Maeghan Scott has been proudly leading Right at Home of Essex County in West Orange, New Jersey, since 2017. This has allowed her to continue a family legacy that began when her father opened the franchise in 2004. Drawn to the mission-driven roots of the brand and inspired by its founder’s firsthand caregiving experience, Maeghan stepped into ownership with a passion for serving others and a deep commitment to community care. With strong support from Right at Home and a powerful family partnership, she brings innovation, adaptability, and heart to everything she does. Her franchise is being recognized as a Rock Star in the Family-Owned category.
During your research, what made your franchise brand stand out?
When my dad first made the decision to become a Right at Home franchisee, he considered several options for companies to align with. He was drawn to the story of Allen Hager, the founder of Right at Home, who worked in healthcare as a hospital administrator for many years. Allen even became a Certified Nursing Assistant so that he could experience life as a caregiver himself. My dad thought this was admirable and saw himself in Allen’s story.
In 2004, Right at Home was very focused on building its Northeast territory, and there were other owners in New Jersey with whom he could network and work collaboratively. He was impressed by the level of support he would receive from the Brand and other owners.
Lastly, he felt that the requirements and cost of purchasing the territory were fair and in line with his resources and expectations. There seemed to be a level of transparency and forward thinking that he did not see with the other brands he was evaluating.
How did your franchisor help you to prepare for and launch your business?
Right at Home offers two weeks of training for all new franchisees in Omaha, Nebraska, where the corporate headquarters is located. In addition to intensive and thorough training, Right at Home provided many templates for paperwork, marketing materials, and ongoing coaching, on and off-site. When my mom and I took over the business in 2017 after my father’s passing, they offered this training to us as well.
What advice would you give to potential franchisees considering your brand?
When considering any franchise, it is important to look at a brand that has a strong sense of self and a crystal-clear mission and vision. You also want a brand that will be supportive, responsive, resourceful, and innovative with corporate personnel you can relate to. We have found all of this and more with Right at Home.
In the 20+ years that our family has been in a relationship with the brand, Right at Home has remained committed to caregiving. They not only hire and place caregivers but also support caregivers. They have never lost focus, and continue to find ways to help us all improve our services and grow our businesses.
Name three things that empower your success.
Passion. Working in healthcare can be a grind. If you don’t love what you do and feel strongly about helping others, you will not have longevity in this field. I feel passionate about providing solutions, resources, and helping people through difficult times in their lives. I am also always trying to come up with better ways to do this in the most effective way possible.
Adaptability. For example, during COVID, we learned how important it was to be adaptable and accept that often, things are out of our control. You must learn to deal with it and figure out a new path forward. The fact that we are adaptable makes us powerful. We are solutions-oriented and believe we can solve any problem.
Innovation. Yes, home care seems straightforward – send caregivers to care for clients. But in a crowded market, you must figure out a way to stand out and be different. As a result, we are constantly coming up with new ways to improve our services and offering that competitors do not have.
What are the key benefits of owning a franchise with your family?
Owning a business with family allows for a level of trust and commitment that you cannot have with anyone else. Our family has a deep emotional investment in seeing our business succeed. My mom and I share the same long-term goal of serving our community and leaving a lasting legacy. We are both willing to take on multiple responsibilities and adapt our roles to support our business during times of crisis or change.
Does your franchisor encourage succession planning, and/or is succession planning part of your family’s business plan?
Succession planning is always something that business owners should consider. Right at Home does not specifically ask us about succession planning at this stage. However, they encourage us to think about the future and support us in determining the best outcomes for our business.
