Today we’d like to introduce you to Lee Mohler and Robin Andrews Smith. They and their team shared their story with us below:
This story is about Robin Andrews Smith and Lee Mohler.
Co-founders of You & Me Aging and Dementia Coaching.
Robin and Lee met in 2007 while working for the Arbor company, an Atlanta-based senior living group.
Robin took over Lee’s role as Senior Care Counselor in the Decatur community as Lee was transferring to a new building opening in Alpharetta.
Their passion for supporting families transitioning to assisted living was mutual and kindled an instant friendship.
For seven years, Lee and Robin collaborated often about how to improve experiences for residents living with dementia and how to further help the families supporting them.
During that time, the Arbor Company contracted with dementia educator Teepa Snow to provide staff training and family education.
In 2013, they joined Teepa Snow as founding developers of Positive Approach to Care and launched its international caregiving certification program.
Robin and Lee continued their advocacy efforts on behalf of families, establishing their own businesses and merging them into You & Me Aging and Dementia Coaching in 2020.
This was a pandemic blessing as the shutdown was a frightening time for families suddenly separated from their loved ones in assisted living.
We were so grateful to be established as a company and jumped quickly into coaching families through the caregiving challenges and emotional upset of assisted living lockdowns that year.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Yes. It has been a smooth but adventure-filled road as we learned the technical requirements of running an online business.
Laughter is truly the best medicine. It helped us work through the stress of our learning curve.
We highly encourage small-business owners to purchase a “screaming goat.” It’s a small toy we keep on our desks, and in desperate moments one of us will set the goat bleating. This almost always snaps us out of discomfort, and into laughter. It’s a great cue to pause for a snack or walk break to reset ourselves.
We had no idea the amount of administrative time it would take for us to step fully into the digital world of online coaching, content creation, and establishing a social media presence so families desiring emotional and relational support could find us.
Diagnosis of Alzheimer’s, Lewy Body Dementia, Congestive Heart Failure, COPD, and Parkinson’s disease, for example, can go on for years and deeply impact family function. Chronic conditions like these create mild to severe cognitive impairments that force change in relationships and in time require physical or companion caregiving.
We coach these family transitions and how to make healthy positive adjustments. Coaching is not therapy. It is skill-building and requires reflection and time.
A critical skill for primary caregivers is the practice of turning some of their attention away from tasks and to-do’s and investing it in their own emotional literacy for coping with change and loss.
New language skills are also imperative for those who want better communication and less conflict while caregiving a loved one with dementia or aphasia.
We believe that the caregiving journey is not just about managing symptoms of illness; but more importantly, it’s about striving to preserve dignity and well-being for everyone involved.
Coaching families to think strategically empowers them to not only take care of logistics but also to focus on creating competence and connection with their loved ones no matter the stage of disease.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
We guide and coach families on how to manage themselves through aging and/or dementia-related challenges.
We are known for coaching families past the emotional and relational stressors that get in the way of decision-making, lifestyle change, and the personal health and well-being of caregivers.
What sets us apart is our focus on interpersonal skills that alleviate stress even when behavior or difficult circumstances may be slow to change.
We teach families how to take control of what they can by:
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Paying attention to anxiety-producing thoughts
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Processing painful energy-draining emotion
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Practicing easy-to-understand words and phrases that improve communication when stress is high.
These are quick and effective tools that give clarity and confidence. The person feels better prepared to make thoughtful decisions in stressful moments and control unhealthy reactions that strain the relationship with the person they are caring for.
We are most proud of the success rate of our clients transitioning to assisted living.
When there is a commitment from the family, 100% of the time, no matter the obstacles, we have been able to help our clients achieve their goals without the stress and anxiety they expected.
Alright so before we go can you talk to us a bit about how people can work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
Our website offers a blog, complimentary consults, private transitions coaching, and online courses that will keep relationships thriving and caregiver endurance strong.
Additionally, our online platform allows us to create affiliate commission-earning partnerships with placement agencies and other aging professionals who want to refer clients to our educational courses or coaching services.
And coming soon in 2024… we are thrilled to launch our first Group Coaching Support Program for spouses or couples living with a dementia-related illness. This comprehensive Marriage & Dementia program will offer weekly zoom coaching, video education, and community connection. Spots are limited so be sure to email coaching@youandmeaging.com to learn more.
Contact Info:
- Website: Youandmeaging.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/
youandmeaging/ - Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/
youandmeaging/ - Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/
company/you-me-positive-aging- programs/ - Other: https://www.youandmeaging.com/
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