About Assisted LivingAssisted living facilities offer housing and care for active seniors who may need support with activities of daily living, like bathing, dressing, and medication management.Complete guide to assisted livingBest of 2024 Assisted Living Winners
About Memory CareMemory care facilities provide housing, care, and therapies for seniors who have Alzheimer’s disease or other forms of dementia in an environment designed to reduce confusion and prevent wandering. Complete guide to memory careBest of 2024 Memory Care Winners
About Independent LivingIndependent living facilities offer convenient, hassle-free living in a social environment for seniors who are active, healthy, and able to live on their own.Complete guide to independent livingBest of 2024 Independent Living Winners
About Senior LivingSenior living is a term used to describe various housing and care options for older adults from maintenance-free, 55+ facilities for active seniors, to secure, fully staffed facilities for seniors with Alzheimer's or dementia. Complete guide to senior livingFind senior living facilities near you
About Nursing HomesNursing homes provide short-and long-term care for seniors who have physical or mental health conditions that require 24-hour nursing and personal care.Complete guide to Nursing Homes
About Senior ApartmentsSenior apartments offer accessible, no-frills living for seniors who are generally active, healthy, and able to live on their own.Complete guide to Senior Apartments
About Care HomesResidential care homes are shared neighborhood homes for seniors who need a live-in caregiver to assist with activities of daily living, like dressing and bathing.Complete guide to care homes
Veteran ResourcesVA benefits for long-term care, such as Aid and Attendance benefits, can help eligible veterans and their surviving spouses pay for senior care.Guide to VA benefits for long-term care
A Place for Mom

Expert Contributors

Creating practical, accessible content that helps seniors and caregivers make the best decisions about senior living is what we strive for at A Place for Mom. Our editorial team partners with a team of experts to ensure families have access to information that’s trustworthy and up to date. These highly-experienced professionals contribute their insights to topics ranging from senior living to health care, elder law, finance, caregiving, and more to ensure A Place for Mom content speaks to the full experience of aging seniors.

Our expert panelists

We’ve partnered with a select group of experts to develop content that speaks to the experiences of seniors and caregivers, and to offer expert advice to support families navigating senior care challenges.

Standouts in their fields, our panelists actively contribute to the broader understanding of senior living topics, both through their own work and their involvement in our content. Educators, researchers, speakers, and authors in their own right, they lend their wealth of experience and hands-on expertise to empower seniors and their families to make the best care decisions.

2024 Expert Panel Members
Photo of expert panelist Adria Thompson
Adria Thompson, Certified Dementia Practitioner
Owner of Be Light Care Consulting

Speech-language pathologist Adria Thompson is the owner of Be Light Care Consulting and specializes in creating easily digestible, accessible, and practical dementia content.

Photo of expert panelist Carol Bradley Bursack
Carol Bradley Bursack, NCCDP-certified dementia support group facilitator
Owner of Minding Our Elders

Author Carol Bradley Bursack spent two decades as a primary caregiver to seven elders and is also a newspaper columnist, blogger, and expert on aging.

Photo of expert panelist Dr. Erin Martinez
Erin Martinez, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Gerontology at Kansas State University

Dr. Erin Martinez is an associate professor of gerontology and director of the Center on Aging at Kansas State University, where she focuses on promoting optimal aging.

Photo of expert panelist Letha Sgritta McDowell
Letha McDowell, CELA, CAP
Managing Member at McDowell Law Group

Certified Elder Law Attorney Letha Sgritta McDowell is an elder law attorney and past president of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys.

Photo of expert panelist Niki Gewirtz
Niki Gewirtz, senior living expert
Senior New Hire Support Specialist at A Place for Mom

Niki Gewirtz is a senior new hire support specialist with A Place for Mom and has advised families for more than 20 years.

Photo of expert panelist Rachel Levy
Rachel Levy, BSW, MPH, senior living expert
Senior National Account Manager at A Place for Mom

Rachel Levy, BSW, MPH, and a senior national account manager at A Place for Mom, has worked in senior care for more than 20 years.

Our content reviewers

We work with senior care specialists, health care professionals, elder law attorneys, gerontologists, and other industry insiders to review our articles for accuracy and include valuable insights from their respective industries. A Place for Mom’s editorial team solicits their feedback based on decades of expertise in reviewing our content, ensuring it aligns with our experts’ professional experience.

Photo of content reviewer Amanda Lundberg
Amanda Lundberg, RN, family medicine expert
Founder of Locksley Content

Amanda Lundberg is a registered nurse with over 10 years of experience in clinical settings, working extensively with seniors and focusing on wellness and preventative care.

Photo of content reviewer Beth Wilkison
Beth Wilkison, senior living expert
Learning and Development Manager at A Place for Mom

Beth Wilkison is a manager at A Place for Mom and has worked in senior housing and health care for more than 35 years.

Photo of content reviewer Brooke Schmidt
Brooke Schmidt, RN, BSN
Registered Nurse

Brooke Schmidt is a registered nurse with over 10 years of clinical experience specializing in geriatrics and palliative care.

Denise Lettau, J.D., wealth management specialist
Wealth Management Specialist

Attorney Denise Lettau has over 15 years of experience in the wealth management industry.

Photo of content reviewer Jenni Barnett
Jenni Barnett, senior living expert
National Account Manager at A Place for Mom

Jenni Barnett is a national account manager at A Place for Mom and has worked in senior living since 2014.

Photo of content reviewer Jeni Wallace
Jeni Wallace, senior living expert
National Account Manager at A Place for Mom

Jeni Wallace is a national account manager at A Place for Mom with 16 years of experience in the senior living industry.

Photo of content reviewer Jordan McCoy
Jordan McCoy, LIMPH
Owner of McCoy Counseling and Training

Jordan McCoy is a Licensed Independent Mental Health Practitioner who is passionate about connecting with caregivers of seniors.

Photo of content reviewer Kyle Spender
Kyle Spender, senior living specialist
Learning and Development Specialist at A Place for Mom

Kyle Spender, a learning and development specialist with APFM, has a passion for education and 20 years of experience in senior living.

Photo of content reviewer Leslie Fuller
Leslie Fuller, LMSW, CDP
Owner of Inspired Senior Care

Leslie Fuller, a Licensed Master Social Worker and Certified Dementia Practitioner, is the owner of Inspired Senior Care.

Photo of content reviewer Lauri Grady
Lauri Grady, RN, BSN, CCM, CLCP
President at LBG Care Consulting

Lauri Grady, founder and president of LBG Care Consulting, has been a registered nurse for more than 30 years.

Photo of content reviewer Michael Ferraina
Michael Ferraina, home health care executive
Chief Growth Officer at AmeriBest Home Care

Michael Ferraina has 15+ years of home health care industry experience and focuses on growth strategies, business development, and team mentoring.

Photo of content reviewer Maureen Bradley
Maureen Bradley, senior care expert and former community director
Senior New Hire Support Specialist at A Place for Mom

Maureen Bradley, a specialist with A Place for Mom, has advised families on senior care for 20 years.

Photo of content reviewer Natalie May
Natalie May, senior living expert
Senior Living Advisor at A Place for Mom

Natalie May is a Senior Living Advisor at A Place for Mom with almost 30 years of experience in the senior care industry.

Photo of content reviewer Paul Flancbaum
Paul Flancbaum, senior living expert
Senior Living Advisor at A Place for Mom

Paul Flancbaum is a Senior Living Advisor at A Place for Mom who has helped more than 40,000 families find senior care over the last 16 years.

Photo of content reviewer Saul Chapnick
Saul Chapnick, MSW
Assisted Living Management Executive

Assisted living executive Saul Chapnick has extensive experience revitalizing distressed facilities and ensuring new ones start strong.

Photo of content reviewer Vicki Demirozu
Vicki Demirozu, home care expert
Owner of Giving Care with Grace

Vicki Demirozu is a 30-year veteran in the home care industry and founder of Giving Care with Grace, an educational platform aimed at improving the client and caregiver experience.