Home Instead

Home Instead is the world's largest franchise network dedicated to in-home senior care, providing personalized companion care, personal care, Alzheimer's and dementia care, and a comprehensive range of aging-in-place services through more than 1,200 independently owned and operated offices across 13 countries. Founded in 1994 by Paul and Lori Hogan in Omaha, Nebraska, Home Instead was born from a deeply personal family experience — the determination to help Paul's grandmother, Eleanor Manhart, live independently and with dignity in her own home rather than in an institutional care setting. That founding mission has grown into a global enterprise that employs over 100,000 Care Professionals delivering more than 60 million hours of personalized care annually, serving the rapidly expanding population of older adults who overwhelmingly prefer to age in the comfort and familiarity of their own homes. Acquired by Honor Technology in August 2021 in a landmark deal that created a combined $2.1 billion home care services company, Home Instead now operates at the intersection of compassionate caregiving and cutting-edge technology, offering franchisees a recession-proof business opportunity in one of the fastest-growing sectors of the American economy.

The Home Instead story begins with Eleanor Manhart, Paul Hogan's grandmother, who was approaching 90 years old when her family faced the question that millions of American families confront every year — how to ensure a beloved aging relative can continue living safely and happily at home. The Hogan family made a vow that Eleanor would never go into a care home, and Paul and Lori set out to build a professional caregiving service that could deliver the same level of love, attention, and respect that a family member would provide. Eleanor herself became an integral part of the founding ethos, watching Paul interview prospective caregivers and noting which ones noticed her first and greeted her warmly — a hiring philosophy that became known as the Eleanor Test and continues to guide the company's caregiver selection process today. Eleanor lived past 100 years old, a testament to the power of aging in place with quality care. Paul brought franchising expertise from nine years at Merry Maids, one of the nation's leading cleaning service franchises, and applied that franchise development knowledge to build a scalable model for home care that could replicate the Hogans' compassionate approach in communities across the country and around the world.

Home Instead began franchising in June 1995, and the concept's alignment with demographic trends and consumer preferences drove rapid growth from the start. By 1998, the system had reached 99 offices and was recognized by Entrepreneur magazine as one of the 100 fastest-growing franchise companies in America. International expansion began in 2000 with a partner relationship in Osaka, Japan, through Duskin Corporation, establishing the template for global growth that would eventually span 13 countries across North America, Europe, Asia, and Oceania. Major milestones included opening the 1,000th franchise location in 2013, entering China the same year, and establishing a master franchise presence in the United Kingdom, Germany, Australia, Austria, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, New Zealand, and Switzerland. Paul Hogan was named the International Franchise Association Entrepreneur of the Year in 2007, and in 2008 the company established the Home Instead Center for Successful Aging in partnership with the University of Nebraska Medical Center, advancing academic research into aging and caregiving. In February 2021, the brand refreshed its identity by dropping Senior Care from its name, becoming simply Home Instead to reflect a more inclusive approach to serving adults of all ages who need care support.

The August 2021 acquisition by Honor Technology represented a transformational moment for Home Instead and the broader home care industry. Honor, a San Francisco-based technology company founded in 2014 and backed by investors including Andreessen Horowitz, Prosus Ventures, and Thrive Capital, had raised $255 million in venture funding to build a machine-learning-driven technology platform designed specifically for home care operations. The combined entity created a $2.1 billion home care services company — the largest in the projected $500 billion home care industry — with Honor's technology providing the digital infrastructure for scheduling, billing, care matching, and operational analytics while Home Instead contributed its 27-year track record of franchise operations, caregiver training, and brand trust. Following the acquisition, Honor raised an additional $70 million in Series E funding plus $300 million in debt financing in October 2021, valuing the combined company at over $1.25 billion and establishing it as a unicorn in the home care technology space. Marc Andreessen described the deal as one that fundamentally transforms the senior care space by flipping it from analog to digital.

Today, Home Instead operates approximately 1,200 franchise offices worldwide, including roughly 613 franchised and 3 company-owned locations in the United States. The system spans 13 countries with significant presence in the United Kingdom where more than 240 franchise territories were operating as of 2025, Germany with over 110 franchises, and growing operations across Japan, Australia, and other international markets. The system's 100,000-plus Care Professionals delivered more than 60 million hours of personalized care in 2024, serving hundreds of thousands of families navigating the challenges of aging. The franchise has been recognized on the Franchise Times Top 400 at rank 43 with 1,225 units, and it earned a ranking of 153 on the 2025 Entrepreneur Franchise 500, placing it among the most established and respected franchise systems in any industry category.

The investment required to open a Home Instead franchise is remarkably accessible compared to many franchise opportunities, with a total initial investment ranging from $91,040 to $269,750 according to the 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document. The initial franchise fee is $54,000, with a 20 percent discount available for honorably discharged military veterans. Ongoing royalties operate on a sliding scale from 7 percent down to 4 percent as revenue grows, incentivizing franchisees to scale their operations. Home Instead discloses detailed Item 19 financial performance data in its FDD, reporting average gross revenue of $2,609,616 and median gross revenue of $2,261,503 across 603 franchised businesses for the year ending December 31, 2024. Estimated yearly earnings range from $407,071 to $565,376, with an estimated investment payback period of just 1.4 to 3.4 years — among the fastest returns in the franchise industry. Well-managed Home Instead franchises typically achieve profit margins of 10 to 20 percent, with average owner income ranging from $70,000 to $150,000 depending on region, scale, and owner involvement.

The services provided by Home Instead encompass the full spectrum of non-medical in-home care, addressing the physical, emotional, and social needs of aging adults and their families. Companion care services combat isolation and loneliness through conversation, recreational activities, walks, and meaningful social engagement. Personal care assists with activities of daily living including bathing, grooming, dressing, toileting, and mobility support. Specialized Alzheimer's and dementia care is delivered through a Person-Centered Care Training program that has been recognized by the Alzheimer's Association for incorporating evidence-based Dementia Care Practice Recommendations, led by gerontologist Lakelyn Hogan Eichenberger. Additional services include meal preparation and nutrition planning, light housekeeping, transportation to medical appointments and social outings, medication reminders, 24-hour home care, hospital-to-home transition support, chronic condition management for heart disease, stroke, Parkinson's, cancer, and diabetes, respite care for family caregivers, veterans care, and hospice support coordination. This comprehensive service menu allows franchisees to serve clients across the full continuum of aging needs, from occasional companionship visits to round-the-clock care.

The demographic tailwinds driving demand for Home Instead's services are among the most powerful and predictable forces in the American economy. Approximately 11,200 Americans turn 65 every single day through 2027, and 2024 saw a record 4.1 million Americans cross the 65 threshold — a pace expected to accelerate through 2026 with 4.18 million. The first Baby Boomers turned 80 in 2026, beginning the highest-acuity, highest-need cohort to enter the care system over the next 15 years. Research consistently shows that 90 percent of seniors want to age in place rather than move to institutional settings, while 93 percent of adults 65 and older have at least one chronic condition requiring ongoing care management. The U.S. senior living market is valued at $943.9 billion in 2025 and projected to reach $1.33 trillion by 2033, while the home care segment specifically is projected to reach $176.3 billion by 2032. These demographic realities create a demand environment where Home Instead franchisees benefit from an essentially guaranteed and growing customer base for decades to come.

Post-acquisition technology integration has given Home Instead franchisees access to operational capabilities that no other home care franchise can match. The Honor Care Platform deploys 22 distinct AI algorithms working in concert across the franchise network, powering machine-learning-driven care matching that identifies Care Professional preferences and client needs, allowing caregivers to select clients through a mobile app based on placement length and care requirements. Real-time performance feedback, Salesforce-integrated dashboards, and centralized back-office functions for billing, scheduling, and staffing enable franchise owners to focus on client relationships and business growth rather than administrative burden. The Honor Expert tool helps older adults and families navigate complex aging and health decisions, creating an additional touchpoint for lead generation and client engagement. This technology layer represents a genuine competitive moat — Home Instead's integration of AI and machine learning into daily caregiving operations is unmatched in the franchise senior care space.

Home Instead's franchise training program prepares new owners through a structured curriculum that includes a week-long initial training at global headquarters in Omaha taught by industry experts, assignment to a dedicated business advisory team, and access to web-based training for owners, staff, and Care Professionals. Care Professional training is equally rigorous, with comprehensive onboarding that must be completed before any caregiver meets or serves a client. Eight online modules powered by Relias cover caregiving core values, personal care skills, Alzheimer's disease, caregiver responsibilities, nutrition, and diseases common in the elderly, supplemented by in-person training with a registered nurse in a fully equipped training center. Home Instead invests over $1,000 per caregiver in paid training time, and upon completion, caregivers earn certification as Personal Care Homemakers. Ongoing education includes monthly webinars by gerontologist Lakelyn Hogan Eichenberger offering Continuing Education credits, ensuring the workforce stays current with evolving care practices and industry standards.

For prospective franchise investors seeking a recession-proof business opportunity in one of the most rapidly growing sectors of the economy, Home Instead offers an unmatched combination of brand leadership, proven unit economics, technology-driven operations, and the deeply meaningful work of helping families navigate one of life's most important transitions. The brand's average revenue of $2.6 million per franchise, fast payback period of 1.4 to 3.4 years, and accessible total investment starting at $91,040 create a financial profile that few franchise systems can match in any industry. With franchisee satisfaction scores exceeding 85 percent, recognition as a Fast Company Brand That Matter, and the backing of Honor Technology's $1.25 billion platform, Home Instead is positioned to capture a growing share of the massive and expanding senior care market for decades to come. PeerSense provides comprehensive franchise intelligence including financial performance benchmarking, competitive analysis across the senior care franchise landscape, and market demographic data to help investors evaluate this extraordinary franchise opportunity.