Let’s say we’re trying to help someone make a career choice and this is what we know: she has a strong interest in history, a fervent desire to help others, and an affinity for seniors because she has a much-loved grandparent. And, well, there’s fluency in Spanish and a degree in social work. Where does the equation take us?

For Laura Radensky, this combination has added up to nearly 20 years of meaningful work at Jewish Home Lifecare, which provides adult day care and home care for senior citizens in Manhattan, the Bronx and Westchester. She recently transitioned from director of social work to community liaison.

“It’s what I’m supposed to be doing,” Radensky said in a recent interview.

Truly, a life coach can’t hear that often enough. It’s the very statement that makes us want to dissect the equation again and again so we can impart it to clients.

In the case of Radensky, a native of Los Angeles, it began with undergraduate work at Berkeley followed by what was supposed to be two years of social-work school at Columbia University.

“I ended up falling in love with New York City,” Radensky said.

Her first internship placement was with Jewish Home Lifecare in the Bronx. She was fascinated with the historical perspective that came with the job. For example, many people in Harlem were part of a migration from North Carolina in the 1950s. Within the Hispanic community, she learned, those of Puerto Rican descent have generally been here longer than those from the Dominican Republic. And she has seen different styles of how people keep their homes and the shrines they create.

“It’s all a piece of somebody’s history,” Radensky said.

While recent advancements in Radensky’s career don’t allow for as much hands-on work with clients, she is excited about being involved in the planning and having input on decisions influencing senior citizens’ daily lives at a macro level.

“One of the reasons I’ve stayed so long [at Jewish Home Lifecare] is that we are very much looking toward the newest things clinically,” Radensky said. For example, JHL got in on the use of telehealth units very early and it helped augment their home care program by providing a layer of security for elders. The center is also very involved in decreasing elder abuse by training people who interact with seniors to see the signs. And there is an overall focus on wellness and what senior centers can do to foster that.

In addition to her full-time work outside the home, Radensky is the mother of four children ranging from ages 7 to 17. Occasionally she gets to blend her two worlds, like when she’s preparing a Power Point presentation at home and one of her kids says, “Mom, I can make that so much better.” Her two oldest children have done volunteer work at JHL in the summer through a youth employment program.

“I’m so happy they get that kind of exposure,” Radensky said. “I could see the effect this past summer. My 14-year-old asked, ‘How does dementia work?’ and ‘Are they really allowed to smoke cigarettes?’ It was interesting to see that process.”

What her children really get to see is a mother who chose to follow her passion in her work life.

“Social work is not the most financially remunerative employment,” Radensky said with a laugh.

So how would she advise someone who is about to embark on a social work career?

“Funny you ask,” she said. “My 17-year-old daughter and I just went to her college night at school and she wants to go into teaching. We were on the bus riding back from New Jersey and she’s telling me how passionately she wants to be a teacher. I was thinking how about nursing, there’s a shortage, it pays more. And then I stopped myself. I remember my father having that same conversation with me.”

And so it goes. The equation gets passed down from one generation to the next.

Nancy Colasurdo is a practicing life coach and freelance writer. Her Web site is www.nancola.com. Please direct all questions/comments to FOXGamePlan@gmail.com.