We both have had the honor of caring for affluent people

If you have cared for elderly parents, you know that they often need protection —  from falls, malnutrition, car accidents, getting lost, etc.. They need protection from doctors prescribing layers of medication, each drug causing new problems; nursing homes charging exorbitant fees while providing “institutional” care; hospitals seizing control in the final days of life — probing, manipulating and waking patients from needed sleep until they perish. We could write a book about it.

In Glenn’s case, his father had dementia for 7 years and mother had cancer for 2 years. Each of those struggles presented new challenges — keeping them happy and full of hope, keeping them alive for as long as possible.

Caring for the wealthy presents unique challenges. As you might expect, caretakers need to be constantly on guard for financial manipulators — relatives, friends and strangers — people whose primary motivation is financial. Wealthy people don’t know who to trust. You alsop need to walk the line between allowing them the freedom to spend their money while keeping them out of situations where people can take advantage of them.

We’re interested in true wealth. Whether rich or poor, able-bodied or disabled, we all need real care and connection.We need purpose and passion.We need so much more than our money could ever buy.

In our busy retirement, we split our time between homes in California and our 40-foot yacht in the Naples area, where we have a special needs son named Gavin. Glenn is Chairman of the Board for a non-profit called Climate Unbound, and he still works part-time in the executive development industry. Joanne focuses on taking care of everyone in her orbit.

We receive no compensation from the non-profits that we support. Our reward is the joy that we gain from making new friends while supporting worthy causes. If you’re a non-profit leader in the Naples area, or a donor who would like to remain anonynmous, we’d love to get to know you.