Christine Schaefer

Background

About Christine Schaefer

I developed a passion for caregiving early on when I was babysitting for a young man with severe physical and cognitive deficits. I then watched my grandmother undergo a back surgery, and while she had her rehabilitation I realized that physical therapy would be a perfect fit for me. Shortly after entering the physical therapy program at UW LaCrosse, that same grandmother passed away after battling alzheimers for many years. My relationship with her had planted a seed of passion in me for the elderly, and specifically for those with dementia. I have had the opportunity to work in multiple settings with a variety of people and diagnoses, but since 2005 I have worked primarily with the geriatric population. I absolutely love connecting with them and learning about their personal history, and then helping them to realize their potential. So often they have lost so much by the time I meet them, and they feel like everyone is trying to take things away from them - I want to show them what they still have.