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Spring 2000 Info-Age, Vol. 5, No. 1
Working Together to Serve Elders
Janet Smith and Jim Gorman met in the mid-1980s and
married in the early 1990s. While they shared vital
interests and values, their work lives ran on separate tracks.
Jim had done his graduate work in Urban Studies, while
Janet was an attorney who specialized in worker’s
compensation. Today, they are working together to serve
elders. Jim became interested in gerontology in 1988
when, like many others who are drawn to gerontology, a
family member (in this case, his mother) began to
experience difficulties associated with dementia. By the
time Jim started the CPG in 1995, he was working as a
Case Manager for a Guardianship firm in Seattle. His goal
at the beginning of the program was to prepare himself for
increasingly responsible administrative positions in
eldercare. However, Janet urged him to combine his CPG
Certificate and his unique gift for caregiving to provide
more personalized services to elders and their families. As
a result, in 1997, he started Elder Care Solutions, a firm
that specializes in geriatric care management.
Janet’s early moral support transitioned to administrative
support as Jim’s business grew. Currently, she works
only three days a week as an attorney and spends the
remainder of her time writing reports and managing a
variety of tasks for the business. This, too, is likely to
change soon. Janet enrolled in the CPG Winter Quarter of
1999 and is one of this year’s graduates. After 15 years of
litigation with some time off for a successful mysterywriting
career, she has found a career that provides both
challenges and personal rewards. She will soon be a fulltime
participant in Elder Care Solutions.
Jim and Janet consider the CPG to have contributed
significantly to the new directions in their professional
lives. The program has definitely provided important
skills. While Jim came to the program with an extensive
background in eldercare, Janet’s experience in the field was
based mostly on her observation of Jim’s work. Yet, both
found the courses challenging and flexible, providing
learning opportunities unique to each of their needs. They
encourage others—family-members, caregivers, and
practitioners—to enroll in the CPG because of the personal
as well as professional benefits that can be gained.
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multidisciplinary
gerontology education (now by distance learning) 