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A Hanford father and son are taking their combined 30-plus years of retail franchise experience into the health care realm with a new venture to meet the needs of an aging population.

About two months ago Beant Sandhu and his son Ravi opened Right at Home, an in-home senior care service. Beant also owns three Subway franchises in Hanford — a venture he’s had for more than three decades.

When researching franchise opportunities, Beant and Ravi’s family life was a major driver for choosing Right at Home.

“In-home care was something that kept coming up,” Ravi said. “We have personal experience with in-home care as both of my grandparents live with my father.”

Additionally, Ravi’s maternal grandmother also relied on caretakers to alleviate end-of-life concerns and improve comfort.

Ravi said many of the franchise at-home care centers they encountered did not research or follow up with their applicants like Right at Home did.

“Right at Home stuck out because they were very picky with who they were willing to give their franchise licenses to,” Ravi said. “Just like we were vetting them, they were vetting us as well.”

For a service such as longterm in-home care, vetting is an important part of the process.

Right at Home works to tailor a care plan for each individual based on their needs.

“Some people might only need three to four hours per day, maybe two or three times a week,” Ravi said. “Some people might need 24/7 care; it really just depends on the patient.”

The at-home option, for many, is appealing not only for the familiarity of being at home, but also the cost. Right at Home also offers the chance for extended care hours based on need.

“With most caretakers, it’s shift-based jobs,” Ravi said. “We let them know that, given the health conditions of this individual, there’s a possibility that the hours can go up.”

Their staff — around 20 caretakers — enjoy flexible hours, allowing caretakers to manage their time with patients, Ravi said.

Demand is only expected to grow. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics forecasts the employment of home health and personal care aides will grow by 21% from 2021 to 2031 — much faster than the average for all occupations.

“The population of clients is growing,” Ravi said. “As a lot of the Boomers have been retiring and, unfortunately, facing health issues, that market is growing.”

With that in mind, the business is continuing to expand, adding two to three employees weekly to service their coverage area, which ranges from south Fresno to Visalia, Hanford and outlying communities.

Beant said the success of each of his business ventures comes down to workforce.

“Your main asset is your employees,” Beant said. “It’s no different in the home-care business — your caregivers are the core of your business and you have to find the best people to serve your clients.”

Caretaking does require more patience and personalized care compared to the food-service industry, he added.

It also requires state qualifications, which Right at Home provides.

Caretakers must have six months of experience caretaking and must pass a background check. Additional training is provided to new caretakers.

“Once they’re fully trained they’re considered a registered home-care aid in the state of California,” Ravi said.