Assisted Living Locators Helps Families Navigate Senior Care

Owner Jennifer Thayer

The need for senior care is greater than ever before thanks to both the increase in the average life expectancy and aging baby boomers. But navigating the care system can be overwhelming—where does a family even start when their loved one needs more care than they can provide?

Fortunately, Assisted Living Locators Pittsburgh can assist families navigate the challenging senior health care system and find the best care for their aging loved ones. “My decision to start Assisted Living Locators Pittsburgh was shaped by my years working as a bedside nurse in several different roles in a hospital setting. During that time, I cared for many older adults and saw firsthand how often families were left trying to make incredibly important decisions about care with very little guidance,” said Owner Jennifer Thayer, Certified Senior Advisor®, Certified Dementia Practitioner®, and registered nurse. “I realized there was a real need for someone who could walk alongside families during that process—someone who understood the clinical side of care but could also guide them with compassion and clarity.”

With more than two decades of nursing experience, Thayer wanted to use her expertise to help others make informed decisions for their loved ones. “Families were suddenly trying to understand senior living options, levels of care, safety concerns, and finances—all while navigating the emotional reality that their loved one might not be able to live independently anymore. It can be overwhelming, and many people simply don’t know where to begin,” she said.

Thayer works with families on a one-to-one basis to select the best care for their loved ones’ needs. As soon as a family reaches out to Assisted Living Locators, she starts with a conversation. “I want to understand the older adult as a whole person—their health needs, daily routines, personality, and financial considerations. Every situation is unique, and that first step helps me guide families in the right direction,” Thayer said.

One of Thayer’s goals is to educate families not only about the different levels of senior living and what they may need immediately, but in the future. “I want to help clients make one thoughtful move into their forever home, so choosing the right community the first time is incredibly important,” she said.

Thayer accompanies families on tours and assists with the selection process, but she is very selective in which communities she works with, ensuring a good match for the families. “The best community is one where the person is safe and receiving excellent care—and where the family feels confident they made the right decision,” she said.

But her role doesn’t stop there. “I continue to support my clients and their families and follow them through the end of life. Being a consistent, trusted resource during that journey is one of the most meaningful parts of the work I do,” she said.

Kristy Bursic, also a Certified Dementia Practitioner®, works alongside Thayer assisting their families. “After more than a decade working inside senior living communities, I saw firsthand how overwhelming the process of finding the right care can be for families. I often wished I could step outside the walls of one community to help families explore all their options in a more personal and unbiased way. Joining Assisted Living Locators gave me that opportunity,” Bursic explained. “Now I’m able to use my experience to guide families through these important decisions with clarity, compassion, and the reassurance that they don’t have to navigate the process alone.”

And like Thayer, it is work that Bursic loves. “It is rewarding helping families navigate what is often a very emotional transition with confidence and support. Many families initially try to navigate the process on their own and quickly realize how complex it can be,” she said. “Being able to provide guidance, education, and reassurance during that time is incredibly meaningful. When a senior moves into a community where they feel safe, cared for, and connected, it can truly change their quality of life.”

While Assisted Living Locators services are incredibly comprehensive, they don’t cost families a penny. “Families are often surprised to learn that my services are completely free to them, because I’m compensated by the communities when a successful placement is made,” Thayer said.

Thayer wishes more families knew about their services sooner. “Many families initially think they can navigate senior living on their own by searching online or calling communities directly. What they quickly discover is that the process is far more complex than it appears,” she explained. Because senior communities vary widely in the level of care they can provide, staffing, costs, and even their culture, it can be intimidating. “Without experience in the senior living landscape, it can be difficult to know which communities are truly the right fit for a person’s medical needs, lifestyle, and future care requirements,” she said.

And that is where her expertise as a senior living advisor with Assisted Living Locators is vital. “I bring both clinical insight and local knowledge to the process. As a nurse, I’m able to evaluate the individual’s care needs and ensure the community can safely provide the appropriate level of support,” she said. “I also know the communities personally—their environments, strengths, and care capabilities—which allows me to guide families toward options that are genuinely the best fit.”

For the families who work with Assisted Living Locators, it is indeed a lifelong partnership. Meridith Waltenbaugh used their services to help find the right community for her parents. She learned about their services after her father’s fourth visit to the emergency room in a year. “At that point, I knew my parents could no longer safely live on their own, with my dad’s health failing and my mom’s dementia worsening,” Waltenbaugh said. Thanks to a hospital referral, Waltenbaugh engaged Thayer to assist with the process.

“Jennifer was absolutely invaluable throughout the entire process. We had no idea what our options were, which communities would accept my parents’ long-term care insurance, or which places truly had a strong reputation and happy residents,” Waltenbaugh said.

“Jennifer was a light in the dark for our family—a source of knowledge, reassurance, and guidance when we needed it most. I truly do not know how we would have gotten through this without her.”