A Bit of History

The passion behind Senior Support Services was first conceived when the founder, Jeanna McElroy, was twelve years old. She was assigned to volunteer in a nursing home for a seventh grade community service project. There she was introduced to a woman named Ida. It was during her time spent with Ida that Jeanna’s enthusiasm for working with seniors was born. Ida looked forward to Jeanna’s visits and Jeanna was awed by the wisdom Ida shared with her. Ida quickly became one of Jeanna’s best friends and confidants and Jeanna visited regularly until her junior year in college when Ida passed away.

Ida’s Influence

Even after her passing, Ida’s influence in Jeanna’s life continued as she inspired Jeanna’s dedication to helping older adults improve their quality of life.

In fact, Jeanna’s first job was changing bed linens and serving water to residents in a nursing home. Next she moved on to serve seniors their meals in an assisted living facility. Then, during the summers of her college years, she worked as a caregiver providing hands on care to seniors in an assisted living facility. After her graduation, she worked in assisted living facilities and nursing homes in several capacities.

Even after deciding to stay home following the birth of her son, Jeanna’s desire to serve the elderly continued. It was then that she began serving as a volunteer guardian for seniors without family members, but she still wanted to do more. So in 2007, she helped a family friend find an assisted living facility for her mother-in-law.

The family expressed how advantageous it was to have someone helping them who had such an extensive knowledge of the inner workings of facilities and really knew the eldercare network. It was following this placement that the long conceived idea for Senior Support Services was finally realized.

Behind the Scenes at Senior Support Services

Jeanna McElroy graduated with honors from Wittenberg University with a degree in Sociology and Psychology. She earned her certification in Care Management from the National Academy of Accreditation for Care Management (NAACM). Jeanna is a member of the National Association of Professional Geriatric Care Managers (NAPGCM) and the Ohio Guardianship Association.

Jeanna has been working with seniors for over fifteen years. Prior to founding Senior Support Services in 2007, she worked in nursing homes and assisted living facilities. She worked in multiple capacities including:

• Director of Alzheimer’s and Dementia Care
• Social Services
• Director of Admissions
• Director of Marketing
• Direct Care Provider

My goal is to help people in the geriatric population and their families maintain the highest quality of life while remaining as independent as possible.”  – Jeanna McElroy