Hey Wine and Dime listeners, welcome back for another episode, and thank you for listening. Today’s guest is Sue Gruber. Sue is a retired teacher who has started a new business called Forward Thinking Home Solutions. Forward thinking was born out of the struggles that she came across while remodeling her home, and thinking about her future. When you listen to how Sue became a certified aging specialist you’ll really respect the time and commitment that she has put into this encore career. So sit back, open your favorite beverage and enjoy the show.
Sue Gruber
Forward Thinking Home Solutions
forward.thinking.homes@gmail.com
Sue Gruber's career choices and passion for remodeling and design naturally led her to earn the National Association of Home Builder's (NAHB) designation of Certified Aging-in-Place Specialist (CAPS). This subsequently led her to take NAHB continuing education classes for Universal Design/Build and Train-the-Trainer status.
Years ago, as Pastoral Associate for the All Saints Parish in Corning, NY, Sue visited parishioners in nursing and assisted-living facilities and found that many of the residents were unable to go home only because their homes were unfit. This prompted her to renovate her own home, designing all of the changes and doing the majority of the renovations herself with the counsel of contractors and qualified advisors. Intuitively, she used Universal Design elements throughout. Afterwards, she was encouraged to earn CAPS designation to help educate others in our area about Aging-in-Place and Universal Design. She is passionate about educating others so that they can make good forward-thinking decisions when remodeling or building their home.
Sue is now a Licensed Approved NAHB Instructor and offers NAHB CAPS and Universal Design/Build courses for contractors, health professionals, designers, architects, and anyone interested in modifying or building a home. Teaching these courses has been one of the most rewarding experiences for Sue, as it brings her in contact with dedicated experts from many fields related to aging in place. Their stories are awe-inspiring. The sharing of experiences and expertise makes the class a well-rounded learning experience for everyone involved. By the end of the three days, friendships have been formed and networks have been built.
