My Story
Marc Friedman - Owner / Founder
Certified Senior Advisor (CSA)®, Ph.D. (Biomedical Engineering)
I am an innovator and entrepreneur with a background in engineering and medical device development. For most of my career, I worked on complex health technologies.
In 2015, I made the decision to move my parents from New Jersey to a continuing care retirement community in greater Boston. They were both beginning to struggle - physically and cognitively - and I knew that managing their care from a distance was no longer realistic.
This experience has lead me to the founding of Pragmatic Senior Solutions helping Seniors, their Families and Solo Agers look honestly at the the full picture of a Senior's needs - their health and wellness, their home and housing options, their legal affairs and their financial situation, building a plan and connecting them with a team of the right people at the right time - whether that is a geriatric care manager, a physical or occupational therapist, a dementia specialist, an elder law attorney, a senior housing specialist, or a financial planner.
I bring a focused expertise in AgeTech - technology designed to help seniors live more safely and independently at home. With my background in engineering, medical devices and project management, I am able to look at how all the pieces fit together rather than treat each problem in isolation. That means helping Seniors, their families and Solo Agers build an approach, plan and team that address wellness, safety, fall prevention, fall detection, fall recovery, and emergency response as one connected plan - not a collection of separate fixes applied one crisis at a time.
Six things I learned planning with, working with, and taking care of my parents:
Build a good plan upfront - there is a lot to learn and everyone needs to agree upon it.
Once the plan is in place, be flexible – things will go sideways from time to time. You will need to review and modify the plan over time.
Build community - ask for and accept help and support from friends, family, professional caregivers, and other communities you are a part of.
When in doubt … take a deep breath - reduce sudden moves when possible.
Develop a good sense of humor - it helps … you’ll need it.
Appreciate your time together - value moments spent with family, express gratitude for their presence.
There is a clear unmet need for helping seniors and their families during the Senior Life Stage.
I get great satisfaction advising and sharing my experience and expertise with my clients and their families, helping them create and manage processes for navigating this phase of life and eventually death.