Welcome to the world of healthcare! Having just moved to a state with a very large senior population, many of whom have mild to moderate dementia, my story of navigating the healthcare maze should make us all sit up and ask ourselves how our seniors, especially those with dementia, can traverse this insanity.   Here is my story:

Through the years I've had the great privilege to work with thousands of elders and families as my professional career in senior care began in educating families and faith communities.   I will never forget one of my earliest conversations with a couple who had attended a caregiver support group in which I was facilitating.  Emotionally, they shared how their parents had served faithfully in their church for over 40 years and now that they were homebound, the they felt as if they had been forgotten.  This tugged at my heart, as I remembered how vitally important the church was to my own aging parents and how much that care and compassion for our parents comforted us as adult children.

In my office there is a framed print of Nelson Mandela's famous quote "It always seems impossible until IT'S DONE".  I believe hospitals have procrastinated long enough in becoming dementia friendly and the urgency to GET IT DONE is now.

We've almost made it through the 1st month of 2017.  I'm always amazed at how the world seems to stop in its track after Thanksgiving.   Then January rolls around, and  it's All Hands on Deck!  So if your January has hit you like a Nor' East wind,  remember the wise words of one of our greatest authors, Dr. Seuss.... FUN IS GOOD!

Nature heals.  Being in nature, or even viewing scenes of nature, reduces anger, fear, and stress and increases pleasant feelings. Exposure to nature not only makes you feel better emotionally, it contributes to your physical wellbeing, reducing blood pressure, heart rate, muscle tension, and the production of stress hormones. It may even reduce mortality, according to scientists such as public health researchers Stamatakis and Mitchell.

PASSION trumps all.  I was recently told this by a well respected CEO of a very successful company in the senior care industry.   As I witness the growth of our business I can attest to the fact that many of the clients we work with are passionate in their drive to go above and beyond in serving their residents, customers, families and communities.  Those who work in and with our company have a passion in improving lives for older adults and their care partners.

As we all know society is aging... fast.  Aging people travel- more than ever, as do aging people who are living with dementia.  Airlines listen up - this trend is not going to slow down.  The question is, how are you going to better serve your aging customers and improve the flying experience for all of your passengers?