SERVE Spotlight: Amy Fowler

Amy Fowler

Featured community interest: 

Geriatric Care

What brought you to Grace Covenant?

I was visiting different churches, and I was so impressed when I looked in the Grace Covenant bulletin and saw all of the things that the church is involved in. Then, I saw Kathy Meacham in the congregation, and I knew that this had to be a good place! I had Kathy Meacham as a professor at Mars Hill College.

I grew up Baptist in the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, and ‘practicing what you preach’ was an important part of my upbringing. Also, when I met with Mark, Kristy, and Heather, it was clear that they worked together as a team. I’ve always been a part of churches which honor women ministers, and it was clear that Grace Covenant wasn’t dominated by one senior male minister. Also, I found a nursery at Grace Covenant who was willing to deal with my one year-old son, who was going through a bit of separation anxiety. Now he’s four years old, and he loves participating in the Godly Play curriculum!

Tell me a little about yourself and what you are passionate about.

I work as a Geriatric Care Manager, or a social worker who works with families who have aging loved ones. When my father developed early onset Alzheimers at age 59, my mother and I hired a geriatric care manager to help us learn about resources available for him and our family. It was a very positive experience, and I realized from that experience that I had found my calling.

I work with individuals and families who are navigating the last years of life, and it’s an honor to be involved with them at such a sacred time. I develop incredible relationships with my clients through this work.

Exactly what is it that you do?

I tell folks that I’m like a surrogate daughter with a loaded tool belt. I am a care manager, certified through the National Academy of Certified Care Managers, which requires passing a certification exam and continuous education and training.  I am also a member of the Aging Life Care Association and am honored to be one of the more than 2000 members who provide services in the United States.  You can learn more about that organization at www.aginglifecare.org. My client is the older person, and in general, I work to connect families with resources and gently guide them through all of the decisions that have to be made. I typically meet with a client and their family in their home, and we create a road map for their care. Many of my clients have some degree of cognitive impairment. Some of the families that I work with are local, but I also work with many family members who do not live close to their aging loved one. Sometimes these families are in crisis and we work together to ensure that the best decisions for their loved one is made, even if it has to be executed quickly. I help activate long-term care insurance, provide resources regarding facility options and/or care in the home, go to the hospital with clients, take them to doctors’ appointments, mediate family conflicts, and work as a buffer between a facility and a family. I can also assist in the transition from home to assisted living, or into skilled care. I love my job as I am able to look at each individual situation and create a plan that best matches what the older person, and their family, needs. 

How do you charge for your services?

I charge an hourly rate, and I bill in 15-minute increments. My fees are not paid by insurance, and can be paid by adult children, the client or their spouse. 

If someone is interested in volunteering with aging seniors, whom should they contact?

We are very blessed in Western North Carolina to have many wonderful geriatric resources, including Memory Care, Adult Day at Care Partners, two hospice organizations, the Council on Aging, etc.  Each of these agencies have their own unique volunteer opportunities. I would be happy to brainstorm with members as to how they would like to serve so that they could be connected with the most appropriate agency.  They are welcome to contact me at amy@wncgmc.com.