About Judy
Why I started this business is a question often asked of me. Every aspect of my life has led me to working with older adults and having a passion for helping them and enhancing their lives.
MY FAMILY: It must have started with Flossie, Irving, Peachy and Randall, my grandparents. They were there for me as I grew up, providing endless love, stories, opportunities and a sense of family heritage. My Mother, Betty Satterwhite, was an educator at the University of Rochester in family support and chronic disease. My Father, Randy Satterwhite, an executive at Eastman Kodak, epitomized a devotion to his employees by leading them with grace, excellence and passion. My father died of cancer when I was 23 and my mother died of a heart attack when I was 50. Randy died in the hospital, while I was at work a few miles away. Betty died in Mexico, thousands of miles away. To this day I wish I could have been with them at that time. My mother-in-law, Ruth, a fiercely independent and vibrant person, was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s over 25 years ago. We moved her to Seattle to care for her and it was then I realized the difficulties faced when placing a loved one in an elderly living facility. I found myself stepping through barriers with her and her disease and facilitating most aspects of her life. A loving family and a legacy of “giving back” have always been a part of my life. I jokingly say “I am in the business of collecting mothers and fathers, brothers and sisters.” We live in a time of scattered families, with parents and grandparents often miles away. My personal philosophy is to embrace my clients, as if they were my own family. Not only am I enriched and honored to be of service to them, but I often feel that I am seeing my own family in their faces.
MY CAREERS: Majoring in Math, I launched my career in the early 70's as a computer programmer/systems analyst working for Eastman Kodak for six years. I came to Seattle in 1978 where I embraced the weaving community working for The Weaving Works and selling my own artwork. Seeing a need for an art gallery devoted to textiles, I launched The Flying Shuttle in 1982, a wearable art gallery in Pioneer Square. This was an exceptional adventure which defined many of my business skills. After selling the gallery 8 years later I worked in accounting and a micro-lending program for minority and women owned businesses. Eventually, after the loss of my mother and managing my mother-in-law's life, I decided it was time to gain more expertise in elderly care. I got a great education while working at Partners In Care, a guardianship and trust management agency. Friends started seeking me out to help their families and with the growth of my own clientele I launched my business, Adult Care Resources in 1998.
AN UNUSUAL BUSINESS STRUCTURE: When you hire Adult Care Resources for services, it is me that you will be working with. My choice to have no employees represents my one-on-one, holistic approach. However, I am not isolated in my work. I have partnered with a very select group of care givers, who like myself, are one person business. We have called ourselves "People Who Care". We meet monthly to share wisdom and further our skills. We refer clients to each other, consult with each other, hire each other and fill in for each other when emergency situations arise.
MY GOALS: I have made a personal pledge to surround those in need with love, support, healthy opportunities and a sense of community. As we age and the world gets more complicated, with unconnected families, and an ageist culture, the struggle to belong and feel secure can diminish quickly. I look to those who are farther down the path of life for inspiration, courage, and wisdom. In place of the separation that families experience, lies an opportunity for non-nuclear relationships to flourish. The joy and satisfaction I derive from my career is something I wish to encourage for others. I have trained others to join me in this work and am eager to share my experience and support.