Emma Dickison, CEO and president of Home Helpers®, joined the company in 2007 to help meet the demand for seniors desiring to stay in their homes through their elder years. Cincinnati-based Home Helpers Home Care is an in-home care franchise company with over 300 locations across the U.S. By Rose Mango
Emma Dickison, CEO and president of Home Helpers®, joined the company in 2007 to help meet the demand for seniors desiring to stay in their homes through their elder years. Cincinnati-based Home Helpers Home Care is an in-home care franchise company with over 300 locations across the U.S.
Dickison explained, “Most home healthcare companies either provide non-skilled care or skilled care. We’re one of the few that can offer both in participating locations. Offering both allows those participating locations to provide a broader, more complete continuum of care.”
Home Helpers approached the home care market very differently amid the recession caused by the COVID-19 virus in 2020. “No one could have imagined how the pandemic would affect us in the way it has. To say it has been a challenging time would be an understatement,” said Dickison.
In 2020, healthcare organizations had to shift and meet the increased demand for home care, and Home Helpers did so with poise. “100% of Home Helpers offices were, and still are, opened during the pandemic, and 100% were even hiring,” Dickison said.
2021 presents opportunities, and Home Helpers is at the forefront to meet the increasing demands of senior in-home healthcare. “If you saw the pandemic as a problem, that is what you had. We saw it as an opportunity and faced it head-on,” stated Dickison.
At the beginning of the pandemic, Home Helpers had just moved into a brand-new office designed with great care, specifically for the employees’ experience and brand. Dickison explained, “We were there six weeks when the pandemic hit, and in an instant, we were thrust into a remote environment.” The company already had field staff in place and was able to work remotely without skipping a beat.
“We use every platform available to stay connected. All the initiatives and new programs planned for 2020 were rolled out, despite the distancing, and were successful,” said Dickison.
With increased home healthcare demands, Home Helpers is well-positioned to serve new clientele and hire more caregivers. Their website plays a significant role in onboarding new clients, employees and caregiver acquisitions. In particular, the website is designed to streamline communications and has facilitated the smooth transition of the remote business during the pandemic.
“In a time where we must social distance ourselves to keep our loved ones safe, we provide exceptional care in the home which helps flatten the curve and take the pressure off our hospital networks,” said Dickison.
It is no secret that the home care industry is a lucrative and profitable business sector. It has been cited as one of the top five most profitable business sectors by Entrepreneur.com. Home Helpers has had 22 years of double-digit, record-breaking growth and is on pace for another record-breaking year in 2021.
Though COVID-19 brought other business sectors to a standstill, it is evident that the home care industry is recession-resilient. In-home care services are considered essential and are an integral part of healthcare, which is why it is no surprise that they have never been more in demand than they are today. With an aging population, that will continue to hold true throughout 2021 and beyond.
Current Home Helpers franchisees best demonstrate the growing sector as they expand their territories to meet their community’s demands. In fact, in 2019, 40% of the territories were awarded to existing franchisees who had built a strong foundation and were ready to expand.
There has never been a better time to become a Home Helpers owner through franchising. If you are interested in learning more about how you can bring exceptional care to your community, visit the Home Helpers franchise portal at homehelpersfranchise.com.
– Rose Mango