The Caregiver You Choose Changes Everything: Sheridan Cares A-List Standard
Not all caregivers are the same. I know that sounds obvious. But after 25 years in this industry, I've learned that most families don't truly understand the difference — until something goes wrong.
That's why at Sheridan Care, I built something I call the A-List Standard. It's not a marketing phrase. It's a set of non-negotiables I established in the early years of this company, when I realized the senior care industry was full of good intentions but inconsistent execution.
What 'A-List' Actually Means
Every caregiver we place with a family meets a standard I would apply to my own mother. That means:
- A minimum of 2 years of professional caregiving experience — most of our team has spent their entire career in home health
- Thorough background checks: criminal history, DMV, and professional references — every time, no exceptions
- Bonded and insured as employees of Sheridan Care — not contractors, not gig workers
- Ongoing training in dementia care, fall prevention, nutrition support, and emergency response
- A temperament and spirit of genuine compassion — something you can screen for, if you know what to look for
That last point matters more than people realize. Caregiving is not a task. It's a relationship. The caregiver who shows up to your parent's home at 7am becomes one of the most important people in their life. We take that responsibility seriously.
Why Employee Status Matters More Than You Think
Many home care agencies operate with independent contractors. I made a different choice. Every Sheridan Care caregiver is a W-2 employee of this company. That means we're accountable for their training, their conduct, and their consistency. If something goes wrong, I don't deflect to a contractor agreement. The responsibility is mine.
It also means our caregivers stay. Our average tenure is four years — four times the industry average. When you build a relationship with a Sheridan caregiver, that relationship endures.
Raising the Standard With SiP
One of the things I'm most proud of in this next chapter is how we're equipping our caregivers with SiP — the nutritional beverage I developed as a companion to our care model. Senior malnutrition is a silent epidemic. Protein deficiency, immune decline, muscle wasting — these things accelerate faster than most families realize. Our caregivers are now trained to recognize the early signs and to introduce SiP as a clean, simple, research-backed solution.
A-List care isn't just showing up. It's showing up with the right tools, the right training, and the right heart.
"I built Sheridan Care to be the company I would trust with my own family. That standard has never changed."
A Note to Potential Partners
If you're an investor, operator, or professional in the senior care space, I want you to know: everything we've built at Sheridan Care — the culture, the systems, the caregiver quality, the SiP partnership — is designed to scale without sacrificing what makes us who we are. I'd love to connect.
With love,
Susan Dost
Founder & CEO, Sheridan Care + SiP (Super Immune Protein)