Audrey Strunewitz, Director, Marketing at TeamLife Health Group, has been named to the Future Leaders Class of 2026 by Home Health Care News.

To become a Future Leader, an individual is nominated by their peers. The candidate must be a high-performing employee who is 40 years of age or younger, a passionate worker who knows how to put vision into action, and an advocate for seniors, and the committed professionals who ensure their well-being.

Strunewitz sat down with Home Health Care News to share what drew her to the home health & home care industry, the biggest leadership lessons she has learned, her thoughts on the future of home health & home care, and much more. To learn more about the Future Leaders Awards program, visit https://futureleaders.wtwhmedia.com/.

HHCN: What drew you to the home health & home care industry?

Strunewitz: Entering the home health and home care industry was not where I originally pictured myself landing early in my career back when I was in school for marketing, but it didn’t take long for me to fall in love with the work we do in the senior care space.

What drew me in was the opportunity to make a real difference in people’s lives in a way you can actually see and feel. Some of the most rewarding moments in my career have come from forming relationships with residents, hearing their stories, making them smile, and witnessing how the right support at the right time can help someone feel more confident, comfortable, or independent.

I feel grateful to have found a career where the work is not only creative and strategic, but also genuinely connected to improving people’s lives. At the end of the day, home care is about helping people live with dignity, connection, and peace of mind, and that has made this work truly meaningful for me.

HHCN: How would you describe your leadership style, and how has it changed over time?

Strunewitz: My leadership style is collaborative, practical, and mission-driven. I care deeply about making sure people understand not only what we are doing, but why we are doing it. Especially in a growing organization, it’s easy for teams to focus only on the task in front of them. I try to connect the day-to-day work back to the larger mission of empowering independence in older adults, and helping our teams feel proud of the role they play in that outcome.

Over time, I have become much more focused on structure. In a growing company, adaptability is important, but structure is what allows growth to become sustainable. I’ve learned that leadership means not only solving the problem in front of you, but also asking, “How do we turn this into a process that makes the work clearer, more consistent, and easier to repeat as we grow?”

HHCN: What is the biggest leadership lesson you’ve learned while serving the home health & home care industry?

Strunewitz: The biggest leadership lesson I have learned is that trust is built through consistency, especially in an industry where people are often turning to you during vulnerable or uncertain moments. In home care, residents may be navigating changes in their independence, families may be trying to make difficult decisions, and community teams are looking for partners they can truly rely on.

I’ve learned a lot about that by working directly with our co-founders at TeamLife, especially our CEO, Lisa Stewart, who has a way of leading with both compassion and calm, and has helped set the tone for the kind of company TeamLife is becoming. She has shown me that trust is earned through small, consistent actions like answering the call, following through, listening carefully, and making people feel supported.

That example has shaped the way I think about leadership. A strong mission and good intentions are important, but in this industry, they have to be backed by dependability, clear communication, and systems that help the entire team deliver care consistently. Leadership in home care isn’t just about responding to the moment in front of you; it’s about creating a culture people can count on.

HHCN: In one word, how would you describe the home health & home care industry and why?

Strunewitz: Human. At its core, this industry is about people helping people. While technology, operations, and innovation are all important, the heart of home care is still the relationship between the person receiving care and the people providing it. That human element is what makes the industry meaningful, and it’s also what makes leadership in this space so important.

HHCN: What do you see as the biggest opportunities and challenges currently facing the home health & home care industry?

Strunewitz: One of the biggest opportunities I see in the home care industry is the chance to move care further upstream. Often, care is only introduced after a fall, hospitalization, or major change in condition. I believe there is a real opportunity to position home care as a proactive support system that helps older adults maintain their independence for longer, rather than only stepping in once a crisis has already happened.

I also see a major opportunity in strengthening partnerships between home care providers and senior living communities, especially in the independent living setting. Many residents want to remain independent, but they still need access to support in small, everyday ways, which was the inspiration behind our Campus Care model at TeamLife. By making support more accessible within the community environment, providers can help residents age in place longer, bring peace of mind to families, and help operators support residents as their needs change.

The biggest challenges continue to be workforce sustainability, affordability, and consistency. Caregivers are the foundation of this work, and providers need to continue investing in training, recognition, communication, and support systems that make caregivers feel valued. At the same time, families are increasingly cost-conscious, so the industry has to find ways to deliver high-quality care while remaining accessible to the people who need it.

HHCN: If you had a crystal ball, what do you think will impact the home health & home care industry over the next 5-10 years?

Strunewitz: Over the next 5-10 years, I believe the home care industry will shift toward more flexible, data-informed, and community-integrated models of care. Older adults want to remain independent, families want peace of mind, and senior living communities need better ways to support and retain residents as their needs change over time.

I think we will see more care models that sit between traditional private duty home care and higher levels of care. Not every person needs a four-hour block of care, but many people benefit from 15, 30, or 60 minutes of support at the right moment. That kind of flexibility can help meet needs earlier, prevent unnecessary transitions, and make care feel more approachable for residents who may be hesitant to ask for help.

Technology will also play a major role, especially when it helps identify changes in condition, enhance safety, and improve communication between care teams, families, and community partners. The most successful technology will be the kind that strengthens the human side of care rather than replacing it. From my perspective, the future of the industry will be shaped by organizations that can combine strong care delivery with meaningful data, trusted partnerships, and a clear understanding of what older adults and families actually need.

HHCN: In your opinion, what qualities must all Future Leaders possess?

Strunewitz: I believe all Future Leaders should have a genuine drive to make things better. Especially in the home care space, the work is too personal and too important to be led by people who are only focused on growth or innovation for the sake of it. Those things matter, but they have to be rooted in a clear understanding of why the work matters in the first place.

The industry is changing quickly, and Future Leaders need to be able to see both the big picture and the individual people within it. They need to understand the larger forces shaping care, including workforce challenges, affordability, technology, and the growing demand for aging-in-place solutions, but they also need to remember that behind every trend or strategy are real residents, families, caregivers, and communities.

To me, the most impactful Future Leaders are the ones who can balance vision with humanity. They should be curious, adaptable, and willing to change the way things have always been done, while staying grounded in the human side of care.