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Aging Life Care – Why we love the work we do!

May is Aging Life Care Month and a reminder of how grateful I and my HealthSense team are to have found passion and purpose in such a rewarding field. As Aging Life Care Professionals®, we work with older clients and their families, meet them where they are, and find solutions to empower them to live their best lives going forward. Whether this is facing down the head winds of a crisis or exploring their unique aging goals to do proactive planning, the work is deeply meaningful, and we really do make a difference! As experts in aging well, we have an array of high caliber emotional intelligence tools handy in our kits. We are skilled listeners and keen observers so we can interpret the layers of emotions behind the words and body language of our clients. The work requires patience, persistence, and resilience as the problems we work on can be nuanced and complex. Meaningful change takes time, so we always play the long game in our approach to problem solving. The aperture in solving aging problems requires both a broad, creative “big picture” approach but also the ability to laser focus on specific issues to deliver solutions in a timely fashion. Empathy and critical thinking skills are essential in this deeply intimate space, so is humility and flexibility. Working with clients who have dementia, requires skill in honing multifaceted communication abilities. This includes paying attention to vocal tone and emotion so that a sense of calm and reassurance is conveyed. Also key, is the ability to be present in the moment with an older client – their moment – and letting go the urge to “fix” the inaccuracies of their perceptions, which are very real to them. Especially rewarding in this field, is the perspective we get on the gorgeous mosaic that is humanity. Our older clients have many fascinating stories and life lessons to share. These distilled years of wisdom and insights are precious “life hack” nuggets and are generously offered to us on a regular basis. Gratitude flows abundantly and in both ways in the work that we do. Our clients and families are enormously grateful for the peace of mind we bring them and we in turn are genuinely grateful for the opportunity to provide valued service and counsel. As Aging Life Care Professionals®, it is an honor to have a close-up, personal view of the aging process. This not only allows us to continue to develop our client relationship skills, but also helps us to prioritize what matters most in our own lives and inspires us to be proactive in shaping our own aging journey. To learn more about the Aging Life Care Profession, watch this video below or click HERE

Thank you,

Anne

Anne C. Sansevero, RN, MA, GNP, CCM
Aging Life Care Professional®