My Status Quo provides unique products and services to support seniors and dementia caregivers in the Delaware beach area, with a focus on helping older adults age in place.

This business was founded by Michele High, a certified dementia practitioner with more than a decade of experience working in senior living facilities and home care management. Based on this experience, High became an aging-in-place activist and speaks openly about the pros and cons seniors experience when they choose to move to a facility. My Status Quo officially launched at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic as families increasingly looked for ways to care for loved ones with dementia at home.

“I've worked with seniors in almost every part of facility care," said High. "CCRCs are continuing care retirement communities; there’s independent living, assisted living, memory care and skilled nursing. So I’ve worked in those large CCRCs, and I’ve also done home care management, but working in that field I saw essentially seniors would come to me as their activity director. I ended up being like a sounding board, too, for a lot of their personal care needs and things they were concerned about, and I started noticing that there’s still a big gap in service. Seniors worry, even if they’re in an independent living or care facility. There were things that were missing.”

My Status Quo provides dementia respite and support, the My Status Quo Home Catalog, the My Status Quo Podcast, and free aging-in-place presentations, all designed to help seniors and families navigate aging and dementia care.

Dementia respite and support services are designed to help families caring for loved ones who have dementia while providing guidance and relief for caregivers. High specializes in supporting situations where individuals are resistant to outside help in the home. Support includes personalized guidance and a free 30-minute consultation; on-site services are available in the Lewes and Rehoboth Beach areas.

The My Status Quo Home Catalog is a detailed inventory service designed to document important household belongings while simplifying inheritance planning and reducing stress for families. The catalog records items and their locations throughout the home, helping track belongings, organize estate planning, support donations and auction arrangements, and provide documentation for insurance purposes. Originally developed through High’s work with seniors and families, the service also helps preserve memories tied to meaningful items while giving loved ones a clearer understanding of what is in the home and where it belongs.

“The first [home catalog] I did, this couple had family that lived all over the country,” said High. "They were  in their 90s, and the wife kept saying, ‘Michele, I’m just so mortified by the fact that my kids are going to have to fly out here and go through all my stuff, and it would take them weeks or months.’ So, I went in and started doing these inventories. It’s like a catalog of the things in their home, their furnishings and their pictures, and everything else. And what we did was we started sending the digital copy to the family. They loved it. They were like, ‘Oh my gosh, we can see everything and prepare for what’s to come.' After the family picks [items] from it, it can go to a state auction house. Then what they don’t want, they can see right away what gets donated.”

The My Status Quo Podcast was created to provide seniors, caregivers and families with accessible information on topics related to dementia care, aging in place and senior wellness. Episodes feature professionals, caregivers and seniors sharing resources, experiences and educational insights. The podcast is available on Podbean, Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Amazon Music/Audible.

One of the most rewarding parts of the business for High has been helping seniors feel more confident about remaining in their homes. Seeing seniors leave presentations and conversations feeling less fearful about aging in place and more informed about their options has been especially meaningful.

“The most rewarding part is when seniors come up to me and say, ‘Hey, I heard what you said, and I spoke with my family, and I am no longer moving into a care facility. I am no longer afraid to live at home,’” said High. 

Looking into the future, High plans to continue growing My Status Quo one step at a time while expanding resources and services available to seniors and caregivers. Future goals include growing the home catalog service, which has continued to spread through neighborhood referrals and community interest, as well as expanding the podcast with livestreams and caregiver support opportunities.

“There are bigger and better things that seniors can be a part of, and services they can have,” said High.