Franchise Owners and Caregivers Honored at Always Best Care Annual Conference

ROSEVILLE, California—Always Best Care Senior Services, a senior care franchise system in the United States, held its annual conference in April, gathering in Austin, Texas, at the Hyatt Regency Lost Pines Resort and Spa. In addition to educational breakout sessions and roundtables focused on ideas for business growth, the conference included many opportunities for celebrating a year that led to 12% sales growth for the brand in 2023. Always Best Care’s executive team gathered with franchise owners and caregivers for an awards ceremony honoring the professionals who have demonstrated exceptional commitment to their work and the people they serve.

The 2023 Always Best Care award winners include:

National Caregiver of the Year – Annette McCaulley, Always Best Care of Boerne, Texas

With her ability to light up any room she’s in with sparkling humor and personality, Annette McCaulley has been hailed as the ultimate ambassador for homecare. She really shines with her dementia and hospice patients, knowing just how to cheer them up and connect with much-needed cheer and compassion. McCaulley even brings her own hair washing station to her jobs in case someone needs their hair washed properly. And while she has clearly found her purpose in life caring for her clients, McCaulley is also a fabulous team member to her fellow caregivers. She always makes time to train, share helpful suggestions or lend a supportive ear. For all these reasons and at least 50 more, McCaulley is considered by her team and her clients to be a guardian angel and embodiment of the “perfect” caregiver. The second runner-up was Jackie Young from Always Best Care of Wake Forest, North Carolina, and the first runner-up was Clinton Kabiga from Always Best Care of Seattle, Washington.

Franchisee of the Year – Samantha Loy from Always Best Care in Burlington, Chapel Hill, and Greensboro, North Carolina

To win franchisee of the year, the franchise owner must have been operating for a minimum of three years with revenues exceeding a minimum of $2 million. Overall incremental dollar growth year over year, operational excellence of the franchise, participation in FSO Initiatives and more are also taken into consideration. Samantha Loy has powered her way to the Top 10 of the system, increasing her revenue over the past four years by an impressive 142%. This is Loy’s third year in a row with a significant double-digit increase in revenue over the previous year, which is an incredible feat at this level of revenue. Setting out to scale her operations, Loy has strategically grown her personnel roster in all areas of the business and taken advantage of Always Best Care’s Performance Group program. She is always eager to give back to the system, whether by serving on the Franchise Advisory Council or sharing her wisdom and experience with other franchise owners. Loy is no stranger to awards—she is a past winner for Community Marketing and represented Always Best Care as an International Franchise Association Franchisee of the Year for 2023. Last but not least, she embodies the Always Best Care model with multiple revenue streams beyond private pay, such as the VA and senior living community referrals. And she does it all with a smile on her face and a reputation for being one of the nicest people you will ever meet. 

Rising Star Rookie of the Year – Sarah Cave from Seattle, Washington

To earn Rookie of the Year status, new franchise owners must be the fastest out of the gate after they complete ABCUniversity, gaining traction virtually from day one. Sarah Cave started with a bang and has been steadily growing ever since. In her first year, she increased revenue by over 900%. She also grew her senior living placement revenue by 1,200%. Cave continues to challenge the status quo and is always looking for ways to grow revenue for her agency. 

Team Member of the Year – Paula Manzke from Always Best Care of Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Over the past six years, Paula Manzke has combined her superpowers of compassion and empathy with her wealth of knowledge in supporting clients through cognitive or physical issues, emotional struggles and family dynamics. As a result, more than 1,000 clients have benefitted from her servant’s heart, genuine concern and authentic desire to connect them with their needed resources and improve their daily lives. Manzke is a dedicated representative of the Always Best Care brand, a devoted professional in the senior care industry and a powerful leader and mentor to all of her colleagues. While she is also well-known throughout her Baton Rouge market for her successful home health, hospice, hospital and senior living referrals, it’s her agency’s VA home care program that has grown the most, leading to over 230 military veterans being served.

Senior Community Referrals Award – Dan Barbee, Always Best Care of Roseville, California

The Senior Community Referrals service presents franchisees with a chance to expand their client base and generate extra income. In Dan Barbee’s case this year, referrals represented about 14% of his year-end revenue this past year—an impressive number. This particular service requires a deep understanding of the senior communities in the local market to effectively match clients with the care they require. Since joining in 2016, Barbee has been recognized with this award every year.

Home Health Agency of the Year – Neil Golli, Always Best Care of Middleburg Heights, Ohio

Among skilled home health care franchises in its category, Always Best Care of Middleburg Heights stands out as the top revenue earner with the expertise, infrastructure and passion to master this service. Over the past five years, Neil Golli and his team have successfully catered to a remarkable 500+ clients over his tenure, while also playing a crucial role in guiding fellow franchise owners in growing their own certified businesses. This is an outstanding achievement for Neil and his dedicated team, who have now won this award eight times in a row.

Top Revenue Producer – Bryant Greene from Always Best Care of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Bryant Greene continues to be a leader in the Always Best Care system, in his market and throughout the entire industry. He leads teams in multiple offices and in multiple states, and he finds time to be a voice for the industry while supporting the efforts of the Alzheimer’s Association. Bryant regularly takes time to speak with franchisees, seasoned and new and he has always welcomed franchisees to visit him any time. His talent for leadership and helping others even extends to animals; he is the Founder of Uncle Beez Rescue farm, a non-profit that facilitates rehoming of unwanted discarded pets. This award, which he has won an unprecedented 10 times, recognizes his efforts as the top revenue producer based on last year’s revenue for his Pennsylvania franchise. 

Community Marketing Award – Jennifer Mancuso from Always Best Care of Birmingham, Alabama

The Community Marketing Award honors activities from volunteering to educating the community and reaching out to those in need of assistance. Jennifer Mancuso is well-known in the Birmingham area for supporting senior communities, first responders and even public libraries. She thinks outside of the box, such as pairing music with senior visits to enrich their lives. She and her team regularly attend well-being conferences put on by the local city council and give their time and sponsorship to local non-profit events ranging from golf tournaments to chili cook-offs.

Senior Advocacy Award – Charmaine Conaghan from Glenview, Illinois

A brand-new award instituted this year, this accolade recognizes the efforts and commitment of individuals who go above and beyond to champion the cause of homecare. Charmaine Conaghan’s advocacy journey is marked by significant milestones, including participation in the Home Care Association of America’s (HCAOA) Advocacy Day in Washington D.C. in both 2020 and 2023 to represent the industry’s concerns and needs directly to lawmakers. In 2021, Conaghan’s advocacy efforts included shining a light on private duty homecare agencies being inadvertently excluded from COVID-19 vaccine distribution. An active and contributing member of HCAOA, and certified by the National Association for Home Care & Hospice (NAHC), Conaghan’s leadership extends to her role on the HCAOA state Chapter Executive Committee for 2024. Furthermore, she has advocated for Always Best Care’s current development of a continuing education (CE) program that reinforces the crucial role of private duty homecare in the health care continuum. Beyond these efforts, Conaghan’s credentials as a Certified Dementia Practitioner and Certified Senior Advisor underline her commitment to delivering compassionate, informed care to seniors.

Franchise Owners With the Largest Revenue Increase

Tier Four Award Winner – Diane Pierson from Arcadia, California
Grew her revenue 227% over the previous year and launched her franchise less than three years ago.

Tier Three Award Winner – Joanne Pizzuto from Kernersville, North Carolina
Grew her revenue by 86% over the previous year.

Tier Two Award Winner – Carlos and Karla Camacho of El Paso, Texas
Increased their revenue by 126% over the previous year.

Tier One Award Winner – Bryant Greene of Wilmington, Delaware     
Increased revenue year-over-year by over $3 million, the largest increase since the growth awards began.