Former UVA basketball star Elton Brown launches new business to help seniors in transition

Elton Brown has always been a grandma’s boy. Growing up, Brown’s grandmother was one of his biggest role models, always there to lend a helping hand or a piece of advice. That’s what made things so hard when, a few years ago, she got sick while the former UVA basketball star was playing professional basketball overseas. Thousands of miles away, he felt helpless, unable to be there while his family struggled to transition Brown’s beloved grandmother to assisted living. From that day forth, he was committed to making sure no family had to go through the same struggle.

That’s why, after returning home to Virginia following a successful season for SLUC Nancy Basket in France’s Pro B basketball league, Brown started Boomers Transitions – a new turnkey business that works to help families smoothly transition their loved ones to assisted living or other post-retirement homes. The company is set up to handle any and all needs that a family might have.

“Because so many Americans lead busy lives that have families spread out across different states or even countries, it can be hard for many to be there when a senior loved one needs them the most,” said Brown, CEO of Boomers Transitions. “That’s where Boomers Transitions comes in. I want our customers to feel like we are an extension of their family.”

There are plenty of moving companies out there, but Brown wants Boomers Transitions to be so much more – handling each and every aspect of a loved one’s transition, whether that’s packing and moving, helping families de-clutter or even setting up estate sales. Brown said he wants families to feel at ease knowing Boomers Transitions is the only call they have to make once the decision has been made to transition a loved one into the next stage of their lives.

Brown has already arranged partnerships with retirement homes, assisted living centers, realtors, cleaners and estate sales individuals to make sure that every bit of a loved one’s transition goes as smoothly and easily as possible. Children and grandchildren can also arrange services from out of town or out of state so that families can ensure loved ones get the care they deserve, even from afar.

Statistics show that each year, around five percent of seniors will move from their current living situation, and as the 79 million Baby Boomers continue to age, the numbers will continue to grow. Roughly 50 percent of senior moves are into congregate living communities, including assisted living, independent living and memory care. In other cases, a senior may move in with an adult child or perhaps a multi-generational building downtown. Wherever the senior is making the move to, it’s important to ensure that they feel in control of the move.

“I don’t want any families to have to go through what I went through with my grandmother,” Brown added. “Boomers Transition is about being there when others can’t. We want families to know that there’s someone there for their loved ones, providing the compassion and care they deserve. That’s my number one priority.”