Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: Concentration on Metropolitan Areas and What That Means for the Senior Home Service Industry

When Sharon Reynolds’ parents passed away in 2021, she found herself thinking that there had to be more options available to help people like her father, who was by himself and needed extra assistance at home. That experience led her to buy a franchise with the handyman and repair brand TruBlue Total House Care. Now she provides services to support seniors in over 100 rural Pennsylvania ZIP codes.

“When I first go over and meet somebody and talk to them about their needs, I introduce myself, and I tell them why I'm doing what I'm doing, and it kind of forms a bond,” says Reynolds. “They have a lot of fears that they don't know who to tell them. They don't want to tell their family.”

Since Reynolds first opened TruBlue, Pennsylvania has seen a shift in demographic data. There are now more concentrations in metropolitan areas like Pittsburgh and a continued decline in rural areas. Those who are choosing to stay in rural areas are typically older, causing people in the home service and assistance industries, like Reynolds, to become even more vital.