FirstLight HomeCare

What FirstLight HomeCare does

FirstLight Home Care (legal entity: FirstLight Home Care Franchising LLC) is a privately-held franchisor headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio, operating a national network of more than 200 independently owned and operated home care locations across the United States and Canada. Founded in 2010, the company delivers non-medical in-home care services — including Personal Care, Companion Care, Dementia Care, Respite Care, and Veteran Care — to seniors, adults with disabilities, and family caregivers, typically on a usage-based hourly pricing model that ranges from occasional visits to 24/7 and live-in arrangements. Differentiated service capabilities include the proprietary Compassionate Memory Care Program for dementia specialization, the Sensory Simulation Program for caregiver training, and select locations certified under Teepa Snow's Positive Approach to Care.

The company's core technology stack centers on a Care Management System that supports caregiver-client matching and proximity-based scheduling to minimize travel time across franchise territories. Distribution is multi-channel: direct-to-consumer inquiries through local franchise offices and a website-driven location finder, alongside B2B referral partnerships with The Helper Bees, Paradigm Senior Services, Medicare Advantage plans, long-term care insurance providers, workers' compensation carriers, the VA, and hospice organizations.

Revenue is generated through two streams: ongoing royalty and licensing fees from franchisees, and downstream service fees collected at the local franchise level. Payment sources across the system are diversified across private pay, long-term care insurance, VA benefits, Medicare Advantage, and Medicaid. Leadership is headed by President & CEO Glee McAnanly, supported by COO Mark Vanase, CMO Anne Meija, CFO Ryan Zoellner, and VP of Strategy Kerri Pendley, with no disclosed external parent company or institutional investment.

Name

FirstLight HomeCare

Legal name

FirstLight Home Care Franchising LLC

Website

https://firstlighthomecare.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Home Care Services

NAICS

Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (624120), Home Health Care Services (62161)

SIC

Services-Home Health Care Services (8082)

akta.pro primary industry

Dementia/Alzheimer’s In-Home Care (Non-Medical) (HLADAGAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Homemaking & Light Housekeeping Services (HLADAGAC), Light Housekeeping & Home Upkeep (Non-Medical) (HSABAAAD), Live-In Care (Single Caregiver, 24-Hour Presence) (HSABAHAB), Memory Care Respite (Short-Term) (HSABAEAD)

Keywords

• Home care services
• Senior care
• In-home care
• Companion care services
• Personal care

Headquarters

HQ city

Cincinnati

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Home Care Services Revenue: Revenue generated from providing in-home care services including companion care, personal care, dementia care, respite care, and veteran care. Fees are based on hours of service required, with pricing that varies by location and type of care needed.
2. Franchise Fees: Revenue from franchise owners who pay fees to open and operate FirstLight Home Care locations. The company offers franchise opportunities for entrepreneurs to start their own home care businesses under the FirstLight brand.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

FirstLight Home Care is a franchisor and operator of non-medical in-home care services, delivering companion care, personal care, dementia care, respite care, and veteran care to seniors, adults with disabilities, and recovering individuals in their homes. Care is delivered through a network of franchise locations across the United States, supported by a parallel franchise sales and licensing program that grants territory rights to new franchise owners.

Product overview

FirstLight Home Care operates as a franchise-based home care services company offering a coordinated portfolio of in-home care services for seniors, adults with disabilities, and veterans. The core service offerings include Senior Care (general elderly support), Personal Care (hands-on ADL assistance), Companion Care (household tasks and emotional support), Dementia Care (memory care with Compassionate Memory Care Program certification), Respite Care (temporary family caregiver relief), and Veteran Care (VA benefits-supported services). Additional Specialty Care Services cover disability care, family care, hospice care, rehabilitation and recovery, skilled nursing, supplemental staffing, traumatic injury care, and travel companion services. The company also offers franchise opportunities for entrepreneurs seeking to open FirstLight locations. Services range from a few hours per day to 24/7 live-in care, delivered through independently owned and operated franchise locations across the United States and Canada.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Senior Care
• Personal Care
• Companion Care
• Dementia Care
• Respite Care
• Veteran Care
• Specialty Care
• FirstLight Home Care Franchise Opportunity

Quantifiable outcome

• Only 3% of caregiver candidates hired after rigorous screening process
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• The Helper BeescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFirstLight Home Care is a dedicated credentialed provider for The Helper Bees, a care coordination platform curating a network of quality in-home care providers. The partnership enables FirstLight to serve The Helper Bees' members seeking comprehensive aging-in-place services.
• Paradigm Senior ServicescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParadigm Senior Services works with FirstLight to support franchisee growth and navigate third-party payor opportunities. The partnership provides dedicated support for franchise development and business optimization.
• Ageless GraceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAgeless Grace is a brain health exercise program based on neuroplasticity that FirstLight locations can offer to clients. The program addresses aging factors through simple, playful exercises.
• Aging Life Care AssociationminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFirstLight Home Care is a corporate partner and industry supporter of the Aging Life Care Association. The partnership connects the company with geriatric care managers who may refer clients.
• Home Care Association of America (HCAOA)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerHCAOA is the leading trade organization representing home care agencies. FirstLight participates as a member, with VP of Strategy Kerri Pendley serving on the HCAOA Board of Directors.
• National Association for Home Care & Hospice (NAHC)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerNAHC represents home care and hospice organizations and advocates for caregivers. FirstLight VP of Strategy Kerri Pendley is a member of NAHC.
• HomesRenewed CoalitionminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFirstLight is a member of the HomesRenewed Coalition, which champions home updates for aging in place and conducts research and education for consumers and legislators.
• Legacy List with Matt PaxtonminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFirstLight Home Care is a national underwriter of Legacy List with Matt Paxton, an Emmy-nominated series about downsizing that explores challenges of holding on to the past versus embracing the future.
• Teepa Snow's Positive Approach to CarecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFirstLight Home Care of Charlotte is a PAC Designated Organization, one of only three home care organizations in the world with this designation. The partnership provides specialized dementia care training aligned with PAC philosophy and techniques.
• VetFranminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFirstLight is a 5-Star Member of VetFran, an organization supporting veteran entrepreneurs in the franchise industry.
• International Franchise AssociationminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFirstLight holds membership in the International Franchise Association, the leading trade organization for the franchise industry.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Home Instead: Home Instead is the largest franchise-based non-medical home care company globally (1,200+ locations; acquired by Honor in 2022 for ~$2B+). It offers companion, personal, and dementia care under a franchise model nearly identical to FirstLight's, making it the most directly comparable peer.
• Comfort Keepers: Comfort Keepers operates a franchise-based non-medical home care model (700+ locations) providing companion care, personal care, and specialty dementia/respite services. It competes head-to-head with FirstLight for franchisees and clients in overlapping U.S. territories.
• Visiting Angels: Visiting Angels is a leading U.S. franchise home care brand with 600+ locations offering companion, personal, dementia, and respite care. Its franchise model, service mix, and target customers are essentially interchangeable with FirstLight's, making it a close head-to-head competitor.
• BrightStar Care: BrightStar Care is a franchise home care and medical staffing company (300+ locations) offering both non-medical personal/companion care and skilled nursing — overlapping FirstLight's full service portfolio and adding medical capabilities that compete for the same referral sources.
• Senior Helpers: Senior Helpers operates a franchise non-medical home care network (300+ U.S. locations) specializing in senior and dementia care, including proprietary programs for Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. It competes with FirstLight on memory care differentiation and franchisee recruitment.
• Right at Home: Right at Home is an international franchise home care brand (500+ locations) offering companion, personal, and specialized dementia/respite care. It shares FirstLight's franchise scaling strategy and overlap in service mix, geographies, and referral partnerships.
• Griswold Home Care: Griswold Home Care is one of the oldest non-medical home care franchise networks in the U.S., providing companion and personal care services through independently owned offices. Its service portfolio and franchise structure directly mirror FirstLight's.
• SYNERGY HomeCare: SYNERGY HomeCare is a franchise non-medical home care brand (200+ U.S. locations) offering companion, personal, and dementia care. It competes with FirstLight across the same franchisee candidate pool and overlapping metropolitan markets.
• Homewatch CareGivers: Homewatch CareGivers is an international franchise home care company (200+ locations) offering companion, personal, and dementia care with a similar full-service franchise positioning to FirstLight's.

Broad incumbents

• BrightSpring Health Services: BrightSpring Health Services is a large diversified publicly-traded home and community-based services provider (including personal care, home health, hospice, and pharmacy). Its personal/home care segment competes with FirstLight's franchise system in payer-contracted volume, providing a useful incumbent benchmark.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/FirstLightCare
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/FirstLightHomeCare
• Facebookfacebook.com/FirstLight.HomeCare
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/firstlight-homecare
• Instagraminstagram.com/firstlighthomecarenational

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about FirstLight HomeCare