The high demand for senior services allows franchise owners to build a business that is both financially and personally fulfilling. But not all senior care franchises are alike. In this article, we’ll discuss how Senior Care Authority helps older adults and their families live better lives and what makes this brand different from the rest.
Senior Care Authority is a home-based, low-cost, low-overhead, high-margin business opportunity for franchisees. Franchise owners receive the support of a nationally recognized brand with unparalleled training, cutting-edge technology, and superior marketing support. Plus, this brand goes above and beyond industry standards with unique, specialized programs that elevate the level of care for its clients, their families, and their communities.
This highly-regarded franchise has earned numerous awards, many of which are rooted in high franchisee satisfaction and strong brand culture.
- 94% of franchisees report that they would invest in Senior Care Authority all over again and they would recommend the brand to others.
- 94% of franchisees say they enjoy operating their business and being part of the Senior Care Authority brand.
- 97% of franchisees “strongly agree” or “agree” that senior management promotes a strong team culture.
In addition to this brand’s multiple awards and industry-leading ratings, when franchisees were asked how Senior Care Authority compares in their eyes to the local market competition, the brand scored 29% higher than the industry benchmark. When asked how franchisees would rank the brand for innovation, the score was 42% higher than the industry benchmark.
Frank Samson, founder and CEO of Senior Care Authority, said, “Every one of these awards is meaningful. But I have to say, the one award that stands out the most to me is culture. That’s a key differentiator for us. I’m thrilled that our franchisees have recognized our strong company culture in their responses.”
Marcy Baskin is the vice president of Senior Care Authority, head of onboarding and training, and a franchise owner herself. “There are many reasons for our high ratings for our company culture. Frank has created an environment of openness, honesty, and support. The corporate team, including our CEO, are easily accessible to franchisees. In addition to thorough onboarding and a robust training program, twice a month, we have an hour-and-a-half zoom meeting when the entire group is on the call—leadership, management, and franchise owners. We bring in speakers, provide training sessions, discuss advances in technology, industry updates, we brainstorm and problem-solve together. We encourage franchisees to communicate any challenges they may be facing, and together, we find solutions. Nobody is territorial or stingy about sharing ideas and information. We’re all in this together. We support one another.”
Samson said, “A lot of the improvements we’ve made as a franchisor come from ideas that franchisees have suggested. Our franchisees have fantastic ideas from their professional backgrounds or their day-to-day business operations, and they’re eager to share insights on challenges they’ve faced and solutions that worked. We have a shared goal—to do what’s best for our clients and their families. Some of our more experienced franchisees have become experts in certain aspects of their business, and consequently, they now coach and mentor other franchisees. When we started selling franchises, Marcy and I did all the training and mentoring. Now we leverage the expertise of our franchisees who can share their knowledge about anything from how to pay for long-term care to how to communicate within a challenging family dynamic to how to create a marketing plan and develop and lead a team. These insights are integrated into our training and one-on-one coaching sessions.”
What Differentiates Senior Care Authority from Other Senior Care Brands?
A Unique Franchise Business Model
“There are more than 60 brands within the senior care sector, and the majority are focused on providing in-home care,” Samson explained. “Our business model is slightly different. We do provide assistance to clients and families in finding in-home care. But we don’t provide the care. We provide expert guidance to help them identify the most ideal solution. Our key focus is the consulting aspect of the business and expertise in placement. Placement is very complex. It involves understanding the client’s needs, the family dynamics, physical or financial limitations and unique challenges, and the regional resources that can help. We started out in consulting and placement, and that is still our main focus today.”
“There’s much more involved in helping clients than simply finding a bed in an assisted living facility. Some families have particular requirements and limitations. Some may insist on keeping mom at home while others seek placement in an appropriate care community. Different resources are suitable for different families. We help clients and their families vet caregivers, caregiving agencies, assisted living facilities, and more. All new franchisees receive eldercare consulting training. We train franchisees to dissect each situation so they can identify the best possible solutions for their clients.”
Empowering Franchisees
Humans are complex, as are their issues and their family dynamics. Senior Care Authority franchisees are trained to recognize and understand the unique challenges and needs of each situation and provide the best possible solutions.
“We get very granular in our training,” said Baskin. “First, we require that all franchisees receive their CSA (Certified Senior Advisor) certification. Then we provide well over 60 hours of training and coaching to train franchise owners on the consulting side of the business and other business essentials such as operations, compliance, and a whole lot more. A critical part of the consulting training involves how to work with families. Families come to us with many complexities that are not immediately visible, and the franchisees need to understand the unique dynamics within each family to advise properly.”
“Our BPR process, (Best Practice Review), provides one-on-one consultation between leadership and franchisees on an annual basis. This provides an opportunity for franchisees to talk through any challenges they may have, whether it is about compliance, ways to increase revenue, decrease expenses, or grow referral partners; it’s a very valuable resource to franchise owners and informative to us as a company.”
Senior Care Authority encourages new franchise owners to work from home. Franchisees will typically work directly with clients and families in the beginning. Then, as their business becomes more established, they will develop a team to accommodate a growing client base. Franchise owners can be as directly involved with clients as they wish.
“New franchisees start their business as owner-operated, then they hire a team as needed. Our franchisees don’t have to spend money to rent an office,” said Samson. “Some eventually choose to rent an office, but it’s not required. 90% of our franchisees are home-based.”
Two Revenue Streams
As a placement and eldercare consulting business, Senior Care Authority offers franchisees the opportunity to benefit from two revenue streams:
Senior Placement: Whether families need help with assisted living, dementia care or independent senior living, franchise owners assess each client for the right level of care and find the best fit. Franchisees are directly compensated for placement services by assisted living facilities, not the families in need.
Eldercare Consulting: Senior Care Authority offers families superior help with challenging transitions and decision-making. This type of consulting may include family coaching, skilled nursing or caregiver selection, connections to vetted resources and more.
Senior Care Authority Offers Unique Empowerment Programs
Matt Gurwell is a Senior Care Authority business consultant, a retired Ohio state police officer, and the founder of the company’s Driving with Dignity program. “As a state trooper, I encountered issues with drivers who should no longer be driving. It’s a safety issue that needs to be addressed, but it’s an uncomfortable topic of discussion within families. I’ve conducted dozens of death notifications. We want to try to keep these things from happening in the first place, so it has to be talked about. This is not a driving assessment program, and it’s by no means meant to punish anyone. It’s about empowering families and drivers to make the decision to stop driving on their own. This program is about facilitating the driver to make their own decision. We meet with older drivers one-on-one, in the privacy of their own home; we also offer group training programs in communities that are open to all. In a one-hour training session, these folks can learn how to approach that conversation with compassion and respect. We also train medical professionals—nurses, case managers, social workers, and the like—on best practices when talking with clients about a care plan, placement, driving safety, and more. This program is aligned with our philosophy of compassionate care.”
“Another program we provide is called Essential Conversations. It helps families navigate tricky decisions on what’s next for mom and dad. This may lead to placement or not,” said Baskin. “It’s about educating families on the services we offer beyond placement. We work with family members, mostly adult children, who sometimes feel completely disempowered. They know how to be successful in their lives and careers, but they don’t know where to begin when they suddenly find that their mom or dad needs help. Sometimes the conversation is about helping family members come to consensus. Someone calls us, we talk through their situation, and they learn that they actually have options and equally as important, they are not alone. Maybe they don’t have funds to pay for in-home care, and placement might make the most sense. But they simply don’t know where to turn, what resources are available, or how to vet assisted living facilities. Our goal with this program is to help the individual feel less alone, better informed, and to have confidence that they are making the right choices for their loved one”
Peace of Mind Visits (POM), one of our signature offerings, has been designed to assist families who may have a loved one struggling with either transition to a new living situation, or one who is at home feeling lonely, bored, or isolated. POM visits can include simply visiting on a weekly basis for tea and conversation, or engaging in a creative activity based on their interests. This program is very individualized, guided by the older adult as well as their family members.
Another forward thinking program unique to Senior Care Authority is EASE (Employee Assistance for Solutions in Eldercare). This is an employee benefit that supports both employees and employers. A Harvard Business School study revealed that 6 out of 10 employees care for someone at home for 20 hours or more per week, on top of working a full-time job. Employees taking care of an elderly family member are often highly stressed and overwhelmed. They are not only concerned for their loved one but also concerned about their job performance and job security. Employers are often unaware of the challenges their employee is facing.
Rob Gandley, Vice President of Marketing and Technology, explained, “This is a company-sponsored program that empowers employees and employers. Most employees don’t reach out and communicate with employers when they are faced with this complicated life stage. They suffer alone and in fear. This program allows the employer to participate in a meaningful way to help their employees by providing eldercare counseling, thereby lightening the employee’s burden and making a positive impact on their productivity at work.”
“We developed a dedicated website where employees can go and learn—first, that they are not alone and second, that there are myriad resources and options available to them. Employees can reach out for help directly through the website. The company pays for our services when an employee needs help.”
“Consulting is the foundation for all these world-class programs. Our consulting services support many areas that touch our clients’ lives, from financial and legal challenges to health care, insurance, and even driving. The list goes on.”
“I’m particularly proud of the innovative technology we’ve developed to support the company, our programs, and our franchisees. This company is technologically advanced. We have a huge web presence. We serve the community with a directory of over 50,000 pages which provides information on all of the assisted living facilities available by region. We also provide franchisees with online tools and digital marketing support. We want to stay ahead of the curve. We are continually looking for the edge to help our franchisees have the tools they need to be successful and grow their businesses.”
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