This week I had the opportunity to address a room filled with senior services providers and not just any senior service providers, but those who work in the world of Jewish aging services. These organizations, and these leaders, represent some of the most innovative senior care providers anywhere. Their commitment to the elders they serve not only drives them but guides the decisions they make, the programs they implement and their vision for the future.

What I saw when I looked out at this room was a room filled with light. It was the light of passion and caring, of dedication and focus. These are people who know that caring for elders is a privilege and it is also a sacred trust. We are caring for individuals who have lived long lives, who have made (and continue to make) meaningful contributions to the world we live in. These are people who have raised families, fought wars, built companies, defined communities and so much more.  Honoring their legacies with compassionate care, quality services and abiding respect is our obligation.

When we tell people that our careers are spent with older adults in residential settings, there is often a reaction of “Oh, I could never do that. It must be so sad to care for people who are all at end of life.” To a person, I know that we respond by trying to help the speaker understand that our work is about living, not dying. All of our lives are finite. And all of our lives can be filled with meaning and purpose, regardless of our age or stage, ability or disability.

Our role as elder care providers is to enhance lives. To do that, we have to understand who the people are for whom we care. We have to know their preferences and work to honor their choices. We have to promote independence over dependence and to keep quality of life always in the forefront. We have to always remember that we are caring for individuals, each of whom is different and each of whom has value.

As I spoke about the gift, and the responsibility, that we have as leaders in this field, caring for the people we care for, and caring for the people who care for them, I saw not just the faces in the audience but also the light in each of those faces, the light that comes from knowing that what you do matters, that it makes a difference, that changing lives for the better is in your hands.

© The Times of Israel (Blogs)