Karen Desrochers Named Director of Client and Caregiver Team Support 

The NEK Council on Aging is pleased to announce that Karen Desrochers has been named the new Director of Client & Caregiver Team Support replacing Pam Smith who recently retired after serving the Council for eight years.

Desrochers joined the Council in 2018 as an Options Counselor, a position that supports clients, after calling the helpline, who need personal assistance with service support. Services range from personal care to fuel, transportation, housing, and/or utility bill assistance.

Her career in support services started as a student aid and classroom counselor for the Cornerstone School and the Caledonia School.

“Working with children helped me to grow as a person,” said Desrochers. “I learned to love and laugh even when times were hard.”

She moved on to NKHS as a Community Integration Specialist, supporting adults with developmental delays. Her passion for human services was solidified while working for Tri-County Community Action in Littleton, NH as a Housing Outreach Specialist.

“I worked with people who were homeless or on the verge of homelessness. In this work I realized that I wanted to provide support to my neighbors and my community. I received the opportunity to work at the Council as an Options Counselor and found my forever home. It is a privilege to work with and advocate for elders who live and work in the Northeast Kingdom.”

Her experience as a caregiver helped to prepare her for her new role. At 15, her mother was diagnosed with cancer and with her older sister, served as her caregiver for a year before she died. Several years later, her father was diagnosed with Myasthenia Gravis, a disease that erodes the nervous system, and she was his caregiver and advocate.

“He was dying and needed someone to advocate for him, so that is what I did. I had to learn hospital and insurance systems on my own and the interstate laws and rules. Taking care of a loved one is not easy, but it is the most rewarding thing I have ever done. To know my dad died peacefully made his death a little easier to take. I am extremely excited to work with and support family caregivers at the Council.”

“Karen’s work exemplifies an approach that is person-directed and offers support to those in need where they are at. Karen’s enthusiasm and creativity along with her personal journey will lend themselves to her work in caregiving for those we serve,” said Meg Burmeister, Executive Director.

For information on family caregiver support services provided by the Council, visit our Caregivingsection.