"Young and Beautiful". In her upbringing and being the primary care giver of her grandfather she discovered her life purpose was to assist her clients maintain a young and beautiful lifestyle in their later golden years. Mercedes Fernandez is the founder of Mouvement and lead Geriatric Physiotherapist. Mouvement was founded with the vision of promoting safety, independence, and improved quality of life for senior citizens. With a deep commitment to helping seniors stay mobile and active, they take pride in our ability to make a positive impact on the lives of their clients, enabling them to maintain their independence and enjoy their golden years to the fullest. Mouvement provides a plethora of services from Mobility Aid Adjustment, Home Safety Consultation, and more.
Mercedes holds a master ’ s degree in Kinesiology with an extensive pre-medical background in psychology, anatomy, and nutrition. She is a certified senior fitness instructor and authorized CPR/First Aid responder under the American Red Cross. Her expertise is grounded in adapted physical activity with skilled rehabilitation among stroke, cerebral palsy, TBI, Parkinson ' s disease, and spinal bifida. Along with her professional experience, Mercedes was also her grandfather ' s primary caregiver, enriching her personal experience of elder health care. Her deeply rooted passion for serving older adults began at an early age where she played piano at nursing homes at the age of 8. Today, Mercedes continues to have deep care and compassion for older adults and advocates for adequate health care in a murky medical system. Along with her magnificent professional and educational accomplishments, Mercedes is a awesome human being with a heart of gold. Our conversation was warming and insightful, being from the same cultura, it is awesome to see what she is accomplishing and I'm proud to have shared this space with her. Keep rocking you badass !
Links
Latest podcast features
https://mouvement.info/podcast
https://www.linkedin.com/in/mercedesvfernandez/
TimeStamps
Intro/ Born in the Bay, LA at heart (0:20) Distinctions between LA and Northern California, Central California and San Diego..(2:10) The LA Vibe (6:25)
Educational background / Career in kinesiology / finding Life purpose caring for grandfather (9:15) Gym/ physical activities for marginalized senior citizens, people with limited mobility (11:28) How to normalize treating and caring for mobility programs for seniors(17:10) “The closeness paradox” (20:00) Out of pocket training/ prevention vs healthcare programs (21:10) How Mercedes begins the appointment process and consultation with clients/ creative remote training (24:50) Even small falls can be dangerous (32:00) Properly adjusting/ using walkers, crutches (35:50) The dirty methodology of the healthcare system and it’s cyclical cycle of endless costs (41:00) We and the younger generations need to talk and tap into working with older adults that will bring change in healthcare system and beyond (44:50)
