Phone: 574-607-8120
Shelley Pillado 
Daughters caring for aging parents are rarely ever prepared for this. Not really. They prepare for the paperwork. The travel. The logistics. The medication lists. The packing. The phone calls. But they are rarely prepared for the emotional weight of becoming the nervous system for an entire family. It Was Never Just About the Move … Read more
For the past few months, I’ve been building a lot of things at once, and I reached a point where I started feeling stuck and overwhelmed in a way I couldn’t immediately explain. Not the dramatic kind where everything falls apart. The quieter kind. The kind where you’re still showing up, still functioning, still getting … Read more
I had a plan.A good one, too.Color-coded. Time-blocked. Very official. Then I woke up. The Morning That Had Other Plans Today was Carol Thursday. The house was not ready. At all. The kind of not ready that makes you inhale sharply and reconsider every decision that led you here. I jumped out of bed and … Read more
There is a simple truth we don’t say often enough in dementia care. Dementia behaviors are communication, not defiance. We, the sapphire brains, can choose.Amber and ruby brains cannot. And yet, far too often, we expect them to. A Story We Need to Pay Attention To I’ve been working closely with a family whose mother … Read more
(The small moments most families ignore—and why preparation matters long before panic sets in) Mom was being stubborn again. At least, that’s what I call it when she absolutely will not see the big picture and cannot understand why she can’t drive anymore. One day she’s perfectly logical about it and hands me the keys. … Read more
Before we get into this story, here’s something I didn’t fully appreciate until recently. Some of the most valuable occupational therapy learning doesn’t happen inside a clinic at all. It happens in the messy, unpredictable, beautifully human environments where people actually live their lives. How This Opportunity Came About For the first time in my … Read more
(and what that moment reveals about stress and choice) Terminal L. Gate 28A. The sign states my flight has been pushed back an hour. Sigh. Oh, but wait. What do I see on the board? Another flight to South Bend, an hour earlier than mine. Perfect. We landed a little early anyway. I huff it … Read more
(Until Home Becomes a Cage) If you’re caring for an aging parent, you’ve probably heard this phrase more times than you can count: “There’s just no place like home.” Sometimes it’s said warmly.Sometimes defensively.And sometimes with a kind of quiet fear underneath it. And yes, home can absolutely be comforting. Familiar.Predictable.Wrapped in memories like a … Read more
(While Building Something to Prevent Bricks) There I was… Preparing to stand in front of a room full of people and talk about how to avoid crisis when it comes to aging parents. You know…the whole “don’t wait until everything is on fire” conversation. The program.A system I built.And a platform designed to guide families … Read more
Notice Anything? Look closely. What do you see that’s different than a typical public bathroom?Doesn’t matter if it’s men’s or women’s. Pause for a second.Really look. Do you see it yet? This one’s going to be a little funny. I’ve been writing blogs for HolistiCare Homes and the Save Our Sanity Society for the past … Read more
Here at HolistiCare Homes,
You FEEL it.
You will feel it the first time you enter and realize no one is rushing past mom to get a task done.
The television is turned on by request, not as a means of entertainment, so that care partners can complete busy work or little to no work.
Nobody is waiting endlessly for help while overwhelmed staff scramble from crisis to crisis.
Instead, you see calm.
Connection.
Conversation.
Laughter coming from the kitchen.
Care partners who KNOW Mom’s routines, preferences, fears, stories, and personality.
And something inside them finally loosens.
Because after months, sometimes years, of stress, second-guessing, exhaustion, and wondering if you’re making the right decision…
You can finally breathe again.
With only seven residents and two dedicated care partners, mom gets the kind of attention that larger settings simply cannot consistently provide.
Because there is actually TIME to notice the little things.
The “something feels off today” moments that matter.
Here, mom is not treated like a task list.
She is treated like a human being whose comfort, dignity, safety, and emotional well-being matter deeply.
This is the kind of place where families stop feeling constantly on edge.
Visits feel warmer.
Meals are more personal.
Relationships are nurtured.
And trust is rebuilt.
Here you finally stop feeling like you have to carry everything alone.
Because at HolistiCare Homes, we are not simply providing care.
We are showing you that mom is safe again.
