Meet Janet

If you've found your way here, you may have spent hours—or even days—searching online, reading articles, watching videos, and trying to understand senior living, assisted living, memory care, dementia, or Alzheimer's disease. The more you've searched, the more confusing and conflicting the answers have become, making it difficult to know who to trust.

 

Understanding Senior Living was created to help you save countless hours of research, avoid costly financial mistakes, and make informed decisions with confidence.​You may be wondering if it's time for senior living, trying to understand the differences between independent living, assisted living, memory care, and skilled nursing, or searching for answers after a diagnosis of dementia or Alzheimer's disease. You may not even know where to begin.​

 

For years, I served in Director roles within senior living communities, working directly with residents, families, physicians, hospitals, and care teams. I've walked alongside hundreds of families as they faced some of life's most emotional and overwhelming decisions. Those experiences taught me that families deserve someone who can explain their options clearly, answer their questions honestly, and help them move forward with confidence.

 

​Everything you'll find on Understanding Senior Living is built around one simple mission: to provide clear, practical, and trustworthy guidance that helps families understand their options, ask the right questions, make informed decisions, and move forward with confidence.​

 

As a Certified Dementia & Alzheimer's Practitioner (CDP) and Certified Dementia Therapist (CDT), I combine professional training with years of real-world experience inside senior living communities. My goal is to help you understand your options, feel confident in your decisions, and navigate your senior living journey with trusted guidance every step of the way.​

 

Whether you're just beginning to ask questions or facing decisions that can't wait, I invite you to explore everything Understanding Senior Living has to offer. From educational articles and downloadable planning guides to community education seminars, Family Roadmap Sessions, and The Uncharted Journey, every resource has been created with one purpose—to help you find clear answers, make informed decisions, and feel confident about every step ahead. And when you need more personalized guidance, I'll be here.​

 

Janet Spaulding

Founder, Understanding Senior Living