ABOUT THE CARDS I'VE BEEN DEALT™

Physical and cognitive challenges can quickly impact our life experience. The cards' creator, Andrea Gallagher, learned this the hard way while spending months in the hospital as a youngster. She experienced it again, with great empathy, when caring for her elderly neighbors.

When addressing these changes, the questions we ask and the assessments that are made, without intention, often leave the individual being supported feeling flawed or worse yet, not involved in the process at all!

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Andrea thought, what if a game could be created that gently shaped the dialogue between the person being supported and the family member or professional? What if a plan could be created that enabled the individual to experience joy and satisfaction in their everyday living?

Enter the Daily Activities cards, which were created to draw attention to how life transitions impact our lives, and provide a tool for discovering the nuances of daily living that need to be supported.

Adding The Wishes and Values and Life Practice decks to the set, Andrea designed an easy-to-use card game that addresses support for daily activities – and gets to what is absolutely unique about the person, what they are proud of and what creates pleasure for them. Used together, the result is a Life Plan that honors the individual’s preferences and rhythms, validating them and restoring their self-esteem.

About Andrea Gallagher, CSA, Certified Senior Advisor®

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Andrea Gallagher is President of the CA-based nonprofit, Senior Concerns that serves seniors and family caregivers by providing Adult Day Care, Meals on Wheels, pro bono legal and financial care management and senior advocacy services. She is a Certified Senior Advisor (CSA)® and Founder of Rethinking Your Future™ Life Planning Tools.

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Andrea served as President of Life Planning Network; a national community of professionals who support individuals to successfully plan for and navigate the second half of life. She served as Life Transitions Chair of the Fourth and Fifth International Positive Aging Conferences.

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Andrea is an editor and chapter contributor for the book, "LIVE SMART AFTER 50! The Experts’ Guide to Life Planning for Uncertain Times" (Cypress House, January, 2013). Andrea writes a bi-monthly newspaper column "The Other Side of Fifty", as well as numerous articles and blogs, and is a national speaker on topics related to life planning, positive aging and Boomer transitions.

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In 2008, Andrea and her husband Peter “adopted” their elderly neighbors and acted as caregivers for the couple as well as financial, legal and medical powers of attorney. After their passing, Andrea became attracted to the idea that life planning could make inevitable life transitions much easier for individuals and their families. This led to her current career in the nonprofit world. Prior to fulfilling her passion working with seniors, Andrea held sales leadership roles with a variety of Fortune 500 companies.

To learn more about Andrea and her work visit www.seniorconcerns.org, or www.rethinkingyourfuture.com