What makes 2021 the right time to look into home care franchise opportunities? In 2020, we witnessed the crushing impact of COVID-19 on families and businesses across the country. Seniors have been especially vulnerable to this illness, while millions of people have also lost their jobs.

Visiting Angels^® is a nationally renowned home care provider supporting countless families across the U.S. through their most difficult moments. In this post, we’ll explore how operating a home care franchise in 2021 can address some of the biggest challenges we saw in 2020.

What Makes Home Care Franchise Opportunities Ideally Suited for Today’s Challenges

As shown by a 2018 report from the AARP, home care is already widely preferred among seniors, most of whom would rather age in place than move to an assisted living facility or nursing home. The devastation caused by COVID-19 has made it all the more important for families to have this senior care option.

Home care is a vital alternative to congregate housing

Nursing homes and other long-term care facilities have been among the hardest hit by the pandemic, with several harrowing reports coming to light within its earliest months. According to the COVID Tracking Project, a volunteer organization set up by The Atlantic to publish public health data about the pandemic, 36% of COVID-related deaths occurred in long-term care facilities as of February 4, 2021.

The combination of communal living and an incredibly vulnerable population has led to a tragic loss of life among the elderly. In a CNBC report on nursing homes from December 2020, Florida Atlantic University geriatrician Dr. Joseph Ouslander described them as “like a tinderbox. It takes one person [...] to unknowingly bring the virus into a facility and it could kill several people [and] make a lot of people sick.”

Barron’s reports that the pandemic may accelerate a shift that is already happening in senior care. The surge of infections and failure to prioritize assisted living environments early for protective gear and testing may make seniors and families even more resistant to senior living centers and other residential options. This concern can make affordable home care all the more appealing.

Home care is a recession-resistant service

The pandemic has had a brutal effect on the economy, causing many to lose their livelihoods. In September 2020, The Pew Research Center reported that 25% of adults in the U.S. reported that they or someone else in their home had lost their jobs because of Covid. Meanwhile, Yelp published an Economic Impact Report stating that more than 163,000 businesses had closed.

What may seem hard to believe is that certain industries have fared better than others over the last year. CNBC states that local, professional, automotive, and home-oriented services have proven more resilient and many have even been thriving.

Home care, as an essential local service, is more resistant to economic shifts, whether they’re caused by a major health event or market fluctuations. By pursuing home care franchise opportunities, you can provide a vital service for seniors and families while enjoying greater economic stability than is found in other fields.

Learn More About Franchise Opportunities with Visiting Angels

Interested in home care franchise opportunities? With Visiting Angels, you can benefit from the name recognition of a well-established and widely trusted brand. You’ll also receive continuous support in starting and growing your senior care business.

To find out more about our home care franchise opportunities, contact Visiting Angels today by calling 800-365-4189. You can also request more details online.