HomeWell Care Services, PocketRN Partner to Provide Care Under GUIDE Model

BURKBURNETT, Texas—HomeWell Care Services, a non-medical in-home care franchises, has announced a national strategic partnership with PocketRN, a virtual nursing provider, to expand its dementia care support for seniors and their families as part of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’s (CMS) Guiding an Improved Dementia Experience (GUIDE) Model. This federally funded, nationwide model aims to improve care coordination, caregiver support and access to critical services for people living with dementia.

Through this collaboration, participating HomeWell agencies nationwide will support the CMS GUIDE Model by helping eligible families navigate and access GUIDE services from PocketRN. Families will gain access to the GUIDE Model’s 24/7 caregiver support line, a care navigator, educational resources and temporary respite services, helping them keep loved ones safe and supported at home.

“We’re thrilled to partner with PocketRN to bring even more value to HomeWell franchise owners and, most importantly, the families they serve,” said Crystal Franz, CEO of HomeWell Franchising. “As the aging population continues to increase nationwide, the demand for dementia support is becoming increasingly evident. Families need both hands-on support and access to innovative resources like GUIDE to help them navigate this journey. This partnership positions HomeWell agencies to deliver compassionate care alongside valuable Medicare-covered benefits—a win for their clients, family caregivers and communities alike.”

“This is more than a business partnership—it’s a step forward for homecare as an industry,” said Michelle Cone, senior vice president of industry engagement at HomeWell Franchising. “By helping families access GUIDE resources, we’re reducing caregiver burnout, expanding what homecare can do and helping more seniors age with dignity and confidence in their own homes.”

Launched on July 1, 2024, by CMS’s Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI), the GUIDE Model is an eight-year nationwide demonstration project designed to improve care coordination, promote caregiver training, reduce unnecessary hospitalizations and help individuals with dementia remain safely at home. By partnering with PocketRN, HomeWell is helping expand access to these services for families who might otherwise go without them.

With dementia cases projected to nearly double by 2060, HomeWell said its collaboration with PocketRN ensures its franchise owners are prepared to meet growing needs with innovation, compassion and a client-centered approach.

“We couldn’t be more thrilled to bring our revolutionary Nurse for Life model to the millions of dementia patients and families who need it most,” said PocketRN CEO Jenna Morgenstern-Gaines. “With PocketRN, patients and families get unwavering support from a dedicated, trusted nurse as they navigate the complexities of managing dementia at no cost to them. Nurses are hands-down the best clinicians to be the ‘glue’ for patients and their families throughout their dementia journey—they’ve been doing so forever, and it’s high time their work is valued by our system.”