I truly thought I could do it myself. But eventually I started drowning in the details of my aging father's care. One thing that bears mentioning up front: I took a 12-month leave of absence from my job so that I could devote myself full-time to his advocacy and care. This involved trying to find a satisfactory assisted living place, selling his house, cars and doing an estate sale, and then trying to coordinate doctors, durable medical equipment companies, pharmacies, home health, etc. The idea was to get him stable so I could resume my own personal and professional life. After 7 months of abject frustration and exhaustion, I finally hired Ariel. She didn't take over the entire management of his care, she took over the parts that were making my life unmanageable.

I can't even begin to say how wonderful it was to delegate some of the load to Ariel, and know beyond a shadow of a doubt that it was being taken care of. She is 100% reliable. She's honest. She's kind. And she's worth every penny. Scrimp on anything but a geriatric care manager. It will save you a LOT in the long run.

Laura H.

I took a new job in Chicago and I couldn’t stand the thought of making my mom move with me. She had been in Austin for over 40 years. She is still somewhat independent, but has some growing health issues and we no longer have any close family left in Texas. I was constantly worrying about my mom’s health and ability to manage her own care. One of her Doctors suggested I get a Geriatric Care Manager to help manage her care.

Texas Family Services has been a huge help for me. Ariel has been great about helping them paying and reviewing her bills, scheduling and getting her to her appointments and updating me on how things are going, etc. I feel so much better knowing that I have someone I can trust back home.

Jenn H.

I am grateful that Ariel helped me figure out the world of assisted living when my mom unexpectedly landed at my door step needing full-time, long-term care. I did not know the language of this arena nor did I know where to start. It only took 2 weeks from my first conversation with Ariel to the time we found a place that fit my mom’s needs and budget. It’s all a confusing process for those not versed in retirements, pensions, insurances, VA benefits, etc., and I would recommend seeking help from the experts, Ariel being one of them!

Ann W.

I can’t thank Texas Family Services enough for the help they have given me and my family. A knowledgeable staff that actually cares and they didn’t charge us a dime. Thank you :)

Randy S.

When we needed to find a Type B assisted living center for my mother, we didn’t know where to start. Ariel took the time to listen and ask the right questions before recommending a range of facilities — based not only on the level of care they provided, but also our budget, location, and my mother’s social needs and long-term outlook. She even found one that had experience with my mother’s very rare condition. She also answered our questions, coached us on what to consider, and diplomatically steered us away from places that wouldn’t have been a good fit. I think we’ve found the right place now — and it’s one we wouldn’t have even known about if we’d tried to do this on our own.

Sam S.

I’m a psychologist working with older adults and their families and met with Ariel to discuss her services and generally learn more about her. I found her to be extremely knowledgeable, charming, helpful, professional, caring and passionate about her work. It’s been said there’s a “silver tsunami” coming to Austin and it’s reassuring to know that Ariel will be able to help individuals either to maintain their independence as long as possible or to find the best fit for a new residence.

Joyce W.

We discovered there is a whole world of eldercare with a language, practices, laws, all thrown at us while the family was facing the deeply personal challenges. In our case, my sister and I are helping my mom place her husband of 57 years in a long term care facility (dad is suffering dementia and long disability from a stroke long ago).

We suddenly became familiar with the Activities of Daily Living having never even heard the term 3 months ago. It is not that we lacked for information. Kindly advice from friends and information on resources via Google searches, yielded a blizzard of advice and resources. We even had an “insider’s perspective” since my sister moonlights in adult care as a speech therapist. The fear we had was we would make mistakes that will bankrupt the family and/or consign dad to some institutional hell (visions of American Horror Story or One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest). Our fears are grounded in reality.

Via a neighbor we heard about Ariel Rosenbaum and Texas Family Services and we called. She came out to talk to us and started with practical clear sense from the get go. It was clear that 1 hour spent with Ariel was worth endless hours of floundering. “I recommend these 3.” “Here is what to ask for…” “Go here for that.” “I can research that.” Turning her loose to explore the intersection between our insurance company, Medicare and Medicaid produced useful information within a day or two. Contrast that with our floundering around with what questions to ask and whether the answers we got were right or bogus (sadly not all the staff at your insurance company, Medicare, and Medicaid are knowledgeable).

Ms. Rosenbaum is personable, diplomatic, sympathetic, empathetic and a much needed objective point of view in what is a highly emotional fraught experience. She can and will deliver truth to mom, sister and brother when needed. Help set reasonable expectations. Offers options and a likely range of options.

Bottom line: You have a choice. Do It Yourself and you risk spending lots of time and money and take the chance you will get it wrong. OR hire Texas Family Services to help you, help the ones you love and get it right.

Paul C.

A home health nurse referred me to Texas Family Services when I told her how much more help my uncle was requiring. He didn't want to go to a nursing home but couldn't live independently anymore. He loves the Assisted Living Facility he is in now. We both couldn't be happier! He is also using their geriatric care management services. It has been such a big help to both of us. Now when I visit we can actually spend time together instead of me worrying about all of his bills, doctor appointments, and care.

Karmyn K.

I am so glad I found this website when searching for housing for my grandfather. I was starting to get overwhelmed with all of the different places in Austin and what each one offered. I spoke with one of the advisors, explained my fathers financial situation and needs, and was given three places that might be a good match. The second retirement community we looked at was perfect. My grandfather is happy with his new home. It is also nice to know that they offer geriatric care management services. Thanks for all of your help. They helped make a tough situation easier.

Jennifer T.

We have been looking for a place for my grandmother that had an onsite staff that would match her needs and the quality of housing that we wanted for her. We tried researching them on Google and then calling and compiling all the information…it was pretty overwhelming.

I called Texas Family Services after visiting their website. Ariel is a great help and very knowledgeable about resources available for seniors. She saved me time and put together several recommendations in our price range and could provide what we were looking for. She definitely put us on the right track, I don’t know what I would have done without her. Do yourself a favor and use Texas Family Services if you’re in need. Can’t thank them enough.

Hal R.