Community Partner Spotlight

Who They Are The Southwest Lending Closet in the principal source for those needing to borrow durable medical equipment in the Southwest Valley. They have been a staple in their community for over 17 years and are a completely volunteer-run organization. They are a 501 (c) (3) organization and are proud to be able to say that administrative costs are less than 5% (for printing and postage) and the remaining 95% goes directly to helping their community. Funding is through both monetary and non-monetary donations, as well as city and corporation grants. They are supported by all of the Southwest cities including Avondale, Goodyear, Buckeye, Tolleson, and Litchfield Park and they have on their board from a member of each cities' City Council. Services Provided…

Jacki Ruiz is a Senior Care Advocate with Elite Senior Services and her passion is helping her clients find the right senior living option. Jacki has spent her career in the medical field with a background in pharmaceuticals, hospital administration, hospice, and home health and has been working as a Senior Care Advocate for over 7 years. What Services are Available at Elite Senior Services? Elite Senior Services provides assistance with placement in: Independent Living Assisted Living Communities Residential Care Memory Care Skilled Nursing Facilities Continuing Care Retirement Communities In-Home Care Assistance What to Expect When Calling Elite Senior Services Jacki will travel to you to complete an initial survey to better understand your specific care needs and hear your story. She will then assess…

Crystal Littlejohn MHSA, CMA, CSA, is the Principle/Certified Geriatric Care Manager with Geriatric Resources and has dedicated her entire career to working with seniors. She graduated from Plymouth State University with a Bachelor's in Psychology and from Strayer University with a Masters in Health Service Administration. She is a Certified Care Manager through the National Academy of Certified Care Managers. She started Geriatric Resources in April of 2009 with a vision that Geriatric Resources could bring valuable support to individuals and their circle of influence through compassion, individualized care, and advocacy. What Does Geriatric Resources Do? Geriatric Resources is a geriatric care management (also known as Aging Life Care Professional) company that provides a strength based approach to assisting their clients navigate through the senior health care system.…

Christine Willis, MSW is a Care Coordinator with Visiting Angels, a prominent Home Care Agency in Arizona. Christine graduated from Ohio State University with her Bachelors and Masters in Social Work and has been a Medical Social Worker for over 24 years. Her passion is connecting people to what they need the most and she is able to do just that at Visiting Angels. Her role at Visiting Angels is to assess what the clients need, connect them to and help them understand resources, and work within the community to bring greater understanding of the role of Visiting Angels. Visiting Angels provides non-medical services specially designed to meet the individual client’s needs including everything from companionship to hands on caregiving. Christine believes Visiting Angels is…