BY SAM VISE
THE OBSERVER
EAST ALABAMA — After nearly 14 years in East Alabama’s restaurant industry, Richard Scott traded pizza ovens for home safety assessments — a career change inspired by his family’s experience caring for his mother.
Scott officially launched TruBlue Home Service Ally of East Alabama in January, providing home maintenance, handyman services and aging-in-place modifications for seniors across Lee, Chambers, Russell and Tallapoosa counties, including Auburn, Opelika, Valley, Lanett, Smiths Station and Phenix City.
After deciding to move on from his franchise pizza business in 2024, Scott said he wasn’t looking for another restaurant venture. Instead, he saw an opportunity to bring the customer service philosophy that guided his restaurant career to an industry where families often struggle to find dependable help.
“I saw an opportunity in the home services space to take the way that I do business, which is going above and beyond for customers, and just meet the needs of this segment of the population,” Scott said. “Specifically, [it is] seniors in their homes that need help maintaining their homes in ways they’re no longer able to.”
Scott said the inspiration behind the business was much more personal.
About a decade ago, Scott and his siblings cared for their mother as she battled multiple sclerosis. As her mobility declined, everyday home maintenance became increasingly difficult, revealing a challenge that many families quietly face.
“That experience just exposed the reality that many homeowners can’t get around to all the things that need to be done in their homes,” Scott said.
As Scott and his brother balanced caring for their own families, Scott said they found themselves spending visits completing repairs instead of spending meaningful time with their mother.
“My brother and I found ourselves in a situation where we had our own busy families to take care of, and we didn’t have time to do things that needed to be done,” Scott said. “When we went to visit her, we didn’t really want to be doing handyman tasks; we wanted to be visiting with her and spending time with her instead of all the tasks.”
Scott said the experience left a lasting impression. He realized countless families across East Alabama were likely facing the same situation, and he set out to become the trusted resource his own family wished they had.
To prepare for the specialized work, Scott became a certified aging-in-place specialist through the National Association of Home Builders. The certification program trains professionals to identify potential hazards and recommend modifications that help older adults remain safely and independently in their homes.
Scott said every home assessment begins before he steps through the front door.
“We are looking very broadly,” he said. “On the outside, that is smooth, secure and lit entryways and exits, ease of access … steps going in and out of the house. Are there railings? Are they secure? And are they lit?”
Inside the home, the focus shifts to lighting, travel paths and accessibility.
“Many homes are not built for the needs of seniors, and certainly if you have a senior that has increased accessibility needs, like walkers and wheelchairs,” Scott said.
Many of the recommended improvements, Scott said, are simple changes rather than major renovations.
“It depends obviously on the home, but I think that what we’re talking about is not really drastic,” he said. “It may be just some simple things you may have not thought about. You look at carpet and rugs; those are very easy things to remove to create a safer walking path. A lot of these things are relatively minor and don’t intrude on the character of the house.”
Although TruBlue of East Alabama has only been operating since January, Scott said the work has already made a meaningful impact for local families.
One of his first clients was a widow whose late husband had always handled the home’s upkeep.
“She can’t get to it all or doesn’t want to do it all, and she calls on us,” Scott said. “We go quarterly to do the maintenance plan for her, but she calls on us for things her husband used to do around the house. We are her trusted ally, and we’re thankful to be able to help her in that way.”
In another project, Scott’s team installed roughly 15 grab bars and custom threshold ramps for a homeowner preparing for her husband to return home after a lengthy hospital stay with significant mobility limitations.
“When he got home, they were just delighted all that was done,” Scott said.
In addition to accessibility modifications, TruBlue provides routine home maintenance services, including changing air filters, replacing smoke detector batteries, cleaning gutters, repairing drywall, fixing plumbing issues and other handyman tasks that can become increasingly difficult or dangerous for older homeowners.
“Home maintenance is a reality of home ownership,” Scott said. “Every house is different. Every house has little things that need to be tended to. We just want to be a resource for that, to be there to take care of your house as you get older.”
For more information, visit trublueally.com/east-alabama.
Former restaurateur launches senior home service
