My Story

David Wood

After working for over 6 years as the Chief Operations Officer at a local credit union here in San Luis Obispo, my life and career took turn in a different direction. Like many of us, I was looking for a career that was meaningful to me. While I have always enjoyed numbers and finance, my heart was calling me to work with families and especially seniors. After researching ways in which I could do that, I decided to start a new career path and opened my own locally based caregiving referral agency in 2015. I found my calling helping families find caregivers to provide in-home care so their loved ones could stay in their own homes. I still love doing this through San Luis Obispo Caregivers.

However, in 2016, when my mom fell while she was alone in her home and broke her rib, my life took another turn. Ironically, I was now living through what many of my clients were living through having to make the best decision for my mom.

My mom spent some time recovering in the hospital, but there was more going on. While in the hospital she displayed many actions that were not “normal” and was eventually diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease. My sisters and I had noticed the telltale signs of cognitive impairments in conversations with her over the phone for the last couple years, but we really didn’t see this coming. After examining our options for her, we decided that a small Board and Care Home would be the best fit for her. This was not something she wanted to do, but it was clearly the best decision for her care and safety.

With this new experience and knowledge under my belt I have expanded my services, creating My Senior Navigator to provide families the option of caregiving referrals or care placement referrals. We maintain an extensive and exclusive database of over 100 Licensed Care Providers in and around San Luis Obispo County. I help families assess their specific needs to provide personalized assistance in locating the right Care Provider that fits their loved one’s unique criteria, including care needs, location and budget. In addition to current needs, it’s also important to consider possible future needs as well. (See our ASSESSMENT TOOL).

Our services are completely free to families since we are compensated through a “finder’s fee” paid by the care provider as part of their budgeted marketing costs. My primary goal is to help families in our community find good quality care and services within their budget. I look forward to assisting you to make informed, objective choices by providing the tools and knowledge to evaluate the different providers and confidently navigate through what can be a very stressful time. The end goal is peace of mind for you and for your loved one.