TENDERCARE LAUNCHING NATIONAL FAMILY CAREGIVING INFRASTRUCTURE, PARTNERING WITH THE AGING LIFE CARE ASSOCIATION® AND SUPPORTING THE CMS GUIDE MODEL PROGRAM
tendercare partnering with ALCA to raise national caregiving and eldercare industry standards;
Selected as CMS GUIDE technology and national network partner supporting Eli Health
NEW YORK, Dec. 19, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- tendercare, the free family caregiving technology platform, today announced two strategic partnerships that strengthen caregiving infrastructure across standards, technology, and access to trusted support: a strategic national partnership with the Aging Life Care Association (ALCA) and a national technology and network partnership with Eli Health, an approved participant in the CMS GUIDE Model (Guiding an Improved Dementia Experience.)
The announcements also follow tendercare's recent appointment of award-winning journalist Lisa Ling as Chief Caregiver Advocate & Advisor. Ling's role focuses on reaching individuals who are already doing the work of caregiving — often for years — before they have the language, knowledge, or context to seek professional help. Her advocacy work helps ensure families arrive at care systems earlier, more informed, and better supported, reinforcing tendercare's role as a front door to trusted, standards-based care.
Together, these partnerships advance a shared goal: creating clearer standards, better coordination, and more reliable pathways for families navigating complex care.
tendercare Advancing Standards with ALCA
tendercare and ALCA have announced a Strategic National Partnership to enhance transparency, credentialing, and quality in the care industry.
As part of this Strategic National Partnership, tendercare and ALCA will collaborate on:
- Implementing ALCA standards into tendercare's vetting process for the Geriatric & Life Care Management category of the tendercare Trusted Network.
- Establishing a unified framework to help elevate and clarify the role of Aging Life Care Managers™ nationally, and the standard for practitioners.
- Highlighting and elevating leading practitioners who meet rigorous professional standards as members of the tendercare Trusted Network nationwide.
"Families seeking help caring for aging loved ones deserve clarity about who they are working with and what they can expect," said Julie Wagner, ALCA CEO. "By incorporating ALCA's standards into tendercare's national family caregiving technology platform, we are together raising the floor for what high-quality, trusted professional senior care support should look like — and ensuring families seeking help supporting their aging family members have a clear path to identify who to work with in seconds. ALCA is proud to form this Strategic National Partnership with tendercare and help ensure families have a consistent, high-quality way to connect with Aging Life Care Professionals® who are prepared for today's complex aging-care needs."
tendercare Supporting CMS GUIDE Model Efforts with Eli Health
tendercare has been selected as a technology and network partner for Eli Health in all 50 states, supporting the operations of its GUIDE Model program operations. tendercare recently achieved federal approval as a CMS GUIDE partner organization. Eli Health will now be able to leverage tendercare's unique infrastructure technology, family tools, and unmatched network of vetted providers.
Eli Health offers eligible families access to no‑cost dementia navigation services and up to $2,563 in respite care per year through the CMS GUIDE Model.
As part of the partnership, tendercare will assist Eli Health with:
- Identification and enrollment of GUIDE model-eligible families
- Caregiver education and structured intake support
- Participation and assistance in comprehensive assessment requirements
- Medication management support and related care coordination
Through its national Trusted Network—spanning 18+ vetted caregiving categories—tendercare helps GUIDE partners like Eli Health source high‑quality providers nationwide, reducing friction for families and ensuring care teams are built around verified expertise and vetted standards.
"GUIDE model participants are required to assemble strong local ecosystems, as part of their care delivery models," said Ali Ahmadi, CEO and Founder of Eli Health. "We're partnering with tendercare because they uniquely bring infrastructure, technology, and an unmatched network of vetted providers so we can focus on delivering meaningful dementia support outcomes at scale."
Building the Infrastructure Families Need
"These partnerships reflect our belief that caregiving needs a true front door," said Shauna Sweeney, founder and CEO of tendercare. "For decades, families have been forced to stitch together care from dozens of disconnected point solutions, each assuming industry knowledge families don't yet have.
The bigger picture is this: we're building more than the online ecosystem for family caregivers. We're building the infrastructure for how America ages. One in five Americans will soon be over 65. 77% want to age in place. The demand is inevitable and enormous."
About ALCA
The Aging Life Care Association® (ALCA) was formed in 1985 to advance dignified, coordinated care for older adults in the United States. With nearly 2,000 members nationwide, Aging Life Care Professionals® have cared for about two million older adults over its history.
ALCA Members are distinguished from others practicing care management as they must meet stringent education, experience, and certification requirements and adhere to Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice. Members may be trained in several fields including, but not limited to, counseling, gerontology, mental health, nursing, occupational therapy, physical therapy, psychology, or social work; with a specialized focus on issues related to aging and elder care.
For more information or to access a directory of Aging Life Care Professionals, visit www.aginglifecare.org.
About Eli Health
Eli Health helps families navigate dementia with clarity, coordination, and compassion with Dementia Care + Behavioral Health support for family caregivers and their loved ones. As an approved CMS GUIDE ("Guiding an Improved Dementia Experience") program participant, Eli Health delivers dementia navigation services, care planning, and access to $2,600 per year in respite benefits — often at no cost to families.
About tendercare
tendercare helps families stay organized, emergency-ready, and connected to vetted professionals — all in one place. Built by and for family caregivers, the platform's free tools include secure, shared Vaults for key documents, the tenderID™ for emergency readiness, and the Trusted Network™ for finding verified local help. Get a tenderID at trytendercare.com/tenderid, download the tendercare App, or learn more at trytendercare.com.
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