Home Care Strategy Lab

#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 Sponsors:PocketRN

#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 LinkedInjenny@heartofgoldcare.com 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 LinkedInchsulli@altrahomecare.com 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 LinkedIncory@mertztaggart.comMertz TaggartValue Acceleration Program Sponsors:PocketRNPhoebe

#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 Morgenstern-Gainessales@pocketrn.com  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 Sponsors:Acrisure

#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 LinkedInjesse@hillendale.nethttps://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 LinkedInDave@phoebe.work PhoebeHow Phoebe cut down missed shifts by 75%  If you're interested in learning more about Lab Partners—email me at miriam@homecarestrategylab.com. 

#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 LinkedInNick@gratitudehomecarenj.com 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 LinkedInjohn@dlemholdings.com 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 LinkedInjcurrie@themahomecare.comThema 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 LinkedIninfo@encappture.comenCappture 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 Episode brought to you by:SmartAutomations.Care smartautomations.careHelper Heroes helperheroes.com

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 LinkedInjarber@slg-ct.comThe Supported Living Group ABI Waiver Program in CT Sponsors:Acrisure / midwest.acrisure.com/home-careSmartAutomations.Care 

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 standards.jcambra@seniorhelpers.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