Home care business ‘meaningful’ venture for couple

Gary and Mary Powell

After Gary Powell sold his 7-Up and Dr. Pepper distribution business in Columbia in 2002, he took his time searching for another franchise opportunity.

Having taken care of aging parents in the past, he knew the importance of helping senior citizens. “I wanted to do something that I thought was meaningful, and my wife was the same way,” Powell said. “It’s not so much about making money. It’s a business, but I’m kind of past that.”

In March, he and his wife, Mary Powell, opened Comfort Keepers, an international provider of in-home care based in Dayton, Ohio. They purchased the franchise for $32,500. The company provides assistance in the home or at the hospital for clients with any kind of need. The goal is to help people live in their own homes for as long as possible, Powell said, assisting them with tasks ranging from chores to personal hygiene.

“As people get older, they’re not able to do some of the housework, or maybe their eyesight is gone, and they are not able to drive,” he said. ÔWe can go in and do meal preparation, light housework, take them to the doctor or the grocery store, help them organize their bedroom to where it’s easier to get around, or take them to bridge club or to the park.”

The company does not offer skilled medical care, which tends to be much more expensive, Powell said. Nursing home care is the most expensive, he said, at between $50,000 and $70,000 a year, while the median annual price for Comfort Keepers care is about $15,000, depending on the hours of care necessary.

With the first 65-year-old baby boomer retiring and beginning to receive Social Security benefits earlier this year, and a steady stream of retirees from that generation, Comfort Keepers is part of a growing industry. According to federal Bureau of Labor Statistics, the fastest-growing segment of the population is 85 and older. Likewise, the Social Security Administration predicts that the number of older Americans will double in about 30 years.

Now in its tenth year after being launched by a Springfield, Ohio, nurse, Comfort Keepers is the second-largest company in the industry, with nearly 550 locations, behind HomeInstead, the industry leader with about 700 locations. There are seven open territories in Missouri, said Jim Brown, director of franchise development, including Springfield, Jefferson City and Sedalia.

Brown said he was pleased that the Powells chose Columbia to set up shop because college towns are popular with retirees for their many amenities at reasonable prices.

“He had a great business background, he had been a local businessperson in the community for a long time, and he had a passion for the senior business,” Brown said of Gary Powell. “He was a really sincere person, the type of person we look for. We find that, with all of our owners, the common denominator is a passion for seniors.”