There are a lot of things that successful elder care franchises have in common. Quality caregivers. Flexible care plans. Close relationships with their clients. But above all of these, there’s one quality that stands out among top elder care franchise opportunities: values.

If anyone understands the importance of values in elder home care, it’s the team at Visiting Angels^®. When franchise owners named us America’s best elder care franchise opportunity for franchisee satisfaction, they gave us our highest marks in “Core Values.” Our success — and the success of our franchisees — is proof of how far values can take you in the elder care industry.

Values Drive Long-Term Success in Elder Care

While values are important in any industry, we’ve all seen businesses that have succeeded despite a limited focus on core values.

But in a business that’s as people-centric as elderly home care, an agency’s values are critical to its long-term success. Elder care agencies that focus on the bottom line first will struggle to stay viable year after year. The agencies that perform best in the long run are those that think of people —not just clients and their families, but also caregivers and agency staff — before they think of profits.

It’s not hard to see why the most successful home care agencies, along with the top elder care franchise opportunities, are those that take a “people-centered” approach to their core values:

With home care, how you treat clients is the very foundation of your business. A “people-centered” values system is the best way to ensure the quality of care provided by your agency.
Strong relationships with clients’ families make it easier to provide care, reducing costly miscommunications and disagreements.
By placing just as much value on your office staff as you do on your clients, you improve the workability and culture of your workplace, something felt by clients and caregivers alike.
Quality caregivers are the lynchpin of a successful home care agency — but they are harder than ever to come by. Attracting and retaining high-quality care staff is only possible when you show your caregivers that you care about them.

Building a “People-Centered” Elder Care Franchise

How can you bring a “people-centered” approach to your home care agency? If you’re pursuing an elder care franchise opportunity, then it’s important to take a long, hard look at what matters to different franchise brands.

Pay close attention to the way different franchisors talk about owning a franchise. Do they really seem to care about the personal impact of elder care? Are they invested in the how their business connects with people? Or does it seem like they think of clients, caregivers, and franchisees as dollar figures first and foremost?

Whether you pursue an elder care franchise opportunity or open an independent agency, you’ll need to define your own values. Even if you’ve already drawn up a mission statement, it is worthwhile to prepare a core values statement as well. Doing so will force you to ask critical questions, like:

What are your biggest organizational priorities?
What impact do you want to have on your clients? Your staff? Your community?
What type of culture does your workplace need to make these values possible?
What are actionable ways to live your values each and every day?

Even if you choose the most value-focused elder care franchise opportunity, a core values statement is still important. A franchise is an independent business, and it’s important that you can articulate your values. That said, franchise owners can always turn to their franchisor for guidance during this process, particularly if the franchisor has an extensive support system in place for franchisees.

Learn more about elder care franchise opportunities with Visiting Angels! Request information online or call us today at 800-365-4189.