of the list, alongside big name companies like McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD), Dunkin’ (Nasdaq:DNKN) and The UPS Store (UPS:NYSE).

Home Instead Senior Care

— Rank: 44

— System Sales: $2,400,000,000

— Total Locations: 1,217

— Home Instead is a Omaha, Nebraska-based personal care franchise company that has locations in over a dozen countries. In 2021, the home care technology company Honor acquired Home Instead.

Interim HealthCare

— Rank: 65

— System Sales: $1,288,000,000

— Total Locations: 655

— The Sunrise, Florida-based company – a part of Caring Brands International — provides personal care, hospice care, palliative care, pediatric care and staffing services.

Visiting Angels

— Rank: 90

— System Sales: $900,000,000

— Total Locations: 697

— Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania-based Visiting Angels is an in-home senior care company that provides companion care, personal care services and more.

Right at Home

— Rank: 100

— System Sales: $778,386,711

— Total Locations: 712

— Omaha, Nebraska-based Right at Home is a home care franchise company with locations in the U.S. and six other countries.

BrightStar Care

— Rank: 117

— System Sales: $653,907,370

— Total Locations: 370

— Chicago-based BrightStar is a provider of home care, senior living and supplemental staffing. The organization has been deliberately increasing its company-owned footprint of late.

Comfort Keepers

— Rank: 124

— System Sales: $625,000,000*

— Total Locations: 645

— Irvine, California-based Comfort Keepers is one of the largest personal home care providers in the U.S. It recently was acquired by The Halifax Group.

Senior Helpers

— Rank: 176

— System Sales: $387,243,000

— Total Locations: 327

— Maryland-based Senior Helpers has a national personal care network, as well as adult day centers. The company was acquired by Advocate Health Enterprises in 2021.

ComForCare Home Care

— Rank: 225

— System Sales: $238,000,000

— Total Locations: 223

— ComForCare is a home care franchise organization that has 270 territories independently-owned and operated in Canada and the U.S. ComForCare operates as At Your Side in Houston, Texas.

Home Helpers Home Care

— Rank: 230

— System Sales: $231,856,454

— Total Locations: 304

— The Cincinnati-based Home Helpers is a home care franchise that provides personal care, nutrition and companionship services, among others. It serves over 1,000 communities in the U.S.

Synergy HomeCare

— Rank: 236

— System Sales: $223,257,894

— Total Locations: 417

— Synergy is a Gilbert, Arizona-based non-medical home care franchise. The company offers companionship services, in addition to personal assistance, housekeeping, live-in care and 24-hour home care services.

Always Best Care

— Rank: 245

— System Sales: $212,591,506

— Total Locations: 232

— Roseville, California-based Always Best Care is a home care franchise company that operates across 225 territories in 30 states and Canada.

Homewatch CareGivers

— Rank: 246

— System Sales: $211,550,548

— Total Locations: 224

— Denver-based Homewatch CareGivers is a home care franchise company that operates in over 30 states and seven countries. The franchise employs over 4,500 caregivers.

Griswold

— Rank: 251

— System Sales: $199,100,000

— Total Locations: 178

— The Blue Bell, Pennsylvania-based Griswold is also a home care franchise. It provides personal care services in 30 states.

FirstLight Home Care

— Rank: 257

— System Sales: $188,207,247

— Total Locations: 195

— Cincinnati-based FirstLight Home Care is a provider of non-medical home care. The company also has a specialized care program aimed at seniors with dementia.

Assisting Hands Home Care

— Rank: 299

— System Sales: $124,305,162

— Total Locations: 175

— Assisting Hands Home Care offers both medical and non-medical assistance for seniors, including meal preparation, companionship, chores and more.

Caring Senior Service

— Rank: 475

— System Sales: $35,050,000

— Total Locations: 51

— San Antonio, Texas-based home care franchise company Caring Senior Service offers personal care, meal preparation, transportation, companionship, housekeeping and more.

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