In mid-2022 it became apparent that it was time to start thinking about a new home for my husband. His physical condition was deteriorating due to a neurological disease. Where to start our search? Yelp reviews led me to ESP and the owner, David. At the time, I was very stressed. Between daily visits to my husband in the skilled nursing facility where he ended up after breaking his hip and trying to imagine a realistic solution, I needed help. David from the very first phone call was reassuring and supportive. He asked great questions to gain an understanding of our needs. He understood that the very idea of my husband moving to assisted living was wrenching for both of us. David came up with several recommendations. He created a comprehensive list showing the benefits and disadvantages of a number of nearby assisted living facilities. He kept in mind that it was important to remain in our city. Ultimately, he made appointments for me at two places in Concord. Oakmont at Montecito was right down the street from our present home. To my delight, I learned that I would be able to live there with my husband in a two or three bedroom apartment. We could stay in our neighborhood! And be close to many long-time friends. David helped me figure out the timing to get on the waiting list and then followed up with me as my husband progressed with rehab. Ultimately, my husband surprised everyone and aced the stairway climbing exercises so he was able to return home. We still planned to move to the assisted living facility, but as we had selected one of the largest types of apartments, we knew it would be a wait. Sadly, my husband passed away the week before I was to take him on a tour of the facility. One of the most heartbreaking things to me about his death, was that he was so excited about moving to Montecito with me. David had helped me find what I knew and my husband believed would be a perfect home. David was very kind after my husband’s death and encouraged me to think about my own needs. I am in good health, so I don’t anticipate a move to assisted living for many years, but I have given David’s info to my family in case I need a nudge to make a change. I would 100% recommend Exceptional Senior Placement Services for anyone looking for professional and compassionate assistance in finding a home for older family members.
After spending the first 20+ years of my professional life in Hospitality Sales and Marketing for some of the largest hotel companies in the world, I had created a comfortable life for myself working in corporate America. And yet, after spending so many hours each day creating vacations and corporate travel programs, I couldn’t help but feel there was something more I could be doing each day to impact the greater societal good. Then, as is the case with many “adult children” both of my parents were diagnosed with life-threatening illnesses. My mother’s breast cancer had recurred after 30 years in remission and my father’s bladder cancer was a first-time diagnosis. We were faced with the frightening realization that although effective, the treatments would not save my mom’s life this time, and my father, while given a few more years of life, would ultimately succumb to his disease. Walking my parents through their end-of-life processes gave me an “up close” view of what the aging and medical processes are like in the United States. It is overwhelming caring for aging and often medically ill parents, raising young children, and still managing demanding careers working full time. To say it is a lot to handle is putting it mildly.
I have always thrived in careers where I can help people. I spent my first 20 plus years out of college in various Human Resources roles from assisting in job placements, navigating employees with the complexity of health insurance, and providing at-work accommodations to employees with various levels of needs. During this time I also became a personal trainer and focused primarily on working with aging clients to encourage them to stay active, maintain their balance, and avoid osteoporosis.
With the loss of my Father In Law thrusting my family’s life in to a spiral as they tried to navigate care options, Hospice, and even just “the new day to day” when the stable rock of the family suddenly needed help, life took a new perspective for me. My corporate career just did not seem fulfilling in the right way for me personally and my husband and I knew we wanted to do something more meaningful for us in impacting others.
When I was a kid I thought my grandpa was a cowboy. He owned horses, he chewed a toothpick between his lips, and he wore a Stetson cowboy hat. While he wasn’t really a bonafide cowboy, he did wear many different hats throughout his 94 years. He first wore an apprentice cap before donning a fireman’s helmet working for LAFD until his retirement. That’s when he wore a bucket hat, while he and my grandmother would sit in their tiny rowboat, casting fishing lines into the lake that was nestled at the perimeter of their property.
Inspiration.Kindness.Compassion.Patience. Perseverance. These are a few of the words that come to mind when I think of my mom. She was the oldest of six girls who grew up in a small fishing village called Spencer's Cove located on Long Island in Newfoundland. She left the island at the age of 17 and by the time she was 20 she was a registered nurse. I had the privilege of growing up with this amazing woman who, as my role model, was instrumental in shaping my life. My own career path took me into hospitals and skilled nursing facilities as a Registered Dietitian. My first opportunity to work with seniors began in a Continuing Care Retirement Community when I was a twenty-something Dietitian. While I have worn many hats through my career, it is those first years of working in a retirement community that left a lasting impression. I can recall many of the residents, the stories we shared and the impact they had on my life. Part of my professional and personal journey has been learning to understand dementia and dementia care.There is nothing more informative than being thrown into the deep end of the pool while helping a loved one with dementia. That’s what it felt like after my mom was diagnosed with Azheimer’s disease. While I learned a lot through supporting my mom during this time, I also began working in a senior community that specializes in dementia care. Being in the presence of over one hundred residents who have been diagnosed with dementia reinforces the value of listening, patience and truly being in the moment.
People often tell me I have an old soul. I prefer to say that I’m “well-seasoned” mixed with a bit of grit that can only come from being raised in a large midwestern family with solid kindred ties. 
From the time I was a child, spending time with elders has always been a part of who I am. My god-parents were Native American and I believe that is where my admiration, my understanding and my compassion truly stemmed from, as their culture defined what it is to respect your elders. I always had an unwavering desire to help those older than me with chores, companionship and anything else that makes their lives easier and more meaningful. The gift of hearing life stories being told and watching faces light up in delight that someone wanted to hear more, will always be my favorite part of spending time with clients and elder friends.
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