Linda Thalheimer

I have been specializing in long term care for over 29 years. I started my career as an occupational therapist specializing in spinal cord injury. I spent a year developing a hand therapy and cardiac rehabilitation program and then took a position in the GRECC, the veterans center of excellent for the care of the aging veteran. During this time, I got my master’s degree in health care administration, published an article in the American Journal of Occupational Therapy and became a national speaker for Harvard’s Division on Aging. After the birth of my son, I took a part time job managing the rehabilitation department of a local nursing home. But within a year, I had expanded the department four-fold and was back working full time. Unfortunately, after several very rewarding years in rehabilitation, the prospective payment system of Medicare started to make it difficult for me to provide both quality of care and a profitable department. I resigned and took a position at another nursing home. I was soon to become the least profitable rehabilitation department of the chain as I supported therapists to do what they always felt was the most ethical rather than profitable. I let administration know that they could let me go anytime, because I would not compromise skilled care. It was getting a bit stressful. It was at that time that I attended a lecture from GE Financial recruiting nurses and therapists to represent their long term care product. A light went on and I realized I had found the answer to the problem. In 16 years of rehabilitation, not one patient ever wanted to leave their own home, but often did not have the funds or family support. I would have family members in my office begging me not to discharge their parent from rehabilitation because that would begin their spend down. I started studying for my license and gave my leave. I started working at GE Financial. After three years, I got bored and became a manager; it was now Genworth Financial. But after two years, it required so much of my time that I chose to give it up and go independent for the sake of my family. And for the last seven years, I have been independent partnering with financial planners for individual sales and with health insurance brokers for multi-life; always keeping my business in check so I could be available to my family. At the end of this summer, I will be an empty nester and ready to take my business to the next level. Thank you LTCPG.