About Us
We want seniors and vulnerable adults to Thrive.Who We Are
Thrive Senior Advisors is the premiere referral agency for senior housing and care in the Pacific Northwest. While we help all of our clients find solutions to their housing and care needs, we also focus deeply on the quality of life for each individual. It’s important to us that our seniors and their families find options that are not only financially sustainable, but also assist in creating joy and peace in these special years of life. We can help you through this process so that you can ultimately have peace of mind.
"Top Risk Factors for Isolation and Loneliness: living alone, mobility or sensory impairment, major life transitions or losses." - AARP Foundation "Connections with other people affect not only the quality of our lives but also our survival" - Dean Ornish
Our Team
Lauren Ward
Founder & Senior Living Advisor
Lauren Ward is Founder, President and Senior Living Advisor who brings a breadth of knowledge and experience serving seniors and their families since 1981. She’s been a Licensed Therapeutic Recreation Specialist for 26 years where she served older adults in Adult Day Health along with being an Alzheimer’s Support Group Leader. Most of her work, 18 years, had her providing a milieu of recreation programs and therapies for the residents and those actively dying in Skilled Nursing care.
Because of Lauren’s expansive background she brings to her clients a sensitivity and tenderness for what the families and their loved ones are going through emotionally and medically along with the tenacity for understanding the importance of quality of life for seniors and/or families’ loved ones so they may Thrive.
Prior to starting her own company, she worked with another local referral agency for 11 years. Her background includes the following:
• 34 years serving families and their loved ones.
• 26 years as a Licensed Recreational Therapist providing quality of life services in Adult Day Health, Senior Centers and Skilled Nursing Facilities (SNFs.)
• 16 years Lauren was employed at 2 SNFS where she provided both quality of life and community re-integration services;
~ 8 years at a 235 bed SNF where English as a 2nd language comprised approximately 40% of the
resident population.
~ 8 years in a 115 bed SNF also serving residents in a 12 bed ventilator unit.
• Managed a department of 5 activity staff, a Volunteer Coordinator, also provided oversight of 120 volunteers.
• Assisted in supervising a memory care unit.
• Trained care staff to provide direct care to the most combative residents suffering from dementia.
• Support Group Leader (trained by the WA, DC chapter of the Alzheimer’s Assn.) in Adult Day Health.
• In 1987, with her knowledge of ADA regulations and requirements, she conducted an ADA Accessibility Survey for the new Smithsonian African Art Museum Building. The Smithsonian made all of the necessary changes she found which included visual, height and fall risk issues of the environment and exhibits.
• Offers information to families about their loved ones’ disease processes to facilitate greater understanding and educates families on how to best communicate with their loved ones suffering from dementia.
• Emphasis is placed on the importance of quality of life so that families served are able to make informed decisions on the best possible options for their loved ones.