DeAnna Ouderkirk, chief administrative officer at Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton, has been fielding family emergencies with out-of-town relatives over the past few years.
When her sister was hospitalized two years ago in Browns Summit, North Carolina, Ouderkirk, who lives in another state, struggled to help. But she wasn’t familiar with the area and didn’t know how to find and vet nursing care for her sister or a home for her sister’s dog.
“It was an emotionally tough time, and we were scrambling,” says Ouderkirk, adding that her sister passed away. “I am very, very busy in my job and trying to balance everything. It was overwhelming.”
It’s a common theme—law firm staff and attorneys juggling caregiving responsibilities in their personal lives with their careers. But Sheppard Mullin says it has found a way to help. Since January 2024, the firm has offered Homethrive, a service providing concierge-like assistance for caregivers, as one of its benefits.
The service provides a 24/7 digital platform and licensed clinical social workers to help coordinate care issues as they come up, from researching and presenting home health care options for an employee’s aging parent to helping an employee advocate for an individualized education plan for a neurodiverse child.
Ouderkirk has used the service several times. Less than a year ago, her mother-in-law had a stroke. Ouderkirk set up a Homethrive account for the situation and was able to share it with other relatives. They...
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