Answers For Elders Radio Network

How can an environment best support a senior loved one? Melanie Mosshart at Hospitality Home Care talks about how her organization helps with non-medical care in the home, the activities of daily living. Having a safe environment is taken for granted, but there are common-sense items that come to light when you’re looking at adapting a home for a senior, with seven key items to look at.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nichole Smith at CarePartners Living says that a lot of science was put into the design of their cottages. Their clients with dementia have a cycle of self-isolation, depression, that exasperates the dementia. The cottages are based on a home environment. Each site has three cottages on it, 20 residents each, which encourages interaction. Residents smell the coffee in the morning, hear their neighbors getting up, going to breakfast just like they did when they had kids, and this encourages their curiosity.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chuck Olmstead interviews Patriot’s Landing resident Richard Dobson, a retired major in the U.S. Army special forces. Born in Renton, Washington, he enlisted in 1957.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Allison Fine, Executive Director and Founder of the Center for Chronic Illness, explains why you need a social worker.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If you're in a situation where no one needs to make an urgent move, or even in-home care, but if you're wondering if you're on the right track and you give me a call, Daphne Davis at Pinnacle Senior Placements suggesting calling her or one of her advisors. They come out to your home and have a conversation, get to to know you. The process is unique for everyone.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Gathering information – you never know when you'll need it. Some families are really good about thinking about it: downsizing to a smaller home, no steps, putting in grab bars, a step-in shower. But there are other things to pay attention to, such as a throw rug. Daphne Davis at Pinnacle Senior Placements goes through advance planning steps. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Allison Fine, Executive Director and Founder of the Center for Chronic Illness, talks about support groups.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Careage provides home health services, which is medical or skilled intervention in the home. Chris Strand at Careage describes the process of requesting and arranging for home health services.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What happens after a patient is discharged from a rehab center or a hospital? Chris Strand at Careage takes us through caring options. Home care is meal preparation, grooming, and light housekeeping, and is paid for as a fee-for-service, Medicaid, veterans benefits or private pay, which. Outpatient service is similar, but more limited as you have to drive to the service, and is a Medicare Part B benefit for therapy only. Home health is nursing intervention and rehabilitative health, and is covered by Medicare Part A and private insurance, and there are no annual caps.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mama Blue, Pattie Hammond, is an original season-ticket holder for the Seattle Seahawks. She’s 87 and an inspirational figure. She was a hair stylist for 65 years, standing and using her hands all the time. Arthritis took a tool. But after she started to wear Voxx Socks., she says she’s getting stronger by the minute.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Heather Lyon at MBK Senior Living talks about the community at Mt. Lake Terrace.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Marlene Diaz talks about Hospitality Home Care opening a new facility, the Hospitality Adult Family Home in Federal Way, WA, by the Twin Lakes Golf and Country Club. It’s a six-bed home and is a little more personal than living in a community. They have four private bedrooms and one that is shared. Candidates would be over 55 and have a variety of health issues such as Alheimer’s, Dementia, or Parkinsons, who would need a higher degree of one-on-one care.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nichole Smith at CarePartners Senior Living says that surprisingly, a majority of financial abuse comes from family members. We often have so many red flags that families are squirreling away money. When a person loses their safety awareness, of course they trust their family more than anybody else, and family members may be making decisions which they think are in the best interest of their loved one, but later down the line it may make it so they can’t get on a state Medicaid program because they’ve gifted money within the last five years.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Britt Burkhart, president of Safeguard Financial Assets, educates how to effectively manage assets and reduce taxes. He helps with Aid and Attendance Benefits, a benefit available through the Dept. of Veterans Affairs, which most veterans don't know about.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

James Carey from On The House talks about walk-in tubs and other accommodations.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Stan Esecson shares success stories he’s heard about Voxx Socks.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chuck Olmstead interviews Patriot’s Landing resident Captain Marvin Reiner, a retired radio tech 2nd class, U.S. Navy. A native of Aberdeen, Washington, he was born in 1923 and grew up during the Depression.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kelley Smith at CarePartners Senior Living talks about funding options for senior care. If a retirement/assisted living/memory care community really is the best solution, then we are going to talk about financing. What are you supposed to do if your dad’s gone, and all your mom has is her social security and her house? We have the largest floating Medicaid license in the state. Mom can take what little assets she has, and when she runs out of money, Mom qualifies for the state benefits and is guaranteed to be able to stay with us.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Funding long-term care is a huge topic that stymies people. Daphne Davis at Pinnacle Senior Placements says one option that’s overlooked is Aid and Attendance, a benefit paid by Veterans Affairs to veterans and spouses. Qualifications include certain finances and having two ADLs that you need help with. It could provide $1,100 to $1,700 per month. It can take four to six months to get your first check. Sometimes it can help keep parents in their homes. Other options include Medicaid and Long-term Care Insurance. It’s changed a lot recently; for people considering it, you might consider including an inflationary clause rider.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Generally, until you cross into this world of needing to find options for care and housing for elders, it’s not something you think about, or it’s on the back burner. Daphne Davis at Pinnacle Senior Placements has been doing this job for 18 years, and she sees that finances can always be worked out. She wants to give everyone a sense of hope about it. Don’t be afraid to talk about finances. Be straightforward with your advisor so you get good, objective information. It might be on a private pay basis, in which the estate of your loved ones can pay for their care and housing, ideally until the end of life, but rarely does that happen these days. Cost of care is very high, everyone gets sticker shock. Don’t let it stop you. Forty-five percent of seniors that are in some level of care are on Medicaid. Have a plan that allows you to have at least some months of private pay before you use insurance so you have more options.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dan White at Evergreen Washelli talks about crossroads and transitions. We will all face the crossroads when we pass. What can families do if they haven't pre-planned? Dan takes us through the steps of what happens when a loved one passes and what arrangements need to be made in those circumstances.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dan White at Evergreen Washelli talks about crossroads and transitions. Writing down your wishes is an important step. We use a pre-planning guide with a wealth of information for the survivors left behind. We want our loved ones to get through their stages of grief and don't leave problems behind for those we love.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What can we do when there are warning signs everywhere, but our parents are being stubborn? Daphne Davis at Pinnacle Senior Placements describes the myriad of scenarios how this happens. Sometimes it takes a catastrophic event, that no matter what we do we can't get past the stubbornness. Stubbornness comes from a place of fears. But more often, it can go well when information is given to someone from an objective party, someone who's professional and good at mirroring someone they are listening to, and good at being compassionate without being syrupy, to honor that person and have their voice be heard.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Statistics show that families stay in the land of denial until it's too late. The financial factor is a huge part, but families are in an uproar at this time. Daphne Davis at Pinnacle Senior Placements says that we can't emphasize enough that we have the kind of conversations with mom and our siblings of what could happen down the road. It's a conversation that gets overlooked a lot.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Marlene Diaz at Hospitality Home Care talks about the warning signs of Activities of Daily Living, when its time to bring mom or dad some help in the home. One is forgetfulness: forgetting to take medications or taking them too often. In those situations, they are forgetting to prepare meals, or not knowing how to turn on the stove. That’s when the caregiver comes in and starts meal-prepping for them, labeling where things are. Each situation is unique.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dell Workman, administrator at Careage–Mission Healthcare, talks about their state of the art services.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dell Workman, administrator at Careage–Mission Healthcare, talks about their Renton, WA location.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Terry Wilson and Sheena Paylor, area VP for Assured HomeHealth, talk about specialized services in home health. They work on specialties such as continence, which includes pelvic floor muscle training and bladder retraining, which has twice daily visits and gets results in four to six weeks. Also we help with lifestyle interventions, such as when to stop drinking before bedtime and what to drink. Anything that home health does requires an order from their physician.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Terry Wilson and Sheena Paylor, area VP for Assured HomeHealth, talk about signs that might indicate a need of home health for a loved one. Assured HomeHealth is the largest home health agency by county in the state of Washington. Home health is a huge part of senior care, a benefit that can be requested at any time, without first having a hospital stay. It is paid for by Medicare and can include preventative care, including fall prevention. If mom gets up and walks by holding onto walls and chairs, she might be afraid of falling. Is house-keeping failing? Does she sleep in a recliner, afraid to walk to bed? Keeping seniors more physically active and mobile, but safe, is key. Our therapist or nurse prepares an in-depth assessment and puts together a care plan, working with their physician, and then visits her two or three times a week. As part of a tailored program, additional help might be given with bathing or dispensing medications.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

At the crossroads, what happens when there is a life change for a senior living one? What happens when there’s a crisis — for example, when your mom has a heart attack, or broken a hip, or had a bad case of pneumonia? Daphne Davis at Pinnacle Senior Placements explains that 80% of the people she works with are in this situation. It’s rare that she gets to go over options ahead of time. So don’t feel ill prepared, or like the Lone Ranger.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How do families navigate crossroads? There are always curve balls and we have to face a change. Daphne Davis at Pinnacle Senior Placements is a master of helping families navigate change. An often-asked question is, “When do we make a change?”See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dan White at Evergreen Washelli talks about how we can best honor our loved ones who have passed on Memorial Day. We put on a huge event, our 92nd one this year. We follow military protocol and offer assistance for parking and getting to chairs. Michael Reagan was our guest speaker, a famous portrait artist. For free he does portraits for fallen veterans and has become quite an inspirational speaker.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dan White at Evergreen Washelli talks about what Memorial Day weekend means for families. People start coming to visit memorials the week before the holiday weekend, adding flowers, cleaning headstones and bringing blankets to spend time there and honor loved ones who have passed. Others come to find their great-great-great grandparents. It's all about remembering. For us it's about having one place to come and see memorials for all of your relatives, all the generations that are placed here.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jill Martinez, director of community relations for CarePartners Living, explains that Dementia can hit 90% of the population in some form. To care for a loved one on your own is an overwhelming experience. We really try to help them through that process of determining when it’s time to consider memory care or moving their loved one into a retirement community, because there really are some key factors to pay attention to. The cottages are set up for memory care specifically and are built a specific way.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Suzanne Newman shares a personal tribute following the recent loss of former Seattle Seahawks coach Chuck Knox after his long struggle with dementia.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Marlene Diaz at Hospitality Home Care talks about family caregivers. The caregiver gets overlooked often. Hospitality Home Care periodically asks how the caregiver is doing and what needs to be addressed. We introduce the caregiver and go over things with them. As an agency, its important to tell the caregivers how much they are appreciated, we provide monthly bonuses for them and birthday cards with gifts. Having a feeling of appreciation makes it more than a job, it’s a recognition that they’re making a difference. If you have a happy caregiver, you’ll have a happy client.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There’s a perception that senior living is a “nursing home,” but that’s not the case. Daphne Davis at Pinnacle Senior Placements provides an overview of the different types. There’ independent living, such as over 55 communities, which is common. There’s assisted living that provides some support for activities of daily living, where maybe you have mobility issues and just need help dressing and bathing, but can still drive. There’s memory care where you need a formal diagnosis of some kind of dementia, from early onset to end stages. There are adult family homes, a smaller environment, also for people who need a lot of care.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How do you have that initial conversation with a loved one when its time to make a change, and the loved one isn't necessarily open to the conversation? It's an awkward time, as it's a time of change, a time of role reversals. Daphne Davis at Pinnacle Senior Placements says that it takes a lot of courage to begin the conversation this way: “Let’s look at the future.”See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kirk Lau at Fairway Independent Mortgage talks about reverse mortgages.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Executive Director Beth Deems of Brookdale at Admiral Heights discusses assisted living options.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Stan Esecson describes Voxx Socks.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dan White at Evergreen Washelli talks about an aspect of Aging in Place, considerations a family should know about with their final wishes. Power of attorney is important. Also is defining an appointment of agent, something specific for the state of Washington, which appoints one family member who is the official legal agent, and they have the final say, to simplify legal actions when there are many family members.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Shawn D’Amelio is the director of business development for With A Little Help, a locally-owned home care company. With A Little Help has 150 caregivers who provide in-home care, and their average age is 48, so they have some life experience. They not only know how to cook a meal but appreciate the value of sitting down and eating that meal with the senior. They help with fun outings, doctor's appointments, shopping, help cleaning the house, changing the bed, and they build a friendship with the senior. They help with the challenges and light housekeeping so the senior loved one has energy for the fun things.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Melanie Mosshart at Hospitality Home Care talks about Home Care Services. A home care organization is a huge support for caregivers. If you're a caregiver, then whether you need a home care organization or not, you need to find one, interview one, and have one ready to go at a moment’s notice. When there’s an unexpected emergency or crisis, people just don’t know what to do or which way to turn, they don’t always have the time or knowledge necessary to take care of somebody.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Veterans Interview with Colonel Ian Larson with the U.S. Army, at Patriot’s Landing in DuPont, Washington. He was born in the Philippines in January 1940.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sally Sundar from the YMCA of Greater Seattle provides an overview of their senior programs. She is the Program Executive, Health Integration & Transformation.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Executive Director Beth Deems of Brookdale at Admiral Heights discusses steps to take that help your senior loved one stay at home longer, and mobility issues to look for, as part of this month's aging in place conversations.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Pam Stone describes the services provided by Family Resource Home Care. She is their Regional Manager, Business Development.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jaden and Valicia Zugel from Team Zugel Real Estate talk about seniors in transition.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jerrica Pierson Seeger at Rehberg Law talks about legal planning, part of this month's focus on aging in place.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.