Background
About Me
Because of the strong, positive relationships I had with my grandparents, I’ve always admired and adored elders. And I wanted to be a writer for as long as I can remember. Through my college years, I soaked up every creative writing course, loved American literature, and enjoyed my experience as editor in chief of the campus paper. But I also loved the four years of volunteering I did at a local assisted living community.
As my love for the elder population grew, I realized something: I wanted to use my writing abilities for more practical purposes. Writing about older adults would be my dream job.
After I graduated, I worked in several retirement communities and assisted living homes in Pennsylvania and Maryland. Most of my work was in activities, events planning, volunteer management, newsletter production, and internal communications. But when you work in health care, you often find yourself doing more than what your on-paper job description says. More than once, I drove residents to medical appointments, talked to family members about their loved one’s care needs, gave tours of the community, and provided direct personal care.
All of these experiences were incredibly valuable in shaping my view of the elder care world: family caregiving and all the dynamics that entails, professional caregiver training (or lack thereof), the ins and outs and ups and downs of senior living operations and management, the need for quality resident care advocacy, and much more. I saw the need for drastic change and creative vision at a systems level, and I set out to do what I could to meet that need.
After a few years of graduate level classes in public health and healthcare administration, I made the tough decision to suspend my pursuit of an advanced degree. Soon after, I accepted a position as the Public Policy Coordinator for the Pennsylvania chapters of the Alzheimer’s Association.
During my time in that eye-opening role, I also moved into the role of long-distance caregiver. My beloved grandfather was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and declined quickly. We cared for him at home, with the support of hospice and home care services, until he passed away in 2009.
Several years later, my beloved grandmother suffered several strokes, which made independent living at home a challenge. I partnered with my mother, her primary caregiver, to provide the best care possible — both at home and eventually in a personal care community. She passed away in 2017.
They are the reason I do this work. They are the reason I love this work. They are the reason I want to help others find conversation, connection, and compassion while caregiving.
Want to work together? Contact me
Résumé
Professional Experience and Education
“We work to become, not to acquire.” – Elbert Hubbard
SUMMARY OF QUALIFICATIONS
- JASPER (Job Assets & Strengths Profiler) Test Results: Type 5, Advocate — innovative, agreeable, multi-tasking & independent
- Proficient in Salesforce, Microsoft Office, Kintera/Blackbaud, WordPress, HootSuite, and TweetDeck
- Published in AgingWell magazine: http://www.agingwellmag.com/archive/110909p18.shtml
- LinkedIn Profile: http://www.linkedin.com/pub/michelle-seitzer/4/862/a0b
- August 1997 – May 2001: Eastern University, St. Davids, PA (www.eastern.edu)
Bachelor of Arts in English, Cum Laude
Received Dorothy McCollum Seibert Award for Most Consistent Performance in Creative Writing (2001)
Editor-in-Chief of campus newspaper (2000-2001)
Writing tutor at campus writing center (1998-2001)
Research Assistant for Theatre Project (2000)
Teacher’s Assistant for first-year composition class (1999) - August 2002 – May 2003: East Stroudsburg University, East Stroudsburg,
PA (www.esu.edu)
Worked on Masters of Public Health (12 credits completed, 4.0 GPA)
Assisted Head of Health Department on research project re: rural public health
infrastructure in PA (2003) - August 2003 – May 2005: The George Washington University, Washington, DC (www.gwu.edu)
Worked on Masters of Health Services Administration in Long Term Care Management (12 credits completed, 3.7 GPA)
Served on APHA National Student Assembly Advisory Board & Newsletter Committee Chair (2003-2005) - Write articles for site on as-needed basis
- Complete tasks and projects as assigned for private healthcare consulting firm
- Wrote 25 blog posts and articles on caregiving for the site; promoted the company’s Family Portal resource and shared content on a weekly basis via social media
- Write and pitch articles for mobility sales company
- Write up to 5 articles per week for baby boomer-focused site
- On monthly retainer for editing, proofreading, and writing services
- Write approximately 50 posts per month on baby boomer/senior issues (and other features/projects assigned by Editorial Director)
- Update Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and StumbleUpon accounts every weekday to further promote blog & co-moderate bi-weekly #eldercarechat
- Published on US News & World Report.com: http://health.usnews.com/health-news/best-
nursinghomes/articles/2010/08/25/retirement-20-what-you-should-know-about-the-future-of-retirement.html - Called new prospects
- Followed up with active accounts
- Assisted with marketing efforts for company
- Updated Salesforce records
- Monitored, researched, and analyzed legislation pertaining to persons with
Alzheimer’s/dementia & their caregivers - Recruited, supervised & coordinated network of advocates/volunteers for grassroots advocacy activities
- Created/executed advocacy campaigns, wrote position papers & other documents for PA General Assembly/ advocates
- Submitted language that was included in final state regulations on assisted living (now in PA code)
Communications Coordinator
October 2003 – September 2006: Mercy Ridge Retirement Community,
Timonium, MD (www.mercyridge.com)- Planned & executed set-up of first computer lab at facility; instituted computer course offerings
- Liaison for/coordinator of resident enrichment programs (e.g. educational courses, choral group and guest lecturers)
- Designed, edited, produced & distributed monthly newsletter, weekly newsletter and in-house marketing publications
Junior Board Member, YWCA of York (http://www.ywcayork.org/about-us/board-of-directors/junior-board-of-directors/)
February 2010 to present, Halloween Parade Committee Chair, Bylaws Committee Member, Sexual Assault Awareness Committee, Communications Committee
EDUCATION
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Contributing Blogger
September 2012 to present: Care.com, Telecommute
(www.care.com)
Writer/Research Assistant
March 2012 to present: Splaine Consulting, Telecommute
Contributing Blogger & Social Media Consultant
February 2012 – July 2012: Senior Care Society,
Telecommute (www.seniorcaresociety.com)
Blogger
September 2011 – Present: 101 Mobility, Telecommute (www.101mobility.com)
Contributing Writer
April 2011 – December 2011: Boomerater, Telecommute (www.boomerater.com)
Editorial Team Member
March 2011 – Present: Gina LaGuardia Editorial Services (www.ginalaguardia.com)
Senior Blogger & Social Media Consultant
November 2008 – Present: Seniors for Living,
Telecommute (www.seniorsforliving.com)
Sales Consultant
February 2010 – October 2010: SpectiCast, Telecommute (www.specticast.com)
Public Policy Coordinator
March 2007 – February 2010: Alzheimer’s Association, Harrisburg,
PA (www.alz.org/pa)