About Us
- Our Founder Lisa Cheney, BSN, RN-BC, CMC
- What is an Aging Life Care™ Professional?
- How we are different
- We use Caretree Software to keep families connected
- Professional Memberships
Our Founder Lisa Cheney, BSN, RN-BC, CMC
Our founder, Lisa Cheney, became interested in patient advocacy after a serious injury that left her disabled and in physical rehabilitation for almost 10 years.
The endless confusion, roadblocks and misinformation she encountered while trying to navigate the healthcare system in order to find the best plan of care for her, as an individual rather than just another “patient”, left a lasting impression that informs her Nursing/Care Management practice to this day.
During her recovery she began to feel the need to help others in their struggle to navigate the healthcare system, and in some way give back to the community for the compassionate care she received during those 10 years.
She went back to school while working full time and earned her Bachelors in Nursing degree after 6 years. She spent several years working in the hospital, taking care of medical and surgical patients as well as those with cancer. Her profound experiences with these patients led her to realize that hospice, palliative, and end-of-life care were her passion.
During her years as a hospice nurse she saw how difficult it was for families to navigate the healthcare system in order to get the best care for aging parents. She saw how many of them fall through the cracks of that system without someone to provide professional guidance, support, and education.
And so she became a Certified Aging Life Care Professional™, Certified Care Manager, earned her Board Certification in Gerontology, and founded Aging Well NWCT with the goal of serving the community by offering this much needed guidance, support, and education.
Return to topWhat is an Aging Life Care™ Professional?
An Aging Life Care Professional is dedicated to helping clients age well while also supporting quality of life for family members. This phase of a family’s journey together is often complicated. There is more to do than there is time. Relatives may live far away. Relations can become strained.
Our professional training and knowledge of best practices can ease the journey.
Every family is unique. As Aging Life Care Managers, we apply our insights and skills in 8 key areas to provide you with a positive care plan tailored to your family’s individual needs and strengths.
We offer expertise regarding:
- Health and disability: Through assessments and experience, we can help you understand what your loved one does well, and in what areas he or she could use additional help.
- Finances: A review of the current monetary situation will result in a plan to make resources stretch as efficiently as possibly while maintaining the desired level of comfort, dignity and safety.
- Housing: Based on the assessments, recommendations can be made for optimal living situations now, with a view to likely changes in the foreseeable future.
- Family: Sibling disagreements and old family history often make the aging journey difficult. Our training provides for skilled facilitation of family meetings and creation of a plan that takes everyone’s needs into account.
- Local Resources: There are programs available to help, but it’s difficult to know which one is the most appropriate for your situation. Save time and money by letting us objectively evaluate the situation and connect you to the resources best suited to your needs.
- Advocacy: Our comprehensive knowledge of the disjointed health care system allows us to monitor quality and lobby for the care and treatment your family wants.
- Legal: Let us help you identify issues and get key paperwork in order.
- Crisis Intervention: The unexpected is simply a fact of life in aging. We are experienced with elder emergencies and are ready to jump in at a moment’s notice.
Aging Well NWCT is in the business of helping aging adults and their families to live well throughout the aging process. Give us a call at 860-812-4321 to discuss the many ways we can help you.
Return to topHow we are different
What makes an Aging Life Care Professional stand apart from the others is the commitment to stay focused on the needs of the client and family. Others may offer services for less, but what you receive cannot help but be influenced by the payment structure.
Hospital- or insurance-based case managers are employees of the health care system. They are good professionals. Their focus, however, is to address the issues of patients within the institution and to make efficient use of services for their organization.
We are based in the community and work with aging adults wherever they live. We provide continuity of care across all settings. We include the family and focus on improving quality of life for the older adult and their grown children.
Senior advisors are paid referral fees to suggest elder care facilities. As a general rule, they have a more limited sphere of knowledge and do not hold a professional degree needed to give them expertise in the 8 key areas of elder care. Only those facilities willing to pay a finder’s fee will be included in their list of suggestions. There may be a more appropriate option, but it will not be mentioned if the facility does not pay for referrals.
Because we are paid directly by you, we are independent and objective. Our focus is 100% on the needs of your family and your aging loved ones. We apply our considerable skill and years of training to your unique situation.
When the issue is safety and quality of life, you deserve the best!
Return to topWe use Caretree Software to keep families connected
CareTree care management and coordination software will fulfill your desire to remain knowledgeable about your loved-one’s care. As our client, you have the ability to proactively review pertinent care information, appointments, activities, healthcare contacts, etc. You may wish to receive notifications via text and/or email when a staff member documents a visit with your loved-one.
CareTree can answer questions such as,
1) When did the care manager last see my Mother?
2) What were the results of her recent Dr’s visit?
3) What was the name of my Father’s Cardiologist and what’s his phone number?
4) What medications does my Mother take?
CareTree is user-friendly, secure, HIPAA-compliant information. It is only accessible to our staff and designated family members. There is a $10/mo charge for each individual CareTree portal.
Return to topProfessional Memberships
We pride ourselves in our commitment to stay abreast of the ever-changing landscape of senior services and aging research. To this end, our Aging Life Care Managers are members of the following professional organizations:
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