Whether you are navigating a recent change, planning ahead, or looking for practical support in daily life, our services are designed to help you understand the situation, make informed decisions, and prepare for what comes next.
Professional guidance, advocacy, coordination, and ongoing support.
Care Management is a professional partnership for older adults and families facing decisions that affect health, safety, daily life, relationships, housing, and future care.
We begin by understanding the full situation, then help identify priorities, evaluate options, create a practical plan, and carry that plan forward.
We help clients and families understand:
Having options matters. Understanding which options fit your life, goals, and circumstances matters even more.
Families are often surprised to learn that finding resources is rarely the hardest part. The real challenge is determining which choices make sense for a specific person and family. A service that works well for one individual may be a poor fit for another. A housing option that looks ideal on paper may not align with someone's goals, budget, personality, or support network.
Our team helps families evaluate options through the lens of real life experience. Our guidance is informed by years of supporting older adults through changing health needs, family transitions, housing decisions, cognitive changes, caregiver strain, and end of life planning.
Many clients have family members who naturally step into advocacy roles. Others do not. We provide guidance, coordination, and advocacy that helps keep the individual's wishes, values, and goals central to care planning and decision making. This can be especially valuable for solo agers, long-distance families, and people navigating complex medical situations.
Older adults and families navigating a hospitalization, new diagnosis, memory or mobility changes, long-distance caregiving, complex decisions, or growing concern that the current plan is no longer working.
Many clients pair Care Management with Companion Services to receive practical, day to day support while continuing to benefit from clinical oversight and advocacy.
Request ConsultationPractical support for daily life, connection, and the activities that matter.
Many changes begin with something small. Grocery shopping becomes harder. Driving feels less comfortable. A household project keeps getting postponed. Over time, these changes can affect confidence, safety, connection, and quality of life.
Our Companion Team provides practical, relationship based support that helps older adults continue participating in daily life on their own terms. Companions can bridge the space between managing everything alone and needing traditional hands on care.
A companion may help with grocery shopping one day and organize decades of family photographs the next. They may prepare for a dinner gathering with friends, help tackle a long postponed household project, or provide transportation to a favorite community activity. The goal is not simply to complete tasks. The goal is to help clients continue participating in the life they want to live.
Many people hesitate to seek support because they associate help with losing independence. In reality, the right support often helps preserve independence. For many clients, companion services become the first layer of support they introduce into their lives. A companion may stop by for a few hours each week to help with grocery shopping, meal preparation, transportation, household organization, errands, or other everyday tasks that have gradually become more difficult to manage alone.
These small interventions can have a meaningful impact. They help maintain routines, reduce stress, support safety, and create more time and energy for the activities and relationships that matter most. Rather than focusing on what someone can no longer do, companion services focus on supporting what they still want to do. Many clients describe their companion as feeling more like a trusted friend, personal assistant, house manager, or extra set of helping hands than a caregiver. The goal is not to take over. The goal is to help people continue living life in the way that feels most meaningful to them.
While many caregiving services focus primarily on personal care needs, our Companion Team focuses on the activities, routines, relationships, and projects that make everyday life meaningful. The goal may be getting back to a favorite community event, preparing a meal, organizing a home, or completing a project that has felt out of reach. The work is tailored to the person, not limited to a standard task list.
One of the unique advantages of working with Care Management by Natalie is that our Companion Team is supported by a broader team of nurses, aging specialists, social workers, and dietitians. Companions spend time with clients in their day to day lives and may notice changes in mobility, memory, routines, mood, or the home environment. These observations do not automatically indicate a problem, but they can provide valuable insight. When concerns arise, families have access to experienced professionals who can help assess the situation, explore options, and determine appropriate next steps.
Every relationship is tailored to the individual's goals, interests, and preferences. Support may include:
Companion services may be beneficial for individuals who want to remain active and engaged in their community, live alone, need help with errands, have family at a distance, or want to build support before a crisis.
Our companions are backed by our broader team of nurses and social workers. If a companion notices changes in mobility or memory, we can transition support smoothly.
Request ConsultationSmall steps now can reduce risk and preserve more choices later.
Most people hope to remain independent, continue making their own decisions, stay connected to the people and activities they love, and maintain a high quality of life as they age. While no one can control every aspect of aging, there are factors that consistently influence a person's ability to remain independent, maintain quality of life, and preserve future options.
The Proactive Planning Membership is for older adults and families who want to understand where small changes could reduce risk, strengthen support, and preserve more choices for the future. Rather than waiting for an urgent event, members build an ongoing relationship with a Care Manager who understands their goals and helps them adapt as life changes.
The membership is built around the connected areas that shape daily life and future options. Strengthening these areas over time helps you become better prepared for what comes next:
Understanding health conditions, providers, medications, preventive care, and how medical decisions connect to daily life.
Reviewing mobility, routines, transportation, nutrition, physical activity, and the practical supports that make daily life work.
Identifying home modifications, maintenance needs, safety concerns, and supports that may make the current home work longer.
Strengthening relationships, community involvement, meaningful activity, and reliable support beyond the household.
Identifying questions related to future care costs, benefits, legal documents, decision makers, and access to important information.
Clarifying preferences, understanding housing and care options, and preparing advocates to act when circumstances change.
Many people are planning for a future without relying on nearby family members to coordinate care, advocate during medical events, or help navigate important decisions. The Proactive Planning Membership provides an opportunity to build a relationship with a trusted professional who understands your wishes, priorities, support system, and goals long before a crisis occurs. For many solo agers, this relationship provides confidence that they will not have to navigate future challenges alone.
Most people already have professionals supporting different parts of their lives. A physician focuses on health. An attorney focuses on legal matters. A financial advisor focuses on finances. CMN does not replace these professionals—we work alongside them. Our role is to help individuals and families understand how decisions in one area affect other areas of life, ensure important information is shared with the right people, and help keep everyone moving toward the same goals.
Adults approaching retirement, couples wanting a shared roadmap, solo agers, or adult children looking to support parents proactively rather than reactively.
Some of the most valuable opportunities—like building mobility, making home safety modifications, or getting on senior living waitlists—require planning long before an urgent need arises.
Request ConsultationFocused guidance when you need direction, a second opinion, or a practical roadmap.
Sometimes individuals and families do not need ongoing care management services or local boots on the ground support. They need guidance. They need someone with experience to help them understand their options, think through decisions, and determine next steps. They need a roadmap.
Consultation and Virtual Guidance provide access to CMN's planning, problem solving, and care management expertise without requiring ongoing services. Whether you are planning ahead, supporting someone from a distance, navigating a specific concern, or simply unsure where to begin, we can help clarify the situation and identify practical next steps.
Our consultations are tailored to your specific questions, goals, and circumstances. Topics we can explore together include:
Within Washtenaw County, our recommendations are informed by direct experience with local providers and resources. Outside our local service area, we help families identify the right professional roles, evaluate options, and build a coordinated plan using resources available in their own community.
Older adults and families who need focused guidance, a second opinion, help building a local care team, or a clear plan without ongoing care management.
Sometimes, all you need is a professional guide to help you find your footing, understand your options, and clarify the path forward.
Request ConsultationHere are answers to common questions about our services and scheduling.
A Care Manager is a guide and trusted aging partner who helps older adults and families navigate the aging journey with greater clarity, confidence, and support.
We help clients understand their options, assess needs, create plans, coordinate services, and adapt those plans as circumstances change.
Our role is not to make decisions for you. Our role is to help you make informed decisions that align with your goals, preferences, and values.
You remain in control. We guide, support, and help keep things on track.
No.
Many people first learn about care management during a hospitalization, new diagnosis, or family emergency. However, some of the most valuable work can happen before a crisis occurs.
Planning ahead can help preserve options, clarify preferences, strengthen support systems, and improve readiness for future challenges.
People typically contact us for one of two reasons.
Some are facing an immediate challenge, such as a hospitalization, caregiver stress, a new diagnosis, or a major life transition.
Others want to better understand the road ahead before decisions become urgent.
In both situations, the goal is similar: to gain clarity, preserve options, and make informed decisions with confidence.
Resources alone rarely solve aging challenges.
The real challenge is understanding which options fit a person's goals, budget, health situation, support system, and preferences.
Our team helps clients and families evaluate choices, navigate complex situations, and implement plans that work in real life.
Earlier than most people think.
Many housing options, community resources, insurance benefits, and support programs require planning, eligibility requirements, or waiting periods.
Planning ahead does not guarantee a specific outcome, but it can help preserve options and improve readiness if circumstances change.
No one can guarantee independence.
What we can do is help identify opportunities and risks that may influence independence, quality of life, and decision making authority over time.
The earlier people understand their options, the more options they often have available.
Independence is influenced by many interconnected factors, including:
Aging well is rarely determined by a single issue.
Many families contact us because they know something needs attention but are unsure where to begin.
Our role is to help assess the situation, identify priorities, explain available options, and determine what level of support may be most helpful.
You do not need to have everything figured out before reaching out.
This is a very common concern.
Yes.
Most clients work with one primary Care Manager and develop an ongoing relationship over time.
As part of our team approach, additional Care Managers may also be familiar with your situation to ensure continuity if unexpected circumstances arise.
We carefully consider several factors, including:
Our goal is to create a strong working relationship that supports trust and continuity over time.
Yes.
Our Care Managers come from a variety of medical and senior care backgrounds and have experience supporting clients with dementia, Parkinson's disease, diabetes, cancer, and many other complex or chronic conditions.
When new situations arise, our team actively seeks education, resources, and expert guidance to ensure clients receive informed support.
Yes.
Advocacy is a central part of our work.
We help ensure that care decisions remain aligned with the individual's wishes, values, goals, and preferences, while helping families understand options and navigate complex decisions.
Care Managers provide assessment, planning, advocacy, coordination, and ongoing oversight.
Companions provide practical support, social engagement, transportation, routine assistance, and help with everyday activities that support quality of life and independence.
Many clients benefit from having both services working together.
Companion Services are individualized based on the person's interests, goals, and preferences.
Support may include:
Services are designed to support daily life, not replace it.
No.
Companions do not provide bathing, toileting, transfers, or other hands on personal care services.
Their role is focused on companionship, engagement, transportation, organization, and practical support.
Care management services are billed hourly in 15 minute increments. Companion Services have a two hour minimum.
Billing may include time spent meeting with clients as well as care coordination activities such as researching resources, communicating with providers, scheduling services, and supporting family members.
We offer several payment options, including:
Our goal is to make payment as simple and convenient as possible.
We provide in person Care Management and Companion Services throughout Washtenaw County.
Consultation and virtual guidance are also available to individuals and families outside our local service area.
Yes.
After hours support is available for urgent situations and time sensitive needs. Your Care Manager can explain when after hours services may be appropriate and how they are billed.