Today we’d like to introduce you to Daneica Crowley.
Hi Daneica, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I moved to South Florida in 2000 to work with a SE Asian Import Company, Sejati ETC. I loved the creative business of Importing handicrafts, art and furniture, the traveling and working with international artists…but when Hurricane Wilma took the roof off of our warehouse in Ft. Lauderdale my life pivoted. My daughter was born in 2008 changing my goals from traveling to a drive to work and help in my community. Over the next few years I met through friends Mary Ellen Brown RN of Care Management Partners Inc. I started as her office manager and helped to grow the company, it turns out being a Sales Manager and running a small business translates well into Care Management. Working with Mary Ellen has been wonderfully inspiring to see what a difference we can make in peoples lives through Care Management.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Care Management is working with seniors and there families as they go through some of the most difficult times in there life and it is never easy…crisis management, life changes and health problems, difficult hospice situations and throw in a pandemic…some of my proudest moments have come from the toughest times that I helped people through. I often tell people when they ask how we deal with some of these sad and difficult situations that while they are sad, it is also rewarding to genuinely help someone through that difficult time. We get to know our clients and their families in a uniquely personal way. I love that I get to keep their memories with me, I still talk to many families we have worked with over the last 15 years.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I love Care Management because you never know what you might do next! One of my proudest moments in the middle of the pandemic was one day when I was going into one of our Senior communities and a resident I didn’t work with, was upset because they wouldn’t let the phone company in and her phone wasn’t working (we all know how important a phone was during the pandemic!) I volunteered to try to help, he sent me up with his computer and a zoom call, he successfully talked me through rewiring her phone jack! The resident was so happy, the look on her face made my day, she still hugs me 5 years later when she sees me.
Another proud moment and one of my most difficult cases was one of my favorite clients…he was an international Opera director had a wonderfully creative group of friends that I had the unique experience through covid of spending quite a bit of time through Zoom getting to know. While watching their dear friend suffer from an aggressive form of Parkinson PSP. To watch such a creative man loose his ability to talk, even focus his eyes, an opera director who can’t express himself… He was such a strong character that handled himself with such grace that when he started to really need help to explain what and how he wanted the end of his life to go it challenged my advocacy skills to the max. I am a staunch advocate for the LGBTQ community, I believe strongly that every person has the right to respect. It is also important for everyone to be able to direct the way their hospice experience goes and that is not always easy. The medical system can be ridgid and senior residences can be old fashioned…we were not about to let him.spend his last days being judged by intolerant people or let some medical entities override his living will wishes…tough moves and strong emotional situations…we worked our way through them together.
And so many other unique lives and stories I could tell…that is my favorite part of my job, getting to know people and their unique stories…so many independent women who paved the way for us by pushing the limits in the 30’s- the 60’s, Veterans I have had the honor of working with, teachers and some brilliant professionals…some of the most intelligent people can be difficult as they age, the key is to show them respect and listen to their needs. It’s a challenge and an honor.
What sort of changes are you expecting over the next 5-10 years?
Our industry is changing with the baby boomers aging as well as the insurance companies changing and offering less personalized care. My hope for. the industry is that we catch up to the needs of seniors and their families by supporting their needs and finding innovative ways to help keep people safely in their homes or find the right communityto age gracefullyin. I am a huge advocate for home care, setting up safety systems such as medication management to make sure people are taking their medicine correctly to home health aides supporting safety and compassionate support in the home by assisting with safety such as showers and healthy diets. It’s not rocket science but it doesn’t take much for people to neglect their hydration and proper diets which leads to all kinds of long term health problems. Having a support system that still gives people a sense of independence goes a long way. Even I am learning the hard way as my parents age… they resist asking their kids for help, we crave our independence we’ve had all our lives and it is easy to neglect to see the decline happening to our loved ones when we are emotiionally involved. I am lucky to have the support of my partner Mary Ellen, she can see our struggles from the outside and gently remind us not to let our emotions drive our care plan. It takes a village to age gracefully. The more support our seniors have the better quality of life they will have.
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