Vince Maffeo started his franchising journey almost 15 years ago when he left his sales and marketing career in Florida to help his father run multiple Comfort Keepers franchises in 2008. Maffeo has since expanded with the non-medical home care franchise and now owns 10 Comfort Keepers throughout California. When the Comfort Keepers brand announced a strategic alliance with TruBlue Total House Care, the national senior-focused home maintenance andf handyman services franchise, Maffeo knew it was the perfect opportunity to create a one-stop service for his current clients.

“I knew it would be more beneficial to own a TruBlue location and more convenient for our clients,” said Maffeo. “Buying a TruBlue means that my Comfort Keepers locations won’t have to refer out the handyman and home services as we’ve done in the past. It’s now a one-stop shop. Comfort Keepers provides care for the individual, and TruBlue provides maintenance to the home.”

A Strategic Partnership

With last year’s partnership, Comfort Keepers recognized the TruBlue franchise system as a preferred provider of handyman services and senior home modifications. Now, Maffeo is taking it one step further by investing in a TruBlue location of his own, which he says will allow him to further embrace the senior industry. 

“It’s an important age group to reach because we have so many seniors that are aging,” Maffeo said. “My average Comfort Keepers client is between the ages of 80 and 83. There are over 10,000 people a day turning 65 in this country. That age group, the baby boomers, aren’t even our clients yet. If you think we are busy now, just wait until that age group begins to need our services. They will need professionals to provide individualized care and home repairs and care in the future.”

TruBlue satisfies this demand as the only franchise system focused on ongoing home maintenance services for seniors and busy adults. TruBlue’s Home Ally Maintenance & VIP Service subscription program provides help around the house, both inside and out. Home maintenance for seniors includes ongoing services such as to-do list chores, handyman repairs and basic maintenance items that are often overlooked or shouldn’t be performed by seniors.. As specialists, TruBlue franchisees are also able to perform Senior Home Safety Assessments and can make those recommended safety modifications if needed.

“I’m all about executing and being able to understand how to provide the best service, whatever that means for the client,” said Maffeo. “At Comfort Keepers, we tailor our caregiving approach to the individual client and then execute it. I want to keep that same mindset going into owning TruBlue. We’re going to assess the needs of our clients’ homes, make a plan and then execute it properly.”

A Scalable Franchise Opportunity

Maffeo officially signed with TruBlue to open one location in Modesto in 2023. But he doesn’t plan on stopping there. He can see the many benefits for aging adults to have access to services that provide an individualized approach to not only their health but their homes as well, and he wants to continue to grow with TruBlue in the future.

“Expansion is always the plan,” said Maffeo. “My main goal is to take advantage of the marketing plan that is tried and true with the brand and apply it successfully to the client base I already have. I want to make a dual marketing approach by applying the TruBlue tactics but adding the twist from my own company.”

TruBlue President Sean Fitzgerald says the TruBlue business model is designed for entrepreneurs like Maffeo who are looking to add a complementary business to their existing senior business portfolio.

“TruBlue was created to complement the senior industry,” said Fitzgerald. “The main challenge seniors have with aging in place is maintaining the home environment. So by being able to provide those home assessments and modification solutions, it ensures senior care operators, whether they are in-home health, medical care, transportation or anything else, can add another value to their business.”

Why TruBlue is a Great Add-On for Senior Industry Portfolios

By adding TruBlue to their portfolio, senior industry operators can also maintain a larger percentage of their clientele, Fitzgerald says. “The top reasons someone loses a client in the senior care industry is that they are hospitalized, they have to leave the home for assisted living or they pass away,” he said. “Many of those issues could be a result of falls. That is why fall prevention is a big topic, and senior companies know this. With TruBlue’s three-step process, which includes a home safety assessment, modifications and maintenance, senior care operators can better prepare their clients for aging in place.”

This is also part of the reason why TruBlue continues to see new national partnerships with existing senior companies like Comfort Keepers across the country. “Big companies much larger than us are partnering with us because they see how our service is needed and related to their business,” said Fitzgerald. “They are utilizing our network of franchisees to provide those services, and it will only become more prevalent as awareness around aging in place grows.”

Maffeo is a prime example of how existing senior industry franchise owners can successfully expand their portfolio by investing in TruBlue as an add-on service, says Fitzgerald. “We have partnered with companies like Comfort Keepers to further our mission of educating families and seniors on how to age in place successfully, and having someone like Vince take that partnership to the next level by investing in TruBlue is a great testament to the strength of our brand,” he said.

The initial investment to start a TruBlue Total House Care ranges from $65,000 to $91,000, and interested owners can visit www.trubluefranchise.com to learn more about franchise opportunities.