About Charlina

Reviewed on 5/21/2025

Charlina (Charlie) took care of both of my parents after they entered an assisted living facility and required one-on-one attention beyond what the facility could provide. My father had had a stroke and had "expressive aphasia," which means he understood what was said to him but could not put together words to converse back. My mother had increasing stages of dementia and was too unsteady to walk without a walker and later was in a wheelchair. Charlie interacted with them with compassion and caring. My mother, in particular, grew to love Charlie, and Charlie always made sure she participated in the facility's activities -- such as bingo, movie viewings, outings, special dinners and costume parties -- which my mother would not have been able to do on her own without someone beside her. My mom frequently won the costume contests because Charlie took so much care to find fun costumes and help her dress for the occasion. When my father began receiving hospice services, Charlie interacted with those caregivers and ensured they took care of my father according to my and my parents' wishes. This was particularly important as I traveled out-of-town frequently for work and could not always oversee this myself. As my mother began to require around-the-clock care, Charlie trained and supervised the other caregivers we selected and managed their schedules to ensure 24-hour coverage. Neither of my parents' end-of-life years would have been as rewarding as they were without Charlie's love and attention to their needs. Both my husband and I were working demanding jobs and putting 3 children through college at the time we hired Charlie, and we were unable to give my parents all the direct care they needed every day. Charlie enabled us to be confident that my parents were receiving all the attention and care they needed.