Each year, Caring recognizes the top-rated senior living communities and in-home care agencies with the Caring Stars award, based on consumer reviews from seniors and their families on Caring.com.

The first of its kind when originally launched and now a well-recognized signal of service excellence, Caring Stars 2026 marks two major milestones:

• The 15th edition winner list for senior living (including all levels of community, from 55+ apartments, adult day care, and independent living, to assisted living, memory care, skilled nursing, and CCRCs)

• The 10th anniversary winner list for senior care (including in-home care, home health, hospice, and geriatric care management)

With added promotions to celebrate these milestones, it’s a particularly opportune time to be among the featured communities and agencies honored! We detailed how to earn the Caring Stars 2026 award in our recent “Time to Shine” webinar (slides and recording in our events archive), and the following summary provides an overview for you, too.

Why Reviews — and Caring Stars — Matter

When researching and selecting the best fit service providers, seniors and their families turn to online reviews to narrow their options and make decisions. Caring Stars and the over 400,000 reviews on Caring.com help them make well-informed, confident choices during these life transitions.

Over the many years we’ve hosted online reviews, we’ve seen firsthand how this peer feedback not only shapes trust, but also drive inquiries, tours, and move-ins. Research from BrightLocal’s Consumer Reviews Survey and data from Caring’s referral partnerships show that:

• 96% of Americans read reviews when considering local services, including for senior living and in-home care, and 74% are looking at multiple review websites. When this online research happens, you want your online reviews to help tell a story about the quality of your services and positively influence their decision-making.

• Caring community partners with 16+ reviews have averaged nearly 3x more leads, almost 4x more tours, and over 4x more move-ins than those with only 1-2 reviews.

• Earning the Caring Stars award builds on this influence. In 2023-2024, Caring Stars communities attracted nearly twice as many inquiries and over five times more move-ins compared to non-winners on Caring.com.

Community and care seekers use Caring Stars as a shortcut to trust. They see the award or badge in search results, on profile pages, and even filter the Caring.com directory results to view Caring Stars from the past three years. The award helps them quickly identify those communities and agencies with a track record of excellence — attracting them to learn more about their services.

Caring Stars gives honored businesses this valuable increased visibility in search, social media, and local PR. The award brings free promotional materials, media coverage, and a powerful differentiator in a crowded marketplace.

As a high integrity reviews platform, Caring charges no fees for Caring Stars participation, and there is no application process. Any community or agency in the United States with a stellar reputation profile on Caring.com can be considered — if meeting the minimum eligibility criteria by the qualification deadline (for Caring Stars 2026, that is October 15, 2025).

Key Dates and What’s Needed

• 2026 Award qualification deadline: October 15, 2025

• Senior living winners announced: mid-November 2025

• Home care agency winners announced: mid-December 2025

To be considered for the 2026 award, we suggest exceeding the following reviews metrics by the qualification deadline ...

FOR SENIOR CARE AGENCIES AND SENIOR LIVING COMMUNITIES (with resident capacity of 31+):

FOR CARE HOMES OR SMALL HOUSING:

Quality Assurance Steps

After the October 15th deadline, Caring audits all finalist profiles to confirm integrity and compliance. The audit includes:

• Checking that all published reviews meet guidelines (evaluating them as a collection for each profile, in addition to the individual screening each went through when published). Communities and agencies must avoid adding the reviews for their customers — Caring can help any seniors who need that assistance in participating.

• Verifying state-based licensing information for care levels where required, and ensuring the license information on the profile matches

• For regulated care levels of senior living: Analyzing two years of inspection reports and citations. Finalists can be excluded from the winner list for serious deficiencies, a high volume of minor citations, or repeated year-over-year citations.

• Screening of public news reports

These steps help ensure the award maintains consumer trust and truly represents the best service providers nationwide.

Valid Reviews Only

One of the most common mistakes is asking the wrong people to give reviews on Caring.com.

Here’s who may participate in our high integrity program:

Tools to Build Your Reputation

During the “Time to Shine” webinar for Caring Stars 2026, we discussed the many services Caring offers to get and respond to reviews.

HOW TO GET REVIEWS

• Online Review Forms: Every Caring.com profile has a dedicated review link you can share directly with cognitively-healthy seniors and their families. -Caring’s senior living partners can use Partner Portal to email this link directly to potential reviewers and track how many reviews you generate.

• Review Call-in Line: For Caring’s referral partners, we offer a free “Review Us on Caring” handout with the phone number for our award-winning review call in line. -This is an excellent option for seniors who aren’t yet comfortable online — and it frequently results in very detailed, authentic reviews. We also have other reviews-by-phone services for Caring partners too — for both senior living and senior care.

• Activated Insights Integration: If your home care agency is using Activated Insights (formerly Home Care Pulse), be sure to opt into this program that takes some of the consumer feedback collected in their surveys and transmits reviews for Caring.com profiles.

Once you have reviews published on your profile, don’t miss the opportunity to respond to them:

As announced earlier this summer, we also now have a partnership with ResponseScribe to help craft your responses. It comes with a free 14-day trial for reviews on both Caring and Google.

Take Action Now!

The October 15th deadline will be here sooner than you think, so don't delay in building your Caring.com profile for Caring Stars 2026 consideration. Don't be outshined by your local competitors — be among those featured for excellence in Caring Stars 2026.

Here's what just some of the 2025 winners have had to say about this honor for their organizations:

Have questions? Please reach out to reviews@caring.com or (650) 762-8190 for support.

As the average life expectancy continues to rise, seniors and their families are evaluating senior living options at record numbers. To help prepare for the potential resident increases, senior living communities must ensure that they are well-positioned to attract and retain seniors.

What is the Next Generation of Seniors Looking for?

With more baby boomers approaching retirement each day, senior living communities must rise to meet this generation’s evolving expectations. According to a 2023 American Seniors Housing Association (ASHA) report, 92% of baby boomer respondents wanted to remain as independent as possible in their transition to senior living. Features like full kitchens and in-unit laundry topped their wishlist. And while they’re not digital natives, baby boomers are increasingly tech-savvy and prioritize community, wellness, and access to amenities that help them stay sharp, active, and social.

How Can Senior Living Operators Future-Proof Their Communities?

• Reimagining spaces Aging is not a cookie-cutter experience, and today’s seniors want — and need — more options when choosing a senior living community. Architects are responding by exploring more innovative ways to make residents feel truly at home, designing spaces that are vibrant, engaging, and adaptable to both current and future needs. Expanded living options, creative dining and lounge areas, inviting outdoor spaces, and proximity to mixed-use developments all contribute to a more dynamic, intergenerational experience that helps seniors stay connected to the broader community.

• Focus on lifestyle, wellness & engagement In the digital age, information is more accessible than ever, whether it’s credible or not. This makes it even more crucial for senior living communities to stand out by aligning with baby boomers’ growing emphasis on health and wellness. From gym equipment and group exercise classes to guest speakers and transportation to medical appointments, today’s seniors view independence and well-being as deeply connected. Communities that actively support residents’ health and wellness goals provide a resource that’s essential to their overall satisfaction and quality of life.

• Build a future-ready and inclusive workforce Just as important as the physical space is the team that brings your community to life. Hiring and retaining adaptable, mission-driven employees is key to building trust and a strong reputation. Staff who treat each resident as an individual help create deeper connections with residents and their families. Ongoing development is essential. Training in empathy, inclusivity, and mental health supports both residents and staff. Providing resources to reduce stress and prevent burnout keeps your team engaged and effective. Leveraging technology to streamline tasks also frees staff to focus on what matters most — resident care. Inclusive programming, language accessibility, and celebrating diverse identities all contribute to a welcoming environment. And by offering clear career paths, mentorship, and purpose-driven branding, you can attract the next generation of senior care professionals. Investing in your team creates a stronger, more compassionate community for all.

As the senior population grows and evolves, so must the communities that serve them. Baby boomers are redefining what aging looks like — prioritizing independence, wellness, connection, and cultural relevance. To stay competitive and truly meet the needs of this next generation, senior living operators must take a holistic approach. By embracing innovation and compassion at every level, communities can not only prepare for increased demand but also create environments where seniors feel valued, engaged, and at home.

With online reviews now commonplace and prolific for senior living communities and senior care agencies — strongly influencing your sales and marketing by helping care seekers in their search and selection process: it can be hard to keep up and ensure your business is actively listening and responding to this customer feedback.

But it’s crucial that you do:

• 89% of U.S. consumers are more likely to use businesses that respond to positive and negative reviews; that drops to 55% if you only respond to negative reviews.

• The majority expect businesses to respond rapidly too — in the BrightLocal study for 2025: 81% preferred responses in timeframes under a week.

• To qualify for the Caring Stars service excellence award you must publish a response to all negative 1-star and 2-star reviews have a published response, and have at least one response on your Caring.com profile for a review of any rating.

Last year, when we asked what was holding communities and agencies back from effectively responding to reviews, a third said it was a lack of expertise and tools, and an additional 16% said they weren’t sure what to say. This year, we’re pleased to announce that we have a new partnership with ResponseScribe that helps solve for both challenges and more!

ResponseScribe crafts responses to reviews on Caring, Google and other consumer review platforms. This done-for-you service uses the best of both AI and humans to deliver personalized, on-brand review responses within hours, and aligned with best practices (including HIPAA compliance).

What’s more: you can try it at no charge for 14 days to see how well it helps your community or agency respond to reviews on Caring.com or Google. Then, with a monthly (cancel anytime) subscription thereafter: you can respond to reviews on over 50 different websites (in 2025, care seekers are reading reviews and responses on at least two sites when researching local options).

How to Get Started

• Activate your 14‑day free trial — No credit card needed. The trial includes review response coverage on Caring.com and Google for a single location. The sign-up page also has a brief video explainer about this service and how it works.

• Experience prompt, professional replies — Once your free trial is set up, ResponseScribe will immediately begin crafting personalized review responses for Caring and Google reviews. You set the preferences for how involved you’d like to be in the response process, including having text or email alerts for your approval or editing of the responses generated for your community or agency.

• Continue beyond the trial and expand as you grow — After the free trial ends, you can convert to full account access for one or more locations, and for over 50 review websites. There are numerous communities and brands nationwide already taking advantage of this service, and ResponseScribe has excellent customer retention rates based on the quality of their offering.

• Benefit from a tried & true Caring collaboration — With Caring’s years-long integration with Shout About Us (the parent company of ResponseScribe), they have a clear understanding of Caring’s review and response guidelines, and the seamless ability to submit responses on your behalf, with all required fields for publication.

Taking advantage of this opportunity can deliver key benefits for your community or agency:

Learn more and try it free for 14 days via their sign-up page.

• Note: If you have a large enterprise with numerous locations nationwide, we’re happy to make a personalized introduction for you (contact Caring’s reviews leadership).

Have other questions about Caring’s reviews program? Please contact: reviews@caring.com or (650) 762-8190.

Imagine this: instead of expecting families to come to us for a perfectly orchestrated tour, we meet them where they’re most comfortable — in their own homes.

Home care pros have this figured out: Step into the family’s world, understand their dynamics, and have an honest conversation over a cup of coffee at their kitchen table. It’s not about being flashy or “selling” right away; it’s about building trust and rapport, and taking in the subtle details about their needs. 

Meanwhile, senior living companies are stuck in the old-school mindset: “The best experience is here, so come to us!” However, for many families, the stress of arranging and attending a tour can outweigh the benefits of seeing your community’s sparkling dining room.

By visiting a family’s home, you learn firsthand about their needs and desires:

• The fur-baby, Sparky. If he can’t move into the community, it’s a dealbreaker

• Mom’s favorite recliner? It’s more than furniture; it’s her throne. Will it fit in one of your units?

• The hallway clutter? It tells you this family needs more than physical support.

Families feel more comfortable in their homes, and are often more open to discussing concerns and preferences without the anxiety of being “on stage” at a community tour.

But here’s the kicker: a pre-tour home visit dramatically increases tour-to-conversion rates. Why? Because when families finally come to see your community, they’re already sold on the idea. You’ve addressed the anxieties upfront, and the visit becomes confirmation, not exploration.

So let’s start meeting families where they’re at. Who knows? You might even get a glimpse of their favorite casserole recipe — a win-win for everyone!

Senior living teams, it’s time to shake off the dust of tradition. Let’s trade in our tour-only mindset for a more human approach. Let’s meet families where they are — literally.

In the evolving landscape of senior care, home care companies that prioritize offering experiences — not just fulfilling care hours — are seeing significantly higher conversion rates with families. While care is undeniably at the top of the pyramid of needs for seniors, their overall health and happiness also rely heavily on engaging experiences that nurture social, emotional, and mental well-being.

Therefore, the “whole-person approach” is proving to be a differentiator for home care providers. A whole-person approach combines care with meaningful activities, outings, and group events. Seniors thrive on connections and stimulation, and when a home care company creates opportunities for these, they position themselves as more than just service providers —they become life enhancers.

Some leading home care companies are introducing Monthly Experience Calendars as an additional service for families. These calendars outline planned social activities, group outings, and enrichment events, allowing families to actively participate in creating and selecting experiences for their loved ones. The experience calendars not only showcase a commitment to personalization, they build stronger connections with families by involving them in the care process.

One of the primary reasons seniors transition from home care to senior living communities is the rich tapestry of experiences and social engagement that senior living communities offer. Home care providers who mirror this by offering personalized activities and fostering a sense of community can bridge that gap, appealing to families who want the best of both worlds.

By integrating care with vibrant, planned experiences, home care companies serve not only as caregivers, but as partners in creating fulfilling lives for seniors. This dual approach ensures the providers touch more families, building lasting relationships based on trust, connection, and a shared commitment to holistic well-being.

In the end, it's not just about the hours spent caring — it’s about the moments that truly matter. A monthly experience calendar is a simple yet powerful way to make those moments meaningful, creating a lasting impact for both seniors and their families.

In the growing home care industry, the key to success lies in the ability to attract new senior care clients. As the demand for home care increases, it's important to craft lead generation and marketing strategies to stand out from the crowd. 

Make Your Home Care Agency Stand Out

Standing out in a competitive market is essential to attracting new home care leads. Here are some effective and easy ways to stand out from the competition:

1. Craft an Online Presence

Grow your home care agency’s online presence through an easy-to-use website and social media presence. Both of these make it easier for potential senior care clients to understand your services before they reach out to you. 

2. Highlight Your Unique Selling Propositions

Identify and highlight what makes your home care agency different and the right fit for potential senior care clients.  Create selling points that help you stand out by highlighting your:

• Specialized services

• Highly-trained staff

• Personalized care plans

Use those selling points on your website, social media channels, and any emails you send to nurture home care leads. 

3. Use Client Testimonials

Showcase your stellar services through testimonials and reviews from happy senior care clients. Reviews — both positive and negative — build trust and credibility with potential clients. If you get feedback you weren’t expecting, a timely, caring response to that review goes a long way in building trust. Ask your current and past senior care clients to share reviews online, like on your Caring.com profile, to provide firsthand experiences.

Marketing Strategies for Your Home Care Agency

Another key is to create a marketing strategy that can reach more seniors and attract new senior care clients.

1. Search Engine Optimization (SEO) 

Strengthen your online presence by implementing a few SEO strategies onto your website. Identifying a few top keywords for home care agencies in your area can help your website reach its key audience. Another way to boost your SEO? Partner with Caring.com! Our website ranks for tens of thousands of keyword searches, allowing your agency to perform better in searches.

2. Email Campaigns

Stay memorable by creating emails to nurture home care leads and maintain regular communication. Share a newsletter with updates and client stories, provide promotions, and check in to stay connected with these leads. That way, when they are ready to take the next step, your agency is at the top of their list. 

3. Partner with Caring

Another easy and time-effective way to help expand your reach is through home care lead generation, which you can do by buying home care leads from Caring.com. We help you tap into interested, qualified seniors seeking home care in your area. It's a simple, controlled way to build your client list while crafting your other organic marketing efforts. 

4. Use Photos and Detailed Descriptions 

With online search becoming more popular among seniors and their loved ones, using quality photos is a must to help your agency stand out. Including at least 5 custom photos, including staff photos can help give seniors a preview of your staff and services. With Caring, partners enjoy an enhanced profile, which allows for multiple photos and a detailed description. 

With these strategies, your home care agency can get more leads, boost online visibility, and gain trust with potential senior care clients.

If you want to learn more about partnering with Caring.com or buying home care leads, contact us at sales_homecare@caring.com or call (855) 590-8989.