ameriCARE Delivers Trusted Home Care With Dignity, Compassion and Innovation
You don’t need to be a nurse or a tech whiz to run a successful ameriCARE home care franchise — but Erika Giraldo happens to be both, and it has deepened her appreciation for her newest role. “It’s not just about providing services — it’s about making people feel seen and safe,” she says. That perspective fuels everything Giraldo does, from supporting her caregivers to comforting clients and their families. With ameriCARE, she’s found a business that blends purpose and heart — and she’s running with it.
Despite those qualifications, Giraldo has sometimes needed to assert herself as a female business owner. “In healthcare, I always felt respected for my compassion and skills at the bedside. In the business world, I’ve had to advocate for myself a bit more, especially in financial or operational conversations,” she says regarding her ameriCARE franchise, which provides home-based nonmedical services for clients needing personal hygiene assistance, companionship, transportation, meal preparation and light housekeeping.
Giraldo’s résumé includes two years in the ICU of BayCare Health System in Dunedin, Fla. “I supported critically ill patients and their families during hard moments in their lives. Later I moved to the Mother and Baby Unit, one of the happiest places in the hospital, where I helped families as they welcomed new life into the world.”
She also has worked in software engineering, which “gave me a valuable perspective on operations, organization and problem-solving, skills I use daily for financial and invoicing side of our business. I also developed a payroll app that streamlined operations and supports our growing team. It’s a small example of how technology and compassion can work hand in hand.
An Essential Business
ameriCARE appealed as a franchise “that wasn’t just about numbers, but about people,” she says. “During years of working in health care, I saw how essential it is for people to feel valued, loved and cared for while being treated with dignity and compassion, especially in vulnerable moments.” She and her partner opened their Pinellas County, Fla., franchise in December 2022.
The brand “felt like the perfect fit because it aligned so closely with the values we already lived by: kindness, trust and personalized care,” Giraldo says. “It wasn’t just a business opportunity. It was a calling, and we knew it could make a meaningful impact in our community while we built something special together.”
To assist their franchise, ameriCARE delivers “the tools and resources to build something we’re proud of while allowing us the freedom to infuse our personal mission and values into the way we care for clients,” Giraldo says.“ameriCARE has provided personalized, ongoing support— from marketing materials to leadership training and development programs that help us grow as both homecare providers and health care professionals.”
She manages 58 employees and has worked to create “a workplace rooted in kindness, efficiency and respect. I know how demanding this line of work can be, and we recognize our employees’ hard work and sacrifices. We create an environment where they feel respected, appreciated and part of a bigger mission, not just a job. We listen to our team, value their input, and offer flexibility wherever possible. In fact, my own mother works with us as a caregiver, which speaks to the trust and heart we’ve built within our team. It’s more than just a job for us — it’s a community.”
Making a Difference
She’s pleased that her ameriCARE franchise touches the lives of employees as well as clients. “Hearing a family member tell us that one of our caregivers made their loved one feel safe, cared for and happy is incredibly humbling. It reminds me of my time in the ICU and how even small acts of kindness can mean the world to someone in a vulnerable moment. Equally rewarding is knowing we’re helping our employees and their families by providing a reliable income and creating a workplace where people feel valued.”
With plans to expand the area served by her franchise, Giraldo works to secure more partnerships with local health care businesses, Veterans Affairs programs and community organizations. “Our growth isn’t just about numbers. We want to grow so we can uplift more families, offer job opportunities, and continue building a compassionate community.”
For more information. visit ameriCARE’s franchise website.
