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Susan
M. Osborn, Ph.D.
Luxury Lifestyle at Home: An Eldercare Alternative
Happiness
grows at our own firesides and is not to be picked in strangers’ gardens.
—
Douglas Jerrold
If you have ever moved a friend or relative into any type of senior facility,
he or she may have asked this heart-rending question: “When can I go home?”
For many people, home is where the heart is. Polls show that over 80 percent
of the elders in the U.S. express a strong preference for aging at home, where
they are most comfortable.
Tom Lee, executive director of Senior Resources of America, reports, “We
see a lot of baby boomers who are dealing with their aging parents. It’s
been a real wake-up call for them. Many have told us they want to do everything
they can to make sure that, when the time comes, they can remain in their own
homes.”
Recently, I had an opportunity to meet with three visionaries from Living Well,
an elite club based in Sausalito that provides comprehensive care to elders in
their own homes. I spoke with Doris Bersing, president and co-founder, Tessa
ten Tusscher, CEO and co-founder, and Laura Page, director of training. They
described how Living Well came into being and the services it provides.
While holding senior-level positions with major providers of services for elders,
Bersing and ten Tusscher came to the realization that, regardless of what they
did, many elders were not happy. It was common to hear dissatisfied residents
of senior facilities say things like, “I don’t belong here,” or “I
never thought I’d end up here.”
Bersing and ten Tusscher began meeting to explore what they could do about eldercare.
They discussed their shared conviction that confinement in facilities often fails
to deliver what elders want, and fragmented home care requires endless hours
of coordination by family members.
“We came to the conclusion, ‘There is another way,’” ten
Tusscher recalls. “We decided to take action. We agreed to emphasize wellness
and the importance of living a vibrant life. We wanted to communicate, ‘You
can have it all. You really can stay at home and thrive. You don’t need
to be confined or contained. You belong to your community and your house, so
you can stay at home as long as you want.’”
Bersing says, “We also agreed that it’s time to provide elders and
their family members, especially primary caregivers, with a choice. They don’t
have to take on a second job as a case manager.”
They asked themselves, “If we had a blank sheet, what would be the right
way to do this?” “How could we create a culture that’s about
meeting the complicated needs and wishes of elders?” “How could we
make sure everyone feels special?” “How could we make it affordable?” “Who
would be involved?”
Their responses to these questions led them to designing an overarching, one-stop
service delivery system. The net result of their deliberations was to create
an eldercare alternative that emphasizes wellness, avoids confinement, individualizes
the services and provides opportunities for elders to learn, socialize and find
continued meaning in their lives.
They identified investment partners, created a panel of medical, business and
political experts to serve as consultants, and developed joint ventures with
leading providers of specialized eldercare. Then, they recruited a management
team and established operating procedures.
A major feature that sets them apart is their commitment to ensuring that each
member feels special. Their person-centered approach builds on Page’s 20
years of experience providing luxury-level service for world-renowned, five star
companies in the hospitality industry.
They are now positioned to introduce Living Well to the larger community. The
first Living Well clubs will be located in the greater Bay Area. Membership is
currently available in San Francisco, Belvedere, Sausalito, Tiburon, Larkspur,
Corte Madera, Mill Valley and Ross.
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