The home care market

Providing exceptional home care for older people

We’re very clear on the people we’re here to support. We are a business of course, we need to make money and stay profitable in order to invest in providing Radfield home care to as many people as possible.

That means we need to understand our market and the opportunities for growth.

We have been working in the UK care sector for over 40 years – more than any other home care brand. We have seen many changes over that time. Our experience now enables us to identify what new changes offer the greatest opportunity and value.

As you’ll see, the home care market is national, large and growing in both numbers of people and range of needs for home care.

As a business we are excited by the market and what this represents for all our current and future franchise partners.

As people we are excited by the opportunity to make a really important difference to the lives of thousands of people every day. There are very few other businesses that offer such high and immediate levels of reward. It’s not always plain sailing, there are tough days, difficult challenges.

But talk to all our franchise partners and they’ll tell you that it’s all worthwhile when you see the smile on someone’s face, when you read review feedback from family members, when you become part of someone else’s day and even their life for a period of time.

As a Radfield franchise partner you will need to understand the market from a commercial perspective in order to build a sustainable and successful business. Most importantly you’ll need to know your clients and their families and understand how best to support them and the Care Professionals that make such an impact.

UK ageing population graph

Older people are the fastest growing age group

In the UK, by 2024, the over 65 age group is expected to rise to more than 20% of the population.¹ The rapid growth of the ageing demographic is projected to be more than five times the growth of the working population.² By 2024 there will be more over 65-year-olds than under 15-year-olds. An ever-increasing life expectancy is projected to be more than 85 years for a female by 2026.³ An ageing population naturally means there is also an increase in age-related conditions requiring help on a daily basis.

Dementia rates are soaring

In the UK, dementia causes more disability in later life than cancer, cardiovascular health and strokes. One in six over the age of 80 has dementia and the current trend is set to rise from the current level of 850,000 to over one million people living in the UK with dementia by 2025. By 2051, that will double to two million.

Many dementia sufferers remain living at home and even if they have support from family and spouses, they need additional specialist care. Radfield prides itself on the levels of specialist care for dementia that we provide to an increasing number of people across the country.

Promoting independent living

Government initiatives aim to promote independent living and to encourage people to be cared for in their own home. Sometimes families are not always on hand locally for support or it’s not practical for them to provide the levels of support required. This is where we offer a trusted and highly valued solution to ensure support is provided to those who need it.

A demand for services

All the above equates to an increase in demand for services to care for the ageing population and the resulting strain on public sector healthcare services, in turn, increases the demand for private provisions.

To facilitate the explosive growth, the home care market and related services are currently estimated at £9.5 billion and are only going to grow to keep up with the unprecedented demand.⁴

“Make no mistake it’s not always easy working in the home care market. You can expect to be challenged and have moments where it feels really tough. We believe anything that’s worth achieving in life is going to take a bit of commitment. But there are also huge opportunities in both commercial growth and personal rewards and satisfaction. So if you’re ready for a new direction, looking to set up your own business and up for a challenge please get in touch. Who knows what we could achieve together!”
– Dr Hannah MacKechnie Radfield co-founder and franchisor.

References