Cathy Yekenevicz and her siblings first contacted a Sheboygan-area geriatric care manager in 2006 to assess their dad’s needs. Having lost his wife in 2000, he was living on his own and they were concerned for his safety, health and his apparent loneliness. After the initial assessment, they made some changes at home, and also brought in supportive care services. They were happy he could stay in his home. In 2007, he had a health emergency and they were no longer using geriatric care services, but because of the complexity of communicating with the doctors, nursing/assisted living homes and all the anxieties of seven children, they realized they needed to access those professional services again.
The geriatric care manager became their dad’s “local daughter,” watching his health as he moved from one health care environment to another, advising on issues they had no idea existed and helping them choose his assisted living home. She even helped them market dad’s house, going as far as cleaning up some basement flooding when the house was empty! The family felt as if their dad was her only client because of her responsiveness. As their dad’s health declined and he needed to move to another level of care, the geriatric care manager helped evaluate nursing homes in their dad’s lifelong hometown of Sheboygan, and also Cedar Community.
As family members, they communicated by email and the geriatric care manager was always included. She was their dad’s advocate with the assisted living, doctors and other providers, enabling him to be more mobile than the family, who all lived at least one hour away, could ever provide. The family feels the most important thing about the geriatric care manager’s service was she was like family, but knew a great deal of the “system” and what could be expected for their dad’s care. “She cared deeply, but did not act purely on emotion as we family members often did,” said Yekenevicz.
Today their dad is happily living at Cedar Community’s skilled nursing facility. Cedar Community’s home health division offers Cedar Pathfinders, certified geriatric care managers, who serve as advocates and partners for aging seniors. They are trained and experienced to help navigate the complex landscape of health care services and resources, answer Medicare questions or find the right living situation for someone based on their individual needs. For details on Cedar Pathfinders, call 262.306.2691.
We realize how difficult it can be to care for a loved one. We know the challenges caregivers may face and the time commitment of caring for someone in need. We would like to honor those who care for others. We are looking for those, who despite challenges and limited time, still go above and beyond and make a difference in someone else's life.
Please fill out the Caregiver Nomination Form and in 500 words or less, tell us about the caregiver you wish to nominate. Be specific and be sure to describe how they are making a difference or have made a difference in the life of another individual. Tell us what traits define this caregiver as a role model for others.
Each month we will highlight a caregiver and treat them to a spa service at Cedar Community's Cedar Valley Center and Spa on Hwy D in West Bend.