Denice Gibson, Senior Move Specialist, Positive Approach to Care® Certified
Rose’s Daughters, Minneapolis MN
From Students To Seniors: It’s All Service
After some years in the durable medical equipment business in New York Denice built a career in education. She applied her Bachelor’s training for years and added a Master’s of Education in Special Education including an emphasis in traumatic brain injury. She became skilled at helping students with behavioral and physical challenges learn. It was hard but rewarding work.
When the time came, Denice helped her then husband’s parents work through the downsizing and moving process in their transition to senior living. Her in-laws had been experiencing some cognitive decline and Denice’s work skills proved very useful. Skillfully helping them in an overwhelming and somewhat vulnerable life phase was a lightbulb moment. She loved it!
Serendipity and Serving Seniors
After helping her in-laws with specialized move support Denice returned to the Twin Cities in 2018 with senior move managing on her mind. After some time exploring possibilities she found Rose’s Daughters in Minneapolis. When she explained her interest and background on the phone, owner Tommy Misener simply asked “Can you start on Monday?” Denice laughingly recalled.
Later a childhood friend sought Denice out to help with her nonprofit, START – Senior Solutions in Eden Prairie. More than a coincidence! This dovetailed nicely with her newfound interest in helping seniors with specialized move support. So together she works in both companies helping seniors, some with additional challenges, transition successfully with moving and learning to live life well.
Specialty Within Senior Move Management
Denice’s work with START gave her the opportunity to be trained and certified in Teepa Snow’s Positive Approach To Care® program. While downsizing and moving is substantial for any senior, for those with emotional, mental, cognitive or physical challenges the process is that much more difficult.
“Collectors”
Consequently, providing specialized care and attention for seniors with such challenges has become Denice’s specialty for Rose’s Daughters. For instance, with clients who have accumulated too many things Denice employs a bite-size breakdown approach. She calls it the “Let’s go shopping” process.
After choosing which set of this or that they would like to “show off”, the rest gets boxed and set aside for later consideration. Then rinse and repeat until completed. Finally, with a freely chosen full complement of belongs assembled, the letting go of the rest becomes more manageable.
Memory Loss
For those with cognitive impairment other tactics are key. For example, having completed AARP’s Fraud Fighter training Denice goes deeper on the “papers” taking extra time to appropriately identify material for secure disposal of unneeded but sensitive information.
Denice knows the nature of impaired cognition. She explained how staying positive and NEVER asking a question avoids the self-protective “No” reflex people default to when overwhelmed by requests they simply can’t process. The art of offering simple either/or choices also helps build a path of successful decisions.
Another strategy uses cell phone images for everything, not just what is kept. In light of difficulty recalling, the comfort of knowing one can look back on pictures makes the letting go less traumatic. “It helps to give folks agency in this process by giving them more control.” Denice explained.
Social Costs
Denice commented that “While I do stay on the positive side of life, I also note the decline of family and friend involvement as someone evolves in their cognitive decline.” She went on to explain that while folks change in their cognitive health, those around them generally have difficulty adjusting themselves to that person’s change.
Denice responds to the social impacts of support system withdrawal. “I often navigate between the spouses in order to help them increase understanding and move forward in the process.”
Leading By Example
Denice was enthusiastic when saying “Our owners Eddie McGill and Tommy Misener are always personalized in the work we do for every client!” She went on to explain “They don’t put anyone in any box. There simply are no boxes.” A fun as well as poignant description for a moving specialist.
“There is nothing corporate about their approach to the work. It’s all about meeting the senior’s needs.” Denice concluded.