Cambridge Caregivers – Making New Connections
Having just opened its Austin office in November, Cambridge Caregivers is still new to the area. But already, the team is expanding, establishing connections, and making a difference in the Austin community and beyond.
Just weeks after opening its doors, team members found themselves at the Texas Capitol, meeting with State Rep. Donna Howard to discuss an issue that touches families, caregivers, and first responders: how law enforcement might better serve people living with dementia and other cognitive or mental health conditions.
The conversation reflects how quickly the new office has moved beyond setup mode into meaningful community engagement. Led by husband-and-wife Directors Gary and Tammy Hooker, the Austin team has added two Community Liaisons—Sondra Mize and Belynda Barkley Montgomery—along with Operations Specialist Micah Lampert, the son of Cambridge Caregivers CEO Adam Lampert. Together, they are laying the foundation for Cambridge Caregivers across the Austin metro area while also engaging with broader questions of safety, compassion, and aging in place.
A Timely Conversation
The meeting with Rep. Howard, a nurse by training, was initiated by Belynda Barkley Montgomery, who brings more than two decades of experience in neurorehabilitation and patient advocacy to her role at Cambridge. Over the years, Belynda has seen firsthand how difficult it can be for law enforcement to respond appropriately when someone with dementia or serious mental health challenges is in crisis.
In one recent case involving a client with dementia in rural South Austin, local responders told the family they had no system for documenting the diagnosis to alert responders during future calls.
“So we met with Representative Howard to do a quick roundtable, think-tank conversation,” Belynda said. “This may not even need to be a legislative issue. It may be something we can work on collaboratively with law enforcement, with education, tools, or systems that help responders recognize what they’re walking into and respond differently.”
Sondra Mize said the urgency of the issue became painfully clear in a recent YouTube video. The family called 911 when a woman with dementia became dangerously aggressive. Responding officers transported her to jail because there was nowhere else for her to go safely.
“They didn’t know what to do with her,” Sondra said. “That’s what got us started on this. We believe there must be another option.”
Both liaisons emphasized that Cambridge can help families minimize such crisis situations. With their training and experience, in-home caregivers can help stabilize families, provide respite for family caregivers, and avoid outcomes that are traumatic for everyone involved.
The Capitol meeting was just an initial step, but Belynda said Rep. Howard immediately understood the importance of the issue. “She said this is clearly something that’s needed,” Belynda said. “Now it’s about figuring out how to move it forward in the most effective way.”
Building Trust, One Relationship at a Time
While the Capitol meeting engaged the public sector, most of the Austin office’s work is happening quietly — building relationships with doctors’ offices, senior living communities, hospice and home health agencies. Behind that effort are the new Community Liaisons, who serve as the primary connection between families and Cambridge Caregivers.
Belynda, a seventh-generation Austinite, brings deep local knowledge and a wide network built over decades in health care. Before joining Cambridge, she spent 23 years as a physical therapist assistant in neuro rehab and later launched her own patient advocacy business—work she continues alongside her role at Cambridge.
Sondra’s background is similarly rooted in care. She has worked in the medical field since 1991, beginning in hospice and home health before serving as executive director of a startup senior living community in Cedar Park that included independent living, assisted living, and memory care. She later moved into marketing with Visiting Angels, where she rediscovered how much she loved working directly with families.
“I absolutely love going into clients’ homes,” Sondra said. “Helping people and changing people’s lives for the better—that’s why I do this.”
Both women said Cambridge’s family-owned culture immediately stood out. Sondra wasn’t actively job hunting when she saw the posting, but the company’s privately owned, mission-driven structure caught her attention.
Outreach in a Uniquely Austin Landscape
The Austin healthcare environment presents its own challenges. Unlike Dallas or Houston, the city doesn’t have a single consolidated medical district. Providers are spread from Kyle to Georgetown, requiring a more distributed outreach strategy. Early efforts have focused on specialty practices — particularly neurology and cardiology — where long-term care needs often emerge.
And sometimes, outreach includes homemade baked goods. Sondra notes that Belynda bakes delicious goodies that are often featured in “thank you” baskets for referral sources.
What’s Next
As the office gains momentum, Gary and Tammy Hooker say they’re thrilled by how quickly the team has embedded itself in the Austin community.
Gary, who joined Cambridge after a 24-year career as co-founder of the Dallas-based marketing agency Imaginuity, said the work feels both meaningful and immediate. Tammy, who joined Cambridge in 2021 and helped build the company’s caregiver training curriculum through the Manchester Living Institute, said the early progress confirms why Austin was such a natural next step.
“Our goal is to meet clients where they are — respecting their independence while providing the support they need, whether that’s part-time or round-the-clock care,” she said.
For a new office, the Austin team has already made impressive strides: building trust, engaging thoughtfully with the community, and putting compassion first. And they’re just getting started.