Katie Laudenbach, LSW, is an elder care coordinator at Maser, Amundson & Boggio, P.A., with 24 years of experience as a licensed social worker. She graduated from Minnesota State University Moorhead in 2001 with a double major in Gerontology and Social Work. Her career has been primarily centered around government programs at both the County and Health Plan levels. Throughout her time in the county setting, she took on various roles, with her favorite being that of an Adult Protection Worker. Before COVID, she served as a Critical Claims Care Coordinator for a Long-Term Care Insurance company, where she gained invaluable insights into the complexities of policy coverage, highlighting how no two policies are alike.
Katie’s career highlights include diverse experiences, from working with the FBI to traveling out of state to screen family members wishing to relocate to Minnesota to be closer to their loved ones. She has also played a key role in numerous appeals involving suspected fraud during her time working with health plan programs, successfully providing evidence that led to the termination of fraudulent services.
In her personal life, Katie and her family adopt a horse each winter for a horse therapy program, taking responsibility for its care and well-being until the program resumes. Katie is also actively involved in her community, participating in HopeKids events and assisting families in preparing for DHS waiver appeals.
GET TO KNOW KATIE
Those who know me well say that I’m:
- Full of Knowledge – Katie’s memory is an unlimited storage bank of knowledge. She can remember where she was, what page information was on, where people were sitting/standing, and exactly what time something was spoken about.
- Funny and Focused – Katie is known for her serious and focused demeanor, but she has a knack for well-timed, funny analogies to lighten the heaviness of a situation.
- Hopeful – She finds HOPE in every struggle: “Life can be similar to baseball. Life will always throw curveballs your direction; however, it is about waiting patiently for the right pitch to swing and hit a home run.”
I chose to become an elder care coordinator because it is my passion to help others remain living in the environment of their choice and also assist people in finding alternative placements within their community. I enjoy helping people put the puzzle pieces together when applying for County, State or Federal services.
I can help others understand the importance of letting go of things that no longer serve them. Letting go is a process that is learned; it is not something that we already know how to do.
I believe that kindness is infectious and one smile can change the direction of another’s day!
My greatest accomplishment was educating another professional on how trusting your intuition is critical in the work we do and how your instincts help other families who may not know the road that awaits ahead.
I’m making a difference by giving hope to families that feel that they are fighting a hopeless battle. Just being able to take one thing off their already overflowing full plate can make the biggest difference. Also, just taking a moment to listen to what a client or a family member has to say can make the biggest difference for them.
Quote me… “Holy Tornadoes, For the Love of Frozen Snowflakes”
My next challenge is to work with policy makers on changing current policies that will assist individuals and families with disabilities who are wanting to remain in the community of their choice.
On my bookshelf are Daring Greatly and Dare to Lead by Brene Brown.
Seven words that describe me are resilient, kind, diligent, strong, insightful, integrity, and visionary.
One thing most people don’t know about me is I live my best life with a one in a million autoimmune syndrome known as Stiff Person Syndrome.
When I’m not working, I enjoy spending time with my three children, spending time in nature (hiking), on the lake, riding horses, relaxing on my front porch with my fire pit, a good book, and a blanket.