Every day, our Caregivers show up for the people they serve in ways that go far beyond a job description. They bring a level of compassionate care and commitment that is truly phenomenal.
This year, eight Care Advantage, Inc. Caregivers were nominated for the Home Care Association of America (HCAOA) Caregiver of the Year Award, one of the most meaningful recognitions in the home care industry. The HCAOA represents more than a million Caregivers across 5,000 member agencies nationwide. Nominees are organized into five geographic regions, with HCAOA selecting one finalist per region. All five finalists receive an all-expense paid trip to the National Home Care Conference, and the overall winner receives a $2,500 cash prize, announced live at the conference.
We are so proud to share that three of our nominees are moving forward in the submission process!
Our 2026 Final Nominees
These three Caregivers represent everything we believe in-home care can and should be.
Betty Kudoto | Capital City Nurses | Chevy Chase, Maryland
Betty has been a Caregiver for 17 years and seven of those have been with Capital City Nurses, where she has become someone that clients and families count on completely.
For Betty, Caregiving is not something she fell into. It is a calling, and it shows. She takes time to understand each person she serves, their routines, their preferences, the things that matter to them, and builds her care around that. She advocates for her clients, communicates closely with families and healthcare providers, and shows up fully every single day.
One story captures who Betty is. During a severe winter snowstorm that left roads dangerous and many people stranded, Betty never left her client’s side. She stayed through the storm, making sure her client was safe, comfortable, and cared for. She did not ask for recognition; she simply showcased true quality care.
Sonia D’Favour | Capital City Nurses | Chevy Chase, Maryland
Sonia brings 12 years of Caregiving experience to every shift, and she approaches each one with the kind of warmth and attentiveness that clients and families remember long after the visit ends. She arrives early, stays late, and steps in to cover additional shifts without hesitation. She understands that her clients are people whose lives and stories she genuinely wants to know.
One story stands out: a client had been admitted to the hospital and had stopped eating, stopped participating in physical therapy, and expressed only one wish, to go home. The family was at a loss, but when Sonia arrived, she sat with her client, listened, and found a way in. She learned her client shared a deep love of music and before long, the hospital room was filled with upbeat songs playing from Sonia’s phone, and the two of them were dancing from the client’s bed. It was the first time the client had laughed in a long time.
The family said Sonia changed everything. Their loved one began eating again and even started physical therapy. That is the kind of Caregiver Sonia is!
Ruth Ann McLaughlin | Care Advantage | Penhook, Virginia
Ruth Ann has been a Caregiver for eight years and four and a half years with Care Advantage. Families describe her as someone who treats their loved ones like her own: patient, warm, deeply reliable, and fully present.
What separates Ruth Ann is not just her consistency, though that is remarkable too. It is her composure when things go wrong.
On an ordinary afternoon, while Ruth Ann was preparing a meal in her client’s home, she heard a loud pop and noticed smoke in the hallway. She moved quickly, found an active fire burning near an electrical outlet in her client’s bedroom, and immediately went to work. She removed the burning items from the home, retrieved the fire extinguisher, called 911, and followed the dispatcher’s instructions calmly. When the fire spread beyond control, she evacuated her client safely and called the client’s family to let them know what was happening.
Fortunately, her client was not physically injured because Ruth Ann stayed composed through every moment of it, never losing sight of her one priority: her client’s safety.
Celebrating Our Caregivers
Reaching the nomination stage for HCAOA is an achievement, and we want to take a moment to recognize the five additional Caregivers from across our family of brands who were nominated this year.
Sharon Burks | Care Advantage | Lynchburg, Virginia. Sharon is a floater Caregiver who prefers to spread her care across many clients. Every client she works with feels her patience and genuine warmth. Her presence helps clients accept care with ease and feel truly comfortable.
La’Shon Denise Taylor | Care Advantage | Petersburg, Virginia. La’Shon has cared for one of our most medically complex clients for 10 years and has remained by his side through every stage of his health journey. When she noticed the early signs of a pressure wound developing, her quick action got him specialized wound care before it became a serious problem. Her loyalty and clinical awareness are exceptional.
Natividad De Los Santos | Care Advantage | Richmond, Virginia. When a cognitively impaired client tried to offer Natividad a tip, she did not just decline. She reported it to her supervisor and made sure the right people were informed, exercising the kind of sound judgment and integrity that builds lasting trust. Her clients know their loved ones are in honest, careful hands.
Wayne Blackwell | Coastal | Dover, Delaware. Wayne averages 76 hours of care per week and brings the same patience and warmth to every hour. When he noticed a client who was feeling withdrawn and lonely, he simply sat with her, listened, and helped her find her way back to the community activities she had stopped attending. Wayne’s small acts created a lasting impact.
Tonia Saunder | Coastal | Dover, Delaware. When Tonia noticed a client struggling with loneliness and declining confidence, she made it her mission to change that. She engaged them in conversation, encouraged participation in daily activities, and celebrated small wins consistently. The client’s family watched their loved one become more independent and more like themselves again.
Thank You
To Betty, Sonia, Ruth Ann, Sharon, La’Shon, Natividad, Wayne, and Tonia: thank you for all that you do. What you do every day matters more than any award can capture. You are the reason families sleep better at night, and the reason clients feel seen, safe, and cared for in their own homes.
We are proud that you are a part of the Care Advantage, Inc. family!
