About Katie | Hand n' Hand

When my dad was diagnosed with dementia, I had no idea how much it would impact my life. He lived alone halfway across the country and was still driving. The "still driving" terrified me.

There was no guide to the uncharted territories of dementia and senior living. There were many challenges; geography, family dynamics, Veteran's Affairs, and the two-sided coin of finances and the disease progression.

Fast forward, I joined senior living in 2019. Now some would say that was a bad time to join the industry, the pandemic was on the horizon. I say it's exactly where I wanted to be...where I could make a difference in my community, with our seniors.

MA Counseling, MBA, & CSA

Katie Cooney

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MEET KATIE

From 2019 through 2023, Katie worked on-site in assisted living and memory care communities, supporting residents, families, and care teams through the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. Navigating safety protocols, staffing shortages, and emotional isolation, she gained first-hand insight into the resilience of seniors and the importance of community, connection, and compassionate care.

Building on that foundation, Katie launched Hand n’ Hand Senior Placement, LLC, a concierge-style service designed to help families find the right senior living solution—whether assisted living, memory care, or other supportive environments—tailored to their care needs, family dynamics, and budget. As a Certified Senior Advisor (CSA), she combines deep knowledge of senior living with empathy and practical guidance, helping families make informed and confident decisions during times of transition.

In addition to her senior advisory work, Katie is a licensed real estate agent with Intero Real Estate Services, specializing in helping seniors and their families navigate the real estate aspects of downsizing, selling the family home, or transitioning into care communities. Her unique dual expertise allows her to support clients through both the emotional and logistical sides of life’s next chapter.

Katie’s background in counseling, communications, and business management further enhances her ability to guide families with clarity, compassion, and professionalism.

Credentials

Certified Senior Advisor (CSA)
Licensed Real Estate Agent, Intero Real Estate Services
Master of Arts, Marriage, Family & Child Counseling – Saint Mary’s College
Master of Business Administration, Global Business – Saint Mary’s College
BS, Human Development, Minor in Psychology – Cal Poly State University, San Luis Obispo

Affiliations

Society of Certified Senior Advisors (CSA)
National Placement & Referral Alliance (NPRA)
National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO)
Peninsula Executives Association (PEA)
Rotary International – President, Palo Alto/University Rotary Club (2019–2020); Vocational Chair, Rotary District 5170 (2020–2021, 2024–2025)
Woman’s Club of Palo Alto
San Jose Women's Auxiliary, The Thrift Box

Professional Network

Katie partners with trusted professionals in home care, hospice, counseling, fiduciary services, estate law, organizing, and relocation support, ensuring every family she serves receives comprehensive and reliable care solutions from start to finish.

A Life of Service & Global Perspective

Katie has traveled to 97 countries, volunteering in orphanages, hospitals, and schools around the world—from Japan and India to Uganda and Rwanda. Her global experiences continue to shape her philosophy of service, compassion, and respect for every individual’s story.

She is also the author of Wrestling the World: The Life and Times of Rodeo Champion Jack Roddy, combining her love of storytelling with her professional roots in communications and counseling.

As a Rotarian, Katie remains active both locally and globally, leading service projects and community initiatives that make a tangible difference.

Personal

Katie lives in Silicon Valley with her husband and rescue pups, Ajax and Scout. When she’s not helping families or clients, she enjoys swimming, yoga, gardening, photography, and making meaningful connections wherever she goes.

A Story of Love, Loss, & Survival
The COVID-19 Shutdown

Working in a senior living community during the pandemic was a combination of the TV shows MASH and The Office. Fortunately, our team was smart, funny, dedicated, and knew how to turn from humor to laser-focused attention on a dime.

Every morning, I'd check the Johns Hopkins website to see the pandemic's reach, how many cases? Where was it spreading? Do I know anyone infected? Probably so and there was nothing I could do about it. It took me a while, maybe when the entire globe was RED, that I finally stopped this daily ritual.

We heard the virus could be in your hair, so I bought a few caps and wore them. I looked a little ridiculous and felt a little silly, but it helped me feel less anxious. I read the virus could land on jewelry or get into your make-up, those two practices went out the window. Remember when you wiped down your groceries? Everything was a potential threat. I finally ditched the caps, wore my wedding ring, and put on some lipstick. If this was it, I wanted to at least have lipstick on.

We welcomed the last resident before the March 15th shutdown. I unpacked her belongings, as we didn't allow family or friends inside the community. I hung her shirts and slacks by color in the closet and placed her toiletries in the medicine cabinet. I hoped she'd like how I arranged the room. The only thing I had any control over, make it nice.

When she arrived, I pushed her wheelchair into the lobby. Behind masks, we communicated mostly through "smiling" eyes. She was gracious and exhausted. Our nurse then took over the intake.

For the next three months, I tried to make her life more than being isolated. We chatted about her life, surviving a Nazi-occupied European city, and the interests we shared. I was driven to make her life as comfortable and enjoyable as possible. I wanted her to feel she had a friend.

For all the residents, we engage them, support them, and encourage them from the doors of their apartments. They were also scared of being infected and didn't want us entering into their space.

I helped with window visits, IT support on phones and computers, connected TV boxes to cable services, and took orders for various sundries; toothpaste, snacks, and the like. Many residents didn't have families to order and ship items to the community, so we did that part.

As the months dragged on, residents who once sported red, brown, or black hair suddenly were crowned with roots of grey, white, and silver! One of my favorite residents wore her auburn-colored short wig over her silver locks that peeked out underneath. We finally convinced her to go with the natural and ditch the wig. She looked gorgeous!

We had fog machines to kill the virus in the air and spray bottles full of virus-killing solutions to clean, wipe, and sanitize all surfaces. Then repeat, hourly. We cleaned and cleaned and cleaned, and realized the greatest threat was not the virus, but isolation and loneliness.

Residents of senior living communities were declining from loneliness. Their physical and mental health suffered terribly. It was hard to reconcile that this was the final stage of many residents' journeys. Cut off from family, friends, and the community, I loved them and supported them until their passing. I often say I was their last friend.

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