This month, we celebrate 16 amazing years of Care Indeed. As I reflect on this milestone, I feel grateful, proud, and humbled. Behind these years are people who trusted us, people who worked alongside us, and moments that challenged us to become better.
Some of those moments were difficult. We have faced growing pains, hard decisions, and changes that asked a great deal of our team. There were times when I had to pause and ask myself: Am I listening closely enough? Have I made our direction clear? Are we giving our people the support they need to succeed?
Those questions have changed me as a leader.
Earlier in my journey, I often felt responsible for stepping in and finding the answer. Over time, I have learned that leadership also means helping others develop the confidence and judgment to lead. It means setting clear expectations, having honest conversations, and following through. It also means examining my own decisions with the same openness I ask of others.
The challenges Care Indeed has faced have helped us understand more clearly what our organization needs: stronger communication, clearer responsibilities, and leaders whose actions reflect the commitments we make. That work continues. Our anniversary gives us an opportunity to appreciate how far we have come and take responsibility for where we go next.
As a nurse and former caregiver, I remain deeply connected to the everyday experience of care. I think about the caregiver arriving at a home for the first time, hoping to build trust. The family wondering whether their loved one will be understood. The older adult adjusting to receiving help while trying to preserve independence.
These experiences guide the decisions we make. A clear care plan, a returned phone call, a thoughtful caregiver match—each can help someone feel safer, understood, and supported.
To our caregivers and team members: thank you. I see the patience, commitment, and effort that caring requires, including the work that happens quietly behind the scenes. Your contributions have carried Care Indeed through these 16 years.
To our clients, families, and community partners: thank you for welcoming us into your lives. Your trust is personal, and we have a responsibility to earn it through the care we provide and the way we respond when something needs to improve.
My hope for our next chapter is that our growth is felt by the people closest to us: caregivers who feel supported, families who feel heard, and clients who feel respected.
Sixteen years have transformed Care Indeed. They have transformed me, too. I move forward with deeper gratitude, clearer purpose, and a continuing commitment to listen, learn, and lead with care.
To everyone who has consistently supported us, cheered us on quietly or openly, and believed in what Care Indeed could become: this milestone belongs to you, too. Your encouragement has meant more than you may know. Our promise is to keep turning that support into action—to listen more closely, follow through more consistently, and continue improving the care people count on us to provide.
With gratitude,
Vanessa Valerio, RN Gerontologist, CMC, CHCA
Chief Nursing Officer