A Conversation with Kelly Baarley
Share
Some people find their calling. Kelly Baarley was born with hers. After a decade of working in hospices, skilled nursing facilities, and home health agencies — while personally caring for her own aging grandparents — she built the roadmap she wished every family had.
A Little Girl Who Always Knew She’d Help People
As a little girl, Kelly dreamed of becoming a nurse or a humanitarian aid worker. In college, she discovered Public Health and fell in love with the breadth of ways it could be used to help people navigate the healthcare world. As a military wife, Kelly followed her husband through his naval assignments, working in various healthcare settings along the way.
When they settled in San Diego, something profound happened — Kelly was finally close enough to personally care for her aging grandparents. Walking alongside them through aging, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and ultimately hospice, Kelly found her true passion.
Today, Kelly is a Certified Senior Advisor (CSA) and the founder of Baarley Bridging — her mission: help seniors and their families age with dignity, on their own terms.
Kelly’s background at a glance:
- Over a decade of experience across hospice, skilled nursing, and home health settings
- Public Health education blended with hands-on clinical and senior industry experience
- Personal caregiver to grandparents navigating Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and hospice
- Certified Senior Advisor — credentialed, ethics-bound, and continuously trained
Stop Waiting. The Best Time to Plan Was Yesterday.
Kelly says to watch for the subtle shifts — not just falls and hospitalizations, but the quiet withdrawals from everyday life.
Warning signs families often miss:
- Multiple hospitalizations or falls within a short period
- Social withdrawal — no longer attending the Tuesday coffee they never missed
- Major unexplained financial changes — a utility shutoff or an unusual large purchase
- No longer participating in routines they previously enjoyed — like walking their dog every morning
Taking Emotion Out of the Equation — Without Taking Heart Out of the Room
Kelly comes in as an unbiased subject expert whose only agenda is protecting the autonomy and safety of the senior. By anchoring every conversation in safety, necessity, and sustainability — the data tells the story.
Kelly is quick to challenge the assumption that “aging in place” means staying in a private home. It means wherever that senior calls home. “Aging in place can be in a senior community or a private residence or something in between. The goal is to determine where and how that senior wants to age — and then pool the right resources into a plan that makes it happen.”
What Families Don’t Know About Costs
“All of it usually shocks people,” Kelly says plainly. Costs are high and rising — and many families find themselves financially underprepared when the need becomes urgent. Two common blind spots:
Financial blind spots to address now:
- Long-Term Care Insurance — Many people have paid into it for decades but confuse it with life insurance and never access the funds when most needed.
- Medicare Misconceptions — Many believe Medicare A&B will cover everything. It won’t. Knowing what you have — and how to use it — is critical before a crisis hits.
Not Everyone Claiming to Be an Expert Is One
Kelly doesn’t hesitate: vet the people you trust with your loved one’s care. In an industry filled with well-meaning but unqualified voices — knowing who to trust is everything.
What to look for in a qualified senior care professional:
- Verifiable credentials — CSA, NP, Licensed Social Worker, or similar
- A board they report to and an ethics code they operate under
- Ongoing education and training requirements to maintain certification
- A multi-step credentialing process — not just a weekend course or self-declared expertise
“If someone has no credentials or qualifications you can research — be skeptical and protect yourself.” — Kelly Baarley, CSA
The Must-Have Items Kelly Recommends for Every New Caregiver
📁 An Organizational System for Critical Documents
Power of Attorney, Advanced Directive, Will, bank information — every caregiver needs a central, organized place for these documents. Kelly highly recommends her own initial planning binder for exactly this purpose.
🩺 A Gait Belt
Relatively affordable and incredibly effective. A gait belt makes transfers and mobility assists dramatically safer for both the caregiver and their loved one — and can prevent falls and injuries that end up costing far more in the long run.
One Piece of Advice for Anyone Just Starting the Caregiving Journey
Whether online or in person — find your people. Find the ones who will share responsibilities with you, the ones who will make you laugh when you desperately need it, and the ones who will never let you feel alone in this.
“Find the people who will be your responsibility support, your comical relief, your social support — and whatever else you need to sustain you. This is not a journey you can do alone. And that’s not a failure. That’s just the truth.” ❤
Kelly Baarley is a Certified Senior Advisor whose personal experience as a military wife, Public Health professional, and family caregiver inspired her to found Baarley Bridging — dedicated to helping seniors and their families age with dignity on their own terms. She publishes the monthly newsletter BridgeWise and offers planning resources for families at every stage of the aging journey.
Are You a Caregiver With a Story to Tell?
Medical professionals and family caregivers — your experience could be the lifeline another caregiver needs to hear. Reach out to Kevin Lambing at customerservice@enhdme.com to share your story.
You are not alone. You CAN care, cope, survive, and thrive!