I started Second Daughter to ease the kind of stress I felt as my own parents got older. I was constantly pulled between supporting them from across the country while keeping pace with my career as a federal executive and our own family life here in Falls Church, VA. 

 

My parents were in their 50s when they moved from Reston, VA to live their second chapter in California. For years, everything was great. But over time I noticed little things starting to shift. The house looked a little less cared for. Mail and paperwork were piling up everywhere. The Christmas tree we decorated in December was still standing in March. Getting to routine medical appointments got challenging as my parents decided to limit their driving, exacerbating otherwise manageable health conditions.

 

Their world grew smaller. And lonelier. My mom became depressed, and I grew increasingly stressed trying to help from 3,000 miles away.

 

I encouraged them to try a home care agency, and the caregivers we met were kind and dedicated. But for my parents—lifelong educators and musicians—it wasn’t quite the right fit. They didn’t really need traditional home nursing care. What they needed was engagement, autonomy, and support to keep up with house maintenance, get to appointments and stay connected to their community. A home health aide wasn’t in a position to call the HVAC company, reposition my mom’s harp so she could play comfortably, help start the spring garden, purge the mail or get my exceptionally extroverted stepdad to his lodge meetings. As their hearing declined, they needed a trusted person there to listen and take action on prescription pick-up. ​

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Before long, my life became a cycle of cross-country trips to sort paperwork and resolve a backlog of errands and home repairs. There also was a lot of pent-up conversation as they welcomed the chance to talk to someone other than each other. It was exhausting—and it revealed to me a gap in the support services available to seniors and their families. 

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It is this gap that Second Daughter is designed to fill. I provide hands-on home management and meaningful engagement that help sustain quality of life, reduce isolation, and ease the burden on family members.

 

​I intentionally work with a small number of clients so I can get to know them and understand what matters. Building a comfortable, trusting relationship—and delivering the right support with care—matters to me.

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A final note:  you will find this website speaks in terms of "we."  At this time, "we" is "me." This is a young business and I want to ensure that my vision for a high-standard of service delivery, integrity and connection is fulfilled before I expand.

 

If I can help your family, I’d love to connect.