Judy Rough, CSA
480-200-3415 - judy@papervana.com
Owner and founder of Carefree Transitions, LLC
www.carefree-transitions.com
Owner, founder and creator of Papervana, LLC
www.papervana.com
I can honestly say that when I was young, I was not fond of “old people”. I only had my Italian maternal grandmother in my life and the words of wisdom I walked away with from Nana were, “Don’t give your mother any trouble!”. I even played sick when my Girl Scout troop was to sing Christmas carols at a nursing home. Old people scared me, made me feel uncomfortable and I assumed they smelled. I actually carried these stereotypes for years, even when So how in the world did I end up in businesses that serve seniors and love it? Well, first I grew up and before I knew it my parents were senior citizens and I had no fear of their generation. Nursing homes became Continuing Care Retirement Communities (CCRC), Independent Living, Assisted Living, Skilled Care, Memory Care and Hospice and consumers were more demanding about how older adults were going to spend their retirement years. I changed and society changed.
I was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2004 and fought my way to become a survivor. I decided that I was no longer going to let fear stop me from living my dream of owning my own business. After working with my sister to relocate my parents in 2005 from their NJ home of 43 years to a CCRC near the Jersey shore, it was my mother who suggested I should start a highly detailed and all inclusive business that helped relocate seniors. Carefree Transitions was open for business in the Phoenix metro area in 2006 and we have been helping seniors with their transitions ever since. Our industry called Senior Move Management (SMM) is an extraordinary one, but unfortunately one that is not yet widely recognized in the US. I have actually used Senior Move Managers on two of my personal moves and will never move without one again. Everything is unpacked, cleaned, organized and put away in one day with every moving box and piece of packing paper removed. Then you are ready to engage in life in your new home and community immediately with no stress trying to find your important belongings. This is a service everyone who is moving should have, but especially our seniors.
To read more of Judy's story, click here.
Society of Certified Senior Advisors
www.csa.us
