Kendall Crye
CMC
Kendall Crye, the owner of Aging Life Care™ of Atlanta and certified Aging Life Care™ Professional is committed to helping families provide exceptional quality of life for seniors. With over 18 years of professional experience working with seniors and their families, Kendall understands the delicate balance of navigating the needs of aging clients with family dynamics and financial responsibilities.
Kendall's interest in working with the aging adult population sparked in her teens, as she volunteered with the elderly in her local Atlanta community. She went on to attain a Bachelor's of Science degree in Human Development, with an emphasis in Adults and Aging, from Auburn University.
Since 2000, Kendall's roles in assisted living facilities have included Life Enrichment Director, Business Manager, Care Coordinator, Director of Resident Care, and Community Relations Director. These experiences have equipped her to understand and manage all aspects of a senior’s life. Her expertise encompasses caring for seniors with a wide range of needs, including those suffering from dementia and Alzheimer's Disease, Parkinson’s Disease, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Infectious Diseases, Cardiac conditions, Kidney failure, and those receiving rehabilitation.
As an Aging Life Care Manager, Kendall is passionate about ensuring that seniors enjoy the best quality of life possible and that families achieve peace of mind as they care for their loved ones.
Kara Johnson
MSW, CMC
Kara Johnson joined Kendall's team at Aging Life Care™ of Atlanta in 2018. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Religion/Philosophy from LaGrange College and a Master's of Social Work with a concentration in Aging from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Kara has worked for over a decade in the field of Aging in roles that include Director of Adult Day Care, Social Services Director for Assisted Living/Memory Care/Skilled Nursing Care and as a Care Consultant and Early Stage Programs Manager with the Alzheimer's Association, Georgia Chapter. Kara has a particular love and interest for assisting families and individuals dealing with a diagnosis of dementia. Kara's own grandmother had Alzheimer's which was the catalyst for her interest in improving the journey through the disease experience and the caregiving experience for others. Her education, experience and love of seniors forms the foundation for her ability to aid families and seniors through late-life changes.
Michelle Allen
LCSW, C-ASWCM
Michelle Spann Allen is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) who began her career in geriatrics in 2003 when she started working for a hospice organization in Atlanta. Since that time, Michelle earned a Masters of Social Work degree from the University of Georgia, became fully licensed to practice social work in the state of Georgia, and worked for an elder law firm and psychotherapy practice that focuses on older adults. In 2019, Michelle met the requirements for the NASW's Advanced Social Work Case Manager (C-ASWCM) specialty certification and joined Aging Life Care of Atlanta.
Michelle is dedicated to helping older adults and their families create long term care plans, communicate wishes about aging and dying, navigate the confusing maze of health and long term care providers, advocate for good care, and cope with major life transitions. She has a particular passion for how laws, regulations and policies affect people and is focused on using that interest to secure the best care possible for each of her clients.
In addition to a commitment to clients, Michelle is committed to enhancing the body of knowledge for social workers and other health care professionals about aging and mental health issues. She creates and provides regular continuing education events for social workers, case managers, and registered nurses in Georgia, and provides clinical supervision for social workers seeking full licensure. She has served on the board of directors for Georgia Gerontology Society (2012-2013), the board of directors for the Gwinnett Senior Provider Network (2013-2015), and the steering committee for the Atlanta Care Transitions Workgroup (2013-2015). Michelle has been a member of the Life Care Planning Law Firm Association, the Dekalb Senior Provider Network, the Coalition of Advocates for Georgia’s Elderly, the Aging & Behavioral Health Care Collaborative, and the Georgia Society for Clinical Social Workers.
Kay Coppage
LMSW
Kay Coppage is a LMSW (licensed master social worker), who received her Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees in Social Work from the University of Georgia, specializing in the field of aging. She began her career in 1993 as a nursing home social worker, developing resident care plans. Thereafter, Kay served as a hospital social worker in Henry County, where she performed assessments and provided discharge planning for geriatric patients. Additionally, Kay served as a Long-Term Care Ombudsman for DeKalb, Clayton, and Henry Counties, advocating for nursing home and personal care home residents.
From 2013 to 2021, Kay served as the director of Plymouth Harbor Adult-Day Program, a ministry of Central United Congregational Church of Christ. In this role, Kay focused on providing social stimulation and community for seniors who would otherwise experience social isolation, including those with early onset Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, Lewy body dementia and Frontotemporal dementia. Kay joined Aging Life Care of Atlanta in 2020.
Kay recognized her passion for the elderly early in life. She began visiting nursing home residents as a child and continued to do so throughout her college years. Through these experiences, Kay developed a desire to work with older adults, particularly the lonely and socially isolated. She recognizes the value of maintaining human relationships and social connections. Kay is committed to helping seniors and their families as they navigate through this stage of life’s journey.
Katie Day
MSW
Katie Day has always been interested in how to help people function to the best of their ability at all stages of life. This lead to her earning her Bachelors Degree in Social Work at the University of Georgia in 2004, then her Masters Degree in Social Work the following year. She began her career working with families adopting children from the foster care system. She worked with adoptive family for many years, but was ready to work with families and individuals in a different stage in life. After reading the book Being Mortal, by Atul Gawande she was sure she wanted to help improve the quality life for the elderly and help their families cope with the challenges.
Katie is a native Georgian who lives with her husband and children. She loves gardening and spending her time entertaining family and friends
Ursula Leusing
RN
Ursula Luesing has been a Registered Nurse for over twenty years. She began her career working in medical surgical nursing, her chosen field, in 1999. However, after becoming a mother, she expanded her professional focus to include pediatric care; not only because she had two young children, but also to fully understand the continuum of medical needs we all experience over the course of our lives. Now, as a member of the Aging Life Care team, her career has come full-circle, fulfilling a life-long dream of providing meaningful care and assistance to members of her community in their advancing years.
Originally from Texas, Ursula and her husband Billy have called Dahlonega home for twenty six years. They have two children.