*The client stories below are accurate but the names have been changed to ensure client privacy.

Angie Franklin initially hired Paladin Life Care to assist her with coordinating doctor’s appointments and staying on top of her healthcare needs.  Also, she requested our help with her annual taxes.  Occasionally she needed bill-paying assistance.  Angie would call on Paladin Life Care as needed to accompany her on shopping trips, arrange outings for her, or serve as a companion to help her run errands.

When we first met Angie she was an active 90-years-young woman who enjoyed an active, independent life in her two-bedroom apartment.  She required only minimal services from Paladin Life Care on a concierge basis.

After a serious fall led to a weeks-long hospital stay, everything changed.  With family unavailable to assist her, Angie reached out to Paladin Life Care as she knew we would provide the compassionate care she needed and treat her with the dignity and respect she deserved.  Angie trusted us to help her navigate the next steps in her life.

Paladin Life Care immediately sprang into action and provided the support Angie needed at her hospital bedside.  We coordinated with medical staff to arrange pickup and delivery of medications, worked with the discharge planner to arrange transport to her home, scheduled in-home Occupational Therapy and Physical Therapy appointments, and arranged the 24-hour in-home care that was necessary for Angie’s safe recovery.

Paladin Life Care handled all of the logistics and removed all stress from Angie so she could just focus on her health and wellness.  We ensured that Angie had everything she needed to recover.

After another hospital stay several months later, it became apparent that it was no longer possible for Angie to remain in her home.  Paladin Life Care stepped up and helped narrow her assisted living options to those that would meet her budget, worked closely with Angie to downsize the contents of her home, and provided emotional support and care as we coordinated her move to a beautiful and affordable new community that met her needs for long-term care.

Colonel Smith was a pilot in WWII and a true hero.  Paladin Life Care had the privilege of working with him during the last year of his life.  He was 99 years old when he came under our care.

Colonel Smith’s family lived in Tennessee.  They retained Paladin Life Care to provide oversight and ensure that all of Colonel Smith’s medical needs were being met.  The Paladin Life Care Team became their local boots on the ground.  Colonel Smith’s daily needs were being met by 24/7 care in his home that was already in place.

Suffering from age-related cognitive decline, Colonel Smith had been lashing out at his daily caregivers.  It was becoming very difficult for them to get him to medical appointments.

Paladin Life Care’s RN Care Manager took over taking him to and attending his medical appointments at the Veterans Administration Hospital.  She worked closely with his doctor and advocated for him concerning his health issues.  Later she was able to facilitate concierge doctors to perform his cognitive exams at home.  Based on their evaluation, it was determined that the time had come for the Power of Attorney to step in to help him continue to live life as easily as possible.

Our Client Care Manager helped to coordinate needed bathroom repairs and renovations to accommodate his physical limitations.  When his attorney requested a review of Colonel Smith’s Medicare Summary Notices, she was able to confirm that he was getting all the benefits that were due to him.

For his 100th birthday, his family wanted to have him travel to Tennessee and enjoy a family party.  Colonel Smith was not able to make this trip but he enjoyed talking with his family about their desire to honor and celebrate him.

Two days before he passed away, one of our Paladin Life Care Team members visited and asked him about the airplane on his wall.  He responded, as he had not done in days, and told her the story of bailing out of that plane during enemy attack.  The rapport we had built with Colonel Smith was a treasured one.  We were honored to care for him in the final year of his life.

Jessica Collins suffered a stroke in her 40s.  She was divorced with a son in 10th grade.  The stroke left her with cognitive memory issues.  Jessica needed reminders to shower, change her clothes, take her medications, and more.  In addition, she had diabetes and limited heart capacity.

Prior to her stroke, Jessica had recently opened her own company after working as a successful executive with several Fortune 500 companies.  She was actively involved in her son’s sports and booster club, and she was a triathlete.

Fortunately, she had accumulated enough money through her stock market investments so that her first guardian was able to set up a Special Needs Trust.

After the stroke, Jessica’s limitations left her unable to care for herself independently.  Her family was unable to serve in this capacity, so a private guardian was appointed.  Sadly, her first guardian was killed.  The attorney who had been named the successor took over.  Paladin Life Care was retained as Jessica’s care management team.  Later, we also became her guardian, conservator, and trustee.

The Paladin Life Care Team quickly discovered that the assisted living facility where she was living was not a good match for her.  The stench of urine was always present and after some investigation—we learned that several residents were harassing her and making unwelcome advances.  The Paladin Life Care Team jumped into action and moved her quickly to an assisted living facility that fit her needs and enabled Jessica to flourish.  She participated in activities and went on outings.  Jessica was one of the youngest residents and related well to the staff.  Often, she would help them with the older adults.

After Jessica’s stroke her son moved in with his father and would visit the facility whenever he was able to, but he was in high school and played baseball so he remained very busy.  Jessica’s ex-husband would take her to their son’s baseball games so she could see him play.  Three years later, her son graduated from high school and went off to college.  Jessica’s ex-husband moved several hours away.

Originally from Ohio, Jessica’s family still lived there.  The Paladin Life Care Team decided that the best way we could continue to support her was to move her to Ohio so she could be near her family.  Her parents, who are in their 80s, could see her regularly as could her brother and cousins.  As Jessica’s mother was physically very ill and suffering from dementia—traveling to see her in Virginia was impossible.  This also allowed for her son to stay with family whenever he had a college break to visit her.

The Paladin Life Care Team still serves as Jessica’s guardian and conservator.  We meet with her care team virtually and connect with her father regularly to ensure she is healthy and receiving good care.

Paladin Life Care was hired by Colonel Brown, an Army Veteran, to be his Power of Attorney, should he need help in his later years.  All was quiet for two years and then, unexpectedly, we received a call from a neighbor that our client had suffered a stroke.  We immediately sent our Nurse Care Manager to the hospital to provide oversight and advocate for our client.

One of our staff members volunteered to take care of Cheetah, Colonel Brown’s beloved cat, while he was rehabilitating.  As the days passed and he grew stronger, he moved from the hospital to a rehab facility.  With regular visits, our Nurse Care Manager advocated for him to continue rehab from home in accordance with his wishes.

To accommodate his needs at home, the Paladin Life Care Team arranged for his home to be outfitted with a medical bed on the first floor and secured appropriate 24/7 in-home care.

New challenges arose as around-the-clock-care generated additional expenses. Colonel Brown retained mental cognition and the ability to make decisions for himself.  However, the stroke left him with minimal movement on his right side and his speech was very impaired.  All of his energy and focus was toward his recovery.  Colonel Brown decided he wanted to enact the Power of Attorney and have Paladin Life Care assist in managing his finances.  He was able to sign an affidavit, with his unaffected hand, that stated his desire to enact his Power of Attorney.  Our team was then able to access his accounts and work with his financial advisors to manage and budget his monthly expenses.

After a few weeks at home Colonel Brown became very frustrated with his physical limitations and wanted to give up.  He requested a DNR (Do Not Resuscitate) order.  The Paladin Life Care Team rallied for Colonel Brown.

  • First, we made sure that the care staff would help with Cheetah’s care and then the devoted pair was reunited.
  • Next our team researched and hired a private physical therapist to come to his home twice a week to work with him.

Colonel Brown’s life drastically improved.  Hope returned to his eyes and his will to live was restored.  He began to reconnect with friends and neighbors and became actively involved in his care plan.  Colonel Brown continues to enjoy his once-a-week delivery from his favorite Chinese restaurant, and sharing a noodle or two with Cheetah.