Shawn and Stacy Slatter have both had loved ones that required senior care, so they know how important – and difficult – it is to find trustworthy and talented caregivers. Shawn also has experience as a caregiver himself, looking after his grandparents when he was only a teenager, and then in the military as a medical hospital corpsman. These experiences, combined with seeing both their own families and others have difficulty finding quality caregiving, drove him to pursue business ownership with Right at Home so that he could be a part of a brand that provides reliable, high quality in-home care in his area. 

“The thing about the senior care industry is that, regardless of what you believe in or where you come from, this is a service that folks need. We want to provide that resource for people in our community,” said Shawn.

Stacy and Shawn have been franchise owners with Right at Home since 2010, but have recently expanded their territory within Las Vegas. 

1851 Franchise spoke with Shawn and Stacy Slatter about their journey into franchising and their plans for the future. 

1851 Franchise: Frame your personal story for us. What did you do before franchising, and how did you decide franchising made sense for you?

Shawn: I stumbled into franchising. I was working in corporate America for about 18 years and was offered a job at another franchise in the senior care industry. It was there that I realized that this was what I wanted to do. I learned a lot about the industry from this job and the services it can provide. 

After a while, my wife and I decided we wanted to become franchise owners with Right at Home to offer these necessary services to people who need them.

Stacy: My background is mostly in customer service and accounting, so I am not from this industry. I worked with Right at Home previously when I worked for a trust company, so that gave me a little background on what the brand was all about.

1851: What was your perception of franchising prior to becoming a franchisee, and what do you want people to know about franchising now that you are in it?

Shawn: I knew that franchising provides corporate support and brand awareness, which can be helpful when you are just starting out and getting your business up and off the ground. Now that I am a franchisee, I’ve found that, although there is support, you’re still free to run your business as you see fit as long as you stay within the brand’s standards. 

1851: What made you pick this brand? What excites you most about this company?

Shawn: Taking care of others was what appealed to me the most, and Right at Home provides a really trustworthy model for this care. When I was a teenager in high school, I was the oldest grandchild that lived near my grandparents, and I was selected to move in with them. I didn’t realize that senior care was even an industry at the time, but looking back, I was their caregiver and this opportunity enabled me to understand what it means to help people. 

Now, I can use my experience in combination with my education and my role as a business owner to provide a high level of care.

1851: What do you hope to achieve with your business? What are your plans for growth? 

Stacy: We are a VA provider, which means we expand veteran’s choices and are expanding our reach for veterans. The VA tends to refer clients within a 10 mile radius of us. We are one of the few Medicare Humana care providers in the market. 

Shawn: Now we have expanded from being responsible for part of Las Vegas to the whole area, which allows us to provide care in correlation with the increasing demand in the area and access more potential clients. We also are increasing employment opportunities in our community for caregivers, as well as administrative support staff.

1851: What is the one thing about your story you want us to know?

Shawn: I'm a veteran myself, and I was a caregiver in the military – a medical hospital corpsman. 

I was also the caregiver for my grandmother as a teen, as I mentioned before. My grandmother had caregivers after me once I went off to school, and that caregiver unfortunately abused and exploited my grandmother. Seeing seniors and adults with needs frequently being taken advantage of and not getting the level of care they need and deserve inspired me to take matters into my own hands and make a difference. 

My wife’s grandparents had caregivers, too, and we both just wondered how many more people are out there who are in the same boat and struggling to find quality care. We want to be that resource for people. 

1851: What advice do you have for other people thinking about becoming a franchise owner?

Shawn: Investigate and do some research. Find a brand that fits with your desires, morals and direction you want to go. 

ABOUT RIGHT AT HOME:

Founded in 1995, Right at Home offers in-home care to seniors and adults with disabilities who want to live independently. Most Right at Home offices are independently owned and operated and directly employ and supervise all caregiving staff. Each caregiver is thoroughly screened, trained, and bonded/insured before entering a client’s home. Right at Home’s global office is based in Omaha, Nebraska, with more than 700 franchise locations in the U.S. and five other countries. For more information about Right at Home, visit https://www.rightathome.net or read the Right at Home blog at https://www.rightathome.net/blog/.