Answers For Elders Radio Network

What is a Medicaid spend down? Elder law attorney Jim Koewler joins Suzanne Newman to answer this question, and shows how it differs if you're single or married. In the previous segment, we talked about what to do if you're married and you or a senior loved one needs care now — a crisis situation — and have some money available. With a single person, if they want VA coverage, they have the same asset limits of $130K. If they want Medicaid long-term care coverage, they need to reduce assets to $2K, or their state's level, which is very different from the VA level. How you do that is through a spend down. A spend down is spending the excess money above your limit on anything that gives you roughly equal value. If you want to hide your assets, for example by buying your son's junk car for $25,000, that is not considered a legitimate expense. Buying hearing aids, extra eyeglasses, dentures, those purchases are OK. Buying ten $1,000 TVs is acceptable as long as you don't give them away. Pre-paying your funeral and your spouse's funeral (you can't over-pay), funeral services, is a great way to use extra money. You may be required to private pay your care until spend down is finished, in some places, but check those details with a lawyer. Acceptability of donations varies by state, and sometimes even by case worker. Most cases involving church donations have been allowed, but donations have to follow your previous pattern of donation. Jim Koewler addresses later-life financial and legal issues. Talk to an elder law attorney to guide you in your state with your situation. Learn more at Answers for Elders or at Jim's website.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What do you do when you or a senior loved one needs care now — a crisis situation — and they have some money available? Elder law attorney Jim Koewler joins Suzanne Newman to answer this question. In this situation, one option is to choose to private pay for the care. This segment focuses on financial eligibility for married couples to receive VA pension benefits and Medicaid. More providers don't want to participate in Medicaid's reimbursement because it doesn't pay as much as private pay, though this could change in the face of COVID. If you're married, to get Medicaid you have to spend your assets down below $2,000 (Federal and Ohio levels; amounts vary by state). If you have more than $260K, the healthy spouse would be able to keep about $130K. The rest of it is attributed to the one who needs care and must be spent down. The VA has roughly similar levels whether you're single or married, but there is no 50/50 split between spouses. VA penalizes money given away in the last 3 years; Medicaid for the last 5 years. There are differing effects on property ownership, depending on your state. What you can do with your wealth differs with VA pension benefits and Medicaid, but you can still spend. Spending is OK — you can't give away without the potential penalties, and the penalties are treated differently in the two programs as well. If you want to spend on things that make sense, for instance on a lift chair, or comfortable clothes that are easy to take on and off, or hearing aids, dentures, glasses, or four cruises around the world, that's OK. Jim Koewler addresses later-life financial and legal issues. Talk to an elder law attorney to guide you in your state with your situation. Learn more at Answers for Elders or at Jim's website.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tracey Harvey from Cadence Living joins Suzanne Newman to update us on the new senior living community opening in Kent, Washington. Many of their over-55 residents work, drive cars, and go to events and activities, and just want someone to help with cooking and cleaning. Tracey is Regional Vice President of Marketing & Strategic Planning, Northwest for Cadence at Kent-Meridian. Cadence Living in Kent is opening soon. They offer a founder's club move-in special, which gives residents their birthday month free for two years, pet fees are waived, and the second person occupancy fee is waived the first year. Studio pricing starts at $3,150/month. Cadence at Kent-Meridian is located at 25035 104th Ave SE, Kent, WA 98030. Learn more at (253) 549-9300 or at their website. Find more radio show segments by Tracey here.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The third foundational principle is safety, feeling safe and cared for, protected in your environment. Safety in mobility issues, medication, living environment, and outside safety. Elena Cuevas, Regional VP of Sales for MorningStar Senior Living, joins Suzanne Newman at MorningStar Senior Living at Silver Lake in Everett, Washington to talk about eight fundamental principals of wellness. Learn more at MorningStar's website.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The second foundational principle is environmental wellness, feeling comfortable in your environment. MorningStar asks residents to bring their own things, bring the comforts with you; you're downsizing, but bring your favorite chair, your artwork, and what's important to you. Your environment is an extension of your home. Elena Cuevas, Regional VP of Sales for MorningStar Senior Living, joins Suzanne Newman at MorningStar Senior Living at Silver Lake in Everett, Washington to talk about eight fundamental principals of wellness. Learn more at MorningStar's website.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The first foundational principle of wellness is emotional wellness, which is coping effectively with life and creating satisfactory relationships. Elena Cuevas, Regional VP of Sales for MorningStar Senior Living, joins Suzanne Newman at MorningStar Senior Living at Silver Lake in Everett, Washington to talk about eight fundamental principals of wellness. The process of moving into a senior living environment is scary. It's a dramatic change, there's fear of the unknown, mourning the loss of your environment. MorningStar Senior Living strives to learn the "why" for families, becoming a trusted advisor, discussing the issues and opportunities, and walking families through this roller coaster ride. Learn more at MorningStar's website.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Elena Cuevas, Regional VP of Sales for MorningStar Senior Living, joins Suzanne Newman at MorningStar Senior Living at Silver Lake in Everett, Washington. Elena and Suzanne talk about the community and wellness as a fundamental principal they apply for their residents and family members. They introduce eight dimensions of wellness that encompass a holistic approach to making someone's survival more realistic. MorningStar has 34 communities in 12 states. Learn more at MorningStar's website.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Suzanne Newman joins Kelley Smith at CarePartners Senior Living to provide a plan for starting the decluttering process for a transition to senior living. Once you've got Mom settled in her new senior living community, you still have to go back and sort through the rest of her things. This segment talks about three piles you need to make while sorting through her things: sell, donate, trash. For selling things, first check online. Is her china selling? If those coffee cups from 1962 are worth $10 each, sell them on eBay or save them for an estate sale. For jewelry, try an estate jewelry organization or store and get it appraised. Go to an antique jeweler who will be honest about what it's worth. For donations, will your feelings be hurt if you see it at the salvation army priced at $100? If you're not going to make money on it, there are many charities to donate items which others would be grateful to have, such as immigrants or refugees who have very little. Also, bring close friends and family over (or FaceTime) to see if they'd like any of these items. Throwing things away: be sustainable. Make sure in the final stages to recycle what you can. Shred old paperwork to protect identity information. Kelley suggests to talk with your community coordinator first. Don't get rid of anything that you assume can't be brought. You may be pleasantly surprised and be able to accommodate your loved one. SASH Services and Bee Organized can help with these processes. See our infographic here for some decluttering tips.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Suzanne Newman joins Kelley Smith at CarePartners Senior Living to provide a plan for starting the decluttering process for a transition to senior living. Kelley talks about how the conversation often goes, when Mom first sees a potential model unit. You know she'll need a couch, bed, table and chairs, nightstand — no brainers. But she sees no room for the things that matter to her. If her little crystal animals are that important to her, find a way to bring them. It's not whether she uses it or not, it's something that connects her to something she loves. The move itself is traumatic enough, so be kind and listen to what she wants. Honor her for who she is; it's important to her. Have those conversations with the community. The more people share, the more the community can help.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Suzanne Newman joins Kelley Smith at CarePartners Senior Living to provide a plan for starting the decluttering process. This segment focuses on beginning stages, and putting the plan in action. First: we're downsizing for a reason, whether Mom is moving in with an adult child, moving into an assisted living facility. Look at the space she's moving into and assess how much space is available. Visit model units to get an idea of what would work in the space, to see if Mom's couch will actually fit. You could have a closet organizer installed, which significantly improves the storage space. Some units have an extra pantry or linen closet. You don't need a lot of space for brooms and mops and cleaning supplies because your community will take care of that for you, so perhaps add shelves in there. You can also put a shelf on top of kitchen cabinets, and fill wicker baskets up there with Mom's things that she wants to keep but doesn't use very often. Sometimes their maintenance folks will do that for you. If you have a studio apartment, use book shelves to separate spaces and provide extra storage in the middle. Most places will let you add shelves. There may be situations where a resident's china hutch wouldn't fit in the apartment, but they asked if it could be placed in a common area for everyone to enjoy, and they may find room for it. Being creative with your space will help them bring more things that matter to them. To begin organizing, clean out a room in your house and set it up as a station. Sort items into boxes for assisted living, for charitable donations, to toss, and to sell. If you have two floors, have a room on each floor. A lot of us have extra stuff in our homes to get rid of.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Suzanne joins Kelley Smith at CarePartners Senior Living to talk about how we can help our parents and ourselves so we don't leave a lot of clutter for our own children to deal with. When a family member downsizes from a 2,000 square foot home to a 900-1200 square foot retirement apartment, or to an independent living or assisted living apartment, now you're looking at 500-700 square feet of space, or smaller depending on the apartment. You have to weigh what's important to keep, and it will be home — you want to bring your things so it feels like home. Many people in a home look at the challenge and don't even know how to begin downsizing. If you have a senior loved one, or have mobility issues, it can seem an overwhelming challenge. This hour will talk about how to begin, and what to expect regarding amenities when you move into senior living, and how can you leave a legacy for your community. The first thing to do, before going through a house, is figure out what furniture and other items will go into the new location. Kelley recommends picking seasonal clothes, meaning you're limited as to how many clothes will fit in the closet. If you're going to pass on personal items to your family someday, what will that look like? What baby boomers want is different than what other generations want. Kelley and Suzanne suggesting sitting one-on-one with children to talk about what they'd like to have some day. Be clear about who gets what.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Learn about the different types of Alzheimer's research studies, what's involved in participating, and how you can get involved. Suzanne Newman joins Dr. Cherian Verghese, Principal Researcher at the forefront of Alzheimer's disease at Keystone Clinical Studies LLC in the Philadelphia area. It's hard to ask for help, and we face denial, not wanting to bother family, and pride issues. When we face cancer or heart disease, we think our bodies are failing. When it comes to something in our minds, we think we are failing, as something personal, but our mind sits within our brain, and these are illnesses, just like cancer or COVID. In the old days, there was a sense of learned helplessness — I can't do anything about it, so why bother? — but that's not the case any more. Everyone knows the symptoms of a stroke or heart attack or cancer, and now COVID, but not many know the symptoms of Alzheimers, particularly early symptoms. We're not talking about everyday things, but perhaps you notice that your loved one is not as sharp as they used to be, and they have a subjective feeling that it takes more effort, as if the senior moments are getting worse. If they have trouble following the plot of a TV show, or don't realize when they've already seen a movie, look for a clinical trial near you. Clinicaltrials.gov has a list, usually focused in the bigger cities. Participating in a research study provides an opportunity for better treatment than treatments that are currently available: access to the finest medical care, with professionals who know more about the disease than a regular doctor, the cream of the crop in doctors. There's no magic bullet in treatment — think of the various treatments available for diabetes. Different illnesses require different approaches. Alzheimer's is complicated, and researchers at Keystone are studying medicines that treat different stages of the disease. There are studies for prevention, studies for early stages of mild cognitive impairment, and the Athira study for those in the early stages of Alzheimer's dementia. There are medicines for neural regeneration, for amyloid removal, for tau tangle removal If you know of someone with Alzheimer's, there's probably a trial available for them. For those interested in a trial, visit Lift-AD Clinical Trial to learn more. You can learn more about Keystone by calling 610-277-8073 or visiting Keystone Clinical Studies LLC.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Suzanne Newman joins Dr. Cherian Verghese, Principal Researcher at the forefront of Alzheimer's disease at Keystone Clinical Studies LLC in the Philadelphia area. This segment focuses on types of clinical trials and what's involved in participating. In the phase of informed consent, participants and trial partners are appraised on details about the medicine, that it’s voluntary, outlines potential side effects, not charged to insurance, that participants can withdraw at any time, and that they can also talk to the ethics committee at any time. A trial partner spends time with the participant, a family member, friend, or neighbor — conducting the study needs someone who can tell us about how the participant functions at home with their activities of daily living. There are prevention trials, for people who have beta-amyloid proteins in their brains but show no symptoms, which are to remove the amyloids and counteract them. The most important area of research is for those with mild short-term memory problems, people who repeat the same story, forget mundane everyday things, and rely on a cell phone for reminders. Athira Pharma's study, for those with mild to moderate Alzheimer's, is for a drug that's intended to help regenerate the brain, deal with the damage that's already being done. If you know of someone with Alzheimer's, there's probably a trial available for them. For those interested in a trial, visit Lift-AD Clinical Trial to learn more. You can learn more about Keystone by calling 610-277-8073 or visiting Keystone Clinical Studies LLC.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Suzanne Newman joins Dr. Cherian Verghese to talk about a special program for those who are in the beginning or medium stages of Alzheimer's disease. Dr. Verghese is Principal Researcher at Keystone Clinical Studies LLC in the Philadelphia area. This segment continues the conversation about how the disease progresses. In earlier stages, people can be helped at home with assisted living, with family support. Going into moderate or severe dementia, we'd need in-home care and at some stages institutional care. It's physically demanding to help someone with their activities of daily living. Sadly, African Americans are twice as likely, and Latinos about one and a half times as likely, than in Caucasians. They are disproportionately affected, but participation was lower in trials, making it hard to extrapolate drug trial results. If you know of someone with Alzheimer's, there's probably a trial available for them. For those interested in a trial, visit Lift-AD Clinical Trial to learn more. You can learn more about Keystone by calling 610-277-8073 or visiting Keystone Clinical Studies LLC.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Suzanne Newman joins Dr. Cherian Verghese to talk about a special program for those who are in the beginning or medium stages of Alzheimer's disease. Dr. Verghese is Principal Researcher at Keystone Clinical Studies LLC in the Philadelphia area. His mother died from Alzheimer's disease five years ago, and it transformed his efforts as a physician-investigator. Keystone is almost entirely focused on Alzheimer's. This segment focuses on the differences between dementia and Alzheimer's, and how the disease progresses. The prevalence of Alzheimer's dementia is 5% in people 65 years old. By the age of 80, it's 40% or more. If you know of someone with Alzheimer's, there's probably a trial available for them. For those interested in a trial, visit Lift-Adtrial to learn more. You can learn more about Keystone by calling 610-277-8073 or visiting Keystone Clinical Studies LLC.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Suzanne Newman talks with 14-year-old Hailey Richman from Long Island, New York. Hailey is executive director for two non-profit organizations that help seniors, giving young people an opportunity to help. This segment provides information on how to get involved. People can do puzzle drives, distribute puzzles, or volunteering a facility. When kids email, Kid Caregivers can provide names of facilities they can go to. If they have a loved one with Alzheimer's, they will send puzzles either to them or to the facility. She'll have a Zoom call with a volunteer, showing them how to relate with someone who has Alzheimer's. Support the cause by donating or volunteering to help get puzzles into facilities that don't have a lot of resources. Learn more at KidCaregivers.com and PuzzlesToRemember.org.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Suzanne Newman talks with 14-year-old Hailey Richman from Long Island, New York. Hailey is executive director for two non-profit organizations that help seniors. In this segment, Hailey talks more about the process of how people can get involved in Puzzle Time. Sometimes people email directly, or schools, teachers, or scout groups will reach out, and Kid Caregivers will get a recommendation from teachers. They show volunteers how to talk to someone with Alzheimer's – how to be nice, understanding, and how to cope when a senior gets forgetful. During COVID, everyone was isolated, and Puzzle Time was done virtually, though they'd still drop off puzzles. Now they can do Puzzle Time outdoors and things are starting to get back to normal. Support the cause by donating or volunteering to help get puzzles into facilities that don't have a lot of resources. Learn more at KidCaregivers.com and PuzzlesToRemember.org.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Suzanne Newman talks with 14-year-old Hailey Richman from Long Island, New York. Hailey is executive director for two non-profit organizations that help seniors. In this segment, Hailey talks more about Kid Caregivers, which grew from a blog to Zoom calls, meets with guidance counselors, and Puzzle Time where kids can volunteer to help seniors solve puzzles. They are now in almost all 50 states. People can become ambassadors in their state to take a leadership role in finding volunteers. Some high school students volunteer weekly or monthly. Kids bond with the seniors, making an inter-generational connection that can touch people's lives just by solving a puzzle together. Support the cause by donating or volunteering to help get puzzles into facilities that don't have a lot of resources. Learn more at KidCaregivers.com and PuzzlesToRemember.org.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Suzanne Newman talks with 14-year-old Hailey Richman from Long Island, New York. Hailey is executive director for two non-profit organizations that help seniors. When Hailey was four years old, her grandmother was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. Her grandmother was her best friend, and Hailey felt isolated. When she found out that there were no support groups for kids, just adults, she decided to make her own. At 8 she started blogging to support and empower other kids who are acting as caregivers. The site gives tips and suggestions for others like her. Hailey shared moments between her and her grandmother such as being called by her mom's name, and realizing that she needed to accept that and inhabit her grandmother's world in order to help her. She loved making puzzles with her grandmother, and when she brought friends over they'd make puzzles with others on her grandmother's floor. Why not make this for all nursing homes. She created Puzzle Time, an inter-generational program where girl scouts, church groups, and others can volunteer community service hours helping solve puzzles with people who have Alzheimer's. Support the cause by donating or volunteering to help get puzzles into facilities that don't have a lot of resources. Learn more at KidCaregivers.com and PuzzlesToRemember.org.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Rebecca Bomann, the CEO of SASH Services, joins Suzanne Newman to talk about tips to help get your house ready to be sold. Continuing from part 3, in this segment Rebecca shares two more low-cost suggestions to maximize your net proceeds at the end of the sale. 11. Add a fresh scent: Apple cinnamon or raspberry, with fragrances that aren't plugged in chemicals that could trigger allergies, a bowl of pot pourri, providing a pleasant scent. 12. Leave while it's listed. If you're still living in the house, and have to make the bed, do dishes, and clean laundry before each showing, that keeps buyers waiting. Eight showings in a day means eight times to get ready. If at all possible, don't be in the home during the first two weeks of the listing. This is the most active time of the listing. Rebecca sold a home yesterday that had 84 showings. Imagine being in your 70s or 80s and getting up and disrupted 84 times. Showings can be booked from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m., and if each one is 30 minutes long, that is 26 possible showings per day. If you limit times when prospective buyers can visit, you're narrowing the buyer pool, and discouraging buyers from coming in. Stay with family, visit the grandchildren, or have a respite stay at a senior community. They're affordable, safe, clean, and have people their age. They'll also experience what it's like. Some communities will let you move in early and defer fees until your house is sold. Also, there are affordable pet-friendly, air B&Bs with no stairs where you can book an extended stay. If I offered you $20,000 to stay away for two weeks, would you take it? That's how much more you could make, or more. When you're not there, you're maximizing availability and opportunity, keeping your home show-ready the whole time. SASH Services (Sell a Senior Home) was founded in 2005 as a blend of real estate, senior care, and social work to provide seniors and their families with home-sale options that are not typical, that are designed around their needs. They provide specialized services that lift the selling burden off the senior homeowner and their family while maximizing what can be earned from the home. SASH serves most of western Washington in the Pacific Northwest. If you're out of state, they can steer you to a qualified professional in your area. Find more at the SASH Services website or call 888-400-SASH.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Rebecca Bomann, the CEO of SASH Services, joins Suzanne Newman to talk about tips to help get your house ready to be sold. Continuing from part 2, in this segment Rebecca shares more low-cost suggestions to maximize your net proceeds at the end of the sale. Expenses can be paid for by following the tips from part 1. 7. Pressure wash the outside. You don't have to repaint the exterior, but a light pressure washing will give it a bath, removing dust and cobwebs. Also, driveways, walkways, and stairs will remove moss and rocks. You can rent a pressure washer or have a professional do it. Don't wash the room; it will take years off its life. 8. Buy a new welcome mat — a welcoming, modern mat for the front door. 9. Clean up the patio. Rececca has seen flower pots with dying plants, wind chimes, drink cups, potting soil, garden gnomes, umbrellas, and more. It's important for people to see the yard as an extension of the house, like an outside living room, so dress it up just as well as the living room. Declutter and wash it. Leave two chairs and some fresh flowers nearby. Clean a BBQ. 10. Retro decor is OK. Sometimes people have older finishes in their home: dark paneling from the 70s, avocado counters, pink tile in bathrooms, or bright-colored carpets. People fear that they'll have to renovate all that, but that's a myth. We can make it look great and still get bidding wars, just by following the other tips. By not renovating, you're appealing to people who want to do their own updating, and it will be priced less so more buyers can afford it. Right now, the market is such that it's not profitable to renovate. People who appraise and finance your house don't worry about its appearance, but rather things like the age of the roof, the condition of the furnace, and that there are no electrical hazards. It's already stressful to move, so why add to that with the stress of doing renovations? If you only have a limited amount of money to spend, spend it on things that help a buyer qualify to buy it, so that it passes an inspection and appraises well. SASH Services (Sell a Senior Home) was founded in 2005 as a blend of real estate, senior care, and social work to provide seniors and their families with home-sale options that are not typical, that are designed around their needs. They provide specialized services that lift the selling burden off the senior homeowner and their family while maximizing what can be earned from the home. SASH serves most of western Washington in the Pacific Northwest. If you're out of state, they can steer you to a qualified professional in your area. Find more at the SASH Services website or call 888-400-SASH. Listen to part 4 for more tips.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Rebecca Bomann, the CEO of SASH Services, joins Suzanne Newman to talk about tips to help get your house ready to be sold. Sometimes it seems too hard to stay and too hard to move. Wondering where to even begin? Continuing from part 1, in this segment Rebecca shares more low-cost suggestions to maximize your net proceeds at the end of the sale. Any expenses can be paid for by following the tips from Part 1. 3. Take down heavy drapes and window coverings. When you put a home on the market, you want to show off the view and allow natural light to come in, as it makes each room and the whole house feel bigger, more cheerful, welcoming and inviting. It makes a big difference. 4. Swap out old and low-watt bulbs for bright new ones. It avoids dark hallways and closets, at least 60 watt bulbs, so each room is well lit. 5. Remove family photos and paintings. When prospective buys see family photos, they feel like they're intruding on your privacy. Leave two or three, but pack up the rest. It cleans, declutters, and makes rooms look bigger. Let a down-sizer explain the reasoning, while family members can be supportive. Acknowledge how special the home is, compliment all of the photos and art, while explaining that these photos and paintings will get packed for moving, so pack these items now, so prospective buyers will be able envision the home as it might be for them. 6. Do a professional deep cleaning. Let a professional do it. They will even clean the tops of doorways and ceiling fans, clean blinds, and get behind doors and fridges. A sparkly clean house will smell good. SASH Services (Sell a Senior Home) was founded in 2005 as a blend of real estate, senior care, and social work to provide seniors and their families with home-sale options that are not typical, that are designed around their needs. They provide specialized services that lift the selling burden off the senior homeowner and their family while maximizing what can be earned from the home. SASH serves most of western Washington in the Pacific Northwest. If you're out of state, they can steer you to a qualified professional in your area. Learn more at the SASH Services website or call 888-400-SASH, and listen to part 3 for more tips.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Rebecca Bomann, the CEO of SASH Services, joins Suzanne Newman to talk about tips to help get your house ready to be sold. Rebecca has used these tips herself, helping hundreds of families. Whether you're an empty-nester or looking for a senior loved one who's lived in their house for 50 years, often a move seems like a mountain of a challenge. These low-cost suggestions will maximize your net proceeds: Pack first. Everyone plans to bring most things when they move, but the mistake is waiting to pack till after photography and listing, which makes a house look full and prevents prospective buyers from envisioning their own belongings in your house. Pack prior to photography, as many things as you don't need daily, putting it in the garage or a storage unit. Your house will show so much better. Sell some things. For people feeling pressured by the costs of getting everything ready, keep in mind some things probably won't be moved into a new place. Some items won't fit, or there's an old record collection not listened to in decades, or maybe some World War II memorabilia in the attic. These items could be auctioned or sold in order to pay money for sprucing up the house. Even a few hundred or thousand raised help. And it helps empty the house for moving. A live garage sale, estate sales, online auction sites, and for sale apps. Learn more Learn more at the SASH Services website or call 888-400-SASH. SASH Services (Sell a Senior Home) was founded in 2005 as a blend of real estate, senior care, and social work to provide seniors and their families with home-sale options that are not typical, that are designed around their needs. They provide specialized services that lift the selling burden off the senior homeowner and their family while maximizing what can be earned from the home. SASH serves most of western Washington in the Pacific Northwest. If you're out of state, they can steer you to a qualified professional in your area. Find more at SASHservices.com or call 888-400-SASH. Listen to part 2 for more tips.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Spring is for new beginnings, coming out of winter hibernation. Certified senior advisor Kelley Smith at CarePartners Senior Living joins Suzanne Newman to talk about how and when to intervene as an adult child or loved one of a senior who may need care. When the conversations are over, and something doesn't go right, Kelley talks about next steps. You can't control another human being. There are other options if a loved one digs in their heels. Northeast Seattle has NEST — Northeast Seattle Together — and other neighborhoods have programs like this. For a small fee, people will come to the house and do chores, mow the lawn, and do other tasks, so you don't have to be overwhelmed. A family advocate or caregiver needs to keep their balance and boundaries. Learn more about CarePartners Senior Living at their website.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Spring is for new beginnings, coming out of winter hibernation. Certified senior advisor Kelley Smith at CarePartners Senior Living joins Suzanne Newman to talk about how and when to intervene as an adult child or loved one of a senior who may need care. This segment addresses what to do when our loved ones are adamantly resisting, but you know something has to change. You have to make sure that a decision's been made - that they are no longer safe in their own home — you have to look at next steps, whether it's home care, home health, rehabilitative care, or something else. Make sure they've been diagnosed by a doctor. And learn what the consequences are if you don't do something. Learn more about CarePartners Senior Living at their website.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Spring is for new beginnings, coming out of winter hibernation. Certified senior advisor Kelley Smith at CarePartners Senior Living joins Suzanne Newman to talk about how and when to intervene as an adult child or loved one of a senior who may need care. Kelley talks about red flags. Maybe you've noticed that your mom used to keep her house spotless in the past, but now you see spoiled food in the fridge, stacks of stuff in odd places, and she's ordering strange stuff by mail. You know your loved one, and some things will stand out as unusual. Are they grabbing onto furniture and walls to support themselves? Making excuses for you not to visit? Kelley provides advice when you see behaviors that stand out as unusual in our senior loved ones. Learn more about CarePartners Senior Living at their website.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Spring is for new beginnings, coming out of winter hibernation. Certified senior advisor Kelley Smith at CarePartners Senior Living joins Suzanne Newman to talk about how and when to intervene as an adult child or loved one of a senior who may need care. Families may be concerned about their role while honoring parents facing Alzheimer's or dementia. Kelley Smith says to best serve parents and grandparents, first understand what you need as well as what your parents need. When you have conversations, give them time to process so they aren't on the defensive. Create an open dialogue to figure out the next steps. Bring up that you noticed things are getting more challenging for them around the house. Casual conversations often work better than a scheduled meeting. Learn more about CarePartners Senior Living at their website.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tracey Harvey from Cadence Living joins Suzanne Newman to talk about a dynamic, new senior living community soon to open in Kent, Washington. Tracey is Regional Vice President of Marketing & Strategic Planning, Northwest for Cadence at Kent-Meridian. Think about all of the things you do in a day, whether it's cleaning the house, cooking, driving to the store, shopping, planning paying bills. How many hours does that take each week? If you didn't have to do those things, how would it improve the quality of your life? If you were to move into a senior living community, how would your life change? The goal would be to tap into your passions, things you aspire to do, so that you can live your life in a meaningful way as you get older. For some, it's being more active. For others, it's having more friendships, or tapping into crafts not done in 20 years, or solitude, or gardening, or having someone else remember what medications their spouse/partner needs, or being able to go on outings with friends, or travel more often without having to drive, or having peace of mind. Don't discount the benefits of security either, a consideration as we get older. Having a better quality of life is priceless. A move-in special, a founder's club membership, gives residents their birthday month free for two years, pet fees are waived, and the second person occupancy fee is waived the first year. Studio pricing starts at $3,150/month. Cadence at Kent-Meridian is located at 25035 104th Ave SE, Kent, WA 98030. Learn more at (253) 549-9300 or at their website.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tracey Harvey from Cadence Living joins Suzanne Newman to talk about a dynamic, new senior living community soon to open in Kent, Washington. Tracey is Regional Vice President of Marketing & Strategic Planning, Northwest for Cadence at Kent-Meridian. Tracy provides some considerations to keep in mind for seniors considering downsizing. It helps to actually visit a community, seeing all the departments and teams of people that help make it a value for your money, where you can have food prepared, housekeeping once a week, and transportation if you need it. Alumni of Kent-Meridian High School will like the dugout and outdoor patio overlooking their baseball field. Some balconies have a view of Mount Rainier. Cadence also supports loved ones' hobbies, ones that are important to mom or dad, and a calendar of events that they want to participate in. Adult children may think a view is important, or having fewer steps, but your loved ones might think an apartment layout is equally important, or they want it to be further down the hall to get in all their steps per day. A move-in special, a founder's club membership, gives residents their birthday month free for two years, pet fees are waived, and the second person occupancy fee is waived the first year. Studio pricing starts at $3,150/month. Cadence at Kent-Meridian is located at 25035 104th Ave SE, Kent, WA 98030. Learn more at (253) 549-9300 or at their website.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tracey Harvey from Cadence Living joins Suzanne Newman to talk about a dynamic, new senior living community soon to open in Kent, Washington. Tracey is Regional Vice President of Marketing & Strategic Planning, Northwest for Cadence at Kent-Meridian. Cadence is geared for Kent, a middle class area. Cadence offers a great value in communities along with offering the services you're looking for: 128 apartments, three levels, offering both independent living and assisted living, that allows people to age in place in the apartment they choose. Cadence has studios, one bedroom and two-bedroom apartments, all with high ceilings (12 feet on the first level, 10 feet on the second), full kitchens, a balcony with a view, and washer/dryer. Anytime-dining at a bistro offers a variety of foods. Senior wellness programs will be designed based on the interests of the residents, like in-tune fitness. A move-in special, a founder's club membership, gives residents their birthday month free for two years. Studio pricing starts at $3,150/month. Cadence at Kent-Meridian is located at 25035 104th Ave SE, Kent, WA 98030. Learn more at (253) 549-9300 or at their website.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tracey Harvey from Cadence Living joins Suzanne Newman to talk about a new senior living community soon to open in Kent, Washington. Tracey is Regional Vice President of Marketing & Strategic Planning, Northwest for Cadence at Kent-Meridian. Cadence brings a philosophy of vitality, fitness, and wellness, a resort-style living to seniors. Their innovative thinking attracted Tracey to the company. Active seniors looking for senior living. Socialization means more than we used to think – there's a recognition that community is important. Vitality is actively aging and retaining mobility regardless of our ability, ways to maintain stamina and wellness, not just physical, also intellectual, vocational, occupational. It's important we continue to crave that curiosity in life and don't stop meaning. Cadence is now offering tours. Even if mom or dad isn't ready yet, it's a good idea to go and take a tour to see what could be, down the road. The most respectful thing you can do for your loved one is to include them in early planning. When or if, doesn't mean it will happen, but at least you have a plan moving forward. A move-in special, a founder's club membership, gives residents their birthday month free for two years. Studio pricing starts at $3,150/month. Cadence at Kent-Meridian is located at 25035 104th Ave SE, Kent, WA 98030. Learn more at (253) 549-9300 or at their website.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Elder law and special needs attorney Jim Koewler talks with Suzanne Newman about veterans benefits, claims, and appeals under the current rules. If your loved ones have spent any time in the military, they may qualify for benefits you might not be aware with. This segment covers: Eligibility Update for VA Pension (a.k.a. Aid and Attendance) Financial eligibility, as of 12/1/2021 Assets less than $138,489, including one year's income$30,000 seems to get quicker reviewHome property above 2 acres counts Income below or close to medical expense Prior transfers "Prior Transfers" affect only VA Pension Three year look back for assets given away Only penalizes giveaways that made applicant financially eligible Penalty can be up to five years of ineligibility VA will not pay for one month for every $2,421.25 given away, as of 12/1/2021 Tricky issues Providing for spouses expenses at home Deciding whether to give away assets Getting income within the target amount Not screwing up the possibility of getting Medicaid in the future Listen or watch on YouTube if you want to follow along with the presentation. Contact Jim Koewler at The Koewler Law Firm in Richfield, OH by calling 330-659-3579 or emailing [email protected]. His website is https://www.protectingseniors.com.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Elder law and special needs attorney Jim Koewler talks with Suzanne Newman about veterans benefits, claims, and appeals under the current rules. If your loved ones have spent any time in the military, they may qualify for benefits you might not be aware with. This segment continues the conversation from part 3 on who is eligible for veterans benefits and covers: Eligibility Update for VA Pension (a.k.a. Aid and Attendance) Aged 65 or older or 100% disabled Health care expenses use up most or all household incomePeriodic, predictable health care expenses ClassificationsAid & Attendance - Need help with some Activities of Daily Living, or need a Protective EnvironmentHousebound - Can't easily get out on your ownPension - Expected medical expenses use up most or all income Monthly benefits for VA Pension (a.k.a. Aid and Attendance), as of 12/1/2021 Aid & Attendance Housebound Pension Listen or watch on YouTube if you want to follow along with the presentation. Contact Jim Koewler at The Koewler Law Firm in Richfield, OH by calling 330-659-3579 or emailing [email protected]. His website is https://www.protectingseniors.com.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Elder law and special needs attorney Jim Koewler talks with Suzanne Newman about veterans benefits, claims, and appeals under the current rules. If your loved ones have spent any time in the military, they may qualify for benefits you might not be aware with. This segment begins a conversation on who is eligible for veterans benefits and covers: Eligibility Update for VA Pension (a.k.a. Aid and Attendance) Qualifying branches Length of service Designated periods of war Listen or watch on YouTube if you want to follow along with the presentation. Contact Jim Koewler at The Koewler Law Firm in Richfield, OH by calling 330-659-3579 or emailing [email protected]. His website is https://www.protectingseniors.com.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Elder law and special needs attorney Jim Koewler talks with Suzanne Newman about veterans benefits, claims, and appeals under the current rules. If your loved ones have spent any time in the military, they may qualify for benefits you might not be aware with. This segment provides an overview of three basic veterans benefits: VA Pension (a.k.a. Aid and Attendance) To help aged or disabled "wartime" veterans or their surviving spouses pay for high medical costs VA Compensation (a.k.a. VA Disability) For veterans with disabilities that are the result of a disease or injury incurred or aggravated during active service Dependent and indemnity compensation For surviving spouses, children, or parents IF veteran's death was connected to service, or if veteran died during active duty or training Special monthly compensationFor veteran who needs help from another person with Activities of Daily Living, or has certain disabilities (e.g., loss of limb)For surviving spouse, child, or parent who needs help from another person with ADLs VA Long-Term Care in VA Health Program Geriatric Evaluation Adult Day Health Care Respite Care Skilled Home Health Care Residential services Listen or watch on YouTube if you want to follow along with the presentation. Contact Jim Koewler at The Koewler Law Firm in Richfield, OH by calling 330-659-3579 or emailing [email protected]. His website is https://www.protectingseniors.com.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Elder law and special needs attorney Jim Koewler talks with Suzanne Newman about veterans benefits, claims, and appeals under the current rules. If your loved ones have spent any time in the military, they may qualify for benefits you might not be aware with. This segment covers: * Accreditation* Discharge papers** DOD (not VA) Form SF180 Listen or watch on YouTube if you want to follow along with the presentation. Contact Jim Koewler at The Koewler Law Firm in Richfield, OH by calling 330-659-3579 or emailing [email protected]. His website is https://www.protectingseniors.com.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Rebecca Bomann, the CEO of SASH Services, joins Suzanne Newman to talk about eight things every senior homeowner deserves during a home sale. This segment focuses on the last two things, which are about the journey to say goodbye to the home, without minimizing emotions: 7: Space to grieve. Give a senior homeowner the space and opportunity to feel sad. When we sell a home in our 20s or 30s, there's excitement, looking forward to the next journey. But if you've lived in your house for 50 years, it feels much different. The home is so familiar, it's become a major part of your identity and memories. Selling and leaving is like losing a family member. Let a senior loved one grieve – let them be sad, for as long as they need. 8: An opportunity to say goodbye. It's not the same as grieving; you can grieve anywhere. Let them say farewell to their home. The home sale shouldn't be so rushed that there isn't time to say goodbye. Respect the significance of the place. SASH stands for Sell A Senior's Home. Learn more at the SASH Services website.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Rebecca Bomann, the CEO of SASH Services, joins Suzanne Newman to talk about eight things every senior homeowner deserves during a home sale.This segment focuses on the fifth and sixth things: 5: Home mementos. Let them take some home mementos with them. They don't have to be big. Often instinct is thinking of what "needs" to go in their senior living apartment, because there's limited space. Allow those extra items from home that bring familiarity, comfort, and happiness. 6: Caring advocates. They can be anyone who walks through this step with them, looking out for them, whether a neighbor, friend, or relative. They protect the senior from being taken advantage of. SASH stands for Sell A Senior's Home. Learn more at the SASH Services website.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Rebecca Bomann, the CEO of SASH Services, joins Suzanne Newman to talk about eight things every senior homeowner deserves during a home sale.This segment focuses on the third and fourth things: 3: Decision-making: Every senior deserves the ability to make their own decisions, give them choices to make. Many times family members are in a hurry and want to get the process done. But this often makes mom or dad feel like the home sale is happening to them, instead of being in charge of that journey. Sometimes, even making small decisions feels empowering. 4: Knowledge and information: Seniors should have knowledge and information – give them the respect of being well informed. Often they hear what's going to be done, but not the reasons why. The sharing of that information with a senior gives them satisfaction rather than leaving mysteries. SASH stands for Sell A Senior's Home. Learn more at the SASH Services website.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Rebecca Bomann, the CEO of SASH Services, joins Suzanne Newman to talk about eight things every senior homeowner deserves during a home sale. Most realtors might treat the sale with the same frame of reference as any other sale; they might provide a to-do list to get it ready, and that's it. But if you've lived in a house for 50 years, they need someone who understands that it can be a paralyzing burden. There are eight things they deserve, and doesn't matter what type of house they're selling or how much it's worth. It feels scary because they're leaving the familiar, the memories, and moving into the unknown, whether it's moving cross-country or perhaps into a new senior living environment. This segment focuses on the first two items that every senior should experience: 1. Kindness. Give them kindness in the journey. Family members sometimes forget about how scary it can be, and validating them. Whether grumpy or angry, or sad, empathy and understanding are needed. 2. Patience. This is hard for caregivers. Well-meaning caregivers have a deadline to complete the move, but their loved one isn't ready. Give the senior the respect to move on their timeline, not when it's convenient for others. The fear factor, the highly-charged emotions, need to be respected. Often caregivers and family look at the sale of a senior loved one's house as a financial transaction. For the senior, it's not — it's an emotional, impactful situation. SASH stands for Sell A Senior's Home. Learn more at the SASH Services website.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this hour, Elder Law and special needs attorney Jim Koewler talks with Suzanne Newman about how to appoint people to represent you in situations where you're unable to act for yourself – a who's who of people who should be involved in your estate plan. This segment focuses on trusts. Revocable Trust Initial Trustee: Grantors (the people setting up the trust in the first place) Successor Trustee (After initial trustees both deceased or physically/mentally unable to continue as trustee): Person who gets stuff done, meets deadlines, and doesn't buckle under pressure from other heirs. Irrevocable Third-Party trust for disabled person Grantors are initial trustees Successor Trustee First Approach - Trustee: Person who will look out for disabled beneficiary but will not cave in to unreasonable demands for money from trust and will not resent having to deal with beneficiary Second strategy:Trustee: Bank or trust company or trusted family memberDistribution Committee (to make decisions on when to pay out for benefit of beneficiary, taking pressure off the trustee):- Special needs attorney- Social worker- Family member(s) (maybe) HIPAA Release (Gives access to health information. Doesn't grant decision-making authority. Include everyone who is named in Health Care Power of Attorney Include any other family members or friends who are likely to help look after you if you need care (long-term or otherwise) Include elder law attorney and, if attorney has one, attorney's care coordinator You can listen to the podcast or watch it on YouTube. Learn more at protectingseniors.com.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this hour, Elder Law and special needs attorney Jim Koewler talks with Suzanne Newman about how to appoint people to represent you in situations where you're unable to act for yourself – a who's who of people who should be involved in your estate plan. We've been talking about powers of attorney and living wills. This segment focuses on after you pass away. You can choose between a will-based estate plan or a trust-based estate plan. Even if you do a trust, make a will, which will catch anything forgotten in the trust. In the will, you name an executor, who is in charge of handling the will (or lack of a will) in probate court. The executor would be the most business-focused person we talk about in this hour. The job of the will is to handle your affairs and close up shop, and your stuff goes where you want it to go, strictly a business transaction. But the executor has to take it through the probate court process. Will Executor: Spouse first Backup Executor (if spouse not able): Person who gets stuff done, meets deadlines, and doesn't buckle under pressure from other heirs You can listen to the podcast or watch it on YouTube. Learn more at protectingseniors.com.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this hour, Elder Law and special needs attorney Jim Koewler talks with Suzanne Newman about how to appoint people to represent you in situations where you're unable to act for yourself – a who's who of people who should be involved in your estate plan. This segment focuses on living wills. One person does the job – pick one person. A power of attorney document should be written as though it's needed when you need long-term care, because it's mostly used for that. Name your agent with long-term care in mind. Pick them for that reason – don't name your son as general power of attorney because he handles money better and name your daughter as your health care agent; if the daughter reaches the end of her rope, the son might not agree to pay for help, and he would control the checkbook. Living Wills may be different in every state; this covers when you've suffered a brain death and you can tell the family whether to keep the respirator running. Keep your chosen people the same order for both the powers of attorney and the living will. That way you don't have the person listed first on the health care power of attorney having to fight with the person listed first on the living will. Keep them all the same to avoid conflict at a time when conflict slows down your medical care. Living Wills Person to receive phone call (that Principal seems to have suffered traumatic brain damage): Probably spouse First alternate person to receive phone call: person most likely to take in Principal (person signing the Living Will) if Principal needs long-term care Second successor agent: Person second-most likely to take inPrincipal if Principal needs long-term care Others: The person listed on Living Will to receive the phone call doesn't have any "power," but many families don't know that. So, to avoid "power struggles" among family members, it is prudent to list the same people in the Living Will as are named in the Powers of Attorney You can listen to the podcast or watch it on YouTube. Learn more at protectingseniors.com.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this hour, Elder Law and special needs attorney Jim Koewler talks with Suzanne Newman about how to appoint people to represent you in situations where you're unable to act for yourself – a who's who of people who should be involved in your estate plan. In this segment, Jim focuses on the people you select to have power of attorney and those involved with your living will – and to guide your selections, the personality traits they should have. Powers of Attorney (General and Health Care) Agent: Probably spouse (unless spouse cracks under pressure of making decisions for others) First successor agent: Person most likely to take in Principal (person signing the POA) if Principal needs long-term care Second successor agent: Person second-most likely to take in Principal if Principal needs long-term care Others: We suggest naming the same agents and successor agents in both the General and Health Care Powers of Attorney so that, should you ever need long-term care, the person providing care also has the ability to hire help and to pay for it. You can listen to the podcast or watch it on YouTube. Learn more at protectingseniors.com.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Whether regarding skilled care, skilled nursing, or memory care, especially during the pandemic myths have persisted about senior living. This hour, Kelley Smith at CarePartners Senior Living talked about the myths and realities of senior living. This segment focuses on family members who care for a senior loved one. It's important to understand your role to make sure they have the best quality of life possible. Learn more about CarePartners Senior Living.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Whether regarding skilled care, skilled nursing, or memory care, especially during the pandemic myths have persisted about senior living. In this segment Kelley Smith at CarePartners Senior Living focuses on quality of life: what to expect in a senior living or assisted living community. It's not what you might think, and there are a lot of preconceived ideas about skilled care. Nothing's perfect, but if you're a caregiver and it's affecting you to where you can't do it any more, or you're in a situation where their needs are over your head, you're not serving them by keeping them at home. They see people get better in assisted living, because they're getting three home-cooked meals a day, getting their medications on time, there are people around – just having human contact adds to quality of life, rather than being isolated and just seeing your kids now and then. Getting them involved with a community their own age, where there are things happening and things to look forward to, improves their quality of life. Learn more about CarePartners Senior Living.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Whether regarding skilled care, skilled nursing, or memory care, especially during the pandemic myths have persisted about senior living. In this segment Kelley Smith at CarePartners Senior Living explains that the general public's impression of senior living is based on folklore. People think their mom will move in and be isolated, as when you changed schools as a kid. But that's not giving the communities enough credit. A lot of communities have ambassadors that introduce your mom to new people. That's why you fill out a social assessment – for instance if she's from Norway they might sit her with someone from Norway. A lot of communities put their residents first, with activities, and have a way of making sure the residents are entertained throughout the day. There's something for everyone. Learn more about CarePartners Senior Living.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Whether regarding skilled care, skilled nursing, or memory care, especially during the pandemic myths have persisted about senior living. In this hour, Suzanne Newman talks with Kelley Smith at CarePartners Senior Living about myths heard all the time about senior care. We remember great-grandma or great-grandpa being in nursing homes, which weren't pleasant places. They don't exist any more — skilled nursing has taken over, and it doesn't look the same as it did even five or ten years ago. If you don't know anybody in assisted living, if you've never been to an assisted living facility, you don't know what actually happens. Skilled nursing now is more like a rehab center that need 24-hour care not appropriate for a hospital setting. People don't realize that things like therapy dog visits and music therapy are available, providing a quality of life — they don't even know that it exists. Learn more about CarePartners Senior Living.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There are 150 million caregivers in the United States. In this segment, Elder Law and special needs attorney Jim Koewler recommends some nationwide resources for senior caregivers: Hiring Geriatric care managers Elder law care attorneys: National Academy of Elder Law Care Attorneys Elder law attorneys who work with care coordinators: Life Care Planning Law Firms Association Nationwide web resources Elder Care decision guides at Answers For Elders Genworth care scout Benjamin Rose Institute on Aging: 216. 273.1797 Alzheimer's Association Pro Seniors Learn more at The Koewler Law Firm website: protectingseniors.com. Search for a comparable elder law attorney in your state at naela.org.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This hour, Suzanne Newman talks about hearing loss with Dr. Hope Lanter, lead audiologist and director of partner success at Hear.com. Some health issues can be exacerbated by hearing loss. This segment focuses on the effects of hearing related to health issues, such diabetes, Alzheimer's and dementia. Diabetes creates blood flow issues and can impact the hearing nerve. Regarding Alzheimer's, the brain is a use-it-or-lose-it place. When we stop stimulating the brain with sounds for too long, it can forget how to process them. We see a dramatically faster progression of that when we don't use hearing aids when they're needed. If you're experiencing some hearing loss, or even wondering if you are, Hear.com has a 45-day no-risk trial offer. Take a free assessment questionnaire at Hear.com or (786) 520-2456 and see if it's worth investigating.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.