Spend less time managing the details and more time creating moments like these.
Pedicures with Nana
Strawberry milkshakes with Opa
Christmas silliness
My Journey to Advocate
I’m Gretchen, founder of NANA & OPA, LLC — a name chosen with love, as that’s what my children called my parents. After years of navigating the complex realities of caring for aging parents while raising my own family and working full-time, I created this business to give other families the knowledgeable, trustworthy support I desperately wished I had.
Like so many in the sandwich generation, I was balancing kids at home, a full-time job, and the growing needs of my parents. What started as occasional visits to them in Delaware turned into urgent, long-distance problem-solving. Snowstorms, hospital stays, missed bills, bounced checks, medication concerns, and the frightening signs of dementia made it clear they could no longer manage safely on their own. With my mom’s quiet agreement, my husband and I brought them to San Antonio so we could keep them close and safe.
The years that followed were filled with relentless challenges: hospital admissions, rehab stays that left my mom weaker, medication management issues, home maintenance, budgeting struggles, property taxes, and the overwhelming logistics of transitioning between living situations. We moved them from our home to independent living, then to a house my mom purchased, and eventually into assisted living. My dad’s dementia progressed rapidly, leading to falls and the need for specialized memory care. Through it all, I was constantly coordinating doctors, caregivers, hospice, banks, and agencies — often while racing between my own family’s needs and my parents’ crises.
I learned firsthand how fragmented and exhausting elder care can be. Bills were overlooked, important documents disappeared, financial decisions became riskier, and medical care often felt reactive rather than proactive. The emotional weight of watching my independent parents decline — while trying to honor their wishes and protect them — was immense. I wished there was one reliable partner who could handle the day-to-day finances, organize documents, coordinate with banks, manage care plans, schedule appointments, and ensure housing and social needs were met — someone who truly understood both the practical and emotional sides of this journey.
That experience is exactly why I founded NANA & OPA, LLC. I built this service so families don’t have to figure it all out alone. I provide compassionate, professional support for your loved one’s daily money management — paying household bills, balancing accounts, organizing financial documents, and coordinating with banks — alongside comprehensive care coordination for medical needs, housing transitions, social engagement, and collaboration with doctors, financial advisors, and other professionals.
Today, I offer families the peace of mind that comes from knowing someone capable and caring is proactively handling the details and advocating for their loved one. You get to focus on what matters most: quality time with your loved one, free from constant worry and fire-fighting.
If you’re feeling overwhelmed by the responsibilities of caring for an aging loved one, I’d be honored to help. Let’s talk about how I can support your family.
— Gretchen
Founder, NANA & OPA, LLC
Helotes, TX