Kay Stern’s interest in caring for people with medical issues began in her childhood with her pharmacist father who was consulted by doctors on what drugs would best treat the doctor’s patient’s diagnosis.  That was the standard dinner table conversation at home. In her teens, she studied comparative religions and from that dive into culture, life, and death, she developed a wide set of eclectic spiritual beliefs.  This informs her work with clients, meeting them where they are. And her meditation practice grew out of that time.

Reading Elizabeth Kubler-Ross, led to her next dream, to work with people experiencing and planning end of life care, so when she and husband returned to the US, her dream was to train for Hospice work, and to raise service dog puppies to help people with disabilities. In Santa Barbara Kay trained for patient care work with VNA, then Alliance for Living and Dying Well, and then Hospice of Santa Barbara and Get It Done SB!. She trained to help people complete Advance Directives. During that time, the couple raised 5 service dog puppies, including “Roselle” for Guide Dogs for the Blind. Kay credits Santa Barbara for helping socialize puppy Roselle who was trained and when the time came, was able to calmly lead her blind partner and others down 78 floors to exit the burning World Trade Tower in New York.

For many years, Kay has worked for Hospice of Santa Barbara and Get It Done SB!, doing patient care work and advance care planning counseling.  She loves how patient care and advance care planning inform the work of each.