When our clients define “quality care,” they often identify safety, reliability, and medical competence. Those things matter deeply. We also believe that they are only part of the picture. Quality care at home is also about building connection and preserving joy, identity, and purpose as needs increase or change.
We invited Billy Steeves MSN, RN, our Director of Patient Services at Harmony to reflect on how his personal and professional experiences have shaped his approach to care at home (and how a song from Broadway’s “The Notebook” spoke to his approach!)
For 16 of those years, I worked in acute care at one of the best hospitals in New York City, specializing in oncology—specifically leukemia, lymphoma, multiple myeloma, and stem cell transplants. During that time, I regularly floated to nearly 20 different units across the hospital, including the ER, geriatrics, burn unit, cardiac step-down, neurology, renal transplant, post-surgical units, etc. I served on the front lines through COVID and its aftermath.
During that time, I saw firsthand that illness has a way of clarifying what matters, and after twenty years in nursing, the question that remains for me is simple: do we love the way we spend our days? This perspective led me to transition into home care—first in private home care, and now in leadership at Harmony Home Care. When I was in nursing school, and throughout my career, home care never really entered my mind as an option. I was focused on the medical complexity of acute care rather than the work of helping people navigate the day-to-day realities of chronic illness, disability, or aging. Then work in home care presented itself, and I found that I loved the one-on-one connection and the focus on each person’s experiences and emotional wellness.
This work is deeply rewarding and often challenging, and it has given me a front-row seat to profound resilience, deep sorrow, and extraordinary humanity.
At Harmony, each day comes with a list of tasks for clients and caregivers to complete, but the question I always return to is, how can we preserve dignity, honor identity, and support the things that make a day feel joyful, connected, and full?
The answer isn’t simple because everyone’s experience of joy will be unique to them: no two caregivers are the same. Nor any two older adults. And certainly no two New Yorkers.
Working in New York City for two decades certainly comes with its challenges but also its distinct joys, especially for a theater-lover like me.
When I’m not at work, I love to see shows on Broadway. I had a recent theater experience that reminded me of why I care so much about the work I do.
In the powerful 11 o’clock number from the recent Broadway production of The Notebook, a younger version of the woman who would later live with Alzheimer’s disease sings: “And finally, I can say… that I love the way that I spent my days!” I was so moved by this that I wept — a lot.
(Watch Joy Woods sing “My Days” from The Notebook on YouTube or Stream on Spotify)
It resonated so deeply in me because it captured what feels most important to me. When we face disability or even mortality, what matters most? What gives life meaning?
For me, the answer is: joy, connection, purpose, and generativity; the feeling that our lives, relationships, and experiences have meaning, and that we are contributing in a deliberate way to the world around us.
If you are seeking support at home for yourself or a loved one, I believe that it’s important to spend some time thinking about what matters most to you or them.
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For clients who require personal care – also known as “hands-on” care or assistance with Activities of Daily Living (ADLs) – you can receive exceptional services from our partner organization, Harmony Home Care.
About: Harmony Home Care is a Licensed Home Care Services Agency (LHCSA) in New York. Harmony is managed by the same team that leads Duet Care at Home, so you can expect a seamless experience with the same devotion to client service.
