A Message from William Cato

They say we choose our professions, but sometimes, life has a way of choosing us.

For twenty-two years, my world was measured in pipes, water pressure, and the solid logic of plumbing. I knew how to fix what was broken. But in 2010, life brought a different kind of “break” into my world—one that a wrench couldn’t fix.

Both of my in-laws received cancer diagnoses at once. Suddenly, my days were no longer about construction sites; they were about the sacred, heavy work of helping them bathe, dress, and eat. I was a man in motion, driving miles, folding laundry, and prepping meals, feeling as though I never quite found a moment to catch my breath.

Then, the road grew even steeper. My wife, Helen, began to struggle with her walking. Slowly, our world narrowed as she became wheelchair-bound, unable to walk more than twenty feet. Together we added onto our house to accommodate wheel chairs and  lifts. grab bars to make showering more stable. Helen was the master designer and I was the researcher and installer. 

By the end of 2011, the new addition was completed and life became more stable. 

Both my in laws passed away in 2012. And in 2022 Helen passed as well. 

When the Door Closed, a New Path Opened

In August of 2010, the company I worked for lost its contract at the Army base. I found myself on unemployment, but I wasn’t without work. Far from it. I became a full-time caregiver for the people I loved most.

I didn’t know it then, but God was using those quiet, difficult hours in my own home to build something new in me. He was taking my hands—hands that knew how to build and repair—and teaching them how to comfort and sustain.

From the Front Lines to the Home Office

What started as a labor of love in 2010 turned into a calling. I entered the professional caregiving world as a caregiver on the front lines. I knew the weight of the work because I had lived it.

Over the years, that journey led me upward:

• As a Training and Education Specialist, I had the honor of onboarding and teaching new caregivers how to provide the same dignity I gave to my own family.
• Today, as a Field and Care Team Supervisor for one of the largest caregiving companies in the nation, I oversee operations across Central Missouri.

Why “WRCATO” Matters to Me

I’ve seen caregiving from every angle. I’ve been the tired son-in-law at the kitchen table, the plumber looking at a bathroom that wasn’t safe, and the supervisor ensuring thousands of hours of care are delivered with excellence.

I started StayPutGuide.com because I want to share that journey with you. I want to help you see the “plumbing” of a safe home and the heart of a safe life. Whether you’re navigating a new wheelchair like Helen and I did, or trying to make a bathroom safer for your parents, I’m here to help you navigate the waters.

You don’t have to walk this path alone. Let’s make sure that when you say you want to “stay put,” you’re staying in a place that is safe, sturdy, and full of grace.

Welcome to the Guide.