When an aging parent or loved one can no longer live safely without assistance, families are often faced with difficult questions. What level of care is needed. Which communities can provide it. What can the family afford. And how can they know they are making the right decision.

Bonita Plested founded Plested Senior Solutions to help families answer those questions with clarity, compassion, and confidence.

"We assist families who may feel overwhelmed and do not know where to begin," Plested explains. "Our role is to understand the individual's care needs, preferences, finances, and family circumstances, then help identify the most appropriate options."

Although Plested Senior Solutions is deeply involved in dementia education and support, its services are not limited to families affected by Alzheimer's disease or another form of dementia.

The agency assists older adults and families navigating a wide range of circumstances, including physical limitations, falls, hospital or rehabilitation discharges, caregiver burnout, social isolation, chronic health conditions, and the need for more supervision or assistance with daily activities.

Families working with Plested can explore independent living, assisted living, memory care, residential and personal care homes, skilled nursing, respite care, and in-home care and support services. The placement guidance itself is provided at no cost to families.

That same commitment to families led Plested somewhere specific: a gap in awareness around a Medicare program most caregivers have never heard of.

"There are plenty of families, family caregivers who are unaware that the GUIDE model even exists," Plested says. "One thing that they wish they'd known before coming is that there are benefits and resources through the Medicare Guide Model that their family may be entitled to that they are unaware of."

The Medicare GUIDE Model, short for Guiding an Improved Dementia Experience, launched in July 2024 as an eight-year program. More than two years in, awareness still hasn't caught up. It offers eligible family caregivers respite services, a dedicated patient navigator, caregiver training, and regular support, on top of standard Medicare coverage.

"It matters because there are many family caregivers caring for a loved one with dementia who need this support," Plested says. "The respite services that it offers to give family caregivers a break, the dedicated patient navigator, just someone that they can turn to for the resources and benefits that would make their lives just a little bit easier."

That urgency is what led Plested to organize the North Houston GUIDE Dementia Care Summit at Children's Safe Harbor in Conroe. The event covered care navigation and coordinated dementia care, caregiver education and support, respite services, who qualifies for GUIDE, and how families can connect with participating organizations.

Speakers included Dr. Bharat Latthe and Dr. Hunain Aslam, Dr. Whitney Williams of Craniometrix, and representatives from Amada Senior Care. Families had the chance to ask questions directly in a supportive, low-pressure room instead of hunting for answers alone.

As a Certified Senior Transition Specialist, Plested personally walks families through touring and decision-making, including factors that aren't always obvious up front: staffing, care capabilities, reassessment practices, additional fees, safety, social engagement, and whether a community can flex as needs change over time. Her involvement doesn't end once a family selects a community. She stays available as new questions arise.

Plested Senior Solutions operates in compliance with Texas Senate Bill 1383, the state's ethics and transparency standard for senior placement agencies, and Bonita holds a Certified Placement and Referral Specialist credential. She also serves as President of the Dallas chapter of the National Placement and Referral Alliance, where she has spent years helping shape ethical standards for the placement industry nationally.

Plested Senior Solutions is a family-run business. Bonita also founded The Plested Senior Initiative, a developing organization that connects young people with older adults through companionship and shared activities, and her son Stirling leads it day to day while also working as a Senior Transition Specialist. Soleil Plested oversees social media and branding. Samantha Plested manages daily operations. Alan Morris, a Senior Transition Specialist with more than 40 years in healthcare, including 20 years as a physical therapist, rounds out the team.

Together, they serve families across Harris, Montgomery, Fort Bend, Brazoria, Waller, and Chambers counties, as well as the greater Austin area.

"Our goal is to make sure families do not have to navigate this process alone," Plested says. "We provide the knowledge, transparency, and personal support they need to make an informed decision for someone they love."

To learn more about senior placement and transition services, visit plestedseniorsolutions.com. For information on the Medicare GUIDE Model and future summits, visit guide.plestedseniorsolutions.com.

Contact: [email protected] | 469-350-6740 | plestedseniorsolutions.com