Answers For Elders Radio Network

From getting our daily dose of vitamin D to the mental health that comes from gardening, enjoying our symbiosis with the environment is healthy. Kelley Dennings from the Center for Biological Diversity joins Suzanne to talk about some of the health benefits that come from connecting with nature. Learn more:Kelley Dennings: https://www.biologicaldiversity.org/about/staff/Center for Biological Diversity: https://www.biologicaldiversity.org/ Hear other radio shows on this topic: https://answersforelders.com/vitality-revolution/environmental-wellness/ Answers for Elders is part of the SeniorResource Network: https://www.seniorresource.com/Check out our affiliate podcast Alzheimer’s Speaks: https://alzheimersspeaks.com/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kelley Dennings from the Center for Biological Diversity joins Suzanne to talk about how we can make a difference when families gather for holidays to live a more eco-friendly life. Suggestions include reducing decorations, using reusable dishware, and offering alternative gifts such as your time can be a win-win for everyone. Learn more:Kelley Dennings: https://www.biologicaldiversity.org/about/staff/Center for Biological Diversity: https://www.biologicaldiversity.org/ Hear other radio shows on this topic: https://answersforelders.com/vitality-revolution/environmental-wellness/ Answers for Elders is part of the SeniorResource Network: https://www.seniorresource.com/Check out our affiliate podcast Alzheimer’s Speaks: https://alzheimersspeaks.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If we know better, we can do better for our environment. Kelley Dennings from the Center for Biological Diversity joins Suzanne to talk about how we can individually make a difference with our pocket book to live in a way that's more supportive of the ecological sustainability of our world. Learn more:Kelley Dennings: https://www.biologicaldiversity.org/about/staff/Center for Biological Diversity: https://www.biologicaldiversity.org/ Hear other radio shows on this topic: https://answersforelders.com/vitality-revolution/environmental-wellness/ Answers for Elders is part of the SeniorResource Network: https://www.seniorresource.com/Check out our affiliate podcast Alzheimer’s Speaks: https://alzheimersspeaks.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kelley Dennings from the nonprofit Center for Biological Diversity joins Suzanne to talk about the mindset of being eco-friendly, living a sustainable lifestyle that's supportive of our world's ecosystem. We're dependent on clean air and healthy foods. Environmental wellness is one of the 8 foundational principles of wellness featured in the Vitality Revolution podcast series sponsored by Humana. Living sustainably might not seem that important for one person, but it is for the collective whole of humanity. Kelley is the Center's Population and Sustainability Campaigner. She develops and executes advocacy and outreach initiatives addressing the connections between reproductive health, gender equity, endless growth, inequitable consumption, and the climate and extinction crises. Learn more:Kelley Dennings: https://www.biologicaldiversity.org/about/staff/Center for Biological Diversity: https://www.biologicaldiversity.org/ Hear other radio shows on this topic: https://answersforelders.com/vitality-revolution/environmental-wellness/ Answers for Elders is part of the SeniorResource Network: https://www.seniorresource.com/Check out our affiliate podcast Alzheimer’s Speaks: https://alzheimersspeaks.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Suzanne Allbee, CEO of Bee Organized Seattle, joins Suzanne Newman to talk about decluttering, particularly for those with challenges such as ADHD or mobility limitations. Suzanne Allbee says, "Someone may have a mobility challenge. Maybe they are now not able to walk up and down stairs as well as they used to. So that can dictate a change in their kitchen environment. Maybe things need to come down a level. Maybe we need to think about moving their primary bedroom from upstairs to the main floor. Maybe it's the floor plan of where the furniture is arranged, to create space for a wheelchair. Sometimes clutter can take over, and it affects us mentally, for sure. We're here to offer, not only education and knowledge about that, but also some tough love at times and a little bit of humor along the way doesn't hurt." Suzanne Newman says, "They helped me with the process of [realizing] I don't need 20 pairs of jeans. I don't need 50 tops. We got rid of so much stuff and it felt good. And I don't miss it. There are people out there that can use these." She adds, "Now everything is neatly in its own little cubby. I can see these things. Look at that, all of my clothes are organized. It's like every single thing is perfect in a drawer. Because everything's in its place, and I know where it is, I have this sense of pride over my environment, and it helps me maintain it. They've given me an ability to do that. "We do have seniors do have mobility challenges. They can't do what they need to do. If you have a family member, and it's something that you want to do special for your loved one, here's a wonderful gift for them. It's a wonderful way for you to step up and help a loved one, to say we're gonna hire Bee Organized and we're gonna help you. There's a way that you can live freer. That has helped me." Suzanne Allbee adds, "I think that a lot of people are hesitant to start the process because they think that an organizer is going to come in – or a downsizer, whatever you wanna call it – and just make them get rid of everything. That's not what we're there to do. We're not there to say you need to get rid of everything. We are there to help you identify what is the most special. How do we celebrate? What is the most special, and how do we get rid of the things that aren't useful?" Answers for Elders listeners get a free consultation and $100 off their first session with Bee Organized. Learn more* Bee Organized locations: https://beeorganized.com/about-the-company/* Bee Organized: https://beeorganized.com/* Suzanne Allbee: https://beeorganized.com/our_team/suzanne-allbee/* The Vitality Revolution podcast series: https://answersforelders.com/vitality-revolution/* Humana: https://www.humana.com/* Answers for Elders: https://answersforelders.com/welcome-to-answers-for-elders/ Hear more* Podcasts with Bee Organized at Answers for Elders: https://answersforelders.com/tag/bee-organized/* Articles and podcasts about Environmental Wellness: https://answersforelders.com/vitality-revolution/environmental-wellness/ Answers for Elders is part of the SeniorResource Network: https://www.seniorresource.com/Check out our affiliate podcast <a...

If you've got too much stuff in your house, or a cluttered room, Suzanne Allbee, CEO of Bee Organized Seattle, talks about how to go about changing that. She talks about the first steps of their process. Environmental wellness is one of the 8 foundational principles of wellness, a focus of the Vitality Revolution podcast series sponsored by Humana. Suzanne Allbee mentions some signs people can look for to know it's time to declutter. "Some of the obvious ones are when someone's health is not doing so great, perhaps that they are struggling with energy levels, or they know that down the road they will likely need to move. That's an easy one. If you sit in your home, and you look around, and you're not comfortable with your space, or it's not making you happy, it's not sparking joy, there's an opportunity there. I tell everybody, it is truly a gift to your family and friends for you to take the time to go through your things while you are physically and mentally able." Suzanne Allbee says, "When someone is ready to start the process of decluttering or downsizing, the first thing is literally just to begin. Make a calendar date with yourself, start small. It doesn't have to be done overnight. Number two, engage an organizer, a third party to help. Sometimes if we rely on friends or family, we put a burden on them. They don't have the time for it, frankly. It's easier, sometimes, with a neutral third party. Number three, we always suggest a regular schedule, set up a cadence that feels good to you, once a month, once a week, once a quarter, whatever that looks like to you, that feels comfortable for you, at a pace that you can handle. And then lastly, I just say be ready. It's some decision making, it is emotional. You are going to be going through memories of your entire life. We're gonna choose what is the most important to celebrate and go on from there." Answers for Elders listeners get a free consultation and $100 off their first session with Bee Organized. Regarding the initial consultation, Suzanne says, "It could be Zoom, or it might be in person, depending on where you live and everyone's schedule. Honestly, Zoom at the very minimum, because I do want to see your space." Learn more* Bee Organized locations: https://beeorganized.com/about-the-company/* Bee Organized: https://beeorganized.com/* Suzanne Allbee: https://beeorganized.com/our_team/suzanne-allbee/* The Vitality Revolution podcast series: https://answersforelders.com/vitality-revolution/* Humana: https://www.humana.com/* Answers for Elders: https://answersforelders.com/welcome-to-answers-for-elders/ Hear more* Podcasts with Bee Organized at Answers for Elders: https://answersforelders.com/tag/bee-organized/* Articles and podcasts about Environmental Wellness: https://answersforelders.com/vitality-revolution/environmental-wellness/ Answers for Elders is part of the SeniorResource Network: https://www.seniorresource.com/Check out our affiliate podcast Alzheimer’s Speaks: https://alzheimersspeaks.com/ Image: Free Stock photos by VecteezySee <a...

Suzanne Allbee, CEO of Bee Organized Seattle, talks about a harsh reality: Your kids don't want your stuff. The idea of sorting possessions can be overwhelming, but there's a better way than piling everything into a storage locker. Bee Organized offers a short quiz that helps them understand how you relate to your stuff. This helps them understand you, so they can help you focus on how to celebrate what's special, while letting everything else go. Environmental wellness is one of the 8 foundational principles of wellness, a focus of the Vitality Revolution podcast series sponsored by Humana. Suzanne Allbee says, "Your kids don't want your stuff. They don't, it's the truth. That generation lives very differently, very much more minimalistic. They don't want the same things. However, there is a case for wanting to maintain a memory. My mother, my grandmother, and my aunt quilt. There's probably 100 quilts in our family. Do I need to save every one? No, but I can choose one or two to save and actually use, or showcase in some way, in my home, celebrate those special things. But you've just got to let go. It lifts a burden." Suzanne adds, "So many seniors think of downsizing as moving into a senior facility, or some other environment that isn't their home, but you can downsize in your own space. You can declutter and downsize and end up in a home that works for your needs, your new needs, perhaps, and also your lifestyle." Regarding the biggest challenges with seniors as a whole, Suzanne says, "It's a daunting task, especially if you have been in your home for 10, 20, 30, sometimes 50 years. The idea of going through your things is overwhelming. We get that. There's a sense of not wanting to burdening family or friends. It's the pride factor." "I don't know if I call it pet peeve, but it hurts my heart to think about the thousands and thousands of dollars that are being spent on storage lockers. People don't even know what's inside them. You know, it is one of the largest growing industries, that storage locker component, because the Baby Boomers are aging. What do I do with my stuff? I'm just gonna put it in here and deal with it later, and then later never comes. It becomes the problem of a family or friend." How does Bee Organize help people help decide what to save? Suzanne says, "Everyone is different. But we do have one tool called our organizing profiles, that we use quite often. It's a short quiz on our website that basically helps us identify how people relate to their stuff. They're holding on to something. Are you holding onto it for a reason, or maybe because you paid a lot of money for it, you can't rationalize getting rid of it, or maybe you're holding on to something just in case you might need it someday. So once we kind of have a better idea of why you're holding on to your things, we can help you go through those things, and we are really wanting to celebrate what's special and let everything else go." Answers for Elders listeners get a free consultation and $100 off their first session with Bee Organized. Learn more* Bee Organized locations: https://beeorganized.com/about-the-company/* Bee Organized: https://beeorganized.com/* Suzanne Allbee: https://beeorganized.com/our_team/suzanne-allbee/* The Vitality Revolution podcast series: https://answersforelders.com/vitality-revolution/* Humana: https://www.humana.com/* Answers for Elders: https://answersforelders.com/welcome-to-answers-for-elders/...

Suzanne shares her story of having ADHD, having to move, and hiring Bee Organized for a life-changing experience to help reorganize her stuff. Suzanne Allbee, CEO of Bee Organized Seattle, joins Suzanne to talk about living sustainably. Environmental wellness is one of the 8 foundational principles of wellness, a focus of the Vitality Revolution podcast series sponsored by Humana. Suzanne Newman admitted, "I had no idea how life changing it would be. It seemed to me, organizers don't want to take me on. I'm too embarrassed, I'm too overwhelmed. And I just sent a photo of the room that they worked on mostly, which we called Suzanne's junk room. Well, it was really great because Holly, one of the team members, said, 'It's not your junk room anywhere. We're gonna stop that kind of thinking.' So, it's now my hobby room. And the nice thing about it is, I am proud of my space now. I'm proud of my new home. I love how it's coming together. It was an investment in my sanity, in my self esteem. I don't think a lot of people understand specifically what professional organizers do, and they were life changing for me." Suzanne Allbee says, "Professional organizing isn't an old, aged industry. It's fairly new. I like to call us chaos controllers, we help manage the chaos. We are designed and put into people's homes to help them create an environment that benefits them, that makes them feel good, that makes them feel proud and that functions for them in a way that is sustainable or not about just making your house look pretty. It's about creating a functional system for someone. "Our process starts with just an initial outreach. Someone's calling in and they're talking to me 95% of the time, and many times that's with tears, a sense of shame, a sense of embarrassment about their environment. A sense of overwhelm happens a lot of times, and our whole foundation of what we truly believe, is that everyone gets to where they are in a different way. Life happens, right. We're gonna do everything with a compassionate heart, with confidentiality, being judgment free, because we don't know what's happened in your life." Suzanne Newman says, "I purged out a bunch of stuff and I'm asking myself, why didn't I do this before? I didn't have the ability in my head to get to that place. It was long-standing results that I think are gonna make a difference. It's made a difference in my marriage, because my husband is not frustrated [by the clutter]." Suzanne Allbee added, "As you go through your things and are looking at decluttering, you're gonna ask three questions. Does this item make me happy? Is it useful now or in the near future? Is it valuable or irreplaceable?" Answers for Elders listeners get a free consultation and $100 off their first session with Bee Organized. Learn more* Bee Organized locations: https://beeorganized.com/about-the-company/* Bee Organized: https://beeorganized.com/* Suzanne Allbee: https://beeorganized.com/our_team/suzanne-allbee/* The Vitality Revolution podcast series: https://answersforelders.com/vitality-revolution/* Humana: https://www.humana.com/* Answers for Elders: https://answersforelders.com/welcome-to-answers-for-elders/ Hear more* Podcasts with Bee Organized at Answers for Elders: https://answersforelders.com/tag/bee-organized/* Articles and podcasts about <a...

Nancy Swanger, Founding Director of the Granger Cobb Institute for Senior Living at Washington State University, joins Suzanne on behalf of Era Living to talk about Era Living's partnership with the Granger Cobb Institute. Dr. Swanger is an associate professor in the School of Hospitality Business Management and the Associate Dean of Inter-College Partnerships in the Carson College of Business at Washington State University, starting back in 2000. In addition to her administrative duties, she teaches various courses in the curriculum, and, most recently, a course in senior living management. "We have a major in senior living management, a minor in senior living management that is an online, on-demand professional development certificate program in senior living. It's just continued to grow and develop, but it had very humble beginnings." "Our goal is to educate the next generation of leaders who will be in communities. And we know for the next 40 years, the demand on the industry is going to be huge and quite frankly, demographically, the people who are sort of in a typical caregiver age — helping with a mom or a dad or a grandparent or another loved one in your home — that demographic is shrinking. And so our role is trying to encourage students who have that heart for an aging population to pursue this as a career option. And it's a real natural extension of our hospitality program, because at the end of the day, it is all about relationships, and trying to make a difference in the life of a resident. And if you really look at a community and a hotel as an example, operationally, they parallel each other. There's housekeeping, and food and beverage, and concierge, all these things. So the fit for us in hospitality was perfect. And so that's what we're trying to do, is help with this workforce crisis and dearth of leadership talent going forward." "We ended up having Matt Broman [from Era Living] on our steering committee, because this is a very industry-driven program. Everything we do through our industry partners, and Era Living is one of those partners. But then Matt has connected us with some other folks in the company. For example, in our class that we're teaching right now... we have Marla Becker who is the Executive Director of Aljoya Mercer Island. We've had Karen Norby as part of that, who has that role of Regional Operations for Era Living. "My very best part of the story was: When I very first started talking about this idea, I was introduced to a woman named Lynn Meyer. And Lynn Meyer is a resident at Aljoya Mercer Island, and Lynn and I hit it off like no other, and she's just a dear friend of mine now. Every time I get over there, I go see her. She's in class as well, all virtually, so the students get to hear from a resident. We've put together this little tour of Lynn's beautiful apartment. Every time we teach the class, spring, fall, we try to have Lynn and Marla, and sometimes Karen, as part of that class every time because their message is so important." Dr. Swanger adds, "We have folks with degrees in psychology, sociology, human development, we even had a construction management major last semester. I've got two construction management majors in class this spring. So this is an industry that employs everyone. I mean, there's a spot for people who are financing buildings, and maintaining buildings, and counting the money, and the nursing side, and the care piece, and all the operational pieces. Really, you could take your degree, sales and marketing, a huge one. You could take your major and apply it to this industry and population – there's a spot for you." Learn more: * <a...

Part D Might Be the MOST Important Part of Medicare To Toni King, the CORNERSTONE of Medicare planning is discussing Medicare Part D. In this Medicare Moments BONUS episode, Toni discusses why it’s so important to search for what is the most cost-effective Part D plan that covers all of your prescriptions. Did you know that if a prescription is not covered, whether generic or brand-name, then you will have to pay 100% out of pocket? Learn more by listening to the episode now! Subscribe to Medicare Moments: Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/44MoguG Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7c82BS4hb145GiVYfnIRso Discover more great episodes of Medicare Moments: Treat Medicare Part B like GOLD: https://apple.co/3OYO1kW / https://sptfy.com/OSqs Big Mistake Enrolling in a Medicare Advantage Plan: https://apple.co/47h9cGX / https://sptfy.com/OSqo How to Appeal a Medicare Claim: https://apple.co/3Rfj4M9 The New Turning 65 Enrollment Rule: https://apple.co/46hV5QL Visit Toni’s Website: https://tonisays.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Allyson Schrier, founder and CEO of Zinnia TV, joins Suzanne to talk about Teepa Snow's four ideals for making the environment a safer place for those with Alzheimer's and dementia. Teepa says an environment should be Friendly, Familiar, Functional, and Forgiving. Environmental wellness is one of the 8 foundational principles of wellness, a focus of the Vitality Revolution podcast series sponsored by Humana. Allyson explains, "I want to look at the space through their eyes. And I want to ask myself, is this a space that's friendly to them? Is it going to seem familiar to them, if I'm moving a loved one into long-term care, and I'm creating a space for them in that long-term care setting? Is it going to be reminiscent of where they came from? Is it someplace that's going to appear friendly and familiar to them? And this can go with smells as well, bringing in flowers, bringing things that remind them of where they used to live." The basics of the four Fs are: "Friendly is an environment that feels comfortable and like I belong there. So just looking at the kitchen for instance, we would want it to be something that speaks to who I was as well as who I am. So a color scheme that I love and that I find comforting a color, uses solid contrasting colors for dishware and towels, so that they are easily distinguishable from cabinets, countertops, and appliances. High contrast switch plates, so that it's for me to find those. I also want to make sure to in this friendly vein that the light is really good. Add light strips underneath the cabinets for instance... "Familiar: I want to make sure that somebody is familiar with their space. We want to ensure that all food items are clearly labeled, that food storage containers are marked with contents, and a date. And we also think about removing some of the kitchen cabinet doors, using open concept shelving. So that is familiar, I'm familiar with all of the things that are in my kitchen.stripped down to its essentials, reducing clutter on the countertop. Use hooks to hang utensils on the wall, so that things are in plain view. "Functional: Reducing the quantity of items in cabinets and drawers to a minimum, stripped down to its essentials, reducing clutter on the countertop. I don't know how many appliances you have on your countertop – I have way too many. Use hooks to hang utensils on the wall, so that things are in plain view... That table that I sit beside when I watch TV, does it just contain the things that I really need the most, or there are many other things that are going to make it hard for me to find what I need the most?" "The fourth F is forgiving. I want to make this kitchen a safe space. This goes throughout the entire house... removing kitchen floor mats to prevent falls. Ensuring that cords on small appliances are in good working order and not a jumble. And maybe having like a power strip where everything plugs in. Creating laminated cards with basic instructions for simple tasks like how to make a pot of coffee, how to cook oatmeal, or how to heat mechanics." Learn more about* Zinnia TV subscriptions, with a two-week free trial: https://www.zinniatv.com/* Allyson Schrier: https://www.zinniatv.com/about* The Vitality Revolution podcast series: https://answersforelders.com/vitality-revolution/* Humana: https://www.humana.com/* Answers for Elders: https://answersforelders.com/welcome-to-answers-for-elders/ Hear more* Podcasts with Allyson Schrier at Answers for...

Allyson Schrier, founder and CEO of Zinnia TV, joins Suzanne to talk about how those with dementia and Alzheimer's are affected by different colors in their environment. Environmental wellness is one of the 8 foundational principles of wellness, a focus of the Vitality Revolution podcast series sponsored by Humana. Allyson says, "We'll talk about specific colors. We'll also talk about colors in general. People who are living with dementia have challenges seeing contrast. An example, the bathroom at my house has a white floor, white walls, and white toilet. My husband [who had dementia] would go into the bathroom and he would shut the door and he would urinate on the wall. Why couldn't he see the toilet? Because it's the same color as the floor, same color as the walls. So what do we do? We replace the toilet seat with a bright-colored toilet seat. "As far as colors themselves go, red is a color that's associated with warmth. And it's also an appetite enhancer. It is the most common color of a plate that is used in long-term care settings – it creates contrast, and because it enhances appetite. So if I give somebody a white plate and on that I put some white pasta or rice, it's very hard for them to actually see the rice or the pasta or the plate. Therefore, a contrasting color is really helpful. "Blue by comparison is considered an appetite suppressant. So maybe I wouldn't want to have blue plates. Blue is also a color that promotes peace and calm, and can lower blood pressure and anxiety. So if I'm going to have a snuggly blanket that I'm going to cover somebody with, if it's a red blanket, that kind of promotes thoughts about warmth. If it's a blue blanket, then maybe that would promote a sense of ease and calm. "Which is something that the color green also does. And I think that it has to do with the fact that these are the colors in nature, right? If somebody runs to high anxiety, maybe I want to dress them in colors that will promote calm and soothing. Maybe a green top, for instance, with patterns. Lime green green is a color that draws lots of attention. If I'm going to put labels on cabinets, for instance, or I want to put instructions next to the coffee maker, maybe I use lime green paper or lime green sticky notes." Learn more about* Zinnia TV subscriptions, with a two-week free trial: https://www.zinniatv.com/* Allyson Schrier: https://www.zinniatv.com/about* The Vitality Revolution podcast series: https://answersforelders.com/vitality-revolution/* Humana: https://www.humana.com/* Answers for Elders: https://answersforelders.com/welcome-to-answers-for-elders/ Hear more* Podcasts with Allyson Schrier at Answers for Elders: https://answersforelders.com/tag/allyson-schrier/* Articles and podcasts about Environmental Wellness: https://answersforelders.com/vitality-revolution/environmental-wellness/ Answers for Elders is part of the SeniorResource Network: https://www.seniorresource.com/Check out our affiliate podcast Alzheimer’s Speaks: https://alzheimersspeaks.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Allyson Schrier, founder and CEO of Zinnia TV, joins Suzanne to talk about things in an environment that we should be mindful of if we have someone with dementia in our lives. Environmental wellness is one of the 8 foundational principles of wellness, a focus of the Vitality Revolution podcast series sponsored by Humana. Allyson says, "I guess I'll start with clutter. It becomes increasingly difficult for people to find things when they are living with dementia, and also decision-making becomes very, very challenging. So when I'm talking about clutter, I am talking about things like tripping hazards, of course... Obvious things that people could trip over... throw rugs are a very, very bad idea, especially when we have people who are maybe using a walker. "Also make it easier for people to find things. So if for instance, the things that my mom really uses all the time are maybe her TV remote and cell phone, for instance, then on the table next to where she sits should just be those two things. "Similarly, I think about a person's closet. In your mind, go into your own closet. I want people to be really, really successful in what they set out to do when they have dementia. And I want them to do as much as they can for themselves as long as possible. Maybe what I do, I just leave in the closet the four shirts that they most love, two pairs of pants that they most love. And as their dementia progresses, maybe I change that up, so there's just one shirt and one pants. So when I say, 'hey, why don't you go get dressed?' they can easily find the things that they need." Allyson cites a number of other helpful tips involving the kitchen, floors, and yards. Learn more about* Zinnia TV subscriptions, with a two-week free trial: https://www.zinniatv.com/* Allyson Schrier: https://www.zinniatv.com/about* The Vitality Revolution podcast series: https://answersforelders.com/vitality-revolution/* Humana: https://www.humana.com/* Answers for Elders: https://answersforelders.com/welcome-to-answers-for-elders/ Hear more* Podcasts with Allyson Schrier at Answers for Elders: https://answersforelders.com/tag/allyson-schrier/* Articles and podcasts about Environmental Wellness: https://answersforelders.com/vitality-revolution/environmental-wellness/ Answers for Elders is part of the SeniorResource Network: https://www.seniorresource.com/Check out our affiliate podcast Alzheimer’s Speaks: https://alzheimersspeaks.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Allyson Schrier joins Suzanne to talk about how a brain with dementia works differently, and how to change our approach for communicating with someone with dementia. Allyson realized that slower-paced visuals, with music instead of words, or with the words captioned, would be easier for those with Alzheimer's to engage with. This led to her cofounding Zinnia TV, an app for mobile devices and connected TVs for people with Alzheimer's and dementia that creates engagement, reduces challenging behaviors, and encourages adherence to activities of daily living. Creating an environment that supports us is part of environmental wellness, one of the 8 foundational principles of wellness, a focus this month for the Vitality Revolution podcast series sponsored by Humana. Allyson says, "What's really relevant for today's conversation is the changes that impact the way that I experience the world. So, as we know, our brains are our computers, right? They're input/output devices, and there are like 86 billion neurons that are constantly interacting with my entire body. In a very simplistic way, we can think about it such that when I am taking data in, there's a whole bunch of communication that's happening within my brain. Many, many, many neurons that are involved. Same thing when I am doing output, when I'm speaking, and the same thing when I'm thinking. One of the things that happens with all dementias is that those neurons, and the connections between the neurons, start to die. The brain is still going to try and have this communication, neuron to neuron to neuron. But what's going to happen is it's gonna go over here, and it's gonna go 'Ahh, bridge out, let me go this way.' 'Yikes, that bridge is out, this way.' And so the result is that our processing speed slows way down. It's not unusual for a person very early on in dementia to miss four or five words that's spoken to them. Because I'm working so hard to process word number one, I eventually start falling behind." "At a time when they're experiencing hearing loss anyway, when they're experiencing things like macular degeneration, glaucoma, cataracts... And so you add to that the visual and the auditory processing changes, and other visual changes that occur as a result of dementia. So it means that, to create a an environment that is friendly, that takes these changes into account, I want to avoid visual and auditory clutter. So I'm going to be successful having a conversation with somebody where there isn't a lot of competing noise. So, busy restaurants? No. While we're shopping at Target? Not necessarily. In a room where the TV is going and there are people talking? No. "I want to give people plenty of time. It can take somebody up to 20 seconds to respond to a question when they have dementia. So I want to make sure that I give somebody adequate time to respond. I want to slow down the way that I ask my questions, maybe use fewer words. The hearing range that we loose first is the highest range. So therefore, rather than using my high voice, I want to maybe use a lower voice when I'm talking." Learn more about* Zinnia TV subscriptions, with a two-week free trial: https://www.zinniatv.com/* Allyson Schrier: https://www.zinniatv.com/about* The Vitality Revolution podcast series: https://answersforelders.com/vitality-revolution/* Humana: https://www.humana.com/* Answers for Elders: https://answersforelders.com/welcome-to-answers-for-elders/ Hear more* Podcasts with Allyson Schrier at Answers

Courtesy of Athira Pharma, Psychiatrist and Medical Director Bernardo Ng of the Sun Valley Research Center joins Suzanne to talk about how they reach out to the community to find people to participate in Alzheimer's clinical trials, particularly in underserved groups such as Latino populations in the United States. Dr. Ng says, "We've done a lot of different things and we've learned as we go. What we do constantly is to participate in what's called health fairs. So the health department, some federal clinics, some schools, and the local community college periodically put together health fairs, and some of my people go there. It's old fashioned, mouth to mouth. And we do what we call a free memory test, which is a pen and pen paper test with questions. "We have a few long-term retirement homes. If the owners or the administrative team allow us, we go visit them and give them a talk and say what we do. That has been it is very hard to predict. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. "And then we suddenly discovered that Facebook works, and that this population likes Facebook. So we hired a firm that manages our social media, we run ads in English and in Spanish. So the same message we put it one day in English the other day in Spanish. If you click, it asks you, do you agree to be called by a prescreening team. There's these young people who are very good on the phone, and bilingual, and they're very kind and patient, and they talk to the people that have clicked. Those calls can get very long, and more times than not, they're very well received. The moment they hear the word 'research,' there is like a pause. So we, we've turned our people to be more informative about it. You know, you participate voluntarily, you can get out of the trial any time you want. Little by little, we're getting people to contact us that way." Contact the Sun Valley Research Center in southern California at (760) 545-0123. Learn more:* Sun Valley Research Center: https://sunvalleyb.com/* Athira Pharma: https://www.athira.com/* Bernardo Ng: https://sunvalleyr.com/ourteam/bernardo-ng-md/* Hear more Alzheimer's-related podcasts from Athira Pharma: https://answersforelders.com/athira-pharma/ Answers for Elders is part of the SeniorResource Network: https://www.seniorresource.com/Check out our affiliate podcast Alzheimer’s Speaks: https://alzheimersspeaks.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Courtesy of Athira Pharma, Psychiatrist and Medical Director Bernardo Ng of the Sun Valley Research Center joins Suzanne to talk about why Latinos are often hesitant to participate in Alzheimer's clinical trials. Dr. Ng says, "We were talking about access earlier on, and that's one of the things that we're trying to overcome, by settling in an area that has little services. Other highly populated Hispanic areas may not have clinical sites like that. "The other one is certainly the stigma that we have talked about. The fear of, or just the thought of, being a subject in the research trial, because that sounds wrong or sounds fishy. "And the other one is the denial, or fear of being diagnosed with Alzheimer's. Many people prefer to say that is normal aging, and a normal dementia for older people, which for years now, we know that that term does not exist anymore. I try to compare it with conditions like osteoporosis. You know, the bones become thin, it's normal that they become thin. Now, there is a point when the bones are just too thin, that's not normal, and requires treatment, because it carries health risks. So the same thing, being not able to memorize things, or to speak. Well, that's manifestations of the deterioration of the brain, and that's illness, and we call it Alzheimer's." "I think [eventually] society is gonna look at this a different way. It's not such a sentence now for, you know, people with cancer, right? Especially, for example, with breast cancer. The progress has been humongous. So I look forward to the day we're gonna get there with Alzheimer's." But there is a health care gap. Dr. Ng says, "The community I'm at is very peculiar, because it is 80% Latino, so it's very hard to compare how faster are the other 20% services. But I can tell you that a lot of these people that we're talking about don't have private insurance. Some of them are Medicare and Medicaid, and getting approved for surgery, for example for a knee replacement, they have to wait four or six months to get approved. I can't imagine now, with these antibody treatments that we have, how long it's gonna be to even get them approved. Which underscores the greater opportunity that it is to participate in a clinical trial, and will be sooner and faster than getting one of the approved treatments." Contact the Sun Valley Research Center in southern California at (760) 545-0123. Learn more:* Sun Valley Research Center: https://sunvalleyb.com/* Athira Pharma: https://www.athira.com/* Bernardo Ng: https://sunvalleyr.com/ourteam/bernardo-ng-md/* Hear more Alzheimer's-related podcasts from Athira Pharma: https://answersforelders.com/athira-pharma/ Answers for Elders is part of the SeniorResource Network: https://www.seniorresource.com/Check out our affiliate podcast Alzheimer’s Speaks: https://alzheimersspeaks.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Courtesy of Athira Pharma, Psychiatrist and Medical Director Bernardo Ng of the Sun Valley Research Center joins Suzanne to talk about specific challenges for the Latino community in signing up for Alzheimer's clinical trials. What are the specific challenges for Alzheimer's in the Latino community? Dr. Ng says, "One of the things about the Latino community is that they trust their doctors blindly, I'll trust whatever he or she tells me to do. And then when you put on the table, the option that we don't have any more treatments for you, or you keep on getting worse, or we detected that this is going on, this would be a good time for you to participate in a clinical trial, to confirm that you do have or don't have Alzheimer's. At that point they say, well, but why aren't you treating me with the usual things? Why a research trial? And the word research is very heavy, right? "We need to make a greater effort to communicate the fact that, if anything, clinical trials are even more strict. When a molecule has passed so many tests already, that it's proven to be safe. You're in a clinical trial. You're observed, supervised, your blood test or urine tests are done more frequently. Brain scans if necessary. But then it feels like it's too invasive, and it's hard. [It was just] until a couple of years ago that the first antibody was approved for Alzheimer's, and just this year, another one. Before that, we've been prescribing the same medications for about 20 years. So we're so excited and so optimists think about the fact that there are more trials going on. They have to prove that they work or not work, but there will be more options for our patients." "Let's say the medication doesn't work for you, or maybe we find out later on that you were on placebo, right? Whatever you did is already adding to the information, to the data, so that other people can benefit in the future. And you know what, the Latino population likes that they are able to help others. And that has helped us overcome some of the fears. And the people that do participate, they said, look, I'm gonna do whatever. I know this may not help me right now, but unless we do this, we're not gonna be able to help other people." Dr. Ng explains how a treatment gets developed to the point of being ready for a clinical trial. "This perfect chain of events that has to happen. Yes, some people in a laboratory somewhere, working with rats, figure out that there's this molecule. They are super genius people, right, they come up with these formulas, tested with electronic microscopes. And then they start pushing that molecule forward, right? Then [it's tested] with humans who are healthy and ok, well, you know, it's fine, it's safe. Let's move forward. By the time we participate, these are usually phase 3 studies, sometimes phase 2, but usually phase 3, molecules have walked a long pathway already. So at that moment, we know a lot about their safety, that it's tolerable, and maybe we participate in studies where they're trying to figure out the right dose. "And another thing I wanna mention about placebo, more and more the placebo phases of the studies have become shorter. That's only prove the concept. But from then on, most of the studies now have an open label section, where everybody sooner or later will receive the benefit of being on the active medication. And that also allow us to be able to see safety in the long run. So by the time I'm offering this to my patients. I'm very confident. A lot of molecules don't make it to phase 3 and, and the ones that do are worth moving forward and completing the whole process." Contact the Sun Valley Research Center in southern California at (760) 545-0123. Learn more:* Sun Valley Research Center:...

Courtesy of Athira Pharma, Psychiatrist and Medical Director Bernardo Ng of the Sun Valley Research Center joins Suzanne to talk about Alzheimer's clinical trials, particularly in underserved groups such as Latino populations in the United States. Dr. Ng is a Mexicali native who started his private practice in Imperial County in 1994. He became a Medical Doctor at the University of Nuevo Leon in 1987. After completing his year of social service in the city of Monterrey in 1988, he entered specialized training in Psychiatry, in El Paso Texas in 1989 and continued in San Diego California in 1992. Dr. Ng is currently the principal investigator for Sun Valley Research Center. Dr. Ng says, "Clinical trials are the core of progress in pharmaceutical treatments. Most medical conditions do not get treated only with medications. There are many other forms of treatment, but in the particular case of medications, it is only with medical clinical trials that prove or not prove that the medication actually works. And the problem with the the lack or the insufficient participation of Latinos in clinical trials, specifically in dementia, is impressive. As you know, Latinx are the largest minority in the US — 16 to 18% of the population. Participation of Latinos in clinical trials for Alzheimer's is anywhere from 1 to 2%. So that tells you how hard it is to ascertain that whatever is approved under those conditions will work the same both for efficacy and safety in the Latino population. “Participating in clinical trials has a component of not enough information, not knowing the importance of why it is to participate, and fear. Thought of participating in a clinical trial and voluntarily putting yourself through a medication that has not been approved may sound scary, but the reality is that that's how, number one: progress occurs, and number two: you can actually access a treatment years before it's available in regular pharmacies. The Latino population in this country feel distant to that." Suzanne says, "You hear the stories of decades ago ,when there were trials going on, a lot of the placebos and stuff went to people of color, which really is unfair." D. Ng replies, "I'm very glad that you mentioned that because any of us interested in participating in the execution of clinical trials have to go through rigorous training, even before being approved or hired for any of them, which is called Good Clinical Practices. And it speaks a lot about this history that you're talking about, how trials in the 20th century happened unethically, right? And how they put people of color through tests without having received their consent, without informing them of what was gonna happen. And yes, I think that has left a scar in our minority populations in the country. I think it's very useful that media like this can inform people of how much that has changed, evolved. Every single step is supervised by an ethical review committee, any step is approved by the FDA." "Alzheimer's is my passion. I've been treating older people for a long time, and there's some peculiar peculiarities about the Latino or Hispanic population in this country that they live longer, which is interesting. Some time ago, it was called the Hispanic Paradox or the Latino paradox. With less access to care, they live longer — how is that possible? But it turns out that when you look into the detail, they may live longer on average, but also with less quality of life, or more morbidity, with more level of disease, and among other things, lack of access. But then also lack of knowledge that some things can be treated earlier. In the case of Alzheimer's, many times they say, well, you know, it's part of aging that he or she starts forgetting things. And transmitting the message that what we're talking about is a disease that early on...

Founder and CEO of Real Estate 55 Plus Juli Anne Gibson joins Suzanne to talk about the unique services that her company provides for people over 55. Juli Anne says, "We know that in real estate, it's really about the relationships with the people. It really is not about the house, because it doesn't become a home until the people reside in and create the space that they want. So we come from a place of proactivity. The primary focus is to find out what the seniors' goals are. And then we create a road map for how they're going to age, and where they're going to live. And for the most of the people that we work with, they're gonna be selling their current home, and they're gonna be right-sizing. So they may move from a large home to a condominium. They may might move into multi-generational living. They may be exploring assisted living, retirement communities. "But one thing people don't know about what we do, is there are about 72 potential services that we can recommend and refer to a family and for seniors, so that they can make really good decisions. One of the examples is, as a necessity with COVID, we started offering estate sale services. It's not for profit. We just charge for the labor and the dump fees, and marketing promotion. Any proceeds we make go back to the family. We've created a system so we have realtors that are in different states, they can actually access that program and provide estate sell services to clients in their areas, or we're gonna tell them how they can partner within an estate sale company. "Oftentimes, what prevents a senior from moving forward is lack of funding. Some people want to move to a retirement community, but all of their assets are tied up into the equity of their home real estate. 55 Plus will pay that gap funding to the retirement community at no interest. And we get reimbursed from the sale of the proceeds from the house. So our goal is to get the person settled where they need to be. We will go as far as getting the whole place set up for them, and hiring the movers, and getting it all set up for that. It's not just a real estate piece of it, it has to do with the housing, and aging, and making sure people are in really good spaces." Learn more:* Real Estate 55 Plus: https://realestate55plus.com/* Juli Anne Gibson: https://realestate55plus.com/team/* Call 800-964-1553 to speak to a live person Hear more shows with Juli Anne Gibson: https://answersforelders.com/tag/juli-anne-gibson/ Answers for Elders is part of the SeniorResource Network: https://www.seniorresource.com/Check out our affiliate podcast Alzheimer’s Speaks: https://alzheimersspeaks.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Juli Anne Gibson joins Suzanne to talk about home maintenance, which not only keeps a senior safe, it can defer expenses, or increase the value of our home. Maintaining a home can help seniors aging in place in their homes for as long as they can. Juli Anne is the founder and CEO of Real Estate 55 Plus. About maintenance, Juli Anne says, "It not only keeps the senior safe, but it also can defer expenses, or it can increase the value of your home. Oftentimes if we're coming in, doing an assessment, there's been lack of maintenance on systems and the property itself, which are gonna cost a lot more money than it would have had they been preventative. And as we age, we don't see smell or hear things that we might have when we were younger. They're giving us clues that there's an issue in our home. "The furnace is probably first, because we're going into the fall right now. Having your furnace checked is super important. You make sure that it, it's working properly, so you have adequate heat coming on. But you also want to make sure that you have your air ducts cleaned out, for two reasons. One is if your air ducts get clogged, especially your dryer, that can start a fire. Number two is, if you have allergies at all, and it's clogged in your air ducts or in your vents in your bathrooms, that can cause all kinds of havoc on your breathing. "With the roof, if you have an area that has a lot of moss, it's just ugly to look at, but it expands and contracts, and that's what causes the shingles to deteriorate. So having moss removed, having someone inspect your roof, looking for either cracked shingles, or flashing, or a rain cap that's missing. So that helps with any leak prevention, coming into your home. They can also take a look at your gutters and make sure that they're not full. Full gutters cause water spills. What do water spills do? They wreck havoc on siding and windows and intrusion into basements. "As far as walking with moss, it becomes very, very slippery and slick when it's wet. So making sure that someone's coming in and removing the moss from your sidewalks, and your stairs, and your decks, is super important to make sure that you have a clean space to be able to walk." Learn more:* Real Estate 55 Plus: https://realestate55plus.com/* Juli Anne Gibson: https://realestate55plus.com/team/* Call 800-964-1553 to speak to a live person Hear more shows with Juli Anne Gibson: https://answersforelders.com/tag/juli-anne-gibson/ Answers for Elders is part of the SeniorResource Network: https://www.seniorresource.com/Check out our affiliate podcast Alzheimer’s Speaks: https://alzheimersspeaks.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Juli Anne Gibson joins Suzanne to talk about home safety, and a key aspect of this for seniors is fall prevention. Being injured in a fall is the number one reason seniors aren't able to go back their homes and live independently. 75% of home falls are preventable. It's the simple things that cause falls or tripping, there are easy things to do to prevent them. Juli Anne, founder and CEO of Real Estate 55 Plus, talks about how to assess your home for the future to "age in place" and "right-size" your living domain. Juli Anne says, "We work a lot with the Red Cross. The Red Cross actually has a Fall Prevention program, and they will come in and assess your home. So we follow their guidelines on what we can recommend to a senior, and we're teaching workshops, we will provide that information to them. "When we age, our sight changes, our hearing changes, our sense of smell, our balance, and our touch. So what we used to be able to see in front of us, now oftentimes it will look like a black hole. And so, walking through your home, you’re saying, am I seeing this as a continuation, or does it look like a stair to myself? So if you have carpets, rugs that are a darker or lighter color than your other flooring, you may want to consider removing those. Because at some point, you may think that's a hole, and you're gonna try to step over it, and you're gonna fall. We see that happen quite a bit. "Getting out of their bathtubs, you have all kinds of grab bars that come in permanent or semi-permanent installation, a whole package in a movement called Universal Design. So you can retrofit your home, so that you can age successfully as possible... If you have chronic arthritis and it's going to get worse, or you have a flare up, you want to make sure that doors and handles are easy for you to maneuver. So not a round handle, but a lever-style handle. "If you can spend five or 10 minutes a day on balance, there are some chair exercises that you can download online, or get a video for. You can also go to a local YMCA or gym that's going to focus on balance, and also your core. For many of us, when we start getting tipsy, if we have really good balance, it's gonna prevent a fall. And with our core, if we can have that strength, and we're back, it's gonna have a huge, huge impact on our being able to regain balance." Learn more:* Real Estate 55 Plus: https://realestate55plus.com/* Juli Anne Gibson: https://realestate55plus.com/team/* Call 800-964-1553 to speak to a live person Hear more shows with Juli Anne Gibson: https://answersforelders.com/tag/juli-anne-gibson/ Answers for Elders is part of the SeniorResource Network: https://www.seniorresource.com/Check out our affiliate podcast Alzheimer’s Speaks: https://alzheimersspeaks.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Founder and CEO of Real Estate 55 Plus Juli Anne Gibson joins Suzanne to kick off the topic of environmental wellness: surrounding yourself with an environment that brings you joy; being in an environment that supports you; living sustainably and being mindful of the world we live in. This is one of the 8 foundational principles of wellness, featured as part of the Vitality Revolution podcast series sponsored by Humana. Juli Anne says, "Let's specifically talk about environmental wellness for seniors. Number one, our home is where we create family and community and connection. And as we age, we're gonna be seeing people leaving our homes coming back and returning to visit us. And we're wanting to have a space that feels comfortable, brings back memories and that's gonna honor the senior themselves. So we're working with someone who's currently in their home and they're moving someplace else. We want to recreate that space for them. So it feels like home because home is a feeling it's the people around you. It's not necessarily the house itself. And what and what we know about real estate is it really isn't about the houses. It's about the people, and the people are what create a home. And that's the fundamental basis of where we start with the senior and their families, is what their priorities are. So we can make sure we help them make good decisions on that journey for housing and aging." Seniors have many options. "We teach Aging With Choice workshops, where we look at all the different options that are available to somebody. And there's a wide scope. Of course, we're gonna look at their financial, their emotional, spiritual, and physical, that's gonna help define really the base point of what they're gonna be looking for, and searching for, whether they want to age in their current home or move someplace else. The options are endless." Juli Anne adds, "When we sit down with somebody, we're looking at their uniqueness, and we're looking at what makes the most sense for them. Oftentimes you don't know what you don't know, until you sit down with us and we help you create that road map. Oftentimes people say, I wish that we had pulled you in a year sooner, because all of these resources we wish we had known about, because trial and error, we found our way. So we help seniors and their families create a road map, so that they can age and how successfully and have a sense of well-being, right? The home is the most important part of our lives, because it's where we live." Learn more:* Real Estate 55 Plus: https://realestate55plus.com/* Juli Anne Gibson: https://realestate55plus.com/team/* Call 800-964-1553 to speak to a live person Hear more shows with Juli Anne Gibson: https://answersforelders.com/tag/juli-anne-gibson/ Answers for Elders is part of the SeniorResource Network: https://www.seniorresource.com/Check out our affiliate podcast Alzheimer’s Speaks: https://alzheimersspeaks.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonya Hilson at CarePartners Senior Living joins Suzanne to talk about how we can do better with our seniors to reduce feelings of loneliness and isolation. Tonya says, "So what sometimes we see happen often is that families um they become frustrated with caring for their loved one at home. So then they move to a senior community, they make sure they have everything that they need, they make sure everything is put in place before that arrive, and they welcome them there, and they kind of disappear. Not intentionally, but it's because of life, their own personal lives, they are caught up with building their own families, caring for their own families or they may be going back to school. They're trying to advance their careers or their business, need growth, or they're seeking their life purpose, but they become occupied, and they may call every now and then just to check on their loved one. But being there physically, or just even actually having the time to sit and have a conversation with them, sometimes it just doesn't happen." "Put yourself in your loved ones' shoes. Let's reverse the roles. How would you feel if no one is visiting you, or making time for you? How would that make you feel? Just for a moment, just switch and say, no, you're not the one that's out here working. You're the one that's at the at home alone or in the retirement community or just feeling like you don't matter anymore. How would you feel? What type of actions would you want those around you that you love and you took care of for so many years? How would you want them to treat you?" Tonya adds, "What we try to tell families is that, if they still have a pulse and a heartbeat, they want to still have you near them, whether they remember you or not. But your voice, that closeness, means so much to them. Some people just feel like they're not making a difference, but they really are. They are necessary, to be a part of that loved one's life." "One of my personal just mottos for me in this industry is 'make a senior smile'. And if I could do that, that just blesses my heart. So I would love to see other people in our community just take the time to make a senior smile." Tonya suggests, "Even going beyond the family members., let's say that you don't have a family member that's in the senior age. If you just have that time to volunteer — to help another senior who does not have anyone to come visit them, or someone to call them, or come and fix the puzzles with them — but you have some extra time on the weekends to volunteer or one day through the week, they don't have to be a loved one. Just say, you know what, here's a senior center here, or there is a retirement community. I want to go make myself available. Contact the director there and say, hey, I wanna make myself available for somebody who wants to have visitors, somebody who would love a bouquet of flowers, or make some cookies. They love sweets." Regarding ideas on how people can help aging parents and loved ones know that they matter, Tonya says, "For me personally, my grandmother was in a different state, and I just still wanted her to know I'm here for her. I support her. So I would just even use Amazon to deliver packages to her. and that would just make her feel so special. So she knew every month that the UPS guy was gonna show up and knock on her door and bring something exciting. Even with Uber eats, you can send them something yummy. So there are so many ways we can just get on our cell phones, open the app, set up an order, and send it to them, and it'll make a world of difference for them for that day." Tonya Hilson can be reached at (206) 412-3554. Learn more:* CarePartners Senior Living: https://answersforelders.com/carepartners-senior-living/* CarePartners website:...

Lori Hutson joins Suzanne to talk about honoring thyself, living your core values, as well as not overcommitting, not giving up yourself for someone else, being intentional with our lives, respecting boundaries, and knowing when to say no. These are an aspect of both spiritual and intellectual wellness, two of the 8 foundational principles of wellness featured this month as part of the Vitality Revolution podcast series sponsored by Humana. Lori says, "This could be at work too, but in our personal relationships, if we're not setting those boundaries and honoring ourselves, we start building up hidden resentments. And I think a lot of women especially, and this could be men too, but we start building up these resentments towards the other person, they don't even realize what it's about. And then all of a sudden you're having a fight over, you know, the toothpaste tube or something, because you've got all these hidden resentments that you haven't laid out there your boundaries. And then all of a sudden you've got all these issues in your relationships. It's really healthy for relationships to set those boundaries." Lori provides a list of tips, some of which are to know your values, be assertive, starting small, practice self-care, communicate directly, respecting your limits. To see the tip sheet, download the pdf file at this link (you may have to right-click and save the file to your device): Tips for Setting Boundaries.pdfhttps://answersforelders.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Tips_for_Setting_Boundaries.pdf Lori is the owner of L.J. Hudson Insurance LLC in the state of Washington. Hear more:Lori Hutson episodes on Answers for Elders: https://answersforelders.com/tag/lori-hutson/ Learn more about:Lori Hutson: https://www.hutsoninsurancesolutions.com/The Vitality Revolution podcast series: https://answersforelders.com/vitality-revolution/Humana: https://www.humana.com/Answers for Elders: https://answersforelders.com/welcome-to-answers-for-elders/ Answers for Elders is part of the SeniorResource Network: https://www.seniorresource.com/Check out our affiliate podcast Alzheimer’s Speaks: https://alzheimersspeaks.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Lori Hutson joins Suzanne to talk about brain health, an aspect of intellectual wellness, one of the 8 foundational principles of wellness featured this month as part of the Vitality Revolution podcast series sponsored by Humana. Lori says, "One of the main things would be what's normal and what's not normal as far as our state of mind, our memory, things like that. As we do get older, there are some ... small declines in memory, a slower processing speed. That's pretty typical... reaction time, decrease speed in learning – it might take us a little longer to learn things. I talked about the difficulty of doing more than one task at a time, and difficulty ignoring distractions. Abnormal things would be being unable to remember recent events, forgetting how to use common objects — again, we're looking at dementia — getting lost in familiar locations, being unable to follow directions. Another is neglecting safety, hygiene, and nutrition, and decline in the ability to socialize." Lori adds, "I know that it's important to utilize your brain in different ways, and to stretch the "muscles" of your brain to keep it active. Another thing is our diet and hydration. Hydration is a big one that I find with a lot of my clients is affecting their brain health. They're not hydrating – they're worried about incontinence issues. If they feel like I'm gonna have to get up and go to the bathroom five times during the night, they don't want to drink water. That causes UTIs, which actually can affect dementia and escalate it. Our diet can be a factor as well. So if you're eating TV dinners every night, that affect the brain health. And you think about the Mediterranean diet, or something like that, where they're eating a lot of oils and fats, our brain is fat. So if we're not getting those healthy fats, then that can really affect our brain health." Lori is the owner of L.J. Hudson Insurance LLC in the state of Washington. Hear more:Lori Hutson episodes on Answers for Elders: https://answersforelders.com/tag/lori-hutson/ Learn more about:Lori Hutson: https://www.hutsoninsurancesolutions.com/The Vitality Revolution podcast series: https://answersforelders.com/vitality-revolution/Humana: https://www.humana.com/Answers for Elders: https://answersforelders.com/welcome-to-answers-for-elders/ Answers for Elders is part of the SeniorResource Network: https://www.seniorresource.com/Check out our affiliate podcast Alzheimer’s Speaks: https://alzheimersspeaks.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Lori Hutson joins Suzanne to talk about our connection to people, particularly intimate connections. A lot of people over 60 may have lost a spouse, and they're at a time in their life where they haven't dated in decades. A core need of everyone is to have that sort of connection. This is an aspect of spiritual wellness, featured this month as part of the Vitality Revolution podcast series sponsored by Humana. Lori provides a list of tips for navigating the field of dating in the 2020s for those over 60 years of age. Download the pdf file at this link (you may have to right-click and save the file to your device): Tips for Dating After 60.pdfhttps://answersforelders.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Tips_for_Dating_After_60.pdf Lori is the owner of L.J. Hudson Insurance LLC in the state of Washington. Hear more:Lori Hutson episodes on Answers for Elders: https://answersforelders.com/tag/lori-hutson/ Learn more about:Lori Hutson: https://www.hutsoninsurancesolutions.com/The Vitality Revolution podcast series: https://answersforelders.com/vitality-revolution/Humana: https://www.humana.com/Answers for Elders: https://answersforelders.com/welcome-to-answers-for-elders/ Answers for Elders is part of the SeniorResource Network: https://www.seniorresource.com/Check out our affiliate podcast Alzheimer’s Speaks: https://alzheimersspeaks.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Lori Hutson joins Suzanne to talk about how find something to be grateful for, no matter where we are in the world today. This topic is part of spiritual wellness, featured as part of the Vitality Revolution podcast series sponsored by Humana. Lori says, "Especially in these times we're living in now, we're just bombarded with the news cycle, and you can really go down rabbit holes, and you can really look for some things to get to depressed or down about. There are strategies to really live having an attitude of gratitude, to find something to be grateful for no matter where we are." Lori adds, "One of the best ways is just to get in the habit of looking for those things, and having a gratitude journal... You write what you're grateful for, what your intention is, and then what you're going to let go of. If you just get in that habit, the first thing is five things that you're grateful for. Sometimes it could be the same things you were grateful for yesterday, or it could be just the tiniest thing. And especially it you're going through a hard time, it could be that ou're grateful that you have a comfortable bed to sleep in, you know, the smallest things. Once you get your mind focused on that, then you start recognizing, and then it opens up to all these things that you just take for granted, or haven't noticed." Lori provides a list of tips, which includes being mindful of living in the moment. Also, going out and looking at things like you've never looked at them before. Download the pdf file at this link (you may have to right-click and save the file to your device): Having Attitude of Gratitude.pdfhttps://answersforelders.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Having_Attitude_of_Gratitude.pdf Lori is the owner of L.J. Hudson Insurance LLC in the state of Washington. Hear more:Lori Hutson episodes on Answers for Elders: https://answersforelders.com/tag/lori-hutson/ Learn more about:Lori Hutson: https://www.hutsoninsurancesolutions.com/The Vitality Revolution podcast series: https://answersforelders.com/vitality-revolution/Humana: https://www.humana.com/Answers for Elders: https://answersforelders.com/welcome-to-answers-for-elders/ Answers for Elders is part of the SeniorResource Network: https://www.seniorresource.com/Check out our affiliate podcast Alzheimer’s Speaks: https://alzheimersspeaks.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Founder and CEO Susan Black joins Suzanne to share some amazing travel stories from Wowzitude. Vitual tour visits is part of intellectual wellness — expanding our minds, learning — one of the 8 foundational principles of wellness, featured this month as part of the Vitality Revolution podcast series sponsored by Humana. Susan says, "One of my favorite ones was for Anna. Anna was in her assisted living home and she mentioned to her activity director, because she knew we were going to Paris next week, that she loves Paris. She's been there many times. And as a matter of fact, her daughter, son-in-law, and two grandchildren were going to be in Paris. What a coincidence. Well, we got to work with her activity director and guess what we did. We made sure that our guide Patrick was meeting with her family. And even though we had over 400 people, all of a sudden, we had a surprise for Anna, and there were her kids, and her grandchildren, all waving in the background, saying we love you Nana, and we're so glad that you're on our tour with us. So that was a wow moment. I have to tell you, the activity director, Cheryl, made it all happen. So we worked with people, and we try to make these wow moments. We're always connecting anniversaries, and birthdays, and red letter days, and doing shout-outs. So we're encouraging people to tell us before or during a trip what is meaningful for them." Here more Wowzitude stories in the podcast and see more at https://wowzitude.com/travel-stories. Podcast listeners are eligible for a special promotion. Susan says, "If you sign up before October 1st, we will give a free Christmas market special tour, to all of your listeners, and only your listeners, as a special promotion on this podcast. Sign up at https://wowzitude.com/." Learn more:* Wowzitude: https://wowzitude.com/* Susan Black: https://wowzitude.com/susan-black%2C-founder* The Vitality Revolution podcast series: https://answersforelders.com/vitality-revolution/* Intellectual Wellness: https://answersforelders.com/vitality-revolution/intellectual-wellness/* Humana: https://www.humana.com/* Answers for Elders: https://answersforelders.com/welcome-to-answers-for-elders/ Answers for Elders is part of the SeniorResource Network: https://www.seniorresource.com/Check out our affiliate podcast Alzheimer’s Speaks: https://alzheimersspeaks.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Making connections unites us all. Wowzitude's live-stream tours with licensed guides are able to zoom into areas that regular groups can't go to. Imagine going somewhere in real life with 40 people behind you and trying to hear what the guide is saying. You also have a front-row seat at every tour. Wowzitude's founder Susan Black joins Suzanne to describe some of the destinations. It's part of Intellectual Wellness — expanding our minds, learning — one of the 8 foundational principles of wellness, featured this month as part of The Vitality Revolution podcast series sponsored by Humana. Susan says, "Community is the most important thing for Wowzitude, it is this sense of connection. We want to mitigate social isolation. We want to connect people, whether it's intergenerational, whether it's people in our travel club... you hear the questions from the people all the time. You get to participate. It's all about connection, and we're connecting with our guides from all of these destinations, 140 destinations around the world in all. So we're connecting, to learn about what's education like. Every question you may ever have is a connection. It's a warmth. You see the guy's face and then he flips it around. So you see the beautiful areas we're walking in. So we are all about and community." Susan adds, "It's so important to us to honor different cultures here in the United States. So for example, Black History Month, Women's History Month, all sorts of demographics, communities and groups, we celebrate them. We honor them. We believe in heritage, so we do a lot of heritage tours of every ethnicity and religion that we can think of. We tie it in and with celebration, so there's a greater understanding. But when you're connecting people and you're connecting communities around the world, that gives us such a great understanding of where people are from, and where they're coming from, and the background, and it just unites us all together." Podcast listeners are eligible for a special promotion. Susan says, "If you sign up before October 1st, we will give a free Christmas market special tour, to all of your listeners, and only your listeners, as a special promotion on this podcast. Sign up at https://wowzitude.com/." Learn more:* Wowzitude: https://wowzitude.com/* Susan Black: https://wowzitude.com/susan-black%2C-founder* The Vitality Revolution podcast series: https://answersforelders.com/vitality-revolution/* Intellectual Wellness: https://answersforelders.com/vitality-revolution/intellectual-wellness/* Humana: https://www.humana.com/* Answers for Elders: https://answersforelders.com/welcome-to-answers-for-elders/ Answers for Elders is part of the SeniorResource Network: https://www.seniorresource.com/Check out our affiliate podcast Alzheimer’s Speaks: https://alzheimersspeaks.com/See <a...

Take virtual tours of 140 destinations at Wowzitude, expanding your mind through exposure to new cultures via immersive live-stream experiences. Founder and CEO Susan Black joins Suzanne to describe some of the destinations. It's part of intellectual wellness — expanding our minds, learning — one of the 8 foundational principles of wellness, featured this month as part of the Vitality Revolution podcast series sponsored by Humana. The trips come with trip kits. Susan says, "We love our trip kits. First we started with recipes. Each of our recipes is submitted by each of our guides, our, our 97 guides. So it's a family recipe, or it's a recipe that they have from one of the restaurants they bring us to. Can you imagine we actually go to a bakery in Porto, to see how they're making the very famous custards that they're known for? The baker has given us this great recipe to follow. So we try to tie this in, because who doesn't love to eat and tour at the same time? We have downloadable music, and by the way, the music can be upbeat or it can just get you in the mood, and we always start our tours with music, and slide shows, and everything else to get people in the mood. But we give that music in our trip kits. We also have book recommendations, so that you can do a reading group around it. You can have book club around it. We want to get groups together... movies. If you just want to have an immersion, that it's either filmed in that location, or it's about that location. And of course, fun facts. Some maps, and we love sustainable travel. So what that place is doing in terms of sustainability, and responsible travel, all that goodness in a single tour." Wowzitude is working with research groups to assess the benefits to our wellness, our curiosity, and sense of purpose. Susan says, "We've actually done surveys and we're working with two different research groups right now to see what the benefits are, what all this good stuff means to people. Once they go on a live-stream tour, they're able to engage. Even if you listen to other people's questions — you don't just have to ask your own — oftentimes your question's being asked, but it's very immersive and engaging, and what that level of group engagement means to wellness, to your mood. We're in the process right now of doing a full evidence-based research about the effects, particularly on older adults." Podcast listeners are eligible for a special promotion. Susan says, "If you sign up before October 1st, we will give a free Christmas market special tour, to all of your listeners, and only your listeners, as a special promotion on this podcast. Sign up at https://wowzitude.com/." Learn more:* Wowzitude: https://wowzitude.com/* Susan Black: https://wowzitude.com/susan-black%2C-founder* The Vitality Revolution podcast series: https://answersforelders.com/vitality-revolution/* Intellectual Wellness: https://answersforelders.com/vitality-revolution/intellectual-wellness/* Humana: https://www.humana.com/* Answers for Elders: https://answersforelders.com/welcome-to-answers-for-elders/ Answers for Elders is part of the SeniorResource Network: https://www.seniorresource.com/Check out our affiliate podcast Alzheimer’s Speaks: https://alzheimersspeaks.com/See <a...

Wowzitude Founder and CEO Susan Black joins Suzanne to talk about continuing to be culturally curious in our senior years, by taking virtual tours to 140 locations across the world. It's part of intellectual wellness — expanding our minds, learning — one of the 8 foundational principles of wellness, featured this month as part of The Vitality Revolution podcast series sponsored by Humana. Susan says, "These are live-stream guided walking tours. The way we work it is, our guides have a stabilizer called a Gimble and a camera, and everything that they see you see live, while it's happening. It's not a television program, it's not video. It is a live-stream walking tour. And to make it even more immersive, everyone can ask questions in real time. We only do group tours. We have the same people on our tours all the time, because it's a subscription service. We go to 140 different locations, places from cities that everybody loves. Rome, Paris, New York City, all the way to off-the-beaten-track. As a matter of fact, we're doing a tour to Machu Picchu. So if you didn't think you could climb Machu Picchu, we'll be in Peru doing that. So all the places that people have perhaps visited, and want to revisit, or places that they've always wanted to go, and ask questions about... And it's doing it with a group, so you're always hearing other people's questions. You're part of this great travel club and we meet twice every week. We do eight or 10 tours every month, whether it's four weeks or five week-months. We have trip kits that go with each one. So there's book, movie recommendations, recipes, maps, fun facts, all things to become even more immersive, but to really, really inspire you and get your mind clicking. Susan explains how the trips stimulate our minds. "We always say, we really cater to the culturally curious, which never ends at any age, because we talk about food, and we talk about what it's like to grow up there, and we ask questions, and we're learning from the locals, and we're hearing them. And they're the questions that our audience wants to ask. No two tours are alike, they're all unscripted. So we are expanding the mind in terms of learning something new every single day. So every trip, you're always gonna learn something new: politically, what's happening with the economy... You might read about it in the papers, but isn't it fantastic to talk to a local about what's happening now?" Podcast listeners are eligible for a special promotion. Susan says, "If you sign up before October 1st, we will give a free Christmas market special tour, to all of your listeners, and only your listeners, as a special promotion on this podcast. Sign up at https://wowzitude.com/." Learn more:* Wowzitude: https://wowzitude.com/* Susan Black: https://wowzitude.com/susan-black%2C-founder* The Vitality Revolution podcast series: https://answersforelders.com/vitality-revolution/* Intellectual Wellness: https://answersforelders.com/vitality-revolution/intellectual-wellness/* Humana: https://www.humana.com/* Answers for Elders: https://answersforelders.com/welcome-to-answers-for-elders/ Answers for Elders...

Shirley Hofmeister, a resident of The Lakeshore near Renton, Washington, joins Suzanne to provide a resident's perspective of what a typical day is like at an Era Living retirement community. The Lakeshore is located at 11448 Rainier Avenue S, Seattle, WA 98178. Shirley was a stay at home mom for adopted children then had a 30-year teaching career and did some fitness work with Jackie Sorenson. Describing the process of deciding to move to retirement living, Shirley says, "My husband and I had already given up our house and moved to a condo. And he said, one of us is going to be left alone someday. Why don't we start looking at senior communities, so the one who's left alone will have a community, we'll have activities, we'll have friends who will be along. And so we went out looking, we viewed a couple places in Vancouver, Washington, and we ended up in a community that we loved very much. And just before my husband passed, the community was bought out. So things changed there. My daughter said, 'Mom, why don't you come close, live close to me and see Seattle.' My apartment was empty without my husband, so it was time to move on. She brought me to five communities in the west Seattle area. She showed me Lake Shore, and after every community I went to, I said 'Lake Shore.' So I came in, did my walk-through, found the room that was perfect for me, put my money down, and here I am, and loving every minute of it." She talked about the moving process and hardest thing about the transition. "My husband and I did a big purge, letting go of some things that we thought were so important. And they aren't — your life is your activities and all those things that were so valuable, you don't even miss. Probably the most difficult thing for me in the end when we got into senior living was, 'Oh dear, it's Thanksgiving. How can I host? My kids can't come home for Thanksgiving. I don't have a home for them to come.' But that's wrong. I did have a home, and they were very open to giving us one of the rooms reserved for my family. My daughter brought the turkey down from Seattle and she cooked it in my kitchen and we hosted. So now, I get to Lakeshore, and sure enough when my family wants to meet, Lakeshore has provisions to let us still celebrate as a family." Shirley describes a typical day, "I have so many friends, it's wonderful. Four of my friends like to walk, and I also like to walk. And so at 7:30 in the morning, those who can walk that day meet downstairs, and we head out for an hour's walk. And then when we get home it's time to look at the calendar. What are we gonna do today? Yesterday was Bingo, and yesterday was Watermelon Wednesday, a wonderful thing during the summer to keep us hydrated, we went on a porch and we ate watermelon. It's a social time. I like to play Bingo too, do all of the activities. I'm not very artistic, so I haven't gone to the arts and crafts, but that doesn't mean I won't. And they need volunteers today to get ready for the luau. And there's an arts and crafts project. I may go down. I just love being with my friends." For those considering senior living, Shirley says, "If you're a senior, it is time to move to community where you have your friends, your activities — you don't have to mow the lawn anymore. You don't have to think, 'What am I gonna cook for dinner?' anymore. Those are big things when you're a senior. All of a sudden, I don't wanna cook dinner anymore. I want to go to a beautiful dining room and sit with my friends and eat well. We moved in our seventies because, number one, we made our decision and it's kind of fun to make our own decision rather than the kids say, 'ok, you're losing a mom, you're going to put you someplace where they can take care of you.' We didn't have to go through that. So my advice is make your decision while you're young and able and, and enjoy the community living." <a...

Era Living's Human Resources Director Matt Bromen joins Suzanne to talk about recruiting staff, and his secret sauce for keeping staff members for a decade or more at the company. Matt says, "I don't know if it's a secret so much as really great people. The secret is the people. I would love to take credit for the cement... the cement really started with Eli and Rebecca Almo, and the mission and values. And I know it's cheesy, and any HR Director is going to get on a podcast as say how important their mission and values are, but our mission and values are extremely important to us. That is the cement that binds us together, staff, mangers, home office support, we are all here because of our mission and values." Matt adds, "When we're interviewing people, we're really interviewing with our mission and values in mind, respect, integrity, innovation/improvement, teamwork, and excellence. Those things we interview for, particularly when we're looking at leadership positions, knowing that if you hire the right people in management roles, then staff stay with those managers. Staff don't generally stay with companies, they stay with managers." Hear more podcasts about Era Living at Answers for Elders, including conversations with other residents, at Answers for Elders: https://answersforelders.com/era-living/ Learn more about:Answers for Elders: https://answersforelders.com/welcome-to-answers-for-elders/Era Living's website: https://www.eraliving.com/ Answers for Elders is part of the SeniorResource Network: https://www.seniorresource.com/Check out our affiliate podcast Alzheimer’s Speaks: https://alzheimersspeaks.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ageless Grace's Denise Medved joins Suzanne to talk about caregivers and family members doing brain exercises together to improve cognitive health. Denise says, "The program can help you maintain your cognitive health. It can help you improve your cognitive health and it can delay any decline that has already started. It won't cure it, it won't go back and fix it, but it will delay it. We've had some research studies that show even in eight weeks of doing it three times a week, as opposed to every day, that they improved or maintained their cognitive function. Most improved." "Mass. General Hospital in Boston has created a program to support caregivers, not professional caregivers, but family caregivers. And the program that they use is Ageless Grace. They help the caregivers learn a few tools they could use with their mom or their dad or whoever they're caring for. But more importantly, the caregivers gets to do what I call blowing off some steam, uh releasing some stress and feeling good yourself." It works well with two people doing it together. "We even have some of our educators — which are people have gone through a 14-hour certification to be able to teach the program and then they re-certify every year — we have had many of them practice on their loved ones. One educator I'm thinking of in particular would call her mother every single morning at a certain time. And on Zoom, she and her mother and her sister, they would do Ageless Grave, bring health together. And that was a way of them connecting, and that was a way of them also supporting their mom in being able to maintain cognitive function. And they just did it for 10 to 15 minutes every day." Ageless Grace has live classes hosted across the country, as well as Zoom classes, and videos. Denise says, "You practice this 10 to 15 minutes a day, which isn't very long, and you'll not only maintain cognitive function but can improve it and lift your spirit." Find locations at their website https://agelessgrace.com/. Learn more about:* Denise Medved: https://agelessgrace.com/denise-medved/* Ageless Grace: https://agelessgrace.com/about/* The Vitality Revolution podcast series: https://answersforelders.com/vitality-revolution/* Humana: https://www.humana.com/* Answers for Elders: https://answersforelders.com/welcome-to-answers-for-elders/ Answers for Elders is part of the SeniorResource Network: https://www.seniorresource.com/Check out our affiliate podcast Alzheimer’s Speaks: https://alzheimersspeaks.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Denise Medved at Ageless Grace shares three of her 21 simple exercises to do each day to fortify your brain. Denise says, "Breaking out of your normal patterns of movement is important to firing new neurons and creating new neural pathways. Most people don't do new things. They do what they already know how to do, and they repeat it. Breaking out of that pattern is really important, to find new neurons, and create new neural pathways. Obviously, the best thing to do is actually physically do them with me, but I can describe a few that will help you be able to get started and see a difference in your own brain. You do these sitting down." 1. Gentle Geometry. Denise says, "It uses the shapes of a triangle, a circle and a line, either vertical or horizontal. We'll start making a circle, for example, with your right hand. And after you get that going, then start to draw a triangle in the air with your left foot, your opposite foot. Try to do them both at once. And then, depending on the group — many people cannot do this at all, and that's the point of it. Everybody laughs, everybody's laughing. But you want to keep trying — the minute you stop, that means your neurons stop firing. You're making the circle with one hand, so you don't want to stop and say, I can't do this. I give up, you wanna say 'I'm gonna keep trying so I can fire neurons,' and then I might add a third thing, and say, 'with the other hand make a horizontal line.' So you might be doing a circle with one hand, with the opposite foot, and then a horizontal line with the opposite hand. And you keep doing this to a song, something that you like. You put on some music, and when the song is about halfway through, you switch and you mirror it, so that you're switching sides of the brain that you're working. So now the other hand is making the circle, the other foot is making the triangle and the other hand is doing that." 2. Spelling B. "B stands for body, and it means you're spelling using your body parts. You could spell lots of different words. You could do it in cursive, you could do it in Japanese, you could do it in Spanish, whatever you like. But just to make it simple, to explain it, I might say: In lowercase cursive, write the word health in the air with your nose. So you would move your and write, go back and cross the T, and you might do that three or four times. And then you might write health with your right elbow two or three times, write it with your left elbow. And getting into some of the humor, write the word health in case cursive with your belly button. Look how much of your body it's used: your whole abdominal wall, rib cage, spine. And then you might write health in the air with your foot two or three times, and then with the other foot, or with your back against the wall. So you use all kinds of body parts. And again, we could have written several different words. It doesn't matter, as long as you're switching up and using words, and you're writing them with your body parts, because your brain right away is stimulating those functions of the brain. It stimulates all five of them simultaneously." 3. Pretend swimming. "Another quick one, that's very easy, is the idea of swimming. So you might lean back in your chair, and obviously to put your feet up in front of you in order to paddle, because you're seated. So right away, your brain is saying, well, how would I swim in a chair? Feet in front? And then you do as many different strokes as you can think of. A crawl, an Australian crawl, a breast stroke, a butterfly. That also stimulates the brain as well as moves the body." Learn more about:* Denise Medved: https://agelessgrace.com/denise-medved/* Ageless Grace: https://agelessgrace.com/about/* <a...

Denise Medved joins Suzanne to talk about the Ageless Grace brain fitness program, 21 simple exercises to do each day to maintain brain health. Ideally, these are preventative measures, but if the signs of cognitive decline are beginning to appear, the Ageless Grace program can improve symptoms. Because Ageless Grace is performed in a chair to engage the brain, almost anyone can participate. Denise describes her inspiration for the program. "I saw my parents aging completely differently, even though they had the same food, they lived in the same house, they did everything together for 47 years. My mother, who was a brainiac, who studied, who took courses, who taught courses, who played the piano, who learned new pieces every week, who read books avidly, who did the New York Times and London Times crossword puzzle, but hated exercise or movement of any kind. She was actually diagnosed with Alzheimer's. And at that time when that happened, in the early 2000, they were saying, oh, if you do crossword puzzles and word games, you will be cognitively fit the rest of your life. My dad, who spoke English as a second language, was very physical. He was a gymnast, he was a weightlifter, he was a body builder. And I saw my dad staying sharp and fit and in control of himself and cognitively sharp all the time. And I said, well, that's interesting. You'd think my dad, who never studies, never reads, doesn't teach courses or take courses because it was difficult with him with English as a second language, is cognitively fit. "I took a graduate program in gerontology, graduating from the Neuroscience Academy in Sydney, Australia. And at the same time there was research being done. They discovered that the primary function of the brain is to control movement of the body. So when we do some kind of movement, especially movement that's new or unique to us, or a little out-of-the-box, out of the ordinary, or when we're learning some new physical skill, those things stimulate the firing of neurons, which are brain cells.That's what we need to do to stimulate the cognitive function of our brain, so that we can change our brain and make it more resilient and stronger all the time, for a better quality of life." Why aren't crosswords and jigsaw puzzles enough for neuroplasticity? Denise says, "I talked a little earlier about the five primary functions of the brain. Each of those different word games, or crosswords, number games, they affect a certain part of the brain, or a certain function of the brain, maybe two functions, but not all of them. I like to compare it to brushing your teeth. If you brushed your teeth every day, just in the front and noplace else, you'd be doing a great job with your front teeth, but everything else would decline and you would have tooth decay. So if you only work one or two functions of the brain all the time, they will be sharp, but the other functions will be failing." Learn more about:* Denise Medved: https://agelessgrace.com/denise-medved/* Ageless Grace: https://agelessgrace.com/about/* The Vitality Revolution podcast series: https://answersforelders.com/vitality-revolution/* Humana: https://www.humana.com/* Answers for Elders: https://answersforelders.com/welcome-to-answers-for-elders/ Answers for Elders is part of the <a...

Denise Medved, founder and CEO of Ageless Grace, joins Suzanne to talk about the brain fitness program taught in 50 states and more than 30 countries. Brain fitness is an aspect of intellectual wellness, one of the 8 foundational principles of wellness, a topic of this month's portion of The Vitality Revolution podcast series sponsored by Humana. More than 3,600 educators have been certified to teach the program. It consists of 21 simple exercise tools, based on everyday movements that are natural and organic, and focus on the healthy longevity of the body and brain. Denise explains, "There are five primary functions of the brain. I'm not talking about regions or sections of the brain; that's anatomy. I'm talking about what does the brain do. All five functions must be activated on a daily basis, and strengthened because, if only one or two functions are strong, that doesn't mean the entire brain is healthy — all of those functions must be healthy. "First, the brain does strategic planning, and it is based on physical movement, because the primary purpose of the brain is to control movement of the body. By strategic planning, I mean, how do you physically get from point A to B to C? How do you navigate across the room? How do you navigate to get in and out of your car? "The next one is called memory and recall. As it relates to the purpose of the brain, it's controlling movement of the body, remembering a physical experience that you had. And a lot of people don't realize this, but any memory is actually remembering a physical experience, whether you realize it or not. Try to remember a fact learned in geography, and right away, you probably go to a picture of your classroom in your brain, or a picture of your teacher or where you sat when you were learning this thing. It is a physical memory experience that you are stimulating, and recall is slightly different than memory because recall could mean that you might be recalling what you know about something and the physical experience you had learning about that even though you don't do it yourself. So an example would be if I said, pretend you're playing the trombone. Well, you may never have even touched a trombone, but immediately you're gonna recall what you know, that it has a slide, that it has a mountain, and that is a form of memory. The third function of the brain is analytical thinking. And again, it has not anything to do with analyzing numbers particularly, or words, it has to do with understanding all the parts or components that make up an activity of your daily life. What are all the parts and steps that make up the idea of playing baseball? What are the parts and steps that make up the idea of I'm gonna get in my car and drive to the gym and I'm gonna have a workout? That's analytical thinking as it pertains to the brain. The next one is called creativity and imagination. And we are all creative. It's one of the functions of the brain. And what that really means is being moving or acting in some way that's a little new to you, or different, or a little out of the box. It can be as simple as brushing your teeth — with the other hand instead of the one that you always use. That is a form of creativity. Dr Norman Doidge discovered that imagination and physical activity light up the same parts of the brain in an MRI. I can imagine that I'm playing a trombone, or I could really play a trombone, and my brain would light up the same way. It's fascinating. And then the last function of the brain is kinesthetic learning. And that means we learn through our brain body first, and later on our brain kicks in, and advises our body on how to make it more...

Reverend Doctor Kathianne Lewis joins Suzanne to talk about forgiving ourselves as part of Spiritual Wellnss, one of the 8 foundational principles of wellness featured this month as part of the Vitality Revolution podcast series sponsored by Humana. Rev Kathianne says, "Get off our case earlier — we'll have less baggage, so that we can enjoy the last quarter or third or half of our lives. To be bogged down with self-judgment is really hard on the soul." To subscribe to "Thoughts to Sleep On," send your name and number to [email protected], and get a free daily evening call from Reverend Doctor Kathianne Lewis. Learn more about:* Kathianne Lewis: https://www.spiritualliving.org/people/kathianne-lewis-dd/* Center for Spiritual Living: https://www.spiritualliving.org/* The Vitality Revolution podcast series: https://answersforelders.com/vitality-revolution/* Humana: https://www.humana.com/* Answers for Elders: https://answersforelders.com/welcome-to-answers-for-elders/ Hear more:* Podcasts with Kathianne Lewis at Answers for Elders: https://answersforelders.com/tag/kathianne-lewis/* Articles and podcasts about Spiritual Wellnss: https://answersforelders.com/vitality-revolution/spiritual-wellness/* Rev. Kathianne's Mid-Week "Faith Lift": https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLWilu0kYmiP5i12ylBNob0RIX4JnWOEt8 Answers for Elders is part of the SeniorResource Network: https://www.seniorresource.com/Check out our affiliate podcast Alzheimer’s Speaks: https://alzheimersspeaks.com/ SR FeaturedSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Reverend Doctor Kathianne Lewis joins Suzanne to talk about how to see that there are miracles in everyday life, an aspect of Spiritual Wellnss, one of the 8 foundational principles of wellness featured this month as part of the Vitality Revolution podcast series sponsored by Humana. Rev Kathianne says, "I'm really a miracle junkie. I think we've all had miracles. Most people have had something out of the ordinary that they couldn't even imagine happening, but it did. Then we live off of that. I used to do that myself. I want what I would say from the Old Testament is mana. I want my own mana every day, a miracle every day. I want to see God, have evidence of God every day of my life. It can be a small thing, like 'I can't find this' and there it is. Everything can be a miracle. There's a beautiful song that people can listen to, which is 'Everything Is a Miracle Now.' Then there's 'A Million Little Miracles.' Both of them are probably on YouTube. If we start assuming that spirit works are alive, we will start seeing all this synchronicity that happens, and we'll feel that connection. It'll be real." Learn more about:* Kathianne Lewis: https://www.spiritualliving.org/people/kathianne-lewis-dd/* Center for Spiritual Living: https://www.spiritualliving.org/* The Vitality Revolution podcast series: https://answersforelders.com/vitality-revolution/* Humana: https://www.humana.com/* Answers for Elders: https://answersforelders.com/welcome-to-answers-for-elders/ Hear more:* Podcasts with Kathianne Lewis at Answers for Elders: https://answersforelders.com/tag/kathianne-lewis/* Articles and podcasts about Spiritual Wellnss: https://answersforelders.com/vitality-revolution/spiritual-wellness/* Rev. Kathianne's Mid-Week "Faith Lift": https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLWilu0kYmiP5i12ylBNob0RIX4JnWOEt8 Answers for Elders is part of the SeniorResource Network: https://www.seniorresource.com/Check out our affiliate podcast Alzheimer’s Speaks: https://alzheimersspeaks.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Reverend Doctor Kathianne Lewis joins Suzanne to talk about finding and reflecting our personal values in our lives as part of Spiritual Wellnss, one of the 8 foundational principles of wellness featured this month as part of the Vitality Revolution podcast series sponsored by Humana. Rev. Kathianne is Spiritual Director and Senior Minister at the Center for Spiritual Living in Seattle. Rev. Kathianne says, "The next step in recognizing our spirituality is understanding what's really good about us." "When I was younger, I wasn't anxious, but I certainly wanted to fit in and just, you know, so what do people think of me? And uh how do I look? I think that when we get older, we shift. And when we pursue a spiritual path, or wanting to connect with something greater, what we really want to do is find out what's true about us and let that shine. So we're not shining forth our anxiety or our hesitancy or our unwillingness to speak up or whatever we're really shining forth. What's true about us. We're being really clear with our values and our internal gifts because we all have internal gifts. We're all born with different gifts. "This is what shifted me forever. I went to my grandmother's funeral. I was in my forties, and all of my cousins and everybody that knew my grandmother said, 'oh, she was so sweet. She's so sweet.' Everybody said she was so sweet. I would have said she was so sweet. But you know what? No one would ever say that about me. Sweet was not a word that I was ever described as, but I decided that if my grandmother was going to die and leave us on this physical plane, the best thing I could do was to keep her legacy. So I said, you know what, I want to take on granny's sweetness. And so sometimes I will actually be surprised when someone will say, 'well, that's so sweet.'" Learn more about:* Kathianne Lewis: https://www.spiritualliving.org/people/kathianne-lewis-dd/* Center for Spiritual Living: https://www.spiritualliving.org/* The Vitality Revolution podcast series: https://answersforelders.com/vitality-revolution/* Humana: https://www.humana.com/* Answers for Elders: https://answersforelders.com/welcome-to-answers-for-elders/ Hear more:* Podcasts with Kathianne Lewis at Answers for Elders: https://answersforelders.com/tag/kathianne-lewis/* Articles and podcasts about Spiritual Wellnss: https://answersforelders.com/vitality-revolution/spiritual-wellness/* Rev. Kathianne's Mid-Week "Faith Lift": https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLWilu0kYmiP5i12ylBNob0RIX4JnWOEt8 Answers for Elders is part of the SeniorResource Network: https://www.seniorresource.com/Check out our affiliate podcast <a...

Reverend Doctor Kathianne Lewis joins Suzanne to talk about Spiritual Wellnss, one of the 8 foundational principles of wellness featured this month as part of the Vitality Revolution podcast series sponsored by Humana. Rev. Kathianne is Spiritual Director and Senior Minister at the Center for Spiritual Living in Seattle. Rev. Dr. Kathianne Lewis has inspired and served countless numbers of people—whose lives, she hopes, have been changed for the better by practicing spiritual principles. Rev Kathianne says, "To bless and be thankful in the face of adversity does two things I think. First of all, it does teach you, you learn from it, you grow from this adversity, bless it. The other thing is is that by blessing your adversity, you call for the good that is seeded within that adversity, just like for you, by blessing your adversity. I think that a lot of people listening to this will look at the adversities that they had in their life. And a lot of those adversities, those troubles, those trials, those obstacles gave birth to something greater, right? Sometimes it's inner wisdom, sometimes it's inner strength, and sometimes it's just a miracle. A bigger life than they could have ever even imagined." She adds, "I think it was Emerson who said, 'that which is within you is greater than that which is outside of you.' So when they can reconnect with their own sustaining spiritual force, they will get ideas that will help them work stuff out. There's no real problem, there's only an idea problem. There are no money problems, relationship problems, no anything problem in and of itself — it's always an idea problem. And when we can be inspired within, to have new ideas, we will have the inspiration to handle what the issue is." Learn more about:* Kathianne Lewis: https://www.spiritualliving.org/people/kathianne-lewis-dd/* Center for Spiritual Living: https://www.spiritualliving.org/* The Vitality Revolution podcast series: https://answersforelders.com/vitality-revolution/* Humana: https://www.humana.com/* Answers for Elders: https://answersforelders.com/welcome-to-answers-for-elders/ Hear more:* Podcasts with Kathianne Lewis at Answers for Elders: https://answersforelders.com/tag/kathianne-lewis/* Articles and podcasts about Spiritual Wellnss: https://answersforelders.com/vitality-revolution/spiritual-wellness/* Rev. Kathianne's Mid-Week "Faith Lift": https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLWilu0kYmiP5i12ylBNob0RIX4JnWOEt8 Answers for Elders is part of the SeniorResource Network: https://www.seniorresource.com/Check out our affiliate podcast Alzheimer’s Speaks:...

Director of Capital Projects Kristina Chalfant joins Suzanne to talk about the environmental factors/design considerations that enhance resident quality of life at Era Living. Kristina says, "I'm responsible for a team of project managers and a project coordinator, facilities team, and a procurement coordinator. Our team is responsible for doing renovation projects, keeping the communities fresh and safe and clean, and for taking care of emergency repairs, like if the roof is leaking, or if there's a pipe burst, or something like that, if the boilers stop working. We've got painters that go and keep the paints touched up and fresh-looking in the communities." When somebody new moves in, Kristina says, "The maintenance team does inspections to make sure everything's working properly, and they should be introducing themselves. And get to know the new residents, welcome them on board, and let them know that if anything comes up during their stay in our communities, they're going to be there to provide support, whether it's replacing batteries or light bulbs, but also the bigger picture things, making sure the resident feels confident that they don't have to worry about. You know, maybe the siding needs to be repaired in a few years, or maybe the roof is gonna need to be replaced or, you know, we're making sure that the gutters and down spouts are cleaned, making sure the landscaping is maintained. There are a lot of things that are taken care of that hopefully are invisible to the residents." Kristina adds, "We try to keep accessibility in mind, and make everyone feel included. We want to make sure there's room for everyone at the table. And if you're in a meeting room, that you can hear — so there might be some sort of hearing assistant devices that we put in." Hear more podcasts from Era Living at Answers for Elders, including conversations with other residents, at Answers for Elders: https://answersforelders.com/era-living/ Learn more about:Answers for Elders: https://answersforelders.com/welcome-to-answers-for-elders/.Era Living at Answers for Elders: https://answersforelders.com/era-living/Era Living's website: https://www.eraliving.com/ Answers for Elders is part of the SeniorResource Network: https://www.seniorresource.com/Check out our affiliate podcast Alzheimer’s Speaks: https://alzheimersspeaks.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Susan Vahlkamp, Executive Director of Era Living's University House Issaquah, joins Suzanne to talk about the company's executive director in training program, which offers employees an opportunity for advancement to become strong, knowledgeable leaders. Susan says, "It's something that happens periodically in the company. Just two are selected at a time to go through that training program. They announce that they are accepting applications. It is only open to internal employees, and then you have to apply, get the blessing from your supervisor, the executive director at your community where you're working, and then it's an intensive interview process." She adds, "A lot of it is really learning more about each and every role in the community that isn't the executive director. That is the part that's really unique. It's not sitting with an executive director for a year and watching what they do. You take turns being assigned with a department director in one of our communities. I started with housekeeping, and I spent two full weeks with one of our amazing housekeeping directors at one of our communities, and learned their job as well as spent a full day with a housekeeper, cleaning apartments, a full day with the custodian, doing all the common areas and special projects, a full day in the laundry room. So really during those two weeks, I was really deep-diving into housekeeping. "And then from there, I moved on to a different department at a different community. So I would spend a few weeks to maybe a whole month, depending on the department, at our different communities with some people that were identified to be really great at their jobs and really see how a well-functioning department would run. And there were also modules where I wasn't in a community, but it was working on leadership development, and interviewing, and understanding the financial portion that you're responsible for as an executive director, through the budget for a community for the year. And so it had a lot of different aspects to it. And then the at the end, you get assigned to one community as an associate executive director to work more hands-on under an executive director for a portion of time as part of the program as well." Susan says, "I really think it helps as an executive director to have actually worked in every single position in the community. So, you know more of what it's really like for that person in that role, and when they're asking you for more staff, or they want different resources, you better understand what they're talking about. And make a better informed decision or can be more proactive in a lot of ways as well. I think you're just more relatable — I can really talk to the servers about what their job is like, and understand their struggles. And the person that is working overnight as a caregiver — to really have seen what they, their job is really like is very, very helpful." Hear more podcasts from Era Living at Answers for Elders, including conversations with other residents, at Answers for Elders: https://answersforelders.com/era-living/ Learn more about:Answers for Elders: https://answersforelders.com/welcome-to-answers-for-elders/.Era Living at Answers for Elders: https://answersforelders.com/era-living/Era Living's website: https://www.eraliving.com/University House Issaquah, located at 22975 SE Black Nugget Rd, Issaquah, WA 98029-6997: http://www.eraliving.com/communities/issaquah/ <a...

If you’re considering senior living, it’s important to hear from residents who’ve gone through the process of transiting to a senior living community. Jeanne lives with her golden retriever/labrador retriever Joyce at Era Living's Aljoya Mercer Island retirement community. Jeanne says, "I decided that I didn't want to live in my own home. I loved my house, and loved my neighbors, and my family. But any time I didn't feel well, I got really anxious. So I wanted to go someplace that had a health service. And I looked at 12 places, I didn't go into all of them. My criteria was that they would take a big dog — most places don't — and that we could walk out the door and go for a walk. Aljoya Mercer Island ... is the only one that met those criteria, and I was happy to move. I've been happy since the day I walked in the door. And they found the perfect apartment for me. I wanted a one bedroom den, where I could get out to the outside without going through the building." Jeanne adds, "I think the biggest surprise to me was that I have more friends than I've had since I was in college. It's not like living in a condo, where you walk out and you don't know anybody. You walk out and somebody is there, you may not even know them, but you talk to them and, and it's very friendly." “I would say one other thing — because I've been on the music committee and had to find musical activities, and had to advertise them, I have found a creative side to myself that I never thought of. I mean, I can sew and I can knit and I can do crown and cross stitch and that, but I just never had the opportunity to be in charge of something where I really didn't have to report to anybody. And have funds for things. I think that's been one of the most rewarding things of being here." Hear more podcasts from Era Living at Answers for Elders, including conversations with other residents, at Answers for Elders: https://answersforelders.com/era-living/ Learn more about:Answers for Elders: https://answersforelders.com/welcome-to-answers-for-elders/.Era Living at Answers for Elders: https://answersforelders.com/era-living/Era Living's website: https://www.eraliving.com/Aljoya Mercer Island, located at 2430 76th Ave SE, Mercer Island, WA 98040-2807: http://www.eraliving.com/communities/mercer-island/ Answers for Elders is part of the SeniorResource Network: https://www.seniorresource.com/Check out our affiliate podcast Alzheimer’s Speaks: https://alzheimersspeaks.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The book "Spirit Calling: Listening to God Within You" is a daily devotional book centered on a Bible passage for each day. Michael Wuehler wrote it as if the holy spirit is responding to the reader through the passage, in first person. Retired United Methodist minister Michael Wuehler joins Suzanne to talk about spiritual wellness, featured this month as part of the Vitality Revolution podcast series sponsored by Humana. Michael says, "I'm all over the internet. You can buy the book in paper format, but I also have "Spirit Calling" in different formats on YouTube as a video, and also something called "Chicken Soup for the Spirit" [on TikTok] which is a short prayer that I do in English and then translate into Spanish. And then I have a Daily Bible Quiz and an inspirational Daily Bible Verse [on TikTok], and a podcast that you can get at any place you download podcasts, Apple iTunes or whatever. So I realize not all people are going to sit down and read, not all people are gonna watch a video. Some people like to have their devotionals through their headphones while they're walking jogging, or whatever. So I try to reach people in every format that I could conceivably bring up." He adds, "The driving force behind all of this is connecting to people. That's why I went into ministry. I loved preaching, I loved small groups, Bible studies, whatever. I always made sure that I had some way to connect to the community. So I always had groups, and helping people in those — Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts — just some way of helping people grow. And it's not all religious based, but it's helping people find themselves and in finding themselves, they will find that spirit. "Luckily, God hid our spirits in plain sight. They're not hard to find, but God gives us some aha moments that help us out. You know, we step into situations in life when we realize that all of our life experience, our education, our physical abilities, aren't enough to interpret that. That we need of a larger sense of self and divine being within us." Learn more about:* Spirit Calling: Listening to God Within You at Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Spirit-Calling-Listening-God-Within/dp/1489733477* Michael Wuehler: https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B08W9F8HZD/about* The Vitality Revolution podcast series: https://answersforelders.com/vitality-revolution/* Humana: https://www.humana.com/* Answers for Elders: https://answersforelders.com/welcome-to-answers-for-elders/ Hear more:* Podcasts with Michael Wuehler at Answers for Elders: https://answersforelders.com/tag/michael-wuehler/* Michael Wuehler’s Hearing Spirit Calling podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/hearing-spirit-calling/id1663406008* Articles and podcasts about Spiritual Wellnss: https://answersforelders.com/vitality-revolution/spiritual-wellness/ Answers for Elders is part of the SeniorResource Network: https://www.seniorresource.com/Check out our affiliate podcast <a...

Working in hospice, United Methodist minister Michael Wuehler has helped with the grieving side of families in their spirituality, those coping with that end of life. Michael joins Suzanne to talk about spiritual wellness, featured this month as part of the Vitality Revolution podcast series sponsored by Humana. Michael says, "Grieving takes the rest of our lives. Sometimes people ask, 'When will I be over it?' You won't. If you've spent your life loving somebody, and they pass away, it doesn't just stop. You gave your heart and soul to that person. Grief is that feeling that rushes in when love dies. It is a complex feeling. We have to know that grief is there for a reason, and we need deal with it openly and specifically as possible. Every quarter, I would offer a five session grief seminar for the families in different areas that we serve. And the number one focus is find someone to talk to. Grief is not something to be done alone. Grief or the bereavement process is dealing with your feelings, your emotions, your dreams that are lost, whatever with some other person or people in an open, honest and safe atmosphere." He adds, "For years, I did grief support for people that have gone through divorce and it's the same type of grieving except the person doesn't die. The person that you went through a divorce with may still be in the same community, may be sharing children together. But the grief is very similar and much the same. We specialize in working with Alzheimer's patients. "There are over 110 different types of Alzheimer's, but the reactions tend to be much the same. The loved one starts picking up the memories of the person with Alzheimer's. And then there comes a parallel point when the person with Alzheimer's has lost more memory and the person that doesn't have it, is surpassing them. And our memory loss tends to be from the newest to the oldest. I have had patients that couldn't keep a sentence, but we could sing hymns together, right? Because they were still there in the back of their heads." Learn more about:* Spirit Calling: Listening to God Within You at Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Spirit-Calling-Listening-God-Within/dp/1489733477* Michael Wuehler: https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B08W9F8HZD/about* The Vitality Revolution podcast series: https://answersforelders.com/vitality-revolution/* Humana: https://www.humana.com/* Answers for Elders: https://answersforelders.com/welcome-to-answers-for-elders/ Hear more:* Podcasts with Michael Wuehler at Answers for Elders: https://answersforelders.com/tag/michael-wuehler/* Michael Wuehler’s Hearing Spirit Calling podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/hearing-spirit-calling/id1663406008* Articles and podcasts about Spiritual Wellnss: https://answersforelders.com/vitality-revolution/spiritual-wellness/ Answers for Elders is part of the SeniorResource Network: https://www.seniorresource.com/Check out our affiliate podcast Alzheimer’s Speaks: https://alzheimersspeaks.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy...

We often forget to take the moments to connect with ourselves. Author and Retired United Methodist minister Michael Wuehler joins Suzanne to talk about spiritual wellness, featured this month as part of the Vitality Revolution podcast series sponsored by Humana. Michael describes some tools — ways to connect with ourselves. He says, "We're human beings, not human doings, and we tend to do — we make humanity a verb rather than a noun. I practice yoga, which some Christians have some difficulty with, but yoga has no religion. Yoga is whatever you bring to it. And some of my instructors are very devout Christians in their practice. But yoga allows you to center on and feel and connect with that inner person. In my book, I open up one of the first devotionals with the word rûaħ, that's a Hebrew word. Rûaħ means breath or spirit. And in yoga, you learn to follow your breath, or your spirit, and your breath controls everything in the body. And without the breath, you don't have a body and without that, that life force that God breathes into us, we don't exist. So understanding that that breath, that life force in you, is the core of who you are. And then building upon that is essential. "We have breathing practices that we do where you follow your breath, you listen to your breath. There's a practice called the Ujjayi Breath, which means victory breath, where you hear your breath, and the focus is allowing other people in the room to hear that as well. It's like sharing your spiritual being, this is very practical and I used it quite a bit in helping hospice patients still feel that breath of life in them. Obviously, hospice patients are on their end of life, but that's a vital feeling that they can cope with." He adds, "There are three basic questions we all ask: Who am I? Why am I here? Where am I going? Who am I? — that's a spiritual question. Hopefully, you don't find a solitary answer, because I'm not just who I am. I am, who I am in relation to a greater being that I call God, and I am who I am in relation to that greater being, and my connection to other people. And part of my purpose in life is to connect with God and serve the people who God loves, which is you and everyone else on this Earth." Learn more about:* Spirit Calling: Listening to God Within You at Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Spirit-Calling-Listening-God-Within/dp/1489733477* Michael Wuehler: https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B08W9F8HZD/about* The Vitality Revolution podcast series: https://answersforelders.com/vitality-revolution/* Humana: https://www.humana.com/* Answers for Elders: https://answersforelders.com/welcome-to-answers-for-elders/ Hear more:* Podcasts with Michael Wuehler at Answers for Elders: https://answersforelders.com/tag/michael-wuehler/* Michael Wuehler’s Hearing Spirit Calling podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/hearing-spirit-calling/id1663406008* Articles and podcasts about Spiritual Wellnss: https://answersforelders.com/vitality-revolution/spiritual-wellness/ Answers for Elders is part of the SeniorResource Network: https://www.seniorresource.com/Check out our affiliate podcast Alzheimer’s Speaks:...

Michael Wuehler joins Suzanne to talk about spiritual wellness, featured this month as part of the Vitality Revolution podcast series sponsored by Humana. The University of Colorado, when defining their 8 foundational principles of wellness, says spiritual wellness has to do with your own sense of well-being, commitment to your morals and ethics, and who you are as an individual. In other words, know thyself, and stand true to your values and principles. This can include your faith. Michael Wuehler is a retired United Methodist minister with 30 years of experience in the parish ministry, helping many families work through so life challenges and circumstances. He's the author of Spirit Calling: Listening to God Within You. Often we go about our day-to-day lives doing rather than being centered. Michael says, "Most people practice their spirituality for an hour, or 45 minutes, during a worship service, and that's about it. But there's so much more out there, and the local church is just the practice of spirituality, and one minor focus. Spirituality s who you are. We are mind, body, and spirit. We notice the body, we feel things, we touch things, we respond to physical things. We think a lot — most of us have monkey minds, and we think all over the place, and we think too much, that's an ongoing concern with the younger generation. They tend to overthink. But we also have a tendency to leave out the spiritual part, and it's all three portions together that make us who we are." Learn more about:* Spirit Calling: Listening to God Within You at Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Spirit-Calling-Listening-God-Within/dp/1489733477* Michael Wuehler: https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B08W9F8HZD/about* The Vitality Revolution podcast series: https://answersforelders.com/vitality-revolution/* Humana: https://www.humana.com/* Answers for Elders: https://answersforelders.com/welcome-to-answers-for-elders/ Hear more:* Podcasts with Michael Wuehler at Answers for Elders: https://answersforelders.com/tag/michael-wuehler/* Michael Wuehler’s Hearing Spirit Calling podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/hearing-spirit-calling/id1663406008* Articles and podcasts about Spiritual Wellnss: https://answersforelders.com/vitality-revolution/spiritual-wellness/ Answers for Elders is part of the SeniorResource Network: https://www.seniorresource.com/Check out our affiliate podcast Alzheimer’s Speaks: https://alzheimersspeaks.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Retirement coach Larry Jacobson joins Suzanne to talk about his process of helping people find their life purpose and meaning in retirement. Larry explains, "I take people through nine stages to find their purpose and meaning in retirement. I call it, "What is Your Encore?" What are you going to do next? When people retire, say at 65, well, we're living a lot longer than the previous generation. If you make it to 65 there's a good chance you're gonna make it to 85. That's 20 years. What are you gonna do with yourself? So I first take people through, well, what is your vision? What is it that you think you want to do? And if you don't know, then I take them through the passion quiz, and that asks lots of questions about what they like, what they don't like. "Once we come up with something, and even if you can't come up with something, I say, well, just come up with the idea that you're gonna wake up in the morning for something that you love, and let's just move on from there. So then we talk about what steps would you need to take in order to make that happen. So you take a big dream, and you break it down into smaller goals. We go through a SWOT analysis. Those from the corporate world will know that a SWOT analysis stands for strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. That's how we analyze a product, or a company, or the competition, or our own company in the corporate world. I use it to analyze an individual. What are your strengths? What are your weaknesses? What opportunities do you have? What threats do you have? So you might say something like, 'I don't know anything about investing money, but my cousin happens to be a financial advisor.' So that's an opportunity that we take advantage of." Larry adds, "And then a lot of people will say, well, what I'm thinking about doing is risky. It's too risky. I'm afraid to take the risk. We do a risk analysis. And then, an issue that comes up a lot in personal decision making, is that people can't decide what should I do, what direction should I go? And I'm of the theory that we make decisions based on our priorities. What are your priorities in life? And that will help make your decisions a lot easier and faster. So I teach that. "There's a whole segment about fear. It's my favorite topic. There is a lot of fear: fear of success, success of losing friendships or losing routines or fear of change. And then if someone decides, there's the fear of what if I go the wrong direction? What if it doesn't work out well? That's OK. We're gonna set it up so that you're gonna enjoy the path along the way, right? And what did you learn in the process? "I teach people to focus not on a problem, but on the solution. Then also it's perseverance, keeping a positive attitude, a commitment to what it is that you've decided you want to do, and tenacity. and fortitude. "Visualization is another thing that I use a lot. Now, that's lesson one. The first three lessons on visualization are free. And I'd love your listeners to go take the free lessons, and that's https://buoytraining.com/sail-into-retirement/." Hear more:Larry Jacobson podcasts on Answers for Elders: https://answersforelders.com/tag/larry-jacobson/Occupational Wellness podcasts: https://answersforelders.com/vitality-revolution/occupational-wellness/ Learn more:Larry's Sail Into Retirement training course: https://buoytraining.com/sail-into-retirement/ You can reach Larry Jacobson via his website at https://larryjacobson.com/ Answers for Elders is part...

Retirement coach Larry Jacobson joins Suzanne to talk about finding your life purpose. Larry says, "Most of the people who come to me are about to retire or will retire within a year, and they ask, 'Is this all there is? I thought there would be more, I thought it would be more fun. I'm bored. Help me, I'm gonna go crazy.' I start with, 'Let's talk about a vision that you have for your dream retirement. What did you always dream of doing in retirement?' Well, I don't know, is the answer I get a lot. It's OK if you don't know, because we have tools to help you get there. And one of them is a passion quiz. It's actually available for free on my website, LarryJacobson.com. You just put in your name and your email, and the passion quiz comes to you, and it's about 30 questions. The questions are easy. The answers are hard, because you really have to think, and I ask you questions like what were you doing the last time you had fun? What were you doing the last time you stayed up really, really late and didn't even realize what time it was? What makes you leap out of bed in the morning without a cup of coffee?' I recommend people have that. That's just one of the tools that's in the course, Sailing Into Retirement." He also coaches clients one-on-one through his training course. Larry adds, "That's really the best way. You buy the course for just 95 bucks, and then you get one free session. Well, we can only go so far in one session. So the most popular is that people buy the course with four sessions. You can also buy the course with nine sessions, and it gets progressively cheaper as you go. Some people buy the nine sessions because I'll be with them for almost a year to help them through these questions and I'm asking them lots of questions like, 'OK, now you've got a dream, you've got this big dream. How do we break that down into steps into goals?'" Hear more:Larry Jacobson podcasts on Answers for Elders: https://answersforelders.com/tag/larry-jacobson/Occupational Wellness podcasts: https://answersforelders.com/vitality-revolution/occupational-wellness/ Learn more:Larry's Sail Into Retirement training course: https://buoytraining.com/sail-into-retirement/ You can reach Larry Jacobson via his website at https://larryjacobson.com/ Answers for Elders is part of the SeniorResource Network: https://www.seniorresource.com/Check out our affiliate podcast Alzheimer’s Speaks: https://alzheimersspeaks.com/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.