How Connections to Care began.
Whether it's connecting reliable home services, navigating Insurance Policies or transitioning from home to a new care setting, Connections to Care will help manage the journey of aging well.
Our founder, Heather Burton, a South Carolina upstate native, graduated from Lander University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Healthcare Management. After graduation, she started her career with the Appalachian Council of Governments Ombudsman Program where she advocated for individuals living in care facilities. Mrs. Burton continued her love and care of seniors as she began working for Health Management Resources as an Administrator-in-Training and where she would become a Licensed Nursing Home Administrator. For the next 15 years, Mrs. Burton led teams of nurses, aides, office staff and dietary teams as she cared for seniors in various facilities across the upstate of South Carolina. During this time, Mrs. Burton would also get licensed as an Executive Director for Assisted Living Communities. After 16 years in long term care, a new opportunity to care for people emerged and Heather began a new chapter as the Executive Director for a Hospice Company. As the Executive Director of the Hospice Company, Mrs. Burton was able to learn a new side of the continuum of care for people of all ages. Working with an interdisciplinary team to grow and expand the community's knowledge about Hospice services, Mrs. Burton added to her already broad knowledge base of healthcare. It was during this time that she recognized the need for there to be a better way to connect the many services available to seniors and their caregivers. Mrs. Burton’s desire is to not only connect services but to come alongside seniors/families to help them understand and navigate all healthcare options.
Heather, her husband Edward and their two sons call Greer home. They like to spend time together at the lake and attending the boys various sports games.
Laurie DeMint, Case Manager
With deep roots in the red clay of Perry, Georgia, Laurie DeMint was committed to being a Georgia girl. However, she came to Greenville in 1998 to attend Furman University where she earned her Bachelor’s degree in Sociology. She met her future husband, Jake, and did not return to Georgia. Since then, she has been helping kids and adults with disabilities and has enjoyed spending time with older adults. She has never met a stranger and loves helping others. She is excited to join Connections to Care to help with making the aging journey a pleasant one for all.
In her free time, she loves to read, write, and make travel plans (that usually don’t happen).
Yarelia Fuentes, Case Manager
Connections to Care is delighted to announce the addition of Yarelia Fuentes to our Case Management team. As a Case Manager, Yarelia will oversee and manage clients who live in Spartanburg, Cherokee and Union Counties. Yarelia and her family live in Spartanburg where she grew up. She attended and graduated from Dorman High School. Yarelia also has a Community Health degree from the University of South Carolina Upstate. With experience in community resources for clients and the ability to connect with clients/families who speak Spanish, Yarelia is expanding Connections to Care’s mission to help clients and their families.
“When my elderly mother fell and was in the hospital, I found myself in a situation that I knew nothing about. I needed help with medical, housing, and legal issues for my mother. I was lost!
My husband found Heather through the AARP website, and she has helped us with the transition from hospital, to a post-acute facility, to finally an assisted living home. She has helped with medical issues along the way. She also found an attorney that specializes in senior care, as well as an accountant for Mom’s taxes. And she was even able to help us find someone to help with the selling of Mom’s house, which was 200 miles away!
She has been a great advocate; talking to doctors and other medical professionals on our behalf and helping us determine the best course of action.
For anyone dealing with an aging parent, I highly recommend Heather Burton. She has taken a lot of the confusion and guesswork out of this process. Whenever I have a problem or concern about Mom’s care, I contact Heather and she is there right away with a solution.
My mom has said that she is glad that Heather is in our corner. And so am I!.”
— K. Shultz