Her passion for gerontology began at age 19 when she visited a nursing home in Belgium and saw rows upon rows of dejected and frail elders laying motionless or moaning in their beds. Their plight has inspired her life’s work. Career highlights include:
- Directing Recreation at Bendale Acres Home for the Aged in Scarborough to improve the lot of institutionalized elders.
- Founding New Age Realty to match elderly home owners with younger co-owners
- Completing an M.Ed in Counseling Psychology and a Ph.D. in Adult Education with focus on aging (University of Toronto).
- Researching needs of pre-retirees with emphasis on singles.
- Facilitating Retirement Preparation Programs in large corporations.
- Lecturing on Resilient Aging and retirement.
- Serving on Committees and Board of Alzheimer’s Societies (Toronto and Muskoka).
- Founding Caregivers Support Network of Muskoka/Parry Sound, and the Caregivers’ Association of Ontario.
- Producing “The Caregivers’ Journey” video series with son Alexander. This “support group in a box” has been used by thousands of caregivers across North America.
