YOUNGER FOR THE ELDER—A LOST ART
REAL TALK:
In my experience, overall, younger folks don’t seem to care as much as elders as they could/ should. Most are more selfishly obsessed with their social followers or other age groups (not ALL, I’m generalizing from what I’ve seen IMO, and BTW, including yours truly in that group until recently when I checked myself). I don’t see a whole lot of businesses or young adults really thinking about how elders can be a resource, inspiration.... or (GASP!) how they might possibly positively affect their lives or current and future innovation. So, when I meet those that are proactively trying to support, advance and promote elder care in any way, I get SOOOOOO excited. This group can teach us about keeping our dignity and independence and how to possibly be happier in our later years. And many other life lessons. I wasn’t blessed enough to have grandparents for long, yet my grandmother was a HOOT. No one I loved hearing stories from more.
I decided to ask two local entrepreneurs why they are supporting this “group”, what they’ve learned and why we should all care a bit more about the journey later in life.
JEREMY BRONEN (ALL HAIL THE TOILET KING!!):
Jeremy Bronen, sitting on “the throne”
When you interact with Jeremy, one thing is crystal clear. He’s a brilliant mechanical engineer/ CEO yet the vibe you instantly get is “empathy”. I FREAKING LOVE THAT. It humanizes and shows that EQ (emotional quotient) means something in any business. His smile and work ethic are contagious.
His obsession with building things that started when he was a young kid, combined with his curiosity for understanding how things worked, led him here. At UCONN, a now-great-friend got Jeremey to ask himself different questions like "how does this business make money?" and "what expenses does this business have?", which unraveled a whole new curiosity and desire to launch a business, not just a product.
After being assigned a project that would legit change his life (a toilet lift for an elderly woman who unfortunately suffered from a stroke and couldn't get on/off the toilet) then came the empathy and problem-solving aspect….and he was hooked. Most don’t know that people aged 85 and older suffer more than 50% of their injuries in the bathroom…staggering statistic! A toilet entrepreneur and the patented Toilet Lift Assist was born, which already has patients saying, “I can finally use the bathroom without having to call for help.” After three years, nine product iterations, listening to over 1000 interviews, raising investment and grant money, it’s here. Hospitals, elder care facilities, nursing homes, PTs, caregivers and so many more can benefit. Check them out (and TBH when I had my double hip replacement last year, this would have been total FIRE…and I am young….49.5 lol). His curiosity combined with his knowledge, empathy and drive make him already a successful CEO in my eyes. RAD combo for success. Can’t wait to see how SedMed grows. Big applause.
STEPHANIE WEIS (BESPOKE COMPANIONSHIP FOR ELDERS!!)
Stephanie Weiss
Stephanie is one of those people that instantly makes your nervous system calm when you see/ talk to her. One of the humblest, yet giving and smart, people I’ve ever met. As a friend and fellow entrepreneur, she is currently a companion caregiver after years working in other industries; this path seemed natural for her since she always had a soft spot for seniors. She worked in several skilled nursing facilities for many years and has a degree in Therapeutic Recreation (google it okkkkkk?!?).
Her oft overlooked, unappreciated work as a companion is a great way for seniors to remain independent at home (baby boomers are the second largest group in the U.S. with an estimated 70 million folks between the ages of 58-76; they are the ones who have most recently entered their "senior" years). Amazing folks like her can offer support and guidance re: medication reminders, food prep, laundry, light cleaning, transportation, etc. VITAL stuff!
“This active group prefers to age in place, or at home, not going into a facility unless necessary”. Her job is to help them do that ON THEIR OWN TERMS. How cool is that? SO many upsides for Stephanie. “I learn so much from this group. They have stories, wonderful memories, wisdom, and a great sense of humor”.
Many folks can live at home with a loved one or alone. Her job is to help them continue do that for as long as possible, with the best quality of life possible. I cannot applaud that sentiment enough. Her 203 based company, Elder Solutions, is a gem at providing bespoke service for each of their patients. Big love.
MUTUAL ADMIRATION & CONNECTION IN THE 203:
I introduced Stephanie and Jeremy because I knew they’d adore each other, be able to provide each other feedback to each other and collab!
“Jeremy will help people maintain toileting independence both in facilities and at home. This will help the caregivers who often hurt their backs with all the lifting, pulling and pushing they do too. I’ve had to do the toileting with someone who can’t assist much, it was hard, and I broke into a sweat each time. This would’ve been a lifesaver for both of us”
“It was such a pleasure to meet Stephanie and I look forward to continuing to work with her and learn from her. In the short years I have been in this industry, I’ve come to learn how massive of problem/market there is for innovation. People often think innovation is only in the forms of technology and product. Stephanie absolutely challenges this with her take on tailored caregiving. Every individual is unique as are their needs. Why shouldn’t their caregiving be the same too?”
I have a feeling that there’s a tribe of folks like these two that will advance care for elders…yet I don’t meet many. So it was super important to me to shine a light on them.
EMOTIONAL QUOTIENT ON STEROIDS:
There is SO MUCH that I could say about these two locals that have given me some GOOD NEWS and education to help our elder population!
Bottom line is to always appreciate and learn from maybe atypical generations and groups of people. Follow your heart and head to make advancements. So inspired by J and S. Heart emoji times a million.
THANK YOU FOR READING & CONTACT INFO:
Jeremy Bronen
https://www.sed-med.com
Stephanie Weis
https://www.eldersolutionsct.com
Georgette Pascale
https://www.personalbusinessally.com
