Healthy To A Hundred: Mariel Savellano and James Padua of Golden Arches Home Care On 5 Things You Need To Live A Long, Healthy, & Happy Life
An Interview With Savio P. Clemente
Our families are very important to us, and we draw a lot of strength from their support. Spending time with them is important for us. And when I can’t meet with my family we focus on exercise. Sometimes the best way to forget about one’s troubles in the world, even for a little while, is to take a quick jog.
The term Blue Zones has been used to describe places where people live long and healthy lives. What exactly does it take to live a long and healthy life? What is the science and the secret behind longevity and life extension? In this series, we are talking to medical experts, wellness experts, and longevity experts to share “5 Things You Need To Live A Long, Healthy, & Happy Life”. As a part of this series, I had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Mariel Savellano and James Padua of Golden Arches Home Care.
Mariel works at Golden Arches Home Care, a California-based company that offers tailor-made home care packages for senior citizens. By recognizing the individual needs and desires of their clients, they seek to revolutionize the wellness industry with a personal touch. With Mariel’s background in the medical and wellness industries, she is well-suited to taking care of the seniors in your life.
Thank you so much for joining us! Our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you tell us a bit about your ‘backstory’?
I’m licensed as a clinical laboratory scientist here in California. I have a lot of prior experience in the health industry, but I’m very passionate about helping older people because I came from a political background. This meant that I felt quite comfortable, both professionally and personally, in taking up current position in Golden Arches Home Care. My engagement this industry is spurred on by the fulfillment I feel when I help other people. It is a joy to give comfort and happiness to others, especially those who most need our help.
Can you share with us the most interesting story from your career? Can you tell us what lessons or ‘takeaways’ you learned from that?
My prior experience in other businesses has taught me the importance of empathy and patience. This has really seen me through tough times, whether that’s working with impatient clients or sorting out interpersonal problems in the workplace: I use my empathy as an asset by cultivating good relationships with my elderly clients, making me a good supervisor — I strive to do what’s best for them, even if that means making some personal sacrifices in the meantime.
None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful for who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?
I’d have to say that my parents are the persons who helped me become the person I am now. They were my first and best example: at work and at home I always was keenly aware of their consistency, patience, and perseverance. My father manages several restaurant chains, and real estate properties — managing so many businesses at the same time requires a deep well of patience, adaptability, and determination. He’d be fielding problems from a dozen angles but somehow, he always managed to keep on top of everything. Watching them as I grew up gave me the inspiration and the model for how I should be as a professional in the healthcare industry.
You are a successful leader. Which three character traits do you think were most instrumental to your success? Can you please share a story or example for each?
Like I said one of the first things that is important for success is patience. Working with the elderly is physically and emotionally demanding, but it’s also important to remember how it must be for the person on the other end. Every day you need to consciously decide to extend your understanding to other people, including yourself, and from there you can build resilience that can get you through problems and towards success.
Empathy is the next important character trait that I believe is responsible for my success. Being able to really connect with others on a deep and more personal level can help create lasting professional relationships, and in today’s world where workers are often treated like interchangeable parts in a machine, it’s a stance I’m proud to take.
And lastly, I think gratitude — towards yourself and other people — is key to success because not only does it keep you from getting too self-assured about your own skills, but it helps to cultivate a healthy relationship with other people. Others notice when you pay attention to the good you do them, and it’s an attitude that pays dividends.
Ok, thank you for all that. Now let’s shift to the main focus of our interview about health and longevity. To begin, can you share with our readers a bit about why you are an authority in the fields of health, wellness, and longevity? In your opinion, what is your unique contribution to the world of wellness?
Our unique contribution to the world of wellness is our home care services, with our special focus on personalized assessments in order to create personalized care plans. It’s important to remember that every senior citizen has had his or her own life. These journeys were each unique, with their own ups and downs and that leaves them with unique outlooks and perspectives, but also unique needs. Some modern wellness centers try a ‘one size fits all’ approach when it comes to accommodating for the elderly, and this I feel can cause a lot of stress, not just for the clients but for their caretakers too.
Seekers throughout history have traveled great distances and embarked on mythical quests in search of the “elixir of life,” a mythical potion said to cure all diseases and give eternal youth. Has your search for health, vitality, and longevity taken you on any interesting paths or journeys? We’d love to hear the story.
Our experiences with working with the elderly have led us to many interactions with many interesting characters. Of special significance would be those people in our lives who managed to stay so sharp until their old age. When we asked them how they kept their wits even in their old age, they would often credit things like prayer, or doing the crossword puzzle, or a daily walk to the park. The answers varied but there was this common thread of consistent effort — there was a routine that these seniors stuck to as best as they could, and that hard work paid off.
Based on your research or experience, can you please share your “5 Things You Need To Live A Long & Healthy Life”? (Please share a story or an example for each)
The first thing that people need to do in order to live longer and happier lives is exercise. Now for that to be effective people don’t necessarily need buy a Peloton or to pay for an expensive gym membership or lessons with a personal trainer. Making a habit out of a daily walk and some light stretching can also help. It’s about forming a consistent habit.
Habits like smoking or excessive drinking should be avoided. The health benefits of not smoking or drinking cannot be understated and have already been validated by numerous scientific studies. While in the moment these indulgences can seem enjoyable, your future self will thank you for taking care of yourself now.
Another thing to do is to practice gratitude. When turned into a habit, it can help people stay grounded, but also keep them from forgetting the very real goodness in their lives. Being genuinely grateful is also a wonderful way to maintain and enhance the bonds in your life.
Getting enough sleep is another thing that’s vital for health and longevity. While many people try to compensate with caffeine or power naps, a consistent and uninterrupted sleep schedule can help maintain your health and avoid numerous problems ranging from mental to physical ailments.
And the last thing that we would suggest is maintaining a social network. Whether by spending time with your family or friends, or making new connections, a strong social net is a good predictor for a longer, happier, and healthier life. New hobbies or shared interests are a great way to create new friendships or to maintain the ones you already have.
Can you suggest a few things needed to live a life filled with happiness, joy, and meaning?
One of the most important, and accessible, things that people can do to live a happier life is to be more mindful about the information that they consume. In today’s world, information is literally a finger tap away, and despite its benefits a constant overload of information can be a detriment to one’s mental health. Managing one’s attention to current news is an understated method to create more space to give attention to events that are more immediately relevant to you.
Another thing that we can do is try to develop our relationships. A social net is important for emotional resiliency, and furthermore for creating what we like to call ‘opportunities for happiness’: genuinely engaging with and spending time with the people you love can create a lot of joy and meaning in our lives.
Some argue that longevity is genetic, while others say that living a long life is simply a choice. What are your thoughts on this nature vs. nurture debate? Which is more important?
While we believe that genetics is an important predictor for longevity, that doesn’t mean we should discount lifestyle and habits entirely. Exercise, mental stimulation, and strong emotional bonds are just some of the many predictors of a longer, and more importantly, healthier life. There are many things out of our control, but the things that we can affect definitely should not be discounted.
Life sometimes takes us on paths that are challenging. How have you managed to bounce back from setbacks in order to cultivate physical, mental, and emotional health?
Our families are very important to us, and we draw a lot of strength from their support. Spending time with them is important for us. And when I can’t meet with my family we focus on exercise. Sometimes the best way to forget about one’s troubles in the world, even for a little while, is to take a quick jog.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Do you have a story about how that was relevant in your life?
The Dalai Lama once said that “the purpose of our lives is to be happy.” While this may seem really simple or even vague, the both of us think that is a very striking quote because it helps us center our lives — both as individuals and as professionals. We try to frame everything we do as a way to create happiness for ourselves and others. Whenever we have setbacks in our lives or are faced with difficult challenges, we can reframe our struggles by thinking about how this will either create happiness for us in the future, or for our clients when they come and work with us.
You are a person of enormous influence. If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. :-)
We want to tell young people that getting older isn’t the end of the world. It’s something that is everywhere, from social media to life choices and even in pop culture. We want to make people understand that while getting old means that things in your life will change, but it doesn’t mean that it has to get worse. There are many ways to age gracefully, and there are many people who can help you on your journey and make it the best it can be.
What is the best way for our readers to continue to follow your work online?
We have a website at goldenarchesthomecare.com. You can reach us there to find out more information about our services, and if you are interested you can book a free consultation in order to get more information on our personalized home care plans.
This was very inspiring. Thank you so much for the time you spent on this. We wish you only continued success.
Thank you so much!
