Spotlights
Kathleen Vanderveen
Many people think they will never need to worry about eldercare. They make the plans to care for their parents themselves, saying they would never place them in a nursing home. But plans can change, at least they did for Kathleen VanderVeen, Assistant Vice President and ADA Compliance Officer in the Division of Inclusion and Equity.
“I was always planning to take care of my mom along with my four sisters, my brother, and extended family.”
Until recently, Kathleen and her siblings did not see a need to look into eldercare for their aging parents. Suddenly, her mom had a fall which resulted in time spent in a rehab facility to recover. As a result of the incident, her mother developed pneumonia, as well. The fall changed everything. Before, her parents were living independently, and now, after spending some time in rehab, the facility staff told Kathleen they could no longer care for her mother as the limited stay had come to an end. There were two options presented, take care of her mother at home or explore the option of a longer term care facility.
“[My parents] both… had [strong] opinions about how they were going to live out the rest of their days on earth.”
It was then that Kathleen decided to call Age Wise Eldercare Solutions; within thirty minutes, Michelle Herron returned her call and helped her to formulate a plan, explaining her options, keeping in mind that this was to be a temporary situation. With the help of Michelle, Kathleen’s family was able to appeal the facility’s decision to release her mom, and that gave her family more time to decide what would be the best next steps for her parents.
Kathleen is grateful for the compassion Grand Valley alum Michelle Herron showed her family and the information Age Wise Eldercare Solutions was able to provide. If you are struggling to navigate the maze of eldercare, let one of Grand Valley’s services help you connect with the support you need when caring for an elderly loved one.
Kathleen called Age Wise Eldercare Solutions for help, but Crossroads Eldercare Planning also offers similar resources for those with questions or concerns about eldercare. For more information on eldercare, visit our website.
Share this spotlight
Return to the listing of spotlights.