Coleen’s introduction to care at home was as a professional caregiver while in nursing school almost 35 years ago, when she worked for one of the RN pioneers in Care Management in New York. Coleen then went to work in an acute care hospital setting for a short time until she found herself drawn back to the very intimate setting of care at home, spending the next 30 years working in home health care, home hospice care, and private non-medical home care. Coleen’s nursing career is defined by three decades of providing quality, person-centered, supportive care to individuals and their families wherever they call home.

Through her many years of providing direct care at the bedside, Coleen recognized that the greatest burden for caregivers is often the fear of the unknown. This fear often leads to uncertainty, anxiety, and isolation. When a life-limiting or chronic illness progresses, families and care professionals alike are often left navigating a maze of shifting symptoms and uncertainty around timelines and next steps.

Coleen founded Solas Care Management & Consulting to replace that uncertainty with clarity. By providing expert education on what to anticipate in the disease process, she empowers caregivers to move from a place of anxiety to a place of prepared, compassionate advocacy.

A Mission of Dignity and Presence

As a Certified Hospice and Palliative Nurse (CHPN), Coleen’s expertise goes beyond clinical management; When working with clients, Coleen’s priority is always to meet the individual where they are and honor their individualized goals of care. She specializes in:

• Symptom Education: Helping caregivers understand and manage the physical and cognitive shifts that occur during a chronic and/or life-limiting journey.

• Anticipatory Guidance: Providing a roadmap for the disease process so families can focus on presence rather than crisis.

• Person-Centered Advocacy: Ensuring that every care transition is anchored in the individual’s unique values and goals.

Today, Coleen leverages her three decades of experience providing clinical and holistic care at home to ensure that no caregiver or family member has to navigate the complexities of a life-limiting or chronic illness alone or in the dark.

Credentials:

• Registered Nurse (Master’s in Nursing Leadership)

• Certified Hospice and Palliative Care Nurse: Hospice and Palliative Care Nurses Association (HPNA)

• Care Manager Certified: National Academy of Certified Care Managers (NAACM)

• End-of-Life Nursing Education Consortium (ELNEC) Training: American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) and the City of Hope

• Certified Dementia Practitioner: National Council of Certified Dementia Practitioners (NCCDP)