To Provide a Loving Home for the Ones Who First Loved Us
Guiding Hands was built by someone who has been on both sides of senior care — as a placement advisor and as a hands-on care home operator. That experience is the difference.
Dakota Perry
Founder · Guiding Hands Senior Placement
Owner · Agape Care Home of Scottsdale
Owner · Caring For Loved Ones, Phoenix
Owner-operator of 2 licensed AZ care homes
In senior care since 2021
200+ Arizona families helped
Born in Colorado · Raised in Montana · Arizona since 2018
An Operator First. A Placement Advisor Second.
Dakota Perry founded Guiding Hands Senior Placement in 2024 after spending three years operating his own licensed care homes in the Phoenix Valley. That hands-on experience — managing staff, caring for residents, and earning the trust of families day after day — is what sets Guiding Hands apart from any other placement service in Arizona.
His path into senior care was driven by a personal conviction: that the people closest to us deserve exceptional care as they age. Growing up close with his grandparents, and watching friends and family navigate the challenges of large senior facilities, Dakota saw a real gap between what families expected and what they found. He built his care homes — and later Guiding Hands — to close that gap.
What four years of operating care homes taught him is simple: the caregivers are everything. Stable, loving, consistent staff is the backbone of quality care — and it's what most large facilities struggle to maintain. When Dakota recommends a community to a family, that's exactly what he's evaluating.
“To provide a loving home for the ones who first loved us. My grandparents were always just sweetness — there to love you unconditionally. I want them, and every family we serve, to have a place where they feel genuinely cared for. Because eventually, that will be all of us.”
— Dakota Perry, Founder
Built from the Ground Up
Agape Care Home of Scottsdale
Opened our first licensed assisted living residence in Scottsdale — building a care model grounded in consistent, loving staffing and a true home-like environment.
Guiding Hands Senior Placement Founded
Launched Guiding Hands to extend our expertise beyond our own walls — helping Arizona families find the right care communities across the Valley, completely free of charge.
Caring For Loved Ones — Phoenix
Opened our second licensed care home in Phoenix in December 2025. Zero state deficiencies — a reflection of the staffing standards and care culture we've built.
Serving 200+ Arizona Families
As both a placement advisor and hands-on care home operator, we bring a perspective most placement services simply don't have. We know what great care looks like because we provide it every day.
The Values Behind Every Placement
Personalized, Not Generic
We never hand families a list and wish them luck. We invest time learning about your loved one before making a single recommendation.
Operator Perspective
Running two care homes taught us that staffing is everything. When we vet a community for your family, we're looking at the people — their consistency, their culture, their care.
Honest, Even When It's Hard
If we believe a community isn't the right fit, we'll say so — even if it's the one you were most excited about. Your trust matters more than a quick placement.
Free and No Obligation
Our service has never cost a family a cent. We're compensated by partner communities, but our loyalty is always to the families we serve.
2021
First care home opened
Agape Care Home of Scottsdale
200+
Families helped
Across the Phoenix Valley
2 Yrs
Zero deficiencies
Caring For Loved Ones, Phoenix
Free
For every family
No fees, ever
Our Service Area
Deep local knowledge across the entire Phoenix Valley — personally vetted communities in every area we serve.
We'd Be Honored to Help Your Family
Reach out for a free, no-pressure conversation. Let us show you what genuinely local, operator-informed senior placement guidance looks like.
Free service for families · No obligation · Local experts