All CarePatrol senior care advisors and assisted living consultants are committed to finding the best community for your loved one.
- Assisted Living
- Memory Care
- Independent Living
- Nursing Homes
- In-Home Care
Does Your Patient or Client Need Local Senior Care Options? We Can Help.
Ruthie Barkus(630) 300-3554
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Testimonials from Our Verified Customers
Over 150 Local Senior Care Advisors Nationwide
How We Help You Find the Best Community for Your Senior
- Discovery of Needs
- Guided Tour of Communities
- Full Care Details and Transparent Pricing
- Moving Day & Transition Support
- Continuing Care Support
It all begins with a simple phone call. Why is this call so important?
Choosing a safer senior housing option, unfortunately, cannot be made by appearance alone. What is most important is something that really can’t be seen. It is "Can this community really care for your senior?" That's why CarePatrol's advisors complete a "Care Discovery" and base our recommendations on care options that can specifically meet your individual needs and preferences.
Meet Your Local CarePatrol Senior AdvisorGuided Tour of Communities
We believe in private & personalized tours. We literally walk you through the steps. You will never get a list from us and be told to “go visit them alone, or on your own.” After we’ve matched your individualized needs to safer care options in your area, we will accompany you on a tour of each one of them. Or, we will provide a virtual tour if that works better for you. You are never alone because we will be your personal care guide from start to finish.
Meet Your Local CarePatrol Senior AdvisorFull Care Details & Transparent Pricing
We insist on transparency with pricing & services. We don’t like surprises either. How to pay for care is always a concern and a valid question of our clients. Another important question relates to what services are provided in a specific care option. We can help alleviate these concerns. We will inform you of private, Veterans, or other government programs that you may be eligible for.
Meet Your Local CarePatrol Senior AdvisorMoving Day & Transition Support
We work with the community so you can focus on your loved one. Change can be hard, especially for Seniors. We make sure everything is in order so on moving day, everybody’s attention can be on making the transition as smooth as possible. Ensuring your questions are answered and you continue to feel good about your decision is as important as getting your senior settled in to a new environment.
Meet Your Local CarePatrol Senior AdvisorContinuing Care Support
CarePatrol delivers satisfaction to families every day. Your advisor will be there for you when you need them - even after you make your decision. Long after move-in day, we'll still be there with regular check-ins to ensure your loved one's needs are being met.
Meet Your Local CarePatrol Senior AdvisorRuthie Barkus
RN, BSN, CDP, CPRS
“Those with Dementia may have a brain that works much differently than ours. But if we link our hands together we can overcome anything.” - Teepa Snow
Ruthie considers what she does a passion more than a job. She is focused on learning about your loved one so that she can narrow down the key criteria to help her find the right care options for your loved one. She carefully assesses all of her client's needs, concerns, and preferences before recommending appropriate levels of care such as: Independent Living, Assisted Living, Memory Care, or In-Home Care. Ruthie wants to promote independence in her seniors as well as to ensure a good quality of life. She will assist you with the proper resources to make this happen.
Ruthie had to care for both her mother with dementia and also the complexities of post-stroke care with her mother-in-law. She is an avid advocate for Mental Health for seniors. She recognizes that we as a society have a Mental Health Crisis on our hands. Many of our seniors have been isolated and sedentary due to covid. Ruthie will work with her families, the doctors, and the communities to encourage mental health and physical therapy assessments. This is part of her approach to ensuring that the seniors have access to the resources that will keep them thriving in the “Golden Years”!
Spotlight On Ruthie Barkus
Years In Area:
She has lived in the area for 27 years and loves the small-town community feel. She is fortunate to have the neighbors, family, and friends that she has in her current and surrounding areas.
About Ruthie:
Ruthie is widowed and has 4 daughters. Her mother moved in with her for 5 years after being diagnosed with dementia. Her mother-in-law was placed into an acute rehab following her stroke and then a rehab facility. She then brought her home to care for her. She involved her children and her husband in the care of both moms to try and teach them the value of family and caring for those you love. At the time, she didn’t know she would be training for her new career. These experiences helped her understand the emotions and the complexity that goes into finding not only the right facility but a safe facility. It can be overwhelming with so many to choose from with such little time. She also witnessed firsthand the burnout a caregiver can feel when trying to juggle the kids, house, sports, and moms, while her husband traveled for work. She gets it! Caring for her mom with dementia, there were days that she wanted to give up, days that she was frustrated, and days that she would mourn the loss of her best friend. She understands how hard it can be to place a parent and all the guilt and feelings that go with it.
Before CarePatrol:
Prior to CarePatrol, she was a registered nurse with a background in Telemetry, DIC, Neurology, and Hospice. She was also a nurse for an insurance company working in Prior Authorization. However, she had to hang up her floor nursing shoes after a number of back surgeries.
Best Traits:
Ruthie would describe herself as compassionate, caring, and an advocate.
Favorite Movie:
Fast and Furious (All)
Favorite Book:
Medical journals and articles
Why I Do This
It feels rewarding for her to know that she has a positive impact on making sure that her clients get the care they deserve. While knowing that the system is not perfect, she understands that people need her and will keep going as long as they do.
Latest Articles
TrustPilot Reviews
By CarePatrol of Mokena-Joliet Joyce just left a new 5-star review of CarePatrol Franchise Systems: My CarePatrol rep, Ruthie, was outstanding! Whether my problems were big (like needing an advocacy agency or an appropriate...
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Holiday Visits When Your Loved One is in Assisted Living
By CarePatrol of Mokena-Joliet Assisted living communities typically allow family members to visit their loved ones at any time, and this does not change during the holidays. In fact, it is encouraged to have families come to holiday...
Read MoreOur Team Members
Dawn Jones
EMT-P/Care Consultant
Senior Care Advisor in Chicagoland South
Serving These Areas
Cities
Alsip, Argo, Aurora, Bedford Park, Berwyn, Blue Island, Bolingbrook, Bridgeview, Brookfield, Burbank, Burnham, Burr Ridge, Calumet City, Calumet Park, Chicago, Chicago Heights, Chicago Ridge, Cicero, Country Club Hills, Countryside, Crest Hill, Crestwood, Crete, Darien, Dixmoor, Dolton, Downers Grove, Evergreen Park, Flossmoor, Ford Heights, Forest View, Frankfort, Glenwood, Harvey, Hazel Crest, Hickory Hills, Hodgkins, Homer Glen, Hometown, Homewood, Indian Head Park, Joliet, Justice, La Grange, Lansing, Lemont, Lockport, Lynwood, Lyons, Markham, Matteson, McCook, Merrionette Park, Midlothian, Mokena, Naperville, New Lenox, Oak Forest, Oak Lawn, Olympia Fields, Orland Hills, Orland Park, Palos Heights, Palos Hills, Palos Park, Park Forest, Phoenix, Plainfield, Posen, Richton Park, Riverdale, Riverside, Robbins, Rockdale, Romeoville, Sauk Village, Shorewood, South Chicago Heights, South Holland, Steger, Stickney, Summit, Summit Argo, Thornton, Tinley Park, University Park, Willow Springs, Willowbrook, Woodridge, Worth
Zip Codes
60402, 60403, 60404, 60406, 60409, 60411, 60415, 60417, 60418, 60419, 60422, 60423, 60425, 60426, 60428, 60429, 60430, 60431, 60432, 60433, 60435, 60436, 60438, 60439, 60440, 60441, 60443, 60445, 60446, 60448, 60451, 60452, 60453, 60455, 60456, 60457, 60458, 60459, 60461, 60462, 60463, 60464, 60465, 60466, 60467, 60469, 60471, 60472, 60473, 60475, 60476, 60477, 60478, 60480, 60482, 60484, 60487, 60490, 60491, 60501, 60503, 60513, 60516, 60517, 60525, 60527, 60534, 60544, 60546, 60561, 60564, 60565, 60585, 60586, 60608, 60609, 60615, 60616, 60617, 60619, 60620, 60621, 60623, 60628, 60629, 60632, 60633, 60636, 60637, 60638, 60643, 60649, 60652, 60653, 60655, 60803, 60804, 60805, 60827