When Kaitlyn was born, her mom Nickie, a single mom and a part-time nurse, was thrilled by her beautiful baby girl. As Kaitlyn grew, however, Nickie noticed a delay in some of the physical milestones she anticipated. Specialized testing confirmed that Kaitlyn had been born with Cerebral Palsy.

Needing to work, yet not wanting Kaitlyn to miss anything, Nickie turned to a case manager at Niagara Cerebral Palsy. Kaitlyn’s condition qualified her for in home care and Nickie wasted no time finding help. Her own sister, Leigh, a college student nearby, offered to help. Nickie arranged for her sister to help care for Kaitlyn while she worked, and The Dale Association’s INCHARGE Home Care program took care of all the details.

Beautiful Kaitlyn, now has two loving care givers to look after her growing physical challenges, her mother, and her home care aide - Aunt Leigh.

While vacationing in Florida, Henrietta suffered a stroke and was rushed to a local hospital. After leaving the hospital, Henrietta was taken to a Florida nursing home for a period of time to recover. A month later, Henrietta was flown back to Lockport and admitted to a nursing home to heal. Unfortunately, the care she received in the Florida nursing home made matters worse. She arrived in Lockport dehydrated, malnourished and overmedicated.

Her daughters were alarmed and upset. They worked with the new nursing home staff, Henrietta’s doctors and the facility’s Ombudsman to ensure their mother got the best possible care. New York State is fortunate to have an Ombudsman program in every adult care facility, and The Dale Association oversees the program for Niagara County. The family was pleased with the attention their Ombudsman gave Henrietta and the other residents, resolving insurance conflicts, roommate disputes, environmental issues and quality of care.

When Henrietta passed away this year, her oldest daughter became a certified Ombudsman. It is in her mother’s name that she carries on the good work of this worthwhile volunteer assignment. She only wishes there had been an Ombudsman in the Florida nursing home, when they needed one the most.