Testimonials
"I have known and worked with Melanie Maynor, the owner of Aging Gracefully, for several years. In addition to really being excellent at what she does, it is clear that Melanie genuinely cares for her clients. Melanie’s educational background (WashU masters) and professional experience (10+ years as owner of Aging Gracefully, many more in similar field) meld seamlessly with her natural ability to relate to aging adults and their families. Aging Gracefully has grown over the past several years and with good reason. Each member of her team is compassionate, competent, and able to handle care related challenges. In addition to working with Melanie, I have also worked with Deborah. I would highly recommend calling Aging Gracefully."
-Client Family
In all of my years in the ER, Melanie Maynor is the most knowledgeable and attentive care manager I’ve seen.
St. Louis Area Emergency Room Doctor
In all of my years in the ER, Melanie Maynor is the most knowledgeable and attentive care manager I’ve seen.
St. Louis Area Emergency Room Doctor
Deborah, a social worker for Aging Gracefully, has a compassionate, take charge nature that comforts clients during seasons of transition and change. She is a true companion to those she serves, optimizing their quality of life and comfort. Deborah has the sensitivity and passion needed to see the needs of others and the gifts to assist them physically, emotionally and spiritually.
-Client Family
Ashley Cade is someone everyone could use! She has helped us declutter years of “stuff” from our senior family member’s home to make it livable and safe. This has taken lots of hard work and good humor, as well as sensitive coordination with caregivers to ensure our senior was not unnecessarily upset with the process. Ashley finds clever and cost effective ways to dispose of things and no job seems to be too hard to tackle. Working alongside Melanie Maynor, Ashley and Melanie are a great team and we could not do without them!
-Client Family
Easter Sunday, 2019
Helping your aging father mourn the death of his wife of 70 years, move from the independence of a beloved home, and take up residence in an assisted living center is both a heartfelt duty and a challenge for his daughter and son who live and work hundreds of miles away. “With all these profound changes in our father’s life, we did not want to add an additional burden of moving halfway across the country to a community where dad had no associations,” his son commented. “It’s very hard not living close to dad where we can be part of his life.”
If we cannot be present, Melanie and her staff at Aging Gracefully can be. At each place along the way of our family’s recent journey, mother’s dying, leaving home and finding a new one, Melanie has accompanied dad and us. These are emotional, complicated and uncertain times for our family. Melanie has helped us navigate at all levels through these passages.
Because she has seen us through so much, Melanie is very helpful with our father to connect where he is now to where he has been. Melanie and her staff visit dad regularly, at least weekly, if not more. They sit with dad and look through a family photo album listening to him tell the stories of his life. Dad likes to take drives through neighborhoods where our family once lived or go out to a favorite restaurant for lunch. Recently, Melanie sent us a ‘selfie’ of dad and her working out on exercise machine. “We did a 10 minute bike race. And, he is so happy it’s baseball season. We have all the games and stations on the tv, written on the fridge.” Melanie and her staff understand the importance of continuity in our father’s life.
And because they are attuned with the routine of our dad’s days, they notice when there are concerns that need addressing; a hearing aid that isn’t working, a change in the dining room. They easily make the accommodations, and they keep us informed with a call or email.
We know that Melanie and Ashley care about our father. We deeply appreciate their professionalism and the responsibility they take for our father’s care. But more than that we know when Melanie writes, “Thanks for trusting me with your father. I love him to pieces,” she’s truthful. They want the best for our father and for us, and do whatever is necessary to help dad age with grace and dignity.
We are very grateful, and honestly don’t know how we would have managed through these difficult times without their support, knowledge, experience and care.
-Client Family
Every once in a while you meet a person who is doing exactly what they were designed to do as a profession. Melanie Maynor is one of those people. I have referred several families to her who are overwhelmed with the care of an aging loved one. Melanie has a tender thoughtfulness that pours out to the aging, an excellent understanding of their unique emotional, relational and spiritual needs, as well as an incredible awareness of the resources available. The families who work with her experience a compassion that bolsters dignity and a playfulness that finds beauty in almost any situation. Every family I know who have worked with her have reported an increased quality of life for their loved one and for themselves. I hold her in the highest esteem as she has been wise, supportive and gracious as my wife and I have been navigating transitioning my parents from a home that was overwhelming to them and us, to an Assisted Living facility where we can again enjoy more of our time together as a family.
-Client Family
I have worked with Melanie Maynor and Aging Gracefully for several years now. My mother was diagnosed with Lewy Body Dementia, similar to Alzheimer’s and she wanted to stay in the community where she had lived for over 40 years and where all her friends were. Unfortunately I live on the west coast and the only way I felt I could honor her desire was to find someone “on the ground” who could take care of her and keep tabs on the care being provided by the assisted living facility that she moved in to.
Melanie has been a godsend. Without her I would have had to move Mom to the west coast where she would know no one but me. Because of Melanie she has been able to stay in St. Louis where her friends visit her and she can be in familiar surroundings.
Here are some of the services that I especially appreciate:
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Melanie takes Mom to all her doctor’s appointments, makes follow up appointments, and keeps an eye on her general health and requests the assisted living facility to check on issues that seem to need attention
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Melanie arranges little gatherings for Mom’s friends on special occasions such as her birthday or when I come to visit
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Melanie meets on a regular basis with the staff and specialists at Mom’s assisted care facility, such as the physical therapist, the on-call physician, Mom’s care manager, the memory unit executive director, etc. She keeps me updated on these meetings and included me by conference call when appropriate.
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Melanie takes Mom out on rides through her old neighborhood and takes her to lunch at familiar places. Sometimes she brings lunch back to the assisted living facility. She has tailored the outings as Mom’s dementia has gotten worse. She makes sure Mom gets out of the facility on a regular basis.
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Melanie keeps an eye on things, such as whether Mom’s laundry is getting done, whether her Depends are disappearing at a faster rate than expected, whether she is eating and drinking.
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She helps Mom make phone calls to me, since Mom can no longer dial herself.
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She keeps meticulous records and her monthly bills summarize what they do together like a little diary. She keeps in constant touch by email, phone or instant messaging.
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When Mom has had to go to the Emergency Room, she has met her there and stayed with her, while contacting me or my brother to determine if one of us needs to come out to care for my mother in the hospital if she is admitted.
In short, I fully trust Melanie and rely on her. Her service has been excellent. Melanie has enabled my mother to live out her life in a way that fulfills her wishes.
-Client Family
Aging Gracefully makes the decisions about how to best love your aging family member a joyful part of the journey of life. Melanie Maynor is intentional and wise, speaks truth in a way that is easy to hear, and she becomes part of the family. Over and over again, she delivers individualized care that honors the individuals and respects the families she serves. Melanie brings all of the skill and resources of a social worker, the love of a mother, daughter, sister and friend, the wisdom that comes from much life experience and she makes difficult decisions easier to navigate. She is funny, too…and sometimes laughter IS the best medicine. The world needs more of Melanie and what she brings to the families she loves.
-Client Family
We were in a bind. Our beloved Aunt Faye was in her late 80’s. Always a very independent and private person, she was still drove her car and still lived alone in her sprawling suburban home. She had outlived her husband by two decades and all of her siblings; she had no children. It was now evident that the aging process was catching up with Aunt Faye rapidly and it was time for changes. My brother and I, her nephews, were her caretakers here in St. Louis but we both had full time jobs and families of our own. We were worried. We did not have the skills or time to transition her on our own but it was very unlikely that Faye would trust any outsider enough to cooperate at this time of need. What to do?
After much prayer and searching, through a church acquaintance, I found Melanie Maynor and her company Aging Gracefully. With many years of experience, Melanie is skilled in all technical aspects of geriatric care management. For us, she located a wonderful nursing facility, continually visited Faye, checked up on the staff, and made sure my Aunt was cared for medically at all times. But it was really Melanie’s personal care that was so wonderful! She gave my brother and I a sense of calm and relief that our aunt was now in proper hands. But more than anything, the change she wrought in Faye was a miracle. My aunt just loved Melanie from the start and the relationship filled the last years of her life with added joy.
From arranging in home care, aiding with the move to the nursing facility, caring for Faye’s last hours of life, and guiding us through the funeral process, Melanie was always there with her wonderful positive attitude that relieved so much stress. Melanie’s focus is to maintain her client’s dignity and sense of independence for as long as possible. This goal really manifested itself in the loving care she gave our Aunt. We are very grateful to Melanie and Aging Gracefully.
-Client Family
I truly enjoy working with Aging Gracefully. When they referred a client to our community, they could not have been more compassionate and loving with the family, making a very difficult process move forward like it was a walk in the park. I was very impressed. I continue to refer people that could benefit from Care Management to Melanie Maynor and the Aging Gracefully team.
-Client Family
In 2018, it was clear that my brother and sister-in-law would be needing care management in the near future, a dilemma given they had no family living in STL. Aging Gracefully Founder Melanie Maynor came to the house and provided us with a comprehensive overview of services that would allow them to age in place as they wished. The following year, twenty-four hour care was initiated, first for my brother whose medical circumstances were critical, complex, and time-limited and then my sister-in-law whose have been disheartenedly progressive. Our case manager, Deborah Moll, has been invaluable in guiding us through this transition process. She is knowledgeable, respectful, responsive, creative, and tough as nails when needed to assure the best individualized care for my sister-in-law and provide the family with peace of mind.
-Client Family