Aging in America

Tuesday, April 3, 2012

Let's set an advocacy record today!

I'm excited to once again be a guest on Marla Martindale's radio show "Winning Life Through Pain", today April 3rd at 2pm EST! Marla and her assistant Meg, are great lady's with big friendly hearts!

We will be discussing Behind the Old Face and the advocacy project and rallying for support as we get down to the wire in our funding goal on Kickstarter. Please join us to listen, chat in the chatroom, or call in with any questions or comments. I'm asking listeners to please just pledge $1 in support of the elder advocacy project on Kickstarter. I am hoping to set a record for the most $1 pledges on any single Kickstarter project and draw attention to the care needs of the elderly and, chronically ill and disabled adults.
Come join in the conversation!

Angil Tarach-Ritchey can be reached for questions or comments at Angil@behindtheoldface.com or other contact options at http://www.elderboom.org

Friday, March 30, 2012

Thank You Nurse Talk for Your Support!

Thank You Nurse Talk for your public support of my/our senior advocacy project! Thank you for the post
Going to Be Old Someday? Invest in Behind the Old Face; The Current Climate and Future of Aging
I am so honored by being supported by my peers in this way! I have always been proud to be a nurse and I know that nurses are the heart of healthcare and only support things they truly believe are worthy so thank you from the bottom of my heart for believing in this project and the effort to improve the treatment, care and living of aging adults!

Nurse Talk ROCKS! I invite you to check out their radio show and blog so hear what nurses have to say, and get some laughs too!

Angil Tarach-Ritchey can be reached for questions or comments at Angil@behindtheoldface.com or other contact options at http://www.elderboom.org

Friday, March 9, 2012

Please join the efforts to advocate for the elderly

As you probably know, I have been working on a book to change the perception of seniors for quite some time. Over the last year I have worked with Jared Rosen, the Founder of Dreamsculpt in LA, to help me with the book’s publishing etc. The book has turned into a bigger project to improve the treatment, living and care of the elderly, and I am very happy to say the book was sent to the publisher last week! Here is a small sample of the full print book in a M2 Ebook that I wrote and was developed by Dreamsculpt. The Aging Question; A Vision for the Coming Elder Boom You will see video clips of 2 of the ladies I interviewed for the full book, “Behind the Old Face; The Current Climate and Future of Aging”.

I am sure you would agree that our system is failing the elderly population. Elder abuse and neglect are on the rise, care costs are skyrocketing and resources are shrinking. Our older generation deserves much more! As we stare down the impending growth of the aging Baby Boomer population we are headed for a crisis like no other and we MUST make changes now to avoid what’s expected.
Book publishing is very expensive and after putting $5000 into it I am falling short of the funds to complete the publishing and marketing of this book to long term care facilities, homecare agencies, nursing and medical schools, and other groups in the field of aging. This book is a compilation of some of my experiences over the last 34 years that led to my belief that we will not improve care until we evoke empathy in care providers and the public in general, several stories, thoughts, and opinions of wonderful seniors who were interviewed for the book, and a detailed description of a vision for senior living and care that is the answer to the serious issues seniors and caregivers face now and in the future, while reducing healthcare costs. I will be developing a training program following the book to bring care providers to a place of empathy so treatment and care will improve.

I am humbly coming to you to ask for your support in this project. It has been accepted and was posted on Kickstarter today in an effort to raise awareness and funds. Please help in any way you can, whether that is forwarding this email to your family, friends, co-workers, posting on social media sites or your website, or financially backing the project. I am not looking for individuals who will support this project with large donations, as nice as that would be. It is going to take many people who believe in this project and improving life and care for the elderly by donating anything from $5 up to $50 that will make this project happen.. You will see details on the site, but know levels of donations come with rewards and if the total funding goal is not met you will not be charged any pledge you offer and I will receive nothing towards this project. Whether you can or want to donate, I ask you to please share and promote this project. Any support in any form is very much appreciated! It’s all or nothing so every single email, post, and penny count! I have 30 days to meet my goal so time is of the essence.

Project link http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/angiltarachrn/behind-the-old-face-the-current-climate-and-future
I thank you for your time and consideration to join in this advocacy effort! It is my hope that we join together to make the changes necessary for now and in the future. Nothing good happens alone. This is not my project, this is our project. A vision is not just a picture of what could be; it is an appeal to our better selves, a call to become something more. - Rosabeth Moss Kanter

Together we can improve the treatment, living and care of aging adults!

If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to contact me. Project updates will be posted on the Kickstarter website and to all financial backers by email.

Angil Tarach-Ritchey can be reached for questions or comments at Angil@behindtheoldface.com or other contact options at http://www.behindtheoldface.com

Testimonies from Client's & Associates

April 2010

"I wanted you and your wonderful staff who sat with my husband for weeks, went home to be with the Lord. Once again please thank your caregivers for their excellent and compassionate care of my husband. I will be sure to highly recommend yiur organization to anyone that asks"

Carol

March 2010

"I had the opportunity to engage Angil for assistance with my Mom and her recent end of life care. I am eternally grateful to her, and cannot properly express my thanks.

Her passion, care and dedication to her cause and her clients are unmatched. Everyone on her staff shares her compassion, professionalism and dedication to dignity, care and comfort of the patients they serve.

Should you have a lived one in need of dignified and compassionate care, I would not hesistate for one second to make Visiting Angels your one and only call."

Brian Bundeson

March 2009

“I first met Ms. Tarach in 2002 when her organization was hired by my father to provide in-home care. Consistent with my father’s desire, our goal was to get him back home with the support he needed so he could live his life as he desired. A large part of this process involved securing care in his home. We were not interested in just any type of homecare. Along with wanting to secure homecare that was reputable and of high quality, we also wanted one with a commitment and demonstrated core competencies to the principles of self-determination and self-directed care. Through a process of researching, recruiting and interviewing potential home care providers, my father selected Ms. Tarach, and Visiting Angels. The support and service provided by and through Angil were exemplary. First, they understood the person-centered planning process involved in the development of my dad’s self-directed care plan. This included considerations across his life domains, such as family, friendships, relationships, personal interests, culture and health care, as key examples. It is noteworthy that given the various health issues my father had, there was a good deal of care coordination required. As a Registered Nurse Ms. Tarach very well understood the critical need for coordinating support and service, in my father’s best interest and care. She went above and beyond, being a major part of an on-going, very successful team that supported and cared for him. Second, Visiting Angels understood the practice of implementing and managing my father’s self-directed care plan as evidenced by the way they carried it out and problem solved issues that came up. Most importantly, my own observations in seeing staff working in the home, private conversations I had with my father regarding how things were working out with his caregiver’s, the service and Ms. Tarach, clearly left me realizing that my father was very satisfied. It was apparent that he was “home” and not in an institutional arrangement, realizing that some people can feel institutionalized in their own home when outside services are involved”. Rich Visingardi, Ph.D. Family Member and former state director of mental health, developmental disabilities and substance abuse services”

Rich Visingardi

March 2009

“I have had the privilege to know Angil for seven years. In that time I have watched her follow her true passion in caring for the elderly. Angil was a component professional in the nursing field prior to starting her home care agency. She opened Visiting Angel’s knowing that her talents and commitment would enhance and improve the lives of many. Angil’s success comes from a genuine love and concern for the elderly. She is a strong advocate for her clients and holds principle and ethics as a corner stone of her agency’s care. I would not hesitate to have Angil’s staff care for any of my family members. Angil is a valued colleague and friend that I would recommend highly.”

Farah Ogle

Companion Homecare Inc

February 2009

“Angil has been one of our best customers for years. Her commitment to her agency and to the people to whom she provides care is clear and powerful. She is very insightful about the homecare industry and is very generous with her knowledge. Angil's outspoken loyalty and generosity have made a tremendous difference in the success of our company.”

Tom Voiles -Owner Shoshana Technologies

February 2009

“I worked briefly with Angil in 2006-2007 as Marketing Director at Visiting Angels and she was also a client of mine when I sold radio advertising. You will not meet a person with a bigger heart or more love for seniors than Angil. She has gone above and beyond the call of duty many times to ensure the comfort and satisfaction of her clients and she has done a heck of a job starting her own business. Over the next 20 years, the senior healthcare industry will be booming and we are all fortunate people like Angil are leading the charge.”

Jeff Jennings -Midday Announcer-Program Director Mix 104.9 WBXX Radio