Some years ago, I realized my partner Sam was having memory problems.  We are both sculptors, sharing a large studio.  He could remember how to use all his tools but not what to make with them.  So, I began creating projects for him and even researching images to translate into sculpture.  This went on for some five years when I realized I wasn’t getting much of my own work done.  What to do?  Just about every care agency had no idea how to help him with the projects I was (and still am) giving him.  And they certainly didn’t know a flat from a Phillips screwdriver in order to hand him the right tool. What a relief that Duet exists and that we found each other!  We’ve had several companions over the years, and each has been absolutely perfect as studio companions and thoroughly enjoyable as interested and interesting people.  Now it’s fun for me to think up projects Sam can handle and see them realized at one end of the studio while I do my own work at the other.  In addition, Sam has come up with a new talent. When his current companion makes dinner, Sam takes on the role of enthusiastic sous chef chopping whatever needs chopping.  Over the year Sam’s mental and physical condition has changed slowly.  He now uses a walker, wobbles a bit in speech and gait but thanks to Duet he is still part of the human race, not a silent figure half asleep in an armchair, removed from who he had been all of his life.

When my brother was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s at the age of 64 it was our family’s goal to maintain his engagement with all the things he loved – art, music, nature. Through Duet we found companions that encouraged all these interests – going to the latest museum exhibits, concerts at Lincoln Center, hours spent in the park bird watching. Over the course of four years, we were lucky to work with four exceptional individuals who each brought care, compassion, and empathy to their time with my brother. Most had backgrounds in the arts and that creativity brought joy into his life. When my brother’s condition began to deteriorate the staff at Duet was able to provide the resources to help us assess the next steps in his care. Their guidance felt like an informed family member with the knowledge and experience to move us in the right direction. We will be forever grateful. 

When our mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and moved to memory care, our father was lonely and lacking stimulation. We wanted to make sure he had a companion to help maintain his spirit and help him continue to engage with interesting people and ideas. Through Duet we found two amazing companions. They create stimulation and camaraderie, greatly increasing the quality of our father’s daily life. They read and discuss articles, listen to music, and take long walks in the park. Both Duet companions took great care to really get to know our father and what interests him and what he enjoys.  Over the last two years, our father’s cognition has diminished. His current companion has still been able to find ways to enhance our father’s daily experience through his expertise and creative, empathic, and kind personality. His flexibility and the ability to see what our father needs each visit is amazing. We are grateful for Duet and the two amazing companions who have enhanced his life, and still do.

From the moment I contacted Duet, I felt like I found something really rare and special. I was very limited in my resources for helping my mother with dementia, and the Director and his team helped me navigate the system and my options, and always put our needs and best interests first. They have gone above and beyond with finding appropriate care for her, and being a steady support system for me, who is trying to tackle this alone. I can reach out to them at any time, and they are patient, understanding, and genuinely want to help. I can’t recommend them highly enough.

Duet helped my family through an extremely difficult few months. My mother was diagnosed with a form of dementia that makes it difficult for her to communicate. As the disease progressed, she needed more and more help with things like making doctor appointments, writing checks, and getting to and from unfamiliar places. The first Duet companion we interviewed was amazing. We knew right away that she was the perfect fit. She was my mom’s exclusive companion for many months, and she cared for my mom like she was family. As my mom’s disease progressed, she needed more and more help.  Too much for any one person, so it became a patchwork of various companions to fill in as needed. Every single one of them was wonderful (patient, compassionate, proactive, and in constant communication with me as needed), as was the Duet staff. They were always there when we needed them, even after hours when a sudden additional shift was needed. I don’t know how we would have survived those few months without the amazing staff at Duet!

When my husband was diagnosed with frontal lobe brain damage and had to retire, I was lucky to hear of Duet through professional connections. This unique organization offered us the two part time services we needed: intellectual companionship coupled with practical help and assistance. The quality of people we met was remarkable. I never met anyone less that polite and helpful and many of the people we have worked with have been extraordinary: kind, tactful, ready to do whatever is needed and focused on building a bond with their clients.

We have had a wonderful experience with Duet. My parents are choosing to age in place, and the people who care for them are so special and make this not only possible, but positive. We have two people come, each for 4 hours, 2-3 times a week, and they are incredibly kind, engaging, motivating women. My father is physically fragile, my mother’s memory is deteriorating, and they help keep their lives active both mentally and physically. I live across the country and feel so lucky that my parents are getting such care. When there have been emergencies, the agency is on top of calling to let me and my sister know. I feel like coordination can be so hard with different care givers, but Duet makes it feel less so.

I am a care manager for a client currently receiving Home Care services from Duet. I am just writing a brief note to let you know how unbelievably impressed I have been with your Agency’s swift response to constant crises my client has experienced in life as of late. Your employee, Rose, has been absolutely wonderful, demonstrating nothing but kindness and compassion every step of the way. Her dedication and intelligence, as well as her ability to communicate clearly and articulately, has made her a pleasure to work with! You are lucky to have her! I ran a smaller agency than yours up here in Maine for some years and I know how very challenging it is to stay the course with your most difficult clients, I know that my Client would certainly be in that category! I am very grateful that I stumbled upon Duet! I also have to say that without exception, every single employee that has worked with my Client has shown great dedication to their work under every circumstance. It is not common in this field to put together such a big team and have all of them be good communicators, take instruction quickly from afar and stay the course. So just letting you know, you’re running a very good show down there and I am not easy to please!

My association with Duet began last November in order to give my husband every chance to extend the Early Dementia phase of his illness. His doctor had stressed the importance of intellectual and social stimulation as well as physical activity. Kyle, the director, made it his responsibility to know my husband well so that there was high quality continuity of care when we needed a substitute companion. Kyle was also available at a very inconvenient time to help me through an extremely difficult event. Two different professionals saw my husband last week and both were pleased with how much better he looked.

My name is Wyeth Hunnable and i hired Duet for help with my mother who has dementia. I would rate the service as a 5 out of 5. I dealt with Mr. Budinscak and found him to be very helpful and responsive in every possible way. Whenever i left a message he got back to me very quickly and he always had an answer or perspective that was extremely helpful. He also gave me some references that turned out to be excellent. I would definitely reach out to Duet for help again if the need came up. Sincerely, Wyeth Hunnable