About Kate

Reviewed on 1/3/2024

When Dad was diagnosed with Alzheimer's it was a blow to the entire family. Initially his behavior changed gradually and my mother and I were able to keep an eye on him and provide care, despite her illness and my full -time employment. We also had help from other family members as they were available. Though most of them lived out of state they travelled back and forth repeatedly in order to help around the farm and provide the best care. When Mom died that left only me and traveling family members to care for him. hen Dad was diagnosed with Alzheimer's it was a blow to the entire family. Initially his behavior changed gradually and my mother and I were able to keep an eye on him and provide care, despite her (concealed) illness and my full -time employment. We also had help from other family members as they were available. Though most of them lived out of state they travelled back and forth repeatedly in order to help around the farm and provide the best care. When Mom died that left only me and traveling family members to care for him. As Dad's condition (and our exhaustion ) worsened we hired caregivers from a local agency. Some of the caregivers were outstanding and engaged with Dad in various activities in which he was interested, as well as trying to come up with other ideas which stimulated his changing physical and mental abilities. Unfortunately a number of the ones provided believed that caregiving involved feeding Dad and sitting him in front of the television (which he hated) while they talked on their cell phones. They would occasionally let him go into the garage to smoke a cigar while they smoked as well. Several overnight caregivers slept on the couch while leaving Dad in his bedroom asleep. We know this because family members observed them doing this. Complaints to the agency were ineffective. We were extraordinarily lucky when Kate came to help us in approximately June of 2018. She was actually sent by the same agency and was one of the great ones. Kate typically worked the afternoon shift and she and Dad quickly developed a bond. She made a point to engage in activities he enjoyed, especially anything outdoors. This included everything from sitting outside the garage with Kate and his dog while watching airplanes and wildlife to going for rides around our farm in his ATV. On good days they might go for a ride in his truck, (with Kate driving) while he showed her places and backroads from his life in the area and explained to her how to get there. If he was in a bad mood she was usually able to distract him by engaging him and asking pertinent questions about things that interested him. She also had a great knack for keeping quiet and would take her cues from whatever Dad wanted at the moment. Kate welcomed family members visiting and we were always delighted to see her. She fed Dad well and was one of the few usually able to get him to bathe or allow personal caregiving as needed. She became a member of the family. When it was time to transfer Dad to TN for better available hospice care closer to more family members she was there to go on the trip with him. This past winter I became ill and was not eating, completely confused, and unable to maintain a train of thought or properly care for myself. My son (who lives in North Carolina) hired Kate and her husband to assist me as I got well. They cared for me and my two dogs and pulled me out of what could have been a death sentence. Initially Kate stayed here with me. They set up my meds, got me to medical appointments, and treated me like I was going to get better no matter what anyone else thought. I did and it was in a huge part thanks to them. They still check on me frequently and I am thankful for their care.