Introducing Senior Care Industry Veteran Zahava Miller!
Amy here, with the pleasure and honor of sharing some very exciting news from our corner of the senior care industry: ACE Senior Care Navigators has grown! The number of families and senior care industry professionals reaching out to us for support is indicative of the immense need for geriatric care management services, and for the better part of ACE’s two years in business I have referred many prospective clients to other highly-qualified care managers in the area. But this past spring, after meeting several qualified candidates, I invited senior care industry veteran Zahava Miller, MBA, to join ACE as an associate geriatric care manager. While many of you have gotten to know Zahava in the past few months, I wanted to share a brief interview we did to help you learn more about her.
Zahava, I am thrilled to have you as part of the ACE team. Tell us what interests you about geriatric care management?
I have worked in the senior care industry for over 20 years and one of the things that I love the most about the industry is working with seniors and knowing that I am making a difference in their lives. In geriatric care management, we are guiding the senior and their family in day-to-day activities and working to make positive changes. Throughout my career, I have been connected with geriatric care managers and have always been impressed with the work that they do and the devotion to their clients and have always thought that I would enjoy being a care manager.
I agree, it’s such a unique aspect of the senior care industry. What else have you done in the senior care realm?
It really is a unique aspect to the senior care industry. I started out by working in the activity department of a skilled nursing facility and just fell in love with the seniors. A lot of my experience has been working in caregiving companies, such as Home Instead and TheKey (formerly Home Care Assistance), working in all aspects of the business including recruiting the caregivers. Most of my time has been working with referral partners to provide the best care for our seniors as well as meeting with prospects and clients and making sure that they are getting the best care possible. I also have worked at Presbyterian Homes, a continuing care retirement community, in the admissions department. I worked with seniors and their families and helped numerous seniors find placement in assisted living, memory care, skilled nursing and short-term rehab. I’ve learned a lot throughout my career in the senior care field and enjoy always learning more on how we help our seniors.
Tell us more about when you worked directly with prospects and clients and what was your favorite part?
Part of my job in the home care field was going to prospect’s homes or to the facility that they were currently at for rehab or long-term care and getting to know their situation in order to find the right caregiver for their likes and needs. I enjoyed hearing their stories about their lives, families, careers, hobbies and travels. Each person was unique and had a story to tell. When they became a client of the company, I was responsible with checking in with the client themselves or with the family members. I loved being able to visit them in their home and witness their progress as well as see the relationships that they built with the caregiver. It is so rewarding knowing that you helped make a difference and brought value to someone’s life. I remember when I left one of my client success positions to move to another state and I received an outpouring of love from the clients and their families for all my service and time spent making a difference.
You mentioned that you have worked with referral partners to provide the best care for your clients, can you expand on that?
Sure! I thoroughly enjoyed working in business development and marketing in the home care sector. I met with various social workers, nurses, doctors, lawyers and other professionals to be a resource for their clients. I met them in places like hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, assisted living facilities and memory care facilities. I connected with other business development professionals in the area of home health, hospice, durable medical equipment, admissions professionals and others to gain resources for the prospects or clients that I would be working with. I attended various events and vendor fairs to learn more about the resources that were available. Throughout my years of focusing on business development, I was able to gain a tremendous list of resources as well as build wonderful relationships. I have so much knowledge of the senior care industry as well as what is available to them and look forward to being that resource for my clients. I’m excited that as a Geriatric Care Manager, I not only get to refer clients to an appropriate resource but actually help guide them through the process to make the whole experience successful for them. I’m excited to be to working closely with my clients to be their partner in making positive changes in their lives and to help them live better lives.
Zahava, thank you so much for taking the time to share a bit about yourself and your background. We are so excited to have you, and I know our clients feel the same way.
If you are in need of geriatric care management services, Zahava is currently accepting new clients through the city and northern suburbs. Reach out today to get started.