In today’s episode, I sit down with Michelle Smith, of Touching Hearts at Home on Long Island. Michelle describes her company as offering a “concierge approach to home care,” providing flexible, personalized services that help seniors remain connected to their communities while staying safe and supported at home.
Throughout our conversation, Michelle shares her personal journey into caregiving, her experiences growing a franchise, and the importance of building a team of compassionate caregivers. She explains how Touching Hearts at Home goes beyond traditional care by emphasizing independence, companionship, and meaningful quality of life for seniors.
Timeline Summary
- 00:45 Introduction and Michelle’s background
- 02:05 How personal experience led Michelle to senior care
- 04:25 The challenges and value of caregiving
- 07:15 Hiring process and promoting from within
- 10:30 Empowering caregivers and respecting their work
- 12:45 Supporting caregivers beyond the job
- 13:45 What “concierge” home care means
- 15:35 Transportation and maintaining independence
- 17:15 Companion care vs. skilled care
- 20:30 Serving Long Island families
- 22:15 Finding and keeping great caregivers
- 24:25 Unique stories from the field (including “the bird” story)
- 26:05 Supporting families through end-of-life care
- 29:45 Helping families navigate resources and long-term planning
- 32:45 The importance of transparency and advocating for loved ones
- 35:45 Companion care as friendship and fun
- 39:05 Why small gestures make a big difference
- 41:30 Encouraging seniors to stay social and active
- 45:35 Michelle’s personal involvement in every case
- 46:45 How to contact Touching Hearts at Home
5 Key Takeaways
- Personal Experience Matters: Michelle’s path into caregiving was shaped by her own family’s experience with Alzheimer’s and multigenerational caregiving.
- Caregiving Is Undervalued Work: Michelle stresses how emotionally and physically taxing caregiving is, yet how deeply rewarding it can be.
- Unique Concierge Model: Touching Hearts at Home provides flexible care—no minimum hours, one-hour shifts if needed, and a focus on transportation to keep seniors active.
- Caregiver-Centered Culture: Michelle emphasizes supporting, appreciating, and promoting caregivers to ensure high-quality care and strong client relationships.
- The Power of Small Gestures: From bringing jelly donuts to holding a client’s hand, the little things often create the most meaningful connections.
Links & Resources
- Website: https://touchinghearts.com/longisland/
- Call Touching Hearts, Long Island: 516-737-1618
- Leave The Key Homebuyers: (631) 388-7771
- Leave The Key website: leavethekey.com/seniors
Final Thoughts
If this conversation with Michelle was as inspiring to you as it was to us, please take a moment to subscribe, review, and share this podcast. Michelle’s dedication to compassionate, flexible, and family-centered care shows how powerful it can be when caregivers are treated as the backbone of an organization. Her approach not only preserves independence for seniors but also creates peace of mind for families. I’m grateful for the opportunity to learn from her experiences, and I look forward to continuing these important conversations about senior care.
