What Home Health Really Looks Like

What You'll Hear in This Episode

In this episode of The Good Grief Podcast, Christa Walz from Adoray joins us to talk about the power of home health care in helping families age with support, safety, and dignity.

Here's a quick look at what we covered:

[00:00] Christa reflects on 20 years with Adoray and how she got started in home health care.

[02:00] What home health care includes—and how it’s different from hospice.

[04:00] Who qualifies for services and how families can initiate care.

[06:00] Collaborating with physicians, families, and navigating referrals.

[08:00] The emotional dynamics of in-home care—and why it takes trust.

[10:00] What makes Adoray different: nonprofit, extra services, and patient-first care.

[14:00] Fall prevention, medication safety, and preparing the home.

[17:00] How Medicare and Advantage plans affect care and costs.

[20:00] Why Adoray launched thrift stores to sustain services. [22:00] Transitioning to hospice and launching a palliative care program.

[25:00] AI tools supporting documentation, not replacing human care.

[27:00] Why planning ahead helps families avoid crisis decisions.        

Christa Walz

• "A lot of times people don't hear of us until they need us."

• "The more you learn about it, the less scary it can be."

• "Better to know us and not need us, than need us and not know us."

• "Adoray is the only nonprofit hospice agency in western Wisconsin."

• "We meet patients where they are—in their homes, on their terms."

Mike O’Connell

• "You have the patient, and then you have the family whispering from the hallway."

• "Every year, your job gets tougher and tougher."

• "Memorials and legacy gifts really do help.”

Links & Resources

• Adoray Home Health & Hospice

• Treasures From the Heart Thrift Stores

• About Mike O’Connell

• Christa Walz on LinkedIn