APA News

Long-time APA member Rachel Hodesh is owner of Senior LifeCare Consultants. She has been serving Greater Cincinnati and Dayton since 1997.

Tell us about your what you do and how you help the community.

I am a Life Care Manager and owner of Senior LifeCare Consultants. We are a guide and advocate for seniors and their loved ones. Our role is to support and educate, providing care management to clients and their families. This may be through referrals, support with home care or during a doctor’s visit. We assist the community by supporting the senior, assisting to keeping them safe and providing them with referrals linking them to other professionals in the community. 

Tell us about your work career. How long have you been involved? What brought you into this line of work? What do you love most?

I am a Licensed Nursing Home Administrator with a Master’s in Health and Human Services Administration. I began my career in the activities department at Glen Manor in Bond Hill (I was a senior in high school). Since then, I have worked in Group Homes, Food Pantries, Housing, Adult Day, Home Health, Retirement Communities and now as a Life Care Manager. I miss the days of walking the halls, holding a hand, and singing with residents. I miss working late, running the “laundry machines” or “washing dishes.” Those were the moments when you felt like you made a difference.  

If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go if money was no object?

Venice, Italy or Capri (Gulf of Naples).

What is your biggest inspiration in life or in your job? What do you enjoy most about your work?

My inspiration is to serve older adults by improving their overall quality of life. I enjoy the small meaningful conversations and impacts I have with working with my clients.

Tell us about yourself and family (kids, pets, other involvement in the community):

I have two sons: Noah is 18 and Aaron is 16. Noah will be starting at UC in the Fall and Aaron is a Junior at Sycamore. I have a partner of three years, Joey, and he has three kids (18, 16 and 15) so we are quite the spectacle when we go out! We “share” a dog – he has the cat (I am allergic). My family and I are very close which is great for my sons.

I am the VP of Development for the Wyoming School Foundation, active with 55 North on their Marketing and Soiree Committee. Most recently I have become involved with SAAG (Cincinnati Senior Advocacy Action Group) which has been great!

Where is your “go-to” restaurant in Cincinnati?

That is tough. When I lived in Wyoming we would go to Tela. Since I moved to Pleasant Ridge, I am learning new spots. If I had to choose a “place to meet” most people know I love First Watch – there is something for everyone. 

What do you enjoy most about being involved with the APA?

Learning from my colleagues.  The vast experience of professionals in this group is astounding, so the monthly events are something I always enjoy attending. 

What do you enjoy doing when not working?

Working on my new home, taking walks in the neighborhood and spending time with my nieces.

What is the last book you read?

Anna The Biography by Amy Odell. 

Zaire Sims is with Meals on Wheels of Southwest Ohio and Greater Cincinnati. She is also a current APA Board member and a past recipient of our annual scholarship! Here's a little more about Zaire.

Tell us about your what you do and how you help the community.

I am currently a service coordinator with Meals on Wheels of Southwest Ohio and Northern Kentucky. I am a direct contact for older adults in low-income housing. I provide educational, health, and social programs to the residents. I also assist with referrals to community resources and benefit comprehension as needed.

Tell us about your work career. How long have you been involved? What brought you into this line of work? What do you love most?

I am Licensed Master Social Worker. I graduated from the University of Cincinnati in 2020 with a Master's Degree in Social Work and from The Ohio State University in 2017 with a Bachelors of Sciences in Social Work. I have 5 years of experience in the social work field ranging from outpatient and inpatient mental health, and service to older adults. I have had adversity while growing up and learned the importance of helping others. I enjoy being an advocate for older adults and their needs. 

If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go if money was no object?

I would love to backpack across Europe.

What is your biggest inspiration in life or in your job? What do you enjoy most about your work?

My inspiration is to serve older adults by improving their overall quality of life. I enjoy the small meaningful conversations and impacts I have with working with my residents.

Tell us about yourself and family (kids, pets, other involvement in the community):

I am a fur-mama. I have two cats, Fari and Zoe and a dog, Coco. I am an inaugural ASA Rise Fellow Graduate. 

Where is your “go-to” restaurant in Cincinnati?

I hate to add fuel to the Cincinnati Chili debate, but my significant other has converted to root for the Skyline side. We eat skyline every Friday.

What do you enjoy most about being involved with the APA?

I enjoyed the community APA has. It is nice to be around professionals who share a similar passion for advocating for older adults. I love how APA supports students who are interested in the field of aging.

What do you enjoy doing when not working?

Definitely, sleeping in my hammock or flowing down a river in a kayak.

What is the last book you read?

Becoming by Michelle Obama.

Long-time APA (and Board) member Yvonne Scheiderer is a Realtor with Huff Realty. She is a Senior Real Estate Specialist (SRES), and has been serving Greater Cincinnati residents since 1998.

Tell us a little about your work and career:
I've been a licensed Realtor since 1998. Prior to that I was the administrator of a Substance Abuse Prevention Program that served adults whose children were enrolled in the Head Start Program. I was later the recipient of an award presented by former Governor George Voinovich for my work in launching the "Getting A Head Start Against Drugs" initiative. Later that same year I bought my first home and was immediately intrigued by the real estate profession.

What do you love most about your job? 
The people I meet (literally from all over the world), identifying a need and working toward the solution, the satisfaction in being part of a truly life changing process, the many friendships I've made over the years!

If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go if money was no object?
I would go to Australia and to New Zealand.  So far, I've visited all 50 states, as well as 14 foreign countries. In 2018 I traveled to Italy (Florence, Vatican City, Rome, and Venice) all by myself!

What is your biggest inspiration in life or in your job?
I'm a helper. I learned that from my mother, but I didn't realize the impact she made on my career until after she passed away at age 57. She had been an activities director in a nursing home (that's what they were called back then) when I was little and she absolutely adored the blessing of spending time listening and learning, and enhancing the quality of life for those she served. When she couldn't find a guest speaker or entertainer, she'd wake my dad (who worked the night shift) and have him bring his guitar to her community, and he'd sing and play music (quite often)!  She loved making a difference and lightening their spirits.

Tell us about yourself and family (kids, pets, other involvement in the community):  
My son just graduated with honors from Ohio University with a Bachelors in Business Administration. He started his career as a data analyst just a few days later. I also have a daughter and a son-in-love. They met at (THE) Ohio State University in 2008 and will celebrate their 7-year wedding anniversary in June. She works for a healthcare advertising agency and her husband is in risk management with a major bank. Everyone currently lives locally (and I love that so much). I have an 18-pound poodle named Bella and an 85-pound Bernese/Australian Shepherd mix named Elvis. 

I am in my 6^th year with the APA.  I also hold a designation as an SRES (Seniors Real Estate Specialist) and a designation as an ABR (Accredited Buyer Representative). Last month I completed Fair Housing Officer Training.  I served on the Realtor/Lawyer Forum through the Cincinnati Area Board of Realtors until 2020.  I've also had the great fortune of receiving multiple sales awards over the years. I previously spent time on the air at Cincinnati Association For The Blind and Visually impaired. 

What is your "go-to" restaurant in Cincinnati?
I'm always up for trying new restaurants, but my favorite food is Mediterranean.  My favorite drink is coffee....I mean I seriously love good coffee!

What do you enjoy most about being involved with the APA?
I have met some of the most incredible people with the most loving hearts through the APA! I love watching people tirelessly working together for one common goal. For the past several years, I've been on the committee that chooses the APA educational scholarships, and year after year I'm in awe of the applications we receive. It's so difficult to choose who receives the scholarship money because there are so, so many heaven sent angels among us! The people I meet through APA are definitely what I enjoy most about APA!

What do you enjoy doing when not working?
I started running a few years ago and before I knew it was running half marathons. I have a big birthday this Fall and I'm making plans to complete a full marathon....we'll see how that goes. I'm a season ticket holder at The Cincinnati Playhouse In The Park. I come from a family of 5 active daughters (and a boatload of relatives), so there's rarely a dull moment.

What is the last book you read?  
My bible from cover to cover (it took me almost two years)!

Earlene Dula is Co-owner of Transitions Care Concierge. Her business specializes in assisting the aging and disabled population with downsizing, decluttering and transitioning to senior care living.

Tell us a little about your work and career:
My background is in social services, organizational leadership. My love for those categorized as our most vulnerable population has always been the driving force behind my career choices. I was compelled to start Transitions Care Concierge along with business partner after losing my mom to Alzheimer’s. My family and I were left to manage her property, personal items and much more with little to no help. Transitions Care Concierge is a business you call before the loss and after. We cater our services to the needs of our clients.   

What do you love most about your job? 
What I enjoy the most and what keeps me pushing to become more and more involved with aging community and their families is the joy we receive from helping those in need during a challenging and often overwhelming time. We love easing the burden of families and loved ones through support and hands on services.

If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go if money was no object?
Australia – I want to visit the Outback!

What is your biggest inspiration in life or in your job? 
My biggest inspiration in life is my desire to do something meaningful to impact the lives of others in a positive way. Transitions Care Concierge allows me to do both of those things and that feeds my joy.

Tell us about yourself and family (kids, pets, other involvement in the community):  
I have a son whom I am very proud of and who makes me laugh almost daily, I have a business partner who shares my passion for our business and pushes me to think beyond the now. I have a cat, who followed me home one day and never left, and a dog who is wonderful.

I am member of the Alzheimer’s Diversity Council, and a CPR Instructor for the American Heart Association. These committees allow me to interact with various people on different levels in our community.

What is your "go-to" restaurant in Cincinnati?
I don’t really have one, I prefer to cook at home. I cook with love and I’ve found that my food is a reflection of me and what I want to put out in the world (something good that entices all the senses) and brings people together.

What do you enjoy most about being involved with the APA?
I enjoy being a part of an organization whose sole purpose is to bring together like minded people for the betterment and enrichment of others. I can feel the sincerity with this organization and that fuels me to continue being involved and seeking to help as much as I can and wherever I can. I appreciate their passion for educating others in the community. What I know is those with a desire to educate others must first educate themselves and this is an organization that I want to be a part of.  

What do you enjoy doing when not working?
I enjoy binge watching TV series; especially those that allow me for a short time to shut my brain down and decompress. I enjoy reading for the same reason.

What is the last book you read?  
It’s Not All Downhill from Here: A Novel by Terry McMillan

Purposeful Planning Program
Kristin Cooley, LISW-S, LCSW
Clinical Social Worker

 As the visionary behind the Purposeful Planning Program, Kristin Cooley leaned into serving those in need. Kristin forged partnerships and opportunities that enabled her to launch her private practice in 2020. 

The Purposeful Planning Program provides a much-needed free service to our community through their support from the Giving Voice Foundation and Alois Foundation. It not only helps to connect people with helpful resources and provides a written action plan, but also provides support service and continues on in a therapy role if needed.  Dozens of patients recount the positive experience and how lost they had felt before connecting with this program and how lost they had felt before connecting with the program. 

Kristin's ability to understand the issues, communicate effectively and compassionately, and provide valuable education to the families and loved ones, is the driving force of the program's success.  Thanks to The Giving Voice and its financial support of the program, Kristin is able to offer services free of charge to the families. This program fills a major void in the care of those with cognitive impairment and can serve as a template for wider application into our community.  The need for it, unfortunately, will continue to grow for years to come.

Lisa Titus
Elder Care Coordinator
The Law Practice of Dennison Keller, LLC

Lisa has spent her 40 year career in the field of aging.  Her varied and wide-reaching career began as a candy-striper.  After obtaining her Master of Education in Counseling from the University of Louisville, her roles included Director of Social Services at various long-term care facilities, Executive Director for dementia-specific assisted living facilities, and the Education Coordinator for the Greater Cincinnati Chapter of the Alzheimer's Association.

For the past several years, Lisa has been an Elder Care Coordinator with The Law Practice of Dennison Keller.  Lisa's expertise in dementia care has been a tremendous asset when dealing with family members of those suffering from Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia.  

Lisa was also a mentor for co-workers and a trusted source for quality information. Her kind, caring approach has helped numerous residents, clients and fellow colleagues throughout her career.

Effective December 31, 2021, Lisa retired.  Her knowledge and expertise will be missed, and we wish her nothing but a most fulfilling retirement!

Diane Linn
Wellness Director
StoryPoint Senior Living

Diane represents the best ideals of the nursing institution and had has dedicated her life to serve the senior population and has a special place in heart for caring for residents with Alzheimer’s and dementia.

Diane started her career in 1975 as a Certified Nurses Aid, and completed her degree in Licensed Practical Nursing at Miami University The over achiever that she is, she completed her degree in 12 months instead of 18 months in 1984. 

Diane is now at StoryPoint and again surrounds herself with quality nurses that have followed her because of her servant leadership style and overall advocacy for the residents. She asked if she could have the office in the Memory Care Unit because they are her light, happiness, and they are the most vulnerable population.

Diane has seen many changes in the nursing industry and has never wavered from her core values of placing the residents needs first.  She exemplifies every attribute for the outstanding Leader in the field of aging. Diane has dedicated her life to helping others rather it be the residents, staff or her family friends. She has touched the lives of so many and I am proud to nominate her for this recognition award. 

David Flautt is the owner of Assisted Living Locators of Greater Cincinnati, a senior living placement business serving SW Ohio and Northern Kentucky.

Assisted Living Locators is a national network of advisors that serves communities with local advisors. David focuses on Southwestern Ohio and Northern Kentucky, and he currently has one other advisor on his team.  

Tell us a little about your work and your career. 
It’s funny. I graduated with a BS in Health Services Administration, but ended up going to work for a bank in Cincinnati as a Credit Analyst. Let’s say the corporate stiffness where you could not leave your suit coat to go to the bathroom did not suit me well at the time. But I soon found my way into retirement plan administration and institutional investments and advisory with Macy’s, Fidelity, and several large banks spanning 25 years – still wearing suits. Several years ago, I found my way into what is now my current second career - a senior living advisor focusing on Southwestern Ohio and Northern Kentucky.  

If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go money no object?
Greece...a boat on the coast with a chef sounds like a good start.

What is your biggest inspiration in life or in your job? What do you enjoy most about your work?
What I do now is much different work in many ways than the corporate world. I enjoy meeting new families, learning a new industry, and I like the flexibility this affords me personally in terms of work/life balance.  

Do you have a funny story about your work? How do you make your work day meaningful or inspirational?
One time I met with Linda Shaw when she was in sales at a local community. She grilled me and I thought to myself, "breaking into this business is going to be harder than I thought."  Now Linda and I are cool, but I remember that day.  

Tell us about yourself and family.
I am married to Amanda Orlando Flautt, a local radio host on WARM 98 mornings. We have a 19-year-old daughter Athena, who is transitioning into college, and a 13-year-old son Parker, who is  enrolled at SCPA. He is a fierce baseball pitcher and my partner in crime.

Do you have a special message to share with your neighbors or community?
A special message might be to take chances especially when you're young. But it’s never too late to try something new and take a chance and go in a different direction.

We would like you to meet Kristy Matheson, hailing from Germantown, OH. She is a 1998 graduate from Wright State University with a degree in Social Work. Her dad is a pastor, and her mom is an English teacher and social worker, which are similar to the footsteps Kristy followed.  

Kristy has worked in the field of hospice for 12 years, most recently, helping to build Affinity Care of Ohio, a compassionate and caring hospice. She and a group of other hospice passionate people built the organization from the ground up. She has done many things in the field, but can honestly say that hospice work, completely changed her heart and gave her a newly instilled passion for life that she felt was lacking.

Additionally, Kristy has a training company called Professional Education Connection where she and her training partner have written more than 20 programs, and trained hundreds of people in the human services field. 

Her work in hospice taught her that life is short, and it is meant to be lived fully and completely. She was so inspired by the stories of the ones whom she met along the way, that it inspired Kristy to start a group called Adventure Chicks. This group is meant to encourage women of all ages and experience levels to step out of their comfort zone and live life not on the sidelines, but fully engage in all that life has to offer.

If Kristy could travel anywhere, it would be Lauterbrunnen, Switzerland. It’s a town in the Swiss Alps that is surrounded by waterfalls, and the pictures alone can take your breath away. She plans to make it there one day.

She has one piece of advice to share and that would be to not wait until your kids are grown to do things, until there is more money in retirement, or until everything falls into place to really pursue those things that bring you joy. Tomorrow is not promised, so be intentional with today. Great advice!

Kristy’s greatest blessing is her family. She is married to a great guy, Rick, for 20 years, and they have three children. Two are in college, and one starts the third grade this fall, so her life is busy. She also enjoys hiking, yoga, eating out and doing absolutely nothing by a pool. 

Kristy is also the Education Chair for APA, and we are so grateful and blessed to have her on our team. She has been responsible for the CEs offered by APA in 2020-21, as well as other educational events, which have all been very well attended. She would love to have you work with her on her committee so reach out to her and get to know this fun loving person! The APA has awesome members!!

Maria Deneau works for The Alois Alzheimer Center as Director of Admissions & Marketing. The Center provides assisted living through certified nursing (total care) for all dementia residents in a long-term care setting. Specializing in dementia and behaviors, The Center was the first all dementia community in the United States when it opened in 1987.

Tell us a little about your work and your career. I have been in senior healthcare since 2007, when my Mom was showing signs of Alzheimer’s. I have experience in skilled/rehab nursing, home health & hospice, mobile physician group marketing and clinical nutrition. I am a Certified Dementia Practitioner (some may say I’m certifiable, but I’m okay with that ;). I love when I make a difference in a family’s life and when I can go stomp on Capitol Hill in Washington D.C.!

If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go money no object? Italy and South Korea
 
What is your biggest inspiration in life or in your job? What do you enjoy most about your work? My work is a calling. I am a public policy advocate (nationally & locally) for Alzheimer’s legislation and I do very much enjoy helping families navigate this “industry,” for lack of a better word. It has become a big industry and not all of it is great. It’s a huge bandwidth for people to learn about when placing a loved one or just needing resources. This is why I am excited to serve as advocacy chair for the APA! So much to consider with such a strong and diverse group! Advocacy means different things for different people and groups, so I want to narrow that down for APA members and help us cultivate our place in the Cincinnati area for senior advocacy and for our members. As far as inspiration, I am always inspired by my nurses and by families and other professionals who work for our seniors.
 
Do you have a special message to share with your neighbors or community? The Alois Alzheimer Center is very unique in what we offer for care. We are the best at what we do and there is really not another community like it. We are the only all dementia community with assisted living and nursing and we specialize in outward behaviors. Transfer trauma is the biggest thing that I see when admitting a loved one. Even from just their home environment, there is a lot of adjustments to consider because of the disease process. So add on top of that a failed move in at another community with possible hospital stays, etc. It is really very important to consider placing your loved one into a community with a lot of experience and training.
 
Do you have a funny story about your work? How do you make your work day meaningful or inspirational? Just taking a walk around the community is meaningful to remind myself why I do this. There are so many funny stories…I remember a resident who found comfort in a baby doll (she was a mom and grandma of many). She was very sweet and took good care of her “baby”, even dressing her up in baby bonnets. One day I found her singing to her baby and it was just so sweet. I asked her “How is your baby today?” She looked up at me without missing a beat and said “It’s just a doll, you idiot!” Hahahahaha- we both laughed pretty hard and she wasn’t sure what she was laughing at after a while ;)
 
Tell us about yourself and family: I am from Cincinnati’s west side originally, but now live with my hubby Al in Eden Park- we love it. I have one son, 2 bonus daughters and 1 bonus grandson! They are all good lookin kids and they keep us hopping. I am pretty adventurous and go cage diving with Great White Sharks every fall 260 miles off the coast of Mexico. I love music of all genres, hiking and water just about everywhere. I also love to cook and go out to eat! As far as other involvement, I am also in The Giving Voice Collaborative and serve on THEIR advocacy team!
 
Any additional information you would like to share? I am a published author of curated articles in The Women’s Alzheimer’s Movement and The Sunday Paper, both run by Maria Shriver’s media company where I serve as one of her ambassadors. I have met her and have been to her offices in LA and was on The Today Show in October 2019 as her special guest. She is my celebrity inspiration!