Aging Baby Boomers Need and Demand One-call Home Care Services

The demographics of America are changing – and fast. There is a growing population of aging baby boomers who are savvy, smart and independent, and they know they have choices for their future lifestyles.

The statistics show that this population is on the rise. In 2003, there were 36 million Americans who were 65 and older; by 2030 it’s projected that this population will grow to 71 million. And an AARP study from 2005 found that 89 percent of people 50 and older want to stay at home as long as possible.

To do this, our aging U.S. citizens will likely need assistance in many areas such as housekeeping, yard upkeep, home maintenance, and, in some cases, relocation to new homes or care facilities.

These people, whether they are in need of physical assistance or are busy traveling during retirement, will need others to help them take care of things at home.

With this trend, a unique business opportunity is now flourishing – a “one call resolves it all” home care services for seniors.

It’s an ideal time for investors to capitalize on this new business trend. That’s exactly what Kim and Paul Abelman did when they decided to start a business.

The Abelmans found their new business in Spectrum Home Services. Spectrum is part of a national growing industry offering personal home care for older adults and busy homeowners.

But Spectrum Home Services is different from traditional home care service companies. They are simply one-call away for people who need a broad spectrum of services including housekeeping, yard care, maintenance, companionship and relocation services. Other companies offer a few of these types of services, but not the number of services available through Spectrum.

The Abelmans are happy to offer this service to area seniors and other busy homeowners through Spectrum Home Services.

Kim Abelman shared that “people who choose home care can find it frustrating making calls for numerous services. Many of our clients were calling a handyman for broken items around the house, a yard service to mow their lawn, a home cleaning service to do their laundry and a nursing service to make sure their medication is taken on time.” One call to the Abelman’s Spectrum Home Services fulfills all these needs and more.

In September 2006 they purchased franchise rights to Spectrum Home Services in New Albany, with the guidance of franchise consultant and expert, Barney Greenbaum.

Greenbaum works with clients in the Ohio market through the national organization, FranNet. Using FranNet’s proprietary process, he matches his clients with the right franchise using safety, risk avoidance, high standards, and affordability as criteria.

“My job is to act as first a facilitator to help find the business that matches their requirements, then I coach them along with helpful resources, such as financing, franchise attorney, and accountant, once they find a good fit. We spend 30 to 60 days on the search with a well thought out action plan. My goal is for the client to find the right tools to make the process less scary, and help them reach those important goals,” Greenbaum explained.

He demonstrated this trend in the home care service industry to the Abelmans. “With 10,000 people now turning 60 every day the baby boomer generation will need more caregiver services than the caregivers can easily provide,” said Greenbaum. “Paul and Kim wanted an affordable business they could grow, while maintaining a balance with their family, work, spirit, and health. Working with active seniors on home care projects allowed them this flexibility.”

The Spectrum Home Services approach to home care drew the Abelmans to this business. They discovered that Spectrum was for them after reviewing several other business options.

“We knew that the eventual goal for this business is to provide services that are very much needed,” Kim Abelman said. “We ‘got’ the concept after meeting with Greenbaum and going through the FranNet process.”

The Abelman’s also wanted something that would give back to the community. “We work closely with families and do everything they need done - trash, cleaning, clearing out for Goodwill, running errands,” Abelman explains. “We’ve become like family for many of our clients.”

Abelman says she “liked the networking and marketing aspect of Spectrum. To reach people that need the services, I do in-service programs with discharge managers in hospitals and at realtor meetings. As a former college lecturer, it’s easy for me to put [our business] into words. I’m okay going out and meeting people to teach about this new concept of senior home care.”

With no other franchise like Spectrum in the area, the Ablemans are getting a lot of calls for the services they offer. They’ve also experienced a rise in the number of younger, busy homeowners who call. Some companies are even offering Spectrum Home Services as part of employee benefits to help working families.

Greenbaum enjoyed matching the Ableman’s with Spectrum Home Services and summed it all up: “At the end of the day they added some value to someone's life, and occasionally they might even get a hug for it.”

To learn more about FranNet in the Columbus area, contact Barney Greenbaum at
614-882-7777 or call 1-800-FRANNET.