Celebrating Our 2026 HCAOA Caregiver of the Year Nominees

Every day, Care Professionals step into homes across our communities and become part of moments that families may remember for years.

Sometimes that means helping someone safely move through their morning routine. Other times, it means sitting beside someone through a difficult night, noticing a change that others may have missed, encouraging a Client to keep doing what they can independently, or simply arriving with the consistency a family has come to depend on.

This year, Assistance Home Care is proud to recognize four Care Professionals from four of our locations as nominees for the Home Care Association of America’s 2026 Caregiver of the Year Award: Janlyn Egan, Dawn McElrath, Julie LeCuru and Shantill Nathan, and they are representing our Team on a truly national stage.

Recognizing Excellence in Professional Caregivers Across the Country

The Home Care Association of America (HCAOA) represents more than one million caregivers across approximately 4,500 member agencies nationwide. Each year, its Caregiver of the Year Award recognizes exceptional frontline Caregivers who go above and beyond for the people they support at home.

HCAOA’s published 2026 nominee list includes 257 Caregivers from across the country.

Among them are just eight nominees from Missouri, three of whom are Assistance Home Care Care Professionals:

Janlyn Egan of Ellisville, CarePlus & VA Program, Julie LeCuru of St. Louis and Dawn McElrath of St. Charles.

In Illinois, Shantill Nathan of Assistance Home Care’s Downers Grove Team is one of only 10 nominees statewide.

For us, having a nominee representing each of our four locations is something worth celebrating.

Not because of a number or an award alone, but because each nomination reflects the kind of work that happens quietly in our Clients’ homes every day.

Meet Assistance Home Care’s 2026 Caregiver of the Year Award Nominees

Janlyn Egan | Ellisville, CarePlus & VA Program

With more than 40 years of caregiving experience, Janlyn brings a lifetime of knowledge to the families she serves.

Her career began as a CNA in 1983 and has included decades of work supporting older adults, including 17 years in hospice care. Those years have given Janlyn a deep understanding of how quickly a Client’s needs can change and how important it is to respond without taking away the person’s sense of control.

Through her experience, Janlyn has learned that excellent care is not simply about knowing what needs to be done. It is also knowing when to help, when to listen and when to give someone the space to maintain their independence.

That balance is one of the qualities that has made Janlyn such a trusted presence for her Clients and their families.

Janlyn pays attention to the details that help a Client feel respected. She notices when someone may need encouragement to speak up during a medical appointment. She understands that a Client may need support advocating for themselves, but may not want someone else to speak over them. She knows that preserving dignity can be just as important as completing a task.

Her care is grounded in partnership. Rather than automatically stepping in, Janlyn encourages Clients to remain involved in decisions about their routines, preferences and care whenever possible. She helps people do what they can for themselves while remaining close by to provide support when it is needed.

That approach is especially meaningful during vulnerable moments, when a Client may feel uncertain, frustrated or less confident than they once were. Janlyn brings reassurance without being overbearing and assistance without making someone feel incapable.

Her hospice background has also shaped the calm and compassion she brings into the home. She understands the importance of being present during difficult conversations, changes in condition and emotionally significant moments. Families can trust her to remain steady, attentive and respectful, even when circumstances are challenging.

Whether she is helping someone feel more comfortable advocating for themselves during a medical appointment, protecting their dignity during a vulnerable moment or simply bringing dependable companionship into their day, Janlyn approaches caregiving with respect for the person in front of her.

Her nomination reflects a career built around something deeply important to our Mission: helping people continue to feel like themselves while receiving the support they need at home.

Dawn McElrath | St. Charles

For Dawn, some of the most important caregiving happens while the rest of the world is sleeping.

Dawn has eight years of professional caregiving experience and has been part of the Assistance Home Care Team since 2020. Much of her work has centered around overnight care, when families often need reassurance just as much as their loved one needs assistance.

Overnight caregiving requires a particular kind of attentiveness. The home is quieter, routines are different and small changes can carry greater significance. A Caregiver must remain alert without disrupting a Client’s rest, provide help when needed and recognize when something may require communication with the family or the broader care Team.

Dawn understands that responsibility. Her arrival can mean that a spouse finally feels comfortable going to bed. An adult child can stop listening for every sound. A family Caregiver who has been carrying responsibility throughout the day can finally rest.

That peace of mind is not created by simply being present in the home. It comes from knowing that the person providing care is dependable, observant and prepared to respond. Dawn has earned that trust through the consistency she brings to each shift.

She remains attentive throughout the night, communicates changes, adapts as Clients’ needs evolve and makes sure the next Caregiver or family member understands how the night went before her shift ends. Her communication helps create continuity, especially when multiple Caregivers and family members are involved in a Client’s care.

Dawn also understands that overnight care affects the entire household. When a Client needs assistance during the night, the goal is not only to help with the immediate need. It is also to preserve as much comfort, calm and normalcy as possible for everyone in the home.

For one family, Dawn’s dependable presence gave a husband greater confidence to leave home for everyday necessities like grocery shopping, errands and his own medical appointments.

Before Dawn became part of the routine, those ordinary activities could carry significant worry. Leaving the home meant wondering whether his wife would be safe, whether she would need help and whether he would be able to respond if something happened. Dawn’s overnight support helped make it possible for him to step away, take care of essential responsibilities and attend to his own health.

That may sound simple. For a family Caregiver, that kind of freedom can mean everything. It can mean sleeping through the night. It can mean going to a medical appointment without rushing home. It can mean remembering that caregiving does not have to be carried alone.

Dawn’s nomination reflects the trust she has built through years of showing up, paying attention and helping families feel supported during the hours when dependable care matters most.

Julie LeCuru | St. Louis

Julie came to Assistance Home Care with more than 20 years of caregiving experience, and in just over a year with our Team, her impact has already been recognized in meaningful ways.

In January, Julie was named a Care Pro of the Month, and now she represents our St. Louis Team as a 2026 HCAOA Caregiver of the Year nominee.

One of the qualities that stands out in Julie’s care is consistency.

For a Client who had experienced frequent changes in overnight Caregivers, that consistency became especially important. When different people are regularly entering the home, a Client may have to repeatedly explain preferences, adjust to new routines and rebuild trust. Even when every Caregiver is well-intentioned, constant change can make care feel uncertain.

Julie helped create something different.

By taking time to learn her Client’s routines, preferences and communication style, Julie became a dependable part of her day-to-day life. She did not treat the care plan as a checklist. She paid attention to the person behind the tasks and learned what helped her Client feel comfortable, respected and secure.

Julie also encourages her Client’s independence. She understands that providing care does not mean taking over. It means offering the right level of support while allowing the Client to remain involved in decisions and activities whenever possible.

That may include giving her Client time to complete a task independently, offering encouragement rather than immediately stepping in or making sure she feels comfortable expressing a concern. Julie helps create an environment where her Client knows her preferences matter and her voice will be heard.

She has also helped her Client feel more comfortable speaking up when something is not right. That kind of trust is built gradually. It comes from listening without judgment, responding respectfully and following through consistently.

Those actions reflect an important part of professional caregiving that can be easy to overlook. Great Caregivers are not there to take over someone’s life. They help Clients remain active participants in it.

Julie’s more than two decades of experience are evident in the way she balances hands-on support with patience and respect. She understands how to anticipate needs without making assumptions, how to provide structure without being rigid and how to help a Client feel safe without making her feel dependent.

Her presence has brought greater stability to a Client who had experienced frequent changes in care. Over time, that stability has helped transform the overnight routine from something uncertain into something familiar.

Julie’s ability to build that trust while providing reliable hands-on support is exactly why our Team was proud to nominate her.

Shantill Nathan | Downers Grove

Shantill has spent more than six years in caregiving and has twice been recognized as a Care Pro of the Month by Assistance Home Care.

Her nomination from our Downers Grove Team reflects the consistency, teamwork and respect she brings to long-term care relationships.

For nearly two years, Shantill has been part of the core Caregiver Team supporting a Client receiving 24/7 care at home, frequently providing overnight support several nights each week.

Long-term, around-the-clock care requires more than completing assigned responsibilities. It requires Caregivers to communicate with one another, recognize changes, maintain routines and understand how each shift contributes to the Client’s overall well-being.

Shantill has become an important part of that continuity. Over time, she has learned not only what her Client needs, but how she wants to live. That distinction matters.

Shantill respects her Client’s strong sense of independence and her desire to remain involved in decisions about her own care. She understands that a Client can need significant assistance while still wanting control over everyday choices, routines and personal preferences.

Rather than assuming what is best, Shantill takes the time to listen. She offers support while preserving her Client’s dignity and encourages her to remain engaged in her own care. That respect has helped build a relationship based on trust rather than dependence.

Following a hospitalization, that trusted relationship became especially valuable as Shantill helped provide reassurance, familiarity and stability during the transition back home.

Returning home after a hospital stay can be overwhelming. A Client may be adjusting to new instructions, changes in strength or mobility, additional support needs and the emotional effects of an unexpected disruption. Familiar Caregivers can make that transition feel less frightening because they already understand the Client’s routines, personality and preferences.

For Shantill’s Client, her presence offered a sense of continuity during a time of change. She could provide assistance while also recognizing when her Client needed encouragement, patience or simply the comfort of having someone familiar nearby.

Shantill’s work also reflects the importance of teamwork in 24/7 care. She communicates with other Caregivers and helps ensure that important information is carried from one shift to the next. That collaboration supports a more consistent experience for the Client and helps the entire Team respond to changing needs.

Her twice being named a Care Pro of the Month reflects what those around her see regularly: Shantill is dependable, attentive and committed to the person receiving care. She brings the same respect to routine days as she does to more difficult transitions.

Long-term home care is built through thousands of moments like these. Showing up. Paying attention. Communicating with the Team. Learning someone’s preferences. Building enough trust that care begins to feel less like assistance from a stranger and more like support from someone who truly knows you.

Shantill embodies that kind of care, and is why our DuPage County Team was so proud to put forth her nomination on the national level!

Four Different Stories, One Shared Commitment

Janlyn, Dawn, Julie and Shantill each came to caregiving through different experiences. They support Clients with different needs, work different schedules and serve different communities.

Janlyn brings more than four decades of experience and a deep understanding of dignity, independence and compassionate support. Dawn provides the steady overnight presence that allows families to rest and continue managing their own responsibilities. Julie has created trust and stability for a Client whose care routine had been marked by frequent changes. Shantill has built a long-term relationship grounded in respect, teamwork and reassurance through transition.

Their stories are different, but throughout each of their nominations, similar qualities rise to the surface.

They show initiative when something needs attention. They understand the responsibility families place in their hands. They communicate. They protect dignity. They work as part of a Team. And most importantly, they take the time to understand the individual person receiving care.

They also understand that excellent home care is not defined only by the tasks completed during a shift. It is defined by how a Client feels while receiving that care: whether they feel heard, respected, safe and supported in continuing to live as independently as possible.

These are not qualities that suddenly appear when an award nomination is written.

Our Teams see them in action every day.

HCAOA’s 2026 nominees are divided among five geographic regions, with one finalist selected from each region. Those five finalists will be recognized at the HCAOA National Home Care Conference, where the national Caregiver of the Year will ultimately be announced.

Whatever comes next in that process, we are incredibly proud to see four Assistance Home Care Care Professionals standing alongside exceptional Caregivers from across Missouri, Illinois and the country.

Janlyn, Dawn, Julie and Shantill, thank you for representing your Clients, your fellow Care Professionals, your local Teams and Assistance Home Care with such professionalism and heart.

Thank you for the quiet moments that families may never see but always feel. Thank you for the overnight shifts, the careful observations, the encouraging words, the respectful assistance and the steady presence you bring into the home.

Congratulations on your 2026 HCAOA Caregiver of the Year nominations. We are proud to have you representing Assistance Home Care on the national stage.