Age of Champions

It's time for another Elder Care Guides movie suggestion! "Age of Champions" is an uplifting story of a group of athletes—a 100-year-old tennis champion, 86-year-old pole vaulter, and a team of basketball grandmothers all chasing gold at the National Senior Games. The film captures the triumphant spirit of these competitors as they tackle the challenges of aging with grace, humor, and optimism. Win or lose, they inspire us to follow our dreams and find purpose at any stage of life.

"Age of Champions" is showing at the San Diego Film Festival this Saturday, October 1st at 12:30pm at the downtown Gaslamp Theatre. Buy your tickets now, and discover how you can build on your strengths, find your purpose, and become a champion too.

Good News for the Elder Care Industry

The first wave of the Baby Boomers turns 64 this year. It won't be long until they start the biggest retirement exodus this country has ever seen. It's time for companies to prepare, because the Boomers are being replaced by a much smaller generation of unskilled workers. With the unemployment rate close to 10%, it's hard to imagine, but in just 8 short years our country could have as many as four million more jobs than workers to fill them.

So what's the good news for us in the elder care industry? First, the idea of a traditional retirement is outdated. The 60-somethings want to continue to work, and make a difference. They want flexible, creative work that accommodates their lifestyle. I can think of a fabulous profession that meets all that criteria...professional caregiving! Additionally, many of the soon-to-be retirees already have experience, in caring for their aging parents.

As an HR professional, it is my duty to keep on top of up to four generations that are in the current workforce, and understand the needs and traits of each. In the elder care industry, however, the most common generation is the Boomers. Let's inform these new retirees of this growing, purposeful career and help reduce the gap between open jobs and skilled workers.

Quality of Life

Quality of Life is tied to perception of 'meaning'. The quest for meaning is central to the human condition, and we are brought in touch with a sense of meaning when we reflect on that which we have created, loved, believed in or left as a legacy.
- Frankl VE. 'Man's search for meaning.' New York: Pocket Books, 1963.

I have had the pleasure to work with a wonderful and talented woman whose art has brought joy to many, and most importantly herself. She has patented a particular style of batik and created and sold her work but has not been able in past years to express her artistic talents.

Elder Care Guides holds as one of its main beliefs the importance of helping our clients achieve "quality of life." Knowing my client's passion for her art, I set out to discover a means to help her create again and with much luck, discovered a great resource by the name of Kat Kirby.

Ms. Kirby is an Art Therapist who believes in the "healing power of the arts" and that one should have a "good time during the process." Her studio, 2KatStudios, offers workshops in collage, mosaics and other creative pursuits. To find out more about Kat, check out her websites here and here.



Kat's patience, expertise and own excitement in creating has brought my client the opportunity to express herself, to hope and to create a legacy once again.

The Power of Purpose

The February issue of HR Magazine hit the nail on the head with Haley Rushing's article, "Managing with the Power of Purpose." The central theme of the article suggests that a successful career and a successful business begin with a sense of purpose for what the employees are doing. Yes, the goal of any business is to make money. However, unless the employee working for that business believes in what they are doing, and are inspired by the goals and objectives of the business, the profit will not come.

Elder Care Guides is proud of our mission statement, which centers on bringing purpose to our clients and employees:

We better the lives of elders in San Diego County living with functional impairments by providing professional care management services that center on the goals of the individual, and foster within the elder a lifelong sense of purpose. We believe that:

• by cultivating every client’s unique sense of purpose, we help them develop a meaningful elderhood with a high quality of life.
• by identifying and reinforcing the strengths of our clients, we promote the development of healthy relationships of interdependence amongst the elder, their family, and other supports.
• our employees are fundamental to our success, and their full engagement enhances the services we provide.
• professional caregivers who are employed by an agency and work as a team with a geriatric care manager deliver the best outcomes for our clients.
• the standards and ethics of the National Association of Professional Geriatric Care Managers provide a solid foundation for our clinical and business practices.

Defining a company culture begins with the company's purpose. Key questions the Rushing article posed include:

• Why does the organization exist?
• What difference is the organization making in people's lives?
• What do the employees strive for, and do their goals match the organizations goals?

Employees are an organization's most important clients. Guiding employees to define their own sense of purpose, then showing them how their desires align with the companies mission and vision is the central component of a successful business. Master that connection, and the revenue will follow.