Answers For Elders Radio Network

Cheryl Guenther and Terri Wilson at Koelsch Senior Living Communities talk more about their organization.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Cheryl Guenther and Terri Wilson talk about Koelsch Senior Living Communities, the presenting sponsor for Discovery 2020 in the Linwood Convention Center on April 1. They will introduce Benjamin Surmi, a fantastic speaker.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kelley Smith at CarePartners Living discusses Alzheimer's and Dementia care in Washington state. They provide support groups for family caregivers, a safe place where they can talk about caregiving. We also do family nights and respites, even for early onset seniors. If we do an assessment and they're not a good fit for us, we'll refer them to the right service.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kelley Smith at CarePartners Living talks about medication management. It's a big deal because as we age we can get forgetful. There are a hundred reasons why we're on certain medications. If you take too much or too little, the medication could either cause damage or be ineffective. Certain medications for seizures, blood pressure, diabetes or pain have to be taken regularly or they don't work.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kelley Smith at CarePartners Living talks about assisted living, which means something different for everybody because it's so customized. Every single resident has an individualized care plan, whether it be medication management or their activity levels have tapered off, all based on the nurse's full assessment.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kelley Smith from CarePartners Senior Living talks about the top concerns family members have for their senior loved ones: nutrition, fall risks, medication concerns, and socialization.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Daphne Davis at Pinnacle Senior Placements discusses aspects of physical health and wellness. This segment focuses on integrating these aspects of body, mind and spirit: having the courage to have conversations, to talk to someone, about having a life of living, vs. one of just surviving.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Daphne Davis at Pinnacle Senior Placements discusses aspects of physical health and wellness: the body, mind and spirit. This segment focuses on our spirit, which covers your happiness level, your spirituality grounding and core that keeps you centered. These are the things that give you a sense of joy, peace, satisfaction, contentment, happiness.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Daphne Davis at Pinnacle Senior Placements discusses aspects of your physical health and wellness: the body, mind and spirit. This segment focuses on our mind, various aspects of mental health.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Valentine's Day is about connections, acknowledging those you love and appreciate, as well as taking time for yourself. Daphne Davis at Pinnacle Senior Placements discusses aspects of your physical health and wellness: the body, mind and spirit. As we age, there are definitely changes in our body, our machinery. It is a machine and it does need to have some tweaking, some oil changes and tune-ups. Don't be afraid to do those things to keep our bodies at optimum efficiency. Keep in mind nutrition, medication and hydration.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dan Redler from We Speak Medicare walks us through different types of healthcare plans for seniors.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dan Redler and Dan Leary from We Speak Medicare talk about how healthcare for seniors comes from primary care, specialists, and from the insurance side. There are multiple types of insurance, from Medicare to people with low incomes that qualify for low income coverage. Dual eligible people are on Medicaid and Medicare. There are Veterans benefits. Given the gamut of plans, you need to go over the options to find the right plan.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dan Redler and Dan Leary from We Speak Medicare walk us through what to expect during a consultation and needs analysis when selecting your annual Medicare plan. Bring a list of medications so we can look up their costs with differing plans. We can look up your specialists, primary care physician, physical therapists, occupational therapists to see if they'll be in your network next year. Sixty percent of the time you're paying more for your medications than you need to. If you talk to an agent who only represents one line, they'll only be able to present you with options from them. A broker who looks at multiple lines can find the best plan for you.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

People on Medicare Advantage plans can make changes to it from January 1 to March 31. Dan Redler and Dan Leary from We Speak Medicare provide more information on these periods so you get the best benefits and being prepared for the year to come. Plans send a notice of changes, some of which can be at least a hundred pages long. We Speak Medicare can explain these changes succinctly.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

During the holiday season, family members tend to visit their senior loved ones around Thanksgiving and Christmas, and then the attention drops off. Kelley Smith describes how CarePartners Living ramps up activities after the holidays to keep the momentum going, so residents don't suffer from loneliness following that surge of holiday attention.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Culture, Connections and Celebrations: how to communicate and establish rapport. Some of our senior loved ones may have some communications challenges or issues due to Alzheimer's Disease or dementia. Daphne Davis at Pinnacle Senior Placements discusses tips for making your visits go better.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

DispatchHealth is a Gold Sponsor for the 2019 12 Days of Goodness and its mission to raise awareness for senior loved ones that are without regular visitors. Karrie Austin talks about being able to spend an hour with each person, get to know them and connect them with resources, such activities of daily living, meals on wheels. Sometimes a senior is lonely and needs someone to talk to.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Karrie Austin with DispatchHealth provides an overview of the company and its services. DispatchHealth partners to increase access to healthcare for seniors in their own homes, reducing costs and making healthcare a better experience. Patients and have better outcomes at home. All seniors have to do is call and someone comes over. We would sent out a nurse practitioner or PA and an EMT-trained technician with access to a board-certified physician. They travel with a mobile lab that can do tests immediately and mobile pharmacies to bring prescriptions right to them.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Samantha George from Humana talks about medicare options for veterans. The first two parts are the original medicare: part A is for hospital care, part B is medical insurance for doctor's visits. Part C, also known as medicare advantage, is an alternative for A and B that provided additional services and some drug coverage. Part D is prescription drug coverage, an optional one but valuable if you have certain prescriptions. If you don't sign up when you're first eligible, you are permanently penalized with an annual fee, so it's important to talk with a licensed agent and asses the appropriate coverage for you, as it stays with you for life. Eligibility typically begins at age 65, unless you qualify early through disease or disability.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Answers for Elders is getting ready to kick off the 12 Days of Goodness with Samantha George, Seattle's medicare sales manager for Humana. Humana is a health and well-being company, and our focus is on giving people the ability to achieve their best health. In Washington state, we're best known for our Medicare Advantage products.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Culture, Connections and Celebrations: how to communicate and establish rapport. For people who haven’t seen their senior loved one in a while, or feel guilty for not having visited in a while and think perhaps that they shouldn’t go. We all have these feelings, and they can grow and grow in our own minds rather than in reality. Daphne Davis at Pinnacle Senior Placements talks about having the courage to get over ourselves. Your senior loved one just wants to see you.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

From January 1 to March 31 is open enrollment for the Medicare Advantage Program. If you didn't like the selection you made during Medicare Open Enrollment on October 15 to December 7, you are able to change your MAPD plan, which comes with Part D, during this time. Every year you get an annual notice of change letter from your healthcare carrier. If you don't read that, you might not realize what the changes are until they go in effect on January 1. If your drug prices have changed, or your network provider has changed, this allows you to correct that. Dan Redler, CEO, and Dan Leary, COO, of We Speak Medicare explain why the enrollment period exists and how it works.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kelley Smith at CarePartners Living talks about 2019’s 12 Days of Goodness events. We're all the 12th Man, and CarePartners Living has a lot of fun with it. Residents light up; they're so excited to make these connections and be involved together. It's one of the happiest events we have.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If your senior loved one is dealing with Alzheimer's or Dementia, we still encourage a visit over the holidays. If Mom is overly sensitive to lights, turn off the blinking of the Christmas tree lights, because that can be overwhelming. Play music more quietly. Kelley Smith at CarePartners Living encourages families to contact a home care service and have someone come over to help with eating and toileting, to help with the things your loved one wouldn't want you to do anyway.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kelley Smith at CarePartners Living talks about senior loved ones continuing to be honored over the holidays once they are in assisted living. People ask questions about whether to take Mom home over the holiday, can she handle the noise, should we hire a caregiver, what if mom feels isolated in the home because she can't keep up? We suggest that you not make assumptions and see what your senior loved one is capable of. For example, if Mom always made the dinner, but now she's aged and in assisted living and her mobility's not the same, but still wants to be part of that, can't you find something in that kitchen to do that gives her purpose and makes her still feel like she's part of the family? If we pat her hand and say no, just go in the living room and visit with family, we're not giving her the dignity of letting her still feeling like she's part of that process.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dan Redler and Dan Leary from We Speak Medicare walk us through the changing rules for senior annual enrollment in Medicare, the time for all those eligible to make changes to their healthcare plans. The plan should be reviewed each year because new plans come out and rules change every year. We Speak Medicare helps seniors find the right plan, especially when it comes to coverage for medications.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For our senior loved ones, visits are about quality time. Take time for really listening, hearing stories, inviting the stories, giving them a sense of honor, dignity and purpose. And do that in a sincere way. Daphne Davis at Pinnacle Senior Placements also talks about what she specifically does for families when she sits down with them. As an information post for gathering unbiased information on alternatives of living and care outside of the home, she provides the ABCs about housing and care, helps define your values and discuss long-time plans, including how to maximize the buying power of an estate.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Culture, Connections and Celebrations: how to establish rapport with our senior loved ones as the holidays approach. Daphne Davis at Pinnacle Senior Placements advises to keep it simple, whatever “it” is. Our current culture is lights, flashy stuff, always being entertained. For The Greatest Generation, simpler things were valued: listening to the radio, singing songs, getting together, having lemonade on the front porch, eating home-cooked meals.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Daphne Davis at Pinnacle Senior Placements talks about Veteran's Day, originally Armistice Day, celebrating the official end of World War 1 on November 11, 1918. In 1971, the holiday was expanded to honor all surviving veterans, to thank them for sacrifices they have made to give us our freedom.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dan Redler and Dan Leary from We Speak Medicare help people be proactive about their health and finances when it comes to Medicare coverage. People should review their health and their health plans yearly, not only because health changes as we age, but because Medicare plans and rules change every year. Changes in coverage could significantly impact your bottom line.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Plans and Medicare rules change yearly. You should have a consultation and needs analysis done each year to make sure your plan meets your specific needs, because your needs change every year too. Every plan treats medications differently. Dan Redler and Dan Leary from We Speak Medicare describe how they help to find the right services for the right premium.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Liz Diehl and former NBA Seattle Supersonics center James Donaldson join Suzanne to talk about the benefits of using CBD as a sleep aid. Liz is the founder of Total Wellness Solutions. She is also a certified CBD physiology and health specialist who provides education and a premier product line. Contact Liz at 503-209-4997 or email [email protected]. James says, "CBD has some wonderful benefits towards sleep and helping you to get a better, deeper quality of sleep. More, more restful, more sound. I take it myself before I go to bed every night. Four years ago, I came down with some heart issues myself and they think that was due to sleep apnea, which I didn't know I had. So I went in, I got tested overnight at one of the hospitals. It found I had 29 events per hour. An event is where you stop breathing. Your body just pushes some adrenaline into you to get your heart jumped, and you start breathing again — 29 times an hour. 30 is super serious, and I was right at 29. "I took melatonin and these things for years as well. But since I've been doing CBD oil and wearing my sleep apnea machine, my face mask, my events per hour have gone down to 1.2, 1.5 per hour. And my quality of sleep, I'm sleeping almost nine hours a night." Liz Diehl on LinkedIn and X (formerly Twitter) Total Wellness Solutions on Facebook James Donaldson's website and his book "Celebrating Your Gift of Life" See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Lynn Creasy from Foundation House at Northgate talks about fall prevention. For instance, all of our units have high toilets, plenty of grab bars in the right places, and shower seats. At home, having the restroom close to the bedroom helps, and good lighting helps prevent falls.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Faith Marshal, author of “I Miss You, Mom: A Daughter’s Journey Into Dementia Land,” works to build communities and awareness. (more…)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kevan Atteberry discusses his fundraising work for the Pacific Northwest Walk to End Alzheimer's. His efforts honor his wife Teri, once an active soccer player and runner who was diagnosed with young-onset Alzheimer’s when she was 52 year’s old.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

CarePartners Living has a variety of cottage communities catering to those with Alzheimer's and Dementia. Kelley Smith discusses how these cottages create an unconfined, non-medical atmosphere where senior loved ones facing these conditions can get the care they need while still being treated like adults with respect and dignity. Links for the communities can be found here.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kelley Smith at CarePartners Living discusses Alzheimer's Care during September's Walk to End Alzheimer's, of which CarePartners Living is a major sponsor. The Walk increases awareness for opportunities offered by the Alzheimer's Association, including its support network. Talking about it improves awareness, leading to more research and support.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Lynn Creasy from Foundation House at Northgate talks about dispelling fears about family transitions.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Daphne Davis at Pinnacle Senior Placements talks about when the time comes to make changes. Usually it happens at a catastrophic time. Daphne helps facilitate the change to a care community, helps through all the legal aspects, things that you don't even think about, walking together side by side through the process. How do you tell your loved one that they're not able to move back home?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Daphne Davis at Pinnacle Senior Placements talks about what to do as a family to support a loved one through this journey. In this segment, Daphne talks about spousal relationships, supporting the loved one who has dementia or Alzheimer's as well as their spouse. At these times, your emotions will always rise above your logic, and it's crucial to have an expert to consult with.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Daphne Davis at Pinnacle Senior Placements talks about what to do as a family to support a loved one through this journey. The more lucid and competent your senior loved one is when having the hard conversations and making those hard decisions, the better. Staying independent is important. Call 855-734-1500 if you'd like to consult with Daphne.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Daphne Davis at Pinnacle Senior Placements talks about what to do as a family to support a loved one through this journey. Generally, following a formal diagnosis of dementia, there is a lot of denial, but looking back five to seven years prior to the diagnosis, one can recall many symptoms and signs.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Scott Houghton is regional director of operations at Fieldstone Communities, a major sponsor of the Alzheimer’s Walks in Washington. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Josh Pan is a volunteer for the Alzheimer’s Walk. He is also director of business development for Althira Pharma, a local Seattle-based business. The company’s technology came out of Washington...See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Annie Jacobsen is the host of the Snohomish County's Alzheimer's Walk. The walk is along Boxcar Park in Everett, Washington.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Carrie McBride is the director of marketing and communications for the Alzheimer's Association, Washington Chapter. It's important that families facing this disease know where to turn for help.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Lynn Creasy from Foundation House at Northgate talks about adaptive living, various apartment additions that can be made to improve safety. Shower vs. bath, higher toilets, grab bars, safety bars, shower seats. A few other things are adaptive clothing such as socks and velcro clothing.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kelley Smith at CarePartners Living discusses costs of various senior living arrangements. An over-55 retirement community can cost $900 - $1500 per month. Independent assisted living with 24-hour caregivers, nurses, full-time activities, and meals can cost $3,000 to $6,000 per month. Memory care ranges from $4,500 to $7,500 per month.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kelley Smith at CarePartners Living discusses various Medicaid qualifications. CarePartners Living has the largest floating Medicaid license in Washington state. People are confused over how to qualify for Medicaid. Average costs of assisted living is $5,000 or $6,000 per month. Income and assets are limited, so perhaps one or two years can be paid for out of pocket. Don't wait till they've exhausted their funds before applying for Medicaid. Qualifications include having less than $2,000 in the bank, requiring assistance with at least three activities of daily living, and assets cannot be hidden.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kelley Smith at CarePartners Living discusses Medicaid qualifications. Let's say that you have $100,000 in the bank. One qualification for Medicaid is having less than $2,000 in the bank, so you would need to spend the rest of that money in ways the state allows, with expenses analyzed for the most recent five years.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.