ABOUT US
We help people age on their terms
by offering premium services
that promote independence,
good health, and engagement in life.
Our History | Our Staff | Leadership
While Barbara Trimble was consulting with nursing homes in 2003, she realized that some residents neither wanted nor needed to live there but they had no viable way to stay at home. She felt certain there had to be an alternative. She conducted research for six months, discussing this dilemma with elders and their children. Three themes emerged:
- People want to live at home as they age.
- Elders want a full array of services and access to support around the clock.
- Families want to work with a single organization coordinating all planning and care.
Barbara decided it was time to create the alternative that was missing. It became her mission to help people live the fullest, healthiest possible lives on their terms. She signed up her first client as a member of her new organization, “Extended Family,” in the fall of 2004. Starting in a small office in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, Barbara built her team of Personal Care Assistants and Good Neighbors, while simultaneously providing nursing care to members. Barbara refined her processes and began to redefine aging one member at a time. Her distinctive approach was built around three core elements:
- Four Cornerstones of Prevention
- Six Domain Assessment & Personalized Member Profile
- 20-point Wellness Index
In 2005 Bern Terry, a former colleague, joined Barbara, and together they continued to perfect her approach, setting a new standard for care planning, operations and customer service. In early 2007, Extended Family had proven itself to be a unique service provider with a well-defined business model, serving members in New Hampshire, Maine and Massachusetts. Barbara and Bern were ready to expand and to find partners who shared their vision of creating a new alternative for successful aging across the country.
We specialize in selecting capable, dependable, courteous professionals with a wide array of experience and skills. Our staff exemplifies our core competencies: Customer Service, Integrity, Communication, Teamwork, and Humor. We go the extra mile. Our staff is fully trained, insured, and bonded.
Our Care Staff:
- Good Neighbors / Companions
- Driver / Helpers
- Personal Care Assistants
- Licensed Nursing Assistants
- Registered Nurses
Our Local Partners:
- Gardener / Handyman
- Personal Chef / Caterer
- Registered Dietician
- Occupational / Physical Therapist
- Social Worker / Counselor
- Yoga / Tai Chi Instructor
- Massage Therapist
- Universal Designer / Builder
Barbara Trimble, our President and Founder, is a registered nurse with over 30 years of experience and executive leadership in the health care industry. She has worked in long term care, sub-acute care and assisted living services. In addition, she has experience in long term disability, worker's compensation and managed care.
- As Vice President of Matthew Thornton Health Plan, New Hampshire's first HMO, Barbara provided leadership that resulted in three national awards for member satisfaction and the HMO ranking of #1 for Quality and Prevention by both the Bureau of National Affairs and Newsweek.
- As Vice President of Customer Care at Lifeline Systems, the largest personal emergency response company in the country, Barbara redesigned processes and developed their service quality improvement program. This program significantly improved the monitoring center's response time to the elderly population that Lifeline serves.
Barbara knows that dealing with our health care system and with issues of aging can be challenging and overwhelming. She and her team have developed tools and resources that have been proven to guide those at risk and to help older adults live independently. Barbara has a Master's Degree in Education and Organizational Development from Boston University.
Bern Terry, our Executive Vice President, has over 15 years of experience in senior health services. He has worked with hospitals, home care, assisted living communities and skilled nursing as a trainer, a manager and a marketing professional. In addition, he has developed senior service programs for national organizations such as the Visiting Nurses Association of America and the American Red Cross.
- As Senior Regional Vice President at Lifeline Systems, the leading provider of emergency response services in the US, Bern improved customer satisfaction and significantly expanded the number of seniors served.
- As a charter member of Lifeline's Quality Council, Bern has traveled extensively throughout the US to meet with seniors, their families and care givers in order to improve and expand services.
- Bern is a long-standing member of the National Association for Home Care, and the Assisted Living Federation of America.
A passionate advocate for enhancing the quality of life for elders, Bern brings dedication and energy to our team. In addition to a Bachelor's Degree from Middlebury College, Bern has attended the Program for Strategic Management at Harvard Business School, and the Program on Negotiation at Harvard Law School.
Wayne S. Saltsman, M.D., Ph.D. Wayne S. Saltsman, M.D., Ph.D., our Medical Director, has specialized in elder care and geriatric medicine for over 15 years, and is the Chairman of the Department of Geriatric Medicine at Lahey Clinic in Burlington Massachusetts.
Dr. Saltsman earned both his medical degree and doctorate in Pathology, at Boston University School of Medicine. He completed his Internal Medicine internship and residency at the Lahey Clinic in Burlington, Massachusetts, where he was also Chief Medical Resident.
Dr. Saltsman completed a clinical fellowship in Geriatric Medicine at Harvard Medical School. He is board certified in both Internal Medicine and Geriatric Medicine and is a Certified Medical Director. He is an Assistant Professor of Medicine for Tufts Medical School.
Dr. Saltsman’s primary mission is to help families advocate for their elders’ wellness and safety. He is an elected member of the Burlington Board of Health, and serves on the Burlington Council on Aging. He is an active board member of the Massachusetts Geriatric Society.
