CLIENT SITUATION

Janet and her 5 siblings realized that their mother Helen was living neither successfully nor safely in her home. She was temporarily staying with Janet’s brother after a bad fall, when they contacted Dowda Senior Consultants. Helen STRONGLY wished to go back to her own home after her recovery but her children felt she needed to move to a senior community where she would be safe.

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WHY DOWDA SENIOR CONSULTANTS

Janet needed: (1) to know what the best senior living options were for her mom, (2) help convincing mom to move, and (3) help coordinating the move itself as she was living in New Jersey.

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DOWDA’S SOLUTION

Jen met with the sisters and their mom to hear all of mom’s concerns and desires. Jen brought literature from various appropriate communities and told mom about what she considered to be her best options. A plan was put into place for Jen and the adult children to tour mom to different communities. These tours were spread out over a few weeks so as not to overwhelm her, as well as a plan to eat lunch at each community to get the best feel for it. This allowed mom to have a feeling of ownership over the decision and make her an important participant in every step of the process.

Jen was able to provide an outside, objective voice into the family discussion, with Zoom calls, face-to-face meetings, emails, and texts. Several communities were toured, and after a final decision was made with Jen’s support and guidance, her team helped the family think through how best to make the transition. They spent time at mom’s current house deciding what to bring and what to leave, how to set up her new apartment, and how the move could work smoothly. They were with the family on moving day, lending a hand, providing lunch, and even transporting furniture back to the home that wasn’t needed.

Jen and her team have continued to follow up with the family, and most recently they reached out for help with mom’s home that they are getting ready to sell.

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DOWDA’S IMPACT

Mom is now happily settled in her independent living apartment in the West End and has been there for about 6 months. After the first few weeks, her daughter sent this update: “My mom is, in my opinion, doing GREAT!  She goes to exercise class of some sort every morning, and does some type of “brain” activity every afternoon. She has “lady friends” that she dines with every night and has been told that they have the “fun table”!  Of course, she misses living in a house and driving, but it appears to all of us that she’s really thriving. It’s harder to get a hold of her during the day now – a happy thing!!  What tremendous progress we have made, and lots more to be done too. Our next project will be selling the house, but we are trying to be patient and I think she is getting closer to letting go and just focusing on her new surroundings. All is well!!”  Just a few weeks ago her daughter emailed this update: “Things are going well and God is very much looking over us. My mom actually had a stroke about a month ago but is doing great! She didn’t even qualify for rehab because she was doing so well. She’s been doing PT and OT at her new place and all is well. We are so grateful that she moved (before this health event) and is in a safe environment and socializing. She even admits that she made the right move. We are always so grateful to you for your help in the process.”

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CLIENT TESTIMONIAL

“I honestly cannot say enough good things about Jen and her team. I called them on a whim when I wasn’t sure where else to turn. I was hoping to find ‘the perfect place’ for my mom after she could no longer safely stay in her home. I reached out to Jen, and it truly made all of the difference in our experience of helping my mom feel better about her move. Jen visited several places with us, and helped us navigate where to focus our search and what questions to ask. Most importantly, she treated my mom with such respect! She truly seemed to understand what my mom was feeling and what was important to her. She was kind, compassionate, and friendly….and willing to negotiate the ‘must have’ items. Jen and Wendy, who assisted my mom in deciding what to bring to her new place and where to place items were absolutely fantastic. I highly, and without reservation, recommend Dowda Senior Consultants.”