Client Stories - Easing Mom’s Transition from a Home of 60 Years

Q&A:

A son and daughter called us about the need to move their mom, Dorothy, to the SF Bay Area from an isolated area of Oregon. We started working with the family five months prior to the move, allowing us to collect information about Dorothy from an involved Care Manager in Oregon. We were able to get a history of client values, interests and needs from the adult children.

Dorothy needed to be close to a church in order to worship regularly, but also to volunteer. She wanted a place that would accommodate a small well-behaved dog – often a challenge in finding senior housing. Our Care Manager found four places that matched Dorothy’s values and interests, as well as current and future needs.

This is a very tight knit family. The family was fearful that they would be the targets of their mother’s anger, but our Care Manager was able to assist the family with how to communicate with their mom in order to reduce this anger and get it focused on another subject – not them. The Care Manager worked closely with them to support them and help them understand the emotional rollercoaster they were experiencing - from joy to guilt, frustration and finally acceptance.

The Care Manager was also able to secure a new doctor before the move. This established a familiar relationship for Dorothy after the move, in the event she needed medical attention.

The Care Manager matched her with a personal assistant from our team who would take her to church as well as help her integrate into the senior living environment.

It didn’t take long for the Dorothy to settle into her new home. The volunteer job at her church also gave her purpose. The family still has their moments of wishing Mom could have stayed in her own home, but with the classes, support groups and the personal coaching from the Care Manager, they have accepted that Mom’s needs are best met in the supportive assisted living community they found.