Home Instead
Corporate brand
UnclaimedA global franchise network providing non-medical in-home care, companionship, and support for older adults.
Last updated August 31, 2026
AI crawler reads
No AI crawler has read this profile yet.
Overview
Home Instead is a global senior-care brand built around a network of independently owned and operated franchise offices. Founded in Omaha, Nebraska, in 1994 by Paul Hogan and Lori Hogan, the company developed a model for delivering non-medical assistance to older people in their own homes. Its services generally include companionship, help with everyday activities, personal-care support, respite for family caregivers, and specialized assistance for people living with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias. The precise service mix varies by country and by local franchise, reflecting differences in regulation, care funding, workforce models, and the boundary between non-medical home care and regulated health care. The company’s origins are associated with the Hogans’ effort to support older adults and their families through a more personal, relationship-oriented alternative to institutional care. Rather than operating solely through company-owned branches, Home Instead expanded through franchising. This enabled local operators to recruit and manage caregivers, build relationships with families, and adapt services to local communities while using a common brand, training framework, and operating model. The resulting network became one of the largest senior-care franchise systems internationally, with more than 1,200 offices reported across multiple countries. Home Instead’s core proposition is aging in place: helping older adults remain safe, engaged, and independent at home for as long as practical. Caregivers may provide conversation and social engagement, meal preparation, light housekeeping, transportation or accompaniment, personal-care assistance, and support with routines. Dementia-related care is an important specialized area, although Home Instead is primarily positioned as a non-medical care provider rather than a hospital, physician practice, or skilled-nursing operator. Local offices may also coordinate with families and other professionals when a client’s needs become more complex. The brand has expanded beyond the United States through franchise operations in Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Germany, Japan, and Singapore. The United Kingdom became an important international market after its establishment in Chester in 2005, later developing a large franchised office network and receiving recognition for training and care quality. Canada has also been notable for repeated franchise-relations recognition and community initiatives supporting older people living alone. Germany had established more than 100 franchises by 2018, while Japan and Singapore have operated smaller franchise footprints. Home Instead has received recognition from franchise and business publications, including rankings and awards associated with franchisee satisfaction, employer reputation, training, and senior services. These distinctions are not a substitute for regulatory quality measures, which differ by jurisdiction, but they illustrate the brand’s emphasis on franchising, workforce development, and service consistency. The company nevertheless operates in a labor-intensive sector affected by caregiver shortages, wage competition, turnover, and the difficulty of recruiting workers for physically and emotionally demanding roles. In August 2021, Honor Technology, a San Francisco-based technology and home-care company, acquired Home Instead. The combination placed the established international franchise network within a broader technology-enabled care platform. Home Instead remains an active brand under private ownership. Seth Sternberg is identified as its current chief executive officer, overseeing a network reported to provide more than 80 million hours of care globally. The company’s current identity therefore combines a long-established local-franchise model with technology and operational support associated with its parent company.
History
Home Instead was established in Omaha, Nebraska, in 1994 by Paul Hogan and Lori Hogan. The founders developed the business around the idea that many older adults would prefer to remain in familiar surroundings and that families needed dependable help with companionship, daily routines, and non-medical personal support. This focus placed the company within the emerging home-care sector rather than the hospital, nursing-home, or skilled-medical-care industries. From its early base, Home Instead expanded through franchising. The franchise structure allowed local owners to operate offices in their communities while benefiting from shared branding, training, processes, and marketing. Local offices generally recruit and supervise caregivers and coordinate schedules with clients and their families. This model supported rapid geographic growth, but it also means that service availability, staffing, pricing, and regulatory arrangements can vary by office and country. The company’s service portfolio grew to include companionship, personal care, household support, respite services, and assistance for people affected by Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias. Its overall approach emphasizes continuity, social connection, dignity, and the practical needs of older adults living at home. Because the brand primarily provides non-medical care, local operations typically complement rather than replace physicians, nurses, rehabilitation providers, and other regulated health professionals. International expansion made Home Instead a significant participant in the global home-care franchise market. The United Kingdom operation was established in Chester in 2005 and subsequently grew to a large franchised network employing thousands of people. It received recognition through the Princess Royal Training Awards and appeared in the Elite Franchise Top 100. By 2019, the UK network was reported to have received 40 outstanding ratings from England’s Care Quality Commission. In Canada, the business combined franchise expansion with community activity, including annual Christmas gift deliveries to older people living alone in Toronto. Germany developed more than 100 franchises by 2018, while the brand also established franchise operations in Australia, New Zealand, Japan, and Singapore. Home Instead’s growth brought recognition from Entrepreneur, Franchise Times, the International Franchise Association, and other business and industry publications. In the United States, the brand was reported to have received a Franchise Times Zor Award in 2023 and to have been included in later franchise and employer rankings. Such recognition reflects the company’s scale and franchise system, while the underlying care sector continues to face structural challenges, especially caregiver recruitment, retention, wage competition, and the need to maintain service quality across dispersed local operators. In August 2021, Honor Technology acquired Home Instead. The transaction linked a mature international care franchise with a technology-oriented home-care company. Home Instead continued to operate as a recognizable senior-care brand, while the parent company supplied a broader platform for technology, operations, and care coordination. Seth Sternberg is identified as the current chief executive officer. The organization is reported to oversee more than 80 million hours of care globally and remains active across a multinational network of independently operated offices.
- 2025
Founders inducted into Nebraska Business Hall of Fame
[1]Paul and Lori Hogan were inducted into the Nebraska Business Hall of Fame.
- 2023
Canadian Franchisees’ Choice recognition continued
[1]Home Instead Canada received the Canadian Franchise Association’s Franchisees’ Choice Designation for a reported thirteenth consecutive year.
- 2021
Acquired by Honor Technology
[1]Honor Technology acquired Home Instead in August, combining the franchise network with Honor’s technology-oriented home-care platform.
- 2019
UK network reported 40 outstanding CQC ratings
[1]The UK operation was reported to have received 40 outstanding Care Quality Commission ratings across England.
- 2018
German network exceeded 100 franchises
[1]By November 2018, Home Instead Seniorenbetreuung was reported to have established 111 franchises in Germany.
- 2016
UK operation received a Princess Royal Training Award
[1]The UK business was recognized through the Princess Royal Training Awards for its training work.
- 2013
Toronto Christmas-gift initiative began
[1]The Canadian operation began annual Christmas gift deliveries to older people living alone in Toronto.
- 2005
United Kingdom operation established
[1]Home Instead established its UK operation in Chester, beginning a major international expansion in the British home-care market.
- 1994
Home Instead founded in Omaha
[1]Paul Hogan and Lori Hogan founded Home Instead as a provider of non-medical support for older adults living at home.
Products and positioning
A relationship-centered, franchise-based provider of non-medical in-home care intended to help older adults age safely and comfortably at home.
Non-medical home care
Companionship Care
Companionship is a central Home Instead service. Caregivers provide conversation, social engagement, supervision, and practical assistance intended to reduce isolation and help older adults maintain familiar routines at home. Depending on local office capabilities, companionship may include accompaniment to appointments or activities, support with hobbies, and regular check-ins. It is designed for families seeking ongoing social and household support rather than clinical treatment.
Non-medical home care
Personal Care
Personal-care services assist older adults with everyday activities and routines. Local Home Instead offices may arrange help with bathing, dressing, grooming, toileting, mobility, and related activities, subject to local laws and the caregiver’s qualifications. The service is intended to support dignity and independence at home while helping families manage care needs that are more involved than companionship alone.
Specialized senior care
Alzheimer’s and Dementia Care
Home Instead offers specialized non-medical support for people living with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias. Care may focus on familiar routines, companionship, safety-oriented supervision, personal assistance, and relief for family caregivers. The service does not replace medical diagnosis or treatment, and the scope of care depends on the local franchise, applicable regulation, and the client’s assessed needs.
Family caregiver support
Respite Care
Respite services provide temporary support so family members or other unpaid caregivers can work, rest, attend appointments, or manage personal responsibilities. Home Instead caregivers may remain with the older adult, assist with daily routines, and provide companionship during the respite period. Scheduling and minimum visit requirements vary by local office.
Home support
Household and Daily-Living Support
Local Home Instead offices may provide assistance with meal preparation, light housekeeping, laundry, errands, shopping, transportation, and accompaniment. These services help older adults continue living at home and can be combined with companionship or personal care. They are generally non-medical and are tailored to local service rules and the client’s care plan.
Marketing campaigns
- 2013Toronto Christmas Gift Deliveries
Canada
Home Instead’s Canadian operation began an annual program delivering Christmas gifts to older people living alone in Toronto, linking the brand’s community presence with efforts to address social isolation.
Outcome. The initiative was described as continuing annually.
Brand decisions
2021
Joined Honor TechnologyM&ABackground
Home Instead had developed a large international franchise network, while Honor Technology operated a technology-oriented home-care platform.
Action taken
Honor Technology acquired Home Instead in August 2021.
Aftermath
Home Instead continued as an active senior-care brand under private ownership, with its franchise network associated with Honor’s broader technology and operational platform.
1994
Adopted a franchised non-medical home-care modelStrategyBackground
The founders entered a developing senior-care market in which many older adults and families sought support at home rather than institutional care.
Action taken
Home Instead built its business around local franchise offices delivering companionship, personal assistance, and other non-medical services under a shared brand and operating framework.
Aftermath
The model enabled broad international expansion and made Home Instead one of the largest senior-care franchise networks.
Recent events
Sources4 sources
Cite this profile: Cite the canonical profile. /brand-wiki/home-instead · Editorial policy · How profiles are compiled