Terese M.

What Challenges were you facing?

Having a loved one with dementia is beyond difficult. My siblings and I were overwhelmed by just how much we didn't understand about Medicare, hospice, finances, insurance, additional benefits etc.

Had any doubts or hesitations?

I think we initially hesitated for two reasons. 1. Although we named my brother POA, there are five of us already involved in all decisions in regard to our mom. We don't always agree and thought another person and opinion might make it more difficult. 2. I think there is a natural feeling that it's our mom and our responsibility and we should figure things out because we owe it to her and we care more than someone else would.

What were the results?

Our reasons for hesitating could not have been more wrong. Colleen has a wonderful ability to remove the emotion from the situation and explain the best options all while showing care and compassion. She has helped us navigate through every aspect of our mom's care. We have gained confidence in our understanding and the stress level among the siblings has decreased dramatically. Most importantly, however, is the fact that our mom now has more care and more of the benefits that she is entitled to receive. We have peace of mind that the difficult decisions for next steps have already been made. We can't put into words how much Colleens guidance and continued support mean to us.

How does life or caregiving feel different for you now?

We went from feeling completely overwhelmed and uninformed to having peace of mind and enjoying the time we have with our mom.

Vote of trust

Don't wait and don't feel like you should figure it out on your own!! Colleens experience, knowledge, and compassion throughout this journey have been extraordinary! We are forever grateful