Why Right at Home Was the Right Brand for These Franchise Owners

When Illinois-based Heather Lantry was looking to buy a franchise in 2013, she zeroed in on the nonmedical home care industry. After working in hospice for many years, she felt like it would be a natural progression.

“Taking care of people is the only thing I know how to do,” she said.

While there were a number of different options to choose from, Lantry said Right at Home, a leading global in-home care and assistance franchise system with more than 650 provider locations worldwide, really stood out.

“Their mission statement—‘to improve the quality of life for those we serve’—really resonated with me as a hospice person,” she said. “I feel very fortunate to have found Right at Home.”

For Galveston, Texas-based Kristen Carlson, a 14-year Right at Home franchisee, the trajectory was similar.

“I was an administrator at a hospital and a manager for clinics,” she said. “I also had an aunt who lived in Galveston, and I was her primary caregiver until she died at age 91.”

When Carlson’s aunt died, she left her enough money to buy a Right at Home franchise.

“It was meant to be,” Carlson said.

Partnering with Right at Home turned out to be a good move for Lantry and Carlson. Today, they’re busier than they’ve ever been. As the brand name that’s become synonymous with compassionate care for aging seniors, Right at Home is growing quickly to accommodate what industry experts call the “silver tsunami.” By the year 2050, nearly 20% of the U.S. population will be age 65 and older.

Taking Advantage of Shifting Demographics

In the eight years since Lantry started her Right at Home franchise, she has seen a huge shift in demand.

“In 2013, we had 20 potential caregivers for every recipient,” she said. “Now, the number of recipients has gone up substantially, so that ratio has changed. Finding great caregivers is now the challenge, especially because of COVID-19.”

Carlson concurs, saying the biggest challenge used to be getting a steady stream of clients, but now Right at Home has more demand than caregivers to provide care.

“There is a significant amount of demand—that is an understatement,” said Right at Home multi-unit franchise owner Beau Green. “There are retirement communities that are full or have waitlists, and there aren’t enough communities for the number of seniors who are desiring to live there. The demand is great, and there are still gaps in the industry, but we are able to fill a lot of those gaps.”

Right at Home is on top of it, working with caregiver recruitment companies, doing online recruitment marketing, helping franchisees with retention strategies, and so much more.

“The corporate office started talking about the importance of caregiver retention at least six or seven years ago,” Lantry said. “While caregiving can be seen as a stopgap for some people, in my office, we work really hard to make it a profession and career path with robust benefits and a 401(k). The better we take care of our caregivers, the less we have to worry about our clients.”

A Support-Oriented Franchise Model

Now in its 26th year, Omaha-based Right at Home offers a wealth of support, including an online marketing department that handles SEO and social media, allowing franchise partners to focus on running their businesses.

“When I first started my franchise, several people said to me, ‘Why don’t you just go into business for yourself?’” Carlson said. “One of the main reasons I didn’t is because there was so much that I needed to know that Right at Home had already learned. That level of knowledge and support was important to me.”

Right at Home also makes it easy for franchisees to interact with each other by setting up performance groups that meet quarterly.

“It’s been tremendously helpful having this community of peers to check in with, problem-solve and even commiserate with,” Lantry said. “I couldn’t run this business without it.”

Green helped explain some of the more intricate details of support provided by the corporate team.

“The corporate office has a handful of web associates and business coaches who provide support to franchisees,” he said. “I have two specific people I work with, and they help me navigate through the business. The corporate team also helps facilitate the performance groups, which are really focused on best practices. In these groups, you align with 10 other owners, and can get really in-depth with them. You kind of treat the other owners as your board of directors. It comes down to the local level to connect, but corporate is always trying to help open doors. Direct access to senior leadership in the organization is huge.”

For Lantry, regular conversations with her personal business coach have proven to be invaluable.

“If I need something, I can get a response in a timely manner,” she said. “There’s a phenomenal level of support available at the corporate office that’s helpful without being heavy-handed.”

Top-Notch Franchisee Training

But for Lantry, where Right at Home really shines is with its ongoing training.

The pandemic has presented an opportunity for Right at Home to shift to a virtual training model. This was a huge advantage for Lantry’s staff members, allowing them to receive convenient, collaborative training online.

“My HR director and I recently attended a virtual training that was one of the best I’ve ever participated in,” Lantry said. “It offered concrete deliverables that took the concepts we learned and turned them into actionable items.”

For Carlson, one of the highlights is the annual meeting Right at Home hosts for franchisees every year.

“This year, it was a virtual event, but next year it will be a three-day event in Glendale, Arizona, with lots of training and speakers,” she said. “It will be great to see everyone. We’re really like a family.”

Leveraging Growth Opportunities

As baby boomers age and increasingly choose to do it at home, Right at Home provides a solution that’s less expensive than most residential options and far more personal.

“Our services really enable people to stay at home if they want to, even people with Alzheimer’s, who represent a huge part of our population,” Lantry said.

While Right at Home is not a replacement for a nursing home, it can provide assistance up to 24 hours a day, even offering services within assisted living communities. For many families navigating the options for aging parents, the in-home care brand is a welcome solution, giving adult children and able-bodied partners much-needed relief.

“At Right at Home, we don’t want people to face their aging journey alone,” said Emily Undajon, Right at Home’s vice president of strategic operations. “Our brand’s purpose is to be the navigator of the aging process, and we have been successfully doing that for over 25 years.

“The demand for in-home care and assistance represents a huge opportunity for Right at Home partners right now, so why not do something every day in which you make an impact in the lives of people in their communities? Because when you’re taking care of seniors, you’re not just helping them—you’re helping the entire family. You’re taking the stress away and giving everyone peace of mind as much as possible. We take great pride in providing not just care, but also coaching and experience to help navigate every step.”

Learn more about franchising at https://rightathomefranchise.com/.