What is your role at Aging Wisdom?
I am the Care Manager Lead.
What made you want to work in the field of aging?
I felt well loved by my maternal grandparents and loved them in return. Some people are amazed by young people, some have an affinity for older adults, the latter is me. If I am at a large gathering, I always tend to gravitate to the older adults to hear their stories. When I was working as a massage therapist, my practice moved toward working predominantly with older adults. I became so intrigued by how people age so differently. Some of my clients would come to me so unhappy in life and others were so vibrant. This fascination led me to the Gerontology certificate program at the University of Washington, which taught me that people are complex, and I still have so much to learn about the human condition. Working as a care manager has been a good fit with the many aspects of my career background.
How has your job changed in the time you’ve worked at Aging Wisdom?
Initially I came to work at Aging Wisdom as a caregiver, when AW had a home care license. Lisa was aware of my educational background and my desire to work as a care manager. By luck one of the care managers was going on maternity leave and that provided an opportunity to see if care management was a good fit. Eleven years later I would say things worked out pretty well.
What do you love about your job?
I love my clients and their families. Aging can be hard. The options can be confusing. I love helping families navigate options that is the best fit for their situation. I feel challenged daily and am so thankful to work with a team of knowledgeable people to help work through those problems.
Tell us about a professional success story that you’re proud of.
Clients often have different motivations than what we might be considering for next steps. I worked with a spirited woman that played piano. She lived in a beautiful large independent apartment; she would sit at her grand piano taking in the city and water view as she played. When she needed to move to Assisted Living and eventually Memory Care she wanted her piano with her. Her subsequent apartments were not very big, but we squeezed in the piano. She played and took lesson to the very end of her life.
What motivates you?
Helping clients find solutions that fit their needs and brings comfort and relief to their families.
