Toni O’Brien

Toni moved to Texas in 2008 with her aging father, and shortly after arriving here, he was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. It was a difficult nine years watching someone you have known all your life become a shell of himself. One of the hardest things she had to do with both mom and dad was to have the “talk” about their need to be in an environment that was safer for them than living on their own.  Her family tried in home care, so they could age in place, but soon discovered that it was not the best fit for her parents. While there was resistance at first to the idea of moving into a senior residence, after they were moved in and settled, they both were just so relieved to have help and people around them all the time.

Toni worked for several estate planning attorneys and eventually found her way to working with a firm that specialized in Elder Law.  During the nearly six years of working in elder law, she found that many families fell apart when their loved ones became ill, incapacitated or if they died. It was heartbreaking to watch families turn on each other in a crisis. She decided to become certified as a mediator for those families that cannot find a way out of fear and anger, often to the detriment of their loved ones.

Helping people find the right fit for themselves or their loved ones often brings relief to families that are dealing with the process of aging.   It is a privilege to help each family find that special place that they can call home, so they can just relax and enjoy life!

 Toni has a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Wayland Baptist University and an associate’s degree in Paralegal Studies from the University of Alaska Southeast. She has also been certified as a Mediator and has taken an advanced course in family law.