Interview with Angela Vanderpool in her own words:

A busy Monday morning for Angela Vanderpool involves driving to Eugene to spend time with the staff of Terpening Terrace, one of the five retirement communities she oversees as VP of Operations for Dharma Healthcare Management. Her drive time was this writer’s window of opportunity to learn more about Angela, one of The Peaceful Presence Project’s newest board members.

Angela, a fifth generation Oregonian, moved to Central Oregon in 1997 when her son was just a year old, drawn by the beauty, sunshine and outdoor lifestyle she loves. Her skills in marketing led her to the senior care sector and Whispering Winds Retirement Community. Starting in 2008 was ominous: “Right after I started the recession hit, and unfortunately some of the seniors who lost their resources and had been in this high end community were having to make difficult choices to move into income qualified senior housing or in with their families. . . During that time I watched this company do the right thing: they focused on our residents. We added services and continued to provide the best care, and I knew I had found my ‘home’.” Seventeen years later, Angela continues to thrive in her work and is passionate about providing exceptional services to her resident communities.

Through both her professional vantage point and the very personal experience of supporting her parents through her dad’s serious illness and eventual death in 2023, Angela wants to improve the dying experience in our culture. “I want to make the process better for people when they die. The word I use is ‘beautiful’, which some people can’t believe I would say, but I know it can be. Getting people to talk about it sooner and getting the fear piece out of these conversations will allow us to face what is. When my dad was dying, we used some of the “how to start the conversation” tools available. He and I had some really open conversations about what was important to him, what he wanted. He was able to die at home with all of us there, and his wishes were met.”

In looking at the broad picture, Angela feels “we have a long way to go. The seniors themselves are more receptive; friends have died, they know what’s coming and they are more open to these conversations. Families, though, find it scary and overwhelming.” To address this within her scope of work, Angela launched a podcast earlier this year called, “Hey Mom, We Never Prepared for This”. It offers stories, resources and topical conversations around aging, death and caregiving in focused, brief episodes. Angela also plans to bring Peaceful Presence-catalyzed “Connection Cafes” into her five retirement communities. “I would like to open those conversations and interview our residents and families. We can talk to actual seniors and family members and find out from them what they feel they need and are missing.” In time, Angela looks forward to using her podcast platform to educate community members about the end-of-life doula model of care and The Peaceful Presence Project. “Educating people on how to have hard conversations is important. By having these (cafes and podcasts) I think we can have a real impact.”

This passionate woman has other equally engaging proclivities: Angela loves to ride her motorcycle with her “doodle dog Caddis” as her trusty side-kick! She is serious about self-care, starting her day with a routine that includes journaling and exercise. Being in nature and family time are strong priorities that she guards carefully.

We are honored and delighted to have Angela on our board. She brings a wealth of skill, deep compassion, and a steadfast commitment to ensuring that those in their final years are supported with dignity and empowered to openly express their end-of-life needs and wishes.

ANGELA ON HER MOTORCYCLE:

Profiles in presence: Angela Vanderpool