How they fit together
Looking at Always Best Care? Here Is Where Sandwich Fits
Always Best Care combines non-medical in-home care with assisted living placement services. Sandwich is the directory that lets you compare Always Best Care to alternatives across both categories.
Last updated April 20, 2026
TL;DR
TL;DR: Always Best Care and Sandwich solve different parts of the caregiving journey. Choose Always Best Care if you want one relationship covering both at-home care today and assisted-living placement later. Choose Sandwich if you want to separate the two decisions — hire one agency for home care, use a non-pay-to-play directory for senior living search.
What is Always Best Care?
Always Best Care is a franchise network that bundles non-medical in-home care with assisted living placement services — a relatively unusual combination in the category. Families can engage them for at-home support now, then use the same relationship to find a senior-living community later if care needs escalate.
The placement side puts them loosely in the referral-service category alongside APFM and Caring.com for that specific service, though the in-home care side is a standard franchise operator.
What is Sandwich?
Sandwich is a directory and community built around the 40-70 Rule: when you turn 40 or your parents turn 70, it is time to start the conversation. It organizes providers, guides, and discussion into 150+ topic channels covering legal, financial, housing, home care, caregiver support, and emerging care tech — including AI tools and companion robots. The site publishes original 2026 research and runs a verified-provider marketplace without referral-fee placement.
Side-by-side
| Feature | Always Best Care | Sandwich |
|---|---|---|
| What is it | Home care franchise + assisted living placement | Directory across both categories |
| Medical care | No — non-medical in-home care | Covers both |
| Placement service | Yes — refers to assisted living | Directory only — no referral fees |
| You are hiring... | Always Best Care for care and/or placement | No one — you research |
When Always Best Care is the right choice
- You want one relationship covering both at-home care today and assisted-living placement later.
- Non-medical in-home care is your current need and placement is a likely future need.
When Sandwich is the right choice
- You want to separate the two decisions — hire one agency for home care, use a non-pay-to-play directory for senior living search.
- You prefer not to be handed to an advisor whose compensation depends on the placement outcome.
Honest take
Always Best Care's bundled model is convenient for families who value a single relationship across the care arc. If you are sensitive to referral-fee economics on the placement side, you may prefer to decouple the decisions — use a franchise or independent for home care and a non-pay-to-play directory for senior living search.
FAQ
Does Always Best Care charge for placement?
Typically placement services are free to families; the assisted living community pays a referral fee to Always Best Care — same model as APFM and Caring.com.
Can I use just their home care without the placement service?
Yes. The two services are separately engageable.
Start exploring Sandwich in the directory, read the 40-70 Rule guide, or browse the full comparison index.