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by Kristin Rowan, Editor
HCAOA: Past, Present, Future
An Interview with Jason Lee and Aaron Stapleton
During this year’s HCAOA annual meeting, The Rowan Report sat down with association CEO Jason Lee and outgoing board president Aaron Stapleton. We talked about the accomplishments during Stapleton’s tenure, this year’s annual meeting, and what’s in store for HCAOA in the coming years.
Stapleton set priorities for his term
As HCAOA board president, Aaron Stapleton set three priorities: raise the association’s visibility, strengthen membership and build strategic partnerships. Stapleton said the work is beginning to change how policymakers and the broader health care community understand home care.
Visibility
Stapleton said greater recognition matters because home care remains less understood outside its own professional community. Advocates, patients, families and lawmakers need a clearer picture of what home care providers do and how their services fit into the wider health care system.
“We’re actually having conversations, not introducing who we are and what we do, but building off of previous years. I went into a legislator’s office this year and she said she remembered our conversation from last year. To me, that said these people are getting it; they’re understanding what we do.”
Lee's focus on growth
Membership growth is another measure of progress. Lee said HCAOA had grown to more than 5,300 members, up from about 4,600 the previous year. He credited the association’s staff and board, as well as the value members find in advocacy, education and professional connections.
Partnership efforts
Lee and Stapleton pointed to partnerships as another way to amplify the sector’s voice. HCAOA has been building relationships with organizations including the Alzheimer’s Association and other national and state-level groups. Stapleton said the goal is not simply to announce partnerships before his term ends, but to open doors that can develop into lasting relationships.
“The more you co-brand things, the stronger the voice is,” Stapleton said.
Advocating for the caregiver profession
Another priority for both leaders is changing how the work is described. They objected to the term “unskilled” when applied to home care, saying it diminishes the training, judgment and oversight involved in supporting older adults and other people who need assistance. Stapleton said he would like the industry to use “care professional” more consistently to distinguish trained, employed caregivers from the broader category of family caregiving.
That distinction is about more than terminology, they said. Home care workers can help identify safety risks, support medication routines and reduce the likelihood that vulnerable people will need hospital care. Stapleton described home care as a proactive part of the health care continuum—one that can help people remain safely at home while easing pressure on families and the wider system.
The leaders acknowledged that training and licensing requirements vary by state. Lee said HCAOA has model legislation and regulations that can help states develop home care licensure frameworks, and that the association is considering a gradual approach to credentials and broader accreditation. The aim, he said, is to establish a meaningful baseline without creating unnecessary burdens for agencies that are already operating responsibly.
2027 and beyond
As Stapleton’s term approaches its end, he said his focus is on finishing strong: continuing to support Lee and the association, sustaining membership and partnership growth, and preparing incoming president Sarah Wilson for a smooth transition. He said the next leader should be able to build on existing work while bringing her own strengths and perspective.
For both leaders, the larger goal is to make home care more visible and better understood—not only by policymakers, but by health care partners and the public. They see stronger membership, broader partnerships and more personal stories from families and caregivers as ways to make that case.
Final Thoughts
I want to thank Jason and Aaron for sitting down with me during this year’s annual meeting for HCAOA. I also want to thank HCAOA for their continued support of The Rowan Report. The annual meeting is always educational and I enjoy reconnecting with members, vendors, and staff. Until next year.
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Kristin Rowan is the owner and Editor-in-chief of The Rowan Report, the industry’s most trusted source for care at home news. She is also a sought-after speaker on Artificial Intelligence, Technology Adoption and Lone Worker Safety. She is available to speak at state and national conferences as well as software user-group meetings.
Kristin also runs Girard Marketing Group, a multi-faceted boutique marketing firm specializing in content creation, social media management, and event marketing. She works with care at home software providers to create dynamic content that increases conversions for direct e-mail, social media, and websites. Connect with Kristin directly at kristin@girardmarketinggroup.com or www.girardmarketinggroup.com
©2026 by The Rowan Report, Peoria, AZ. All rights reserved. This article originally appeared in The Rowan Report. One copy may be printed for personal use: further reproduction by permission only. editor@therowanreport.com
