After working for the State of Michigan and Oakland County’s programs on
aging in one way or another for 15 years, Lynn Alexander is an expert
on how to age well and the processes to make it easier. Her consulting
firm, Your Aging Well Advisor, is keeping her busy in spreading the
message regarding how to stay independent as an older person. She is
also focusing her efforts on a new topic.
Alexander just released a new book called
Caregiver Tsunami.
It's released by Publish America, who says the novel "navigates the
rough seas of caregiving with sensitivity and practical intelligence
mixed in with a bit of magic and humor." After a talk with Alexander, it
is easy to see how sensitive and intelligent she truly is. Her book can
be purchased at
Barnes and Noble.
Q: What motivates you in your goals to help the older generations?A: This field essentially found me. My parents were caregivers for 21
years. They took care of all four of my grandparents, sometimes two at
the same time. They are tremendous people. I have always related to
older citizens because of my background. Basically, I grew up in a
long-term care setting. Things were very different back then in a
positive way, too. The neighborhoods were very different. So, in my
neighborhood we had families that had been there for four generations.
Everyone knew and looked out for each other.
Q: What are some services in Oakland County that seniors can take advantage of?A: Oakland County pays for matching funds to Area Agency on Aging to help
provide services for families like respite care, and the MI Choice
program which allows people to stay in their home instead of going to
nursing homes. There are many services which to allow seniors to stay
independent and have a high quality of life. In addition, the county has
a senior services coordinator who provides information to constituents
and works with a myriad of senior services providers.
One of the
things I helped create, working with Judge Sosnick, was a task force
called SAVE, which is Saving Adults who are Vulnerable and Elderly. We
got the word out on elder abuse and exploitation. We trained hundreds of
folks about what signs to look for if someone is being abused and what
to do about it. Oakland County provides information on its website
regarding the SAVE taskforce.
Q: What were your proudest moments during your career in Oakland County?A: One of the things I was most proud of during my years as State Aging
Director was to use tobacco settlement funding to make respite care 24/7
around the state and also allow adult daycare centers to have more
grooming capabilities.
Q: Why write the book?A: Over the years, I've had so many people say, 'I wish I had a how-to
book.' I’ve heard so many say they just need help going through the
aging process.
The motivation for writing this book came from my
experiences over the years as Aging Director for the State of Michigan,
as well as senior advocate for Oakland County. My office received
hundreds, if not thousands, of calls from people who did not know where
to turn. They would report, 'My dad is in the hospital, we have 24 hours
to find a nursing home, what do we do?' or 'My mom needs assisted
living, who pays for it?' I just saw people struggling. In addition
my background provided some insights that I thought could be useful.
Q: What did you learn while writing the book?A: I learned a lot. Number one, it is hard work! It’s like driving to
the UP, you keep thinking you're there but there’s always a little bit
left.
One unexpected lesson that I shared with my readers came from my
husband. He said: tell everyone to relish their caregiver relationship
because they will miss it when it’s gone.
Find out more about Lynn Alexander at
www.youragingwelladvisor.com
Photos courtesy of Lynn Alexander
Second photograph: Judge Jim Alexander, Lynn Alexander, Maggie and Bob Allesee.
This is Gary Bartle's first story for Oakland County
Prosper. Send him an
email.
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