Welcome to another meaningful Chicago North Shore Moms local spotlight! Ronda Parmacek’s dynamic and authentic presence is a blend of her warmth and deep love for family and adventure. The Highwood mom of three grown children and one grandbaby is a certified dementia specialist and advisor at Senior Living Specialists. There she gently guides families through the complexities of elder care with compassion and insight, all while embracing her own mantra, “Live life to the fullest,” a mantra she has learned through connecting with the very seniors she serves. Ronda seeks joy in every aspect of life, from the vibrant energy of Highwood to outdoor adventures in the mountains. Her passion for connection goes beyond her family, as she helps seniors find communities where they don’t just live, but can truly thrive. Get to know more about Ronda’s role at Senior Living Specialists and how she provides a pivotal connection for families going through the transition process. Welcome, Ronda!
Hi Ronda! Please introduce yourself.
My name is Ronda Parmacek. I work for Senior Living Specialists as a senior living concierge. I am most importantly a wife and a mother of three grown children, and, most recently, a grandmother. I had my first grandchild 2 years ago and we are expecting her sister in February.
I am originally from Morton Grove. I raised my family in Highland Park, then made a 3-year stint back down to the city when my youngest child left the nest. Now we are back in the suburbs in Highwood. It’s such a fun place to live. There are tons of restaurants and bars and there is always music playing everywhere.
Tell us about your children and grandchildren and feel free to brag!
I have a 32-year-old daughter Taylor who is married to my son-in-law, Ethan. They are the parents of my first grandchild. Taylor is the Vice President of a PR firm based out of New York. She just moved back to Deerfield, after being in NYC for the past 10 years, so we are thrilled to have her, Ethan and Rory (our granddaughter) near us. I feel like my family is reunited!
My son, Jake, is 30. He works in digital marketing. He lives in the city and he is so much fun; he has us laughing all the time. Having a fun personality is such an underrated trait! Life is so much better when you’re around him.
My daughter, Zoey, is 25 and lives in the city also. She works in the gaming industry. She is really artistic and has so many interests. I can’t keep up with all of them!
What are one or two fun tidbits about you?
I love to travel. Besides my family, traveling is my favorite thing in the world. I love seeing other cultures and experiencing other ways of life. Adventure is another thing I couldn’t live without. I recently came back from a week in Beaver Creek Colorado where I went hiking, did a 40 mile bike ride and learned how to downhill mountain bike. It was a blast!
My second fun tidbit is that I met my husband on a blind date. He held my hand the minute we met, and I knew that was it! I never dated anyone who was so confident. The fact that he could just grab my hand before I even knew anything about him, was surprising and sparked my interest.
Your mantra to live by is…
I know this is not original but……Live your life to the fullest! None of us knows how long we have on this earth. You have to appreciate every day and not put off what you can experience now. In my line of work, I talk to seniors all the time, and overwhelmingly the seniors who seem the most satisfied with their lives are those that used their lives to experience adventure, those that took risks and those who served others. Hearing all their stories on a daily basis has made me much more aware of the time I have on this earth and how I want to spend it.
Ronda Parmacek and husband.
Let’s get down to business! Please introduce Senior Living Specialists.
Senior Living Specialists has been serving families in Chicago for close to five years! We provide a complimentary service that helps families navigate the maze of finding the best senior living community for their loved one, be it independent living, assisted living and memory care options.
Navigating the options for senior living communities can be overwhelming for families. How do you at Senior Living Specialists streamline this process and provide personalized guidance to each family?
It is a very overwhelming process for the adult children and/or the senior themselves. Our job is passionately help alleviate some of that stress and worry. We begin by performing a needs assessment to learn more about an individual’s physical needs, emotional needs, their passions, as well as their desired geographic location and financial situation. We then refer the 2 or 3 most ideal communities that meet that family’s needs, wants and desires. We can assist in booking the tours and we also provide a list of personalized questions for each family so they can get clear and informed answers during the touring process.
After the family’s tour, we reconvene with the family. We want to be a sounding board for their thoughts and help guide them to make the best decision for themselves and their loved ones.
What are some common misconceptions families may have when considering senior living options, and how does your team work to address and clarify these misconceptions?
There are so many common misconceptions about senior living that it is hard to know where to start. Most common is that the perception that senior living communities are like the old Nursing Homes of yesteryear. In truth residents in today’s senior living communities enjoy robust activity, enjoy engagement and making new friends. Classes and activities at these communities can include chair yoga, musical programs, current events, games, art classes, lectures and even religious classes just to name a few. What we learned post Covid (when so many seniors were isolated) is that being connected to others is so very important to the health and wellbeing of our seniors. Today’s senior living communities know how important it is to create a full life with a sense of purpose.
My mother ( who passed 2 years ago) and my father ( who just passed this month) were at an assisted living community for over 7 years. I hand picked the community for them since this is what I do for a living. My parents were always social people. And being at this senior living community kept that part of their life available to them. They enjoyed playing Canasta, being in shows and musicals, and my dad had a regular poker game every week. They met so many friends there. If my parents had been home alone with a caregiver, they never would have been as happy or as busy with activities as they were at their assisted living community.
Given the diverse range of needs among seniors and their families, what are a few customized solutions that Senior Living Specialists offers?
We listen, gather the information of each and every client, and then streamline the search and choose the communities we refer to accordingly.
We also visit the communities we offer regularly. We know how that community is being run. We know all about their activities, their food service and most importantly what each community can handle medically. This way we never waste our clients’ time touring communities that don’t match their needs and wants.
How does Senior Living Specialists establish and maintain trust when connecting with families throughout the decision-making process?
We will take however long it requires to build trust with our clients from our first connection and then throughout the process of touring and deciding which community would best serve themselves and/or their loved ones needs. We further educate our clients that there is most often an adjustment period upon moving into a community, when the community needs to learn the likes and dislikes of the new resident and vice versa for our clients. If after a month or so, we still see there are bumps in the road, we may suggest and coordinate a care meeting between the family and the community to discuss and solve any issues they may be having.
As the landscape of senior living evolves, what trends or changes do you foresee in the industry, and how is Senior Living Specialists adapting to meet these evolving needs?
We are seeing communities trying to emphasize having seniors enjoy their golden years and live their best lives. For example, we are seeing many communities building vegetable gardens and herb gardens, managed by the residents, and then actually using the fruits and vegetables of their labor in farm to table style cuisine to stay with the current trends of a healthy eating lifestyle.
Can you share a rewarding or memorable experience where Senior Living Specialists made a significant difference in a family’s transition process?
I am grateful to have many rewarding experiences with my clients….one that comes to mind is a client whose mom was extremely resistant to the idea of moving to a senior community. I went to visit her and after listening and gaining her trust, she became more open to the idea of touring some communities. After many months of consoling her, she ended up moving to a vibrant community. When I visited her a month later, she threw her arms around me and thanked me profusely. She said she didn’t miss her house at all and wished she had made the move years earlier. She had made so many new friends and her days were full and purposeful. Very different from her days she spent alone, isolated in her own home.
My heart was full, as it is after I speak to many of my clients after they make a move. I feel grateful to have a part in helping so many families navigate this transition.
Ronda with father
Is there anything else you’d like us to know about yourself or Senior Living Specialists?
I’d like to emphasize how much we truly care about our client’s happiness and safety. We only refer to communities that we know are doing an excellent job of taking care of our clients. We don’t just refer to communities just to get a client to move in. We really care about the quality of care they will be receiving. If a community is not living up to a level of excellence, we won’t refer there. We act as though we are placing our own family members each and every time.
What is the best way for our readers to reach you for support?
We can be contacted by phone, email or text. My phone number is 224-619-6466 and I am available to chat day or night, as I realize many of my clients are working during the day.
We can also be contacted via or website at www.seniorlivingspecialistschicago.com Or my personal email [email protected].
Thanks for taking the time to get to more about me and Senior Living Specialists.