Answers For Elders Radio Network

Kelley Smith at CarePartners Living recommends many things to families, including support groups and resource room.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Memory Care is a living environment for those with symptoms of dementia or Alzheimer's. Kelley Smith describes CarePartners Living cottages. Activities need to be set up differently for those needing memory care. The smaller the environment, the better, to ensure a better quality of life and feeling needed.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Assisted living means that you have a care plan, physicians orders, and a care team set up to help you with activities of daily living throughout your stay in a community. Kelley Smith at CarePartners Living describes this aspect of senior living.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Housing is a daunting aspect for senior living. Kelley Smith at CarePartners Living talks about the differences between retirement living and independent assisted living.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Daphne Davis at Pinnacle Senior Placements talks about making that first call, when people are afraid of interfering. The courage to open the door of conversation resolves unfounded fears. It's about a loved one's life, and a loved one's life is not done if they have to leave their home, if they choose to ask for more support. Life is just taking a new perspective, a new chapter, just as when they got married, had children, when the children left the nest, and when they retired.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Daphne Davis at Pinnacle Senior Placements discusses the lifestyle of senior loved ones when senior housing is being considered. The reality is that if their loved ones move into retirement living, some hobbies and interests are hard to pursue without a garage or yard. We consider how to maintain those interests in a fulfilling way, or discover if they might try some new hobbies they've been curious about. The goal is to keep their world as big as possible, while still being safe.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Daphne Davis at Pinnacle Senior Placements talks about how she got started in the career of senior placement 20 years ago. Chuck Olmstead fills in for Suzanne Newman.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Daphne Davis at Pinnacle Senior Placements talks about planning for senior care and the need for the caregivers to think about themselves and their own minds. Caregivers statistically can harm own health if they don't maintain a good life balance, particularly if the caregiver is the spouse of the senior loved one.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Lynn Creasy at Foundation House at Northgate tells us how people make the first step towards retirement living. Every community has a different feeling and amenities, and it has to be right for each person. A lot of times, a family member tries to help, but there are also many senior consultants that can provide advice.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As part of the Parkinson's Path, Lianna Marie asks “How do we find happiness?” A large part of happiness is under our control. We have to choose to be happy. Not to say that life will be joyful every day with Parkinson's, but let's define what happiness would look like – is it having a productive life, staying connected with my loved ones, stay in my job longer?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As part of the Parkinson's Path, Lianna Marie says Hope and faith are different: The majority of people have a faith in something higher than themselves. It played a huge role for my mother's battle with Parkinson's. The disease can be so overwhelming, but a lot of people point to faith as a means of rescue.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As part of the Parkinson's Path, Lianna Marie says that hope is a key part of everything, fighting illnesses or even difficulties in life. We developed an initial "H.O.P.E. test" to assess attitudes and feelings about Hopefulness, Optimism, Practicing acceptance, and Enlisting the help of others.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Shawn D'Amelio from With A Little Help talks about making sure your senior loved one’s home supports them so that they are better able to age in place.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Shawn D'Amelio from With A Little Help talks about what qualities make a senior loved one a great candidate for aging in place. For instance, can they function at home by themselves, drive, go grocery shopping, cook their own meals?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kelley Smith at CarePartners Living talks about the end of the caregiving journey, after your loved one has passed, to find a new purpose.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Daphne Davis at Pinnacle Senior Placements raises the question: How do you assess mom and dad for the next step? There's a step of care, home health, brought in if mom or dad have had a stroke or surgery, a temporary service. This can be a confusing topic. In-home care and home health are two different things. In-home care does not require a prescription or an order from a doctor, while home health does. Home health does not do custodial care. Home heath comes after a hospital stay and falls under a medical umbrella and medicare pays for it.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Daphne Davis at Pinnacle Senior Placements explains how to introduce care into the home. How do you bridge that step? It could be as simple as getting a housekeeper, or hiring someone to do the yard work. There are built-in cultural thought-processes for each generation.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Daphne Davis at Pinnacle Senior Placements explains that as our bodies age naturally, we tend to focus more on survival-type thinking: “Who's coming over today?” “Did I take my medicines?” “When can I get my gutters cleaned?” and other types of chores. Our brain becomes more occupied with those things rather than regular living. Our goal as we age is to continue living to our fullest, and having things to look forward to. The notion of the “bucket list” is to keep in mind that there are still things you want to do in life. Do you really want to focus your thoughts on cleaning out your refrigerator, or how about thinking instead about taking that watercolor class you always wanted, or challenging yourself to conquering some fear you've had.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Daphne Davis at Pinnacle Senior Placements discusses how to talk about best supporting their loved ones, whether it's additional care in the home or a move. How do you talk about these sensitive subjects. Don't wait to ask questions – don't wait to gather information. People are afraid: you do your loved ones a disservice if you don't learn more.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Lynn Creasy provides an overview of Foundation House at Northgate, a not-for-profit independent living and assisted living community with 104 units established 22 years ago.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Shawn D'Amelio talks about CarePartners Living partnerships such as With A Little Help. She is the VP of Washington State Homecare Association, which is setting a benchmark for the quality of care that your loved ones receive. They also provide education that our legislators need. With a Little Help is a good resource, so if they don't move you, they have relationships with those who would. She also cochairs the Blooming With The Bloomers conference.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

An expert familiar with all of the specialized needs of aging transitions in life can make those transitions so much easier. Senior real estate specialist Cheryl Darlington joins Suzanne to talk about the transition to senior living. Cheryl works for HomeSmart Ion Real Estate in Edmonds, Washington. At the time of this interview, Cheryl worked for Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Northwest Real Estate out of Lynwood, Washington. She can be reached at 206-755-7147. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Shawn D'Amelio talks about CarePartners Living partnerships such as With A Little Help. It's helpful to have a partner during the transition from in-home care to a community, after living in their home for 50 years. It takes time to process that, but typically it becomes a crisis. There's confusion between home health and home care. Home health is occupational and physical therapy, visiting nurse covered by Medicare. Home care includes meal care, transportation, help with dressing.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Deborah Myers from We Speak Medicare helps seniors with medicare navigation and selecting healthcare supplemental programs. She’s organized the Spring into Health Fair taking place on April 14, 2019 in Puyallup at the Puyallup Seventh-day Adventist Church. The event provides health screenings from multiple entities. It’s free to enter and most services there are also free. Some services may have a minor charge, such as vaccinations. Talks about healthy living and disease prevention will go all day. Deborah can be reached at [email protected] omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Lianna Marie says that hope is crucial for those diagnosed with Parkinson's. Having hope can be more important than medication or medical procedures. Simply having hope makes your brain release endorphins that fight pain, an asset for Parkinson's, so we can physically change by changing our mindset. And there has also been an explosion of treatments in the last decade.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Lianna Marie describes her family experiences with Parkinson's following the diagnosis of the disease. Her mother's diagnosis was confirmed at 49 years old, when Lianna Marie was in her teens. Her mother had an arresting tremor, and the doctors assessed it as "the better kind" of Parkinson's, and she was able to work another 10-15 years. Diagnosis for everyone is different.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Lianna Marie describes her personal experiences with Parkinson's, her mother having lived with the disease for 30 years.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Discovery 2019, the 34th Annual Alzheimer's Regional Conference, was sponsored by Aegis Living. Kathy Stewart, VP of Nursing for Aegis Living, talks about warning signs when it's time to get help for dementia or Alzheimer's.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Adam Clark, VP of Growth Strategies for Aegis Living, discusses the programs and foundations of Aegis living. They operate 13 senior living communities in the Seattle area.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Annie Jacobsen talks about family caregivers. Once you have a family member in medical care, the family member’s role is to help the medical team understand the person they’re caring...See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kelley Smith at CarePartners Living provides advice on how to go through the process with aging loved ones. The role reversal in caring for a loved one needs to preserve your loved ones' dignity. You need to preserve your role as the son or daughter.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Shawn D'Amelio discusses the four stages of the caregiver's journey.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Daphne Davis at Pinnacle Senior Placements talks about how to be observant about life changes with our senior loved ones. There may be a time when you see clues in body language or other areas that your loved ones need help, but they don't know how to ask. Let's say you visit every other month and you see the mail is now piled up, or there's now stale food in the fridge, or they're holding walls and furniture while walking around the house. Those types of clues can indicate that their life patterns have changed.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Daphne Davis at Pinnacle Senior Placements talks about helping our senior loved ones with Aging in Place. How do we support our Mom and Dad in their home? One thing is to contact the appropriate department at your county for free community services and resources. It isn't tied to Medicaid, it's your tax dollars at work. To keep seniors active and stimulated, some library services can be delivered, and lots of events happen at senior centers, even line dancing, to help keep them active rather than isolated.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Daphne Davis at Pinnacle Senior Placements talks about the biggest thing she's been running into, which is people becoming paralyzed by their own fears, lack of knowledge or their perceptions of their responsibilities or expectations. As fearful as it is to deal with dignity and grace with issues of aging with our parents, people need to take action. When we get to this point where we think we should call somebody, but are in the thick of day-to-day life, we let the days slip by, then lay awake at night with worries about our loved ones.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kelley Smith, VP of sales and marketing at CarePartners Senior Living, talks at Discovery 2019, the 34th Annual Alzheimer's Regional Conference. CarePartners operates seven dementia-dedicated senior care facilities in Washington. Sometimes intervention happens too soon — it has to be the right marriage of timing and where seniors are in their journey. The facilities, the Cottages, are four little cottages within a little village. There are certain core things people know, even if they can't describe it: they know when they are being micromanaged and treated like children, so we make them feel needed. The smaller the environment, the better they do, giving them a sense of community and freedom.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jonathan Prescott, founder of Wise Caregiving, spoke at Discovery 2019, the 34th Annual Alzheimer's Regional Conference. There are more than 300,000 unpaid family caregivers in Washington. Without peer support or knowledge, they carry the weight of caregiving on their shoulders. He has faith in their ability to do it, they just need help to connect with their inner wisdom. Contemplative traditions: using awareness as a way of interacting in the world.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bob Le Roy, executive director of the Alzheimer's Association, Washington State Chapter, talks about Discovery 2019, the 34th Annual Alzheimer's Regional Conference. The conference's theme in 2019 is resilience. Anyone who's been a caregiver knows you have to be resilient. The association's philosophy is about honoring and celebrating lives, providing tools and resources so people can continue to be part of the community, remain at home longer, and connect caregivers to many others going on the same journey.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dr. G. Allen Power joins Suzanne to talk more about Alzheimer's and dementia. At the time of this recording in 2019, he had just spoken at a recent Discovery Conference on Alzheimer's. His books ''Dementia Beyond Drugs'' (2010), ''Dementia Beyond Drugs: Changing the Culture of Care'' (2016), and ''Dementia Beyond Disease: Enhancing Well-Being'' (2016) repositioned care and support methodology for people living with dementia.Dr. Power is a board-certified internist and geriatrician and Associate Professor of Medicine at the University of Rochester, New York. He is also a Fellow of the American College of Physicians-American Society of Internal Medicine. Dr. Power has practiced medicine for 25 years, the last 18 of which have been in long-term care and rehabilitation. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dr. G. Allen Power joins Suzanne to talk more about Alzheimer's and dementia. At the time of this recording in 2019, he had just spoken at a recent Discovery Conference on Alzheimer's. His books ''Dementia Beyond Drugs'' (2010), ''Dementia Beyond Drugs: Changing the Culture of Care'' (2016), and ''Dementia Beyond Disease: Enhancing Well-Being'' (2016) repositioned care and support methodology for people living with dementia.Dr. Power is a board-certified internist and geriatrician and Associate Professor of Medicine at the University of Rochester, New York. He is also a Fellow of the American College of Physicians-American Society of Internal Medicine. Dr. Power has practiced medicine for 25 years, the last 18 of which have been in long-term care and rehabilitation.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Daphne Davis at Pinnacle Senior Placements talks about how to have those difficult family conversations. Every single day she has these types of conversations with families. She suggests keeping an attitude of love in your heart and to try hard when discussing changes to be gentle and use affirmations, letting your loved ones be part of the decision-making. What often happens is we get to a point of frustration and anger, which gets in the way of the conversation. She encourages having a trusted third-party expert come with you. Suddenly the conversations come with a bit more credibility.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sue Stults is the founder of the Care Conference at Shoreline Community Church. The 2019 conference takes place March 7 to provide education and support for caregivers. She invites not only older people who are already caregiving but people who foresee a time when they could become caregivers.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sue Stults is the author of “Reaching Beyond the Rail: The Blood, Sweat and Tears of Caring for Mom and Dad” and founder of Compelled by Compassion. It is a challenge to care for an ailing or aging parent, and there are similar overwhelming things that we all walk through. With so many things to learn, she brings encouragement and tools to help caregivers. She's seen families pull together and others separate from the family dynamics.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Stephen DePiro is vice president and clinical director of The Smile Store, which helps seniors with dental care. They provide dentures, partials, implant alternatives, and manufacture their own products and have clinics to support them. They provide a very needed service in Puget Sound. Many times, financing is more competitive than anywhere else. In many cases, for about a cup of coffee you can afford good oral care to minimize out of pocket expenses. Insurance will usually cover 50-80% of the therapy.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Rather than being an ostrich, or compromising your family’s quality of life, Daphne Davis at Pinnacle Senior Placements suggests a new perspective: consider that if your parents were to move somewhere else, they would have a next chapter in their lives, and our goal is for it to be highest quality. Gather information, have the courage, and start the conversations. There's so much resistance.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Stephen DePiro is vice president and clinical director of The Smile Store, which helps seniors with dental care. They provide dentures, partials, implant alternatives, and manufacture their own products and have clinics to support them. Dentures and implants have come a long way and are more affordable. Lots of patients worry about prices, but their prices are posted online. They also have specials for veterans. Offer finances, take all insurance plans, it's worth coming in for a consult.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Liz Diehl with Canaway and former NBA Seattle Supersonics center James Donaldson join Suzanne to talk about the benefits of CBD as it relates to senior health and wellness. 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 Donaldson joined the health and wellness field with an outpatient physical therapy clinic that worked with athletes, but also seniors at assisted living homes in the Seattle area. Liz says, "Probably the first education piece that James and I do is just simply share with people that we have a hemp plant and we have a marijuana plant. They are two separate plants. A lot of people are still thinking that hemp is part of marijuana, and it's not, we're talking two separate things here... They really say that CBD brings our body into homeostasis. And an interesting fact is the first place that we actually experience CBD as human beings is that mothers produce it in their breast milk. So it's kind of fascinating that our bodies are meant to receive CBD." 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.

How can adult children be better in communicating with their parent, even when they are resistant? Daphne Davis at Pinnacle Senior Placements suggests learning about active listening, and trying not be reactive. Read body language, intonation, make sure they feel heard. Don't argue back, but be empowering. And if you're frustrated or exhausted, don't have a conversation at that time.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We want to do right by our loved ones, but this is also the time when families are coming together for holidays. Many of us may not have been around our elders for a while. What sorts of things are warning signs: what are serious things to think about and what are things that might not be an issue? Daphne Davis at Pinnacle Senior Placements points out one thing that's subtle is looking at the strength of their body. When they get up from a chair, do they need to use their arms? When they sit down, do they plop down or still have their core strength?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Annie Jacobsen is a Dementia care coach with CarePartners Living who helps families learn to communicate more effectively with those afflicted with dementia. She helps people find what capacities remain with a senior afflicted by dementia, to find connections where they can still be made. We rely on sound so much, but brain changes often affect language first, and sometimes their vision range lessens. Jacobsen describes how to optimize the five senses — sound, sight, touch, smell and taste — to improve communication.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.