When Ivy’s* son introduced her to Kim Volker, Care is There’s President, he hoped that Kim could help them sort through their need for care management. Ivy was very polite to Kim, but let Kim know that she didn’t need help.
“Thank you, it’s ok, you can go now,” Ivy insisted. As the conversation progressed, Ivy stated for the third time that she did not need services from Care is There.
Kim got up from the meeting, let Ivy know that she enjoyed meeting her and walked out of the room. Ivy’s son, her burned-out caregiver, offered to show Kim changes that he implemented to Ivy’s house to make it more accessible to her needs. While they discussed the improvements to the house, Ivy walked into the room and saw that Kim had not left yet.
Ivy started to get annoyed… until she saw a tattoo of a paw print on Kim’s arm. Ivy asked about it, leading to Kim sharing the story of her beloved pet, now memorialized by the tattoo on her arm.
“Well if you bring a dog with you, you can come back anytime!” Ivy stated. And that’s exactly what Kim did.
Ivy received visits from Sadie, a service dog in training, as well as from several other dogs enjoying a vacation from their owners by staying with Kim. Ivy also enjoyed visits from Blue the Bunny, which Kim arranged. While bringing a joyful visit with pets, Kim was able to help Ivy and her son identify and fulfil many of their care management needs. Ivy has now moved from the area, but she still talks to Kim by Zoom, always asks about the dogs in Kim’s care and when they’re coming over to visit.
* Name changed for privacy
Photo by Age Cymru on Unsplash
Do you need help managing the care of an elderly loved one in Charlottesville, Harrisonburg, Staunton, Culpeper, or Waynesboro, Virginia?
Contact us at Care is There Geriatric Care Management 800.434.1633 or info@careisthere.com. We offer geriatric care management, support for independent living, assisted living enhancement, Aging Life Care™ services, and peace of mind for long distance caregivers.
AGING LIFE CARE™ is a trademark of the Aging Life Care Association. Only ALCA members are authorized to use this term to identify their services. See the Team page of CareisThere.com for a list of our associates, and look for the Aging Life Care logo on the bio pages of our ACLA members.