How I Was Inspired to Value and Support Families

For the past several months you’ve heard from me weekly as I’ve reflected on the powerful lessons of my 30-plus years working with families and their aging parents. But what, exactly does that experience look like and from where does my passion for geriatric care management stem?

Today I’d like to share a bit about the source of my inspiration, and the path that has ensued.

It all began with my grandmother. The lessons I’ve learned from her inspired many of the “whys” and “hows” behind my role and philosophy as a founder of LivHOME and its model of uncompromising care.

I grew up in Los Angeles, and from a very young age, my brother and I spent every weekend sleeping over at my grandparents’ home. Both my grandfather and my grandmother were remarkable role models, and when I was in their presence, time seemed to have a different, more special, quality. As an adult, I now realize that was because my grandparents made it a point to mark time in meaningful ways.

For example, even though my grandfather was somewhat reserved, every weekend he would take my brother and me on a walk around the neighborhood. During that hour or two, he’d talk to us about the importance of living a life filled with purpose.

My grandmother reinforced my grandfather’s lessons; she was living proof that he was right. My grandmother was always involved with community groups that helped those in need, and she participated in every way possible. She organized fundraisers. She conducted educational workshops. She would deliver food or just stop by to offer encouragement to someone who needed a little support. I often accompanied her when she volunteered, and it was easy to see how her generosity of spirit brought joy to others.

Ironically, my grandparents learned about the importance of kindness and gratitude by living lives that, more often than not, challenged them with the exact opposite.

How My Grandmother Learned to Cherish Family

My grandparents were born in Russia but moved to China as young adults to escape persecution. My mother and her siblings were all born in Shanghai, and they lived there until just before the Chinese Communist Revolution that began in 1946.

At that time, my grandparents moved the entire family to Israel. There were seven of them spanning three generations, and it wasn’t a smooth transition. But my grandparents had survived the Japanese occupation in Shanghai during World War II and had seen first-hand how families could be torn apart. They knew how critical it was to keep their family safe and together.

Eventually, my mother’s sister was accepted to UCLA, where she fell in love with my uncle. After hearing the news that her daughter — my aunt — wanted to stay in Los Angeles, my grandmother sprang into action once again.

Here’s where I should mention that, as much as my grandmother was a kind and loving person, she was also an outspoken advocate for the causes she believed in. Even though she was all of 4 feet, 10-and-a-half inches, she was an extraordinary powerhouse.

My mother, who’s now 87, can still recall how my grandmother single-handedly negotiated her release from the Israeli army, got visa papers completed, and regularly reported to the US embassy until the entire family was once again reunited, this time in Los Angeles.

How My Grandmother Inspired Me to Start LivHOME

My relationship with my grandmother inspired me from a relatively young age to want to work with older adults. After receiving my MSW from U.C. Berkeley, I began working for the nonprofit Jewish Family Services in Los Angeles. There, I provided case management services to older adults and had the privilege of being mentored by some of the finest clinicians in the community.

Directing a fee-based private care management program within a nonprofit setting, I saw how strongly families valued the involvement of a professional to help assess their elderly loved ones’ needs, identify the right services, monitor the situation over time and communicate with them about the process.

Encouraged by a trusted UCLA colleague, I decided to open up a private service offering this type of support to the many families who needed it but were not likely to walk into a nonprofit agency. Thus my first private geriatric care management agency was born.

Over the next ten years, the practice grew, and I became a leader in the field in Los Angeles. I became involved with the National Association of Professional Geriatric Care Managers, too, attending meetings, working on committees, and eventually sitting on their board and serving as president. It was important for me to help my emerging profession of care management through attracting members, educating them, and working on Pledge of Ethics and Standards of Practice.

In 1999 I began creating the LivHOME model. Because of what my grandmother had instilled in me, it wasn’t going to be enough for LivHOME to simply provide a working caregiver to take care of the physical needs of a senior.

I knew we’d have to also integrate credentialed geriatric care managers or Aging Life Care Professionals™ who could best understand the medical, social and emotional needs, wants and risks for the entire family. Thus, I chose to focus on this fundamental philosophy that combined a “whole person” and “whole family” approach to working with the elderly.

LivHOME’s CEO and co-founder Mike Nicholson agreed with this approach, adding that he wanted the care LivHOME provides to be good enough for his own mom. Like me, he wanted to set the bar high, believing that his work was personal and tied to his own family experiences. Ultimately, this led the two of us to create LivHOME’s unique “whole family” approach that considers how the aging process impacts all family members, leading us to solutions that benefit not only seniors but their involved families as well.

We know that the aging American population is outnumbering service providers, so at LivHOME, we’re continually looking for innovative approaches to care, offering plans that integrate technology and track data so that we can be more efficient in the way that care is delivered while delivering ever higher quality care.

It’s an exciting time to be part of this age wave, and 19 years into this venture at LivHOME, my work still feels fresh and engaging. I often find myself remembering those walks with my grandfather and how my grandmother cared for people around her. These memories inspire me to work every day to improve our clients’ sense of well being.

Originally published at www.livhome.com on March 21, 2018.