Why I Built Senior Home Care Finder: A Personal Story

I want to share my family's story — the experience that led me to build this site.

It starts with my father, and it starts a long time ago.

A Man From the Greatest Generation

My dad was from the Greatest Generation. He grew up as a young boy during the Depression, one of seven children — three boys and four girls. He was the youngest of the boys and older than two of his sisters. My dad was primarily raised by his oldest sister, Lorene, because my grandmother needed the help. Although my grandparents did a wonderful job raising their children, knowing my Aunt Lorene, I believe my father was truly blessed by her support as a kid.

My father served in the Navy during World War II. When he returned, he married his childhood sweetheart, Virginia. He was a hardworking man who retired from the civil service after 39 years at NAS Jacksonville. Because of his upbringing and the things he went through as a child, my dad was a man of few words. From the outside, he could be intimidating to my friends, but behind that stern, strong appearance was a good man and a good father. He and my mom did everything they could to give my brother and me the best childhood, and we never went without — especially the way my mom and dad had during the Great Depression.

I didn't truly appreciate that until much later in my life. And unfortunately, long after my dad had gone to be with the Lord.

The Diagnosis

I share this background to give you a small window into the life of my father, so you can understand why the services provided by hospice meant so much to our family during his final days — more than 37 years ago. It seems like yesterday in so many ways.

My dad was diagnosed with oat cell cancer in early 1987, shortly after turning 60 years old. He was three years younger than I am now, which makes me truly appreciate how devastating it must have been for him and my mother when he was told he had 12 to 18 months to live.

I will never forget the look on his face when he received that news. I saw the strongest man I had ever known crumble for the first time. He was strong, but that was too much for him to hide. Knowing my father, he was probably as devastated by what it meant for us as by what it meant for him.

The next 18 months — yes, the doctors were unfortunately right with their prediction — were a long and painful battle. Chemotherapy, radiation, and much more. My dad did not go down without a fight, but it was brutal.

When Our Family Could No Longer Do It Alone

It finally reached the point where my mother, my brother, my dad's siblings, and our extended family could no longer manage my father's care on our own. I would be remiss if I did not give special thanks to my dad's youngest sister's husband, Uncle Johnny, who was there for us in ways I will never forget.

This is when I was introduced to hospice.

I had never heard of them before, and I quickly realized how much of a blessing — and an answer to our prayers — they were for my father and our entire family.

What Hospice Did for Us

The hospice team assisted my mother in creating a comfortable living environment for my father and provided her with the resources and knowledge she needed to manage his care when professional support was not available. The care they provided to my father was incredible. They did everything they could to make his last days as peaceful as possible despite this horrible disease.

But what I did not expect was what they did for the rest of us.

Hospice did not just take care of my dad. They counseled my mom. They made certain to inform all of the family — every one of us — about the dos and don'ts of caring for my father, and even of simply being around him during that time.

One piece of advice has stayed with me for 37 years. They were firm in telling us to never have negative conversations around my father, even if he appeared to be asleep or in a coma. They explained that hearing is the last sense to go.

With that knowledge, I took every opportunity I could at my dad's bedside to tell him how thankful I was for him. How much I loved him. And that I would see him again real soon — and that he would have a perfect body then.

Looking back, the burden that hospice lifted from my mother's shoulders was immeasurable. And the guidance they gave our family helped us be present for my father in the way he deserved during his final days.

The Experience That Came Eleven Years Later

This experience alone would have been enough to shape my perspective on home care for life. But eleven years later, our family found ourselves in a similar situation with my mother. I could write a book about that journey — and about the angel from Hospice of Northeast Florida who walked alongside us through it.

These two experiences — my father's passing and my mother's — are the reason this site exists.

Why Senior Home Care Finder Exists

I built Senior Home Care Finder because I know what it feels like to realize your family needs help. I know the confusion of not knowing where to turn. And I know the relief of finding the right people — compassionate, skilled professionals who treat your loved one with the dignity they deserve.

Not every family needs hospice. But every family navigating care for an aging parent deserves access to good information and good options. Whether you need a companion to check in on your mom a few hours a week, or around-the-clock support for a parent with dementia, or help recovering after surgery — the right agency is out there. This site is designed to help you find them.

If this site supports your care or that of your senior loved one, its creation will have been worthwhile. I hope it serves as a tribute to my parents and reflects my gratitude for the home care they received in their later years.