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| VOLUME 7 | ISSUE 1
CASTLE MAVEN LEVERAGES WEB TO SIMPLIFY SOLUTIONS FOR AGING IN PLACE Do you have aging parents? Have you made plans for your own retirement? Considering home care? These are all scenarios we will have to think about, if not for us then for our loved ones. Where do we begin? Navigating the internet for products, services is daunting and time consuming. Castle Maven ( https://castlemaven.com ), a new company will simplify the process of “aging in place.” One website will give you answers and resources for your questions. Aging in place is defined as living in one’s own home and community safely, independently, and comfortably as they age, regardless of income, or ability level. The Founder of Castle Maven is Darlene Pidgeon, dual degree of Registered Nurse and MBA. Pidgeon states that “Castle Maven is an aggregated web-based platform comprised of companies that provide products, services, and information for seniors who choose to age in place, who are undergoing post-operative care and/or rehabilitative care delivered at home. Through my research, I discovered that people who tried to coordinate care for themselves or their parents were often inundated with too much information across multiple sources. I believe there is a better way to help people.” Pidgeon goes on to say that “many seniors are opting to age in place and the number one concern is safety; so, a very thorough assessment of the home must be completed at the outset to ensure that the level of safety is maintained at all times. I used my background both in nursing and business to determine what categories were going to be the most helpful for seniors and their caregivers. For instance, if a walker will be used in the home, does the current f looring need to be changed to a slip-resistant, smooth surface or a low-plush pile carpet? Or, if a wheelchair will be used, do the counter tops need to be height-adjusted? Are the doors wide enough or is there a ramp that needs to be added to any egress area? Those questions can be addressed by vendors on our Home Modification/Construction page. Pidgeon explained her innovative company, “Castle Maven bridges the gap between the processes and cost of high-touch care coordination and institutional care. The platform is designed to help those who prefer a self-directed approach to coordinating care at home for their aging parents or even planning care for themselves. Aging in place can help lower the fixed cost of care for patients, their families, governments, and insurance programs. A number of healthcare services can be provided at home through tele-visits, visiting physicians, nurses, and other providers and much of it may be covered by insurance.” The cornerstone features of Castle Maven’s platform are efficiency and simplicity. Pidgeon has taken her Nursing experience as a Discharge Planner/Case Manager and did the heavy lifting. She has identified and aggregated the most relevant resources in the senior services and healthcare products metaverse. The platform is easy to navigate and comprehensive in that it also includes an Aging in Place checklist and resource page for family caregivers. “Seniors hold a very special place in my heart. When I did clinical nursing, they were my favorite population to take care of. They have made immense contributions to the generations that follow, they have forged new frontiers, they are repositories of history, custodians of cultural values, and guardians of generational legacies. Our seniors have challenged us to make the world a better place now and for the next LOCAL NEWS | LocalUmbrellaNews.com
Aging in Place Simplified, On-Demand
www. Castlemaven.com Empowering Seniors to Age In Place with Products, Services, & Information generation. As an ongoing tribute to the seniors in our communities and beyond, the concept of Castle Maven was born to empower our older population to age in place, in their own terms and with dignity.” Pidgeon explained. Pidgeon added that “growing up, my parents told me that they never want to go to a nursing home and that it was not an option for them. I was taught the importance taking care of our parents and being an advocate for them. But, caring for one’s parents isn’t limited to that of a primary caregiver, the obligation to care for parents can be met simply by coordinating the care.” Pidgeon emphasized. “Between my upbringing, educational background, professional experience, love of technology and business, Castle Maven was destined to happen,” Across the United States and locally in San Diego County, the growth in the number and proportion of aging adults over the age of 65 has hit new and unprecedented levels in our history, according to San Diego County’s Health & Human Services Agency. San Diego County, California and the U.S. has more seniors than at any time in history. It is estimated that 10,000 people per day reach the age of 65 in the U.S., a figure expected to rise in the coming years. Two main factors—longer life spans and aging baby boomers—will “combine to double the population of Americans aged 65 years or older during the next 25 years to about 72 million. By 2030, older adults will account for roughly 20% of the U.S. population,” according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The exponential growth of the graying of America has created an urgent need for reimagining health care and brings new challenges to help this generation, La Jolla-based West Health Foundation says. The San Diego Seniors Community Foun/LocalUmbrellaMedia
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dation says that connection through technology programs bridges the digital divide for many seniors. Castle Maven is the technological bridge that will enhance healthcare delivery options. The following products, services, and information are on https://castlemaven.com. Telemedicine & Care Medical Equipment & Supplies Home Modification/Construction Real Estate/Relocation Moving and Storage Home Monitoring Mortgage, Banking, and Investment Senior Legal Service Medicare Information Home, Health & Life Insurance Pharmacies Prepared Meals Tech Support Hearing, Vision & Other Services. Blog Caregivers Corner Darlene Pidgeon is a Registered Nurse and has direct patient care experience in the areas of Medical/Surgical, Oncology, Neurology, Pulmonary, Orthopedics, and Discharge Planning. She was a Case Manager for a national managed care company with approximately 15 million members in 15 states. Most recently she was a Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A) Advisor specializing in the Healthcare/ Health Sciences sector. In addition to a degree in Nursing, Pidgeon has a Bachelor of Science in Business and Management from the University of Redlands and holds an MBA, Cum Laude, from Rutgers University; she is a member of the Women in Technology International (WITI), the National Association of Women MBAs (NAWMBA), a member of the Rutgers Alumni Association, and the 10th House/Female Founder Collective co-founded by Designer Rebecca Minkoff. ADVERTISE | Press@LocalUmbrella.com
