When Families Help Families

When Families Help Families, from Santa Barbara Independent, Active Aging Special Section, July 30, 2020.

When Families Help Families, from Santa Barbara Independent, Active Aging Special Section, July 30, 2020.

MISSION VILLA’S BROTHER-SISTER TRANSITION TEAM

When it comes to senior services, the Newquists are keeping it in the family.

Sensitivity, understanding, and compassion are so important when it comes to helping people with the big changes in their lives. When seniors are moving out of family homes — either to “rightsize” into something more suitable, or to transition into life in an assisted living environment — it can have a dramatic impact on the entire family.

The brother-and-sister team of Dana Newquist and Nancy Newquist-Nolan works closely with families to help them through these changes in this emotional time in their lives.

Dana Newquist, who owns and operates the downtown Santa Barbara assisted-living dementia care specialist Mission Villa, has been in the memory care business for 24 years. He started his career in the early days of tech, founding Computer Plaza in 1981 (near Harry’s Plaza Café), as well as Montecito Video and Summerland Video. He was looking for a new venture in the mid-1980s when his sister Lyn Lorenzo, the oldest of the seven Newquist siblings, came to him with her gerontology degree in hand and a thesis project describing a new assisted-living model that was more like a home and less like an institution.

She’d taken the thesis to the bank for a loan, but they wanted a business plan. “Well, my sister was a great gerontologist, but she wasn’t very well schooled in business,” said Dana. “So she called me to write her a business plan.”

That plan turned into Country Village (countryvillagecare.com) in Chico, California, which is still operating.

“She was very progressive in her thoughts,” said Nancy about her admired oldest sister, who is now 78 and still actively involved.

The family ties keep coming. Nancy’s husband, Keith Nolan, principal of ON Design Architects (ondesignarchitects.net ), designed both Country Village and Mission Villa senior care homes. Meanwhile, Nancy is Coldwell Banker’s senior real estate specialist (nancynewquistnolan.com ), with training from the California Association of Realtors on understanding what seniors need when they go to sell a house.

Dana is also a Realtor and frequently works with Nancy on deals. In addition, Nancy used to own an estate liquidation business and brings years of experience in working with seniors and their families to sell the contents of their homes.

“When you’re going into a house to liquidate everything, you learn about so many aspects of life,” laughed Nancy. “When they get older, they stuff everything in their pockets or in books or in weird places. I always tell the family prior to us coming in: Please go through your family members’ pants pockets, coat pockets, flip through their books, because they tend to get dementia and start putting money in those places, and we want to make sure that we didn’t sell a book by accident that had a thousand dollars in it.”

The hardest thing is letting go. “They love their home, they have their memories, and they’re afraid,” said Nancy. “And you’re telling them to let go and move forward on to what will be a safer place for them. We try to be proactive instead of reactive. And being proactive means they can make the choice, and that’s what we highly suggest. That way, they still are able to have their say in what happens to them.”

Added Dana, “Trust is the whole deal — you’re dealing with the most important thing they have, and that could be a spouse, or a mom or dad.”

That’s especially true when going to a memory-care facility like Mission Villa, which works closely with hospice providers and is designed to be the last home a person will live in.

“This is really an end-of-life kind of facility,” said Dana.

The pandemic is only making compassionate care more challenging, as visitors are currently prohibited.

“Because we’re dealing with dementia, if you take a daughter or son away for even a week, let’s say, when the dementia patient has to be reinforced in memory all the time, they forget who somebody is,” said Dana. “We totally become their family.”

Thankfully, the Newquists are up to the task. “When you have seven kids in the family, you have to have grace and patience,” said Nancy. “We all seem to have that, which makes us really even keeled to help the seniors as we do.”

Mission Villa: mvcare.com

Nancy Newquist-Nolan: nancynewquistnolan.com

Active Aging 2020: Our Annual Guide to Senior Life, Seen Through a Pandemic Lens; Santa Barbara Independent, Active Aging Special Section, July 30, 2020.

 

Originally published in the Santa Barbara Independent on July 30, 2020. To view the Active Aging Guide to Senior Life, Seen Through a Pandemic Lens, click here.

Cocktail Corner: Toasting the Santa Barbara International Film Festival

A spirited toast to all things alcoholic! By Leslie Dinaberg

Even movie stars shine a little brighter when you give them a perfect cocktail. Since the stars will be out in full force this week, here’s where I would take some of the Santa Barbara International Film Festival VIPs out for drinks:

Harry's (courtesy photo)

Harry’s (courtesy photo)

Golden Globe winning director Ben Affleck, whose terrific film Argo seems to be the Oscar front runner at the moment, is a down-to-earth guy who would appreciate the local charm and flavor of Harry’s—not to mention the generous drinks. Perhaps after he receives the Modern Master Award on January 25 he’ll join us for a Dirty Martini at Harry’s. Made the old-fashioned way, with Bombay Gin, Dry Vermouth, a splash of olive juice, and a “family of olives,” like Affleck, this drink is sure to be a crowd pleaser.

The Biltmore's Smoked Maple Manhattan (courtesy photo)

The Biltmore’s Smoked Maple Manhattan (courtesy photo)

This Saturday night the whole town’s got a date with Daniel Day Lewis when he accepts the Montecito Award on January 26.

Be still my heart.

After years of lusting after Daniel Day Lewis (for his brain, of course, not to mention his smoldering Irish accent) I think its only fitting that before he takes the stage at the Arlington that night we should enjoy an ocean view sunset cocktail together at Four Seasons Resort the Biltmore in Montecito. I think Daniel would appreciate the poetry of a Smoked Maple Manhattan, made with hickory smoked Maker’s Mark bourbon, Bliss maple syrup infused vermouth, shaken straight up and garnished with a brandied cherry or two.

Quentin Tarantino will receive the American Riviera Awardon January 30. He’s a great raconteur in any setting, but I think he’d revel in both the view and the cocktails at The Boathouse at Hendry’s Beach, one of Santa Barbara’s loveliest spots for drinks. My personal favorite is the Blood Orange Margarita, made from El Charro 100% Agave Tequila, with fresh blood orange juice, fresh lime, Triple Sec and a splash of sweet and sour, served on the rocks. I also love the Honeycomb Mojito: Myers Platinum Rum with honeycomb simple syrup, a squeeze of lime, mint, and a splash of club soda.

The enchanting Amy Adams is in town next Thursday, January 31, to receive the Cinema Vanguard Award for her work in The Master. This woman’s versatility is amazing. I’ve loved her in everything from serious dramas (Doubt, The Fighter) to lighthearted films (Enchanted, The Trouble With the Curve). I’d take Amy to Kunin Wine Tasting Room on the Urban Wine Trail. I think she’d appreciate the elegance and local flavor of this great spot, as well as a glass of Seth Kunin’s 2007 Santa Barbara County Syrah. Crafted from three different local vineyards, it’s a smoky, spicy taste of Syrah—and Santa Barbara.

Kunin Tasting Room (courtesy photo)

Kunin Tasting Room (courtesy photo)

Finally Jennifer Lawrence, who was fabulous in both the Hunger Games and Silver Linings Playbook this year, will receive the Outstanding Performer of the Year award on Saturday, February 2. I think she’d enjoy cocktails on the patio at Blush. I have a feeling she’d like one of their fruity fun libations, like the Melted Popsicle (Stoli Raspberry Vodka, Cointreau, fresh oranges, cranberry and lemonade) or Pineapple Smash (Pineapple-infused Skyy Vodka, agave nectar, lime juice, pineapple and jalapeno). Who knows, we might even go ballroom dancing later … when Bradley Cooper shows up.

Seriously, if any of you are reading this—especially Daniel Day Lewis—drinks are on me. Cheers!

Click here for more cocktail corner columns.

Leslie Dinaberg, hard at work. Photo by Derek Johnson.

Leslie Dinaberg, hard at work. Photo by Derek Johnson.

When she’s not busy working as the editor of Santa Barbara SEASONS, Cocktail Corner author Leslie Dinaberg writes magazine articles, newspaper columns and grocery lists. When it comes to cocktails, Leslie considers herself a “goal-oriented drinker.”

Originally published in Santa Barbara SEASONS on January 25, 2013.