A few weeks ago I attended a networking meeting. It was held at a local rehabilitation facility and was geared specifically for woman. When I first heard about the meeting, I was interested and then the name of the location haunted my memory. I “thought” it sounded familiar but tossed the notion aside. See the memory was one which was bittersweet.
As I arrived with a good friend, I realized I did know this place. It was where E had spent many days after being in the hospital. It was the spot where I finally let go of the hurt and pain of not speaking for so long and mended my relationship with her. It was a place of healing and hope. So I knew I was meant to be here whatever the outcome because it had triggered memories I had forgotten.
The meeting was geared to those in the healthcare field, and we felt like a fish out of water. We made the most of it and I was blessed to meet Debra Hallisey of AD-VO-CATE for Mom and Dad.
Here is her story, direct from her website:
Hi, my name is Deb Hallisey, I am a caregiver knowledge expert, and advocate for older adults and their families.
I have over twenty-five years’ experience as a consultant building and enhancing corporate training programs with Ernst & Young and Huron Consulting group along with smaller boutique firms. My client base includes Fortune 500 companies across the US and Canada. Constant travel for my job made it a challenge to be involved in my parent’s health and living situation as they aged.
In 2015 everything changed when I became responsible for my disabled mother after my father’s death. I found myself asking “what do I do?” and “where do I start?” as her caregiver, as her financial adviser, and as her daughter? Figuring out the answers to those burning questions drove home the need we all have to be an effective advocate for our aging parents.
Through this life event my website Advocate for Mom and Dad was born. Advocate for Mom and Dad offers practical advice for “what do I do?” and “where do I start?” You will learn from the experience of others how they handled challenges on topics such as legal, financial, insurance, and caregiving issues. Each story includes links to resources the family found helpful as an effective advocate for their parents. The mission of Advocate for Mom and Dad is to build a community that helps families determine their best answers to the questions of “what do I do?” and “where do I start?”
This is not a topic we like to discuss or we ever think we will need to worry about BUT the truth is being prepared or knowing where the resources are is key! You may not need this now. You may think you will ever need it. Bookmark her website. Save it for the day when you least it expect it
Hope you have a ThirtyOne-derful day!
Hope Wissel 