Donna on EnhDme's Heart of the Home

Earlier this month, Kevin Lambing and I got connected talking about all-things caregiving, and he asked if I'd answer some questions for EnhDme's Heart of the Home series. I was pumped for the invite, and really have appreciated meeting more and more awesome people in the industry. The interview is now live, and you can read the full feature on EnhDme's blog. Below are some highlights and general background on EnhDme.

What is EnhDme's Heart of the Home series?

Heart of the Home is EnhDme's written interview series celebrating family caregivers and the people supporting them. Each feature is a conversational Q&A with practical advice families can actually use. Past guests include a doctor and a hospice nurse, so I was honored to be included.

What did we talk about?

We talked about my grandpa and the Detroit Tigers, the small things that slip through the cracks in loving families, and why Donna is meant to add to a senior's day, never replace the people in it. Kevin's questions were thoughtful, and a few of them made me put into words things I'd only ever said out loud.

A couple of lines I'm glad made it in:

"None of these are life or death, which is exactly why they slip. Nobody builds a care plan around them."

"For me the line is pretty simple: technology should add to a senior's day, never subtract people from it."

I also got to share an early win: this season, my grandpa was more tuned into the Tigers than he'd been in years. If you want the longer version of that story, it's in why we built Donna and on our Our Story page.

Who is EnhDme?

EnhDme is a family-owned home medical equipment and home-care store based in Columbus, Mississippi, started by people who have been family caregivers themselves. It began as an education project for caregivers, and when families kept asking where they could actually buy the equipment they were learning about, the same family team opened the store.

Kevin, EnhDme's CEO, is a Certified DME Specialist with more than 20 years in home care. What stood out to me in our emails was how he talks about service: real people on the phone, no offshore call center, and treating families like family. That's the same spirit we try to bring to Donna.

What's in EnhDme's free Home Safety Checklist?

EnhDme's Home Safety Checklist is a free, room-by-room PDF guide for family caregivers, with 4 categories and 36+ checkpoints. It covers basics like clearing walkways, testing smoke and CO alarms, installing grab bars, and putting together an emergency contact sheet. You can grab it on EnhDme's Family Caregiver Resources page, where Donna is also listed.

It's a good starting point if you're new to helping a parent age in place and aren't sure what to look at first.

How does the DONNA10 code work?

Use code DONNA10 at enhdme.com for 10% off. Kevin created it for Donna families, and his reasoning was simple: a lot of families are stretched thin right now, and every little bit helps.

Where does Donna fit in?

Donna and EnhDme do very different jobs. EnhDme helps with the equipment side of making a home work for an older adult. Donna is an over-the-phone assistant that calls your parent on the phone they already have for a friendly chat, catches them up on the things they care about, and gives the everyday reminders you set, like the Tigers game at 7 or mahjong at 10. After each call, you get a short recap in the app.

If you have questions about how Donna works, our FAQ is the best place to start. And thanks again to Kevin and the EnhDme team for having me.