K. Rumi Shahzad

Rumi is a co-founder of New Hope Valley Assisted Living and Memory Care. He earned his Bachelor of Arts from Ohio Wesleyan University and his MBA in Policy Studies and Finance from the University of Chicago. After working for 15 years in investment banking & corporate strategy roles, Rumi founded New Hope Partners to meet the needs of seniors in their communities. He resides in Saginaw Township with his wife Jennifer and three children Alia, Amaya, and Jibran.

Shannon Snapp

Shannon’s love for this line of services goes as far back as she can remember, always trying to be helpful to those in need of care. Shannon has a vast array of previous work experience. She started as a certified nurse assistant through a high school co-op program and went on to work at Lourdes Nursing Home in Waterford. From there she went on to work at Crittenton Hospital. During her time there she acquired two separate associate degrees from Oakland Community College. One as a surgical technologist and the other in nursing. She retired after 30 years of service at Crittenton Hospital. Geriatric nursing has always been her passion. She has worked in both assisted living and memory care settings for the past 4 years. The last 2 1/2 years she served as the Director of Nursing.

 In the Great Lakes Bay Region, several opportunities are available to lifelong learners. They range from enrolling in some of the 200 classes of Saginaw Valley State University’s Osher Life Long Learning Institute (OLLI), to participating in the Saginaw and Midland chapters of People to People, an organization founded in 1956 by President Dwight D. Eisenhower to promote international understanding and friendship through educational, cultural and humanitarian activities.

Lifelong learning can be a wonderful way to stimulate intellectual capabilities. Research on Alzheimer’s has shown that a brain-healthy lifestyle may prevent Alzheimer’s symptoms and slow down, or even reverse, deterioration. Lumosity.com is a great website that enables individuals to improve brain health and performance through various exercises. Lumosity founders have worked with researchers from several universities, including Stanford and Johns Hopkins, to create games and exercises that improve core cognitive abilities and enable users to remember more, think faster, and perform better.

Another universal wellness concept is helping our fellow human beings. As the Dalai Lama said, “If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion.” A simple act of kindness not only connects us with a fellow human being, but also has a multiplier effect that improves our lives and the lives of those around us. So let’s engage in at least one act of impromptu kindness today, and make it a habit to do so each day.