My story
In 2010, my grandmother Betty, who had lived independently at home for over 20 years, fell and injured herself badly. She was able to move back home after her recovery, but soon she began showing the tell-tale early signs of dementia. Over the course of the next few years, our family was faced with several tough decisions. Was it safe for her to remain at home by herself? Could she still drive herself to the grocery store? When would be the right time for her to leave home and move to a place where she would be safer and better cared for?
As her dementia progressed, the decisions became tougher and tougher. I realized that my family and I lacked both the experience and the time to make smart decisions that would protect her health and ensure her continued happiness.
When her dementia became so acute that she could no longer function without constant supervision, we were forced to move her into an elder care facility. Finding the right facility that would give her the love she needed was difficult and time consuming. Through trial and error, we learned—to make a long story short—that not all elder care is created equal.
I'd spent most of the last twenty years in sales jobs where I made a good living, but was not 100% fulfilled in my work. After Betty passed away in 2012, I decided to pursue a different path. I wanted to help people who were struggling to solve issues like my family faced and—like us—didn't have anyone to help them.
I went back to school and received a graduate degree in Gerontology from Appalachian State University.
Magnolia Elder Services is the business born at the intersection of the knowledge I acquired in school, my applied experience researching local and area resources, and the customer service expertise, reliability, compassion, and discretion I bring from my other life and work experiences.
Our purpose
To honor my grandmother by helping families ensure loved ones can live their elder years with happiness, safety, and dignity.
About Maggie McVeigh
Maggie McVeigh is a trained gerontologist and an expert on aging-related issues.
She has a graduate certificate in Gerontology from Appalachian State University, where she also received her undergraduate degree. Her thesis on the subject of ‘Evidence Based Practices in Care of Patients with Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementias’ (with attention on the family (or informal) caregivers) was named a winner of the Gerontology department award and she presented her research to peers at the Southern Gerontological Conference in Williamsburg, VA in 2015. Maggie is also trained as a mediator, successfully completing the mediation training program through the Dispute Settlement Center in Carrboro, NC.
She lives in Raleigh, NC and works with families across North Carolina.