Our story begins when I was a child on a farm in Iowa. Family is central to EVERYTHING and we witnessed that early on. And because of that family commitment of caring for loved ones at home, we came to realize that Hallmark Homecare is THE business for my daughter, Carrie and myself to be a part of. It is our hope that we will be able to help seniors to stay at home where they will receive one on one care, as opposed to paying to live somewhere else and in the worst-case scenario, hope that someone will stop by sometime throughout the day, to make sure they are okay. My great grandma Jensen was 99 when she passed away, surrounded by her remaining eight children (SHE HAD 12 kids!!) Her daughters cared for her after Great grandpa Jensen passed away when she was 80 years of age. For almost 20 years, they took care of her as they had promised her that they would not put her in a nursing home. My grandma Bess was a vibrant, strong and sassy woman who lived to age 94! She lost a leg at age 87 due to poor circulation and after that surgery, she got around in her wheelchair just fine! As she aged and needed more care, our aunt came to her house daily to do what needed to be done to allow her to stay in her home because HER kids had promised their mom that they would never put her in a nursing home! My Dad was an Iowa farmer and until he was diagnosed with COPD at age 75, was doing chores, was out in the fields on the tractor and helping his sons do what needed to be done. Once he realized how much the oxygen helped him to breathe, he retired to his recliner, with mom’s daily care and a weekly visit from the county nurse. Mom promised him that she would never put him in a nursing home. He passed away at age 85 in 2012. Carrie has worked in the senior care industry for the past 10 years, from providing in home care to patients, to working in a senior care facility as a concierge and within a brief time, was promoted to Resident Service Director. As a concierge, she was able to work with the residents and their family members, to make sure that family members knew that when they left their loved ones behind in their apartment, that Carrie would do her best to make sure that they were cared for to the best of the caregiver’s ability. The family members knew Carrie on a first name basis and always expressed their gratitude to her for the compassion she shared with residents, their families and to the caregiver(s).