ABOUT US
THANK YOU FOR VISITING MY SITE
Lorna Gavin is the founder and principal of Aging Gracefully. She is a registered nurse (RN), a Graduate of West Penn Hospital School of Nursing. Became an Elder Care Manager (ECM) following training through Frank Manning Certificates in Gerontology & Gerontology Social Policy from U-MASS, and a Certified Dementia Practitioner from National Council of Certified Dementia Practitioners. Many years of working with older adults in Western Pennsylvania in Acute Hospital settings, Long Term Care environment, private duty nurse, and since 2014 as an sole practitioner. Everyone has different needs, objectives and circumstances, and Lorna works closely with the family to take the right steps to ensure the best possible results going forward. The overarching goal of any plan is to insure dignity, quality of life, security, and benefit by finding the best living arrangements, providing the best expertise and advice for individual concerns and use of proper community resources to aid in the building of a plan. A member of Nurses Christian Fellowship, Christian Business Partners-Butler, Pittsburgh North Regional Chamber, and Butler Collaborative for Families as the Senior Citizen Advocate. Often volunteer at Butler County Area Agency on Aging.
We can provide expertise and answers in times of uncertainty. We guide families to actions and decisions allowing their loved ones to have the best quality of care and life, thus reducing the worry and stress.
ECMs are creative and build a plan of care around community resources or available state or federal entitlement programs. Care is individualized and service is compassionate focusing on your individual needs and goals.
ECMs can determine the best living situation and efficiently help to manage resources. Communication is key to coordinating between family members, doctors, and other professionals.
ECMs provide comprehensive and objective assessments for legal, health, and financial professionals.
WHAT ELSE CAN AN ECM DO?
WHY WOULD YOU NEED A PROFESSIONAL ELDER CARE MANAGER?
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To stay updated on the health and security of your loved ones
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When it is time to have the talk about taking away the keys and how to deal with transportation afterwards
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When an accident occurs and nobody is home
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To answer questions about what is next
OUR SERVICES
Care Planning Assessment
You plan for retirement, you plan for a vacation, why not plan to age well. I spend time with you to decide what is the best plan for you or your loved one.
In-Home Help
We screen, arrange, and monitor in-home help and other services. What if something needs fixed at home or mom needs a lift chair, who do we trust? I can help with that.
Caregiver Assistance
We provide short or long-term caregiver assistance living near or far away. Ofter the caregiver is forgotten, but we can show you how to help yourself stay well.
Crisis Intervention
Help, mother has fallen at home and we do not know what to do? We think dad is taking the wrong medications, because he is acting stranglely lately.
Family Liaison
For far away families we act as liaison overseeing and communicating care. We can go with your loved ones to doctor and other healthcare professionals and lawyer appointments to keep you connected.
Moving Assistance
We help elders move to and from retirement complexes, assisted living, skilled care or nursing homes. After hospitalizations is a stressful time, does dad need to go to skilled care or home with help?
Consumer Education and Advocacy
Fall prevention, ageism & senior bullying, osteoporosis, stroke awareness, senior living options, medication tuneup, and what is the difference between depression, delirium, and dementia. Let me speak at your senior center, church, or even your facility. I can customize the talk to your concerns.
Memory Care
Lorna is now a certified dementia care practitioner. That means she has had extra education and training to help assist with clients with dementias. There are over 120 types of dementias, and all take different type of care. Let me help you sift out how your loved one can be best served.
Placement Options
Do you have questions about different types of facilities?
The terms are Personal Care Home, Assisted Living, Memory Care or Locked Units, Skilled Care, and Nursing Home Care. Often times people can stay at home, but when the care gets to be too much to handle at home, I can help with this.
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Personal Care includes shelter, meals, supervision, and assistance with some personal care in a residential setting. There are activities, administration of medications, and often a house doctor or nurse.
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Assisted Living, on the other hand, includes all that personal care provides plus larger room and private bathrooms, and if you need more assistance than from one caregiver. These fill in the gap between Personal Care and Skilled Care facilities. Many assisted livings provide care ala carte.
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Memory Care Units are specialized to care for those with dementias or brain injury. The staff is specially trained for these individuals.
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Skilled often is referred to as Nursing Home Care, which is when the care level needs are higher and require more caregivers. Skilled can also refer to the place people go to recover from recent hospitalizations. Medicare often covers the first 20 days, but that depends on other factors.
I know this is a lot to assimilate. So give me a call, and we can discuss options. Personal Care, Assisted Living, and Memory Care can possibly be free to the client.
Let me help you sift
out the possibilities
of aging well.....
"With long life I will satisfy Him and show Him my salvation." Psalm 91:16
HAPPY CLIENTS
This letter is to recommend the service Aging Gracefully and specifically its owner Lorna Gavin. I contacted Lorna in January of 2018 and during our initial phone conversation, it was evident the she possessed knowledge and experience with the senior population. I decided then and there to retain her services.
I was at a loss as how to assist my husband and in Lorna's first visit she performed an assessment followed by an in-depth discussion with him of what he felt he needed and wanted. Later we all met to discuss how to best proceed in meeting his needs based on the information she had gathered from us. Lorna helped me wade through the volumes of senior care information and agencies and her recommendations cut my search time in half. This enabled me to narrow my search and select a senior center that best fit my husband's needs.
Also, as a registered nurse, her medical knowledge was invaluable to me. She guided me through my husband’s specialists and hospitalizations. Her familiarity his with various tests, lab work and the accompanying results provided a clearer understanding of his health and what was the next best step for his care. Most importantly if there was anything that Lorna did not know or understand she would immediately research and get back to me.
When it became clear to me; and also from the gentle nudging by Lorna that caring for my husband was detrimental to me and our family's well-being, she caringly supported me in this very heart wrenching decision. At every step of the way Lorna was there with me investigating care facilities. When we narrowed down our search she would accompany us to the facility and ask questions that only someone experienced in senior care would know to ask. After each visit she inquired how we felt about the place and then would give her opinions on what she observed and thought of that facility. Lorna worked diligently to find a facility that was not only within our price range and met my husband’s needs, but also had a warm and homey environment.
In addition to the assets and skills already mentioned, Lorna is adept at handling difficult conversations with tact and grace, be it with the client, immediate or extended family members.
And to me personally, Lorna was a stalwart companion on the most challenging journey of my life I will always remember when she said, “it’s you and me.” Those words carried me through many dark days and supported me in making the tough decision that I knew I must make. Her unwavering support bolstered me in being confident in moving my husband to a care facility. Lorna still checks in with me to see how we are all doing and I have garnered advice from her as I now learn how to navigate the world of personal care.
Choosing Aging Gracefully and Lorna as your guide is a decision well made. Diana
Oh, Lorna, that’s so very kind of you to do that for us. After you left our mom’s house, I told my brother & sister that it takes a special person to do the kind of work with older people like you do. Mom responded so well to you, you are such a kind & caring person. I want you to know that just our little talk on the porch made me feel better about what is happening to my mom & family. Sometimes a special person like you doesn’t hear how they affect other people’s lives, I wanted you to know how much you meant to me for a brief minute of time. You made me see things in a whole new light, a happier way to look at mom, an eternity. A wonderful peace is with me now, because of you, my friend.
I’m just so thankful He brought you to me as I’ve been struggling with this, brother & sister wanted this all along, I’ve been dragging my feet. God brought you to me, not mom, I believe that was why I met you, for my help to see what was needed for her. It took an out side the family voice to make me hear & see what I was blind to.
So again, thank you Lorna, for thinking of us & going the extra effort to help, I appreciate you, & may God Bless you & your loving heart.
Vicki
DD
In February, 2017, my 84 year old sister was diagnosed with Alzhiemers/Dementia after a 6 day stay on a geriatric psychiatric unit. I am her only relative, her power of attorney and I live 600 miles away from her. Her only wish was to remain in her home with her beloved dog and cat for as long as possible. At that time she was told she could no longer drive a car. Home health aides were hired part time to assist her.
I first met Lorna Gavin RN through an Elder Law Attorney I hired on behalf of my sister. At that time Lorna performed a psychological (cognitive) assessment on her. I requested the additional services of “Aging Gracefully” to assist in her medical management and to reassess her on a monthly basis as to the advancement of her illness. I further requested that Lorna find and hire a local geriatric physician as her primary care doctor and a dementia neurologist, as well as take her to all her medical appointments.
As the weeks and months progressed, my sister’s medical and physical condition deteriorated. Lorna interacted with the aides as needed and provided guidance. I was able to call or e-mail Lorna and obtain extra visits as needed.
My sister and Lorna developed a loving and trusting relationship from the very beginning. She felt comfortable calling Lorna, knowing she would treat her as an adult. She was the one person locally that could convince my sister to do anything and to try her best.
In June, 2017, a decision was made to enroll my sister in the LIFE Lawrence County program. This would provide adult day care, medication administration and all of her medical care. Although she said she would attend, my sister mostly refused to leave her house.
“Aging Gracefully” continued to reassess my sister. Although she scored high on the cognitive assessments, she continued to deteriorate mentally and physically, losing weight, hallucinating and wandering.
By September, 2017, we began looking at nursing homes earnestly, by then the 21 year old cat had died. My sister had no energy and was spending most of her time in bed. My husband and I looked at several homes in the area. Lorna continued to offer observations on the ones she knew and continued to explore other options.
My sister was readmitted to the geriatric psyche unit on 10/31/2017 and after a 9 day stay, was admitted to a local nursing home temporarily. She could not return to her home without 24 hour care.
Because she could do everything for herself physically, she was admitted to a locked Personal Care Memory Unit in mid December. She is happy and content and is gaining weight.
There is so much that is not in this letter. From March until December, we were in constant contact with my sister. Our stress level was high and we knew my sister needed so much more. The only local point person was Lorna. She was the only source of any peace of mind we had during this entire ordeal. She was always willing to do anything for my sister or us, no matter the request. She became family to all of us in so many ways.
Joan
1976 graduated as a Registered Nurse and have worked in various facilities and private duty.
2014, 2015 Dean's List Graduate: Frank Manning Certificate in Gerontology & Gerontology Social Policy Certificate
Elected for 2020 as Senior Citizen Board Member. Looking forward to reaching out to community members and organizations in Butler County Pennsylvania.
CONTACT US
Sevice area Butler County
& surrounding areas.
Our Address
P.O. Box 77
Valencia, PA 16059
724-602-9559
Give us a call:
Regular business hours- Monday-Friday 9a-5p, Saturdays or evenings by appointment only