Episode 35 With Carol Shaw Burns

Carol Shaw Burns,has over 25 years of experience within the aging services field. In addition to being a newly minted Ph.D in Human Services, Carol is also a Licensed Nursing Home Administrator (LNHA) in the state of Illinois and a Certified Dementia Practitioner (CDP) through the National Council of Certified Dementia Practitioners.  Carol shares how being raised by Jamaican parents set the tone for how she would approach life and succeed. They ingrained in her that she must always finish what she starts, give it 100% of your attention, and to always shoot for new heights. "Keep Going" was their constant mantra.  As an Administrative Gerontologist, Carol has been exposed to every area of the Long Term Care arena.  Carol is also an active and committed volunteer for The Alzheimer's Association and spends time with support groups, along with helping the organization to meet a variety of other critical volunteer c needs.  She is open and eager to share her many gifts and the knowledge she has garnered in her work. When asked what brings her the most joy in her day to day work on behalf of seniors, Carol readily answers "ensuring that the resources needed for both the senior and the caregiver are shared. Awareness of what services are available can make a huge difference. Caregivers need attention and care, also."  Carol shares what her 10 year journey to attaining her Ph.D in Human Services entailed and how it culminated in her dissertation "Assisted Living Transition: Experiences of Family Members of Older African American Women."  This seminal work explored the perceptions and insights of family member caregivers during the transition of their aging loved one from home to an assisted living facility. Because she still remembers the words of her parents to keep striving, Carol would like her encore experiences to include educating the public, along with physicians and all those connected to the care of elders, about the findings in her dissertation so that the community of elders and caregivers are better served.  She would also like to begin participating in more speaking engagements, along with mentoring and encouraging students to consider establishing careers in gerontology and elder care. Her words of counsel to African American women age 50+ -- never give up on your dreams and really take your self-care seriously.Carol can be reached via her email csburns.cb@gmail.com  Also, she is on LinkedIn as Carol Shaw Burns.