Testimonials

I want to thank Monika from the bottom of my heart, she helped me find the perfect place for my mom.
She gave me many options to look at.  She was kind and courteous during the whole process. Even tho my mom is placed in a good facility,  if I have any other questions , Monika will be glad to help further.

Since this all happened during the covid pandemic and it was difficult not being able to go into some of the facilities ; however, I was able to get either a short video of the place or pictures were texted to me.
Great help!  Thanks again Monika.

Michele

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Monika,

I want to thank and commend you for your assistance in identifying potential placement facilities for my 95 year-old father. Your placement interview was thorough and helped to identify facilities that met his physical and financial needs, as well as an environment that he would be comfortable living in.   My Dad had begun falling at home and could no longer live on his own.  Time was of the essence to avoid serious injury and your assistance provided the support I needed, on very short notice.

Your excellent, professional, and knowledgeable assistance during a very unsettling time for us is very much appreciated.  You truly provide an invaluable service.

Barbara Cartmill

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You were so helpful in guiding me to the facility that was a good fit for my Mom. I had not even heard of that one in my search that I had been conducting on my own. I think she will be very content there and hopefully enjoy social time which she has been lacking for a few years now. Thank you very much for your assistance!

Beth Herrick-Brown

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Thank you so much for your help with finding the perfect place for my mom to call home when she could no longer live on her own. You have the knowledge and do the research and were able to assess all her needs and direct me to the most wonderful caregivers! You made my (what I thought would be difficult) job so easy. You ladies are wonderful!

Susan Clark

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Care Service Options is such a fantastic resource.  Two years ago, Care Service Options was absolutely invaluable when my husband and I had to quickly locate an assisted living facility for my stepfather.  And just recently, we were told that it was time for him to move to memory care.  We felt like we were right back at Square One.  We were confused, intimidated, and overwhelmed by the challenge of finding the right memory care setting where my stepdad could thrive, get the care he needs, and be treated with kindness and respect.  And once again, we are so thankful. Just like last time, they proved themselves to be accessible, responsive, and genuinely concerned about helping us find the best solution.  We called them on a Thursday afternoon, and the very next day, we had a list of seven places that might work for my stepdad.  Care Service Options was familiar with these places, had already done the important background research on safety and quality of staff, and they had called each place to make sure there was an opening.  With their help, we were able to contact and visit places that had been pre-screened for our particular needs.  And we had the luxury of choosing among facilities that we knew were suitable, rather than floundering in a sea of choices without knowing whether they were good choices or bad.  

Having to place someone in memory care is a horrible experience: it’s consuming, stressful, and absolutely heartbreaking.  But for us, the process was much less painful because of the knowledge, experience, and support that we received.

Karen Miller

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I highly recommend Care Service Options, Inc.  Our family was referred to the service by a social worker at Good Samaritan rehab center and from the first phone interview on, Michael Ann Coyle was helpful, professional, patient, and  intent on accurately assessing our needs.  The list of care options she quickly provided was comprehensive and spot on in filling our requests.  We were able to find an Adult Care Home that we feel will be right for our family member.  We would not have known where to begin our search without this great assistance and service. Thank you!

Judy Bell

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Monika and Care Service Options provided my dad and family a very supportive and caring transition from independent living to rehab to assisted living due to a fall my dad had.  From day one they made themselves available to discuss ideas, plans and care options that would meet my dads new needs.  Even meeting with my dad to get to know who he was and what a good fit would be.  To the challenge of finding a rehab center and following up to helping us transition to assisted living.  
When a loved one enters this phase of life the family is looking for so many answers to questions we didn’t even know to ask.  Monika was there to guide and support us throughout.  

This type of service is invaluable to all as it takes the burden of “shopping” for a new home with quality care off the shoulders of family and puts it in the hands of experts.

Thank you for your kindness, caring and expertise in helping us along this new path in life for my dad.

Renee Taylor

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Thank you for helping me find a wonderful care home for my mom.

It is a perfect fit: the family loves her, the other residents are lovely, the food is great,the environment is clean and beautiful, the activities are varied, and best of all the personal care my mother needs is provided consistently with kindness, dignity and respect.

Within the first five days mom was smiling, happy, walking more and alert all day (she had declined to sitting all day napping in a walker at memory care), is well groomed, and enjoys her new family. She will get to watch the caregiver’s children grow, and the home cooked meals make it feel so warm and personal.

I was reluctant to move mom a second time in three months due to the the disruption and confusion it might cause her. However it was clear that she was unhappy and her health was declining rapidly in the memory care we had moved her to next to her former assisted living apartment. We had to do something to improve things and I did my best to vet options, asking for recommendations from social workers, nurses, and other in home providers.

This led me to you. What a Godsend! You did an intake to get to know my mother’s needs, personality and preferences. You then called 22 homes that seemed to fit her needs and found 4 with current openings that I could visit. I was pleasantly surprised with each. It was so helpful to know you had personally checked each out and could vouch for their quality of care. You helped me make the best decision for my mom. I wasn’t overwhelmed by trying to sort the wheat from the chaff on my own.

I would happily recommend your service to others. I already have. You may give my contact information to anyone who is considering using your service and has further questions.

You have my utmost gratitude and respect.
Best regards,

Chris Laing

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This is a great dynamic service!  Not only do they provide full service in assisting the public in locating Adult Family Foster Homes for loved ones, but they also educate you during this difficult time on the nuances of how our care system works (or doesn’t work!).  On top of that, they are pleasant people, with big hearts.  I highly recommend reaching out to them when you are faced with the complex process that is finding a safe, secure, and nice home for your loved ones.

Lon Hoss

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It’s hard to explain how grateful we are to Care Service Options. Having to find an assisted living facility for my stepfather, and having to do so very quickly, was one of the most stressful situations my husband and I can remember. We felt completely overwhelmed and had no idea where to begin. A social worker at Providence Hospital recommended Care Service Options very highly, and we soon learned why. In fact, after my very first conversation with Monika, I felt as if someone had lifted tons of pressure from my shoulders.

Monika has been at this for a long time. Care Service Options is intimately familiar with facilities in the Portland/Tri-County area, and they did a wonderful job of learning about my stepfather and giving us a list of facilities that might be a good match for him. This was brand new territory for us, and Monika helped us at every step along the way, from explaining the different levels of care, to suggesting what we should look for and what questions we should ask at each of the facilities we considered. They followed up with us regularly to see how our search was going, and they stuck with us until the end, when we successfully got my stepfather settled in an assisted living facility.

We can’t imagine how overwhelming it would have been to try doing this on our own. We are so grateful to Monika for her extraordinary help, her vast experience and knowledge, her sensitivity to the needs of my stepfather, her patience with us each time we got bogged down, and her unflagging commitment to see us through this very difficult process.

What an incredible resource!

Karen Miller

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Dear Monika,

Thank you so much for being willing to meet with me and to share your wisdom and expertise! Since my parents live in Portland—and I live in Illinois—it’s been really important to me to find them someone who could help them make the complex choices they’ll be facing, in dealing with their illnesses and living their lives with them. I think Care Services Options is a real godsend for people in my situation: who want to help their parents but themselves live out of town. My stepfather greatly enjoyed meeting you, and I know he was impressed by your combination of wisdom and calm experience. You have such a great rapport with your clients, in which both respect and your desire to help them make the right choices shine through! I would gladly recommend Care Services to anyone who needs help working through the best options for living well with health challenges. And who doesn’t need help with that? It’s a hard thing, but your advice has definitely made it all seem much more surmountable. I wish you and your company great success – you deserve it!

Dear Monika – How lucky we are to have you in our corner; and to get such a wonderful loving provider to care for my mom in her last days. They even allowed her to bring her piano into their house, on which she played her last time just about 30 hours before she died. So, thanks for all that you do for families in crisis. Our mom got what she needed and when she needed it, and so did we.
Love, Sue and Bob

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Monika & Laura,

Thank you both for your kindness! My brother Dave and I so appreciated our time with you yesterday and all the input you had for us regarding our care for Mom. We felt like a huge burden was lifted off our hearts, and even as I write this I am expecting a call back to schedule a visit with the In Home Care coordinator next week. What a blessing you are!!!
Fondly, Sue

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Dear Monika,
Your help was invaluable, thanks again for everything.
Connie, Peggy and Morris.

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Hi Monika, What an angel you have been, helping us find a loving home for my sister.
Thanks Ken & Pat

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Dear Monika,
Thank you so much for sharing such valuable information with our senior group last Thursday. Your presentation created lots of interest and questions that will give us lots to think about. It’s wonderful to have access to your service and I am privileged to know of the important work you provide for your clients. Thank you again so much for being with us.
God bless, Marilyn

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Dear Care Service Options care coordinators,

I just want to thank you for all your help in finding a good care home for my Mom. I wouldn’t have known where to begin researching. You were able to review the needs of my Mom and find several homes for us to visit that could provide the level of care my Mom requires. All of the homes we visited had competent and compassionate caregivers. We are sure the home we selected will provide my Mom with the support she needs and deserves. Thank you again for making our selection process so much easier during this rather difficult time.
Kind regards, Jackie C.

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Care Service Options team,

Thank you so much for your presentation. We asked our planning team of 10 for comments. Everyone’s response was exceptionally prositive – here are a few: “One of the best”, “more interaction than other times”, very informative”, “delightful people and very helpful”, “ I feel enlightened about this whole are of concern”.
Thanks from all of us! Zona

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Dear Monika,

Thank you so much for locating this great facility for my mother. She moved in last Thursday and is fitting in well.
D.M’s daughter.

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“I am pleased to provide a letter of recommendation for Norm and Monika and Care Service Options, Inc. I have been with Providence for nearly 6 years as a Medical Social Worker – Discharge Planner. In my line of work, finding alternative living situations for patients when they are unable to return to their homes is a regular occurrence. In a city the size of Portland (surrounding suburbs) there are so many Retirement Homes, Foster Homes, Residential Care Facilities and Assisted Living Facilities. There are to many for me to have first hand experience on the current status of facilities and caregivers. I need to rely on a referral agency to help with these placements.” (Social Worker)

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I have worked with Norm and Monika of Care Service Options for most of my years as a discharge planner. I generally get Norm or Monika on the phone right away, or get a very prompt call back when I leave a message. I get to talk to a live person, not an automated menu machine. I provide an overview of information -the patient’s clinical picture, expected level of care needs, preferred area of town, contact names and numbers or involved family members, and expected discharge date from the hospital. Norm and Monika can take this information and have the families out touring three or more facilities within a few hours. They have successfully even helped families secure wonderful and satisfying care facilities when I have been faced with same-day discharges. (Hospital Discharge Planner)

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“Norm and Monika always put the patients care needs first. I have complete confidence in the quality of their work. I generally get feedback from families and patients about how the process went in finding care facilities, and all that have worked with Norm or Monika have been very satisfied. If you want the best, you will go with Care Service Options, Norm, Monika & Deborah” (Social Worker)

I would like to take this time to thank you for your very kind assistance in locating a facility for me to move my mother on such a short notice. When it became painfully obvious that she would not be able to remain in the Assisted Living facility where she had been for several years I was very concerned as to what I was going to do. I was on the freeway between Salem and Portland wondering what I was going to do when I suddenly remembered having met you some time previous and, much to my amazement, I found your phone number in my Palm Pilot. One brief phone call later my problems were solved. You seemed to know immediately what I needed and where it was to be found as quickly as I told you where I live. Everything was taken care in an unbelievable short time and the facility you directed me to took such fantastic care of her that it made my dealing with her last days so much easier. It had never occurred to me there was actually a need for your services until the need was in front of me. Isn’t that the way a lot of life is  We don’t recognize a need until we have it and then can only hope there will be someone there to fill it. I will be happy to tell anyone who asks what a very special service you offer. (Edd Scott)

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Monika – thank you so much for sharing such valuable information with our Senior Group last Thursday. Your presentation created lots of interest and questions that will give us all lots to think about. It’s wonderful to have access to your service and I’m privileged to know of the import work you provide to your clients. Thank you so much for being with us. (Church Pastoral Minister)