With Over Two Decades of Experience, This Franchisee Is Expanding Right at Home in Seattle To Meet Growing Demand for Senior Care

Ben Solomon has spent 20 years building a business that helps seniors stay in their homes with the care they need. Now, he and his wife, Tina, are expanding again, adding a fourth Right at Home* territory to keep up with growing demand. With home care becoming harder to afford — especially in high-cost areas like the Pacific Northwest — Solomon sees this expansion as a way to ensure more seniors get the support they deserve, whether through private pay or Medicaid programs.

As costs continue to rise, fewer families can afford long-term care. Solomon is tackling this challenge head-on by expanding into Medicaid waiver programs and skilled nursing services to serve more people, including veterans and those with serious medical needs. His partnerships with Medicaid and PACE (Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly) allow his Right at Home team to reach underserved communities, ensuring that cost isn’t a barrier to quality care.

For Solomon, it’s about more than just growing a business — it’s about doing what’s right for seniors and their families. He believes that providing care should come before profits, and his focus on transparency, trust, and high-quality support reflects that. Whether it’s helping seniors age in place, guiding families through tough decisions, or training skilled caregivers, his goal remains the same: making sure more people have access to the care they need.

1851 Franchise spoke to Solomon about his franchise journey and plans for the expansion. Here’s what he had to say:

1851 Franchise: Frame your personal story for us. What do you want us to know?

Ben Solomon: I've been with the brand since 2004, so we're moving into our 21st year with Right at Home. I used to work in the health and nutrition business as a business development manager for a nutrition company. In that role, I often worked with people who had chronic health conditions, which got me engaged in the health care world. However, I didn’t want to go back to school since I already had a master’s degree in business.

At that time, the company I was working for came to an end, and I reached a fork in the road. One morning, [my wife] Tina and I were walking around our community, thinking about what we wanted to do next. We saw an elderly gentleman on his hands and knees in his carport, outside his garage, early on a Saturday morning. At first, I thought he was pulling moss out of the seams of his concrete driveway. But as we got closer, we saw he had letters in his hand and was crawling because he couldn’t get up.

We stopped and asked, “Sir, it looks like you fell. Do you need help getting up? We can mail your letters at the top of your driveway.” He responded, “No, no, that’s okay.” He was embarrassed and didn’t want to acknowledge that he needed help.  He said, “Someone’s coming on Monday morning to help me.”

That moment stuck with me. Here was a neighbor who had fallen and wasn’t getting help until Monday. It resonated with me — how many seniors are isolated, not wanting to admit they need assistance for fear of being removed from their homes? At the time, Tina and I had been thinking about home care as a service-based business, and that experience crystallized it for us.

We started looking for brands. I knew I could run a business, but I needed a system. In 2004, I came across Right at Home. Unlike other brands Right at Home was truly addressing the needs of seniors. I was also drawn to [former CEO] Allen Hager’s story and how he focused on seniors who were “frequent flyers” in hospitals.

The training Right at Home offered at the time was also a big factor. It included two weeks of in-depth, in-house training while many other franchises provided just a couple of days of broad overviews. That level of investment in its franchisees, along with the mission and personal experiences that led me to this industry, solidified my decision to join Right at Home.

1851: Your business is expanding — why now? What’s driving the demand for your services?

Solomon: Well, for us, we’ve been in this market for 20 years, so it isn’t necessarily a new market. It’s about taking advantage of a strategic decision to move into the Medicaid waiver business.

One of the challenges in home care is the rising cost of services. Fewer and fewer people can afford ongoing, long-term care due to the high cost, especially in the Pacific Northwest, where wages are among the highest in the U.S. People are struggling to afford care, and while this isn’t necessarily a positive story about the business, it’s a reality.

That said, there is a great demand for care among those who don’t have the resources. We want to be able to serve everyone and ensure our caregivers have as much work as possible. By expanding our business, we are responding to demographics that allow us to serve this underserved population. Our caregivers also live close to these communities, making it easier for us to provide care to those who need it most.

1851: What areas are you expanding into? Are there any partnerships or community initiatives helping with growth?

Solomon: We're expanding into South King County — specifically the Federal Way and Auburn areas, near Pierce County. We're also partnering with Medicaid and the PACE program. These two partnerships are exciting for us because they will help grow the business while allowing us to serve more seniors.

1851: What will hiring look like? Are you looking to fill any new roles? Why is this a great place to work? 

Solomon: Oh, absolutely. We're always looking for more care staff, and we’ve actually expanded our team by adding more sales professionals. We've also introduced a new position, Employee Engagement Coordinator, which focuses on enhancing the caregiver experience. We're investing heavily in our caregivers and ensuring they feel engaged and supported.

You can bring in clients, but without a dedicated and engaged care staff, you don’t have a business. That’s why we’ve been doubling down on this area and making a significant investment in our team.

We’ve also been recognized as a Great Place to Work through Home Care Pulse, now called Activated Insights. We've been a regular recipient of the Employer of Choice Award for several years, which reflects our commitment to making the caregiver experience as fulfilling as possible. Our survey results show that caregivers genuinely enjoy working for Right at Home — we’re engaged with them, we care about them, and we work hard to make their jobs meaningful. We’re running our new expansion out of our Pierce County office, which is conveniently located near where many of our care staff live. So, we’d love for folks to stop by and learn more about joining our team. 

1851: What are a couple of goals for the business over the next few years?

We’re becoming a testing center in our Bellevue office. This is a significant step because it will allow home care aides to get tested and credentialed as caregivers, which is essential for strengthening the workforce in our industry.

We’re also focused on expanding our presence in the Bellevue area, where there’s a high demand for care staff to meet the needs of clients on the Eastside of Greater Seattle and King County. Beyond that, we’re committed to improving our reach within the community and ensuring we continue to provide quality care where it’s needed most.

1851: Is there anything else about your story you want us to know?

Solomon: Our core values center around putting people — both clients and caregivers — first. We believe in taking full ownership of everything we do, and our staff is highly engaged in that mindset. Another key value is a strong work ethic, which we reinforce with our team regularly. Our focus is always on finding the best solutions for clients and their families.

That doesn’t always mean choosing our services, and that’s okay. We are committed to doing the right thing for our clients, helping them live their best lives in a way that works for their families. Many home care providers are heavily focused on the bottom line, but we believe financial success follows when you prioritize doing what’s right for clients.

Home care is expensive, and while most people want to stay in their homes, that isn’t always possible. Our role is to guide families through that process. Whether we provide care for a week, a month, or longer, we’re here to help families determine the best course of action for their loved ones. That could mean respite care, moving a loved one in with family, or transitioning to assisted living. 

We follow a “they ask, you answer” philosophy — meaning full transparency. We openly share all the information clients need, even if some providers might hesitate to do so. We don’t withhold details about costs or options. Instead, we are fully committed to being as transparent as possible and equipping families with the knowledge they need to make informed decisions.

Another thing is that we’re uniquely positioned in the marketplace because we provide skilled nursing services, which we didn’t touch on earlier. That’s actually another area we’re looking to expand. We’re Joint Commission Accredited, which reinforces our focus on quality outcomes. We provide advanced nursing care for people who are ventilator- or trach-dependent or require infusions. 

Our team includes highly skilled nurses, and we’re committed to ongoing training. Not only do we ensure our current nurses stay at the top of their field, but we also invest in training new nurses who are eager to develop advanced skills. This emphasis on education and specialized care sets us apart in the industry.

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

Solomon: If you want to get into franchising, you have to be willing to be part of a team environment. A franchise operates with a team mentality, and one of the biggest benefits is the ability to collaborate with people across the country who are doing the same thing as you. That’s really where the power of franchising lies.

One of the major advantages is the infrastructure that a franchise system provides. Instead of having to seek out resources on your own, the franchisor brings them to you. You also gain access to a brand — ideally, a well-recognized one — which provides built-in credibility and customer trust. Plus, you have the support and collaboration of fellow franchisees.

However, you need to consider how much control you’re willing to give up as an entrepreneur. Unlike independent business owners, franchisees have guidelines to follow regarding marketing, operations, and services. While this structure offers stability and support, it does come with limitations on flexibility.

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.

If you're interested in taking the next step in making a difference in your community as a Right at Home franchisee, visit http://rightathomefranchise.com or to read more about franchise ownership, visit our blog at: https://rightathomefranchise.com/forc/.