My entire professional career has involved health care, first as a nurse’s aide, then as a dental hygienist and clinical supervisor. The majority of my career has been in public health which has provided opportunities to work with other community groups to help our citizens achieve wellness. During my graduate studies, I spent time working with the Missoula Coalition on Aging on a project to help prepare Missoula to be a dementia friendly community. While researching the resources Missoula had to help care for families of those with dementia, it became abundantly clear that Missoula simply did not have enough resources to care for this group of citizens, let alone all the variety of needs our aging population have. The more I dove into the project, the more I felt ashamed of our current culture; pushing our older adults to the periphery of society, seemingly leaving them behind without thought.

Inspiration came, however, when visiting with the various people who ran small assisted living homes in the Missoula area. Each was unique in their approach, but most had a common history; one owner had to quit a job to take care of an aging family member, thus opening a home. These homes exemplify personal care of each resident and an attention to each individual’s needs. I researched the variety of options for caring for aging adults and each search resulted in the same answer with regard to the best care; intimate care in small home settings with deliberate effort at creating value for each member of the home.

The idea of creating a compassionate environment that values our elders has become a passion for me. As I’ve shared this vision with others, my dear friend and colleague affirmed her own passion for this same service. Together, we are offering our sincerest attempt to care for, love, and value each and every resident that puts their trust in us. Our years of providing health care, experience raising families, and deep desire to change our societal views about the value of our elders, drives our passion to provide the very best care at Senescence Care Homes. Please call or visit us to experience the quality of life available to our aging citizens.