A smiling headshot of Marti Bailey, a woman with dark brown shoulder length hair and teal glasses

Let’s Connect on Linkedin!

My name is Marti Brown Bailey

I am the Founder and Managing Partner for Support for Aging, LLC an organization dedicated to older adults and those who may be supporting them. I am committed to providing comprehensive support, coaching, and education for individuals and families navigating the complexities of aging. My goal is to help you make informed decisions, enhance your quality of life, and address your unique needs related to aging. Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s and related dementias are particular areas of expertise.

  • My passion in learning and caring about issues related to aging began with wonderful relationships with my grandmothers and two great aunts. They taught me lessons about aging with dignity. Read more in my first blog post!

    So now let me tell you about great aunts. They were both beacons of inspiration.

    Aunt Ruby had suffered an illness at the age of 9 years old and became both legally deaf and blind. By example, she taught me how to find strength and resilience and to be resourceful in spite of circumstances.

    Aunt Margaret was a perfect example of connection. She wrote letters regularly and “carbon copied” everyone, keeping people connected both to her and to each other. She taught me the importance of caring for every part of myself, the spiritual, physical, intellectual, and emotional sides and did this before it was popular. They both were lifelong learners and taught me that every day is a good day to learn something new.

    As a teenager, I was interested in healthcare and I became a candy striper volunteer at a local hospital. When I was 18 years old and Aunt Margaret received care at a skilled nursing community following a serious hospitalization, I was led to apply for my first paid job in healthcare. As a nursing assistant in skilled nursing, I was exposed to different types of aging needs, including working with people with cognitive changes. It meant so much to me that all these years later, I remember the names of the people I helped shower and dress. It has informed my work in the service of older adults.

    While I didn’t stay in healthcare and was deeply involved in the business world for some time, after my dad was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s I began the journey of both supporting a family member as well as working with the Alzheimer’s Association. Understanding that the need was great in care of older adults, I sought direct work in healthcare and began training in earnest on issues related to dementia. My first full time work was in hospice care as a community education representative, in which I educated both professionals and family members in hospice and dementia issues. From there I worked in assisted living and then served as a leader of senior services at Sibley Memorial/Johns Hopkins.

    Talking to people who were living this journey, I heard their need for the answer to “Now what?” when someone gets a diagnosis of cognitive changes. That is a question that I continue to seek a good answer to in all the work I do to serve older adults. Truly – now what??

My Professional Experience

I retired from full time work at Sibley Memorial Hospital/Johns Hopkins after serving as the Interim Director of Sibley Community Affairs, as well as the Director of the Sibley Senior Association (SSA) and Community Health.

I have the following qualifications:

  • BS in Business Administration and graduate work in aging services

  • Certified Senior Advisor

  • Certified Alzheimer’s disease and Dementia Care Trainer

  • Certified Dementia Practitioner

  • Expert trainer/speaker in Alzheimer’s disease and Related Dementia as well as aging issues

  • Served in long-term care and in hospice

  • Deep understanding of levels of care.

  • In 2012, I became the founder/program designer of Club Memory®, a stigma-free social community for persons and their care partners living with Alzheimer’s and related Dementias. Working with the Sibley Hospital Foundation and the DC Department on Aging and Community Living, as well as extraordinary staff, I spearheaded the expansion to extend the program to historically marginalized areas as well as to individuals in both Maryland and Virginia, now serving nearly 1,000 individuals.

    I have trained professional staff members in issues related to both Alzheimer’s and related dementia as well as customer service. I have also provided training to chaplain interns regarding normal age-related changes.

    I also speak on many topics in the community, including “Normal Aging and Your Brain,” travelogues, and more. See a list of my current speaking topics on the Speaking Engagements tab.

The Support for Aging Team

  • A smiling headshot of Marti Bailey, a woman with dark brown shoulder length hair and teal glasses

    Marti Brown Bailey

    FOUNDER

    Marti is passionate about making life better for older adults and those who love them.

  • Bri Hornberger

    WEB DESIGNER

    Bri is passionate about making inclusive and accessible interfaces for all.

  • Devi Payne

    SOCIAL MEDIA

    Devi crafts compassionate, meme-forward content that uplifts care partners and older adults.

  • Partner Professionals

    COLLABORATORS

    Support for Aging has a group of qualified professionals who partner to share their expertise.

FAQs

  • There are a number of things that inform my coaching, both with care partner/family coaching, those who are living with chronic or progressive illnesses,  and in coaching people who are trying to make slow, incremental and lasting change in their lives:

    • Evidence and research-based practice – what is tried and true

    • My professional experience

    • My own personal experience in caring for family

    • Other expert advice

    You can count on hearing the words, “I don’t know and I’ll find out” if you ask me a question for which I do not readily have a qualified answer.

  • For me, a healthy retirement is an active one. Since aging issues are my passion, I planned a retirement filled with supporting both older adults and those who support them. Support for Aging is the culmination of my years of thinking about what I would do when I was no longer working full time at Sibley Memorial Hospital, part of Johns Hopkins Medicine.

    In addition, for many years I have heard people sharing concerns with getting accurate information. Many of the older adults I talked to were getting information from social media. I saw people getting conflicting advice from both content creators and those responding to questions. One of the things I love to do is provide accurate, up-to-date answers to questions I receive by asking experts and reading well researched material.

  • Support for Aging staff are not therapists. Therapists focus on mental and emotional health. Therapy is often a wonderful addition to coaching.  

    • Support for Aging uses a two-way communication-centered problem-solving approach. We focus on listening and helping you set goals that center on issues related to living life as an older adult or supporting someone in your life who is an older adult. You are not alone in goal-setting. How much support you receive is contingent on how much support you want.

    Support for Aging staff are not social workers. Social workers also may focus on mental and emotional health as well as supporting through complex and crisis situations. Social work is a great addition to coaching.

    • Support for Aging helps you meet goals you have to improve your current situation while establishing a foundation for the future you look forward to.

    Support for Aging staff are not medical providers and cannot provide a diagnosis. Medical care may be needed to meet some of your goals.

    • Support for Aging staff have strong skills and experience to help you navigate the healthcare environment.

  • Click here to book an appointment! We look forward to supporting you.

  • We strive to provide the most affordable services for your needs and your wallet. Book a free 30 minute appointment slot to find out more about hiring Support for Aging.