The CEO of Ballard's A Helping Hand, which provides personalized care management for seniors, has been donating his time and expertise pro bono to cases that would otherwise be neglected.

Several weeks ago, Steven Jungk gave 40 to 50 hours of his time, normally charged at a rate of $100 an hour, to a case which involved an elderly woman living alone with multiple sclerosis and a 2007 hip replacement.

The woman, who Jungk said is fiercely independent and initially resisted hospitalization, was wheelchair bound and had exhausted her family support system.

A Helping Hand was notified of the woman’s case and stepped in to offer support free of charge.

She was eventually admitted to Swedish Hospital then discharged to a skilled nursing facility.

A Helping Hand is continuing to assist her with developing a power of attorney, a living will and an application for Medicaid.

Jungk said the advantage of working with A Helping Hand was the woman’s ability to truly collaborate in choosing her course of care, rather than being involuntarily admitted to a hospital, a course of action he said would have gone poorly.

Jungk, who began his career as a social worker in a nursing facility, periodically does other pro bono work but said this has been his most extensive case.

He is limited by time and money, and chooses cases to work on free of charge based on level of need and the necessary time commitment.

He works with families to mediate the conflicts that arise as siblings and other family members attempt to reconcile differences of opinions concerning how best to care for aging family members.

“I’m incredibly fortunate to do what I do,” said Jungk.

A Helping Hand is located at 5600 20th Ave. N.W. and mostly dispatches care managers to seniors in need of crisis intervention.