A bit more about my story.

I’ll never forget how nervous I was when I finally told my parents that I didn’t want to work in the family construction and real estate management business.

It was the night of my graduation from Arcadia University, and not only was I taking a route different from the one they had planned for me — I was doing it at another real estate management firm in NYC. I had worked for my dad since I was a kid, copying blueprints and working in the office. It was great to earn money when I was a teenager and throughout college, but as the youngest of four kids, I had different career plans from my siblings.

There was no doubt that I would go into the construction business — just not in the one owned by my family. I wanted my independence! So instead, I took a job in Manhattan as a property manager for a big firm, and haven’t looked back. My path included owning my own Manhattan renovation/ relocation company.

Now, through Setting the Stage, I’m on a mission to modify homes so that people with compromised abilities — either from aging issues or because of a disability — can “Age in Place” and “Live in Place,” staying comfortably in the home they love.

During my 35+ year career, I learned everything I possibly could about construction. I worked with large national developers to renovate buildings to turn them into condos, and I worked with high-end residential project managers. But it wasn’t until I returned to the workforce after taking a break from the construction world to raise my two children, that I realized I wanted to run my own business.

I started part-time and got certified as a home stager, and got my feet wet again with a construction company in the Bronx, always making sure that I was back in my New Jersey home in time for school pickup.

Renovating homes turned into complete home-management projects, helping homeowners do basic and preventative work. I developed a great rapport with them, and I thought they would hire me when it came time for them to move and renovate.

But what happened was that some of my clients began to have issues — some were aging and having difficulty navigating stairs and showers; younger people had life-changing situations, and spouses fell ill and needed handicapped modifications to their homes. Often, there was a battle between adult children hoping their parents would move to a facility where it would be safer and the parents who did not want to leave their home.

They turned to me for help.

And I got it. As someone with an aging parent myself, I understand the challenges adult children face when they get pushback about making modifications to a family home. My own obstinate mother refuses to wear her medical alert bracelet, and there was nothing I could do to change her mind. So, I “sneaked” grab bars into her shower and bathrooms which gave us all a little more peace of mind.

Your aging parents may be no different. I offer help to those who want to ensure that their parents have every possible safeguard in place as they age in their own homes.

The certification process to become an “Aging in Place” and “Living in Place” specialist was fascinating. It makes so much sense that they would have us try to make a sandwich wearing tissue-and-pencil-stuffed rubber gloves with the fingers taped together to simulate arthritic hands, and have us try to eat a meal while wearing different types of modified glasses so we know what it feels like to have vision issues.

When I’m not modifying homes, I enjoy pickleball, bridge, canasta, golf, and spending time with my family, friends, and my dog, a Goldendoodle.

Linda Chinman Pollock

Certified Aging In Place Specialist (CAPS)
Certified Living In Place Professional (CLIPP #C08008)

Named one of The Best General Contractors in Demarest, New Jersey.