Home Care Heroes and Day Service Stars

Ankota

5.0 (4)
ENTREPRENEURSHIP
UPDATED BIMONTHLY

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.

DEC 2

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 Accardi 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.

40 min
NOV 11

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.

37 min
SEP 3

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 Mark AI 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) Relationships Both 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 Ahead Ken 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.

40 min
JUN 18

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 Kenyon Ginny 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.

34 min
JUN 10

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

AI for Home Care: What Leaders Should Know On 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 It Amazon 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 Replacement Home 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 Think To 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 AI Ken demonstrates that you can also speak to AI on a phone app.Three Practical AI Use Cases for Home Care Managers Summarizing long articlesCreating training materialsScreening resumesAI in Software: Behind the Scenes AI 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 AI AI 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 Wisely Before adopting a new AI tool, Ken advises home care leaders to ask a few key questionsPro Tips for Getting the Most from AI To 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 Try Ken 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.

34 min
JUN 9

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

Doing It Right with Leadership In 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 Team employees are your most important customer.empower your team, and they will grow your business.From $1.2M to $5.3M: How Listening Fueled Explosive Growth These practices built loyalty, reduced conflict, and created a culture where staff felt seen, valued, and empowered.Serving Referral Sources Like VIPs recognize referral partners as key customers Your Competition is Not Your Enemy treat your competitors as colleagues. What Makes a Great Leader in Home Care In 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.

21 min
APR 13

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.

23 min
MAR 25

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 Podcast Ginny’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 Care A 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 Stories Ginny 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 Staff Final Thoughts Ginny 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.

35 min

5

out of 5

4 Ratings

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.

Creator

Ankota
Years Active

2021 - 2025
Episodes

70
Rating

Clean
Copyright

© 2025 Home Care Heroes and Day Service Stars
Show Website

Home Care Heroes and Day Service Stars