We fill the gap between traditional caregiving, and creating genuine social connection. Our professional team brings meaning to your loved one’s life — as well as better health and well-being — through friendship and companionship. When you can’t be there, we’re here to support your aged loved one with focused attention, interesting conversation, and engaging activities.

Visits are entirely custom and personalized, so aside from the core component — one-on-one conversation — it will be different for each client. Sometimes we combine an activity with our chat, such as taking a walk outdoors, discussing news articles, doing a jigsaw puzzle, creating scrapbooks together, or playing card games. We tailor each visit to the individual’s interests, and we follow her or his lead for discussion. Many clients enjoy reminiscing and sharing details of their past. This often results in feelings of connection and joy, stress relief, and renewed meaning. We are uniquely qualified to empathically listen, ask meaningful questions, and provide emotional support. While we are comfortable hearing stories of sadness, regret, loss, and longing, we also open the door for more upbeat conversation and humor as much as possible. The goal is for each visit to be stimulating, engaging, and uplifting.

A traditional caregiver’s focus is on helping a client with physical and/or functional impairments with basic tasks like bathing, getting dressed, making meals, managing their medication and so on. What’s often missing from this equation is deep, purposeful listening, friendship, and focused attention. In some cases, the caregiver is the partner or adult child of the elderly individual, which takes great personal sacrifice. It’s hard to always be available and to have the time or energy to provide a truly listening ear. This is where we come in to provide engagement and support.

Perhaps your loved one has recently moved or lost a loved one of their own and is struggling. This is the perfect time to call in the reinforcements with Conversation & Company! A regular check-in with a friendly, non-judgmental confidante is one of the best ways to lift your loved one’s spirits and help combat his or her loneliness. We bring a listening ear and compassionate presence to not only help alleviate your loved one’s distress but also to empower him or her with ideas and resources to get through a particularly difficult period. It’s been our experience that having something to look forward to plus connectivity to another helps people move in a more positive, hopeful direction.

Our core mission is to help older adults end the devastating cycle of isolation and loneliness. It’s not uncommon for older adults to experience sadness, feelings of disconnect, grumpiness, or general melancholy for many reasons. Conversation & Company wants to know all — we’re genuinely passionate about connecting with and learning from the older generation. A feeling of purpose and value is one of the best ways to overcome negative feelings and find hope and renewal.

YES. Countless studies prove that social connection enhances longevity, bolsters cognition, improves health and contributes to a much higher life satisfaction. Social isolation is a burden on individuals, families, and communities. Your loved one and all elders are NOT burdens. They are people with rich histories, knowledge, and opinions that we genuinely love learning more about. We are here to help shift the tide for our clients, one conversation at a time.

Thanks to our combined backgrounds as a therapist and gerontologist, the skills we employ at every visit reflect the best of any therapeutic session: active, empathic listening that’s attuned to both verbal and nonverbal messages. We are open and accepting, and make sure to reflect back what is said for clarity. Our work is all about developing strong, trusting connections.

Unlike therapy, there is no assessment, evaluation, diagnosis, or mental health treatment. Additionally, the therapeutic process consists of helping the patient build awareness of internal states and modifying dysfunctional beliefs and behavioral patterns. We help older adults recognize what they are feeling and why, but there is no processing and changing of core beliefs or behavior. Finally, should the client ask and show interest, we will share details about our lives – which wouldn’t be the case in a formal psychotherapy relationship. Again, this is a reciprocal relationship where information is shared and real, and interpersonal connection is fostered.