I went to Council on Aging Silicon Valley (COASV) last month to
write a column on them and walked away with a job interview.
I went to Council on Aging Silicon Valley (COASV) last month to write a column on them and walked away with a job interview. I began prepping for the interview; called friends and family for tips on the process, read up on salary negotiation and reviewed my resume. I had read about Area Agencies on Aging while I was in school, but I had only dreamed of working for one.
I woke up early and prepared to do battle in the morning commute. I arrived 10 minutes early and had a chance to try and calm my nerves because I hadn’t been on a “real” interview since March 2000. I spent four hours at COASV that day. At the end of the day, I felt confident but I was nervous too.
I went over all of the details that night, replaying the interview in my mind again and again. Was I transparent, did my knowledge and passion shine through, did my research pay off? What set me apart from the other candidates? I was a unique applicant; a recent college grad with more than 10 years of experience in the “real world” work force, who has an affinity for the elderly, a dual degree in gerontology and communication studies, and much more.
The job offer appeared at 12:05 the following afternoon and I was thrilled. I had landed my absolute dream job and I called to accept the offer. I have been working at COASV for almost a month now, and I couldn’t be more pleased. Everything I had thought of doing prior to coming to COASV is already in place and under one roof.
My official title is care consultant. My job description can be summed up with one word: triage. My job entails visiting seniors and their family members, assessing their situations, implementing support services and in other instances, presenting their circumstances to one of COASV’s two case management teams and collaborating with them in order to create a customized care plan.
The goal of the care consultant is to help as many people as quickly and efficiently as possible. More often than not, seniors and their family don’t seek help until crisis mode has kicked in. They call when emotions are high, solutions seem impossible and everything appears to be overwhelming. I am there to ensure that they have the answers they need, explain the solutions available and finally, to get those support services in place. I visit seniors at home or go to their family’s homes and, in an effort to curb elder care and aging parent workday interruption costs to companies, I visit people at their place of business who are currently taking care of elderly loved ones and are in need of assistance.
I work for the Information and Assistance Department at COASV and am involved in a number of innovative projects. I am able to tap into my past experiences, research businesses and review their current Employee Assistance Program options when it comes to elder care, attend local press and nonprofit gatherings, plan conferences and meet with authors like Gail Sheehy and Lisa Orrell.
In my first column about COASV, I described the organization as one of “the best kept secrets” in Santa Clara County. Some of you asked why COASV would want to remain a secret; the truth is, they don’t. But they are so busy helping people, it is hard to get the word out. Imagine trying to “market” aging – the one thing everyone tries to deny.
Many people who aren’t dealing with aging issues ignore what life has in store; “If you’re not in it, you’re not of it.” In this youth-based environment we call Silicon Valley, all eyes seem to be focused on the “Millennials.” But part of their future includes their “Generation X” parents providing care for baby boomers who will outnumber caregivers 3:1. Aging isn’t a cohort thing, it’s a family thing and a society thing and we will all be affected. When it comes to getting older and seeing your parents and grandparents getting older, the key to success is knowledge and preparation.
I get to contribute to that success by reaching out to those in need, putting support programs in place, collecting testimonials and (hopefully) inspiring individuals to consider what their own seventh, eighth and ninth decades will require if they strive to be comfortable, calm and secure.
Send your questions for Danielle Myers in care of this newspaper to 6400 Monterey Road, Gilroy, CA 95020 or
e-mail da*********@ve*****.net.
