Amada Dallas News & Events
Eric vanGoethem to Lead Plano Lunch & Learn on Navigating Senior Care
Eric vanGoethem, owner of Amada Senior Care Dallas, will present “Navigating the Senior Care Maze” during the September Personal Growth Pillar Lunch & Learn in Plano.
The event will help older adults, family caregivers and community professionals better understand today’s senior-care options, recent healthcare changes and the financial resources that may help families pay for care.
The Lunch & Learn will be held:
Wednesday, September 23, 2026
11:30 a.m.–1:00 p.m.
First United Bank Plano Parkwood
Second-Floor Community Conference Room
3930 Dallas Parkway
Plano, Texas 75093
Lunch will be served. Advance registration is requested.
Helping families navigate a complicated system
Families frequently begin searching for senior care during a crisis. A parent may be preparing to leave a hospital or rehabilitation facility, a spouse may be showing signs of dementia, or a family caregiver may be reaching the point of exhaustion.
At that moment, families encounter an unfamiliar collection of services, insurance rules and government programs. They may hear terms such as home care, home health, assisted living, memory care, Medicare, Medicaid, long-term care insurance, VA Community Care and Aid and Attendance—all while trying to make an urgent decision.
The Lunch & Learn is designed to make that system easier to understand.
“Most families do not know what questions to ask until they are already in the middle of a care crisis,” vanGoethem said. “My goal is to give people a practical framework for understanding their options before they have to make a rushed decision.”
Topics planned for the presentation
The discussion will explore several important areas affecting seniors and their families.
Recent changes affecting senior care
Attendees will learn how recent changes from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services may affect people navigating dementia care and other senior-care services.
One example is the Medicare GUIDE Model, which provides eligible people living with dementia and their unpaid caregivers with care navigation, education, 24/7 support and limited respite services.
The presentation will also help families understand what Medicare generally covers—and what it does not cover—when an older adult needs continuing assistance at home.
Home care, home health and assisted living
These services are often confused, but they serve different purposes.
Non-medical home care provides assistance with activities such as bathing, dressing, meals, mobility, transportation, companionship and dementia supervision.
Medicare-certified home health provides qualifying skilled services under specific eligibility requirements. It is not the same as ongoing personal care or companionship.
Assisted living provides housing, meals, supervision and varying levels of personal assistance in a residential community.
The right choice depends on the person’s health, safety, preferences, family support and financial resources.
Long-term care planning
The presentation will address the importance of planning before a crisis occurs. Families should understand:
- What type of care may be needed
- Where the person wants to receive care
- Which family members can realistically help
- How much care may cost
- Which insurance policies or government programs may contribute
- Which legal and financial documents should be readily available
Planning early gives families more time to compare options and make decisions based on the older adult’s preferences.
Understanding the cost of care
Senior-care costs vary significantly depending on the setting, schedule and level of assistance.
In-home care is generally billed by the hour. Assisted-living communities typically charge a monthly base rate plus additional fees based on the resident’s needs. Skilled-nursing care is usually more expensive because it provides continuous access to licensed clinical services.
Attendees will receive practical guidance for comparing costs and identifying possible payment sources.
Long-term care insurance
Many older adults purchased long-term care insurance years ago but are unsure how or when to use it.
The discussion will explain important policy concepts such as:
- Activities-of-daily-living benefit triggers
- Cognitive-impairment eligibility
- Calendar-day versus service-day elimination periods
- Daily or monthly benefit limits
- Inflation protection
- Home-care provider requirements
- Claim documentation
Understanding the policy before care begins can help families avoid preventable delays and missed benefits.
Veterans home-care benefits
Veterans and their families may have access to more than one potential source of assistance.
VA Homemaker and Home Health Aide Care may provide authorized in-home services to eligible veterans enrolled in VA healthcare. This is separate from Veterans Pension with Aid and Attendance, which provides an increased monthly pension payment to qualifying wartime veterans or survivors.
The presentation will explain the distinction and discuss how VA benefits may sometimes be coordinated with long-term care insurance or privately funded care.
Who should attend?
The Lunch & Learn may be helpful for:
- Older adults planning for their future
- Adult children concerned about aging parents
- Spouses providing daily care
- Families affected by dementia
- Veterans and surviving spouses
- People who own long-term care insurance
- Financial, healthcare and community professionals
- Anyone helping a loved one evaluate senior-care options
Attendees are encouraged to submit questions for the speaker when completing the registration form.
About Eric vanGoethem
Eric vanGoethem is the owner of Amada Senior Care Dallas and Amada Senior Care of Central Texas. He helps families navigate non-medical home care, long-term care insurance claims, veterans benefits and other resources that may allow older adults to remain safely at home.
His connection to senior care is personal. After severe illness affected his own family, he experienced firsthand the strain placed on patients and family caregivers. That experience ultimately led him to professional caregiving and senior-care advocacy.
Registration
Space may be limited, and advance registration is requested. Attendees can register through the event’s Microsoft registration form below.
If plans change after registration, the organizers request at least 48 hours’ notice.
For questions about Amada Senior Care Dallas or to schedule a private senior-care consultation, call 972-581-9877 or visit AmadaDallas.com.
Welcome Kolin Sherman to Amada Dallas!
We are excited to announce that Kolin Sherman has joined Amada Dallas as our Senior Care Advisor, leading our efforts to enrich the lives of seniors and their families, and advocating for seniors in our communities. Kolin brings a wealth of experience in senior services, marketing, and sales, making him a valuable addition to our team as an liaison with our referral partners we collaborate with in the senior care continuum.
Please join us in giving him a warm welcome—we’re beyond thrilled to have him on board!
To find out more about Amada Dallas’ commitment to excellence, please visit www.AmadaDallas.com or call 972-581-9877.
Amada Senior Care Owner Eric vanGoethem Presents at
Dallas Area Gerontological Society (DAGS)
Amada Dallas Partners with DAGS and other Local Organizations for the Benefit of Seniors
Eric vanGoethem, owner of Amada Senior Care in the Dallas area, recently presented to the Dallas Area Gerontological Society (DAGS) on strategies for preventing hospital readmissions. Drawing from his expertise in senior care and home care, Eric emphasized the critical role these services play in improving outcomes for seniors and reducing strain on the healthcare continuum. “I’m passionate about senior care because it allows me to make a tangible difference in people’s lives,” Eric shared. “Collaborating with healthcare professionals to provide seamless care helps seniors remain safe at home, which is where most of them truly want to be.” His presentation highlighted Amada Senior Care’s commitment to partnering with healthcare providers to deliver compassionate, high-quality care that promotes seniors’ well-being.
Amada Senior Care of Dallas is a Best of Home Care Employer of Choice
Designation Awarded for Excellent Caregiver Satisfaction Ratings
Amada Senior Care of Dallas, TX has received the 2025 Best of Home Care® – Employer of Choice Award from Activated Insights (formerly Home Care Pulse). The Employer of Choice Award is granted only to the top-ranking home care providers, based on employee satisfaction scores gathered by Activated Insights, an independent satisfaction research firm. Amada Dallas, TX is recognized among the best employers of in-home caregivers in the region.
“It is our pleasure to congratulate Eric vanGoethem, owner of Amada Senior Care of Dallas, and his entire professional care team for their well-deserved achievement in earning the Best of Home Care® – Employer of Choice Award,” says Bud Meadows, Chief Executive Officer of Activated Insights. “As this award is based on employee feedback, it demonstrates the dedication that Amada Dallas has towards providing its employees with an exemplary working experience while ensuring their clients have well-trained and compassionate caregivers.”
Best of Home Care® – Employer of Choice award-winning providers work with Activated Insights to gather feedback from their caregivers via live phone interviews each month. As Activated Insights is an independent company, it is able to collect honest and unbiased feedback.
To find out more about Amada Dallas’ commitment to excellence, please visit www.AmadaDallas.com or call 972-581-9877.
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