We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful April Mcnamara. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with April below.

Alright, April thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Can you share an important lesson you learned in a prior job that’s helped you in your career afterwards?

About 10 years ago I was working in an acute care hospital as an occupational therapist. I’ve been thinking a lot about a moment that occurred during that time recently. I worked on multiple floors and on this particular day I had 2 patients to see on the oncology floor. So, I knock on the door and enter into the first room where there is a woman in a hospital gown sitting up in her bed surrounded by 3-4 loved ones. I remember vividly that when I walked through the door the room had a warmth to it…the lighting…the temperature…and overall vibe. This woman was smiling and had a glow about her and even though she had a terminal illness and her days were limited, she had such a positive outlook on things…she was not afraid and had a sense of peace about her. I remember I didn’t want to leave her room as she had this persona and wisdom about her that I just wanted to learn from her, but other people were waiting for me to see them. A few doors down, I visited the next person on my caseload and this room was different. It had a slight chill in the air and the lighting was a cooler shade of white. There was a man laying in his hospital bed…alone. He too had a terminal illness and I could tell it was much harder for him to process than it was for her. He had a lot of regret and bitterness about his life and was very fearful of death. I wanted so much to help him and for him to meet the woman to help him cope. As I walked out of his room and reflected on both of these scenarios, I wondered how and why things could be so different for 2 people actively dying…and I’m not sure I fully realized it at the time until a little while later…but I believe the difference was “Love.” And when I reflect back to all of my experiences with working with people during very vulnerable times and also through processing my own grief through loss of loved ones…this helps guide me as to how I want to live…from a place of love… and I feel as though I am more appreciative of my life and not so afraid of death…as it is a part of life.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

At Functional Living with April, I provide customized in-home services & community enrichment classes to teach you strategies to make your home functional and supportive so you can feel more relaxed in your home & have more quality time to do the things you want to do with the ones you love…to help you go from surviving to truly living in your home…or what I like to call “Living in Place…” which I define as: Living authentically in a functional, supportive home throughout the different seasons in life.

To learn more about my background and why I started my business, “Functional Living with April” check out this video: https://youtu.be/3csemmNNVa8?si=3PVWOL-iN7a73Ko0

In this video, I go into a little more in depth about the 3 focus areas (function, simplify, let-go) and the process to help guide us with making home more functional & supportive: https://youtu.be/FIslU_a4cbQ?si=iEsRpp7yykYF383E

Do you think you’d choose a different profession or specialty if you were starting now?

Most definitely! I love being an occupational therapist. I don’t regret my journey into this profession. I have learned so much and I needed to go through all of these experiences to be where I am today. I’m thrilled to be able to take it to another level…into the community where I can help people in their homes in a more holistic and proactive manner.

Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?

Word of mouth (referrals), connecting with people and building relationships in the community, teaching classes/workshops to share strategies to help make home more functional & supportive.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://FunctionalLiving.Life
• Facebook: Functional Living with April
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@FunctionalLiving