Pati Bedwell brings more than 20 years of experience working with the elderly and their families to the Johnson McGinnis team. As Elder Care Coordinator, Pati helps families navigate the long-term care system, serving as guide, encourager, counselor, resource gatherer and advocate during the journey.
 
“I’ve never been able to get very far away from work with the elderly,” jokes Pati, who started her career at age twelve as a candy striper in a hospital in Pennsylvania. After graduating from high school in Italy, Pati returned to the U.S. for college, eventually receiving a bachelor’s degree in healthcare administration from Murray State University in Kentucky. 

Before joining Johnson McGinnis, Pati spent 15 years as Activities Director for a nursing home in Murray, Kentucky, then worked more than five years as District Long-Term Care Ombudsman where she handled complaints and coordinated training and scheduling for more than 40 volunteers covering a 13-county region in Middle Tennessee.

“I supervised the volunteers who were sent into nursing homes to help the residents and their families,” says Pati. “Working with the volunteers was a wonderful experience.”

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When Pati’s not serving clients, she lives a life that many Johnson McGinnis clients would find very familiar. “I’m a member of the Sandwich Generation,” she laughs. “My father lives in a nursing home in Clarksville so I spend a lot of time on the road visiting him. Living the life of a caregiver helps me be a better elder care coordinator and I think it helps me connect with our clients and families.”
In her spare time, Pati enjoys reading and working on jigsaw puzzles with her husband and two children.