James Ciervo is the Regional Chapter Director (New York) of the Twilight Wish Foundation, a national organization that’s in the business of making older adults happy. On the show today, James talks about the range of wishes granted by the Foundation, from providing a stair lift or a hearing aid to an older adult to celebrating older veterans, granting LGBT senior wishes and fulfilling an older adult’s dream to fly in a fighter jet. A lifelong healthcare worker who specializes in senior therapeutic recreation, James also tells us how his early days as a hairdresser sparked his dedication to older adults—starting with an 84-year-old client he transported from her home to the salon—and how it led to his career at a nursing home where the residents have become like family. He tells us how a trip to Thailand influenced his views on American healthcare, how his mother’s cancer led to his working briefly with the American Cancer Society and about the loss of his partner and his mother, each of whom James is honoring by granting Twilight wishes on their behalf.
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Want to request or grant a wish for a senior? Click here: Twilight Wish Foundation.
Twilight Wish Foundation Headquarters: 215-230-8777.
Music: “I Can See Daylight Again” by Dlay | CC BY NC ND | Free Music Archives