Practically Fearless with Chris Girata: Episode 8, Stacey Malcolmson
In this episode, Chris Girata welcomes Stacey Malcolmson, CEO of The Senior Source, to discuss her vibrant career journey and lifelong dedication to improving senior care. They explore the unique challenges faced by the elderly during the pandemic and the innovative solutions that helped enhance their quality of life. Stacey shares her insights on leveraging technology for better senior engagement and the importance of community collaboration in addressing senior isolation.
Q&A with Stacy Malcolmson
Chris: Welcome to Practically Fearless with Chris Girata. Our guest today has an extensive career, which includes brand management at Frito-Lay, investment banking with Credit Suisse, alumni relations at SMU, and Chief Development Officer with the United Way. Now, she's pursuing her passion for helping seniors as CEO of The Senior Source. Stacey Malcolmson, thanks for being with us today.
Stacey: You're welcome. I'm glad to be here.
Chris: I'd love for you to start out by just telling us a little bit of what you do at The Senior Source.
Stacey: Yeah, so The Senior Source has been around since 1961. Our mission is to improve the quality of life of older adults in Greater Dallas. And so, my role as CEO is to make sure we continue to do so for the foreseeable future. So, managing the revenue in, watching the revenue out, leading a team of 55. Been there for five years, and it's been a wonderful experience for me.
Chris: The last five years have probably been pretty tumultuous because as I think through the life of seniors, there's probably a lot of isolation that they have to deal with and loss of ability over time. And then you put on top of that the pandemic. And so, I wonder if you might be able to tell us a little bit about what you all did during the pandemic. Perhaps some of the things that you've done since the pandemic that have shifted the way you function.
Stacey: Well, one of the things that we've known all along is that seniors are isolated. They are alone. They may not have a visitor in a nursing home. They may be living by themselves and lost their family. We've known that all along. The rest of the world caught up to that knowledge during the pandemic and realized, "Wow, being isolated and by myself is really lonely." So, the great news about the pandemic is it's brought a light on seniors and that loneliness epidemic, so we've been able to turn that into a positive. Going through it all was so tough. Our volunteers, our low-income volunteers especially, were helpless. They have a phone, but it may be on a data plan. They had no way to access the outside world, and so we were teaching them Zoom classes, not being in their homes, on their phone, but it was critical. We were teaching them how to order groceries online when we could. And again, another positive of the pandemic is this virtual, hybrid world we're in. Our older adults now know how to use technology, and that is keeping them connected. It's also reducing any frauds and scams that can occur. Also, during the pandemic, frauds and scams were up. We saw 63% at The Senior Source. Because you're lonely, you're going to pick up that phone when someone's calling you saying they're Microsoft and need your credit card to order a new Microsoft. And so, we really went through all of that with our volunteers especially, trying to get them up-to-speed and educated. We can talk a little bit about our nursing homes. We're the ombudsman or advocate for all nursing home residents and assisted living residents in Dallas County – 16,000 of those residents. Our staff who make monthly visits could not go in those homes. Those seniors were isolated in their rooms. They couldn't even interact with each other. And our staff said they saw a marked decline, especially in cognitive ability, just after being locked in for six to nine months, as the case may be. So, it was a huge struggle for seniors. We've come out on the other end. We're thankful that we don't think nursing homes will ever lock people in again, but it was really a challenge.
Chris: That's really hard.
Stacey: It was a challenge.
Chris: You referenced your staff, but I have to think you have a lot of volunteers, right? How many? And can you tell us a little bit about what it's like to volunteer with The Senior Source?
Stacey: So, we have about... Well, we've got a couple different volunteer programs. We have volunteers, older adult volunteers. So, they are placed in settings with preschool kids to give extra love, care, and attention. So, at Jubilee Services, we have what are called foster grandparents, and they're there to be a grandmother figure to kids with special needs. We also place older adult volunteers in home-bound seniors’ homes. They can't leave the home, so our volunteer is there to be a companion, a friend, and make sure they reduce that isolation, and that home-bound senior can stay in their home and not be sent to a nursing home. Our other older adult volunteers are placed throughout the community in nonprofits, and so they can volunteer at food pantries and clothes closets to give themselves a sense of purpose and help with capacity for older adults. We then, on the other hand, have thousands of volunteers who volunteer in the nursing homes through friendly visitors, so they are coming as church groups, corporate groups, boy scout troops, playing bingo, brightening the days of residents lives, and that's for any ages.
Chris: Now, as we heard in the intro, you've had a lot of experience, especially here in Dallas. I'd love to hear about the experience that has brought you to The Senior Source, why you chose The Senior Source, and perhaps a point at which you felt really challenged to make those changes.
Stacey: Well, I started my corporate marketing career when I was getting my MBA. I actually wrote my essays on… I wanted to get experience in the corporate marketing world and translate those skills to the nonprofit community. My grandparents made a huge difference in my life. And when I was a little girl, we'd go to Beaumont, Texas, visit my grandmother, and we would bring bananas and chocolate bars to the old folks' home – which we would affectionately call them – introduce ourselves as Ann Weber's granddaughters, and go and serve. And so, that made such an impression, not just on the interaction with the older adult residents, but just about giving back and that importance to give back. So, I knew I always wanted to do that in my professional career. But after nine years in corporate marketing, the corporate world, how do I make that jump into nonprofit? What does that look like? What are the challenges? What are the expectations? And I chose SMU because it seemed most like a corporation. It's a big organization with structure and processes, and you don't have to buy your own paper or something like in a small nonprofit, so that was the easiest transition into nonprofit world. And then really developing those relationships along the way. You mentioned United Way. That was the first time I heard about The Senior Source and I thought, "Oh, a nonprofit focused on older adults. I love that organization." And then, seven or eight years later, here I am. But those transitions, especially from the corporate world to the nonprofit world, was probably the most fearful. Because what happens if it doesn't work? Will they ever take me back in the corporate world? And what does that look like? I had to rewrite my whole resume because the evaluators at SMU didn't know what brand management was of Doritos. They eat Doritos, but having to rewrite my resume that spoke to a nonprofit interview skill or recruiter was something that was a challenge.
Chris: So, I imagine shifting from the corporate world into nonprofit was its own scary moment. Has there been any other scary moments where, as an adult, you have been uncertain as to what you might do and you took a leap of faith?
Stacey: Well, when I was at United Way, I was there for a couple of years, learned all about the nonprofit community. It was really meaningful to me. Culturally, it wasn't a fit at all. And I actually chose to resign without a job. I was terrified, but that environment was not working for me at all, and so I made that leap, and I had confidence. It was a risk, but not a huge risk. The economy was going well, there were a lot of people hiring, and I really rested on my background and experiences that I could find a new job. But it wasn't the most pleasant to resign without a job. And I would do it again, but you have to know the market, know the environment, know your skills, and feel like you are not going to be left out for a while. And I had recruiters say, "That is a horrible idea." And I said, "I have to do it for my sanity and for my direction."
Chris: You had recruiters tell you it was a horrible idea to resign?
Stacey: Yeah, to resign without a job.
Chris: Oh, my gosh.
Stacey: They said, "You're not going to find another job if you don't have one."
Chris: That's a big commitment to take that jump. All right, well, I'd love to get to know you a little bit better. So, I know that you run marathons and that you have run marathons on every single continent, but there was one experience that you had while you were running in Antarctica; you broke your wrist. Can you tell us a little bit about that?
Stacey: Sure. Well, I had run some marathons, plenty in the U.S. and one or two in Europe, and I was working at Frito-Lay and a colleague said, "My buddy and I are running a marathon on every continent.” And I thought, "Oh, my gosh, I love that idea. I'm in." And they said, "And that means Antarctica next year." And I thought, "Well, there's not a marathon in Antarctica." And sure enough, there is, and so we signed up. And just because of timing, it was three years before we actually went on that trip to Antarctica. Journey over the Passage of the Drake, passage so scary in terms of the turbulence and the seas. You're there, but you're there to run that marathon. It had been three years that I had signed up for this trip, and so they said all along, "You don't need any cleats, or icebreaker shoes, or anything."
Chris: Are you running on ice?
Stacey: You're running on the ice, not for very long. So, the good news is, it was 37 degrees, so not freezing cold. It's a cold 37 because it's windy, and it's icy. And there's this one little, for lack of a better word, a glacier that you had to run up at mile three or four, and you could see blue ice. It was terrifying, so you just walk up the hill and then turn around and come back down. And I was just bored of walking. I'm super competitive, so I don't want anyone to pass me. I start running and I slip and fall and brace myself on the back, caught myself, and I thought, "I broke my wrist." And then, I thought, "No, I didn't. No, I didn't." And my second thought was, "I don't need my wrist to run. It is elevated, it is cold, and immobile." And so, my tailbone hurt really badly and I thought that could be a problem, but I've been training for this for three years. So, I saw the doctor at mile eight. I'm like, "Can I have some Advil or something? I think I hurt my wrist, not a big deal." And so, finished the race. Two days later, my wrist was enormous. And they said, "Do you want to take an X-ray?" I said, "No, I don't want to know it's broken. I just want to ice it."
Chris: I have to think that as a runner – because I'm not – as a runner, there are many things you have to overcome; injuries. It's like in life there are things that could set you back and you just have to persevere, and so I'd love to know, as you have been working at The Senior Source, perhaps maybe in the last year, what do you see as some of the greatest hurdles that we have in Dallas and in our community to help the people who are most in need?
Stacey: In Dallas, first of all, there are about 200,000 seniors in Dallas. 30,000 of them live on $1,000 a month or less. And that could be they never had the ability to make enough money to save for retirement. They could have not saved a lot, but they've outlived their savings, or a medical crisis, or they're scammed out of all of their crises. And no one thinks about seniors, to be honest. Only 3% of charitable giving goes to senior causes in our country.
Chris: Three?
Stacey: 3% of charitable giving. The city budget - we get 0.5% total. So, people don't want to think about aging Dallas. "It's not an aging culture. Let's put it off. Let's not think about it. Let's deny it." And what you see on the end of that are the people that we're caring for, that they don't have any place to turn. And that's just going to get worse because 10,000 seniors are turning 65 every day and they're living longer. And so, if you think about it, you could live 30 years past retirement. So, does anyone plan for 30 years past retirement? It's a long time. And there'll just be more people out there.
Chris: The people who are watching this, if they wanted to help out, what would you say is maybe the first step to making an impact and making a contribution? Obviously, a financial gift certainly can help, but if they wanted to put their hands and feet into the work, what would you say they'd do first?
Stacey: Well, really, we want people to know about The Senior Source because we're here to care for all older adults, whether you have resources or not. And we have people calling us who have plenty of money, but “Mom's starting to have dementia,” and, "Do I need to think about a home healthcare provider?” and “Do I need to think about a memory care unit? What are the costs? What are the pros and cons about that? How can I keep her safe at home?" for our seniors who have very little means and they just are trying to pay rent from year to year. So, that awareness that we serve people of all income levels of older adults. We also want people themselves to plan ahead. The calls that we get that are the most heartbreaking is they haven't planned. They haven't planned to care for their loved one. They don't have their documents in order or anything just to expect a major life crisis that could set their loved one back, a stroke or Alzheimer's, and they also haven't planned financially. And so, knowing... I read something yesterday. The New York Times had a whole article series called Dying Broke, and the idea that people under the age of 50 think they're going to live for five years past retirement, and that's what they've saved for. It could be 30 years, so just that planning ahead, having sometimes those tough conversations as a couple, as a family. Let's think about, "What is this going to be in 30 years from now or when we're 80? What can we do now?" And that planning now is so critical to having a more stable and expected end of life.
Chris: So, when I think of The Senior Source, I almost imagine a Meals on Wheels style, nice people going to see people who might be shut in, or home bound, or something like that, but it sounds like your services are much broader than that. And so, if somebody wasn't even a senior, do you offer those kinds of conversations, where they can begin to plan for a very long time after they retire?
Stacey: Our services start at the age of 50, but that could be even planning right then. They could call saying, "I'm taking care of my mom," and then realize, "Oh my gosh, I don't have those documents. What do I need to do? How do I need to think about it?" It calls into question or makes you think about, "What about my own life right now, that I can plan for, that can set me up more successfully?" We do technology training for older adults, so that's a new program that we have. And one is on streaming TVs, which I think any age you are, sometimes streaming TVs can be... iPhone camera, and then all the way down to basic employment skills using the computer.
Chris: Well, 50 and up is not what I would've expected, and so that's a really great gift.
Stacey: And our average age is about 68, but we do serve people at the age of 50.
Chris: 50 and up, that's great to know. All right, so back to you for just another few minutes. A few little rapid-fire questions to get to know you better. So, you are a runner. What's your favorite post-race meal, or maybe pre-race meal?
Stacey: Well, pre-race meals are boring, it's chicken and pasta.
Chris: There you go.
Stacey: Post-race meal? A croque monsieur, which is basically grilled ham and cheese with some bechamel sauce.
Chris: Absolutely.
Stacey: And then, Coke. All-sugar coke, immediately.
Chris: I love that. That's great.
Stacey: That's my favorite meal.
Chris: If you could have one superpower, what would it be? That's a hard question.
Stacey: Well, so I really want to sing. I know that's not a superpower, but I want to be able to sing.
Chris: You can't sing?
Stacey: I can't sing. I love to sing. I think it would be a superpower.
Chris: Okay, we'll see.
Stacey: I think it could be. It makes people feel good.
Chris: I do, I agree. What's your favorite movie? Or favorite book? Or both?
Stacey: So favorite movie is “Best In Show.”
Chris: What is “Best In Show?”
Stacey: Oh my gosh, it's so good. It's a mockumentary.
Chris: Okay.
Stacey: And it is about dog owners and they're going to a contest like the Best In Show. And what's so funny about these characters is they all start taking on the personalities of their dogs. And it is so funny. It's outrageous. They're speaking to the camera. It's probably 20 years old by now, and you will laugh out loud. It's a great, great movie.
Chris: Delightful.
Stacey: Not quite safe for children under the age of 10, junior high. They won't get some of the stuff, and then it kicks in. My favorite book? So, during the Pandemic, I reread my top 10 favorite books of all time because I keep a list.
Chris: Oh, my gosh.
Stacey: And “Lonesome Dove.”
Chris: “Lonesome Dove” is your favorite book?
Stacey: Favorite book. It was so good.
Chris: How about number two? If you have a top 10 list, give us a couple.
Stacey: I do have a top 10 list. “The Corrections” was a great book. “Crossing to Safety,” which is a book in the 70s. That's a very peaceful book. I love that. I recently read “Deacon King Kong” by James McBride, which is about Black people in Brooklyn and the 1970s, and they all have these crazy nicknames and he prided himself on being a deacon, but he really was a janitor. And King Kong was the name of the moonshine that he drank. So, outrageous characters, so fun, and just to see how that community could find hope and laughter in so much poverty and dread in the 70s in Brooklyn.
Chris: If you could hope for one thing here in Dallas, what would that be?
Stacey: Well, I would hope for an easier way to get around this city for everyone. For older adults, for younger adults, bicyclists, scooters. There just has to be more than one way to get around than a car. And I know we're working on sidewalks, we're working on streets, but my husband and I love to ride our bikes. And wouldn't that be great if we could get more people bicycle riding, running, walking, and just getting from one place to another without having to go through the mixmaster?
Chris: Stacey, thank you for being with us. It was a real pleasure to hear about you. And if you want to be involved with The Senior Source, go check them out because we have the power to be fearless. We'll see you next time.
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