Right at Home and PocketRN Partnership Brings New Hope to Dementia Care

With this strategic alliance, eligible beneficiaries and their families can access increased care coordination and support for dementia-care respite services at no cost.

Right at Home, a leading in-home care provider with over 550 U.S. locations, and PocketRN, a virtual nursing platform, are seeing early success in their strategic partnership to support individuals living with dementia and their families. Through this initiative, eligible Medicare beneficiaries and their family caregivers can access up to 80 hours of respite care annually, 24/7 virtual nursing support, ongoing care coordination, and caregiver education—all at no cost.

“It’s huge,” said Michelle Rankine, owner of Right at Home Lewisville, Texas. “This program provides families enduring dementia and Alzheimer’s a 24/7 helpline to a clinical team and designated nurse during some of the most difficult seasons of life. The caregiver education, care coordination and medication management delivered by PocketRN is valuable. Eighty hours of care gives caregivers a much-needed break. One client used it to help transition their mother from hospital back into memory care—it made a huge difference.”

GUIDE, which launched July 1, 2024, is a first-of-its-kind model from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), offering enhanced dementia care services aimed at reducing hospitalizations and long-term facility placement.

In anticipation of PocketRN’s July 1, 2025, start date as a new track participant in the CMS GUIDE Program, PocketRN and Right at Home have launched a collaborative initiative called the “PocketRN Dementia Care Program” to deliver high-quality, comprehensive dementia care to families nationwide. PocketRN provides 24/7 virtual access to licensed nurses through its “Nurse for Life” continuity care mode. These nurses offer clinical guidance, emotional support, and coaching to caregivers—all via virtual visits. Right at Home plays a critical role in GUIDE by performing in-home safety assessments and delivering respite care services through its network of trained caregivers.

 

Eligible beneficiaries can access up to 80 hours of respite care to support activities of daily living such as bathing, grooming, meal preparation, feeding, mobility assistance, and medication reminders.

So far, 70 Right at Home franchisees have begun onboarding with the PocketRN Dementia Care Program to help clients, with 40 already active in the program across many states.

“The wrap-around support from our partnership with PocketRN and respite care will be vital,” said Adam Bliss, owner of Right at Home Southern Arizona and Southern Nevada. “Without it, caregivers become burned out and isolated. This partnership will also let us deliver meaningful respite relief while also supporting PocketRN with in-home assessments that ensure care is personalized and safe.”

“In my 12-plus years of experience, the majority of people who care for those living with dementia and call us for care are burned out, stressed out and not sure what to do,” said Mike Steiner, owner of Right at Home in Northern Lake County, Illinois. “The fragmented healthcare system that those with dementia encounter is daunting. Cost of care can be staggering and out of reach for many. This program will help give these caregivers some long-needed support from the nurses at PocketRN and respite from Right at Home so they can recharge their batteries.”

One such family already benefiting from this collaboration is Suzanne Taylor and her sister Donna Wardlow, 75, who lives with dementia in a memory care facility in Flower Mound, Texas. Donna, who previously underwent open-heart surgery and battles recurring UTIs, has experienced significant cognitive decline.

Before enrolling in the GUIDE Model, Suzanne, Donna’s primary caregiver, frequently made trips from her home to manage Donna’s care, a 45-minute drive away. “I was having to go over there so much... now someone’s coming regularly, and it gives me time to take care of other things,” said Suzanne.

Now, Donna receives weekly visits from AP, a caregiver with Right at Home Lewisville. AP provides companionship, organizes Donna’s belongings, facilitates engagement activities, and gives Suzanne peace of mind. Despite Donna’s limited income from Social Security and VA survivor benefits, Suzanne has found relief knowing the program is covered by Medicare.

“This was a godsend,” Suzanne said. “Programs like this don’t just help the person with dementia—they help the whole family.”

Looking ahead, Right at Home expects a nationwide rollout across all 50 states by July.