Home Care Voice Blog

​By Ashlee Jensen, Altum Coaching Services
 
In the previous article in this series, we explored the importance of creating space before responding. When we intentionally create space, we move from reacting to responding while fully present. We become more aware of what’s happening around us and within us.
 
That awareness doesn’t stop with us. It changes how we see the people we lead.

​In home care, leaders spend much of their day solving problems, responding to staffing challenges, navigating compliance, and keeping operations moving. Those responsibilities matter. Yet somewhere along the way, it becomes easy to see the work instead of the people doing it.

The Connecticut Department of Social Services (DSS) has issued two proposed amendments to the state's Medicaid plan, addressing personal care attendant wages and the renewal of a long-standing home care program for older adults. ​

An effort to fix outdated audit rules for New Jersey home care providers just reached the finish line. ​

The Washington state Supreme Court ruled July 9 that live-in caregivers working in licensed Adult Family Homes are entitled to the protections of the state’s Minimum Wage Act, overturning an exemption that had applied to those workers. ​

Massachusetts is on the verge of a major milestone for the home care industry. The Massachusetts Legislature has approved legislation establishing a statewide licensure framework for home care providers, and the bill is expected to be signed into law by the Governor in the coming days.

The legislation, S.3170, creates a phased implementation process that will provide time for both providers and state agencies to prepare for the transition to licensure.

Key implementation timelines include:

• Within 180 days of enactment: Temporary licenses will be issued to Medicaid providers.
• Within one year: The state must develop and finalize regulations governing the licensure program.
• One year after regulations are finalized: Home care agencies will be required to obtain licensure.

​While many details will be determined during the regulatory process, this legislation represents an important step toward establishing a formal licensing structure for home care providers in Massachusetts. Providers should watch for future guidance from the Commonwealth as regulations are developed and implementation moves forward.

Members interested in reviewing the legislation can access the enrolled bill text by visiting the Massachusetts Legislature's bill history page for S.3170 and selecting "View Text."

Legislation to modernize financial reporting and audit requirements for New Jersey home care agencies has passed the state legislature with unanimous, bipartisan support and now awaits Gov. Mikie Sherrill's signature.

Augusta has released the latest edition of its National Caregiver Recruitment Benchmark Report, analyzing data from more than 120,000 caregiver applicants to home care agencies in the first quarter of 2026. HCAOA CEO Jason Lee contributed a foreword to the report. ​

By Ashlee Jensen, Altum Coaching Services

The day begins before you’ve had a chance to consciously decide how you want to lead.

Emails. Text messages. A missed call. A staffing issue. A compliance question. Another meeting. Before you finish one decision, another one is waiting. Somewhere along the way, you’re no longer determining your day. Your day is guiding you.

​Leadership development often focuses on giving leaders more tools. Those tools matter, but tools alone aren’t enough. Leaders also need the space to recognize what the moment is asking of them and which leadership approach will serve it best.

The Florida Department of Health has shared a practical resource for home care agencies: a list of the most common reasons Comprehensive Emergency Management Plans (CEMPs) are returned for revision. The observations come directly from the plan review process, and they offer a useful checklist for agencies preparing to submit or update their plans. ​