Joy Lovinger

In 2000, Joy Lovinger faced a difficult dilemma: continue to take care of her Alzheimer’s-stricken mother in her own home or try to find a facility nearby that could provide the kind of care she knew her mother needed.

After much painstaking research – and some trial and error – she finally found the right care her mother needed. It was a life-changing experience that made her want to do more for others in that same position, and it set her on a new career path.

Joy earned her Gerontology Certification from Sonoma State University and has worked as the marketing director for a large assisted living facility in Northern California. She became certified in Senior Peer Counseling in 2005 and later a certified RCFE Administrator.

Joy holds a certificate from National Certification for Dementia Care Practitioners and has received training from the Alzheimer’s Association to facilitate support groups. In addition, she has earned a certificate for completing a course in Complementary and Integrative Health. She is a member of the Jewish Community Center’s Friendship Circle Advisory Council and a co-chair of the Petaluma Senior Care Connection Resource Group. In addition, she works closely with Compassionate Senior Solutions, a senior placement agency that services Los Angeles. For six years, Joy served as a member of the Sonoma County Area Aging Advisory Council. A former volunteer at Alzheimer’s Walk, Joy continues to donate to the Walk every year.

NOTE: For those who are not actively seeking a new home for their loved one, but are simply seeking more info on the placement process or on how to start their own care home, Joy also offers professional consultation services that are billed at an hourly rate.