It was a normal Friday at 4:35 p.m. when an email came in from a vendor asking about NaviGuide. Her grandmother, 96 years old, still living at home, needed additional services. Within minutes I was connected to her parents, who shared the bigger picture: recent falls, hospital stays, diabetes. By then, all the NaviGuides had signed off for the weekend, but the family requested a conference call that evening when more members could be present.
Could this have waited until Monday? Maybe. Would it have been easier to send the referral on? Probably. Did I hesitate to handle it myself? Not for a second.
Because this is what we do. This is who we are.
At its core, NaviGuide exists to ease the stress and worry of families trying to navigate next steps for their loved ones—to step in when they are at a loss. So when the call came after 6 p.m., I was prepared to walk this family through difficult decisions. Their mother had lived in the same home where she raised her children with her late husband. Now, those children were tasked with decisions no family wants to make.
I knew their mother’s desire: to stay in her home. As her daughters and son shared their concerns, I listened. There were tears and apologies, which I met with as much reassurance and comfort as possible. Although the path forward was clear to me, I knew how difficult it would be for them. Hospice.
A word often clouded by fear.
I explained what hospice is: specialized care that focuses on comfort and quality of life when treatments are no longer effective or desired. The family agreed, that’s where we were. Then I shared what hospice is not: it is not a death sentence, it is not giving up, and it is not limited to the final days of life.
This is the heart of NaviGuide: standing beside families in their most vulnerable moments, offering clarity, compassion, guidance, and assurance that they are not alone.
When NaviGuide launched just over three years ago, I never imagined the growth we would see—or the countless ways we would reach families like this one. Today, through our Partner Programs, we are serving seniors and their loved ones not only here in Ohio, but in New Hampshire and California. Knowing that other organizations not only believe in this program but also want it for the families they serve gives me great confidence that we’ve tapped into the future of senior services.
We’ve also welcomed more employers into our Caregiver Friendly Program, giving their employees comfort in knowing that as they balance work and caregiving, a NaviGuide is only a phone call away. And with the launch of The GUIDE program, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services have entrusted us with the honor of supporting families caring for a loved ones with dementia—stepping in when caregivers feel overwhelmed and providing solutions, encouragement, and a steady hand.
This is why those late-afternoon Friday emails will never go unanswered. They are not interruptions, but blessings. Blessings to the families who need help, and blessings to the NaviGuides whose servant hearts guide them to say, without hesitation, I will be there.
by: Kim Yoder, UCH Engage Program Director
