Collaborative Administrative Support Services
Services
I specialize in offering practical administrative support services to seniors who reside in the Hudson Valley.
My clients are most often seniors who have had full lives and careers, and are still creatively engaged, high-functioning, and independent, but might find themselves burdened by the logistical challenges that naturally accompany these later phases of life.
Sometimes, they seek my services because they are facing a highly stressful juncture in their lives, such as the death or deterioration of a partner, the onset of a degenerative disease, or a move to a new home. Other times, the process of aging has shifted their work rhythms in a way that benefits from support.
I understand that facing detailed logistical and administrative tasks can feel more and more tedious as we age.
While I cannot shield my clients and their families from this reality, I have found that bringing presence and a sense of purposeful, grounded collaboration to otherwise wearisome logistical projects can free up a lot of space.
I work with my clients in-person, in their homes. I tailor my services according to the individual needs of each client.
For a complimentary introductory phone call to discuss my services, call (845) 842-1969, or submit a message through the Contact page.
Kelly Garone, RSMTE
As a trained Somatic Movement Therapist and Educator, and registered professional member of ISMETA (International Somatic Movement Education and Therapy Association), I bring my expertise in harnessing the power of the natural exchange that occurs between two nervous systems to accomplish a task more easefully than when attempted alone.
Together, we identify the administrative projects that need to be addressed. Sometimes I can carry out the necessary actions on their behalf. Other times, we work side-by-side to complete things; filling out forms, making phone calls, researching necessary services, etc.
Upon request, I am also available to confer with my clients’ adult children, who might worry about the administrative projects looming around their parents, but lack the time or patience to help complete them.
I began offering administrative support services to seniors very much by accident 16 years ago in New York City, after graduating from Barnard College, Columbia University, alongside my career as a professional dancer. A friend sent me to the home of her friend, a celebrated novelist in her 80’s who sought a patient, organized presence to help her sort through a small but stress-inducing stack of paperwork that had accumulated in her office.
Over the years, my administrative role with her evolved as she evolved. I accompanied her through projects that ranged from helping her prepare her taxes for her accountant, to submitting her short stories for publication through an online portal she found cumbersome, to cataloging her art collection, to collaborating with her to edit her manuscripts as her eyesight deteriorated. We had a lovely and generative working relationship, and she referred me to all of her friends.
Since then, I have had the privilege of working in-depth for years at a time with seniors ranging in age from 65 to 96, most of whom were established artists. References available upon request.
Testimonials
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“I hired Kelly to provide some administrative assistance for my 88 year-old father when he moved up to Rhinebck, NY after my mother passed. He was changing states and was also in the process of selling his house in NJ, so there was a lot of bureaucratic paperwork to deal with. He was a very proud, self-sufficient person and was used to doing everything himself (taxes, bill paying, etc.) so he was skeptical about having anything for Kelly to do. But she came over for a brief meeting and things blossomed from there. Kelly is extremely even-tempered and a calming presence which was very helpful to my dad— especially when dealing with government agencies and websites logins/passwords. I had been doing this stuff with Dad but he would get very stressed out and frustrated, almost instantly, the minute anything proved to be a challenge, and it was putting a bit of a strain on our relationship. Having Kelly step in as a non-family member was a godsend. She was very attuned to how much work they could do before he would be maxed out and they chipped away at things in small doses. She was extremely organized, never letting anything fall through the cracks. Having just moved from NJ where he had lived for over 40 years, he didn’t have any contacts or acquaintances so he very much looked forward to her visits, and sometimes when it was a slow workday—or they were on hold with Social Security for an hour—she would ask him questions about his life and they would just talk, which he really enjoyed. I can’t say enough great things about Kelly. She is a generous, caring, and patient presence and truly loves the work that she does!”
Jane J., 57
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"Kelly Garone is the best possible resource for whom I call, whom I have recommend to my friends, whom my friends recommend to each other. As we get older we find ourselves less and less able to understand and deal with the papers that inundate our modern life: paper from the IRS, the IRA’s, our pensions, our landlord, the bank. When the papers have stacked up, we call Kelly to sort us out, to tell us what needs to be done today and what can wait. She will sit by me while we fill in the necessary forms. She makes the difficult phone calls that I have avoided making. Kelly combines an unlikely set of talents: She has the intelligence, the skills, the persistence, the patience, to resolve problems. And she has the true friendliness that comes from a kindness of the heart. It is always a pleasure to have her in the house.”
Lore S., at 90
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"Kelly saw me through it all."
Jaclyn S., at 86