Today we’d like to introduce you to Stephanie Duke
Hi Stephanie, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
When I worked the front desk at a doctor’s office, which was a family practice, I was always drawn to the elderly patients. I loved their stories and was intrigued by their unique illnesses and situations. One of my patients recruited me to work for their Home Health Care company. I began working in the office, but later went to school to be a Certified Nurse Aide and enjoyed working wherever and whenever they needed me. I worked Home Health and Hospice Care at private homes, Retirement Communities, Nursing Homes, and Residential Care Homes. I saw some good ones and some not so good ones. I had taken medical terminology classes, medical transcription classes, dementia care training, Certified Assisted Living Management classes, and am now a Certified Placement and Referral Specialist and Certified Dementia Practitioner. I later worked as an activity director in Independent Living, then as Sales and Marketing Directors for the majority of my career in the senior living industry. I helped numerous families navigate senior living over the years and within my own family as well. My mother had a ten-year health care journey with having had several strokes, schizophrenia, lymphocytic leukemia, and lung cancer. She was in and out of hospitals and rehabs, assisted living and finally a nursing home. My mother-in-law had dementia and passed in her home using family and in-home caregivers around the clock. My personal experiences and professional experiences prepared me for my senior advisement business all along.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
My journey hasn’t been easy, and I’ve faced plenty of struggles along the way. When I created the E.S.C.A.P.E. Group (Extra Special Caregivers of Aging People Especially), I was truly stressed from caring for my mother and constantly feeling guilty for not spending enough time with my kids, husband, or even my mom. I needed a break and time to surround myself with my girlfriends—people who could understand what I was going through and help me validate my feelings.
The year my mother passed away was incredibly difficult. I was grieving, and to make things worse, the company I worked for told me I wasn’t selling enough and needed to be more assertive. It was tough to hear, especially since they had recruited me after I had won a sales incentive trip from the largest senior living company in the nation. I knew how to sell, but something wasn’t clicking. Maybe I was grieving too deeply to focus, or perhaps I didn’t truly believe in the community I was selling.
Then, just a few months later, the 2020 pandemic hit, and everything changed. I suddenly found myself a front-line worker, expected to lease assisted living and memory care apartments during a shutdown. It was overwhelming and heartbreaking to have to tell families they could only visit their loved ones through a window. The rules changed daily, and while we were in fear of residents dying from COVID-19, they were instead dying from isolation. It was a horrific time, and I pray we never experience anything like it again. I just couldn’t sell it—I couldn’t, in good conscience, tell a daughter to “drop off your mother, we’ll move in her belongings, and you can visit through the window.”
In the midst of it all, I took a job at an Independent Living community in another county to try and start fresh during the pandemic. However, the experience of assisted living and memory care isolation weighed heavily on my mind and affected me emotionally for quite some time.
I decided to branch out with my own business in 2023 and am so glad I did. I wish I had done this sooner. I am fulfilled daily with helping people make informed decisions. It is such a rewarding job. I give a lot of free advice because Medicare and Medicaid information is not a referral fee-based service and that comes with the questions I receive throughout the week. I still share my mother’s experience since she received Medicaid and benefits during her ten-year journey in the healthcare system.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am an expert regarding Assisted Living, Memory Care, Residential Care Homes and Independent Living with optional and/or All-Inclusive Amenities. My services are free to clients. I’m similar to an apartment locator except for seniors. I am much more personalized because this is such a difficult decision to make, and you truly need someone you can trust to give you advice. After a conversation with me, I give feedback and advice, offer hope and guidance. I will do my due diligence and research to find the perfect community to be the right fit based on your situation. I am always touring communities to update my database. I schedule tours for people and meet them at the community to tour with them. I may think of questions to ask they hadn’t thought of before. A common misconception is people think Medicare will pay for room and board and no it does not. Or that a nurse will be able to give insulin at the assisted living community – it is rare to have a registered nurse on staff at an assisted living facility! A lot of my initial conversation is an educational talk.
Often times my client is an active senior who has a spouse who has suffered a stroke; or is struggling with Parkinsons’ symptoms, or early signs of dementia, so they need the support of an Independent Living community with an all-inclusive package of meals, housekeeping, and transportation services. Another client situation is when an adult daughter calls me and says her mother is in rehab after having hip surgery, and they want to discharge her within the week but there is no way she can return to her home without assistance, but the daughter has a job and children, so what are they supposed to do now? I have these conversations daily and am passionate about offering assistance and advice specific to each situation.
I will refer the client to communities which fit their requirements. I do not share the clients personal contact information with the community. I believe in doing the right thing by the family as I have seen all sides in this industry and understand how important it is to advocate for the residents. The community the family chooses will pay me a referral fee 30-60 days after their loved one has moved.
Before we go, is there anything else you can share with us?
I am easy to talk to and can share quite comical and embarrassing stories of caring for my mentally ill mother. I have some good tips and tricks for communicating with people who have dementia. I want to encourage family caregivers to find a support group, to take a break. They need to fill up their “cup” because they will be a better caregiver for doing so. I have a support group called E.S.C.A.P.E. Group on Facebook and we meet once a month for a lunch outing in North Tarrant County. It’s good to surround yourself with friends if you are caring for someone and find yourself feeling overwhelmed, guilty, tired, stressed, burned out, lonely, needing encouragement, an outlet, needing a break.
The ways to connect with me are calling or texting 817-703-3436; email me: sdukeresources@gmail.com; my website www.stephaniedukeresources.com
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.StephanieDukeResources.com
- Instagram: https://www.threads.net/@stephanie_duke_resources
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063520449156
- Youtube: @stephaniedukeresources
Image Credits
Kickin’ It Media Group
