Answers For Elders Radio Network

Kevin Guttman from C2 Financial joins Suzanne Newman on the Answers for Elders podcast to discuss the ins and outs of reverse mortgage. In this segment, Kevin explains how the value of your home's equity can help you age in place in your later years through a reverse mortgage. C2 Financial is the third largest mortgage broker in the country and the number one reverse mortgage broker in the country with 1,200 loan officers.Kevin says, "Most people have the bulk of their net worth, probably two thirds or more of their net worth, in their home. There are three ways we can get to our equity. We can sell – pay the broker 6 percent – do a cash out refinance or home equity line of credit with a monthly mortgage payment. Or we can do a reverse mortgage, in which we have an optional payment, but have access to the equity."So the way it works is, let's say somebody has a $500,000 home, which is not too uncommon these days. And we'll just say they're 62. A spouse can be younger, but at least one needs to be 62. So let's say they can borrow about 35%. So let me do the math real quick. $500,000 times 35%, $175,000. They don't need the money, they're still working, but they know the time value of money. When we were in our twenties, the financial planners told us start investing in your twenties, you need to have time on your side so your money can grow. So if they get it at 62, and they're planning to work till 70, but now they have this line of credit, $175,000, and they don't need the money. So they let it ride, so to speak, for ten years. And that line of credit can double in ten years, potentially. So now they don't have $175, now they have $350, and they can turn that into monthly payments or a lump sum. They still don't need the money, because they have investments. They're doing fine and started taking Social Security. Now they let it ride another ten years. Now they're 82, so they've had the reverse mortgage for 20 years. And now that line of credit has grown to $700,000. Tax free, monthly payments, or lump sum. Turns out one of them get sick, which is not too uncommon. They need some help. So they bring somebody in a couple hours a day. We'll just say three or 4 hours a day, Monday through Friday. Instead of having a family member leave their job, come and care for the parents, they have money, they can pay somebody to come and care for them. So they can age in place."Kevin adds, "A reverse mortgage is like a fingerprint. It's unique to each individual, each couple. We can tailor it to help them accomplish what they're looking to do."💠 Connect with Kevin Guttman and C2 Financial at 877.251.9729.💠 Visit C2 Financial's website for research, essays, videos, interviews💠 Ebook: Betty’s Story: A Prudent Senior Citizen’s Guide to A Reverse Mortgage Loan✨ Visit Answers for Elders onlineMentioned in this episode:Chateau RetirementChateau RetirementWalk to End Alzheimer'sLearn more about the Walk to End Alzheimer's at https://www.alz.org/walk.

Kevin Guttman from C2 Financial joins Suzanne Newman on the Answers for Elders podcast to discuss the ins and outs of reverse mortgage. In this segment, Kevin talks about how to purchase a new home using a reverse mortgage instead of a traditional mortgage loan.. C2 Financial is the third largest mortgage broker in the country and the number one reverse mortgage broker in the country with 1,200 loan officers.Kevin says, "When somebody decides to buy a home, they have three ways they can finance it. Cash. A traditional loan, with a monthly payment. Or a reverse mortgage, where they make one large down payment, we'll call it 65%. It varies. It depends on their age and different things, but let's just say 65%. But then they have no more monthly mortgage payment. The mortgage payment's optional. They can make a payment if they choose to, but they don't have to. So who's a good candidate for this? Let's say somebody who's lived in their home a long time, 20, 30, 40 years. Maybe the neighborhood's changed. Maybe they don't feel safe anymore. Maybe they want to live closer to their family, or their doctor. Maybe they can't do the stairs, or the maintenance on the house is too much."I have a great story about this. There was a family that moved back to Colorado Springs from northwest Arkansas, and the husband had to be on oxygen at altitude because we're 7,000 feet above sea level, and he couldn't breathe very well. And so his wife leaves the room for a minute while I'm talking with them. And he says, 'Listen, this is important to me. I need to make sure my wife's going to be okay. I'm not long for the Earth. I'm sick, I'm dying, and I need to be sure she's okay.' So what does that look like? He said, 'Well, I need the right home, a low maintenance home.' They ended up buying a condo where they're just responsible for the inside. 'We need to put enough down to where she doesn't have a monthly payment, and I need to be sure it's in a safe area.' So the realtor took care of the condo and the location. I helped with the financing. Sure enough, at the time, they only had to put 50% down. This was several years ago, interest rates were half what they are today. But four months later, the wife calls and says, 'I just want to let you know that Bill passed away, and you had told us that we could stay in this home as long as we paid the property taxes and the insurance on time, and not have a monthly mortgage payment. Is that right?' I said that's correct. Big sigh of relief. She says, 'Oh, good. That's the only way I can afford to stay in my home.' Why? Because they just lost his income. Their reverse mortgage changed her life."This is a game changer for people, If they only understood, 'Oh, I can finance a home with a first mortgage, I put one large down payment down. I don't have a monthly mortgage payment. And I'm in a safer home, safer neighborhood, maybe gated community, that kind of thing. Low or no maintenance. It's amazing."💠 Connect with Kevin Guttman and C2 Financial at 877.251.9729.💠 Visit C2 Financial's website for research, essays, videos, interviews💠 Ebook: Betty’s Story: A Prudent Senior Citizen’s Guide to A Reverse Mortgage Loan✨ Visit Answers for Elders onlineMentioned in this episode:Walk to End Alzheimer'sLearn more about the Walk to End Alzheimer's at https://www.alz.org/walk.Chateau RetirementChateau Retirement

Caregiving has changed dramatically across generations—and today’s women over 40 are leading a new kind of caregiving revolution. In this episode of Answers for Elders, Suzanne Newman welcomes Vivatude hosts Tracy Cromwell and Anu Arora for a candid conversation about how caregiving looks different for Baby Boomers, Generation X, and Generation Y. Together, they explore how women in the “sandwich generation” are balancing family, career, and the care of aging loved ones—all while trying to maintain their own physical, social, and occupational wellness.Tracy Cromwell, a certified health coach and fitness professional, shares how physical wellness evolves as we age—and how today’s Gen X and Gen Y caregivers are more proactive about self-care and technology-supported health habits than previous generations. Meanwhile, Anu Arora, a leadership and mindfulness coach, dives into the growing epidemic of loneliness and why connection is the key to thriving, not just surviving, in caregiving. They discuss how modern caregivers are redefining wellness, finding new ways to cope with stress, and building communities of support both at home and in the workplace.If you’re a woman over 40 navigating caregiving, this conversation is for you. Learn how to balance your own wellness while caring for others, discover generational insights that can make your journey easier, and hear empowering advice from two experts who understand the emotional, physical, and mental challenges of caregiving today. Subscribe to Answers for Elders Radio Network and Vivatude for more empowering conversations designed to help you live well, stay strong, and thrive through every season of life.✨ Connect with Us💠 Subscribe to Vivatude: https://www.youtube.com/@vivatude💠 Watch Vivatude episodes: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLAaH5P8bm1O2DNFGvKx2uh0rqhA8fWo7F💠 Tracy Cromwell - YouTube: 👉 @tracycromwell - Podcasts: 👉 https://creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/tracy-cromwell- Interviews: 👉 https://tracycromwell.com/pages/interviews-with-tracy-cromwell💠 Anu Arora - Website: https://www.anuarora.com/- YouTube: 👉 https://www.youtube.com/@speakeranuarora- Facebook: 👉 https://www.facebook.com/anuarora21/Mentioned in this episode:Walk to End Alzheimer'sLearn more about the Walk to End Alzheimer's at https://www.alz.org/walk.Chateau RetirementChateau Retirement

Caregiving is both a gift and a challenge, especially for women over 40 balancing family, work, and personal wellness. In this episode of Answers for Elders Radio Network, Suzanne Newman joins Tracy Cromwell and Anu Arora from the Vivatude podcast to explore the first three essential rules of caregiving: 1) Take care of your loved one, 2) Take care of yourself, and 3) Support the primary caregiver. Through stories, practical strategies, and lived experiences, our hosts show how these rules can help caregivers maintain balance, reduce stress, and navigate the complexities of modern caregiving.Physical, social, and occupational wellness are key to sustaining caregiving energy and resilience. Tracy highlights how physical wellness—through movement, proper nutrition, and stress management—keeps caregivers strong and prevents burnout. Anu shares how social and intellectual wellness, including connection, communication, and emotional support, help caregivers feel less isolated and more empowered. Together, they reveal strategies for managing the intense demands of caregiving while preserving your health, relationships, and sense of purpose.If you’re a woman over 40 caring for a loved one, this episode offers guidance, encouragement, and actionable tips. Learn how to care for yourself as much as you care for others, discover the importance of supporting primary caregivers, and find ways to build meaningful connections in your community. Subscribe to Answers for Elders and Vivatude to access more empowering conversations that help women navigate caregiving with strength, joy, and balance.✨ Connect with Us💠 Subscribe to Vivatude: https://www.youtube.com/@vivatude💠 Watch Vivatude episodes: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLAaH5P8bm1O2DNFGvKx2uh0rqhA8fWo7F💠 Tracy Cromwell - YouTube: 👉 @tracycromwell - Podcasts: 👉 https://creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/tracy-cromwell- Interviews: 👉 https://tracycromwell.com/pages/interviews-with-tracy-cromwell💠 Anu Arora - Website: https://www.anuarora.com/- YouTube: 👉 https://www.youtube.com/@speakeranuarora- Facebook: 👉 https://www.facebook.com/anuarora21/💠 Answers for Elders - Website: 👉 https://answersforelders.com/ Mentioned in this episode:Chateau RetirementChateau RetirementWalk to End Alzheimer'sLearn more about the Walk to End Alzheimer's at https://www.alz.org/walk.

Communication is essential for caregivers, especially women over 40 navigating the challenges of supporting a senior loved one. In this episode of Answers for Elders Radio Network, Suzanne Newman sits down with Tracy Cromwell and Anu Arora from the Vivatude podcast to discuss the power of intentional, compassionate communication. Learn why expressing needs, clarifying intentions, and engaging in honest dialogue can transform the caregiving experience, strengthen relationships, and reduce stress while caring for aging family members.Physical, social, and occupational wellness are deeply connected to effective communication. Tracy explains how stress affects the body and why physical wellness—through movement, mindfulness, and self-care—supports clear, calm interactions with loved ones. Anu highlights the importance of social wellness, showing how connection, empathy, and supportive networks can prevent isolation and help caregivers maintain balance. Occupational wellness is also key, as setting boundaries and clarifying roles with family and care teams ensures that caregiving responsibilities remain manageable and sustainable.If you’re a woman over 40 caring for a senior loved one, this episode is packed with practical guidance and inspiration. Discover strategies for communicating with dignity, responding rather than reacting, and making the invisible visible in your caregiving relationships. Subscribe to Answers for Elders and Vivatude for more empowering conversations that help women navigate caregiving with grace, confidence, and balance.✨ Connect with Us💠 Subscribe to Vivatude: https://www.youtube.com/@vivatude💠 Watch Vivatude episodes: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLAaH5P8bm1O2DNFGvKx2uh0rqhA8fWo7F💠 Tracy Cromwell - YouTube: 👉 @tracycromwell - Podcasts: 👉 https://creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/tracy-cromwell- Interviews: 👉 https://tracycromwell.com/pages/interviews-with-tracy-cromwell💠 Anu Arora - Website: https://www.anuarora.com/- YouTube: 👉 https://www.youtube.com/@speakeranuarora- Facebook: 👉 https://www.facebook.com/anuarora21/💠 Answers for Elders - Website: 👉 https://answersforelders.com/ Mentioned in this episode:Walk to End Alzheimer'sLearn more about the Walk to End Alzheimer's at https://www.alz.org/walk.Chateau RetirementChateau Retirement

Gratitude can transform the caregiving experience, especially for women over 40 supporting a senior loved one. In this episode of Answers for Elders Radio Network, Suzanne Newman sits down with Tracy Cromwell and Anu Arora from the Vivatude podcast to explore the powerful role of gratitude in caregiving. Discover how embracing appreciation—even in challenging circumstances—can shift your perspective, reduce stress, and help you find meaning in every caregiving moment.Physical, social, and occupational wellness are deeply connected to practicing gratitude. Tracy explains how acknowledging and appreciating your body’s strength can boost energy, improve health, and enhance resilience. Anu highlights the impact of gratitude on social wellness, showing how nurturing supportive relationships and trusting your circle can help caregivers feel less isolated and more connected. Occupational wellness is strengthened when caregivers approach their responsibilities with purpose, mindfulness, and a sense of privilege, turning everyday tasks into moments of growth and fulfillment.If you’re a woman over 40 caring for a senior loved one, this episode is packed with practical strategies and inspiration. Learn how to reframe challenges, create a gratitude practice, and cultivate joy while caring for your loved ones. Subscribe to Answers for Elders and Vivatude for more empowering conversations that help women navigate caregiving with balance, grace, and emotional resilience.✨ Connect with Us💠 Subscribe to Vivatude: https://www.youtube.com/@vivatude💠 Watch Vivatude episodes: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLAaH5P8bm1O2DNFGvKx2uh0rqhA8fWo7F💠 Tracy Cromwell - YouTube: 👉 @tracycromwell - Podcasts: 👉 https://creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/tracy-cromwell- Interviews: 👉 https://tracycromwell.com/pages/interviews-with-tracy-cromwell💠 Anu Arora - Website: https://www.anuarora.com/- YouTube: 👉 https://www.youtube.com/@speakeranuarora- Facebook: 👉 https://www.facebook.com/anuarora21/💠 Answers for Elders - Website: 👉 https://answersforelders.com/ Mentioned in this episode:Walk to End Alzheimer'sLearn more about the Walk to End Alzheimer's at https://www.alz.org/walk.Chateau RetirementChateau Retirement

Mark Goddard, Vice President of Clinical Services at InfoBionic.ai, joins Suzanne Newman on the Answers for Elders Radio show to talk about how technology is evolving to save lives when it comes to atrial fibrillation, cardiovascular disease, and coronary heart disease.Mark explains, "Atrial fibrillation causes blood clots to form. And those blood clots can transmit through your body and wind up in your head or your lungs or your heart or your extremities. So atrial fibrillation needs to be well understood. The symptoms need to be discussed, especially with elderly patients who aren't as necessarily active and may not have the same symptoms as someone who is active would have related to fibrillation. People need to understand the impact and relevance of such an arrhythmia."Learn more about InfoBionic's AI-enabled MoMe ARC remote heart monitoring device which sends data in near real time to the cloud for review.Connect with Answers for Elders WebsiteAnswers for Elders Podcasts on YouTubeMentioned in this episode:Chateau RetirementChateau RetirementWalk to End Alzheimer'sLearn more about the Walk to End Alzheimer's at https://www.alz.org/walk.

Mark Goddard talks about InfoBionic.ai's MoMe ARC device which transmits data in near real time. It's a wearable device, either as a patch you stick to your chest, or one that has three electrodes that you could wear. You just need to be within 30 feet of the data transmitter, which sends data to the cloud for review. It's easy to wear, and you don't even notice that you're wearing it. The company says its virtual telemetry solutions set the highest standard in a continuous monitoring capability to enable more proactive and timely cardiac interventions. They are working with AI to develop a method to try to prevent atrial fibrillation altogether. Mark is Vice President of Clinical Services at InfoBionic.ai.Learn more about InfoBionic's AI-enabled MoMe ARC remote heart monitoring device which sends data in near real time to the cloud for review.Connect with Answers for Elders WebsiteAnswers for Elders Podcasts on YouTubeMentioned in this episode:Walk to End Alzheimer'sLearn more about the Walk to End Alzheimer's at https://www.alz.org/walk.Chateau RetirementChateau Retirement

Mark Goddard, Vice President of Clinical Services at InfoBionic.com, joins Suzanne Newman on the Answers for Elders Radio show to talk about how AI is being used to monitor atrial fibrillation and save lifes.Mark explains, "Artificial intelligence is making a big change. Our first AI algorithm approved by the FDA and we're going to deploy on our system is one that will tell the medical practitioner whether the heart pumping function is normal or not normal. If the normal amount of blood is being injected out of their heart with every heartbeat, it'll say, okay, we're good. If it's not, it'll let the practitioner know that things aren't good, and that's associated with heart failure. So it's a great tool that will be able to be used with an EKG that's a bit of a game changer, and it will be deployed in the next six months."Learn more about InfoBionic's AI-enabled MoMe ARC remote heart monitoring device which sends data in near real time to the cloud for review.Connect with Answers for Elders WebsiteAnswers for Elders Podcasts on YouTubeMentioned in this episode:Walk to End Alzheimer'sLearn more about the Walk to End Alzheimer's at https://www.alz.org/walk.Chateau RetirementChateau Retirement

Good health practices can avoid developing heart problems. We can improve our quality of life by getting enough sleep, keeping active, and eating well. Mark Goddard, Vice President of Clinical Services at InfoBionic.ai, joins Suzanne Newman on the Answers for Elders Radio show to talk about keeping our heart healthy.Mark says, "It'll make a big difference in the way you feel. And and while we're still here, we always want to feel as good as we possibly can and do as much as we can. So following the traditional suggestions related to diet, don't eat foods with lots of preservatives within them."Hydration is critical. It's a whole other subject, because the concentration of what they call electrolytes within your body is critical in maintaining normal heart rhythm. Having electrolytes that are completely out of balance quite often causes arrhythmias that are far more lethal than atrial fibrillation, ones that can create a bad scenario within a few seconds, not a few hours or days."Making sure your blood pressure is maintained appropriately, your blood sugar is okay, making sure your lipids are good too. You don't want anything going on that's going to change the structure of your heart. And if it does, then you wind up with [the potential for] arrhythmias..Learn more about InfoBionic's AI-enabled MoMe ARC remote heart monitoring device which sends data in near real time to the cloud for review.Connect with Answers for Elders WebsiteAnswers for Elders Podcasts on YouTubeMentioned in this episode:Chateau RetirementChateau RetirementWalk to End Alzheimer'sLearn more about the Walk to End Alzheimer's at https://www.alz.org/walk.

Discover why residents can’t stop raving about the food at Chateau Retirement Communities in Washington—a rare distinction in senior living! In this episode of the Answers for Elders podcast, host Suzanne Newman sits down with Tom Wichert, Vice President of Culinary Services. He shares how passion, creativity, and genuine care for residents have transformed dining into an experience that feels more like fine dining than a cafeteria meal.Tom previously worked for a family-run restaurant, the Cheesecake Factory, and Ruths Chris Steakhouse before moving to Washington to become the Chef at the Bellevue Restaurant. Wanting a better work/life balance, he joined Chateau in 2012. He attributes their success to his team, having skilled and incredible directors in each building, with tons of experience and longevity with Chateau.Tom's hobby is custom-brewed beer, and he shares that passion with residents through tastings and other events. Tom explains, "When I first started, it was me and another employee... so we started making in a bucket kind of thing. Then it just evolved. And I would say the last few years, I've gotten a little bit more involved in it, and thankfully, the Chateau has given me whatever I needed to do that, which is great. I was able to go to a brewing school three or four years ago and learn a lot of stuff that was helpful... "And I always get the residents involved. I do beer tastings in wine tastings as well. But the beer tasting, they keep asking me, Hey, do you got any beer in competition? Did you win anything? I've gotten a few gold medals, and the National Home Brewers competition.... The residents like it and they get a kick out of it, and opening it up to the residents, that is so special. There's something so unique for them to experience. It's fun to get involved with the residents, and to see them happy. Sometimes when I do a beer tasting, when I'm done, they they'll clap and they'll say, 'Thanks, Tom,' and then they start helping me clean up. I say, 'I have it. I'll clean it up. Don't start moving chairs, please. I got it.' But they still do it. So it's a family-type thing, like your family Thanksgiving, and everybody's pitches in and help clean up. So I kind of look at it that way."Chateau Retirement provides independent living, assisted living, and memory care services. They have been locally owned and family operated for more than 25 years. Chateau Retirement has three communities in Washington's Seattle/Puget Sound area: Chateau Pacific in Lynnwood, Bothell Landing in Bothell, and Chateau Valley Center in Renton. Visit them online or call 800.960.1944. Visit Chateau's specialist page on Answers for Elders.Mentioned in this episode:Chateau RetirementChateau RetirementWalk to End Alzheimer'sLearn more about the Walk to End Alzheimer's at https://www.alz.org/walk.

Discover why residents can’t stop raving about the food at Chateau Retirement Communities in Washington—a rare distinction in senior living! In this episode of the Answers for Elders podcast, host Suzanne Newman sits down with Sherrelle Collingridge, Culinary Service Director at Chateau Bothell Landing. She shares how passion, creativity, and genuine care for residents have transformed dining into an experience that feels more like fine dining than a cafeteria meal.Sherrelle attributes their great food to the employees and a wonderful team, whose dedication to the resident culinary experience is a big piece of that. Sherrelle runs three full-service restaurant-style dining rooms at Chateau Bothell Landing, which creates a lot more cross-training opportunities and options for growth, change of scenery, and so forth. The front of house staff in particular form very strong bonds with residents, and those relationships are why staff tend to stick around. The majority of front of house staff in particular are hired-in as high schoolers, often with no prior work experience. It is rewarding and satisfying to watch these kids as they learn and develop, a unique experience for them, and one of the more rewarding aspects of the job for her and her leadership team. Sherrelle has always worked in the industry, first having been hired as a server at Cristwood (now Cristwood Park) in junior high, and ended up getting a culinary degree at Edmonds Comm. College. Crista paid a management company to run the culinary program at Cristwood, and Sherrelle was fortunate to get a lot of training and development opportunities as a young manager. She joined Chateau Pacific in 2000, and over the years held several roles in the culinary program, including a three-year run as Executive Director at Chateau Pacific. She has been at Chateau Bothell Landing since 2013, and opened all three of the dining rooms on that campus.Chateau Retirement provides independent living, assisted living, and memory care services. They have been locally owned and family operated for more than 25 years. Chateau Retirement has three communities in Washington's Seattle/Puget Sound area: Chateau Pacific in Lynnwood, Bothell Landing in Bothell, and Chateau Valley Center in Renton. Visit them online or call 800.960.1944. Visit Chateau's specialist page on Answers for Elders.Mentioned in this episode:Chateau RetirementChateau RetirementWalk to End Alzheimer'sLearn more about the Walk to End Alzheimer's at https://www.alz.org/walk.

The food is raved about at Chateau Retirement in Washington, unusual for senior living communities. What makes Chateau different and have such great resident feedback? Chateau Retirement's Vice President Culinary Services Tom Wichert and Sherrelle Collingridge, Culinary Service Director at Chateau Bothell Landing, join Suzanne Newman on the Answers for Elders podcast.How do Tom and Sherrelle see culinary services evolving in the future? Sherrelle says, "It will continue to focus on individual personalization. Every every ten years or so, we think this is going be the wave of the really healthy people. It hasn't quite happened yet. They say they want to be healthy, but when fried chicken is on the menu, we sell 90% of those specials. But other things, the gluten-, dairy-free, more of a global cuisine. It's no longer just about like American Chinese. They'll do Indian food, Mexican, Thai, and Vietnamese, and different cultures that we get a chance to play with. And our job is somewhat to educate the residents, to expose them to things that they maybe never had before. And they get annoyed sometimes, and ask, 'why don't you just call this sauce something simpler?' I'm like, 'Because this is what it's called.' So if you go to a restaurant now, you know what an airline chicken is now. You know what a beurre blanc is, because you got it and you can order it."Tom adds, "I think eating later is going to be a thing... We will get residents come in that want specifics things and have specific needs, so we will will cater to that as best we can. We really haven't had the really big push for some of the specialty things, but I think just an open variety of different kinds of things is happening. As far as individualizing goes, can you put something Thai on, or I saw this, or here's the recipe for this, could you do that for me, could you make that? Could you make this for grandma?"All together, well over 100 employees in the culinary. Tom says, "The hiring process is so important, getting the right people, and about the young kids, teenagers, for a lot of them it's their first job. The main thing with them is getting the right attitude. We can train them, do anything to serve. So getting the right person in there, that wants to be there. Residents love younger staff. They always have, because I think that to them that's that's the age of their grandparents."How does the restaurant style work at Chateau? Tom says, "I think the intensity of that, along with the caring that we do for the residents, comes together and all works really well. The staff is fantastic, and they care about the residents. We really care, and we really want to do the best for the residents. Whatever the resident wants, we're going to do our best to it."Sherrelle says, "I don't want to overuse the term family, but I spend more time with my dining room managers than I do my own kids, who are now grown up and in their twenties now. But they're my work kids, they're my frontline staff as well. So I'm kind of pouring into those guys, so they can pour into the servers and the residents, it all kind of flows together."Chateau Retirement provides independent living, assisted living, and memory care services. They have been locally owned and family operated for more than 25 years. Chateau Retirement has three communities in Washington's Seattle/Puget Sound area: Chateau Pacific in Lynnwood, Bothell Landing in Bothell, and Chateau Valley Center in Renton. Visit them online or call 800.960.1944. Visit Chateau's specialist page on Answers for Elders.Mentioned in this episode:Walk to End Alzheimer'sLearn more about the Walk to End Alzheimer's at...

Vivatude is more than a new YouTube channel — it’s a movement and mindset for women over 40 who want to live with emotional strength, financial freedom, spiritual clarity, and vibrant health. YouTube hosts Lauren Archer, Kate Phillips, Tracy Cromwell, and Anu Arora join Suzanne Newman on the Answers for Elders Radio Show to introduce themselves and the brand new show Vivatude.Many woman over the age of 40 are part of the sandwich generation. You may be looking at kids still at home and caring for a senior loved one. You also may be dealing with a career that has gone a little bit stagnant. You don't know how to advance your career. Maybe if your kids have left home, you're looking at yourself in the mirror wondering, is that all there is? What's my next chapter? We believe that your next chapter could be your best chapter.Lauren Archer explores pathways to greater fulfillment, energy, and joy on Vivatude. Get ready to be encouraged, uplifted, and reminded that no matter where you are in life, you can spark your vitality and begin again.Kate Phillips joins the Vivatude team eager to share the “Rich Life Revival”—a journey of discovery that allows us to rewrite the rules when life throws curveballs! The Rich Life isn’t a net worth number or a retirement date. It’s living a life of purpose and prosperity right now, right where you are.Tracy Cromwell knows the struggles associated with food, body image, stress, poor gut health, and self-confidence first-hand. In 2006 Tracy was 180 lbs, diagnosed with pre-diabetes, and living the chaotic life of a yo-yo dieter. Her personal journey to health recovery inspired her to change careers so that she could walk alongside others and support them as they walk their own journeys to health. Tracy is the ideal coach for the confused and frustrated dieter.Anu Arora is an executive and team coach, keynote speaker, and mindfulness expert who has dedicated her career to helping people lead with compassion, clarity, and courage. With more than two decades of experience in leadership at Microsoft and as the founder of Infinite Potential Leadership, Anu blends deep corporate expertise with a human-centered approach to growth. She is known for her ability to bring people together, unlock resilience, and create spaces where authenticity and connection thrive.Connect with usVivatude Podcast PlaylistMeet Our HostsFacebookMentioned in this episode:Walk to End Alzheimer'sLearn more about the Walk to End Alzheimer's at https://www.alz.org/walk.Chateau RetirementChateau Retirement

Suzanne Newman welcomes Tracy Cromwell and Anu Arora, two of new Vivatude hosts. Tracy brings her expertise in physical and environmental wellness. Anu is a social and intellectual wellness coach.Tracy says, "I want to bring some techniques you can put into place very simply. You choose what's most important, and I help you figure out how to implement. I've really got some great guests lined up now. I've got an amazing organizer who's helped me immensely to organize my space because I know we're inviting environmental wellness, make it so that I can breathe in my own space and then I have other other guests that are going to bring wonderful tidbits about the things you could do for nutrition."Anu adds, "I work with teams, organizations, and individuals on the epidemics of our current times. We are lonelier than ever before, and human beings are meant to be social animals. We are called social animals, and yet we've just turned on to our devices and we somehow have imagined that those devices are going to bring us connections. And as a result, there's more mental illness than ever before. And what I want to bring is the understanding and I have such a huge network of relationship coaches and experts in this area. But just starting with, why is it important for us to go back to this basic need of belonging, of being together, and then from there, finding ways to connect and build trust in this isolated, scary world."Connect with usVivatude Podcast PlaylistMeet Our HostsFacebookMentioned in this episode:Chateau RetirementChateau RetirementWalk to End Alzheimer'sLearn more about the Walk to End Alzheimer's at https://www.alz.org/walk.

Vivatude host Lauren Archer joins Suzanne Newman on the Answers for Elders Radio Show. Whether you’re navigating caregiving for a senior parent, rediscovering your identity in midlife, or seeking inspiration for your next chapter, you’ll find empowering tools, heartfelt stories, and expert insights right here with spiritual and emotional wellness host Lauren Archer.Lauren says, "I think of it as the heart and soul, and it's those invisible things. We can have a lot of things going right on the outside. And yet, you have one piece of emotional stress in your life, and it's enough to bring it to your knees. It can be all-consuming. And with the degree of fear and division and uncertainty happening in the world, it's affecting our nervous system. So I'm going to be bringing experts and authors and women who have walked through the fire of their own transformation to share some stories and some practices about what they've done. When we address the underlying emotions, we can experience big shifts. And then on a spiritual level, we are not talking about religion. We are talking more about how each individual finds their own sense of meaning, purpose and value. And when we're off, when we're doing things in our life that aren't in alignment with our values. We feel it, it's subtle, but we feel it. And so it's finding that connection again."Connect with usVivatude Podcast PlaylistMeet Our HostsFacebookMentioned in this episode:Walk to End Alzheimer'sLearn more about the Walk to End Alzheimer's at https://www.alz.org/walk.Chateau RetirementChateau Retirement

Vivatude host Kate Phillips joins Suzanne Newman on the Answers for Elders Radio Show. The new Vivatude YouTube channel helps women over 40 thrive with emotional strength, financial freedom & vibrant health. Kate Phillips advises on financial and occupational wellness, a huge category when it comes to family caregiving.Kate says, "How are we funding our lives? What are we doing with our time that is hopefully bringing in the resources that we need? I like to call it purpose and prosperity. And if I added a third word, especially for caregivers, I think it would be creativity. And we might not be feeling super creative when we're caregiving, and we feel, maybe depleted. I love conversations around how do we use our homes in a creative way. Typically, your home is going to be your biggest expense, but my co-host, Lauren and I, we have both turned our primary home into a furnished rental. There's many strategies where we can use our home as an asset, or we can use it to create extra cash flow. So that's where the creativity comes in."Connect with usVivatude Podcast PlaylistMeet Our HostsFacebookMentioned in this episode:Walk to End Alzheimer'sLearn more about the Walk to End Alzheimer's at https://www.alz.org/walk.Chateau RetirementChateau Retirement

Thinking about senior living for yourself or a loved one? In this inspiring episode of Answers for Elders, host Suzanne Newman sits down with Chateau Bothell Landing resident Erica Wolfkill. From her journey as a child immigrating from Germany after World War II to her decision to move into senior living at age 80, Erica shares powerful life lessons about resilience, family, and the importance of embracing community before it’s too late.Erica offers heartfelt advice for older adults and their adult children: don’t wait until you’re too old or unable to fully participate in life before moving into a retirement community. She explains how her daughters encouraged her to make the move while she was still active, giving her the opportunity to enjoy rich friendships, engaging activities, and peace of mind for the future. Erica’s story highlights the benefits of senior living communities that provide not only independence today but also access to assisted living and memory care services down the road.If you or your aging parent are starting to explore retirement communities, this conversation is a must-watch. Discover what life is really like at Chateau Retirement Communities, hear Erica’s first-hand experience about daily activities, dining, and staff support, and learn why planning early can lead to a more fulfilling lifestyle. Whether you’re an adult child looking for the best options for your parents, or a senior exploring your next chapter, Erica’s journey will give you insight, encouragement, and hope for the future.Chateau Retirement provides independent living, assisted living, and memory care services. They have been locally owned and family operated for more than 25 years. Chateau Retirement has three communities in Washington's Seattle/Puget Sound area: Chateau Pacific in Lynnwood, Bothell Landing in Bothell, and Chateau Valley Center in Renton. Visit them online or call 800.960.1944. Visit Chateau's specialist page on Answers for Elders.Mentioned in this episode:Walk to End Alzheimer'sLearn more about the Walk to End Alzheimer's at https://www.alz.org/walk.Chateau RetirementChateau Retirement

In this inspiring episode of Answers for Elders, host Suzanne Newman sits down with retired Boeing engineer Don Haff. He share stories and his advice if you're thinking about senior living for yourself or a loved one. At 94, Don is energetic and vibrant, and joins the show after the day's Wii bowling tournament where he lives at Chateau Bothell Landing in Bothell, Washington.Don says, "I met my wife in college. We were a freshman together. And we got married between my sophomore and junior year, and we were married for 63 years... [She] had Parkinson's, but we didn't know it. After she was gone, I did more research into it, and found out that one of the symptoms of Parkinson's is that you have paranoia. And she went through a period where she was really paranoid. Most people who have Parkinson's, there's shaking. She never did that. But her problem was, they got to where she couldn't control her muscles and she couldn't swallow. And she starved to death. It was pretty painless for her. It is hard on me."But we were here then [at Bothell Landing], and I really thank my lucky stars that we were. And it was one of the best moves we made. We moved down there in January 2018, and so she was here a year and a half before she was gone. I really can't say enough good about the attention that we got for her. I guess I feel like we have about 250 roommates in here. Everybody was really kind, but we knew it was coming, it wasn't a surprise. So actually when it came, it was kind of a relief in a way. And of course I still miss her. "Everybody's so friendly. Even before we moved in, the marketing people, were just wonderful with questions and all this kind of stuff. One of the things that we were both impressed about, and we commented about this together, was when you went to the dining rooms, we were a name, not a number. We walk in and, oh hi Don and Kathy. And they didn't have to know our room number. Well, they knew our room number, but they talked with my name. Well, I always have a glass of milk. I always get a can of V8 to go for my breakfast. Before I even sit down, they come up with the milk. They pay attention and they have better memories than me! I'm so delighted [with the food]. Oh my gosh, they make good soup."I'm on the dining committee, and. And I'm on the activity committee, and, well, I like to know what's going on. I go to almost every movie and we have a lot of documentaries and regular movies now. We have to do opera once a month. And so it's like, wow, there's plenty to do."Chateau Retirement provides independent living, assisted living, and memory care services. They have been locally owned and family operated for more than 25 years. Chateau Retirement has three communities in Washington's Seattle/Puget Sound area: Chateau Pacific in Lynnwood, Bothell Landing in Bothell, and Chateau Valley Center in Renton. Visit them online or call 800.960.1944. Visit Chateau's specialist page on Answers for Elders.Mentioned in this episode:Chateau RetirementChateau RetirementWalk to End Alzheimer'sLearn more about the Walk to End Alzheimer's at https://www.alz.org/walk.

Community Relations Directors Ashley Cochran and Katie Vail at Chateau Retirement join Suzanne Newman on the Answers for Elders podcast. They talk about what's hard about working in the senior living industry as well as what makes it such a worthwhile career. They also share what families should know about the tour process and making the decision about which community to choose. They provide their best advice for family's making the decision to approach mom or dad about a senior living community move. They also talk about what qualities sets Chateau Retirement apart. The interview was recorded live at Chateau Bothell Landing in Bothell, Washington.Katie says, "I want families to know that there is that right fit for you out there. There is a community that will resonate with you, and there are people out there, like our team here, that want to help guide you through the process. It's a daunting and overwhelming process. But we're here to meet you where you're at, and learn about your journey, because everyone's journey is different."Ashley adds, "It's okay to get emotional. It's an emotional process. I've been on the other side of it, and I sat in those offices, in those chairs, and I've cried because I didn't know what questions to ask. And it's okay. And we're here for you. We support you and you will find, like Katie said, there is a community for everybody. It's a matter of finding the right one."Suzanne asks, "Tell us about your secret sauce, girls. You two and Debbie are called the dream team. Why is that?"Katie answers, "I think we're just all super-mission focused on why we're in this industry. I think Debbie has mentioned, it's not for that paycheck. I know we are fortunate in this industry to get a second paycheck, when we see the residents that move into our community and how they thrive.Suzanne says, "As a marketing person, you're more like an ambassador. Would you agree with that??"Ashley says, "Yea. We live with these residents, we're here 40 hours a week, spending time with them, and we love that. But it's such a joy when we you start from the very beginning, and then you get to watch them move in, and you get to help them through that process. And then you walk into the dining room with another tour, and they stand up and they want to tell that tour all about how great it is to live here, and all the activities, and the food, and all these things. And you get to see them on an ongoing basis. So "the sale" isn't done just the minute the check is signed. We're there for the very end too, which makes it an emotional journey, but it is so impactful. And we work really well together as a team of three. We complement each other, we trust each other."Chateau Retirement provides independent living, assisted living, and memory care services. They have been locally owned and family operated for more than 25 years. Chateau Retirement has three communities in Washington's Seattle/Puget Sound area: Chateau Pacific in Lynnwood, Bothell Landing in Bothell, and Chateau Valley Center in Renton. Visit them online or call 800.960.1944. Visit Chateau's specialist page on Answers for Elders.Mentioned in this episode:Walk to End Alzheimer'sLearn more about the Walk to End Alzheimer's at https://www.alz.org/walk.Chateau RetirementChateau Retirement

A Promise Kept: Honoring His Wishes, Embracing Our Love by Erica Baccus will be available on Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2025 at Amazon, Barns & Noble, and other booksellers.As autumn brings reflection on life and legacy, Answers for Elders Radio host Suzanne Newman welcomes Erica Baccus, author of ''A Promise Kept: Honoring His Wishes, Embracing Our Love.'' This deeply moving memoir shares the story of Erica’s journey with her husband’s Alzheimer’s diagnosis and his request to avoid dying in a vegetative state. Married couples facing the realities of dementia and end-of-life choices will find this conversation both raw and profoundly important.In this powerful interview, Erica reveals how she honored her husband’s wish to end his life with dignity through assisted suicide in Switzerland, a decision that U.S. laws made impossible at home. Together, she and Suzanne explore the emotional toll of Alzheimer’s, the complexity of right-to-die legislation, and the courage it takes to make end-of-life decisions as a couple. The Los Angeles Tribune called the book “a cultural act of courage and moral clarity,” and this discussion echoes that sentiment with honesty and compassion.If you or your spouse have ever wondered how to prepare for the possibility of Alzheimer’s, dementia, or difficult end-of-life care decisions, this episode is a must-watch. It encourages couples to have conversations early, before a crisis forces decisions under pressure. With themes of love, courage, and legacy, Erica’s story is not just about death—it’s about how to live fully, honor promises, and face the hardest moments in marriage together.What You’ll Learn:Why early conversations about end-of-life wishes are essential for couplesThe legal challenges of right-to-die laws in the U.S. for Alzheimer’s patientsHow love, legacy, and courage guided Erica’s decisionsA firsthand account of assisted dying in SwitzerlandMore about Erica and the bookVisit Answers for EldersMentioned in this episode:Legacy Estate PlanningLegacy Estate PlanningChateau RetirementChateau Retirement

A Promise Kept: Honoring His Wishes, Embracing Our Love by Erica Baccus will be available on Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2025 at Amazon, Barns & Noble, and other booksellers.When Alzheimer’s strikes a marriage, how do you honor your spouse’s wishes while facing the hardest decisions of your life? In this emotional episode of Answers for Elders Radio, host Suzanne Newman sits down with author Erica Baccus to discuss writing her new book, A Promise Kept: Honoring His Wishes, Embracing Our Love.Erica talks about how she approached sharing the heartbreaking yet courageous journey of her husband’s Alzheimer’s diagnosis, his decision not to die in a vegetative state, and the steps they took together to ensure his wishes were respected. With honesty, compassion, and courage, this conversation is for married couples, caregivers, and anyone who may someday face the realities of dementia and end-of-life decisions.More about Erica and the bookVisit Answers for EldersMentioned in this episode:Chateau RetirementChateau RetirementLegacy Estate PlanningLegacy Estate Planning

A Promise Kept: Honoring His Wishes, Embracing Our Love by Erica Baccus will be available on Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2025 at Amazon, Barns & Noble, and other booksellers.In this emotional episode of Answers for Elders Radio, host Suzanne Newman speaks with author Erica Baccus about decisions that had to be made on the heartbreaking yet courageous journey of her husband’s Alzheimer’s diagnosis, his decision not to die in a vegetative state, and the steps they took together to ensure his wishes were respected. With honesty, compassion, and courage, this conversation is for married couples, caregivers, and anyone who may someday face the realities of dementia and end-of-life decisions.More about Erica and the bookVisit Answers for EldersMentioned in this episode:Chateau RetirementChateau RetirementLegacy Estate PlanningLegacy Estate Planning

A Promise Kept: Honoring His Wishes, Embracing Our Love by Erica Baccus will be available on Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2025 at Amazon, Barns & Noble, and other booksellers.Answers for Elders Radio host Suzanne Newman welcomes Erica Baccus, author of ''A Promise Kept: Honoring His Wishes, Embracing Our Love.'' In this segment, Suzanne reads a few passages from the book to hear more about them from Erica. Married couples facing the realities of dementia and end-of-life choices will find this conversation both raw and profoundly important. Erica says, "It's important for you to know that I am not advocating for anyone to do what John decided to do. My goal is simply to build awareness about this issue and celebrate our life together." With honesty, compassion, and courage, this conversation is for married couples, caregivers, and anyone who may someday face the realities of dementia and end-of-life decisions.More about Erica and the bookVisit Answers for Elders

Discover Vivatude, a new YouTube show for women over 40 seeking strength, inspiration, and balance while navigating midlife, caregiving, and personal wellness. In this episode of the Answers for Elders Radio Show, host Suzanne Newman welcomes Tracy Cromwell, one of four new Vivatude hosts, who brings her expertise in physical and environmental wellness. Together, they discuss finding your “Inner Spark,” overcoming the challenges of caring for aging parents while managing work and family, and how the Eight Foundational Principles of Wellness can help women thrive in their next chapter. If you’re ready to reclaim your energy, prioritize self-care, and create a vibrant future, this inspiring conversation is for you.Tracy Cromwell knows the struggles associated with food, body image, stress, poor gut health, and self-confidence first-hand. In 2006 Tracy was 180 lbs, diagnosed with pre-diabetes, and living the chaotic life of a yo-yo dieter. Her personal journey to health recovery inspired her to change careers so that she could walk alongside others and support them as they walk their own journeys to health. Tracy is the ideal coach for the confused and frustrated dieter. She is certified with the Institute for Integrative Nutrition, a Certified Precision Nutrition Health Coach & ProCoach, a National Academy of Sports Medicine Personal Trainer, and Weight Loss Specialists.Connect with Us💠 Visit Vivatude's Facebook page💠 Watch Vivatude episodes on YouTube💠 Tracy Cromwell YouTube PodcastsInterviews💠 Answers for Elders websiteMentioned in this episode:Chateau RetirementChateau RetirementLegacy Estate PlanningLegacy Estate Planning

Suzanne Newman welcomes Tracy Cromwell, one of four new Vivatude hosts, who brings her expertise in physical and environmental wellness. Vivatude is a new YouTube show for women over 40 seeking strength, inspiration, and balance while navigating midlife, caregiving, and personal wellness. In this episode of the Answers for Elders Radio Show, Tracy discusses crafting a space that supports you in whatever state that your body might be. For instance, her daughter created a reading room, her sanctuary where she can disconnect. Little things can make a big difference.Tracy Cromwell knows the struggles associated with food, body image, stress, poor gut health, and self-confidence first-hand. In 2006 Tracy was 180 lbs, diagnosed with pre-diabetes, and living the chaotic life of a yo-yo dieter. Her personal journey to health recovery inspired her to change careers so that she could walk alongside others and support them as they walk their own journeys to health. Tracy is the ideal coach for the confused and frustrated dieter. She is certified with the Institute for Integrative Nutrition, a Certified Precision Nutrition Health Coach & ProCoach, a National Academy of Sports Medicine Personal Trainer, and Weight Loss Specialists.Connect with Us💠 Visit Vivatude's Facebook page💠 Watch Vivatude episodes on YouTube💠 Tracy Cromwell YouTube PodcastsInterviews💠 Answers for Elders websiteMentioned in this episode:Legacy Estate PlanningLegacy Estate PlanningChateau RetirementChateau Retirement

Women over 40: ready to boost your strength and reduce stress? In this episode, Tracy Cromwell joins Suzanne Newman on Answers for Elders Radio to share simple tips for physical wellness and environmental wellness that anyone can start today. From hydration and movement breaks to clutter-clearing and creating supportive spaces, Tracy shows how small daily changes can help women in midlife — especially family caregivers — feel more energized, balanced, and supported.Quick takeaways:Drink more water & move every 30 minutesClear clutter and create safer, calmer spacesIf you’re navigating midlife, caregiving, or just need a wellness reset, these strategies will inspire you to thrive with Vivatude.Connect with Us💠 Visit Vivatude's Facebook page💠 Watch Vivatude episodes on YouTube💠 Tracy Cromwell YouTube PodcastsInterviews💠 Answers for Elders website

Women over 40: ready to reduce stress and boost your strength? In this episode, Tracy Cromwell joins Suzanne Newman on Answers for Elders Radio to to talk about some greaet episodes she will be making about physical wellness and environmental wellness with tips that anyone can start today. Topics focus on nutrition, building strength even when you can't get to the gym, organizational tips, and improving your surrounds to create a space that better supports you emotionally. These shows will help women in midlife — especially family caregivers — feel more energized, balanced, and supported.Connect with Us💠 Visit Vivatude's Facebook page💠 Watch Vivatude episodes on YouTube💠 Tracy Cromwell YouTube PodcastsInterviews💠 Answers for Elders website

Discover Vivatude, a groundbreaking movement and media platform designed to help women over 40 reclaim purpose, vitality, and freedom in every stage of life. In this inspiring conversation, hosts Lauren Archer (emotional and spiritual wellness) and Kate Phillips (financial and occupational wellness) join Suzanne Newman on the Answers for Elders Radio Show to introduce the Vivatude YouTube channel and podcast. Episodes of Vivatude will focus on topics based on the 8 Pillars of Wellbeing — from emotional strength and spiritual clarity to financial freedom and vibrant health. Whether you’re navigating caregiving for an aging parent, seeking balance in relationships, or reinventing yourself in midlife, this segment offers powerful tools, heartfelt stories, and expert insights to help you thrive. Tune in to Vivatude and step into your next chapter with confidence, resilience, and joy.Lauren Archer explores pathways to greater fulfillment, energy, and joy on Vivatude. Get ready to be encouraged, uplifted, and reminded that no matter where you are in life, you can spark your vitality and begin again.Kate Phillips joins the Vivatude team eager to share the “Rich Life Revival”—a journey of discovery that allows us to rewrite the rules when life throws curveballs! The Rich Life isn’t a net worth number or a retirement date. It’s living a life of purpose and prosperity right now, right where you are.Connect with Us💠 Visit Vivatude's Facebook page💠 Watch Vivatude episodes on YouTube💠 Lauren Archer Free 7-Day Energy Elevation LabWebsiteYouTubeCall: 1-425-985-3245💠 Kate Phillips Free Guide: “Break Through to Abundance”YouTubeFacebookMentioned in this episode:Chateau RetirementChateau RetirementLegacy Estate PlanningLegacy Estate Planning

Hosts Lauren Archer and Kate Phillips join Suzanne Newman on the Answers for Elders Radio Show to talk about the new YouTube channel and podcast called Vivatude. What is Vivatude? A Movement. A Mindset. A Media Revolution. The show delves deep into the 8 Pillars of well-being — from emotional strength to financial freedom, from spiritual clarity to vibrant health. The show unites women over 40, expert hosts, and soul-nourishing conversations to help you live with more vitality, purpose, and power.Lauren Archer explores pathways to greater fulfillment, energy, and joy on Vivatude. Lauren says, "There's one thing about emotional wellness that a lot of people don't quite get. In Western culture, we tend to come at everything through the intellect. And I know myself, every time something went off in my life, it was because of emotions, and they take over your mind when you are stressed, when you are angry, when you are frustrated, hurt, whatever is going on. It literally changes your brain. And so how do we approach that? So I have dedicated the last 30 years to working with people on different with different kinds of modalities and to help regulate our nervous system, regulate our emotions, and then come to that clarity through our heart and our soul."Kate Phillips explores purpose and prosperity. Kate says, "The sandwich generation, I know I felt very squeezed from both generations at the time... We're sort of being pinched from all different directions. And I really take a holistic view of money because, just like Lauren was saying, we're so focused on intellect with money, we're so focused on the numbers, we think that money is all about the numbers. But I think there's even a bigger game to play: where does my allegiance go? Because money invites us to look at our priorities. It invites us to get creative, invites us to see life in a different way. It isn't always about the numbers. There are these skills that we're learning. Maybe we're learning how to receive or how to have boundaries or how to ask for help. Those are all the different ways that impact us both emotionally, but definitely financially as well."Connect with Us💠 Visit Vivatude's Facebook page💠 Watch Vivatude episodes on YouTube💠 Lauren Archer Free 7-Day Energy Elevation LabWebsiteYouTubeCall: 1-425-985-3245💠 Kate Phillips Free Guide: “Break Through to Abundance”YouTubeFacebookMentioned in this episode:Chateau RetirementChateau RetirementLegacy Estate PlanningLegacy Estate Planning

What are the two top tips for thriving after 40? In this inspiring episode of Vivatude, hosts Lauren Archer (emotional & spiritual wellness) and Kate Phillips (financial & occupational wellness) join Suzanne Newman on the Answers for Elders Radio Show to share practical tools for women navigating caregiving, midlife transitions, and personal reinvention.✨ Lauren’s tips: Simple practices to reduce stress, calm your nervous system, and shift into gratitude so you can give from a full cup, not an empty one. ✨ Kate’s tips: How negotiation skills and daily “dream time” can help you create financial resilience, set boundaries, and hold onto purpose even during caregiving.Vivatude is more than a show — it’s a movement for women over 40 seeking emotional strength, financial freedom, spiritual clarity, and vibrant health. If you’re part of the sandwich generation, caring for an aging parent, or simply craving more clarity, confidence, and fulfillment in midlife — this conversation is for you.Lauren Archer explores pathways to greater fulfillment, energy, and joy on Vivatude. Lauren says, "Where attention goes, energy flows. And when we're stressed, it's usually because our mind is jumping ten steps ahead in the future, and we're doing what is natural, and that's to scan for danger and everything that could possibly go wrong. Remember that you can pull your attention out of the future and out of the past and bring it into the present. And we can do that with the simple breath."And then the other thing to do is to find one thing that you can appreciate. One thing that brings gratitude and appreciation. If you can focus on gratitude and appreciation for even 15, 20, 30 seconds that is enough to change the neurochemistry in your body to minimize some of those stress hormones and to help you start feeling good again so that when you give, you can give from a full cup instead of an empty one."Kate Phillips explores purpose and prosperity. Kate says, "One of the skills that you need is negotiation. You'll be negotiating for your time, for your boundaries, asking for what you want, and learning to negotiate financially as well. We found a great, really perfect fit assisted living home for my father, and some negotiation was required to get him into it [financially]. But we made it work. So don't be afraid to negotiate."And my other tip is to find time to dream each day. Even if it's five minutes when you're waking up, five minutes before you're falling asleep, hold that vision. Whatever you're going through now, you might be feeling lost because your role has been has changed in life. So never stop dreaming."Mentioned in this episode:Legacy Estate PlanningLegacy Estate PlanningChateau RetirementChateau Retirement

For the upcoming YouTube channel and podcast Vivatude, new hosts Lauren Archer and Kate Phillips join Suzanne Newman on the Answers for Elders Radio Show to talk about the types of programming they aim to share. Vivatude is more than a show — it’s a movement for women over 40 seeking emotional strength, financial freedom, spiritual clarity, and vibrant health. If you’re part of the sandwich generation, caring for an aging parent, or simply craving more clarity, confidence, and fulfillment in midlife — this conversation is for you.Lauren Archer explores pathways to greater fulfillment, energy, and joy on Vivatude. Lauren says, "I'm going to be exposing our audience to some really amazing human beings: authors, teachers, speakers. People who have walked through the fire, come out the other side, and who have tips to share on living from the heart on living intentionally, on connecting with our values."There is a wide variety of information out there that I was not privy to most of my life. And some of these tools and techniques and practices have absolutely reshaped how I show up. It's allowed me and many of my clients to live more wholly holistically and to feel good about themselves. So I've got three guests already lined up, people who focus on wholehearted living on practical applications of these universal principles. And I am very excited to share them with our audience. I think it's going to be so much fun."Kate Phillips explores purpose and prosperity. Kate says, "I want to tell you first what you're not going to get on my show. You're not going to get the usual financial planning. The Wall Street plan is all about building the largest nest egg possible, and you've got the 4% rule and you can live off of that. That's plan A. But for our audience, sometimes plan A is gone, and now we're creating plan B, C, D. And so I'm going to be bringing on a lot of financial professionals, but we're going to be talking about some out of the box, creative solutions you maybe don't hear about every day."Because my part of the show is about purpose and prosperity, we're also going to be looking more holistically at our work, lives, money, and purpose. And I'm going to be inviting on some friends — they may not be authors or experts, but they have extraordinary stories about how they have gotten creative with their own lives, women who are rediscovering themselves while they're raising kids and helping out their parents. And so you can expect inspiration as well as some great information."Connect with Us💠 Visit Vivatude's Facebook page💠 Watch Vivatude episodes on YouTube💠 Lauren Archer Free 7-Day Energy Elevation LabWebsiteYouTubeCall: 1-425-985-3245💠 Kate Phillips Free Guide: “Break Through to Abundance”YouTube<a href="https://www.facebook.com/thekatephillips" rel="noopener noreferrer"...

What do a senior care company's values mean to your family, and why do they matter if you're looking for care for your senior loved one? And how do you read between the lines to discover whether they actually uphold those values? People can say whatever they want. They can say 'we work with people so they never have to move again.' But how do we know that that's true? Daphne Davis of Pinnacle Senior Placements joins Suzanne Newman on the Answers for Elders Radio Show to talk about how to find out.Daphne says, "So some of the things that I kind of pay attention to are, what is their attrition rate of care stat? How many times has a management team changed? Those are big indicators for me of stability, and I make it my business to know the ownership and know what going on. I do a little research. I figure out things that are going on in the building."I want to see how many people actually greet me as I'm walking through the building when I'm touring. Are they feeling empowered to do their job? Is there a culture of customer service? Is there a joy? Do I feel joy as I'm walking through the hallways, or are people afraid of their job and have tunnel vision and can only do this but can't go either way? Do I see somebody helping someone as I'm going through the building? I pay attention to the whole staff, not just to the person who's touring with me, not just the executive director, but the whole staff: the person who's taking care of the building, the person who's making the food, the person who's serving the food."That's why I go at different times... Find out how the day starts. How crazy is it? What happens at 3:00 in the afternoon? The activities are starting at four. Are people helping people come out of their room? Are they inviting them? Are people building relationships between resident to resident? Is that happening? Are they finding commonality?"Here's a benefit to you, the consumer. Someone like myself goes to networking events, and we get to have all kinds of conversations. They get to have breakfast or lunch or be at an after-hours event, and we get to have regular conversation. Boy, do I get to learn a lot during regular conversation... Just who are these people that are actually choosing to be in an industry of care support, keeping someone's life meaningful? Do they get it? That would be hard for you, the consumer, to figure out, but that's what you get from a good placement advisor."Learn more:Reach Pinnacle at 1-855-734-1500 or visit PinnacleSeniorPlacements.com.Pinnacle Senior Placements at Answers for EldersAbout Daphne DavisHear more podcasts with Daphne Davis

Are senior care organizations and the cottage industry living up to your personal standards of care? Do they stand for something? Daphne Davis of Pinnacle Senior Placements joins Suzanne Newman on the Answers for Elders Radio Show to talk about the top three things that people need to understand and ask when seeking senior care for their loved one.1) Who owns the entity, whether it be an individual home of six people, or a large community that has memory care, assisted living, and independent living.2) Is the building owned by the same business, or does the owner contract with a management company?Daphne says, "These are all things the general consumer would have no idea about. Why is it important to you? Because you need stability. If there's a financial piece [of the equation], if there is not a never-ending bucket of money to pay for mom or dad's care, you need to know what happens when they run out of money. How is that handled? If there's a change in ownership, are they going to honor your contract that you started and, you've got three years into paying privately, or now new ownership says, 'Oh, no, we don't convert to Medicaid, Medicare, Medicaid after three years, it's now five years.' And now you're in a world of hurt."Does this company ... have the ability to properly support their staff, to reward wonderful behavior, to be able to keep them educated, to teach them new ways of doing activities of daily living, to talk to somebody who has dementia. Do they pay attention to those things? That's why the ownership is important."3) The actual care itself.Daphne says, "What is a care ratio? There are great algorithms that companies use now based on how many minutes somebody spends time with your loved one and then what your care cost is. And from that minutes, they're constantly adjusting, in theory, how many people are on the floor, how many people are available to actually respond to a call button. How many people are available during the morning hours, when we're getting people dress cleaned up, showered, and to the breakfast table, how many people are there to help?Learn more:Reach Pinnacle at 1-855-734-1500 or visit PinnacleSeniorPlacements.com.Pinnacle Senior Placements at Answers for EldersAbout Daphne DavisHear more podcasts with Daphne Davis

Why do your values matter when it comes to senior care? Daphne Davis of Pinnacle Senior Placements joins Suzanne Newman on the Answers for Elders Radio Show talk about finding your senior loved one's values and then how to go about asking whether a senior care provider can meet those values.Suzanne asks, "What is what are Pinnacle's highest values?"Daphne says, "The number one value that Pinnacle' holds is, when we are working with a client and a family, that client does not have to move again. And how do we make that happen? How do we make sure that we can support that number one value? And it comes through us gathering information about our client and discovering their highest values. And from that, it behooves me to know communities of care well enough to know can they support the family's values."So let's give an example. It just happened recently that I was asking a lot of 'nosy questions' and I hadn't even met this woman yet. The daughter is in Kingston, Washington and mom is two and a half hours away. And so we're having this conversation. And I'm getting to know the history of this woman and I'm getting to know a little bit about her personality. And my next step is to meet her face-to-face and to be able to get a sense of who she is, what things really matter to her. Does she want to have someone that's constantly over her and guiding her every day? Does she want some autonomy? Does she want to have the independence to be able to make her own decisions? Does she want to hear a loudspeaker come on and tell her it's 2:00 and there's bingo in the lobby. Does she want to have somebody that just sees her across the room and she's trying to stand up out of a chair and just needs a little elbow help, but not have to push a button to wait for somebody to help her. Who is this person that I can help find her next place to live to her last breath."That takes a lot of work to find out everything about location, about finances, about who's the family support, where her doctors at, what are her interests. Do I know something about her interests that's happening in another community? And so that's how I go through upholding my highest value."Now, you as a family, you're going to them identify some highest values. And some of them that I hear are something like: I want the place to be clean, and it needs to smell good, and good Food would be important... Those are kind of standard... But your family member is leaving their home. Your family member is not going to know how many steps it is between the back of the couch and getting to the door of the bathroom if they're furniture walkers. How much is trust important to your family member in order to function? Or are they trusting in themselves? Where are they at in the spectrum? What is their personality like? And so these are some of the values that you have to think about..."How do you even ask questions? If you're going out and you're looking at — let's start with assisted living — questions such as: how many people are on the floor from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.? And how quickly does that person that's touring you around that community know the answer? Who's there between 8 p.m. and 8 a.m., and how will my parent get help if they need it?"Learn more:Reach Pinnacle at 1-855-734-1500 or visit PinnacleSeniorPlacements.com.Pinnacle Senior Placements at Answers for EldersAbout Daphne DavisHear more podcasts with Daphne...

Finding our a senior care organization's highest values is key to assessing whether they're a good fit for a senior loved one needing care. Daphne Davis of Pinnacle Senior Placements joins Suzanne Newman on the Answers for Elders Radio Show to talk about how to find out what those values are.Daphne says, "As families, you need to first identify the values, and I'll help you with that. As a senior advisor, I will help you identify what that looks like. And it would be my job then to find the communities that that mirror your values."If you're working by yourself, it's your job, then, to think of the questions... If my value is that my mom doesn't have a fall again, or we want to mitigate falls, that's a value. My mom's falling in our own home. What kind of questions do you ask of a community? And they can't be, yes/no, they need to be open-ended questions, to really get to the heart of how does this play out in a community of care. It doesn't matter if it's a small one or a big community of care, but how do I ask the questions of finding out the truth? Because everybody can give you the canned answer, but there's the art form of finding out what's behind the canned answer, And that's where the trained professional can help you. So I will advocate for that as a placement advisor. And there is a place for us — more than ever — for the consumer to not do this by themselves."Suzanne adds, "Way back when when I worked for Tony Robbins, he did a program called Date with Destiny. And one of the things is, is we prioritized our highest values. What does that mean, what does that value mean? My number one value was contribution. I felt like I needed to be giving something. Well, guess what? That's probably why I'm not a millionaire as I did my job. But the thing that's interesting is that when we look at, you know, how do we identify our highest values, we have to understand what is that value mean to you and how do you how does that play out in a community?"Learn more:Reach Pinnacle at 1-855-734-1500 or visit PinnacleSeniorPlacements.com.Pinnacle Senior Placements at Answers for EldersAbout Daphne DavisHear more podcasts with Daphne Davis

Chateau Retirement cares about residents and employees equally. They were committed to making investments to demonstrate this value. How did the relationship begin, and why Reverb? Where was Chateau as an organization and what led them to pursue external support? Emily Senff, Reverb’s Practice Director for People Development, and Leadership Coach Anu Aurora join Suzanne Newman on the Answers for Elders Radio show.Emily says, "All of our coaches and consultants are very seasoned leaders who have organizational expertise, who have led businesses, teams. And so they really understand the complexity of it, what it means to build and develop healthy teams who can communicate and collaborate and support each other. So we're very lucky to have such a talented team."Suzanne adds, "And we as a community in the Chateau world, and as far as seniors go, we're very lucky to have somebody like you helping us develop the staff that care for our most vulnerable."Emily Senff is Reverb’s Practice Director for People Development. She is responsible for the strategic leadership of Reverb’s leadership development and coaching services. Her superpower is building relationships with clients to understand their pain points and needs, and matching them to Reverb’s exceptional team of consultants, facilitators, and coaches. Before Reverb, Emily was a seasoned leadership development and talent management leader and also worked in nonprofit.Anu Aurora has over 25 years of experience developing leaders at all levels as an industry leader and leadership coach. Anu coaches leaders to identify core issues, make the complex simple, move them past their blocks, and create transformational results. Anu brings with her international experiences from 3 continents; industry skills from aerospace, high-tech, defense sector, and corporate engineering management background as a Director in a Fortune 50 company.Chateau Retirement provides independent living, assisted living, and memory care services. They have been locally owned and family operated for more than 25 years. Chateau Retirement has three communities in Washington's Seattle/Puget Sound area: Chateau Pacific in Lynnwood, Bothell Landing in Bothell, and Chateau Valley Center in Renton. Visit Chateau on the web or call 800.960.1944. Visit Chateau's specialist page on Answers for Elders.Learn more about Reverb Consulting at Reverb People.Mentioned in this episode:Chateau RetirementChateau Retirement

Chateau's commitment to its people helps the families they work with. At Chateau Retirement, leadership development and coaching services make it all better. Tamra Godfrey, CEO of Chateau Retirement, and Emily Senff, Reverb’s Practice Director for People Development, join Suzanne Newman on the Answers for Elders Radio show.Emily says, "Tamra and the leadership team and everyone at Chateau is thoughtfully thinking about support at every level of the organization. Sometimes with organizations, that type of personalized, tailored support is often at a senior leadership level. That's different here at Chateau. They want to make sure that the support and the commitment is felt at every level of the organization. It matters to families and residents because they feel like employees are really well treated. They're taken care of. And when you feel really well-taken-care-of and happy, and feel like you're getting support, you exude and represent that in the work that you do."Emily Senff is responsible for the strategic leadership of Reverb’s leadership development and coaching services. Her superpower is building relationships with clients to understand their pain points and needs, and matching them to Reverb’s exceptional team of consultants, facilitators, and coaches. Before Reverb, Emily was a seasoned leadership development and talent management leader and also worked in nonprofit.Chateau Retirement provides independent living, assisted living, and memory care services. They have been locally owned and family operated for more than 25 years. Chateau Retirement has three communities in Washington's Seattle/Puget Sound area: Chateau Pacific in Lynnwood, Bothell Landing in Bothell, and Chateau Valley Center in Renton. Visit Chateau on the web or call 800.960.1944. Visit Chateau's specialist page on Answers for Elders.Learn more about Reverb Consulting at Reverb People.Mentioned in this episode:Chateau RetirementChateau Retirement

This week, Answers for Elders is talking about people development at Chateau Retirement Communities. This is important to anyone that is seeking a senior living community, or any kind of provider that instills trust. You have to trust them. How many organizations actually talk about how they develop their people? And it should be important to everyone that is seeking senior care. These are important questions to ask, about the people development of an organization. Tamra Godfrey, CEO of Chateau Retirement, and Anu Aurora with Reverb People join Suzanne Newman on the Answers for Elders Radio show.Reverb helps Chateau to grow their leaders so they can be more strategic in their work and outlook. In a time when residents (and employees) have more needs, Reverb supports Chateau leaders to focus critical thinking, curiosity, empathy, and social skills. Ultimately organizations have to not only nurture and develop these skills, but also figure out how to look for these skills in hiring. A growth mindset is so important for organizations to thrive. Chateau continues to show investment in this work, their people and residents.Anu says, "A lot of my coaching is strengths-based and value-based. Part of the initial work I do with the clients is understanding what their personal values are, and what are their superpowers, super strengths. And I always feel that if individuals can align their work along those two, that everything else falls into place. "They come because they believe in this work. They come because they have very high compassion, their sense of belonging and commitment. And those are their values. For most of them. I share those values, and their superpowers might be different, very mixed. That's why we are better together, because one person brings one superpower, the other one brings another power, and they start to see that, yeah, I am bigger with this person because this is what I bring and this is what the other person brings. And to recognize that we complement each other."Anu Aurora has over 25 years of experience developing leaders at all levels as an industry leader and leadership coach. Anu coaches leaders to identify core issues, make the complex simple, move them past their blocks, and create transformational results. Anu brings with her international experiences from three continents; industry skills from aerospace, high-tech, defense sector, and corporate engineering management background as a Director in a Fortune 50 company.Chateau Retirement provides independent living, assisted living, and memory care services. They have been locally owned and family operated for more than 25 years. Chateau Retirement has three communities in Washington's Seattle/Puget Sound area: Chateau Pacific in Lynnwood, Bothell Landing in Bothell, and Chateau Valley Center in Renton. Visit Chateau on the web or call 800.960.1944. Visit Chateau's specialist page on Answers for Elders.Learn more about Reverb Consulting at Reverb People.Mentioned in this episode:Chateau RetirementChateau Retirement

What makes the lives of senior living residents flourish? At Chateau Retirement, leadership development and coaching services make it better. Tamra Godfrey, CEO of Chateau Retirement, and Emily Senff, Reverb’s Practice Director for People Development, join Suzanne Newman on the Answers for Elders Radio show.In the USA today, families are more overwhelmed and confused than ever when trying to find the right resource for their senior loved ones. Since COVID, so many organizations have cut corners—reducing staff, compromising values, and lowering the quality of care.Chateau Retirement has remained steadfast for the past 25 years—holding true to its values and continuing its commitment to both their employees and the residents they serve. That commitment is not just something Suzanne has heard about or observed from afar, but rather personally experienced as a daughter when her mom lived at Chateau.Emily says, "I think values also is like less about what people say or what's up on the wall and how they actually, like, treat and interact with others. And so to be able to witness, you know, employees at Chateau and how they partner internally and Cross-functionally and then in turn see how they serve their residents, I mean, I think that speaks volumes. That's how you know."Emily Senff is Reverb’s Practice Director for People Development. She is responsible for the strategic leadership of Reverb’s leadership development and coaching services. Her superpower is building relationships with clients to understand their pain points and needs, and matching them to Reverb’s exceptional team of consultants, facilitators, and coaches. Before Reverb, Emily was a seasoned leadership development and talent management leader and also worked in nonprofit.Chateau Retirement provides independent living, assisted living, and memory care services. They have been locally owned and family operated for more than 25 years. Chateau Retirement has three communities in Washington's Seattle/Puget Sound area: Chateau Pacific in Lynnwood, Bothell Landing in Bothell, and Chateau Valley Center in Renton. Visit Chateau on the web or call 800.960.1944. Visit Chateau's specialist page on Answers for Elders.Learn more about Reverb Consulting at Reverb People.Mentioned in this episode:Chateau RetirementChateau Retirement

Residents are sharing what it's like to join a senior living community. Suzanne Newman on the Answers for Elders podcast is joined by Judith, a resident at Chateau Pacific in Lynnwood, Washington. It follows conversations with resident Ann and her daughter Jen.Judith says, "I was born and bred in South Africa. My family had been there for a few quite a few generations. So I left there, and I was married and had two children, one son, one daughter, and eventually that broke up. After my daughter finished university in Johannesburg in South Africa, she moved across London to do a two-year sabbatical, which was the fun thing to do for graduate at that stage. And one Friday night at the pub there, she met this American guy who was there on vacation. So one thing led to another, and of course, he came back. He lived in Portland, Oregon, at the time. But they exchanged life stories via email and so on. And a few months later, she was planning to go and vacation to the U.S. anyway. So she included both in dinners, they and his mother when he met her. His mom would say to him, If you don't want to lose this girl, you'd better ask her to marry you. "And he did... so long story short, I visit her a few times from South Africa. Visited a few times here. And eventually she moved to Seattle. When her son was born, I came over to meet my new grandson. And that's when she said to me, Mom, what are you doing all on your own in South Africa? Why don't you come and live here in Seattle? I thought that was an excellent idea. Why not? That was 19 and a half years ago."If I had wanted to practice psychology here in the US, I would have had to go back to school, and I didn't feel like doing that. So I got a great job at the University of Washington in a specific department working with postgraduate students and guiding them, that sort of thing. And I was with UW for 15 years until I retired. And shortly after I retired, I had been living on my own in an apartment. And so after a while, my daughter said, Mom, maybe it's time for you to move into some sort of community, because she didn't think it was very safe for me to drive any longer."So she did find another place for me, where I moved in. And after I was there for one day, I said, 'You get me out of here. I can't stay here.' The complex was like buildings, with long rows of rooms in a particular corridor. And all the people in that particular section would sit and have dinner together. So every time you had a meal, it was with the same people. And the food, the food was brought in. You had no choice of food. If you didn't like what they served, you went hungry type of thing. So I said to her, 'I can't stay here. Find me another place.' So I was there for exactly two weeks, because she had done a lot of Internet searching."And she found this place, Chateau Pacific. She said, 'Mom, Let's go and have a look at Chateau Pacific. That can accommodate you.' And the minute we walked through that door at Chateau Pacific, I felt like, 'Oh, this is the place for me. Yes.' And everybody was so friendly, and they treated us to a meal and we saw that they had various choices. If you don't like what’s the special of the day, you have many alternatives to choose from."So we decided this is the place for me to stay. And I was here maybe three or four weeks, and somebody suggested that I would be the perfect person to be the president of our resident society. So I might as well... So I was voted in."Judith adds, "When I first moved in here, I had signed up for three meals a day. But breakfast here is at 8:00 in the morning. So I had to set my alarm for 7:30 in order to get up and get dressed. I'd go down and have breakfast at 8:00. And then after a few weeks, I decided, Good Lord, I am retired. I do not have to get up with an alarm clock every morning anymore. So I canceled the breakfast thing. I get up around about, I don't know, 10:00 or so. I make myself...

This week we continue to learn what senior living is like from residents. Suzanne Newman on the Answers for Elders podcast is joined by Jen, daughter of resident Ann at Chateau Pacific in Lynnwood, Washington. Jennifer McKassan is agency owner at Apples to Zebras Insurance in Lynnwood, so she works within the industry where people are investigating long term care planning.Jen says, "People drive too long, or they keep their houses for too long, and they keep that responsibility for them for too long. And for whatever reason they do it, it ends up putting everybody involved into a place of of crisis. When it does come to the point where everybody involved realizes, oh, dear, it's time. And it was probably time about a year ago. I've seen families where they were dealing with degenerative illness, and they just didn't want to accept that that was the the next phase of life. When you own the timeline, you can control the timeline. And what I've seen was people who didn't do that ended up with a more expensive experience, a more traumatic experience, and a more damaged relationship with their families. I didn't want that with my mom. I wanted to be my mom's daughter all the way to the end of her life."Jen described her mom's journey after retirement. She had been staying temporarily with Jen and her husband. "Mom had stopped driving, and she didn't know how to use paratransit yet. And my husband and I are both active professionals. We didn't have that flexibility in our days to really give mom the life that she wanted as a retired person. That active life, the 'hey, I want to go to a museum on a Wednesday' and I'm like, 'boy, would that be fun. I have to work. I have five appointments today,' and having to say, 'No, mom, I can't do that.' It takes its toll. And it turns you from a daughter to kind of a gatekeeper to fun. And I don't want to be the gatekeeper on my mom's fun."But having those conversations is difficult. Suzanne pointed out, "We don't necessarily know how to have those conversations with dad or with mom, when the talking isn't matching what's happening. You're not fine, Dad, and you're not able to get up, you're a fall risk. You're going to have a bad fall. A lot of us as adult children don't know how to have the conversations or we're in a situation where we feel like it's not our place."Jen replied, "It is our place. If you're the one picking up the pieces, it is your place. And you have an absolute right to say something about that, and almost an obligation, in my opinion, because it it's a hard conversation to have. It's a courageous conversation to have. And when we come at it from a place of love and that's what I did with my mom, I came at it from a place of love. I'm like, 'I don't want to be picking a place out of thin air just because they had a bed open and whatever we could afford that had a bed open and, you know, maybe this place will work and maybe it won't. I want to own this timeline. I want you to get to know people there. I want you to make friends there. I want you to feel like you belong there.'"Jen adds, "There's a 70% chance that we will need assisted living or some form of assistive care in our later years. So if there's a 70% chance that something is going to happen, like it's going to rain, we're going to bring a raincoat, right? So when we when we talk about owning the timeline, we pick the place. We're going to get those services before we need them, move in when we're still independent, when we might not need what they have to offer in the greatest sense. But we pick the place we belong, so that we can make the friends. We can use our brain plasticity while we have it, to make friends and find new activities. Like Mom had never played video games like Wii Jeopardy before. I was like, Oh, this is fantastic. And Wii Bowling."Owning

This week we share experiences and learn what it's like to be a resident in senior living. Suzanne Newman on the Answers for Elders podcast is joined by Ann, a resident at Chateau Pacific in Lynnwood, Washington. In our next segment, Ann's daughter Jen joins the program.Ann says, "Before my own personal investigation of senior living, my sister and I had been involved in finding a place for our parents, moving them from Southern California into the Vancouver, Washington area. We went to many, many places. One was obviously a converted motel, less than satisfactory. One was across the river in Portland, so if bridges ice up, we're stranded. We went into one place, and it was a high rise, and although they had communal areas on each floor, they were so little used that nobody had even turned on the lights."Of her personal journey, Ann says, "[I wanted] to find another senior living place to try out, because the first one had been just a respite for medical reasons. The second had been very educational, and I liked it there a lot. But it was a relatively small community, less than 100 residents. And so I wanted to try something a little bit larger. ... [But] I found that it was limiting. If you've got a bus that holds ten people, there's only ten people who can go shopping. It's only one slot a week to go shopping in, so you've got to sign up for everything on the first of the month. I told them going in that it would be a short-term stay. And when I moved out of there, my children, bless their hearts, moved me [to Chateau Pacific]. Picked it up, all the furniture, over there, and so here I am. And I've been in Chateau Pacific now for about three months."You can sleep in as late as you want. You can go down and have breakfast, or if you want to have lunch or whatever, that you can make. I think I'm actually just a little bit young for senior living. I'm 75, but we've got residents who are 100. We have one who is 66. But whatever you need, whoever, whenever you need it, those things are available. ... And the dining staff, the waitstaff, know everybody's names."Suzanne asks, "I'm hearing that you're connecting with other residents, and you feel included. How did that happen?"Ann answers, "Well, for one thing, I'm not shy about saying, 'Hi, my name's Ann, what's yours? Please don't be offended, but I won't remember it next time because I don't remember anything till I am completely embarrassed by having not remembered.' So I find out what people's names are, and I like to talk to them and find out what they did in their working life, what their strengths are, and what their interests are. And all you have to do is just ask a question. What do you like most, or do you have children? It doesn't take anything terribly intrusive or nosy. It's just a question to start the conversation."Chateau Retirement provides independent living, assisted living, and memory care services. They have been locally owned and family operated for more than 25 years. Chateau Retirement has three communities in Washington's Seattle/Puget Sound area: Chateau Pacific in Lynnwood, Bothell Landing in Bothell, and Chateau Valley Center in Renton.Visit Chateau online or call 800.960.1944. Visit Chateau's specialist page on Answers for Elders.Mentioned in this episode:Chateau RetirementChateau Retirement

If you want to age in place, or if you have parents that want to age in place, what are the best questions you should ask an aging-in-place specialist? Aging in Place specialist Paul Kocharhook, the CEO of Pathway Design &amp; Construction, joins Suzanne Newman on the Answers for Elders Radio Show to share his advice for adult children that are helping their parents to plan to stay in their homes?Paul says, "The word planning, I think, is the most important piece. Because when I get a phone call from a homeowner, or a child — saying, 'My parent is in the hospital. They won't let them come home until the home is safe for them to to live in.' — those are the hardest things for a contractor, to have to turn around and jump on and be able to make the space safe. So the more that you can plan ahead, the easier that potential transition might be in the future. Once a fall happens, and their hip is broken, you have less options."Suzanne says, "Just because you see somebody that's got a certified aging in place designation on their card, doesn't necessarily mean they're the right person for you. Ask things like, how long have you been there? How many jobs have you done? What types of work? Who are your references? Do you have a portfolio of the types of things you've done? Those are all things that are absolutely valid, are they not?"Paul answers, "Oh, 100%, yeah. For me, we've been really lucky to be able to win some amazing awards for aging in place and universal design. It's awesome to be able to have that recognition as a contractor, but also it's a recognition for the homeowner, and all of our trade partners that work on these jobs for us, because really it's a team. It's not just me. It's all of these people who come together to create this space for these homeowners."How to find the right aging in place expert? Paul says, "I've asked this question a lot to my homeowners. When they contact us for aging in place, usually they have Googled 'aging in place.' Another term that gets used a lot is 'universal design.' And so I would start there. Also, I believe the NAHB [National Homebuilders Association] has a portal that you can go to, and look for aging in place.Visit PathwayDC.com or call 206-937-4809 for more information. If you're in the Seattle area, mention Answers for Elders to get a free consultation. Paul will come out, check out your home, make sure that it is safe, and talk about different potential projects, whether for now or in the future.National Homebuilders Association websiteAt Answers for Elders:Bathroom Safety GuideAging in Place ChecklistAging in Place podcastsMentioned in this episode:Legacy Estate PlanningLegacy Estate PlanningChateau RetirementChateau Retirement

Air quality for everyone is huge, even more so as we get older. Aging in Place specialist Paul Kocharhook, the CEO of Pathway Design &amp; Construction, joins Suzanne Newman on the Answers for Elders Radio Show to talk about air quality, this other aspect of making a home safer. He also explains what it means for an expert to be designated as an Aging in Place specialist.Paul says, "When I'm thinking about air quality, I'm thinking about what are we introducing into our home, and how do we minimize the impacts on us. Also, a lot of us are experiencing wildfires during the summer. All that smoke just bombards us. So how do we continue to live in our home in a safe space? So, reducing the impact of that smoke getting into the home, because a lot of our homes are leaky. So are there some ways for us to to manage that? If they are leaky, how do we manage them once it's inside of the home, or how we stop it at the exterior?"It's like a glass of water. As we continue to age, we've been exposed to more chemicals over the years and that that glass just continues to fill up, and eventually it overflows. So how do we keep it at the level that it's currently at, trying so that we're minimizing future impact? Yeah, that makes sense."About expertise in this area, Paul explains, "The Aging in Place specialist designation is given out through the NAHB, the National Homebuilders Association. This is a course that we've gone through. I think almost all of my employees have been through it now. But the idea is really introducing aging in place in three separate courses, and each course gets a little bit deeper into how we think about projects and deal with different medical issues that they might be experiencing.Visit PathwayDC.com or call 206-937-4809 for more information. If you're in the Seattle area, mention Answers for Elders to get a free consultation. Paul will come out, check out your home, make sure that it is safe, and talk about different potential projects, whether for now or in the future.National Homebuilders Association websiteAt Answers for Elders:Bathroom Safety GuideAging in Place ChecklistAging in Place podcastsMentioned in this episode:Legacy Estate PlanningLegacy Estate PlanningChateau RetirementChateau Retirement

People don't necessarily know what aging in place is, and what kind of simple changes can be most impactful to make our home safer for ourselves and for aging parents when they visit. Aging in Place specialist Paul Kocharhook, the CEO of Pathway Design &amp; Construction, joins Suzanne Newman on the Answers for Elders Radio Show to share adjustments we can make to our homes, from DiY projects to more complex upgrades. Paul also talks about sustainability.Regarding the simple changes, Paul says, "I would say adding handrails, like getting in and out of the house, adding a second handrail to the stairs. We have more control over one hand versus the other as we age, or we have some sort of medical condition, whether it's a stroke or something else. So what is your stronger side? As you're going down the stairs, maybe you have a handrail on the right-hand side, but going up maybe you don't don't have one. Well, let's add a handrail to the other side of the stairs. Just so you have the ability to go up and down safely on both sides. Sometimes that gets forgotten about, just having that safety measure in place."We talked a little bit about grab bars, bathroom spaces. Those are those are great in showers. Whether you're five years old or 105... Suzanne said, "There's a surfacing that you can put over your existing tile."Paul says, "It's a roll-on product. We clean your shower floor and then we roll the grip onto the floor. And it's super durable, and it helps immensely in bathroom spaces. We've even done it in walkways outside, we're a little concerned about slippery areas. We're even using it on stairs. If you've got wooden stairs in your home, just adding that because if you're walking in socks, those stairs can be just a little bit slippery."Suzanne adds, "And it doesn't affect the the look of your tile at all. I actually use that product it in my own shower, because it was a little slippery when we first moved in. I have a shower mat, but the mat is not big enough. So we did get that product, and it was super easy. That's a DIY thing you could easily do."Paul adds, "If you have an existing bathtub and slipping in that bathtub is a potential issue, this is a good alternative, to help buy you a little bit of time."Suzanne asks, "You can convert a bathtub, pull the tub out and create a walk-in shower. That is not that's not a structural change for the most part, is it?"Paul answers, "No, it's not structural at all. These units, we drop these in there. We make them, we can customize it. If you have a weird-sized bathtub, we can customize it to fit in the exact space that you have."Visit PathwayDC.com or call 206-937-4809 for more information. If you're in the Seattle area, mention Answers for Elders to get a free consultation. Paul will come out, check out your home, make sure that it is safe, and talk about different potential projects, whether for now or in the future.National Homebuilders Association websiteAt Answers for Elders:Bathroom Safety GuideAging in Place ChecklistAging in Place podcastsMentioned in this episode:Chateau RetirementChateau...

Baby Boomers are redefining retirement, and many, as long as they're able, want to keep living in their homes. Yet as they get older, one accident could change their future and shatter their dreams. So if you want to age in place, if you have parents that want to age in place, this program is for you. Paul Kocharhook, the CEO of Pathway Design &amp; Construction, joins Suzanne Newman on the Answers for Elders Radio Show to talk about keeping our home safe as we get older.Paul says, "Nobody wants to hear that they're aging. And so I try to turn that conversation, about making it safe. How can we make your home safe for you? Or making it safe for parents who are going to come and visit? Because we have a lot of parents that come from out of country, for some of our clients, and they'll stay for the summer. So how do we make that bathroom safe for them, to be able to manage while they're here?"He adds, "When I started remodeling homes... we were starting to do remodels on bathrooms, and kitchens, and additions to make spaces better for homeowners. But some of the pieces that were missing were that thinking about more long-term. So, thinking about a bathroom as an example, there was there was a lot that we could do on the on the front end to prepare the homeowner for the future, where we don't have to add things right now, but everything's prepared. "So we did a fire restoration for [an elderly couple]. Half of their home had and caught fire, and so we were building it back, and they wanted us to put the house back as it was. I said, 'There's things that I can do now, not included in the insurance estimate, like I can put backing in your shower. You're telling me right now you don't need grab bars. But I can put backing in your wall right now, so that when the time comes, we can add those grab bars whenever you want.' They were insistent that, no, they were able to manage in their home as it was before, and they're going to continue to manage in the future."Lo and behold, three months after we gave them their house back, they were calling us to add grab bars in the shower. [Now] it's not as easy of a task to do, when we're having to retrofit versus having all the backing in the walls that's hidden behind there, when we'd just be adding screws."About grab bars, Suzanne commented, "In 2023, we moved into a new house, and when we toured it and we walked in the bathroom, there's all these grab bars in the shower, and there's a walk in-tub. I looked at my husband and I said, 'Honey, this is for old people.' Here's me, you know, the expert. And he looked at me, and he kind of giggled and he said, 'Honey, we are old people.' I said, 'Well, I don't need all these grab bars in the shower.' Guess what? I use them all of the time. And I don't even realize that I'm hanging on to it when I'm turning around in the shower because of the slippery surface, and I'm glad they're there."Visit PathwayDC.com or call 206-937-4809 for more information. If you're in the Seattle area, mention Answers for Elders to get a free consultation. Paul will come out, check out your home, make sure that it is safe, and talk about different potential projects, whether for now or in the future.National Homebuilders Association websiteAt Answers for Elders:Bathroom Safety GuideAging in Place Checklist<a...

What is the most important question every family should ask before hiring anyone to care for a senior loved one? Host Suzanne Newman is joined by Daphne Davis of Pinnacle Senior Placements and Ellie Brown from Chateau Retirement to share their answers. This segment continues the conversation at Answers for Elders Radio in a new monthly series by Trustcasters™, vetted professionals who raise the bar in senior care.Suzanne says, "I'm going to say something very, very bold. I would bet 50% of placement advisors, if not more, should not be serving our seniors. They are not educated. They don't have the ethics or the morality. I have heard nightmare stories from people that think that they can serve our seniors. Daphne, what are some key questions that every family should have at the very forefront before they even get into hiring anyone?"Daphne answers for placement advisors, "Families get connected to advisors in a variety of ways, depending upon what their story is. They’re in a hospital, in a rehab, social worker, it's a variety of things. And so I think first of all, , 'Why are you recommending these people to me? What are they about? What do they stand for? How are they going to help me? Are they going to listen to me?' I mean, just the basics."And then as you meet them, number one thing I'd ask them: 'What is your highest value in helping my family?' And depending upon how long it takes them to answer that, you'll know if they even thought about it. That should roll off their tongue, as 'Why are you even doing this job?' You ask them that, you'll get an answer."Ellie answers for senior living communities, "It's a family coming into a community. The questions that should be asked are: Who owns this building? Who really owns this building, and are you the operator, manager, or do you manage the building for the asset, for the bank? It's not wrong if you manage it, but what it means is, who owns the building, what what's the longevity of that building? What are the values of that company? How how truly regional are you? Those kinds of questions matter. And then, what is your tenure of your staff, and what are your staffing patterns, and what's your survey results?"I mean, start asking about care, stop getting blown away by the bells and whistles. If it's new and shiny, don't get spun by that. I got hit by that when I came into the industry for my mom. I got spun by the the prettiness of a new building, the shiny penny. And I didn't know the correct questions to ask. What is your philosophy? What is your value system with your tenants? Show me that. You show me that, then you're going to have somebody that all the way through is going to be caring for your loved one in all the right ways."When it comes to caring for older adults,&nbsp;trust isn’t optional—it’s essential. Learn more at AnswersForElders.com.Learn more about Daphne and Pinnacle Senior Placements at 1-855-734-1500 or visit PinnacleSeniorPlacements.com. Visit Pinnacle's specialist page on Answers for Elders.Chateau Retirement provides independent living, assisted living, and memory care services. They have been locally owned and family operated for more than 25 years. Chateau Retirement has three communities in Washington's Seattle/Puget Sound area: Chateau Pacific in Lynnwood, Bothell Landing in Bothell, and Chateau Valley Center in Renton. Visit them online or call 800.960.1944. Visit <a...

Answers for Elders Radio debuts a monthly series called Trustcasters™, by vetted professionals who are raising the bar in senior care. Host Suzanne Newman is joined by Daphne Davis of Pinnacle Senior Placements and Ellie Brown from Chateau Retirement continue their conversation about the state of the industry. This segment delves into the differences in the journey that families go through today in realizing that senior loved ones need care.Suzanne says, "I am fortunate, the fact that my mom lived at Chateau Pacific, and I always say my boot camp of learning this industry was its staff... But I realize now how rare that is... There's so much confusion in senior living. [Even] if someone is already living there, they still don't know necessarily the resources that may be available to them... There's obviously a secret source that Chateau Retirement has, but I think, really, that's the difference between it and so many others out there in the industry."Ellie says, "Back in the old days, I'm sure there was a lot of handshake, and a lot of networking in-person, whether it's a church or events or what have you. Maybe it used to be grandma, your church, your network. [Now] a lot of people go inside in their homes at night and shut the garage door, and it's online... I think we could put any industry in this conversation, and know that with the advent of social media, and the different levels of social media, and the instant information, and the viral. And then if you add deep pockets to nationwide operators, the people that are speaking the loudest on those platforms that are buying the most ads, that becomes the narrative, that becomes the place, right?"So senior living... the journey now, it's like a snake, there's so many points of context. There's so much research by the families, it's a longer search pattern now. It takes longer for them to get to the community. And there's more stops along the way. And there's a lot of distraction... So it's like anything, discretion, right? Consumer beware, discretion. And I think we need to decide what is our value, right? What is what are you really looking for? Are you looking for the best deal or are you looking for the best place and if you put money over the best place, you're wrong, right out of the gate. So if it looks like it's too good of a deal, it probably is."Daphne adds, "At the same time, we are in a time where some people — some decades of life — have one one foot in paper and one foot in digital. And so that is also adding to the the confusion. This group of people — those are the people we're still working with — shut down. They just stop. 'Okay, I'm doing nothing because it's beyond me. I don't even know how to navigate this world.' And so that's another thing that's happening. It happens every single week in my world. And I'm talking to 50-, 60-year-old children. We don't even know how to navigate this anymore."Ellie adds, "Or one viral bad video of a horrible experience that gets millions of views clouds the perception. Okay, it's like anything. One bad seed can pollute the whole thing, but that doesn't mean it's all bad... Maybe we should be educating on what to run from. Run! I think once we have families in our pocket, we're very expert at having those conversations, once we're with them. But there's a whole journey happening. Or not happening."Daphne agrees, "I would say it's not happening more than it's happening... And some of that, I think, it's just our times. We can talk about that sandwich generation. I think they're more exhausted. I don't think they have the bandwidth to embrace mom and dad's issues. I don't think they have the time, or that's a part of the perception that they have, in the day in the life of an American right now. And so what happens, the stories that I hear are, 'Mom says she's fine, so she's fine.' So there's a shut down before they even get anywhere."Ellie says, "I'm a business...

In a world where anyone can claim to be a senior care expert, who can you really trust? This month, Answers for Elders Radio debuts a new series of episodes by Trustcasters™, vetted professionals who are raising the bar in senior care. Trustcasters™ episodes will talk about what every family needs to know&nbsp;before&nbsp;choosing care for a loved one. From licensing to leadership, we’re pulling back the curtain — so you don’t get misled by unqualified, or even worse, unethical providers. This month, host Suzanne Newman is joined by Daphne Davis of Pinnacle Senior Placements and Ellie Brown from Chateau Retirement to start the conversation about the state of the industry. How do you ask the proper questions? How to you can you navigate this very complex journey of choosing care for a senior loved one?Suzanne says, "What we have seen in our industry in many ways is tragic. Since COVID, from my perspective, seeing the anguish and the confusion in families has been overwhelming. People don't know if they will have Medicare tomorrow. They're confused about their Social Security. They're confused about their financials. As aging seniors start to fail physically and mentally, their vulnerability makes them even more scared."Daphne says, "What I'm finding from families right now is a real a hunkering down, a pull within to rely on their own resources, their own intellect, doing their own nominal research, trying to educate themselves on their own... "The journey of finding care — when someone can no longer stay at home or they're in a vulnerable position because of an illness or cognitive issues — having somebody walk alongside you is probably one of the most important things that you could do in the journey... It's very much like if you had children in child care, you had resources amongst your parenting groups, a church, your neighborhood, whatever it was that you reached out to each other. We're not even doing that. I'm very active in the church that I attend, and people know what I do, but they're not reaching out to me. And so the phone calls that I get now are to fix a situation. "In the 25 years that I've been doing this job, I would have thought by now that [senior care providers] would have had a presence of an all levels, no matter what means or what community of care you choose. That our education would be high enough that our community would know more. They know less. And because people are withdrawing, because people are unsure about who to trust, they're making more mistakes."Ellie says, "Well, I'm one of those people that's actually grateful for COVID, because it shook the industry up. So my recommendation is we can't stop now, because the shake-up needs to continue. In fact, COVID made us look at practices and operations, and care and communication, and not just infection control, but all the manner of assisted living, independent living, and memory care, and how we communicate and get that messaging out. Great..."But now we need to look at the practices at a legislative level. As an industry level, what are the metrics, what are the policies? We need to grow up. We need to become more professional in our industry. Where other industries have so many metrics and protocols that would be followed, we just don't have that quite yet, in certain areas in our industry. And I'm not talking about the state, in the surveys, and the care. I'm talking about the cottage industry that surrounds senior living... the providers, the home health, the home care, but also the paid advisors. What does that mean, and what do we really look like? What do we stand for, and what are the highest standards? What is our code of ethics? And then drill it down from there."When it comes to caring for older adults,&nbsp;trust isn’t optional—it’s essential. Learn more at <a href="https://answersforelders.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer"...