National Home Care and Hospice Month: Honoring Care That Feels Like Home
Each November, we highlight a remarkable group of professionals whose work quietly changes lives every single day. National Home Care and Hospice Month recognizes the caregivers, nurses, aides, therapists, social workers, volunteers, and support teams who bring comfort, dignity, and skilled care directly to people where they feel safest: home.
Home care and hospice have grown into two of the most compassionate pillars of our healthcare system. Their reach extends across living rooms, hospital beds, and kitchen tables where care plans and hopes are shared over a cup of something warm.
The Heart of Home Care
Home care, and our very own Porter Hills Home Health Care, is a lifeline for older adults and individuals recovering from illness, injury, or surgery. It keeps people connected to their routines, their communities, and the rhythms of daily life. Beyond skilled nursing and therapy, home care professionals become trusted partners. They notice the small things others might miss, from a change in mobility to the strength of someone determined to stay independent.
Their work helps people heal with confidence, maintain dignity, and continue writing their own story from wherever they call home. Amy Thackery, Executive Director of Porter Hills Home Health Care, has been with us since 2017 in several hands-on therapy and clinical roles, and now leads the team in providing compassionate and personalized care to its clients. Amy shares, “I love that our team has the opportunity to help older adults in their home to restore function and wellness at some of the most basic levels. I also love the stories we hear from patients about their life experiences and backgrounds.”
Porter Hills Home Health Care is also thrilled to announce the addition of two nurses to round out its team; allowing them to better provide skilled nursing care for clients living in the Michigan Lakeshore area. Read more on this exciting news here!
The Gift of Hospice
Hospice care offers something equally profound: a circle of support that helps individuals and families navigate the final chapters of life with compassion, clarity, and peace. Hospice teams, such as our partners at Emmanuel Hospice, blend clinical expertise with emotional and spiritual support, transforming what can feel overwhelming into something gentler and deeply human.
They help families breathe, rest, understand, and cherish what matters. They create space for presence, love, and meaning. Jan Amato, Community Relations Specialist with Emmanuel Hospice, especially helps with that “understand” piece, and shares, “My role is to create relationships in the community with our partner organizations, physicians’ offices, and retirement communities. I am able to provide education of what hospice is and what it is not. There are a lot of misconceptions about hospice care, and people are often afraid of it. Once they start, though, they say, ‘Oh my gosh! I wish we would have called you sooner.’”
Emmanuel Hospice is comprised of several specialty positions, from nurses, to chaplains, to certified nursing assistants (CNAs), and more. Shannon Westgate, a CNA for four years, is especially passionate about her role and says, “I most enjoy taking care of the patients and working hands-on with them. We build a bond; they are the only ones that matter. I can provide all the extras for them and what they like best. It’s what I’m meant to do.”
Why This Month Matters
Behind every visit, every chart, and every midnight on-call shift, there is someone choosing to serve. National Home Care and Hospice Month invites us to recognize these everyday heroes and the essential role they play in our communities.
Their work helps people live fully, even in vulnerable moments. Their care eases burdens families often carry alone, and their presence reminds us that quality of life isn’t measured only in vital signs, but in connection, comfort, and compassion.
How You Can Join the Celebration
- Leave a heartfelt Google review if you have a personal experience with services you/your family have received
- Nominate a team member for a Promoting Our Mission (POM) Award: Click Here!
• Look into volunteer opportunities: Click Here!
• Write a handwritten thank you note to a team member
As November unfolds, help us take time to honor our hardworking teams at Porter Hills Home Health Care and Emmanuel Hospice. Their work is more than a service, it is a gift. To learn more about home-and-community based services with Brio Living Services, visit our website.