Hello Caroline, I’m dropping you a note to let you know how much I appreciate Preparing for Care. My wife and I got into a very difficult situation with the care of her mother and, quite frankly were desperate for a solution. I heard a local radio advertisement for Preparing for Care and decided to reach out to you immediately. Within a few minutes of our phone conversation, you suggested a course of action that was implemented that day. Your knowledge was invaluable to us. This new treatment of my mother-in-law was exactly what should have been done a long time ago but no one other than you suggested it. You are a blessing to our family.

I also want to shout out to Hospice of the Upstate (Rainey House). The folks there were wonderful, every last one of them. It takes special people to be so kind and caring to family and their patients in the last stages of life. You and the Rainy House staff are very special people.

On behalf of my wife and I, THANK YOU Caroline Bell and Hospice of the Upstate!

NEVER in my life did I expect to be considering memory care at such an early age for my husband and best friend. With his children grown and with kids of their own and my only daughter about to start her family, he and I certainly had discussions in regard to what the other wanted in case our health or financial security ever became an issue. Thankfully we had taken the necessary steps in preparing our POA, outlining our medical wishes, and completing the proper forms with hopes that this would ease the burden and pain of one day having to make certain decisions in such a difficult time. But when talking about these matters and going through the advised procedures together, we imagined these actions would prepare us for a time in the far and distant future. Tragically, however, I was put in a position and forced to face such decisions much sooner than I was emotionally prepared for. I never imagined I’d be questioning memory care for my spouse before the age of 65! The thought of it broke my heart and the responsibility and anxiety around finding a place in which I felt confident the staff would keep him safe, care for him and treat him as if he were a member of their own family, and love him like he deserved, it all weighed so heavily on my heart.
Fortunately, through a family member, I was given a contact and found my way to Caroline Bell. Ms. Bell devoted her time to answering all my questions and made calls to find out anything she didn’t know. She was willing to go to doctors’ appointments with me and visit memory care facilities. She was caring and understanding as she herself had experienced the pain that comes from this disease affecting a loved one. She was patient with me and supportive as I went back and forth on whether I was making the right decision. She reminded and encouraged me to feel at peace as every doctor agreed that it was best for my husband to be in an environment where he could have 24-hour care.
With her encouragement and support I was able to find a place that was clean, well-staffed, and that answered my prayers with all I hoped and wanted for him. The day of the move and the drive there was still torture and I constantly had to remind myself that this was for his care and his safety. I had to reflect back on all the conversations with the doctors and that this disease wasn’t going to get better. We got him moved in and I can now say with great relief, the visits with him have been good. Now instead of going through the daily struggle of worrying constantly about his every need and coming home after work exhausted to then try and give my all to his physical and emotional needs, I get to enjoy time with my husband again. I get excited to bring him surprises, food, ice cream, and to sit with him holding hands. We can talk or just appreciate one another’s company. To be able to leave and know he is in good hands and him not cry to go home, this gives me such peace of mind. I feel I have truly taken care of him and kept my vows – in sickness and in health.

Caroline truly cares about her clients. Caroline walks with them every step of the way during the process. She makes the move in transition as delightful as possible and continues to support the family and the resident after the move in. I can’t think of a better person to work with and to turn to during a time when you need someone the most. Moving a loved one into a community is difficult emotionally and Caroline’s concern, care and support makes a world of difference.

Caroline is by far one of the sweetest ladies I’ve met to date. She is very personable and works hard to understand your needs. I recommend her to all my friends! The only downside of my relationship with Caroline, is that I didn’t meet her sooner!

Anderson County Senior Citizens Program, home of The Jo Brown Senior Center, is “for seniors by seniors” and we absolutely adore Caroline Bell & her business “Preparing For Care” because of the incredible resource of experience and knowledge she offers seniors & their families!

My experience with Preparing For Care, the
Founder Caroline is always, from the very beginning she takes you on as a client, she is always there to serve you with excellence from the beginning to the end! Overwhelmingly kind and caring. She is there to take care of your love one as if it was her very on. I recommend if you are looking for someone that will represent you and your love one, Preparing For Care would be the perfect agency! Their resources are outstanding!
Phyllis Norris

Caroline Bell has such a heart for the “voiceless”. In caring for her father she has gained a wealth of knowledge and understanding of the elderly and the challenges they face as they age and are no longer able to care for themselves. She understands the importance of preparing before you need the care so your wishes are honored.

Caroline showed my parents the small things they were missing that would have eventually been big mistakes for them.

Caroline has been very helpful with my parents- she was the one who talked my siblings into buying my Mothers long term care insurance years ago. If we had not bought it we would be in a bad situation.

I have known Caroline for close to 10 years. Her passion and commitment to seniors getting the right care is second to none. She treats every one of her clients as her family and is there every step of your journey.

I can’t think of a better senior care advocate then my sister, Caroline Bell.She was raised to love and care for seniors. I can honestly say if CAROLINE is involved with your elderly care needs, you will have no regrets.

Caroline provided guidance and assistance as I began researching options for Mom. She took me on tours, introduced me to staff at several locations, assisted me with analyzing services and costs and helped me decide on the best location for my Mom. Thank you Caroline for easing the stress, being an advocate and a good friend.

I met Caroline Bell about 5 years ago, when she owned a healthcare agency. Not sure if I know anyone with her drive, determination, kindness and love. Her passion for Seniors go far and beyond the normal passion. She loves what she does and it is depicted in all that she does. She always has eveyone else’s best interest at heart. With Caroline, you are getting the very best of the best.

Absolutely support this lady and all her efforts with the senior population!

I am an only child and have been the caregiver for my mother for the past 8 years after the death of my Dad. The first five years she was able to remain in her home and was still able to drive so I could be in and out . I convinced her to sell her home and move to a smaller patio home closer to me – during the last three years things have changed and she had to give up driving due to vision issues and she has had additional health issues due to congestive heart failure- she is now unable to really function well being alone and the level of care and attention she needs is very demanding on me as a caregiver plus I want her to receive the best care and attention she possibly can . I spoke with Caroline Bell with Preparing For Care and she was such a wealth of knowledge and was able to reassure me that I was heading in the right direction for seeking help for my mom and myself as a caregiver. She has walked in the shoes of being a caregiver which gives her not only the knowledge but also the compassion for both the senior and the caregiver. I would highly recommend folks to get active and talk with Caroline before it’s actually the critical time to make the move to having help come into the home, assisted living or skilled care for your loved ones or for yourself. She will guide you to make the perfect choice and make everything a smooth transition walking with you each step of the way. She is awesome and a strong compassionate advocate to have helping you during these difficult decisions . I highly recommend Preparing For Care !

Expert in elder care! Her knowledge and access to resources is helpful for adult children seeking direction. She’s compassionate and genuine; a great support!

Caroline applies her vast knowledge with her love and compassion for seniors and their families!

Caroline Scranton Bell was instrumental in helping us develop a plan that worked well for my husband’s parents, improving their quality of life and therefore improving ours. At our age, a many of our parents are beginning to need extra help and it’s not something that most know how to ask for. This is such a complicated situation on so many levels and having someone help you navigate the different processes (insurance, different types and levels of care, etc) with grace and in a way that maintains dignity is vital. I recommend her and her services highly! #preparingforcare #planningforthebestlife #finishingstrong

I have waited a few weeks to post this because I am overwhelmed by every aspect of caring for my Dad. When I contacted Caroline- I was at peace with my thoughts. She is the one who gave me more information in an hour than I could have gotten in 2 weeks on my own. She sent me prices, procedures, and recommendations. She also sent all the contacts to me to contact for tours and information. She has also helped with my dad’s dog and found an excellent home to be rehomed. This is such a tough time for all but Caroline helped so much.

Caroline,

Thank you for sharing your passion for seniors with us.  I loved hearing the testimonials and about your caregiving journey.  I am sorry for the loss of your Father but believe your work is fulfilling in so many ways. We look forward to working closely together to serve our seniors.

Caroline,

Thank you for being a blessing to our family.

Love,

Cindy and Gary

Caroline,

What a fabulous job you are doing for my friends parents. Such a blessing to me to of been able to help in this small way introducing them to you. I love them like they are my own parents and I deeply appreciate all of your help and support. Thank you for what you do.

Caroline,
Thank you so much for your help and your willingness to share your expertise. The information you shared will prod us to take the steps necessary to ensure the transition to future care with more confidence and I hope a little less trauma. Thank you.

Dear Caroline

Thank you thank you thank you we just returned from my mom’s burial service in Connecticut. We discussed many wonderful people who have helped us with moms care in the last two years no one was more significant caring and helpful to us than you we were lost in a new world of elderly care and through the help of the angels in heaven you were sent to guide us your kindness and attention to our situation and your personal help to assure the right steps we’re taking your assistance with Hospice and the VA application are two examples of walking us through a process we probably would not have even thought of you made a difficult situation much easier to deal with again thank you from our hearts our love Mike and Petra Massey

Dear Caroline:

I am writing this letter with thanks and gratitude for the help you’ve given me with my husband, Jack. While navigating in these rough waters, your expertise, the relationships you’ve fostered in the health care community and your advice has been greatly appreciated by me.

I don’t think anyone is truly prepared to deal with Alzheimer in a loved one, until it happens. We can read about it, we can hear the stories of others who have dealt with this unforgivable disease. But, until we experience it ourselves, we just don’t understand the devastation it brings to a family. As Jack’s disease escalated and as I tried to deal with it myself, I came to learn that I didn’t know what I didn’t know. I am grateful to my daughter, Michele, who highly recommended that I consider utilizing your services. In doing so, I learned that the clarity you brought to helping me arrive at a workable solution has been a true blessing.

Please feel free to use me as a reference when talking with other prospective clients who are considering your services. You were an advocate for Jack and me, and I am now an advocate for you and your services.

With many thanks,

I firmly believe in “Divine Alignment” We are all on a life path, and people come onto our life path at just the right time. 55 years ago my husband to be, came onto my life path and I onto his as our paths intersected. We began our journey together. 7 1/2 years ago he was diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment, then progressive dementia, and finally Alzheimer’s.

After an extremely rough year, our daughter introduced us to Caroline Bell. She joined us on our life path at exactly the right time. It was an Divine Alignment. Caroline is a wealth of knowledge, and along with that is a person who is compassionate and caring. If she doesn’t have the information you need she doesn’t stop until she finds it. If you are a caregiver, Caroline is the person to call.

Caroline from Preparing for Care was instrumental in helping me find an attorney who specializes in Elder care to assist me with getting me added on to an Power of Attorney for my father. She is also always there to listen and can empathize because she has been there with her own father. She is truly following her calling and I would recommend anyone who needs advice on with senior planning to seek her expertise.

It has been a pleasure having Caroline in my Gerontology class for 2009-10. From the time the class started in September 2009 until we ended in 2010 Caroline has had major changes in her life. These include addressing her elderly father’s needs, moving to a new location and starting a new business. I have been very impressed with her approach to these changes in addition to taking the Professional Development in Gerontology class. When I think of Caroline, I think of Resilience. The two definitions of resilience as defined by Martin Seligman, PhD, are “being able to steer through the daily stressors of life” and “reaching out to new experiences”. Caroline’s success in accomplishing the requirements of the gerontology class in addition to the other changes in her life is due to being able to call on the abilities of resilience. She is able to think comprehensively and accurately about the causes of problems and she believes in her ability to solve problems. I know she will succeed in her business venture and will be able to use what she learned in the class.

What a phenomenal daughter Bob Scranton has been given! How many daughters actually pay to get formally educated to better assist their aging fathers? Caroline graduated from CNA school to learn how to attend to his needs the best way possible. He has been living with she and her husband for 4 years now. This daughter opted to have him with her for the rest of his life. She fondly calls him Daddy with her southern drawl and he lovingly forgets all she does and refers to her as a “great maid”! She bites her lip and yells to him “I love you Daddy”! We should all be so very blessed to have someone this special in our lives. I know I am thankful to call her both a new friend and a lifelong friend. In my business of medical staffing, I obviously am around caregivers daily. I have yet to find a more dedicated and loving person than Caroline Scranton Bell.

My name is Pierrie Smith. In 2011, my sister Jill Austin and I contacted Caroline Bell looking for skilled care for our aging parents. Caroline came to my parent’s home for the interview so not only were we able to meet and talk to her, my parents were able to do the same thing. Caroline was able to provide multiple well trained CNA’s as well as personally attending to our parents.

Caroline would drive to our parent’s home and spend time with them out of the kindness of her heart. She quickly became a welcomed friend and someone they looked forward to sitting and drinking coffee with.

There were times my mother would call one of us requesting help with my father and all Jill or I had to do was call Caroline and everything was handled quickly and professionally.

Jill and I live outside Atlanta, Georgia while our parents lived in Fair Play, South Carolina. Having Caroline Bell just a few miles down the road was a deciding factor in the decision to move forward with skilled care provided by her.

I call Caroline my “Maven” because she knows “where” and “who” and “what” about everything for Seniors. If she doesn’t immediately know, she knows how to find it. Caroline has always sent little gifts, encouraging notes and information about businesses that would benefit me to age in place in my lovely home. Caroline found my perfect home and was very proactive about me being in a place where I would be safe for a long time. She truly enjoys doing something kind for other people. If she sees a need she automatically finds a solution. Helping others makes her happy.

Having always enjoyed volunteering in my community, it has been a joy to me to see my daughter in laws caring spirit. She made her Father’s life as comfortable and loving as humanly possible. She truly took all responsibility for his security and well being. Her patience with him had no bounds. She kept him smiling and that should be a model for us all.

Last year I needed to find someone very quickly to care for my husband, who has Alzheimer’s, so that I could return to work. A mutual friend suggested I call Caroline Bell and Caroline very quickly responded. She came to our home and evaluated my husband and, within two days placed two of the best people I could have possibly hoped for as my precious husband’s caregivers: Audrey Jackson and Jim Jones. These folks and my husband were a perfect match. Caroline, Audrey and Jim went above and beyond to make my husband’s days so much better than they could have ever been with anyone else. It is with pleasure and gratitude that I recommend Caroline Bell as a competent and caring evaluator of your unique situation. You can count on her to provide people who will be a perfect fit for your loved one. Don’t be surprised if her recommendations become more than excellent caregivers, but members of your family.