Maria Licoudis treats her clients as though they’re family. For 10 years, she’s drawn on her skills as a registered nurse to help make things better for Montreal seniors and their families. Her philosophy has never waivered.
“I work as though I’m checking in on a friend who isn’t feeling well,” Licoudis says. “I love nursing, taking care of people, solving their problems and making them feel better.”
As a client success manager with TheKey Montreal, Licoudis says her role looks different from one day to the next. Overall, she’s responsible for helping local families identify their care needs. Based on an initial assessment, the team develops a personalized care plan that accounts for many different factors that contribute to wellbeing overall.
“Once a family has decided to go ahead and seek caregiving for their loved one, we review absolutely everything about the client,” explains Licoudis. “We talk about past history, physical and cognitive abilities, likes and dislikes, personality. We dig into every part of their life, from medical and nursing needs to psychosocial aspects.”
That understanding helps Licoudis and her team match the right caregiver with the right client. She’s quick to point out caregiver fit is essential —but it’s only the beginning of the caregiver journey. Licoudis and her team collaborate continuously with clients, and their families, to see how things are going, communicate openly, make adjustments and evolve care in line with a senior’s changing needs.
“We will work with clients for a number of different reasons. In one case, we’ll be going into a residence and providing a senior with cognitive stimulation during the day. For another family, we might support adult children as they cope with their parent’s dementia. We provide support for everyone involved in the aging process,” she says.
With a special focus on palliative care, Licoudis knows that process looks different for every family. At TheKey, she empowers seniors to live well at home, for as long as possible. When there are no active treatments, Licoudis and her team provide end-of-life care to ease pain, anxiety and agitation. And she’s proud of TheKey Montreal’s impact on families across the city. When a family called late on a recent Friday night, Licoudis and her team jumped on the phone, working seamlessly to provide palliative caregiving support in a matter of hours.
“In our team, we all support and trust one another. That’s how we stand out, too,” says Licoudis. “I’m a real care person. That’s what I love doing, taking care of people and helping them. We work to offer that every day.”