Home Care Strategy Lab

#66 Adam Berry built As Close as Family over nearly a decade before realizing the business had outgrown what he could sustainably manage on his own. Rather than walking away, he sold the agency to Avenues Home Care and stayed on to focus on the work he enjoys most while gaining the back-office support he was missing. In this episode, Adam and Avenues CEO Doug Markham break down how they found the right acquisition fit, what due diligence actually looked like, and why culture mattered more than valuation. They also share how they divide responsibilities after the sale, which functions are centralized versus kept local, and why giving operators autonomy has been critical to continued growth. Adam Berry / [email protected] Close as FamilyDoug Markham / [email protected] Home Care Sponsors:Phoebe.work - A self-driving alternative that fills shifts in minutes

#65 Many home care agencies don't realize they've crossed the Affordable Care Act threshold until the IRS comes knocking. Brendan Mullins, CRO of Vitable Health, explains why agencies with as early as $1–2M in annual revenue can already qualify as Applicable Large Employers, how 30 hours per week (not 40) triggers eligibility, and why variable caregiver schedules make ACA compliance especially difficult. We break down how the 50 Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) threshold is calculated, the misconceptions that lead agencies into trouble, and why penalties can quickly climb into the six figures. Brendan also walks through how ACA audits typically unfold, why compliance issues often surface years later, and the common mistakes agencies make along the way. Brendan Mullins on LinkedInVitablehealth.com ACA Penalty Calculator

We cover:Why home care leaders are moving from AI exploration to real-world adoption.The buy-vs-build debate and why many agencies are choosing AI partnerships.Helping schedulers spend less time chasing call-outs and more time supporting people.Supporting owner-operators as they scale from zero schedulers to their first hire.How AI can fill open shifts in minutes instead of hours.Moving from reactive scheduling to planning weeks in advance.Capturing caregiver preferences and scheduling knowledge through AI memory.Preventing tribal knowledge from walking out the door with staff turnover.Why AI works best as an amplifier—not a replacement—for great schedulers.Lessons learned from overcoming office-team skepticism and driving adoption.The surprising ways caregivers are embracing AI-powered communication.How AI is creating more proactive and human-centered operations.Extras:Connect with Corey Grissom / [email protected] See how Phoebe can transform your scheduler’s daily life 

We cover:Brady's journey from audiology to home care innovation.Right at Home's growth to 600+ franchises across four countries.Staying focused on non-medical home care.Why AI is exposing long-standing data quality issues.The importance of data hygiene and integrity.How bad data can erode trust and create risk.Common gaps in referral tracking, scheduling, and workflows.Making care documentation easier through voice-to-text technology.Aligning caregiver incentives with better documentation.Combining in-home observations with vital sign data.Moving from documentation to predictive care.Piloting RespirAI to identify COPD exacerbations earlier.Using technology to reduce avoidable hospitalizations.Why strong documentation is the foundation for predictive analytics.Solving for affordability, workforce shortages, and chronic disease.How home care can become the preferred model for aging in place.Navigating the realities of aging while embracing innovation.Some extras:Connect with Brady Schwab / [email protected] Learn more about Right at HomeRespirAI—the COPD pilot that Right at Home is conductingSee how Phoebe AI can eliminate missed clock in/outs and save your team hours each week

We cover:Team Select's growth across 15 states, 9,000 employees, and 5,000 patients.Meghan's transition from physical therapist to technology leader.Using operational technology to reinvest dollars into patients and caregivers.Building a new enterprise data warehouse from the ground up.Why successful AI starts with a strong data foundation.The launch of CareSight AI and Team Select's partnership with Questa.Using AI to identify patient deterioration sooner.Predicting potential readmissions 3–5 days in advance.Combining vitals, documentation, and AI-driven insights.Reducing avoidable hospitalizations through earlier intervention.How clinician buy-in accelerated adoption.Lessons learned from implementing AI at scale.Overcoming AI skepticism and technology resistance.Why clinicians should lead healthcare innovation.Start: Put clinicians first and solve their biggest workflow challenges.Stop: Boiling the ocean—focus on one problem at a time.Some Extras:Connect with Meghan Willson / [email protected] Learn more about Team Select Home CareSee how Phoebe AI can nearly eliminate scheduling call-outs

Bonus episode recorded live @ Home Care Innovation Forum in Palm Springs, CAKey topics include:Why weekly new revenue is the most important sales measurement and how it provides a real-time view of where new business is coming from.Ensuring sales activity stays aligned with referral accounts that are actively generating new business.What success looks like for new sales reps, including tracking the number of new referral accounts established.Brad's "controlled shotgun" approach to account management:Tier A: 10 key accounts Tier B: 10–15 growth accounts Tier C: 15–20 contingency or "just in case" accountsThe role of sales, operations, and branch leadership in building referral partner relationships and ensuring smooth transitions to start of care.Why great sales professionals focus on being present, not just visible, when engaging referral partners.How leaders can better equip sales teams with meaningful data that supports conversations and decision-making.The growing complexity of patient care and why sales professionals need a stronger understanding of clinical and complex-care scenarios.Positioning home care organizations as outcome-driven partners who help referral sources solve patient care challenges.Why organizations with service models that solve the widest range of problems are positioned to win.What to stop and start measuring:Stop: Overloading sales teams with insignificant data. Start: Viewing revenue as a measurement of performance rather than the sole metric of success.How experienced reps focus on long-term referral source retention and relationship management.Why response time may be the most important quality assurance metric in home care sales—and why speed matters.Extras:Connect with Brad Gilmore on LinkedIn or via email: [email protected] Learn more about Family Tree Private CareSee how Phoebe AI can double your scheduling outputHome Care Innovation Forum 2027 / Pasadena, CA on May 16-18 for Orgs $30M+

#64 Most home care agencies are still operating the old way: phone calls, spreadsheets, reactive scheduling, and constant firefighting. Nate West, owner of Heritage Home Care in Arizona, joins me to discuss how he's transformed a well-established agency from what he jokingly calls "the Stone Age" into a modern, tech-enabled operation in just two years. He talks about eliminating edge cases, transitioning from reactive scheduling to proactively filling shifts days and weeks in advance, and the role AI is playing in caregiver communication, shift confirmations, and open shift management. And maybe more importantly, we discuss what happens when technology frees schedulers from constant firefighting and allows them to focus on relationships, retention, and the overall client/caregiver experience.Nate explains the results Heritage has seen after six months of using Phoebe, including:• Median open shift fill time of just 9.7 minutes• No-call/no-shows reduced from 8 to just 1 year-over-year• 830 caregiver touch points per week handled by AI• 2,800+ shifts confirmed with a 97.8% confirmation rateNate West / [email protected] Home CarePhoebe—AI scheduling assistant for home care, mention the ‘LAB’ for a discount

#63 Most home care agencies treat dementia care as a service line. Full Bloom built an entire company around it. Jim Kimzey, Co-Founder of Full Bloom Home Care, shares the systems, training, and care philosophy that allow his team to successfully serve some of the most challenging dementia clients while helping caregivers, families, and staff thrive.Jim breaks down the three levers that drive better dementia outcomes, an eight-step process for overcoming care refusal, and the gold standard for supporting complex dementia clients at home. He also explains how a dementia-first approach can reduce caregiver burnout, ease operational strain, and create better experiences for clients and families. This conversation is a practical roadmap for delivering better care to anyone serving dementia clients and families. Jim KimzeyFull Bloom Memory CareBreakthrough: The Full Bloom Method for Overcoming Resistance to CareBest Practices Booklet—Dementia Home Care (Alzheimer’s Association)Danny Meyer's Salt Shaker Theory of Leadership Sponsors:Mertz Taggart—Home Care M&A Experts

#62 Most home care sales reps stay busy—but very few generate high-quality referrals consistently. Sean Reiley, CTO at 52 Weeks Marketing, breaks down the specific sales activities, scorecards, benchmarks, and accountability systems that separate top-performing reps from everyone else. Sean shares the five sales activities that actually drive referrals, how many referral sources a rep should manage, what productivity should look like week-to-week, and the biggest mistakes operators and sales leaders make when managing referral accounts.Sean Reiley / [email protected] Weeks Marketing & CRM Sponsors:GUIDE-Ready Respite Provider Program (Debbie Miller + Harmonic Health)CMS GUIDE Participant List (spreadsheet download)

#61 90% of home care calls still happen in crisis mode—after the fall, hospitalization, or cognitive decline has already escalated. Paula Marks, VP of At Home Caregivers, explains why the industry must move from reactive “sick care” to preventative wellness models before the caregiver shortage reaches a breaking point. From the growing demand for in-home monitoring technology to the surprising resistance coming from referral sources themselves, Paula breaks down what’s actually preventing families from aging safely at home—and why quality, prevention, and trusted partnerships will dictate the future of home care.Paula [email protected] Home Caregivers Sponsors:Phoebe.work

#60 Amy Pierce spent more than 20 years as a nurse and saw firsthand how fragmented healthcare makes it incredibly difficult—especially for older adults—to navigate. In 2018, she and her husband Scott set out to fix that. They started with nurse-led care management, quickly growing to ~10 clients before expanding the team—and within just six months realized they needed to bring caregiving in-house to control quality and outcomes. About 1–2 years later, they added clinical oversight so they could handle situations like a 4pm Friday change in condition without sending clients to the ER.Fast forward 8 years, Coastal Care Partners has grown to 340+ employees and become the largest single-site home care company in Georgia, with an integrated team that includes physicians, nurse practitioners, nurses, and therapists—even operating multiple primary care practices and specialty services. Their caregivers go through a 100-hour internal training program, reinforcing their reputation as “elite” providers in their market. Amy shares how they built this model step-by-step—“building the airplane while flying it”—why hiring and communication are everything, and how integration allows them to manage rising conditions like dementia, Parkinson’s, and heart disease more effectively at home. She also breaks down the operational lessons, leadership challenges, and why she believes integrated care is the future of aging services.Show Notes:Amy Pierce on LinkedInCoastal Care PartnersBook: The Aging Care Blueprint for Families by Amy PierceEOS—Entrepreneurial Operating System for businesses Sponsors:Mertz Taggart—Value Accelerator Program

#59 Scott Pierce didn’t come from home care—he came from broadcasting and healthcare software. But after navigating his parents’ complex health needs, he and his wife Amy built something entirely different in Savannah, Georgia. Eight years later, Coastal Care Partners is doing nearly $13M in revenue and 7,000 hours of care per week—all from a single location.Scott breaks down some of the unconventional decisions behind their growth:Why he focused on hours and Google reviews—not margins or EBITDAHow staying 100% private pay shaped their modelThe early bets on caregiver pay, training, and infrastructureLessons from distractions, failed ideas, and scaling without outside capitalAnd why most agencies stay stuck—and what it actually takes to break throughScott Pierce on LinkedInCoastal Care PartnersBook: The Aging Care Blueprint for Families by Amy PierceBook: Unreasonable Hospitality by Will Guidara

#58 His father founded the first home care company in Connecticut in 1985. After leaving to pursue a career in finance and private equity, Conant rejoined the family business in 2018. What he walked into? Whiteboards, minimal systems, and plenty of opportunity. In less than eight years, he’s helped 4x the business, driven by thoughtful change management, stronger office staff, and continuous process improvement. Conant breaks down how he hires and develops his office team, how they approach micro vs. macro SOP changes, and why regularly visiting other home care operators has been a game-changer for challenging his thinking and bringing fresh ideas back to the business. Conant SchoenlyCharter Oak Home Care Sponsors:Phoebe

#57 The federal government invested $500 million to understand why seniors are readmitted to the hospital within 30 days—and uncovered six key “preventable” gaps driving the problem. Ethan Guerrieri, VP of Operations at Preferred Care at Home, breaks down the research, explains each gap, and shares how his team turned these insights into their Smooth Transition Care Program. Designed for hospitals and SNFs, this evidence-based approach equips case managers and discharge planners with the tools and education they need to reduce readmissions—and shows why home care is the missing link in keeping clients safely at home.Ethan GuerrieriPreferred Care at HomeSmooth Transition Care BROCHURESmooth Transition Care FLYERSmooth Transition Care PERSONAL HEALTH RECORD Sponsors:GUIDE-Ready Respite Provider Program (Debbie Miller + Harmonic Health)CMS GUIDE Participant List (spreadsheet download)

#56 From 110,713 caregiver applicants, 76% of those hired live less than 20 miles from the center of an agency’s service area. Location, hours, and pay are a few of the most important things applicants care about according to Jen Waldron, Co-Founder of Augusta. Every quarter, Augusta publishes the Recruitment Benchmark Report that details top recruitment channels, interview preferences, time-to-hire stats, previous caregiving experience, and top benefits applicants are looking for. Jen shares data and insights she’s gleaned having seen nearly 1 million caregiver applications over the years—the results are simple, yet staggering.  Jen WaldronAugusta - Home Care Recruitment Operating Solution Augusta Q4 2025 Caregiver Recruitment Benchmark Report Sponsors:Mertz Taggart—check out their Value Accelerator ProgramPocketRN—team up with a GUIDE partner 

#55 Adding virtual assistants hasn’t just been a cost-strategy, it’s become a growth strategy for CareAdvantage. EVP Olivia Jones shares how initial skepticism gave way to a fully integrated model supporting both recruiting and on-call operations. Today, a team of 6 VAs drives the top of the recruiting funnel—each completing ~220 calls per week and collectively bringing in 40+ new caregivers weekly, while also placing dozens into their new caregiver training program. Olivia explains down how they hire, onboard, and train VAs like any other team member, and why that’s critical to success. She also unpacks how they’re unraveling a 30+ person, reactive on-call model with a proactive, live-answer approach that improves both cost and quality. The integration of VAs is creating a new hybrid operating model that’s helping CareAdvantage cut costs, improve quality, and increase accessibility. Olivia JonesCareAdvantageHelper Heroes - Home Care VAs / mention the Lab Sponsor:Phoebe—mention LAB for 10% off

#54 So you joined the GUIDE Program…but referrals aren’t coming in like you expected. Now what? That’s exactly where Debbie Miller—Owner of Senior Helpers Nashville and Founder of 52 Weeks Marketing—found herself. Instead of waiting, she got to work.After running into gaps during implementation, Debbie didn’t just “figure it out”—she built a complete system around GUIDE:A step-by-step process to train her teamA way to onboard and track every referralProven marketing to sell GUIDE to current clients, referral partners, and new familiesOngoing coaching and supportShe partnered with Harmonic Health to bring it all together—and the results speak for themselves: 1) over $500K generated (and climbing toward $1M) from GUIDE clients and 2) significant additional revenue from added hours. Debbie calls GUIDE “the best thing to hit home care in 20 years”—but only for providers who take action.If you’re sitting on GUIDE and waiting for it to work… this is what it actually looks like to make it work.Debbie Miller on LinkedInSIGN UP HERE for GUIDE-Ready Respite Provider ProgramPodcast slide deck52 Weeks Marketing—turnkey home care sales systemHelper Heroes—home care trained virtual assistants 

#53 “Care managers turn chaos into clarity—bridging what families want with what their loved ones truly need.” Steve Barlam, a 40+ year geriatric care management leader, former ALCA president, and CEO of JFS Care, shares lessons from building one of the most integrated care management–led home care models in the country. He breaks down the critical differences between home care management and aging life care management, and why clarity in terminology and scope are essential for both families and providers. We unpack the business realities of adding care management—from recruiting the right talent to navigating pricing, market demand, and referral dynamics. Steve also explains how care management can both drive home care growth and coexist with external partners when done thoughtfully. He offers a forward-looking perspective on the industry, adapting to technology, coaching families, and the urgent need to scale care management to meet the growing demand.Steve Barlam on LinkedInJFS Care Thoughtful Engagement ProgramALCA—Aging Life Care Association Care Management Certification bodies:NACCM CCMC NASW Sponsors:Phoebe—mention 'LAB' for 10% off

#52 What began as a personal mission to find young, hip caregivers for her aunt quickly turned into a business opportunity—and eventually the founding of Halcyon Home, now the 4th largest woman-owned business based in Austin, TX. CEO Amy Sweet shares how her clinical background as a physician assistant led her to quickly add geriatric care management, home health, and hospice to her home care company—and what she learned navigating the complex Texas licensing process. She discusses the leadership challenges of scaling multiple service lines, hiring the right people to grow each department, and communicating how home care, home health, and hospice work together both internally and externally. Today, Halcyon provides thousands of visits every day and employs nearly 1,000 people across its services. Amy also shares her long-term vision of building an intergenerational community where seniors, students, and children thrive together.Amy Sweet on LinkedInHalcyon Home

#51 Jenny Johnson was an ICU nurse when a traumatic health crisis in her family changed the course of her career. After discovering private in-home nursing care, she decided to launch her own home care company, Heart of Gold Nursing. Jenny shares the leadership lessons she learned transitioning from hospital culture to running a home care business—building strong communication systems, prioritizing high-need clients, empowering her office team to make decisions, and creating growth opportunities for caregivers. She also explains how adding care management became a game-changing service line, helping her team address both the task-based needs of clients and the bigger clinical picture families struggle to navigate. She’s just a few years into her journey and she’s building an inspiring nurse-led model of care with a story and success everyone can learn something from. Jenny Johnson on [email protected] Heart of Gold Nursing  Sponsors:Mertz Taggart

#50 Indiana switched its Medicaid home care system to Managed Care in 2024—and two years later, many providers say the transition is still a “hot mess,” to put it mildly. Christian Sullivan, an office manager at one of Altra Home Care’s four Indiana locations, shares what it’s really been like on the ground: navigating new MCO relationships, managing operational complexity, supporting clients stuck on long waiting lists, and what this shift could mean long term. Relevant for any home care operator—but especially those serving Medicaid or operating in managed care states.Christian Sullivan on [email protected] Altra Home Care Sponsors:Helper HeroesPocketRN 

#49 Every home care business will go through a transition at some point in time via buy, sell, or exit. Cory Mertz, Managing Partner at Mertz Taggart shares why owners often overestimate “the multiple” and underestimate risk, and how factors like reimbursement exposure, transition planning, and management depth quietly drive value. We talk about common blind spots in profitable agencies, why highly unique businesses aren’t always the most attractive acquisition targets, and how buyers are thinking differently today than they were a few years ago. Cory also opens up about the emotional side of selling, the life events that change an owner’s timeline, and what transition risk really looks like before, during, and after a sale. Cory Mertz on [email protected] TaggartValue Acceleration Program

#48 You’ve probably heard about the Medicare GUIDE program—but you may still be wondering: Is my agency a fit? And how do we actually participate? PocketRN Co-Founder and CEO Jenna Morgenstern-Gaines delivers one of the clearest breakdowns I’ve heard on how GUIDE really works. We unpack the program model, the difference between participants and partner organizations, patient eligibility and enrollment, what services are actually included, and how home care agencies can use GUIDE to strengthen and differentiate their dementia care. If dementia is part of your caseload, this is an episode you can’t afford to miss. GUIDE isn’t just another program—it’s an early signal of where dementia care, reimbursement, and home care integration are heading.PocketRNPocketRN + Medicare Guide ProgramJenna [email protected]  Sponsors:Helper Heroes - high-quality virtual assistants that know home careMertz Taggart - the leading home care M&A firm advising sellers at every stage

#47 If you’re building a strong culture, social media is easy. If you’re not, social media feels impossible—and most leaders opt out. Nick Bonitatibus breaks down how home care leaders should actually be using social platforms: not as a sales channel, but as a weekly business tool. We talk about what content really performs right now, why raw posts build more trust than polished ones, how to attract referrals and talent, and what real relationship-building looks (and it’s not cold DMs). We talk about how to translate visibility and credibility into real business outcomes—tune in. Nick Bonitatibus on LinkedInDigital ChampsVideo Sales Accelerator

#46 There’s more to private pay rates than most people think. Jesse Walters, CEO of Hillendale Home Care, shares what it’s like to operate as both a low-cost provider and a premium provider—and the challenges that come with each. Jesse walks through acquiring Hillendale, scaling the business by 600% in just three years, and how pricing decisions impacted competition, staffing, and continuity of care along the way. He also discusses opening multiple de novo offices in his California market—by the way, de novo means starting from the beginning—and what that taught him about rates as a long-term strategy, not just a short-term revenue lever.Jesse Walters on [email protected]://hillendalehomecare.com/ About HillendaleHillendale Home Care provides trusted, relationship-based in-home care for older adults throughout the San Francisco Bay Area, serving Contra Costa, Alameda, Sonoma, Santa Clara, and San Mateo Counties. The agency offers personalized support designed to help seniors live safely and comfortably at home, including companionship, personal care, dementia care, and assistance with daily living. Hillendale is known for its thoughtful caregiver matching, high standards of care, and deep commitment to the local communities it serves. Sponsors:Phoebe.workMertzTaggart.com 

#45 In the past 6-12 months, AI has gone from interesting and useful to reliable and effective. Dave Dworschak from Phoebe explains what that actually means for operators. It’s not a replacement for people, but a teammate that takes repetitive work off administrator’s plates. Dave breaks down three real scheduling workflows where AI is already being used today: last-minute call-out outreach, proactive shift confirmation, and missed clock-in and clock-out cleanup. Tasks that used to take schedulers 1.5 to 2 hours are now being handled in under 15 minutes. We focus on how agencies can integrate AI into their existing systems, workflows, and culture to reduce constraints, protect revenue, and give teams their time back without adding headcount.Dave Dworschak on [email protected] PhoebeHow Phoebe cut down missed shifts by 75%  If you're interested in learning more about Lab Partners—email me at [email protected]. 

#44 Nick Provost started in home care as a teenager at his family’s business and has now spent his entire adult life working his way up in home care, eventually stepping into his current leadership role at Gratitude Homecare in New Jersey. The core of his care philosophy is: every family should look back and say working with us was “the best money we ever spent.” We dig into the reality of private-pay business development in home care and the two hats every great BD leader must wear: building referral relationships and converting those referrals into clients. Nick had no formal sales training, but he explains how active listening, being a true resource, and deep industry knowledge have helped him thrive in a highly competitive market. He breaks down what’s working with his top referral accounts, how he asks for and earns business, and the feedback loops that keep referrals coming back consistently.Nick Provost on [email protected] Gratitude Homecare Sponsors:Mertz TaggartHelper Heroes

#43 - He’s scaled Sunny Days In-Home Care to more than 37,000 hours of care each week across five offices through a mix of organic growth and acquisitions. In this episode, CEO John Bennett breaks down exactly how he’s centralized his back office, structured his org chart, and defined a clear set of North Star KPIs. He shares why hours—not revenue—drive alignment across the organization, how shift coverage acts as a real-time pulse check on culture, and how RACI thinking brings clarity as teams grow. John also walks through the challenge of getting buy-in during periods of change, especially when roles evolve and specialization increases. And he shares the teams' simple but powerful focus: maximizing the “hours of good” they delivers to individuals and families who need care most.John Bennett on [email protected] Sunny Days In-home Care Sponsors:Mert TaggartPhoebe—10% off, mention the Lab

#42 He grew the business impressively for five years, exited daily operations, and then things didn’t go as planned. Justin Currie, CEO of Thema Home Care opens up about what happened after he stepped away, the people and process issues he discovered, and how he ultimately tuned the business around. He gets detailed and prescriptive on people in the wrong seats, processes not being followed, hard decisions and conversations he had to have, and the results of re-engaging in daily operations. He also shares an exciting update about partnering with the American Health at Home fund to expand his business and open new doors for accelerated growth. Justin Currie on [email protected] Home CareAmerican Health at Home Sponsors:Helper Heroes—virtual assistants trained for home care operationsPhoebe—AI scheduling assistant for call-out coverage, shift confirmation, clock in/out reminders, and more

#41 Lawyers. Home Care. California. Need we say more… I sat down with Angelo Spinola, ‘the lawyer of home care’, shareholder at Poslinelli, and one of his clients, Yazmin Hamilton, VP of Compliance at industry giant, 24 Hour Home Care. Angelo talks about audit pitfalls, misunderstood regulations, when to bring in outside counsel, and how to be proactive before it’s too late. Yazmin breaks down her 20-person compliance team, what they’re focused on, how they operate, and lessons learned scaling across states, services, and payor sources. These two keep what could be a dry legal episode, fresh with stories and frameworks applicable to any home care business.  Angelo Spinola on LinkedInPolsinelli: Home Health, Home Care & HospicePOSH: Polsinelli Online Solutions for Home CareYazmin Hamilton on LinkedIn24 Hour Home Care Sponsors:Phoebe—AI assistant for scheduling communicationAcrisure—leading insurance broker for home care

#40 A $5M home care company can have upwards of 300-500 communication touch points in a single day. It’s not uncommon for an agency to be using 8-12 tech tools and for caregivers to interphase with 3-5 every week. Technology often feels like the root of many issues, even turnover, but often times it’s actually the integration and implementation of these tools. Denise DiSano, the Founder and CEO of enCappture breaks down her 3 C’s framework to analyze and improve your tech selection, adoption, and consolidation. Denise DiSano on [email protected] websitePDF: Caregiver Retention Day 1 Checklist Sponsors:Helper HeroesSmartAutomations.Care

#39 Melissa Morante didn’t come from home care—she came from New York PR—but since joining her family’s agency in 2016, she’s become one of South Florida’s go-to experts on Parkinson’s and chronic illness care. In this episode, she shares how that deep dive into Parkinson’s led to her building a network of support groups that now serve hundreds of families looking for education, community, and relief from caregiver burnout. We talk about what it really takes to run effective support groups, why consistency matters more than structure, where she hosts these groups, and how these gatherings have become one of the agency’s most meaningful differentiators. Melissa also opens up about the challenges and the opportunities ahead as they expand into other chronic illnesses and community partnerships. Melissa Morante on LinkedInComForCare Palm BeachAmerican Parkinson’s Disease Association (APDA)Parkinson’s FoundationMichael J Fox FoundationPMD Alliance

Live @ HCAOA—20-minute conversation with Clayton Foutch, CEO of Home Matters CaregivingClayton Foutch on LinkedInHome Matters CaregivingHome Matters started as a family business in 2007, franchised in 2020, and now has 39 locations nationwide.Built on a nurse-guided, innovation-focused model shaped by Clayton’s engineering background.Traditional care mainly serves the top 5% who can afford $10–30K/month, leaving a huge access and labor gap.The team has reviewed ~40 emerging technologies and formally tested several to close these gaps.Passive tech matters most—anything clients must wear, charge, or interact with quickly fails.Sensi leads in audio-based passive monitoring, but roughly 25% of clients still resist it.Operators must shift from reactive to proactive care models using tech to prevent incidents.Agencies can partner with discharge planners by offering tech-forward solutions for families who can’t afford full-time care, proving value through metrics like readmissions.Sponsors:Baba (callbaba.com): AI phone-based co-pilot for seniors to prevent loneliness, create support, and connect them with professionals Paradigm (paradigmseniors.com): Credentialing, billing automation, and revenue cycle management for VA and Medicaid paymentsHomeSight (vantiva.com/homesight): TV-based wellness hub for blended care—video visits, health monitoring, and daily reminders for the family and care team

Live @ HCAOA—20-minute conversation with Michelle Cone, SVP of Industry Engagement at HomeWell Franchising, Inc.Michelle Cone on LinkedInHomeWell Franchising The investment that’s paid off in home care: 1) learning to lead with patience and 2) learning to play the long gameLeading with patience:Don’t scrap ideas or initiatives after a matter of weeks, give important things more timeMeasure everything and make decisions off of quantity and quality Find mentors who embody patience and shadow themHome care is reactive and we want to solve problems quickly, but give yourself time and space to think, reflect, and process issues accordingly Systematize ‘how you process’ as a leader, so you can improve over timePlaying the long game:In sales: building relationships, processes, and trust that lastsIn operations: short term goals, long term initiatives, and both require clear expectations and a plan of executionPut in place: monthly, quarterly, annual, and 5-year goalsMichelle’s personal mission: educating anyone and everyone on the impact and benefit of home careThe time is now for home care—we’ve put in the work, time to double down on what’s working.Keeping an eye on CMS Guide Program in 2026. Partnered with PocketRN with a focus on reducing hospital readmissions.The 3-legged stool: non-medical, skilled, hospice > personal care pulling apart from companionship, palliative care taking on a bigger role > the nature and structure of home care is shifting Sponsors:Baba (callbaba.com): AI phone-based co-pilot for seniors to prevent loneliness, create support, and connect them with professionals Paradigm (paradigmseniors.com): Credentialing, billing automation, and revenue cycle management for VA and Medicaid paymentsHomeSight (vantiva.com/homesight): TV-based wellness hub for blended care—video visits, health monitoring, and daily reminders for the family and care team

Live at HCAOA—30-minute conversation with Stephen Tweed, Founder/CEO of Leading Home CareHighlightsStephen Tweed on LinkedInleadinghomecare.comHome Care CEO ForumThe big metric: Hours per week = the currency of home careLesson common but more important: Hours per client per week = the health of the businessIt indicates:Where clients are coming fromWhich referrals give the longest hour clients Which referrals and clients have the longest length of stay and LTVHours per client per week + length of stay = $ value of the clientNext comes: Hours per caregiver per week3 types of caregivers: professional caregivers (40-60/hrs a week), half-time professional caregivers (20-30 hours a week), part-time intermittent caregivers (come and go) 4 levels of your ‘data stream’Level 1: raw dataLevel 2: information Level 3: knowledge Level 4: wisdom Clients and families want 2 things: reliability and continuityClients go through ‘5 phases of flow’: Phase 1: attractionPhase 2: conversionPhase 3: staffingPhase 4: caregiving Phase 5: collections 2026 Future of Home Care StudySystem = process + peopleIf you do a task weekly in your business, you need to systematize it. Applying AI: the task, the internal systems, and the competitive ecosystem (differentiation) 

#38 Most home care agencies talk about “differentiation,” but the Supported Living Group in Connecticut is actually doing it. In this episode, Executive Director Jamie Arber breaks down how his team built a high-acuity, high-retention brain-injury program anchored by Medicaid waivers (ABI), brick-and-mortar program sites, creative arts and vocational services, and an in-house clinical team. He explains the financial model (including $60K–$350K waiver budgets), how programs extend client lifetime value, and why specialization protects margins. Jamie also shares what Medicaid waiver work really requires—operational sophistication, rapid responsiveness, the ability to bolt on profitable private-pay and workers’ comp layers and more. Jamie Arber on [email protected] Supported Living Group ABI Waiver Program in CT

Live at HCAOA—15 minute conversation with Jenny Cambra, CEO of Senior Helpers HonoluluHighlights:Jenny’s hospitality background and personal family experience with dementia care led her into home care.She sees strong overlap between hospitality and home care—both people-centered service industries.She went to nursing school to better understand and support her caregivers.Early growth came quickly: a referral on day two and she hired 12 caregivers ahead of demand.Her philosophy: don’t overthink it—listen to what families say they need.Hawaii’s high cost of care requires transparency; she openly explains why they aren’t the cheapest.Their pricing reflects strong caregiver investment: fair wages, 401(k), recognition, training, and a real career path.They emphasize that the agency carries the liability—something families often don’t see.Goal: keep clients safe at home with the right tools, hours, and support.They now recommend an 8-hour/week minimum and do 90-day reassessments to track changes in condition.Close collaboration with DME companies helps maintain safety in the home.Aiming for CHAP certification in 2026 to validate their patient-centered [email protected] Sponsors:Baba (callbaba.com): AI phone-based co-pilot for seniors to prevent loneliness, create support, and connect them with professionals Paradigm (paradigmseniors.com): Credentialing, billing automation, and revenue cycle management for VA and Medicaid paymentsHomeSight (vantiva.com/homesight): TV-based wellness hub for blended care—video visits, health monitoring, and daily reminders for the family and care team

Live at HCAOA—45 minute conversation with Carmen Perry, the VP of Provider Engagement @ ParadigmHighlights:Carmen started in skilled nursing, where she saw how many seniors wanted to stay home but couldn’t afford care—driving her to learn funding options like Aid & Attendance.Veterans often distrust the VA due to past inconsistencies; bringing in TriWest and Optum improved operations and triggered an influx of providers.Many markets are now oversaturated, but veterans still have choice—agencies can find and enroll veterans directly, even in “closed” states like CA and TX where rural gaps still exist.Biggest myth: getting credentialed brings instant referrals. Reality: you earn growth through excellent care and strong relationships with case managers.Success depends on communication, advocacy, and becoming the local expert—engage with VFW posts, American Legion, and Wounded Warrior groups.Credentialing varies widely by state and timeline; you need proper licensing, NPI, compliance, and patience.First referrals are high-stakes: follow VA rules (no OT, no holiday pay, correct billing cycles) to avoid risking credentialing.Nationwide, VA hours and authorizations are tightening; incomplete caregiver notes can result in lost hours because case managers lack context.Providers must tell the full story in documentation and prepare for stricter screening and re-credentialing processes that are popping up at more and more VA offices. Paradigmseniors.com / vault.paradigmseniors.com National Aging in Place Council: https://ageinplace.org/ Sponsors:Baba (callbaba.com): AI phone-based co-pilot for seniors to prevent loneliness, create support, and connect them with professionals Paradigm (paradigmseniors.com): Credentialing, billing automation, and revenue cycle management for VA and Medicaid paymentsHomeSight (vantiva.com/homesight): TV-based wellness hub for blended care—video visits, health monitoring, and daily reminders for the family and care team

#37 42% of Direct Care Workers rely on public health coverage and on average only 32% of agencies doing $1.6-4.9M in annual revenue are offering major medical. Joseph Kitonga, CEO of Vitable, breaks down what small, medium, and large agencies need to know about ACA compliance, nuances for part-time and FTEs, major medical plan options, and other advice and warnings when it comes to offer major medical. (See the chapter highlights below to skip to the content relevant to your size.) Joseph Kitonga on [email protected] Vitablehealth.comPHI: Direct Care Workers in the USActivated Insights Benchmarking—pg. 83Chapters:00:00 Introduction to Home Care and Health Insurance06:09 Joseph's Journey and Founding Vitable Health15:23 Common Misunderstandings in Health Insurance for Home Care20:50 Exploring Health Insurance Options for Home Care Agencies27:41 Understanding ACA Compliance and Employee Classification30:40 Strategies for Small Home Care Agencies38:51 Navigating Compliance for Mid-Sized Agencies44:58 Benefits and Challenges for Large Home Care Companies50:36 Preparing for Future Changes in Medicaid and Employee Needs

Live at HCAOA—20 minute conversation with Chaim Gewirtzman, CEO @ NCE Home CareHighlights: 00:00 Introduction to His Home Care Journey03:42 Relating to Caregivers: His Nursing Perspective06:42 Innovative Recruitment Strategies09:35 The Importance of Online Presence12:35 Social Media Investment and Strategy15:38 Employee Referral Programs with Personal Touch18:49 Valuing Caregivers Goes Beyond Monetary IncentivesSponsors:Baba (callbaba.com): AI phone-based co-pilot for seniors to prevent loneliness, create support, and connect them with professionals Paradigm (paradigmseniors.com): Credentialing, billing automation, and revenue cycle management for VA and Medicaid paymentsHomeSight (vantiva.com/homesight): TV-based wellness hub for blended care—video visits, health monitoring, and daily reminders for the family and care team

Live from HCAOA—45 minute conversation with Connor Sweeney, Co-Founder at CallBaba.Com Highlights: His grandma’s stroke pulled him into caregiving with his mom and grandfather.He cloned her voice to create AI speech-therapy agents tailored to her needs.Fascinating stat: dementia rates are higher among people who are deaf.Baba is an AI companion for questions, prayer, conversation, emotional support, and care advocacy.Seniors and families can connect through Baba to a network of doctors, nurses, and doulas.Works on any phone—even landlines.A personalized “friend” that listens, remembers, and adapts.Common use cases: prayer, conversational role-play, Q&A, nudges, reminders.Care teams can get alerts when health concerns show up in conversations.Try it: text hi to 833-355-2676.Advocacy services are Medicare-covered for many conditions.Key partners include MIT economist Jonathan Gruber and Johns Hopkins physician Peter Abadir.Ongoing study tracking loneliness, anxiety, cortisol levels, and emergency call trends.Home care agencies are a key distribution path to get Baba into clients’ homes.35:38 Personal stories of reduced loneliness and meaningful emotional support.Organizational outcomes: lower loneliness, better retention, fewer readmissions.For Medicare-eligible seniors: access to a full-time advocate and 24/7 customizable support—lightening caregiver load.Contact: [email protected] or callbaba.com.Sponsors:Baba (callbaba.com): AI phone-based co-pilot for seniors to prevent loneliness, create support, and connect them with professionals Paradigm (paradigmseniors.com): Credentialing, billing automation, and revenue cycle management for VA and Medicaid paymentsHomeSight (vantiva.com/homesight): TV-based wellness hub for blended care—video visits, health monitoring, and daily reminders for the family and care team

Live from HCAOA—15 minute conversation with Jennifer Axelrod, with A Place at HomeHighlights:Jennifer brings 3 years in home care and 15 years in franchising.She began as a franchise business coach at A Place at Home and now leads partnerships and national accounts.Home care is personal—her grandmother’s difficult Alzheimer’s journey shaped her “why.”Build a culture of recognition from day one, every day.Caregivers enter the field with purpose; they stay when they feel valued and supported.Tailor the interview and onboarding process to meet caregivers where they are.Learn their goals and create personalized career paths.Know caregivers personally and professionally; support whole-person wellbeing.As you scale, leverage tech to standardize training, recognition, check-ins, and feedback.Daily operations often push recognition aside—don't let it slip.Many agencies lack feedback loops to truly understand caregiver needs.Treat retention and recognition as a core operational pillar and document your process.Contact: [email protected]:Baba (callbaba.com): AI phone-based co-pilot for seniors to prevent loneliness, create support, and connect them with professionals Paradigm (paradigmseniors.com): Credentialing, billing automation, and revenue cycle management for VA and Medicaid paymentsHomeSight (vantiva.com/homesight): TV-based wellness hub for blended care—video visits, health monitoring, and daily reminders for the family and care team

#36 Too many home care leaders struggle to offer wages and benefits that truly support and retain their care staff. In this episode, Gabby Hoing, CEO of Kore Cares in South Dakota, breaks down her detailed wage, bonus, and benefits programs and explains why they work. She also shares how her office team conducts quarterly check-ins with every caregiver to gather feedback, understand their needs, and ensure meaningful support. It’s a highly informative and also inspiring conversation with a leader who started as a CNA and is now committed to elevating and supporting the people who care for our aging population.Gabby Hoing on LinkedInKore CaresWage & Bonus PDF Download Sponsors:Helper Heroes / helperheroes.com 24/7 Solutions / 247solutions.co

Live from HCAOA—20 minute conversation with Matt Ericksen, VP of Sales at Griswold Home Care Corporate Office in Blue Bell, PA. Highlights:He’s been in home care for 13, at Griswold for 5 yearsGriswold is 40 years in, founded by Jean Griswold, 230 locations in 32 statesHe got a history degree, but his wife urged him into health care scheduling, the rest is historyHome care has been his intersection for purpose, creativity, and coaching We have to do away with transactional caregiving, transactional schedulingWe have to pivot to solutions-based services and position it as such to familiesThe transition includes hourly care + remote monitoring to familiarize families with alternative, solutions-based services13:40 - Example: Parkinson’s CareA Parkinson's patient who avoids a serious fall or aspiration event might prevent 2-3 additional hospitalizations over the next 18 months.The ROI: One prevented hospitalization often cascades into preventing 2-4 more. That's $40,000-$140,000 in cumulative savings. That's when affordability flips from cost-center to investment.We have to communicate the story the numbers tell in a human-centered way that clients and families understandAgencies that are succeeding are nimble, adaptable, and solutions-focusedSponsors:Baba (callbaba.com): AI phone-based co-pilot for seniors to prevent loneliness, create support, and connect them with professionals Paradigm (paradigmseniors.com): Credentialing, billing automation, and revenue cycle management for VA and Medicaid paymentsHomeSight (vantiva.com/homesight): TV-based wellness hub for blended care—video visits, health monitoring, and daily reminders for the family and care team

LIVE from HCAOA—45 minute conversation with Janice Rehkopf, Director of Client Services at Comfort Keepers in Traverse City, MI.Highlights:People are talking about aging soonerEvery family, every client, every caregiver has a unique set of needsPeople want solutions-based care, not just more hoursMany seniors don’t need a caregiver right away, some times technology or a supplemental solution can come first99% of homes have TVs in them 7/10 homes already have cameras in themThe HomeSight Wellness Hub connects to the TV, has 2-way communication, a privacy shutter, and loads of applications and tools to manage medication reminders, family video calls, caregiver training, office communication, personalized calendars and  more23:14 - Primary Use Case: Wellness Calls34:12 - HomeSight is saving client's livesThey created a blended care model which includes multiple solutions to meet the clients needs: i.e. nutritional support, meals, emergency response pendents, hourly care, the wellness hub, etc. Learn more about HomeSight or get in touch with Janice directly: [email protected] Sponsors:Baba (callbaba.com): AI phone-based co-pilot for seniors to prevent loneliness, create support, and connect them with professionals Paradigm (paradigmseniors.com): Credentialing, billing automation, and revenue cycle management for VA and Medicaid paymentsHomeSight (vantiva.com/homesight): TV-based wellness hub for blended care—video visits, health monitoring, and daily reminders for the family and care team

LIVE from HCAOA—15 minute conversation with Carl Bossung, Co-Founder of Senior1Care in Indiana.Highlights:20 year family owned business, 6 offices, 600 employeesFormer leader in a CPA firm, grew it from 20 people to 6,000Got into home care for care for his mom and anticipating the demand of the baby boomer generationThe bought a CNA school, because whoever gets the best employees in a service business winsThe CNA school was winding down, they were already hiring out of the school, so they decided to buy it, 11 years agoTo date, since they took it over, they’ve trained 5,000 CNAs and hire about 15% of themThey’ve never made money on the school, but the small loss, is worth sourcing the talent The other 85% are going out and getting jobs, and it’s a great way to give back to the communityThe school has a 99% pass rateSenior1 sources many high school and college students out of the school, only challenge is many want fixed hour work weeksThere are 72 procedures for CNAs to learn, in the school they learn it in one weekThe investment hasn’t paid off, but it’s their recruiting engineThey’ll offer caregivers the option to get their CNA paid for if they work consistently, with no call-offs, for 3-6 monthsSponsors:Baba (callbaba.com): AI phone-based co-pilot for seniors to prevent loneliness, create support, and connect them with professionals Paradigm (paradigmseniors.com): Credentialing, billing automation, and revenue cycle management for VA and Medicaid paymentsHomeSight (vantiva.com/homesight): TV-based wellness hub for blended care—video visits, health monitoring, and daily reminders for the family and care team

#35 Technology is ending the era of dual-entry between phone calls and scheduling platforms in home care. Spencer joined the family-owned home care business three years ago and identified a handful of manual processes that needed attention immediately. Fast forward, he’s built a tool called SmartAutomations.Care that connects the phone system to your scheduling software and automates the documentation and communication of every single call that comes into the office so that nothing gets missed. He explains the workflows, the data that’s captured, success stories, and the results. This is the future of home care—removing dual entry, increasing efficiency, making office members 2-4x more efficient, and elevating the quality of care. Spencer Roth on LinkedInSpencer@smartautomations.careSmartAutomations.CareCypress Home Care SolutionsAirCall.io

#34 People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care. Jane Francis, EVP of Business Development at Senior1Care in Indiana, is newer to home care, but she brings deep experience in nursing, sales, leadership development, and scaling businesses. She took over a newly acquired, underperforming Medicaid office and transformed it into a 75% private pay operation, achieving 100% year-over-year growth. Along the way, she rebuilt the culture, redesigned processes with people at the center, and is now applying these strategies across six offices. Jane shares her process, the people who inspired her, and the decisions behind Senior1Care’s cultural turnaround, despite being an established successful company.Jane Francis on LinkedInSenior1Care Books: Leadership: Rocketfuel by Gino Wickman  Leadership: Mindset by Carol Dweck Sales: Sales Simplified by Mark Weinberg Marketing: Blue Ocean Strategy by W. Chan KimCulture: Culture Code by Daniel CoyleAging: Forever Young by Mark HymanChapters:00:00 Introduction to Jane Francis and Senior One Care01:51 Lessons Learned from a Diverse Career12:53 Joining Senior One Care: A New Chapter13:47 First 90 Days: Building Relationships and Trust18:32 Shifting the Business Model: From Medicaid to Private Pay22:49 Leadership and Culture: The Secret Sauce29:44 Operational Improvements: Structuring the Intake Call35:18 Re-structuring Office Roles and Responsibilities 40:57 Re-building a Strong Leadership Structure45:34 Focusing on People for Profits52:25 Creating a Growth Mindset Culture56:43 Navigating Change in Established Companies01:00:59 Innovating Home Care for Longevity01:03:20 Future Trends: Holistic Aging 

#33 Becky Reel is the former CEO of North America’s #1 home care agency and in this episode we unpack six of the most common growth challenges home care owners face—and how to overcome them. We talk through the pushing through revenue plateaus, the caregiver exodus, the burned-out founder, the corporate competition crisis, the success trap of growing too fast, and the work-life collision that happens when your agency becomes your identity. Becky shares real stories from her first hand-experience and  practical systems she’s used to help owners regain time, rebuild culture, and grow sustainably. Becky Reel on LinkedInreelhomecareconsulting.com Chapters:00:00 Introduction01:37 Becky's Journey in Home Care04:04 The Startup Phase of Home Care Agencies08:03 Addressing the Caregiver Exodus29:38 Overcoming Revenue Plateaus37:28 Balancing Quantitative and Qualitative KPIs40:36 Navigating Corporate Competition in Home Care52:36 The Success Trap: Growing Too Fast01:02:18 Work-Life Collision: Finding Your Identity Beyond the Agency Episode brought to you by Helper Heroes (https://helperheroes.com)A Virtual Assistants company giving home care owners the freedom to focus on growth while the essential, but time-consuming operational work, gets done reliably in the background. 

#32 Eric Reinarman, VP of Government Relations at HCAOA, covers the most pressing policies being talked about on Capitol Hill. From immigration reform and workforce shortages to affordability of care and the controversial 80/20 Medicaid rule, he breaks down what’s happening in Washington and how it could reshape the industry. We also talk about the power of advocacy, why storytelling moves policy forward, and how every provider—big or small—can make their voice heard. Plus, he covers a major win with the Elizabeth Dole Home Care Act and shares practical ways to stay informed and involved at the state and federal level.Eric Reinarman on [email protected] Issues and PoliciesHCAOA State ChaptersState & Federal Legislative and Regulatory TrackerChapters:00:00 Introduction to Home Care Advocacy03:04 The Immigration Challenge in Home Care06:10 Advocacy and Legislative Efforts08:58 The Importance of Storytelling in Immigration11:58 The Affordability of Home Care17:03 Innovative Solutions for Affordability23:43 Current Legislative Landscape on Non-Competes29:41 Understanding Non-Compete Agreements in Home Care34:11 The Controversy of the 80-20 Rule39:39 Preparing for Potential Changes in Medicaid Regulations50:53 The Impact of the Elizabeth Dole Home Care Act01:00:07 The Value of Advocacy and Association Membership Episode brought to you by Helper Heroes (https://helperheroes.com)A Virtual Assistants company giving home care owners the freedom to focus on growth while the essential, but time-consuming operational work, gets done reliably in the background.