From owning martial arts and wellness studios to becoming one of Right at Home's longest-tenured and most successful franchise owners, Tom Domke brings a unique perspective to the in-home care industry.

Domke will join 1851 Franchise Publisher Nick Powills to discuss his transformative journey in home care and share insights for prospective franchisees during an upcoming webinar on Tuesday, June 10, 2025 at 10:00 am ET.

Ready to start your franchise ownership journey? Join us for our June 10, 2025 upcoming webinar at 10:00 am ET: Sign up for the webinar here.

Domke's path to Right at Home began after 25 years of operating martial arts and wellness studios. Seeking a business opportunity more conducive to family life, he identified health care and senior services as major growth sectors in the Pittsburgh area.

"I started searching franchises that dealt mainly with medical staffing, medicine, or elder care. That's when I stumbled upon Right at Home," Domke said. "They seemed to have the best package out of all the companies doing non-medical home care."

As one of Right at Home's earliest franchisees, Domke hit the ground running. He earned Rookie of the Year honors and has been a President's Club member nearly every year since. Along the way, he pursued nursing education alongside his operations manager, becoming a trauma nurse — a role he still maintains on weekends at a local trauma center. 

Throughout the lifetime of his business, Domke has also built a special culture, creating an environment that encourages some of the best caregiver retention in the system.

A key to Domke's success has been his approach to staffing and retention. His office team began as caregivers, giving them unique insight into the challenges and needs of field staff. This approach has helped his location achieve record-setting caregiver retention rates within the Right at Home system.

"Because they started as caregivers, they really understand the job inside and out," Domke said. "They have a much more empathetic position than others who haven't been in the field."

Currently, Right at Home Pittsburgh primarily serves through waiver and options programs, with Domke prioritizing caregiver compensation to maintain quality care. The operation is expanding into new contracts for veterans and individuals with mental disabilities.

Looking to the future of home care, Domke sees technology driving increased demand. 

"I think technology is going to help families become more aware of how much help their loved ones actually need," he said. "I know some people think that technology will decrease demand, but I think this awareness will actually increase the demand for caregivers and home care services. The technology might expose the need but it can’t always address it like a human caregiver can."

Currently, Right at Home is looking to partner with multiple franchise partners to bring another 21 offices to Pennsylvania, targeting development in Johnstown, Chambersburg, State College, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, East Stroudsburg, and more.

Join Domke and Powills for the upcoming webinar to hear more about Domke’s journey, advice for other owners, and the broad opportunities that exist for franchises like Right at Home.

Sign up for the webinar here.