Tracy Keibler has seen the moment enough times to know it by heart. An older person in crisis. A system too complicated to navigate alone. And no one there to help. As a gerontologist, she watched this scene repeat itself. People needed more than information. They needed knowledge, time, and compassion from someone they could trust. She believed no one should have to face those moments alone.
So she created START Senior Solutions.
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The problems seniors face don't stay in neat categories. They cross health care, finances, housing, mental health, legal matters, insurance. START now has advocates, nurses, and retired long-term care ombudsmen on staff to navigate most of those issues, and a network of people to help where the expertise isn't in house. In fourteen years, they have supported nearly 8,000 clients. The services are free. Individual donors and family foundations pay for everything.
There's a group Keibler thinks about often: Solo Seniors. Older adults with no one in their inner circle to help them navigate the system. No family member at the hospital. No one asking what happens next. In those moments, START is simply the one who shows up before a life begins to unravel.
Working with them has shaped how she understands the mission.
Gerontology, Keibler says, is a wide open field. It is only limited by your creativity. The need is tremendous. The work means that every day she sees profound change in the trajectory of the lives of the people they support. It doesn't get better than that. Every time someone says, "I can get through this because you are here," it means they are doing important work.
The gaps have to be filled. There are just too many ways clients and patients can fall through the cracks. In 2026, the challenging cases have all been about poverty and housing.
She keeps showing up anyway. Because in those moments when someone has no one else, START is there. That's the whole point.