Home Instead: Hiring, Background Check & Employment Verification FAQs

Home Instead was founded in 1994 by Paul and Lori Hogan in Omaha, Nebraska, inspired directly by Paul's personal experience helping care for his nearly 90-year-old grandmother, Eleanor. Recognizing gaps in available care even with a large, supportive family, the Hogans built a business around providing compassionate, non-medical in-home care to help seniors age in place. The Hogans served as Home Instead's first professional caregivers themselves, developing a deep appreciation for both aging adults and the family caregivers who support them.

Home Instead began franchising in 1995, just one year after its founding, and expanded rapidly, reaching nearly 100 domestic franchise offices within three years. The company continued its international growth, opening its 1,000th franchise location in 2012 and eventually establishing a presence in Canada, the United Kingdom, Japan, Germany, Australia, and other countries. In August 2021, Home Instead was acquired by Honor Technology, a San Francisco-based home care technology company founded by Seth Sternberg, combining Home Instead's franchise network with Honor's technology platform to create what the companies describe as the world's largest home care service network.

Today, Home Instead operates approximately 1,200 independently owned and operated franchise offices across roughly six countries, with more than 100,000 Care Professionals providing services to aging adults worldwide at any given time. The company's services include personal care assistance (such as bathing, dressing, and grooming), companionship, meal preparation, medication reminders, and help with household tasks. Home Instead's workforce is centered around caregivers (branded "Care Professionals") who provide direct, in-home support to elderly clients, along with franchise office staff who manage scheduling, client relationships, and caregiver support.

Company culture and employee programs: Home Instead has built its brand around genuine relationships and compassionate care, emphasizing training and ongoing support for caregivers through each local franchise office. The company has been recognized for franchise relations and business success by organizations including the Canadian Franchise Association and the International Franchise Association. Since 2003, Home Instead has also supported the Home Instead Senior Care charity foundation, providing education, scholarships, and health advocacy programs for the elderly. Benefits, training, and advancement opportunities can vary by specific franchise location, so candidates should confirm specifics with a local office during the hiring process.

Yes. Employers in the in-home senior care industry, including Home Instead franchise locations, are legally required to conduct thorough background checks on caregiver candidates, given the vulnerable population served and the unsupervised, in-home nature of the work. In the United States, employment screening is governed by the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), which requires employers to obtain written consent, provide disclosures, and follow adverse action procedures.

Home Instead is generally reported to conduct background checks as part of its hiring process, which is standard and often legally required for in-home caregivers who work directly and unsupervised with elderly clients.

The hiring process for Care Professional roles at Home Instead typically includes an application, an interview with local franchise office staff, reference checks, and a background check prior to a final offer, along with any relevant caregiver training.

Background check timelines can vary based on the type of screening requested and how quickly records can be verified. Learn more about typical background check turnaround times to understand what factors can affect the process.

A typical pre-employment background check for an in-home caregiver role may include:

Under the FCRA, criminal history reporting is generally limited to seven years for most background checks, though many states impose more extensive lookback periods or disqualifying offense lists for caregivers working with elderly or vulnerable populations.

Hiring decisions involving candidates with criminal records are generally made on a case-by-case basis by each franchise location, taking into account the nature of the offense, how much time has passed, and its relevance to a role involving unsupervised, in-home care of elderly clients. Many states maintain specific disqualifying offense lists for caregivers serving vulnerable populations that go beyond standard "ban-the-box" laws protections.

Candidates can generally expect to provide personal information such as full legal name, date of birth, and Social Security number, along with signed consent authorizing the background check, in compliance with FCRA and applicable state requirements for in-home care providers.

The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) is a federal law that regulates how employers can use background check information in hiring decisions. It requires employers to notify candidates before running a check, obtain written consent, and follow specific adverse action procedures if a decision is made based on background check results.

Running a personal background check with Checkr lets you preview what Home Instead may see during the hiring process, helping you address any concerns before you apply. A personal background check can include:

Learn more about Checkr Personal Background Checks and explore your Checkr Profile to see what information may appear in your own background check.

If you're a candidate with a background check in progress through Checkr as part of your application to Home Instead or another employer, you can check your status through the Candidate Portal. For additional support, visit the Checkr Help Center.

The information provided in this article does not, and is not intended to, constitute legal advice. All information is for general informational purposes only. Checkr does not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of this information and is not responsible for any errors or omissions, or for the results obtained from the use of this information. This article may contain links to other third-party websites. Such links are only for the convenience of the reader. Checkr does not endorse the contents of the third-party sites and disclaims any affiliation with the companies mentioned in this article unless otherwise stated.