When care comes home: How farm families can share the weight of elder care

May 1, 2026
May 1, 2026

Colleen Stegenga

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Colleen Stegenga

I was 18 years old when my mother was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer's. I was away at college, focused on the life I was building, and honestly, I wasn't in a place to go back. My siblings, still around or near home, were the ones who figured it out. They showed up. I didn't.

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Colleen Stegenga is a licensed social worker in private practice with her own business, Embracing Change Counseling Services, specializing in mental health support for farmers, ranchers, and agricultural families. She can be reached at 605-306-6383, colleen@embracingchangecs.com or visit www.embracingchangecs.com.