HouseWorks’ Founder Named 2021 Mass. Home Care Champion
Boston, MA (October 26, 2021): Andrea Cohen, Founder and Vice-Chair of HouseWorks, one of the nation’s largest independent private home care companies, will receive the 2021 Home Care Champion award by the Home Care Alliance of Massachusetts.
The Home Care Champion award is given to an individual(s) or organization who has advanced the image or cause of home care in Massachusetts, demonstrated industry leadership through innovation and vision, made outstanding contributions as a Board leader of an agency, or been an effective grassroots advocate for home care at a local, state-wide, or national level. Cohen will receive the honor at the association’s annual celebration on November 9, 2021.
“Andrea is the very epitome of a home care champion and has been so for many years. When private home care was just emerging as a growth industry, she led the way for bringing them into the Home Care Alliance membership,” said Pat Kelleher, executive director of Home Care Alliance of MA. “She has been a strong voice for industry standards and a leader in bringing innovation into home care in ways that enhance the family and client experience. Where she leads, many follow.”
Cohen is a social entrepreneur dedicated to transforming the way care is delivered to seniors at home. A visionary leader and nationally recognized expert in care delivery, she has spent her entire career in the aging field as a creator, innovator, and influencer. As HouseWorks Founder & CEO, Cohen took an entrepreneurial approach to service delivery that returns a sense of choice and control to seniors and their families. During the beginning of COVID-19 pandemic, she led the company’s efforts to establish care and safety protocols for clients and to educate Caregivers about the COVID vaccine; as a result, 80% of HouseWorks Caregivers had received at least one dose of the vaccine by Summer 2021
Cohen said she was proud to receive this recognition. “As an industry advocate, I take pride in HouseWorks’ innovation and success—and as I social worker I am equally proud of the impact the company has made to support seniors who choose to live at home. I am so appreciative of this award and will never stop using my voice to make a difference,” she said.
Nancy Gillette, HouseWorks’ Chief Growth Officer, nominated Andrea for the award. “Andrea is very deserving of this recognition. She has dedicated her entire career to making sure aging seniors feel seen and appreciated, to know good days were still possible and that their best days were not behind them,” Gillette said. “When COVID hit, Andrea doubled down with her unwavering dedication to our clients, making sure HouseWorks staff were safe and informed and that families had the support to navigate the uncertainties of the pandemic.”
Cohen is committed to leveraging her business accomplishments to create a powerful force for bringing about social change. She sits on the Boards of the Home Care Association of America, the Caregiver Action Network and The Commonwealth Institute. Cohen is an advisor to the Schwartz Center and an appointee to the Massachusetts Women’s Forum, the White House Conference on Aging and the steering committee of the newly established Community Care Corps.
Determined to help social workers unleash their entrepreneurial spirit, Andrea taught leadership courses at the Boston College Graduate Social Work where she received the Distinguished Alumni Award. Andrea was also awarded the Louis Lowy Award by the Massachusetts Gerontology Association (MGA) and was recognized for her entrepreneurial achievements by the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce as a Pinnacle Award nominee.
Andrea lives in Brookline, MA with her husband where they raised two strong, committed daughters.