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Having both grown up in Kildare, with experience in both business and caring for the elderly, Amanda and Enda Bohan believe there is a real need to provide quality home care to seniors in the area. 

"Home Instead Senior Care's mission is to be Ireland's trusted source of home care for seniors allowing them to continue to be independent and live in their home for longer than otherwise possible. We fully embrace this concept and understand how important home care is in the lives of our loved ones,” said Amanda Bohan.

Franchise foundations

The Home Instead Senior Care organisation was founded in Omaha, Nebraska in 1994, with the aim of providing a wide range of services to the elderly, allowing them to remain independent and live in their homes for longer than would otherwise be possible. Today, there are more than 850 franchise offices in 14 countries, and Leopardstown is now the biggest office in the world.

Founded by Ed Murphy (pictured) and Michael Kearney, Home Instead Senior Care in Ireland started from a pilot office in Leopardstown in 2005 and has grown steadily ever since.

Following a career with Snap Printing, Kearney became business partners with Murphy in 1992 and they decided to expand into other franchises in 2004. They jumped at the opportunity when their research led them to Home Instead.

Irish Franchise of the Year

Winner of the Irish Franchise of the Year 2008, Home Instead’s revenues grew 68pc in 2008 and it currently has around 900 clients and 900 caregivers.

The services range from a few hours a day to a live-in service, depending on the individual’s needs. The carer can look after day-to-day needs such as light housekeeping and laundry, meal preparation, companionship, up to and including personal care, dementia care, post-hospital care and disability care.

“A survey a couple of years ago showed that for 90pc of older people their biggest fear was ending up in a nursing home. It’s a huge blow for them to leave their own home, and their condition tends to deteriorate when that happens. When we started out, there wasn’t a similar service to what we were providing, and as the older population is increasing dramatically, we expect demand to continue to grow.

“One of our goals is to have every area of the country covered within the next two years, whether on our own steam or in partnership with the Health Services Executive,” says Kearney.