David is the financial planning and analysis (FP&A) manager for a large, private manufacturer in a major urban area. He’s on track for a major promotion: The company’s CFO is likely to retire in the next few years, and if he can prove himself, he’s first in line to take over.
David’s mother, Diane, is in her late seventies. For most of her life, she has been in excellent health. But in recent months, family members have started to notice an alarming trend: Diane is becoming increasingly forgetful. She has missed appointments with her doctor and hairstylist, she regularly forgets to eat, and she’s always looking for lost items.
David books a flight to his hometown to take Diane to the doctor himself. The doctor confirms that Diane is showing signs of memory loss. She will need regular assessments to determine when it’s time to start looking at care options.
David schedules a few follow-up appointments for his mother and arranges for local family members to accompany her so he can return home. But he’s quickly overwhelmed by the insurance paperwork, the confusing medical bills, and the endless calls from family members with both reports on her condition and questions about next steps. David lives hundreds of miles away from his mother, yet the family has unofficially nominated him as the expert on her needs and care.
Clashing priorities:
A demanding career and an aging parent
Managing Diane’s health from afar is becoming increasingly difficult for David. He regularly loses focus at work when yet another text or bill comes in. It’s getting harder and harder to get time off work to fly home, and he can tell his managers are getting frustrated. Even when he does manage to catch a flight, he’s so focused on appointments and checklists that he can’t even enjoy this precious time with his mother and family.
Meanwhile, many of Diane’s daily needs are going unmet. The doctor told David that Diane will decline much faster if she’s not eating properly. He tried to set up a meal train, but people lost interest after a few weeks, and Diane is still forgetting to eat. It’s yet another item on the list of things David feels guilty about, along with the fact that she’s home alone all day and has no way to meet her friends for tennis, which used to be one of her favorite activities.
David has started to wonder if he should move her to assisted living, but he doesn’t know if she’s truly ready. And Diane has repeatedly insisted that she wants to stay in her house. He’s also considering the painful possibility that he may have to give up on his dreams of becoming CFO, quit his job, and move his family back to his hometown.
Then his friend Scott, an elder care attorney, recommends CARESULTANTS. Scott hired CARESULTANTS to help him manage care for his own mother: She’s sharp as a tack, but her mobility is in decline. He tells David that the CARESULTANTS team has saved him hours and hours of time, not to mention incalculable stress. David schedules a consultation an hour after their conversation.
A better elder care solution:
Consistent care, improved quality of life, and less stress
Within a matter of days, the CARESULTANTS team has lifted a tremendous burden from David’s shoulders. They hired an experienced nurse, Jesse, in Diane’s city who takes Diane to all her appointments and calls David after each one with a full report. They found a local meal service that prepares and delivers custom meals based on Diane’s needs and delivers. David’s CARESULTANTS representative also interviewed and hired a care attendant, Nicole, who stops by a few times per week to help Diane around the house, make sure she’s eating, take her to tennis, and simply spend time with her.
Diane can’t stop talking about how much she loves Jesse and Nicole. David speaks to both of them regularly and trusts them completely to take good care of Diane. They are diligent about reporting any changes they notice, so David is always up to speed and can confer with his CARESULTANTS rep about necessary adjustments to her care. The CARESULTANTS team assures David that Diane is fine at home for now and has pledged to help him choose the right care facility for her when the time comes.
With CARESULTANTS handling Diane’s care, David is free. He’s doing better at work again, and leadership has noticed the results. He’s sleeping better. Local family members have shared that Diane seems happier and more robust and that Jesse and Nicole are kind and attentive.
Best of all, David can simply enjoy his mother’s company when he flies home. Before he hired CARESULTANTS, every visit was a marathon checklist of medical visits and phone calls and tasks around the house. His children barely got to see their grandmother because she and David were so busy with appointments.
But now, David gets to focus on making memories with his mother and his family. Diane and her grandchildren spend much more time together when they visit and have developed a stronger bond. And because someone is managing Diane’s nutrition and exercise, she has more energy and stamina for family time.
CARESULTANTS gave David the gift of time, peace, and clarity. When the time comes to consider more advanced care for Diane, CARESULTANTS will research the options for him and help him choose the right one.
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