Home Care Heroes and Day Service Stars

Hosted by Ankota

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Mar 2026

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Practical wisdom and best practices for Home Care and Day Service professionals who keep older and disabled people living at home. This podcast is for agency and center owners and managers focused on success, and the main topics are growth and caregiver retention. We consider members of this industry to be our heroes.

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March 14, 2026Episode 6144 min

How AI is Reshaping Home Care at Three Levels - with Stephen Tweed

Stephen Tweed has spent 40 years as a business strategist in healthcare at home and founded the Home Care CEO Forum in 2013. He's not retiring - he's rewiring. And his latest deep dive is into how artificial intelligence will transform the home care industry.In this episode, Stephen lays out a framework drawn from Sangeet Paul Chaudhary's book Reshuffle that breaks AI's impact on home care into three distinct levels: individual tasks, organizational systems, and the competitive ecosystem. It's a practical way to think about where your agency is today and where the real opportunities are heading.At the task level, the big wins are in sales and marketing, caregiver recruiting, and scheduling. Stephen shares a striking statistic from a University of Pittsburgh Medical Center symposium - only 34% of physician prescribing decisions are based on actual medical knowledge. The parallel to home care is real: how much of what schedulers and recruiters do is based on solid data versus intuition and habit? AI closes that gap by analyzing information faster than any human can wade through it.At the systems level, Stephen walks through his five phases of flow - attraction, conversion, staffing, caregiving, and collection - and the 12 operational systems that high-performing agencies need to have in place. He explains how AI can continuously improve those systems, using a sales example where analyzing referral data reveals that trusted advisors like bank trust officers, geriatric care managers, and estate attorneys consistently deliver clients with the highest hours per week and longest length of stay. That's the kind of insight that should be driving where your sales reps spend their time.The conversation also covers client-caregiver matching, Stephen's "rule of threes" for caregiver types (full-time professional, halftime professional, and part-time intermittent), and the emerging world of agentic AI - where software doesn't just analyze but takes action, like reaching out to caregivers to fill open shifts.Ken and Stephen also discuss the critical importance of respecting client privacy as AI technology enters the home - a lesson Stephen learned from his own grandmother 25 years ago in an assisted living facility: "Don't shout, I'm not deaf. Respect my privacy. This is my home."Guest Info: Stephen Tweed - Leading Home Care, a Tweed Jeffries company Website: leadinghomecare.com Email: stephen@leadinghomecare.com Newsletter: Stephen Tweed's Thursday Thoughts (subscribe at leadinghomecare.com) LinkedIn: Stephen TweedHome Care Heroes and Day Service Stars is produced and sponsored by Ankota - If you provide services that enable older or disabled people to continue living at home , Ankota can provide you the software to successfully run your agency. Visit us at https://www.ankota.

February 8, 2026Episode 6029 min

Your Agency - Your Values (with Becky Reel)

Running a home care agency shouldn’t mean your agency runs you. In this episode, home care consultant and former agency owner Becky Reel shares how leaders can build an agency rooted in their values, with clear boundaries, a healthier culture, and clients and caregivers who actually fit. Becky breaks down why most owners get into home care in the first place, how things drift off-course, and the practical moves that bring you back to a business that supports your life instead of consuming it.What you’ll learnThe 4 core motivations that bring people into home care (and why naming yours matters)How to stop letting clients and caregivers set your rules, rates, and policiesThe 80/20 reality: identifying the small set of clients or caregivers creating most of your headachesWhy “culture” isn’t parties and posters, it’s what caregivers say when you’re not in the roomHow to reduce turnover by noticing early warning signs (tone shifts, call-offs, over-documenting, fading enthusiasm)How to scale culture as you grow by hiring on heart and values, not just industry experienceWhy narrowing your service area can sometimes help you grow fasterA story you won’t forget Becky tells the powerful story of a hospice case where her team did the right thing even when it meant walking away from revenue, a decision that later generated significant growth through trust, reputation, and one unforgettable review. The lesson: revenue matters, but it can’t be your only metric.Episode highlightsYour “why” isn’t fluff. It’s your decision filter for clients, caregivers, policies, and boundaries.You can’t be everything to everyone. The more selective you get, the more sustainable (and often stronger) your agency becomes.Caregivers don’t stay because of pay alone. Respectable wages matter, but retention comes from consistency, communication, and feeling genuinely supported.Support beats supervision. Checking in only when there’s a scheduling problem is not leadership, it’s chaos management.About Becky ReelBecky Reel is the founder of Reel Home Care Consulting and former owner of For Papa’s Sake, a nationally recognized home care agency. She now works with private pay home care agencies to improve culture, operations, referrals, and long-term sustainability through coaching and small-group events.Resources and linksBecky’s website: reelhomecareconsulting.comFollow Becky: Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn (search “Becky Reel” / “Reel Home Care Consulting”)Call to actionBecky’s book (March release)Borrowed Time: What Home Care Taught Me About Living A business book with memoir elements, written for agency owners and entrepreneurs who want to build something meaningful without losing themselves in the process.EventsDinner Series (Austin): February 22 Intimate, facilitated dinners for agency owners (20–25 people) designed for real conversation and peer support.Book launch party (Chicago): April 16 Details and tickets available on Becky’s website.About the hostHosted by Kenneth Accardi of ANKOTA, supporting home care and HCBS organizations with tools that reduce admin burden and help teams stay focused on care.Podcast: Home Care Heroes and Day Service StarsHome Care Heroes and Day Service Stars is produced and sponsored by Ankota - If you provide services that enable older or disabled people to continue living at home , Ankota can provide you the software to successfully run your agency. Visit us at https://www.ankota.com<

December 2, 2025Episode 5939 min

Solve Your Staffing Crisis: How Adult Day Services Let You Serve 50 Clients with Just 8 Staff

You're all worried about the skyrocketing demand for home care. Here's a solution: add an adult day center where you can meet the needs of 50 clients with just 8 staff.In this episode, Ken Accardi interviews Tia Sauceda, the newly appointed Executive Director of the National Adult Day Services Association (NADSA). With over 25 years of hands-on experience running day centers and integrated care programs, Tia reveals why now is the perfect time for home care agencies to add adult day services.You'll Learn:The potential for higher margins and lower staffing requirements with Adult Day ServicesHow to leverage staff across both day programs and home care for better retentionReal success stories of participants finding purpose and connectionThe surprising cost-effectiveness advantage (and why payers are paying attention)Practical steps for home care agencies to start or expand into adult dayWhat NADSA offers members: education, advocacy, and a nationwide support networkDetails on the 2026 NADSA Conference (Providence, RI - September 1-3)Perfect for: Home care agency owners, operators, and administrators looking to scale without the staffing headaches.Guest: Tia Sauceda, Executive Director, NADSA (tsauceda@nadsa.org | nadsa.org) Host: Ken AccardiHome Care Heroes and Day Service Stars is produced and sponsored by Ankota - If you provide services that enable older or disabled people to continue living at home , Ankota can provide you the software to successfully run your agency. Visit us at https://www.ankota.com.

November 11, 2025Episode 5836 min

Self-Determination in Action: Giving Families Control, Dignity, and Better Care

In this episode, we’re joined by Kristianna Moralls, founder of the Self-Determination Institute and parent of a young adult with disabilities. She shares the real-world impact of self-determination, sometimes called self-direction or consumer-directed services, a model that lets individuals and families make their own decisions about who provides their care and how.Kristianna explains how her son’s transition out of school revealed the “drop-off” many families face when traditional services end and meaningful support suddenly disappears. Discovering self-determination gave her family the ability to hire caregivers who fit her son’s life, choose meaningful activities like community college and Dungeons & Dragons nights, and build supports around his goals and personality rather than a rigid system.Key themes explored:Self-direction as a civil rights movement: autonomy, choice, and dignity for people with disabilitiesThe drop-off after high school: why so many families feel abandoned when services shiftCost-effectiveness with better results: families often pay caregivers more while saving public dollars by cutting agency overheadAdministrative reality: empowerment comes with responsibility, and many families need support learning to recruit, hire, budget, and manage care plansRole of FMS providers and technology: the right Financial Management Service and the right tools can make budgeting, staffing, and compliance manageable instead of overwhelmingCalifornia’s leadership: a robust and flexible program model other states are expanding towardKristianna also shares how the Self-Determination Institute supports families with training and advocacy, and why collaboration between families, FMS providers, technology platforms, and regional centers is essential for scaling self-directed services nationwide.The big message: Self-direction works. It honors people’s abilities, supports independence, strengthens families, and builds more inclusive communities. And yes, it saves money too. When people have the freedom to choose, everyone wins.Home Care Heroes and Day Service Stars is produced and sponsored by Ankota - If you provide services that enable older or disabled people to continue living at home , Ankota can provide you the software to successfully run your agency. Visit us at https://www.ankota.com.

September 3, 2025Episode 5740 min

AI in Home Care - What you Should and Shouldn’t be doing (with Nick Bonitatibus)

Artificial intelligence is everywhere right now—but what does it really mean for home care and day services?On this episode of Home Care Heroes and Day Service Stars, host Ken Accardi welcomes back Nick Bonitatibus for his third appearance. This time, the conversation zeroes in on AI—how it can truly help agencies, and where it often goes wrong.Why AI Isn’t Magic (But Feels Like It Sometimes)Nick shares the story of a home care owner who felt overwhelmed creating SOPs for her fast-growing agency. In just minutes, AI helped her map out recruitment processes and document workflows—something she thought would take weeks. Watching AI handle that task literally brought her to tears.That moment captures what AI can be for agency leaders: not a replacement for people, but a superpower that clears away busywork so you can focus on relationships, growth, and care.Where Agencies Miss the MarkAI is only as good as the input it gets. Many leaders get disappointing results because they type in a vague request and expect polished content. Nick stresses the importance of better prompting—using context, voice input, and your own stories to guide AI. Without that, you risk posting the kind of generic, obviously AI-written content that turns caregivers and clients off.AI That Strengthens (Not Weakens) RelationshipsBoth Ken and Nick emphasize a simple truth: home care is a relationship business. Done wrong, AI makes you sound robotic. Done right, it helps you:Draft SOPs and policies that once took hoursSpeed up recruiting by quickly reviewing applicationsSave staff time on visit notes and clock-outsSpark fresh, authentic caregiver communications and social media postsThe key is not to let AI replace your voice, but to let it make your voice stronger.A Look AheadKen closes by sharing some of the ways Ankota is embedding AI directly into agency workflows—from smarter shift recommendations to faster visit reviews. Both he and Nick agree: AI isn’t here to erase the human side of care. It’s here to give you more time for it.👉 Listen to the full episode to hear the practical do’s and don’ts of AI in home care, plus a preview of new AI tools coming to the industry.Home Care Heroes and Day Service Stars is produced and sponsored by Ankota - If you provide services that enable older or disabled people to continue living at home , Ankota can provide you the software to successfully run your agency. Visit us at https://www.ankota.com.

June 18, 2025Episode 5634 min

How To Build and Retain a Winning Home Care Team in 2025

In the final episode of a three-part series on “Doing It Right in Home Care,” industry icon Ginny Kenyon joins Ken Accardi on the Home Care Heroes and Day Service Stars podcast to focus on a critical pillar of home care success: creating a strong, values-driven culture that drives hiring and retention. With decades of leadership and consulting experience, Ginny shares actionable insights and heartfelt stories that show how the right culture can become a home care agency’s superpower.Key learning points are as follows:Why Culture is the Foundation of Successful Home CareRecruiting for Culture Fit, Not Just CredentialsThe Secret to Retention: Making People Feel They BelongCreating a Learning Organization That Grows TogetherAnswering the Phone Is Culture TooPeer Accountability and Shared OwnershipCulture is the Key to GrowthFinal Thoughts from Ginny KenyonGinny closes the episode with heartfelt advice: build your culture from your values, hire people who share those values, and empower your team to learn and grow together. That’s how you create a workplace people don’t want to leave—even when other opportunities come knocking.Home Care Heroes and Day Service Stars is produced and sponsored by Ankota - If you provide services that enable older or disabled people to continue living at home , Ankota can provide you the software to successfully run your agency. Visit us at https://www.ankota.com.

June 10, 2025Episode 5533 min

What Every Home Care Leader Should Know About AI! [with Ankota Founder Ken Accardi]

AI for Home Care: What Leaders Should KnowOn this episode of Home Care Heroes and Day Service Stars, host Ken Accardi takes a turn in the interview seat to answer an important question: What should home care and adult day care leaders know about artificial intelligence (AI)? With help from his colleague Sowpha Umashankar, Ken explores AI's current role, practical applications, and future in home care. Whether you're new to AI or already experimenting with it, this episode offers accessible, relevant insights for care professionals.Topics covered in the episode are as follows:You’re Already Using AI — Even If You Don’t Know ItAmazon suggestions (“people who bought this also bought…”)Netflix recommendationsVoice assistants like Alexa and SiriMobile check deposits that read and verify your handwriting"AI isn’t new or scary; it’s quietly integrated into our lives already."AI in Home Care: Support, Not ReplacementHome care and adult day care are human-centric industries. So why use AI at all? Ken emphasizes that AI shouldn’t replace personal relationships — it should enhance them by removing repetitive or time-consuming tasks.Trying AI is Easier Than You ThinkTo show how accessible AI is, Ken gives a live demo using ChatGPT, where he asks for a multiplication quiz for his son. Despite a typo in the request, the AI delivers a perfectly usable quiz instantly.Voice Interaction: Talking to AIKen demonstrates that you can also speak to AI on a phone app.Three Practical AI Use Cases for Home Care ManagersSummarizing long articlesCreating training materialsScreening resumesAI in Software: Behind the ScenesAI is also being integrated into home care software systems, often in ways users may not notice. Ken gives two examples from Ankota:Trust but Verify: The Risks of AIAI isn’t perfect. It can make errors, especially if asked complex or ambiguous questions. Ken emphasizes that AI should not make final decisions alone in home care.Choosing AI Tools WiselyBefore adopting a new AI tool, Ken advises home care leaders to ask a few key questionsPro Tips for Getting the Most from AITo get better results from AI tools like ChatGPT:Define the AI’s role ("You are a home care leader...")State what you want ("Write a blog about Memorial Day activities for seniors")Set expectations ("Keep it under 800 words, suitable for caregivers")This practice, called prompt engineering, helps you shape the output more effectively.Final Thoughts: Give AI a TryKen wraps the episode by encouraging listeners to stay open-minded. Like Google or Google Maps before it, AI may soon become indispensable in your daily life. The key is to start small, stay curious, and test responsibly.“You’re going to like AI as much as you like Google Maps,” Ken says, “once you give it a try and get used to it.”Home Care Heroes and Day Service Stars is produced and sponsored by Ankota - If you provide services that enable older or disabled people to continue living at home , Ankota can provide you the software to successfully run your agency. Visit us at https://www.ankota.com.

June 9, 2025Episode 5420 min

How Great Leadership Grows Home Care Agencies: Lessons from Ginny Kenyon

Doing It Right with LeadershipIn the second part of her “Doing It Right” series on the Home Care Heroes and Day Service Stars podcast, industry veteran Ginny Kenyon returns to talk about leadership — not as a title, but as a responsibility. Ginny, who Ken Accardi describes as worthy of the “Home Care Hall of Fame,” shares her hard-earned wisdom on what it truly means to lead a successful and compassionate home care organization.Ginny begins by drawing a sharp contrast between being a "boss" and being a true leader. A boss, she says, issues orders and expects obedience. A leader, on the other hand, embraces their role as the “chief responsible person.” Leaders serve their teams by ensuring that staff have both the tools and the knowledge they need to succeed. Leadership is not about power; it’s about service.The Podcast covers:Your Most Important Customer: Your Teamemployees are your most important customer.empower your team, and they will grow your business.From $1.2M to $5.3M: How Listening Fueled Explosive GrowthThese practices built loyalty, reduced conflict, and created a culture where staff felt seen, valued, and empowered.Serving Referral Sources Like VIPsrecognize referral partners as key customers Your Competition is Not Your Enemytreat your competitors as colleagues. What Makes a Great Leader in Home CareIn Ginny’s view, leadership in home care is not about hierarchy. It’s about ownership, empathy, and service. Leaders must:Listen to staff and act on their inputEquip employees with tools and knowledgeRecognize achievements in meaningful waysBuild strong relationships with referral partnersCollaborate with peers, even competitorsWhen you take care of the people who do the work — your caregivers, office staff, and partners — they take care of your clients. And when that happens, your business will thrive.Home Care Heroes and Day Service Stars is produced and sponsored by Ankota - If you provide services that enable older or disabled people to continue living at home , Ankota can provide you the software to successfully run your agency. Visit us at https://www.ankota.com.

April 13, 2025Episode 5322 min

Meet Ken Accardi - PodCast Host and CEO of Ankota

This episode is a little different and I hope you like it. I was interviewed on another podcast called "The Millennium Spotlight" by heralded radio announcer and podcast host, Jordan Rich. I greatly appreciate you listening to Home Care Heroes and Day Service Stars and if you'd like to know a little bit more about me then please give this episode a listen.Home Care Heroes and Day Service Stars is produced and sponsored by Ankota - If you provide services that enable older or disabled people to continue living at home , Ankota can provide you the software to successfully run your agency. Visit us at https://www.ankota.com.

March 25, 2025Episode 5235 min

How to Make Your Home Care Customers Happy - Forever! (with Ginny Kenyon)

In this episode of the Home Care Heroes and Day Service Stars podcast, host Ken Accardi sits down with Ginny Kenyon—a veteran home care consultant who grew her agency from the ground up and has since helped launch hundreds of agencies. The conversation, titled "How to Make Your Home Care Customers Happy - Forever!", dives into Ginny’s journey and reveals the secrets behind client-centered care that truly makes a difference in people’s lives.About Ginny Kenyon and the PodcastGinny’s career in home care spans decades, beginning with her success in building a multimillion-dollar agency and evolving into a role as a trusted consultant. With a passion for leaving behind a legacy of lessons learned, Ginny shares the importance of truly listening to clients and tailoring care plans to meet their personal goals. The podcast targets professionals dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for older and disabled individuals living at home.The Power of Client-Centered CareA recurring theme throughout the interview is the significance of putting clients first. Ginny explains that while clinical protocols and best practices are essential, they only address the “engine under the hood.” What truly matters is knowing where the client wants to go—understanding their personal goals, preferences, and daily routines. As Ginny puts it, patient-centered care begins by asking: “What is your goal for care?”Real-Life Success StoriesGinny recounts several memorable experiences that highlight her approach:Frank’s Journey: A patient with severe COPD wanted nothing more than the freedom to get out of his chair and enjoy rides with his wife. Instead of rigidly following clinical guidelines, Ginny focused on what mattered most to him. By introducing a therapist and creating a fun, measurable exercise routine using marbles, Frank was able to reach his goal, even if only for a short period before his health declined.Adapting to Individual Lifestyles: In another case, Ginny worked with a diabetic client who struggled with strict dietary rules. Instead of enforcing an unyielding diet, she negotiated a flexible plan—six days on track with a “cheat day”—which led to improved control over his blood sugar levels and a better quality of life.These stories underscore the importance of listening carefully and aligning care with each individual’s unique desires.Other great topics covered by Ginny are 1) Tailoring Care Plans Beyond Checklists, and 2) The Importance of Educating Your StaffFinal ThoughtsGinny Kenyon’s insights remind us that at the heart of every care plan is a person with unique needs and dreams. By starting with the simple yet profound question, “What is most important to you?”, home care professionals can transform the care experience. Listening deeply, tailoring services, and investing in staff education are the cornerstones of client-centered care that makes home care customers happy—forever.Home Care Heroes and Day Service Stars is produced and sponsored by Ankota - If you provide services that enable older or disabled people to continue living at home , Ankota can provide you the software to successfully run your agency. Visit us at https://www.ankota.com.