Among the 325.6 million people in the US, there are currently around 47 million seniors, with around 3.1% residing in nursing homes while the rest prefer to have in-home care. Many seniors have chronic health issues such as mild arthritis to more severe conditions such as Alzheimer’s. Even those who don’t have any serious medical conditions still suffer from limited mobility and strength.
This presents an opportunity for those with an entrepreneurial spirit who wish to earn profit by doing something worthwhile and could genuinely help out other people. As such, we’ll be looking at different businesses that aim to help and cater to seniors:
In-Home Care Services
As mentioned earlier, many seniors prefer to stay at the comfort of their home, surrounded by their family, friends, and even pets. Seniors have special needs and require compassionate and patients individuals. That said, if you wish to open up an agency providing in-home care services, it’s recommended that you carefully select people who are good at interacting and caring for seniors as well as in doing basic chores such as cleaning, cooking, and other daily tasks. Later on, you can even opt to scale up your home care services business by taking advantage of a home care franchise opportunity that would help improve the scope, services, and even the overall business aspect of your home care service.
Senior Transportation
There are many seniors who, due to health conditions (such as limited mobility, body pain, or poor eyesight), aren’t available to drive, and their children may not always be available to drive them to their appointments or to places they need or want to go to. It may not also be possible for them to walk towards the nearest bust stop or train station, nor would public transportation be safe for them. As such, you can provide a specialized transportation service for seniors — imagine a taxi or Uber but with staff who are trained to handle seniors and with vehicles that are modified or equipped for the comfort of their intended clients.
Senior Relocation / Moving Services
Sometimes, seniors have to move out of their current residence and relocate to a new house or perhaps their children’s or grandchildren’s home (or even a nursing home). Moving entails a lot of sorting, packing, lifting, and transporting of personal items and household goods which may be too difficult for seniors. As such, you can offer a service similar to regular movers, but you’ll be dealing mostly with the elderly who more likely don’t have anyone to assist them with the move. This means that your relocation services may have to go further by also taking care of document processing and closing utilities (electricity and water), as well as to help out with making sure that the new house is ready by assisting with the unpacking and arranging of items.
Home Remodeling and Renovations for Seniors
For seniors who prefer to stay in their own homes, there needs to be certain changes and improvements in the house in order to make it safer and easier to traverse for those with limited mobility, deteriorating eyesight, and other medical conditions. If you’re willing to go into the contracting industry, you can opt to provide home remodeling services that are aimed specifically to make a house safer and more accessible for seniors. This may include widening doorways and hallways to accommodate wheelchairs and walkers, better lighting, grab bars in showers, and putting up ramps in and out of the house.
Conclusion
There are a lot of businesses that one can choose in order to cater to seniors and make their lives a lot easier. Regardless of which type of business you choose, know that you’re doing more than just profit — you’re providing worthwhile services to the aging members of your community.
