I could not be more proud of Solutions For Independence. We truly do offer solutions to allow seniors to live with respect, independence and dignity through the guidance, compassion and direction we offer.

 

Hello, and thank you for taking time to learn about the company and our story.  My name is Wendy Long and I am the founder and CEO of Solutions for Independence.  I truly couldn't be more grateful for the program, for my family and for the lives I have touched & have touched my own life through the years.  I started the company in 2001 and it has been a beautiful journey. 

 

I recognize how many seniors and their families need help and direction because my own family was faced with challenges navigating the healthcare system while supporting my Great Grandma . I grew up watching my Gram grow older. She was widowed at a young age and lost her adult daughter to cancer, a great loss. I watched her cope with big grief while she worked hard to support herself and care for her family. As a baker & Italian Mama, she was always feeding the neighborhood. Baking was a big part of her life,  she made the best bread & pizza, not to mention sauce.  She taught me the importance of taking care of community,  nourishing family and our honoring our ancestry.  My Gram continues to play an important role in my life & has influenced me in many ways.  The importance of community, of our heritage, of serving others and treating one another with respect, compassion and patience are values she instilled in us and I do my best to live by every day.

 

Because of her health challenges I learned at a young age of the importance of resources and support.  Her journey taught us how challenging it could be to navigate the healthcare system. Thanks to my Grandmas' role in my life, I knew I wanted to help others.  She is the soul reason Solutions for Independence exists.  We never really know what someone is going through. Sometimes just listening or taking a moment to learn about a persons history, their life, their story is invaluable to anyone, but most especially to our seniors.  

 

I am a graduate of Robert Morris University with a Bachelors degree in Health Services Admin. I have been a Certified Care Manager (CMC) & Advocate for seniors for over 25 years. I have a strong understanding of the challenges of aging and the difficult life decisions seniors face. I have worked in the senior care arena all of my career. Creating Solutions for Independence has offered me the honor to assist hundreds of seniors and their families to truly find Solutions for Independence.

 

Working with many clients effected by memory loss, I have been a long time supporter of the Memory Care community. I am also a member of The Community Bridge Builders Network and the Green Heiress Wellness Center. My family and I do all that we can to support The West Deer and Greater Pittsburgh Food Bank, Meals to Go for seniors and our community Backpack Initiative.      

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Our family believes in giving back and supporting those in need. We engage in volunteer work throughout the year. We support our community Back Pack Initiative. The program offers backpacks full of food to school age children to ensure they have food options on weekends and during the summer months. 

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We are a hockey family and have been honored to support the Deer Lakes Hockey Club and their annual Alumni game honoring the beautiful soul of Mara Rupprecht.  

 

We do our best to help seniors, children, communities, families & animals in need. We support the Humane Animal Rescue of Pittsburgh and Bridge to Hope, as well as Shelter Helpers of Pittsburgh. We have fostered and adopted rescue animals for many years. We are lovers of nature, our Earth and all the creatures who habitate her. 

 

We have and continue to do our best to serve & work as a family to give back.  During the Covid Pandemic we created Cork N'at. A charity spearheaded by our son Noah.  Noah is an amazing artist and with the help of his very creative sister Ryleigh (& little help from mom & dad) we created ornaments made from donated wine corks.The main goal of Cork N'at was to raise money to support our local food bank during such an unprecedented time.  Proceeds and donations from each sale went to the West Deer food bank. We started the Cork N'at  in November of 2020 and thanks to the generous spirit of our community and many loved ones, by the end of December 2020 we raised over $700 for the West Deer Food Bank! It was a great experience and reminded all of us that it is in the giving that we truly love.

 

Here's what a few kind souls have been generous enough to share about me and the support of Solutions for Independence... 

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"Wendy Long has been a God-sent angel for my family. I'm an only-child of an only-child and live overseas. So, when my mother took a serious fall and ended up needing extensive medical care and assisted living, it became a logistical nightmare. She couldn't live with me because her medical insurance doesn't work where I live. And I certainly couldn't afford to quit my job to live with her in the USA."

 

"I'm constantly grateful that we were given Wendy's card. she has filled in the gaps when my mother needed transportation! companionship, or even help moving from a nursing home into assisted living. With no family members to offer support, Wendy helped my mother attend the wake of a close friend when she passed away--providing my mother with some much-needed time with other friends whom she hadn't seen in decades. When my mother told me tearfully what a blessing Wendy was, I agreed wholeheartedly. I can honestly say that my mother and I would be desperate without Wendy's kindness and compassion." - J.D.

 

"I have never experienced the level of compassion and understanding with any professional like I have with Wendy. She makes my job easier and gives my clients a sense of ease knowing that their loved one is in the best hands during transition. I wouldn't recommend anyone else."

-Michele Conti, Esquire

 

"Wendy is an exceptional care manager, but more important she is kind, caring and compassionate towards our elderly and frail population. She is a touchstone for families struggling with the system and the very difficult process of planning and finding safe placement for their loved ones". -Janet Wrangler, Executive Director Juniper Village 

 

"I am not surprised by the The Long's kindness.  The donations will allow for support of many families.  The Longs are a very special family."  

Carol McCaskey, Food Bank Co-chair