PocketRN SYNERGY HomeCare Partner
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contacts: Melissa Drake
Imagine Productions
Melissa@imagineprstrategy.com
(732) 236-1569
William Leiner
PocketRN
will.leiner@pocketrn.com
PocketRN, SYNERGY HomeCare Partner for Dementia Care
This partnership will operate under CMS’s Guiding an Improved Dementia Experience (GUIDE) Model
Tempe, AZ, June 16, 2025. PocketRN, a provider of virtual nursing care, and SYNERGY HomeCare, a homecare company, announced they will form a national partnership to test the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) alternative payment model designed to support people living with dementia and their family caregivers.
SYNERGY HomeCare Speaks
“This is an exciting collaboration that amplifies and elevates the services both PocketRN and SYNERGY HomeCare bring to their clients,” said Rich Paul, chief operating officer for SYNERGY HomeCare. “As the fastest growing homecare franchise in a relatively young industry, we have a tremendous opportunity to positively impact a large number of people affected by dementia. SYNERGY HomeCare has a long history of aligning with a wide array of national partners, health plans and third-party payers to create a highly diversified referral base and extend services to a greater pool of clients. Our partnership with PocketRN is another excellent example of our ability to survey the evolving homecare landscape and find meaningful ways to deliver even more value through strategic partnerships.”
GUIDE Model
Under CMS’s Guiding an Improved Dementia Experience (GUIDE) Model, PocketRN will be one of almost 400 participants building Dementia Care Programs (DCPs) across the country, working to increase care coordination and improve access to services and supports, including respite care, for people living with dementia and their family caregivers. This partnership allows for integration of medical and non-medical care in the home.
According to the CMS, many people with dementia do not consistently receive high-quality, coordinated care, despite its prevalence. As a result, they experience poor outcomes, including high rates of hospitalization, emergency department visits and post-acute care utilization. They also experience high rates of depression, behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia and poor management of other co-occurring conditions.
New Approach
The GUIDE Model, which launched July 2024, is testing a new payment approach for supportive services for people living with dementia, including comprehensive, person-centered assessments and care plans; care coordination; 24/7 access to an interdisciplinary care team member or help line; and certain respite services to support family caregivers. People living with dementia and their family caregivers will have the assistance and support of a care navigator to help them access clinical and non-clinical services such as meals and transportation through community-based organizations.
“This is an exciting collaboration that amplifies and elevates the services both PocketRN and SYNERGY HomeCare bring to their clients. Our partnership with PocketRN is [an] excellent example of our ability to survey the evolving homecare landscape and find meaningful ways to deliver even more value through strategic partnerships.”
Partners
SYNERGY HomeCare’s partnership with PocketRN is rooted in the fact that a significant portion of its client base has a dementia diagnosis. The company’s locations nationwide provide in-home memory care support for people living with Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia, as well as respite care for their family caregivers.
PocketRN Speaks
“We couldn’t be more thrilled to partner with SYNERGY HomeCare to bring our revolutionary Nurse for Life model to the millions of dementia patients and families who need it most,” said PocketRN CEO Jenna Morgenstern-Gaines. “With PocketRN, patients and families get unwavering support from a dedicated, trusted nurse as they navigate the complexities of managing dementia at NO cost to them. Nurses are a critical part of the care continuum across all health fields and even more so as they provide a cohesive ‘glue’ for patients and their families throughout their dementia journey.”
Access to Care by Referral
PocketRN’s partnership with SYNERGY HomeCare to deliver the GUIDE Model will help people living with dementia and their family caregivers have access to education and support, such as training programs on best practices for caring for a loved one living with dementia. The GUIDE Model also provides respite services for certain people, enabling family caregivers to take temporary breaks from their caregiving responsibilities.
Under this partnership, PocketRN will refer families in need of respite care to local SYNERGY HomeCare agencies. Respite is being tested under the GUIDE Model to assess its effect on helping caregivers continue to care for their loved ones at home, preventing or delaying the need for facility care. Similarly, SYNERGY HomeCare can refer their clients to PocketRN in the event they would benefit from 24/7 access to virtual clinical support.
For more information on CMS’ GUIDE Model, visit: cms.gov/priorities/innovation/innovation-models/guide.
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About SYNERGY HomeCare
SYNERGY HomeCare is the fastest-growing national franchisor in the home care industry with over 240 franchises operating in more than 550 territories across the U.S. The company provides a broad range of non-medical in-home services including personal care, companion care, memory care and specialized care for individuals who are living with physical or developmental disabilities, chronic health conditions or recovering from illness or surgery. No matter what each person’s circumstances are, SYNERGY HomeCare steps in with effective, comforting, life-affirming care that moves people emotionally and physically forward. For more information visit SYNERGYHomeCare.com or find an in-home care location near you.
About PocketRN
PocketRN gives patients, families, and caregivers a Nurse for Life. Its mission is to close the gap between home and healthcare by: enabling nurses to care proactively and continuously at the top of their license, enabling caregivers with peace of mind and the confidence to support others, and enabling patients to access whole-person, trusted, empathetic care when and where they want it. PocketRN is the glue that holds together fragmented experiences in care so that partners, clinicians, patients, and families get back more of what they need: quality time. For more information, visit www.pocketrn.com or engage with PocketRN on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram.
©2025. This press release was issued jointly by PocketRN and SYNERGY HomeCare and is reprinted with permission. For more information or to request permission to use, please see media contacts above.
Right at Home will provide in-home care and safety assessments for eligible beneficiaries to evaluate the safety of the home environment, to assess the ability of the beneficiary to manage and function at home, and to report to PocketRN other environmental, social, and behavioral factors that might impact the function and needs of the beneficiary and their caregiver. PocketRN and Right at Home will use these valuable reports to bring other resources included in the GUIDE benefit package to better support the beneficiary and allow them to stay in their home longer.
The CMS GUIDE Model, launched on July 1, 2024, introduces a new payment framework to ensure that individuals living with dementia receive holistic, person-centered care. It tackles caregiver burnout by offering respite care services to allow caregivers necessary breaks to maintain their health and well-being. The program also improves access to care by providing 24/7 availability of trained professionals through telehealth services, overcoming geographic barriers and ensuring equitable support. Additionally, it addresses training deficits with Nevvon’s multilingual, on-demand e-training modules, which empower caregivers with the skills and knowledge to navigate the complexities of dementia care. PocketRN’s “virtual nurse for life” model bridges fragmented services by connecting caregivers, patients, and clinicians, creating a seamless, coordinated care experience.
Launched on July 1, 2024, the GUIDE Model will test a new payment approach for key supportive services furnished to people living with dementia, including: comprehensive, person-centered assessments and care plans; care coordination; 24/7 access to an interdisciplinary care team member or help line; and certain respite services to support caregivers. People with dementia and their caregivers will have the assistance and support of a Care Navigator to help them access clinical and non-clinical services such as meals and transportation through community-based organizations.
