Meet the Owner of Dragonfly Senior Navigation

Hi, I’m LaVon Lenaway,

owner, educator, consultant, and gerontologist.

Working with Dragonfly Senior Navigation Services

One of the things that feels the most important for me to communicate is that as an independent Dementia Care Consultant, I am not beholden to other businesses for referrals or incentives. Everyone has a different story, so it's important to me that there is no bias or motivation except for what benefits your loved one’s situation. Discussing specific details about your loved one will help us navigate the right path for them, not other financial stakeholders. My success depends on how supported and triumphant I feel when all the navigating and decision-making is done.

In addition, I bring the experience from both sides of the conversation. With a mother and father who have passed, each having a long list of comorbidities, including vascular dementia for my mother, I know firsthand what it is like to be a family caregiver–including the emotions it entails. In addition, my experience as a professional provider means I may be able to explain the “inside baseball” of memory care to you, free of any marketing motivation or need for retention.

Ideally, my role is to be an unbiased advocate to help you navigate the weeds of senior services so that you can ultimately return to your role as a daughter, spouse, partner, family member, or friend. You can sleep well at night, knowing you are and have done the very best you could at all points along the journey of elder and dementia care. Finally and ideally, amidst the weeds, you will have the opportunity to pause, look up, and see beautiful and memorable things along the way.

I am fortunate and proud to have been employed by two top-shelf, world-class memory care communities, Silverado Memory Care Community of St. Charles, IL, and Belmont Village Senior Living in Carol Stream, IL. As a Director of Resident and Family Services and Memory Programs Coordinator, respectively, I was allowed to thrive as a Dementia Care Specialist at Silverado and a Certified Dementia Trainer for Belmont Village.

Teaching Sociology of Aging at Trinity Christian College in Palos Heights for three semesters, along with teaching dementia care at Silverado and Advanced Dementia Training at Belmont Village every month, is the WHY behind starting this small business. I isolated the parts of elder and dementia care that I love, and they align with my calling to advocate for the “least of these” and my desire to raise the bar on senior care to the level I would want for myself. I believe that education, support, and individual consultation are all steps toward making the world a better place for those we love and, eventually, ourselves.

When away from elder care, I appreciate pennies and homemade angel food cake. I also enjoy spending time with my husband Mark, visiting family in Iowa, central Illinois, and Michigan, strolling through vintage and home decor markets and small businesses, and baking family favorites. Mark and I love traveling, challenging each other in Monopoly and Rummikub, and watching true crime shows. I am particularly fond of tending to my flowers and hummingbird feeder in the summer and volunteering alongside our church in Batavia, IL.

- Trinity Christian College Social Work Department Advisory Board
- Batavia Chamber of Commerce
- Batavia Chamber of Commerce Connectors Group
- Kane County Senior Resources Group
- Dementia Friendly Elgin
- Southeast Kane County Triad
- Elgin Triad
- Start Something Studio, Batavia
- Geneva Networking Group
- Fox River Networking Group
- Certified Trainer for Virtual Dementia Tour
- Certified Trainer for the Dementia Connection Institute
- Certified Trainer and Facilitator for the Virtual Dementia Tour through Second Wind Dreams, April 2023
- Certification in Advanced Dementia Training from Belmont Village, April 2022
- MoCa Certified, August 23, 2021 to August 23, 2023
- First Aid, 2019
- Dementia Care Specialist, Silverado Memory Care, May 31, 2018
- HUD Housing, January 2014 - May 2018
- Honorary Member of Phi Alpha Honor Society, April 15, 2018
- Mental Health First Aid – Active until November, 2017
- Illinois Department of Aging Pathways To Community Living/Money Follows the Person Transition Coordinator – Active until January 16, 2014
- Illinois Department on Aging Comprehensive Care Coordination – Active until February 15, 2013
- Illinois Department on Aging Elder Abuse Investigation – Active until February 15, 2013
- Trinity Christian College, Virtual Dementia Tour, Nov. 30, 2023
- Greenfields of Geneva, Virtual Dementia Tour, Nov. 7, 2023
- Greenfields of Geneva, October 27, 2023
- Aurora Township Senior Citizens Service Committee, Oct. 29, 2023
- The Landings of Batavia, September 19, 2023
- Arden Courts of Palos Heights, Virtual Dementia Tour, September 28, 2023
- Bardwell Residences of Aurora, Virtual Dementia Tour, October 16, 2023
- Schaumburg Park District, August 31, 2023
- Arden Courts of Elk Grove Village, August 2023
- Arden Courts of Geneva, Geneva, IL, July and August, 2023
- Eight Modules of Dementia Care for Family Caregivers, Greencastle of Loves Park, Loves Park, IL, July 2023 - February, 2024
- Eight Modules of Dementia Care for Family Caregivers, Greencastle of Aurora, Aurora, IL, July, 2023 - February 2024
- The Dementia Conversation: Caring for Others and Ourselves, Heritage Woods of Batavia, Batavia, IL, June, 2023
- Dementia Conversation: Starting at Square One, Start Something Studios, Batavia, IL, June, 2023
- In Introduction to Dementia and Dragonfly Senior Navigation Services, Batavia Kiwanis, Batavia, May, 2023
- An Introduction to the Stakeholders in Dementia Care, Kane County Senior Resources, Batavia, IL, April, 2023
- The Landings of Batavia
- Silverado St. Charles Memory Care
- Back up Facilitator to the Elder Care Services of DeKalb on behalf of Alzheimer’s Association, December 2022 to present
- Belmont Village Senior Living, Carol Stream, IL, May 2018-February 2021
- Elderday Adult Day Care, Batavia, IL, 2021
- Silverado Memory Care, St. Charles, IL,May 2018 - February 2021
- Great Opportunities Adult Day Care, Skokie, IL, 1999 - 2002
- Arden Courts of Elk Grove Village - Spouses
- The 4th Wednesday of the month from 11:00 - 12:00
- Arden Courts of Glen Ellyn - a combined group (adult children and spouses)
- The 3rd Wednesday of the month from 11:00 - 12:00
- Trinity Christian College Social Work Department Advisory Board
- Batavia Chamber of Commerce
- Batavia Chamber of Commerce Connectors Group
- Kane County Senior Resources Group
- Dementia Friendly Elgin
- Southeast Kane County Triad
- Elgin Township Triad
- Start Something Studio, Batavia
- Illinois County of Care Association, Alpha and Fox Valley Chapter
- Central Kane Co. Triad

Pricing for Services

Here’s What I Bring To the Table of Dementia Care

There was a day in my childhood when I was motivated by a penny and angel food cake. As the youngest of four daughters, I became, in my early years, the default partner to my mother, who was motivated by her genuine kindness to regularly visit the seasoned saints of our family living in skilled care communities in the little farm town of Pella, IA. Although reluctant, with my mother’s coaxing, I would have a change of heart–especially when we visited Great Uncle Lupe. He would reach deep into his pockets and hand me a penny at every visit.

With pride, I knew I would later add it to my piggy bank, and I would have a temporary change of attitude about visiting “the old people’s home,” as we used to call it. Similarly, the plodding crawl up the front porch of my Great Aunt Martha’s house quickly became much more tolerable when I learned she had just made her famous-to-our-family angel food cake from scratch. “There are 12 eggs in that recipe,” I remember her explaining. The amazing wafts of cake filled the historic Victorian house!

Despite my childlike aversion to older adults, a significant value of respect for the elderly, the vulnerable, or “the least of these” was nurtured in me from an early age. This is why I am in the career of elder care today. Over the years, “tolerable” turned to “enjoyable” and “passionate,” and working with any other age group proved second to the comfort level I had with older adults, even the ones who don’t like to bake cookies and give hugs like my grandmas.

Having obtained a Master of Arts Degree in Gerontology from Concordia University and over 24 years of experience in advocacy, dementia care, and education, my enjoyment of this field continues to grow and solidify. This is my wheelhouse. My career has brought me to various gerontology positions, each building upon the next. With a foundation in leading therapeutic activities for seniors and 10 years as a Case Manager for 165 clients at The Kenneth Young Center in Elk Grove Village, a career path was born!

I fell in love with helping address concerns, the importance of finding the least restrictive environment, promoting the right to self-determination, the value of education and linkage to resources for informal caregivers, and the important use of humor and warmth. All these values started working together to make for fertile ground in elder care. Following these roles, I was Associate Director of Social Services at Mayslake Village in Oakbrook, IL, Independent Living HUD (Federal Housing and Urban Development), which provides housing for low-income seniors.

In addition, I have personal experience working directly with those with dementia and their family caregivers, so I am well-versed in direct care and specific skills like communication techniques, redirection, creative thinking, safety measures, the importance of self-care, and all the diverse aspects of caring for someone with memory loss.

TESTIMONIALS

“Recently, a friend shared with me that serving as a caregiver for her aging mother was taking a significant toll. My friend knew she needed some kind of help, but she didn’t know where to start. LaVon Lenaway was able to explain the best options available and help my friend get started on the path to the exact help she needed, so that both she and her mother could have a significantly improved quality of life."

- JB, Chicago, IL
"When I was walking alongside a friend who was at the end of her rope while providing elder care for her father, I reached out to LaVon for help. LaVon was able to provide support, affirmation, encouragement, wise counsel and direction to both public and private resources. My friend left our meeting with LaVon encouraged and feeling confident of the path forward as well as next steps."

- DF, Elmhurst, IL
"LaVon was a wonderful source of guidance and support when I was trying to decide how to best help my dad sell his house and move into assisted living. She was very knowledgeable about all the different options and was patient as I talked through my concerns. She had good advice that I was able to put into action and it was a relief to know I could call her again if any more questions came up. I would definitely recommend her services to other families with older relatives who need help."

-CH, Downers Grove, IL
"I first came to know LaVon when I moved my dad into a dementia care facility. She was with me and my dad for the entire transition. LaVon continued to be available to answer any & all of my questions & brainstorm ways to help with his behaviors. Her knowledge of dementia & the support groups she ran helped me through many difficult times."

- CS, St. Charles, IL