Episode 32 With Anne Marie Davidson

Anne Marie Davidson has an extensive background in the senior housing arena. She was drawn to this field of aging and work with seniors based on her memory of her grandmother and how valuable and precious she was to her entire family. Because of these great memories, Anne Marie made an early commitment to lend her talents and gifts to senior citizens. She has a particular gift in educating families on what signs of memory loss families should look for once they begin to notice that something is amiss with their loved one. Anne Marie talks about the three levels of senior housing – independent living, assisted living and skilled (nursing home) living. She also shares what to look for as your loved one progresses along the memory care continuum. As a Senior Living Advocate, Anne Marie works with families to determine what the senior loved one needs currently. She does a thorough assessment that aids her in identifying desired housing and needs. She also works with family caregivers by providing them with resources that assist them in taking care of themselves. According to Anne Marie, resources like the Alzheimer’s Association can be great life lines and aid them in better taking care of their aging loved one. Anne Marie also shares that once it is decided upon that a new living arrangement is needed, she explains that facilities, particularly in the memory care arena, offer a menu of services that allow the family and senior to select from inclusive budget. Anne Marie also talks about the career trajectory of working in senior housing and memory care, and she emphasizes that based on the statistics of the growing numbers of seniors (particularly Baby Boomers), there will be plenty of career opportunities in the field of aging spanning from housing, memory care to mental health. Anne Marie offers the following counsel to family members faced with dealing with dementia and other cognitive related diseases – recognize that whenever you may have become aware of the signs of memory loss, the problem has been there longer that you may realize, but just remember that there are resources available and that you are not alone.