Midwest Care Management Services Inc.

06/01/2026

🏳️‍🌈 HAPPY PRIDE MONTH, CHICAGO 🏳️‍🌈

As we dive into Pride Month celebrations, remember that visibility is a hard-won victory. Pride is more than a celebration; it is a debt of gratitude to the LGBTQ+ older adults who paved the way. Many seniors came of age in an era when living authentically meant risking their jobs, their housing, their safety, and their families.

Now, it’s our turn to stand up for them. As our trailblazers age, they deserve to do so with dignity, security, and absolute joy. This month, let's turn our gratitude into action. If you are looking to support local organizations doing life-changing work for LGBTQ+ seniors right here in the Chicago area, please consider checking out, volunteering with, or donating to these incredible groups:

*Center on Halsted (Pride in Aging): They provide crucial housing support, social activities, and meal programs to ensure q***r seniors stay connected and supported.

*Howard Brown Health (Aging Services): They deliver affirming, culturally competent geriatric medicine and wellness case management tailored specifically to the unique needs of LGBTQ+ older adults.

*Center for Disability and Elder Law (Proud to Thrive): They offer free and low-cost legal clinics to low-income LGBT+ older adults to address housing, estate planning, and systemic inequities.

05/15/2026

During Mental Health Awareness Month, let's celebrate professionals who are expanding access to compassionate mental health care in our communities. We’re proud to recognize Jamila Jones, founder of Reclaiming Minds Therapy and Wellness.

Jamila is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor whose practice focuses on healing, empowerment, and culturally responsive care for BIPOC women and families. Through therapy, education, and advocacy, she has created a space centered on compassion, restoration, and emotional wellness.

We are honored to have worked alongside Jamila and inspired by the meaningful impact she continues to make in the mental health field. Thank you, Jamila, for the work you do every day to help people heal, grow, and feel seen.

May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and I want to start it by saying this simply: Your mental health is not a crisis to manage. It is a part of your life to tend to.

How we think, feel, and move through the world is shaped by so much—our histories, our relationships, the baggage we carry that was never ours to begin with. And yet, again and again, we show up. We push through. We perform "fine." We perform wellness.

This month, I'm inviting something different: not just awareness, but honest, compassionate attention. To what you're feeling. To what your body has been trying to tell you. To the parts of you that are quietly asking to be seen.

Mental health is not a destination. It is the ongoing practice of coming home to yourself. We are here for that journey... all of it.

Drop a comment and tell me: What does tending to your mental health look like for you right now?

05/07/2026

Commitment to excellence isn't just a goal. It’s our daily practice.

We are currently running a deep-dive series over on LinkedIn exploring how our team adheres to the National Guardianship Association (NGA) Standards of Practice. From person-centered decision-making to protecting the rights of those we serve, we’re sharing the "how" and "why" behind our work.

If you want to learn more about the guidance we use to ensure the highest quality of care and advocacy, join the conversation on LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7457502390313783296

05/06/2026

May is Mental Health Awareness Month! 💚

This year’s theme, "More Good Days, Together," hits home for us at Midwest Care. In our work with older adults and people with disabilities, we see firsthand how much a "good day" matters—and how it looks different for everyone.

Whether it’s finding the right support, feeling heard, or simply feeling safe, we are dedicated to connecting our clients to the resources they need to thrive. Together, we can shape advocacy and education to make "more good days" a reality for every member of our community.

04/02/2026

Our Managing Director, Tanya Larson, recently wrote an article reflecting on the importance of helping aging parents thoughtfully choose a Power of Attorney (POA).

Drawing from both her professional experience and her own family’s approach, Tanya shares why these conversations matter, how families can navigate them with care, and why the “right” POA isn’t always about credentials—but about communication, proximity, and alignment with a parent’s values.

If you’re beginning these conversations with your own family, or revisiting existing plans, this article offers practical guidance and a grounded perspective.

Read the full article here:

03/19/2026

**We just renewed our annual membership with the Illinois Guardianship Association**

Now we encourage all of our colleagues who are equally committed to promoting the highest quality of ethical guardianship services to join IGA, too!

Membership helps support free community education and training events, including credits for certified guardians and Continuing Legal Education credits for attorneys licensed in Illinois. The IGA Spring Conference is in Chicago on April 29th.

Get your membership application and sign up for the conference here: https://www.illinoisguardianship.org/

Membership is only $50 for Individuals and is open to:

*Nationally Certified Guardians
*Public and State Guardians
*Licensed Clinical Social Workers
*Qualified Intellectual Disabilities Professionals
*Nursing Home Administrators
*Fiduciaries
*Family Guardians
*Private Guardians
*Attorneys
*Guardianship or Related Agencies and Organizations

The mission of the Illinois Guardianship Association To promote the highest quality of ethical guardianship services through education, networking, and advocacy.

03/18/2026

We recently had the opportunity to learn from Brooke Benjamin of
Inclusive Funeral Care about thoughtful, dignified end-of-life planning, which deeply resonates with our team.

In our work, we are often the ones making final arrangements for clients, sometimes without family present. That responsibility is something we carry with great care. Brooke’s approach—centered on personalization and respect—beautifully aligns with our own values.

We’ve had the privilege of working with Inclusive Funeral Care both professionally and personally, and have seen firsthand the compassion and integrity they bring to everyone they serve.

We invite you to read our latest blog to learn more.

Our team met with Brooke Benjamin of Inclusive Funeral Care to talk about honoring people at the end of life and making final arrangements.

03/04/2026

March is Social Work Month and we are honoring the incredible BSWs, MSWs, and LCSWs on our team! This year's theme is “Uplift. Defend. Transform.”

And that’s exactly what our Social Workers do.

They uplift people during vulnerable times.
They defend rights, dignity, and access to care.
They help transform complex systems into pathways forward.

We are proud of our Social Workers and how they uphold the ethics of social work with a willingness to meet people where they are at, adhering to informed consent, and the steady compassion they bring to work every day.

During Social Work Month, don't forget to thank the professionals you know who show up for people every day!

02/25/2026

When most people think about care management, they picture appointments, paperwork, and crisis calls.

What they don’t always see are the birthdays celebrated, the favorite meals shared, and the small moments that remind someone they are valued and remembered.

This month, we’re highlighting Tracy Reyes, MSW — whose work behind the scenes blends sound judgment, cultural understanding, and genuine connection. From medically complex children to older adults, Tracy ensures that safety and dignity go hand in hand with joy.

Sometimes care management looks like careful coordination.
Sometimes it looks like chocolate cake and singing Elvis. 💛

Read more about Tracy’s work here:

When families or attorneys engage care management services, they often see the visible pieces. Appointments attended, updates provided, crises managed. What they do not always see is the joy being sparked in between those responsibilities, or the steady judgment guiding every interaction.

02/10/2026

Did you know? Illinois requires all healthcare workers to complete 1 hour of dementia training annually. Our team believes that meeting the minimum is not enough.

In addition to the required training, our entire staff—care managers, estate team, and administrative staff—goes well beyond state requirements. Everyone on our team has obtained EssentiALZ® certification through the Alzheimer's Association® and we regularly pursue advanced education to deepen our expertise. In 2025, we participated in rich training sessions with renowned dementia care expert Teepa Snow, MS, OTR/L, FAOTA and through several sessions with Elderwerks Educational Services.

Dementia care affects every role in our organization. When everyone understands how dementia impacts communication, behavior, decision-making, and family dynamics, clients receive more consistent, compassionate, and informed support. We look forward to continuing to grow our expertise in 2026!