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4 North Shore Towers Courier n November 2016 SUE BEERMAN: Author/Patient Care Manager This is a bi-state love story involving New Jersey and New York with a little bit of Massachusetts in the mix. Sue grew up in Jersey City, New Jersey, and while attending NYU, went on a blind date with Alen Beerman, a pre-law student from Jamaica Estates, Queens, who was attending Northeastern University in Boston. Their courtship blossomed. At first Sue didn’t say “yes,” until Alen proclaimed, “They are going to raise the toll on the Lincoln Tunnel, and I want an answer now.” They married in 1974 after he completed his first year of law school. Sue was teaching English at a Manhattan junior high school. What were your early years as a couple like? Our first apartment was in Briarwood, Queens. We paid $232 a month for a two-bedroom apartment. I taught for five years until our son, Hal, was born and then went on childcare leave. Our daughter, Audra, came along in 1981, and needing more room, we bought a house in Fresh Meadows. I missed teaching and earning my own salary. My mother taught me that a woman should always have her own “knippel,” which translated from Yiddish means “savings,” to insure her independence. Did you go back to teaching? No, I loved teaching the kids, but didn’t like some of the administrative chores. I took a course in psychology at St. John’s University. My professor encouraged me to become a social worker. To do this, I attended Adelphi and started a 75-credit program that culminated in a MSW Master of Social Work degree in 3 years. I also completed an M.S. from St. John’s University and a B.S. from NYU. I interned at LIJ Hospital, and when I completed this, I was offered a job at LIJ and stayed for 6 years. What was your specialty? I worked as a Geriatric Care Manager. This was for registered nurses or social workers, who saw patients and their families and worked out a plan that met the healthcare needs of the patient. That’s when I first visited North Shore Towers, because several patients lived there. I was impressed with the luxury and amenities, never thinking that someday 2009 I would move there. What are some areas in which you helped families, who found themselves in the role of caregiver? Most important is recognizing when your parents or spouse needs help, as well as helping your parent “Age in Place,” handling Alzheimer’s disease, and balancing work and caregiving. There are more people providing eldercare to parents and spouses today than at any other time in history. Many others are wrestling with the dilemma of nursing-home or assisted-living options. What did you think might help people, who suddenly find themselves in that situation? I was convinced that a book that answered these questions and others would become a go-to sourcebook for caregivers. My goal was to make it as comforting and helpful as Dr. Spock’s books were for me as a new parent. Together, with Judith Rappaport, a geriatric specialist, we developed this complete handbook for making decisions and handling a crisis when dealing with the aging frail. We called it, “Eldercare 911.” How has the book done? Remarkably well. First published in 2008, it has been revised, updated and expanded. “Publishers Weekly” praised it as “a comprehensive guide to caregiving issues, calmly presenting information readers may not have considered.” Gerontologist Ken Dychtwald commented, “Indispensable. An exceptional handbook that answers every crucial question—clearly and succinctly.” Are you still providing Geriatric Care Management? Yes, I advise individuals and families with all kinds of practical eldercare advice. I’m also involved in speaking engagements in the metropolitan area. My topics range from elder neglect to finding the right facility for parents. Often, elders living alone with just infrequent visits by family members suffer from nutrition-hydrationmedication problems. Once given the basics they need, patients recuperate quickly. Has your family grown? Yes, Hal graduated from Tufts and Audra from Syracuse. They then followed in their grandfather’s and dad’s footsteps. Their grandfather, Leon, is a retired Justice of the Supreme Court in Queens County, and Alen is an attorney engaged in the general practice of law with the firm of Roseman, Beerman & Beerman, LLP for more than thirty-five years. Hal and Audra both graduated from Fordham Law School. Hal is Of Counsel with the Real Estate Operations Department of the law firm Greenberg Traurig, LLP. Audra is Deputy Bureau Chief of the Kings County Domestic Violence Bureau. Together, they’ve given Alen and me three adorable grandchildren: four-year-old Ari and five-year-old twins, Brianna and Benji. My favorite pastime is babysitting them. Alen and I just love living at NST. The swimming pool is such fun, and I found it therapeutic. Alen is an enthusiastic golfer, and we both enjoy the parties and programs.


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