10 Most Trusted Senior Care Service Providers 2022 Vol 2

Not only did we grow to 120 locations at the end of that
year because there was so much opportunity, but our brand
was also elevated. In 2015, Chuck and I realized that if we
wanted to continue to grow the CarePatrol brand, we would
need to bring on a partner. In 2018, we were acquired and
became part of the Best Life Brands Portfolio.
What was the impact of the COVID-19 on the
healthcare sector, and how did CarePatrol sustain its
operations to surmount the adversities of the pandemic?
It was pretty scary. None of us knew what was going to
happen. Fear best describes what happened in February of
2020 when we all realized that something was brewing, and
by March, the state of Washington became the first to
officially shut down visits to long term care and assisted
living. We knew that if more states followed with
shutdowns, this could directly impact our business.
We pivoted how we deliver our services, literally overnight.
While we know that meeting people in person and walking
them through the process is what makes the difference; we
offered a "virtual" option to our customers, so they felt safe
while we were delivering solutions. Our business is
recession-resistant, but this was a healthcare crisis. So it did
have a direct impact on our business and a few of our
locations closed. However, many of our locations were
maintained and several even grew. At the end of the year,
we were only down 1% YOY in systemwide revenues. We
saw that the demand for our business was persistent, even
in a pandemic.
While we could not meet in person with our franchisees, we
decided to increase support in a virtual environment. We
added twice as many trainings, meetings and marketing
services than in prior years. We also provided up to the
minute information on the government loans that were
offered and many of our franchisees were able to take
advantage of these loans. Offering franchisees, the option to
defer their fees for a period of time really helped them with
cash flow.
But the other thing that we did—we said: "This is a crisis,
and our healthcare workers are the heroes on the front line,
so we launched a pay it forward campaign by focusing on
being a resource to healthcare workers, during a most
unprecedented time." If you can remember, it was hard to
find personal protective equipment in early 2020.
Our franchisees came to the rescue and provided personal
protective equipment: masks, gloves, gowns, and hand
sanitizers. We found we were making an impact and had
Becky Bongiovanni
Brand President
CarePatrol
many healthcare workers thank us for going above and
beyond in any little way that we could help them.
With continuous technological developments in the
healthcare space, what is your prediction about the
future of the senior care services market?
The first baby boomer turned 75 last year. Most people will
need care when they are 82 years old. What I predict and
what I've heard is that over the next ten years, we will see a
lot of changes in how care is approached.
We're going to see two different types of models emerge.
Right now, senior living kind of fits anybody 55 and over.
But because the population is just going to increase,
especially the 85-year-olds, that segment of the population
is going to double by 2039 and triple by 2049.
We're going to see a new model emerge for senior
living—one that's a more active adult lifestyle, focusing on
the younger people, ages 55-75. It's going to be more about
lifestyle, membership, and exclusivity, like a club lifestyle,
timeshare, or resort. You worked hard your whole life, and
now it's time for you to enjoy it. Even though senior living
has evolved, the baby boomers are different types of people.
They're very particular. They've driven the economy all
October 2022|25|www.insightscare.com