“There has to be a better way,” thought Jeanne Spiegelberg as she saw several people struggling to find the right senior living community.
With limited information and so many different options available, most families don’t even know where to begin when looking for a new home for their loved one.
Spiegelberg thought it would be nice to have a centralized local resource that could provide crucial information about what each facility offered. Someone who spends the time to understand everything there is to know about each local senior living community, and relay that to families.
Just like that, Spiegelberg had found that elusive “better way,” and started Living Well, a free senior home placement service, last year.
“So I did what I needed to do and got my state license so I could start helping people in the Vancouver and Portland areas. Now I am helping many families find senior living communities and we are going to keep growing.
She says she will keep doing what she does as long as there is a need.
“When people are looking for a senior living situation, they don’t know where to start,” Spiegelberg said. “Families are under duress; they live out of town; they don’t know who to trust. They don’t have the time to do all the research and meet all the care providers.”
“That’s where we come in. We weigh all of the options for them, and give them short-term and long-term solutions. After we narrow the list, we take you around to the different communities and figure out what’s most appropriate for the individual.”
As a mobile dental hygienist in Clark County, Spiegelberg has an insider’s perspective of the communities. Something as simple as looking in someone’s mouth will tell you what kind of care the resident is receiving.
Living Well, tours all the communities, checks performance records and interacts with all of the key players. Spiegelberg even tastes the food.
“I like to give people an informed choice,” Spiegelberg said. “I ask the questions that people don’t know to ask, and it takes a lot of stress out of the process when I go with them. I believe I am providing a higher standard that the alternatives out there.”
But if the service is free, how does Living Well make a profit?
Spiegelberg has business relationships with all the senior living communities in Clark County and because they often need help finding residents, they are happy to pay a “recruiter” like Spiegelberg.
“I contract with the communities in the area, I don’t play favorites. I try to find the right fit for my clients based on their health needs, budget, and location preference,” she said.
One sector of the senior living industry that Spiegelberg says is currently underused is adult family homes.
They offer smaller settings and fewer residents, which can be beneficial to seniors who are undergoing memory care, or are recovering from a long-term disability.
“People who leave a nursing home don’t always need to go to an assisted living environment,” Spiegelberg said. “Sometimes they prefer to be in a smaller place, around fewer people. Especially for those with dementia. They seem to function better in places like that.”
A year into her entrepreneurial venture, Spiegelberg couldn’t be happier. After all, she gets to use her business savvy and people skills to improve the lives of others in her community.
“You really have to love seniors and be willing to put your heart into it,” she said. “I believe I’m filling a real need here and that feels good.
