Care is There

"Because of your service and You, I was able to have piece of mind that I could travel or be tied up unexpectedly and you would cover everything as if it were me being there. Especially nice were the treats you would bring to my mother which she delighted in receiving! I was getting exhausted and you came to my rescue. It was a great relief to have you as my backup."

"Elizabeth was an invaluable help to my siblings and I as we navigated the uncharted waters of the final six complex, harrowing, frustrating years of our late mother’s life.  We all agree, she was worth every penny."

"Our 96 year old mother died this past February.  The last six years of her life were especially difficult for her as for her four children as we tried to support and advocate for her.  Elizabeth’s help and guidance was vital to us as we tried to keep our mother safe while still maintaining her sense of independence and adventure. Elizabeth supported our mother but she also supported us as we went through a difficult process,  a trying phase of life.

Our mother tended to vastly overestimate her physical and mental abilities.  Planning anything involved a lot of behind the scenes shoring up to avoid disaster -  Elizabeth patiently helped us figure out what Mum’s options were and what would support might need to be laid on. As we adult children were doing all this for the first time, Elizabeth’s experience, attention to detail and ability to anticipate situations became indispensable to us as we tried to keep our mother’s life full but safe. Elizabeth understands the elderly and the institutions and the people that serve them.

Mum had two health insurers, six doctors, long term care insurance, moved states changing facilities and made several arguably over ambitious trips. Elizabeth dealt with the Byzantine world of insurance, contracts and agencies for us as well as being a travel agent to Mum and her intrepid new boyfriend.  Organizing trips for nonagenarians, one of whom was wheelchair bound, doubly incontinent and visually very impaired is a highly specialized skill set with which Elizabeth is well endowed!  Her attention to detail is invaluable and reassuring.  Every step of the way she knew when to step in with advice, as a tiny recent example, she was able to tell us how many death certificates to order - something that is tricky to figure out at a very stressful time.

With Elizabeth dealing with the copious administration of Mum’s life we children had more bandwidth to focus on relating to our mother  -  being with our mother  -  rather than just managing her.  I am eternally grateful for that.

Because our mother’s late life boyfriend’s choices determined where she herself lived, our family found ourselves dealing with an institution which was nigh on incapable of providing our mother with the care she needed.  It was a very frustrating situation indeed.  Having a knowledgeable, thoughtful, caring, resourceful, patient, warm person supporting us in advocating for our mother was invaluable both practically and emotionally."

"Your kindness and consideration of [Mom's] every need and safety are a blessing to me. Thank you for all you do."

"I hope you know how much we appreciate your postings - each one reveals how well you are tuned in to my dad's needs, and to finding the right action and activity to bring out the best in his world"

"I cannot tell you how reassuring it is to know that you, who everyone trusts, are doggedly checking out these large unknown financial questions."

"You will find them to be indispensable." - client, 96 years young!

"Care is There has provided outstanding care for our elderly mother. They understand our mother, look out for her needs, and are there when we need them. They are always on top of things, and promptly communicate all aspects of her condition to my sister and myself after every visit. They also maintain a website where all important information is stored."

"I cannot sing enough praises about Care Is There!! My mother had a few other companies helping her out before we contacted Elizabeth, but Elizabeth's personalized care leaves none to compare! She is willing to do anything that is needed or that comes up along the way. Elizabeth and her staff are very professional and very smart people. And they follow through! My father died during the time that Care Is There began working with my mother and Elizabeth (and Susan...who is my mother's primary helper) went out of their way to help not only my mother, but to assist my brother and myself with arrangements. Besides the usual lines of communication by phone, Care Is There communicates with my brother and I through a blog site that Elizabeth set up so that we all stay informed and up to date on all aspects of Mom's care."

"Elizabeth Swider, owner of Care Is There, a geriatric management company, is an excellent resource for solutions concerning the needs for the senior community. I have worked with Elizabeth for several years and find that she and her staff have the most comprehensive knowledge and resources for local health care and related topics for the 55+ population Central Virginia and the Valley."

“My mother has advanced dementia. It has been very difficult for her children to cope with her periodic paranoia and extreme mood swings. Care is There has been of the greatest possible value in helping my mom with her everyday needs like shopping and especially in providing her with much needed comfort and companionship. They have been patient and creative in coping with her unrealistic requests, and they communicate reliably with family members using the family blog feature. Best of all, they help us manage the psychological pain of continually dealing with my mom as she struggles through her diminished abilities. My mom's life, and the lives of her children, would have been much less comfortable without help from Care is There.”

"I first met Elizabeth in her role as Chair of the "Aging in Place Business Round Table" - an extraordinary group of business people committed to serving people "55 and better" as we like to say. Elizabeth is perhaps the most energetic business person I've ever seen and no matter how many directions she's being pulled in - so many wish to tap into her prodigious creativity - she always focuses her full attention upon the person and task at hand. Elizabeth is a very rare combination of high intellect, high integrity and high energy without the high maintenance. And like icing on a cake, she always brings a sparkle into every room she enters. I have, and will continue to highly recommend clients to Elizabeth and Care Is There without hesitation."

“I would like to commend Elizabeth Swider and her enterprise, Care Is There, for being an important positive influence during the year when my mother lived in Charlottesville near me and my husband. My mother was not an easy person. She responded with instant negativity to the point sometimes of anger or even physical lash-outs to many of the people and changes she met along the way in her later years. But to Elizabeth, she responded with instant respect and connection. We went through perhaps a dozen candidates, and few gained such instant acceptance as Elizabeth.It was Elizabeth who established a blog where each of the several caretakers, plus myself and my brother, could note what had happened or any concerns. We used the blog for all kinds of purposes: to convey advice and information (how to use the home blood pressure gauge), to note problems and alert people to them, simply to vent or to pass on amusing stories. It was a great help. During my mother’s last years and even after she died, Elizabeth mattered to me because she showed me a new way to view my mother. My mother had what you might call hallucinations -- she looked out her window and saw the lights of passing cars but believed they were space ships, giant cartoon characters come to life, and other amazing things. I would always listen with interest, but it was Elizabeth who pointed out what these visions told her about my mother: that she was an imaginative and visionary woman whose reality went out of the box and was fascinating and powerful. I know that these characteristics of Elizabeth herself -- her amicable presentation, her talent for creating communication networks, and her ability to see the beauty in any personality -- infuse the business that she has developed. I am pleased to affirm her work and would be glad to talk with anyone about her and the business in person.”

"Thank you for terrific insight and for putting my mind at ease. For the first time, I felt like I had some support. Wow! You give me hope. In Yiddish I would describe you as a "Mensch," and in the Jewish religion, someone who is a Mensch is someone who is of the highest ethics and honor."

"I'm feeling better mentally, because of my association with you."