Category: Complete Senior Health

When Nina, 83, enrolled in Lifespark COMPLETETM in 2021, she wasn’t struggling with chronic health issues, she didn’t need in-home care, and she wasn’t interested in moving to a senior community. In fact, when Candice Pautzke, RN, Life Manager, first met her client, Nina told her she was doing fine. But over time, as they […]

As a former firefighter and chaplain, Craig Gordon had witnessed hundreds of deaths throughout his lifetime, but when his beloved father, Don, started to decline, it was a completely different experience. “My dad had never been hospitalized or taken any medications—he was a laid-back guy who liked going to Bridgeman’s after church on Sundays and […]

“I’m convinced Laurie has nine lives,” said Brooke Anderson, RN Case Manager, Lifespark Community Home Care, who began working with her client in August 2020. Although Laurie, now 77, was struggling with several chronic health conditions, including lymphedema, vascular wounds, depression, and pain, she initially only wanted help with medication management. For Brooke, that meant […]

Linnea* and her husband, Gary*, enjoyed a full and active life, splitting their time between their home in Maple Grove and their lake house on the North Shore. That lifestyle hit a wall in December 2020 when Gary suffered a stroke. Almost overnight, this formerly independent man struggled to walk, speak, and swallow, lost the […]

Your parents are getting older, and while they insist they’re fine, you’re not so sure. If your parents had always kept a tidy home, you’d probably be concerned about the ants crawling across the kitchen counter, the puddles of water on the basement floor, and the strong aroma wafting from the litter box. You’d know […]

“Early in my experience as a hospice volunteer, I was sitting with a woman during her last couple of days,” recalled Katie Uphus, Lifespark Hospice Volunteer Manager. “Her son hadn’t seen her in a long time and was filled with regret. He kept asking, ‘Is it too late? Am I too late?’ I told him […]

In 2019, when Bruce’s beloved wife, Beryl (“Bootz”), began showing more advanced symptoms of dementia, he was determined to care for her at home. And for the next three years, he did just that. After Bootz died in October 2021, his son said, “Well, Dad, mission accomplished.” Bruce credits Lifespark for helping him achieve that […]

Bev’s life had always been a whirlwind of activity, family, and service. Known as a great cook, she catered events and baked goodies for church fundraisers and farmers markets. She helped take care of her grandchildren and great grandchildren, tended to her beautiful flower garden, and in her spare time, crocheted gifts for friends and […]

Ellie was still managing on her own, but she knew she would eventually need more help, especially given her chronic health conditions—COPD, hypertension, diabetes, Parkinson’s disease, and major depression. So, at the age of 83, she made the decision to sell her condo and proactively move to a Lifespark Senior Living Community. While she didn’t […]

In 2019, after a lifetime of relatively good health, Charlene felt like she’d been hit by a giant boulder. “I’d never been hospitalized before, but in a matter of a few weeks, I had several strokes, three cardiac events, a GI bleed, and an infection.” She was also diagnosed with a leaky heart valve which […]