Andy Malivuk wants to help senior citizens age comfortably in their own home. But it can be hard to feel comfortable when your caregiver keeps changing.
“The at-home care industry is riddled with high turnover,” Malivuk said, referencing a study that found caregiver turnover rates to be 82% in 2018. “The experience for clients is lots of last-minute cancelations and a revolving door of faces. There’s no continuity of care.”
As a franchise owner of Seniors Helping Seniors in Pinellas and Hillsborough, Malivuk thinks he has a better way. Malivuk pairs 50-year-old to 70-year-old caregivers with 80-year-old to 100-year-old individuals in need of at-home care. The benefit, Malivuk said, is two-fold.
“On the employee side, it provides an opportunity for retired or semi-retired individuals to help out in the community while also earning money to help stretch their retirement funds,” he said. “It gives them the opportunity to make a meaningful impact in someone’s life and continue to be a valuable asset of the community.”
Clients meanwhile benefit from the comfort of a reliable caregiver who often shares similar experiences, according to Malivuk.
“Seniors are relatable for other seniors,” he said.
Seniors Helping Seniors offers services such as check-ins, overnight stays and care during medical recoveries. The services are designed so that clients receive the help they need, whether that’s assistance with cooking or more intensive Alzheimer’s and dementia care.
“The whole point is to provide in-home services so a person can age in place,” Malivuk said. “We help them with doctors’ appointments, groceries, cooking and cleaning, as well as hands-on care, such as activities of daily living.”
Malivuk, who grew up in Hillsborough County, bought his franchise in 2017, at the same time acquiring an existing Seniors Helping Seniors territory that served 20 clients. Since then the venture has grown to serve over 100 clients with over 90 employees. Clients pay from $21-24 per hour depending on the extent of care they’re provided, Malivuk said. Employees receive from $10-15 per hour. Malivuk said his investment to date is between $150,000 and $200,000.
A number of other in-home care agencies serve the local aging population, including At Home Senior Care, Visiting Angels and Home Instead.
Seniors Helping Seniors launched in Pennsylvania in 1998 and started to franchise in 2006. The parent company now includes franchisees around the United States and abroad.
For Malivuk, one of his biggest pleasures is being able to give back to seniors in the community he grew up in.
“As the son of a Lutheran pastor in the area, I grew up in the church with basically 50 sets of grandparents,” he said. “It's a very personal thing for me.”
