Peg McKechnie spent her entire career as a communicator—was a public affairs executive for a major Denver bank and had been president of the Colorado chapter of the Public Relations Society of America. So when she suddenly began speaking less and missing some facts, her sister knew something was wrong.
Now Peg has moved to a memory care campus in Centennial, and her pretty South Denver townhome has been prepped for the market, thanks to fast work by her sister Donna Parker in Louisiana and by The Steller Group’s Senior Solutions specialists.
Peg and Donna had grown up together in Illinois, but ended up a thousand miles apart, with Donna pursuing raising a family and Peg chasing a dream to build a career and live in the Rockies. Peg was four years older, but the two grew closer together as years passed, with Peg flying to spend Christmases down south and with Sunday Facetime calls.
“All moves are hard when people don’t have time to plan for them,” says Conrad Steller, Broker/Owner of The Steller Group. “And if someone is living alone, that makes it all the more challenging.”
According to the Wall Street Journal, living alone in the senior years is increasingly the norm—with 28% of those over-age-65 in that group. “When a crisis comes,” Conrad adds, “you’re counting on someone else to take responsibility, and thatap what Donna Parker did.”
Donna suspected something was happening during a family vacation with Peg, and flew to Denver to join her for a doctor’s visit. That led to a neurologistap diagnosis—vascular dementia—and a recommendation that Peg would need to move from her Cherry Creek Meadows townhome, backing to the High Line Canal Trail.
A friend here recommended Donna reach out to The Steller Group and Conrad immediately referred her to one of Steller’s specialists: Jan Peterson, owner of Blossoms Senior Placement. Donna made another of her frequent flights to Denver, where Jan drove her and her sister to visit seven assisted living facilities.
“We picked Cherry Hills Assisted Living in Centennial; it felt like home,” Donna recalls. The sisters put a deposit down in May, and Donna received a call in July that a studio was open.
Peg made her move four weeks ago, carried out by another Steller downsizing recommendation, A Move Handled with Care—including bringing some chosen items from her townhouse and placing some favorite art in the new unit—unpacked, decorated, and settled in one day.
Meanwhile, Steller worked with Donna to ready the 2-bed/2½-bath home for sale, including decluttering (Donna’s kids and grandkids are getting some cherished items), cleaning, fixups, and bringing it to market (this weekend). “They were fabulous,” Donna recalls of Steller’s people. “I’m amazed at all people who came together to make this happen.” She also thanks her church community for their support during her many trips to Denver.
Steller’s seminars underscore the importance of planning ahead, including a 4-part series this fall: “Downsize 2026,” featuring Cierra Olmstead with A Move Handled with Care, estate/trust attorney Chris Hornbaker with Davis Schilken PC, Jan Peterson with Blossoms, and Blair Bryant, Director of Senior Services at The Steller Group.
The news and editorial staffs of The Denver Post had no role in this postap preparation.
