Kristine Grow, the spokesperson from the Coalition for Medicare Choices, joins Suzanne to talk more about Medicare Advantage. Suzanne asks about dual eligibility.  Grow says, "People who are dual eligible qualify for both Medicare and Medicaid, and this can get confusing because a lot of Americans aren't quite sure what the differences are. Medicare is for people 65 and older, or who have certain disabilities. Medicaid is eligible for low-income Americans, two million Veterans, moms, their children, and about 12 millions are eligible for both programs. They have very serious health conditions, they need a lot of protection. So, they're a very important population that has a lot of chronic conditions, greater levels of disability, and they're more likely to need nursing home care as well. Medicare Advantage serves a lots of them through SNIP or special-needs plans, lots of care coordination and services for care. A lot of plans have special programs specifically designed for people with diabetes, and it's not just to cover their insulin. There are a lot of other illnesses and a lot of other conditions that come along with being a person who has diabetes, to manage your chronic condition. As your condition may get more serious, to take care of those illnesses as well, help you with healthier eating programs and a lot of other things to help get your blood sugars a little bit more stable and take care of you in the longer run. You have a lot of different doctors that you need to see." Suzanne asked why sometimes you have to switch medicines in order for it to be covered under Medicare Advantage. Kristine explained, "That's because these Medicare Advantage plans are offered by health insurance providers. It's a public/private partnership between the federal government and health insurance providers and the job of the health insurance provider is to negotiate lower costs for you, whether that's through lower premiums, or through lower out of pocket costs. When you get the care that you need, various drug manufacturers are the ones that are setting the price for these medications. I think we can all agree that they need to lower these prices that they charge from a very high price. "No matter how much you negotiate, you're never going to get an affordable price for a lot of seniors who are on a limited income, but the health insurance providers do a great job of negotiating those lower prices. And they do that through tools that are available to them, such as a formulary which they may say, depending on other drugs that are available, if you have drugs that have the same efficacy, you can get a much cheaper price for it if you get this version of it, and it's a way to get the drug makers to compete with one another. So, the drugs that are delivering the same kind of clinical outcome can be charged at a cheaper price. So it's kind of like that negotiation between say, a brand name tissue or a generic tissue. You get the same value out of it, you just get a very good price for it as well. So there's a lot of that negotiation that happens. Visit MedicareChoices.org to learn more about Medicare Advantage and the Coalition for Medicare Choices.

Kristine Grow, the spokesperson from the Coalition for Medicare Choices,  joins Suzanne to talk more about Medicare Advantage. They represent millions of seniors across the country who choose Medicare Advantage for their coverage. Based in Washington, D.C., active in all states, they reach out to lawmakers to ensure that it's protected. Grow says, "The good news is that Medicare Advantage is one of those rare areas where we have had strong bipartisan support, and that has continued even this year. More than 60 senators signed onto a letter to the administration about the importance of protecting Medicare Advantage. "We do have some concerns right now that, as the administration is thinking about investments into the program for 2024, they've just made some proposals that would cut billions of dollars out of the program. And at a time when it does have such strong support and where the Medicare trustees are projecting that Medicare costs per enrollee are going to go up 5% for next year. On average, cutting billions of the program is just really the wrong direction for Americans, especially when the Medicare Advantage program has had such a strong history of adding value, improving health outcomes and saving costs for seniors and taxpayers. "It could impact the sickest and those with the lowest incomes, so it's important that you reach out the White House to let them know how you feel about Medicare Advantage." Visit MedicareChoices.org to learn more about Medicare Advantage and the Coalition for Medicare Choices. They have lots of stories from members and lots of information and tools to help you work with your local congressman, representative, and senator.

Kristine Grow, the spokesperson from the Coalition for Medicare Choices, joins Suzanne to talk more about Medicare, and how seniors think about Medicare coverage. She explains, "Today's seniors have a different expectation for their health care and their health care coverage. They don't want just coverage when they are sick. They also want coverage when they are well, to help them stay well. They want to get better faster, and they wanna stay healthier longer. So programs like access to healthy foods, things like fitness programs, things like access to community centers, these are things that help them stay more fit physically and that get them out in the community and build new relationships. So they have a better sense of mental wellness and mental well-being as well. These are really strong commitments by these Medicare Advantage plans and the health insurance providers that offer them. And we think those are really big pieces of why our senior voters are so very satisfied with these plans, and they continue to tell Washington every single year that these plans need to be protected." Medicare Advantage is also available to those on fixed incomes or at the poverty level. She says, "Seniors are choosing Medicare Advantage, they're not required to enroll in it, but they're looking at these plans and making a decision. When we look at the demographics of the enrollees, 40% of them have an income of $25,000 a year or less. So these are low income households, they have a very fixed income, and they need their household dollars, especially their health care dollars, to stretch as far as they can. Price points keep going down year after year. This year for the 2023 benefit year, the average monthly premium was just $18 a month. And there are a lot of seniors who are able to get plans for $0 premiums a month, depending on what they qualify for and what plans are offered in their area. So it's, it's an important part of their financial stability." If you have questions about Medicare Advantage, Kristine Grow says, "A really great website is offered by the federal government itself. It's Medicare.gov. And it has a lot of very basic, easy to understand information about what is Medicare: What are the different parts? How do I qualify? What would I need to pay for these different parts? It also has a great tool called the Plan Finder tool, which helps you to find a plan that is specific to what you're looking for. And it helps you compare plans as well to see what's covered, what's not, and make sure that you're comfortable with the choice that you're making. "At the Coalition for Medicare Choices, we very strongly believe that people should have truth in marketing and know exactly what they're buying. We want them to have a choice that makes sense for them and they're happy with, nobody wants anybody to choose a plan that they're not satisfied with." Visit MedicareChoices.org to learn more about Medicare Advantage and the Coalition for Medicare Choices.

Kristine Grow, the spokesperson from the Coalition for Medicare Choices, explains why Medicare Advantage plans are growing in popularity. She joins Suzanne to explain who it covers, how it's accessible, and how the country's demographics apply. Kristine explains, "when you become eligible for Medicare, you have choices and to what kinds of health care coverage you can enroll in. Original Medicare are the parts that are considered Medicare Part A and Medicare Part B. A covers a chunk of hospitalization costs. Medicare part B covers a chunk of doctor visits in other sorts of visits. Medicare Advantage is Medicare part C, and Medicare Advantage covers everything that original Medicare covers ,plus a whole lot more. So if you enroll both parts A and B, you can also choose part C. "Some of the benefits that we hear from our seniors, who are part of the Coalition for Medicare Choices, what they really like about Medicare Advantage is the vast majority of these plans include prescription drug coverage. A lot of Americans are surprised when they hear that original Medicare doesn't include prescription drug coverage. It also includes services like dental, vision, and hearing services which are very important. Other services include coordination of care, particularly for conditions that are chronic, such as if you have heart disease or a heart condition, if you have diabetes, very common kinds of health conditions that if you proactively manage them, you can stay healthier a little bit longer and realize and achieve a better quality of life than you may otherwise. "There are also more benefits in Medicare Advantage that are being included now, which are called supplemental benefits. And these are benefits to address what are called the social determinants of health, or social barriers to better health. For example, if you have a home that doesn't have very good air conditioning or heating, and you have some, some health risks, you may be able to get additional services to help you keep your cold place warmer or your warm place a little bit cooler. You may get transportation back and forth to the doctor's office, for the pharmacy to get the care that you need, even healthy foods and healthy meal programs if that is a risk factor for you. So there's a lot of these Medicare advantage programs offer, beyond original Medicare." Visit MedicareChoices.org to learn more about Medicare Advantage and the Coalition for Medicare Choices.

Allyson Schrier joins Suzanne to talk about the Zinnia TV app, helping people thrive beyond their diagnosis, with the aim of both the caregiver and the person receiving care to thrive. The meaning of the flower zinnia is "Memories of a Forgotten Friend." The Zinnia TV app has more than 180 research-driven videos that are digestible and appealing for people in mid- to late stages of dementia. Watching the videos serves to create opportunities to talk and share. There are a variety of channels, opportunities for people to be successful and help support activities of daily living. There are videos about, for example, drinking water. It's not about how to do it, but seeing people, cats, geese and more drinking water and enjoying it. Caregivers play that video five or six times a day as a point of conversation to prompt the senior to have a glass of water. Zinnia TV subscriptions are just $6.99/month, or $69.99/year, with a two-week free trial. Learn more at Zinnia TV.

11 million caregivers are caring for a senior loved one who has dementia in America. Allyson Schrier joins Suzanne to talk about a typical day for a caregiver. While everyone is different, those living at home with a loved one in mid- or late stages of dementia face some consistent themes. As a caregiver, you have a lot on your mind, and are often exhausted, on edge, not getting much sleep. There's an unpredictability of what your loved one might want to do or might say. In Allyson's case, it was a daily challenge to help her husband retain his dignity and accomplish the tasks he needed to do without making him feel like he was being treated as a child — not just being cared for, but being supported. She highly recommends learning how to be a more effective caregiver and provides a number of excellent resources for people to check out. Allyson co-developed Zinnia TV, a positive, nurturing, inspiring app and a therapeutic caregiving tool for those in similar circumstances. Zinnia TV subscriptions are just $6.99/month, or $69.99/year, with a two-week free trial. Learn more at Zinnia TV.

Allyson Schrier joins Suzanne to talk about Zinnia TV, a therapeutic caregiving tool. It's an app created especially for people in the progressive stage of Alzheimer's or dementia. So many caregivers are trying to do their best for their senior loved ones when their mind is working in a very different way. It's an overwhelming situation. Allyson talks about the experience of caring for her husband who, after several years trying to find out what was going on, was diagnosed in 2012 with frontotemporal dementia at age 47, which has been in the news a lot lately, as Bruce Willis was recently diagnosed with it. Allyson's kids were 12 and 15 at the time. It changed his personality, made him less connected to others and much different than the kind, loving husband he'd been. Regular TV and YouTube don't engage well with those in middle or late stages of dementia. Allyson realized that slower-paced visuals, with music instead of words, or with the words captioned, would be better. Zinnia TV is co-founded by Allyson and Frank Lee, a former Product Designer at Apple. Zinnia TV subscriptions are just $6.99/month, or $69.99/year, with a two-week free trial. Learn more at Zinnia TV.

Learn about how to keep your home safe. According to the CDC, 50% of adults over 65 who fall and experience a serious injury may never be able to live independently, or have to go to a nursing home due to their injuries. And every 20 minutes in this country, an adult over 65 dies from a fall. These are preventable injuries – often a trip and fall, such as from a slippery throw rug. Think about how you can keep your home safe in the future. Go to SilverSpaces.com to get information on little things that you can do over time in the early stages of your retirement, so that you can stay independently as long as possible. National aging-in-place expert Dr. Jill Bjerke of Silver Spaces LLC joins Suzanne to talk about the SilverSpaces.com website, which helps you survey your home to make it more aging-in-place friendly. Dr. Jill Bjerke says, "For example, one of the things we do look at is your floor covering. Say you have vinyl tile in your bathroom, and it's slippery. Well, there's a coating you can paint on there to give it more resistance. Same thing in the kitchen, if you've got water on your floor, and you don't have a slip resistant coating, that's a perfect place to slip and fall. And these are things that we point out in the online assessment at SilverSpaces.com. These are the modifications that you can do to keep yourself safe. "I tell people to think about having a tennis ball in their hand. That's what it's like to have arthritis. Instead of having door knobs on your kitchen cabinet doors, lever handles — which just take a push — is such a better solution. These are the types of solutions that we offer to people to try and make their homes safer. "You can do a whole bathroom remodel and take your tub out and put a walk-in shower. That's logical, if you want to do that, and if it's in your budget. But there are so many other smaller things that you can do. Remember, as we get older, we tend to shuffle. So instead of having that 3" pile carpet in my living room, maybe I should have something that is maybe an inch to an inch and a half and I won't trip as much. If your coffee table has sharp corner, and you trip and fall, you could set yourself up for a serious injury. We start to lose our peripheral vision as we grow older, so we recommend having a very strong color differential between the color of your floor and the color of your walls, so your brain knows where you are in space. There are many things that are not expensive. But we just don't think about things, because it comes on so slowly." 

Whether we want to get older or not, it's not an option — we're all aging. National aging-in-place expert Dr. Jill Bjerke of Silver Spaces LLC joins Suzanne to talk about aging in place questions. If you're getting close to 65 or retirement, it's important to consider downsizing and decluttering. What if you're not able medically or physically to stay in your current home. What are your options? Dr. Bjerke says, "Let's say I can't stand my home. What are my options? Where am I'm gonna go? Can I move in with a relative? There are things called "tiny homes" that you can put on your own property. There's something now, our current newsletter talks about, which is accessory dwelling units, where you can remodel a basement in a relative's home and you can live there instead. "What if I can't stay here because it's not a safe place for me to be? Or maybe you have a huge home, and modifications just don't make sense. You have a four-bedroom, three-bath home, and there's two of you. Sometimes people can remodel a garage and then rent out their home to cover the cost. You may have a person with dementia that needs care, but can live somewhat independently — you can remodel a garage for that person. "The SilverSpaces.com assessment is not only just for older adults, but we also look at the pictures of dementia, muscular dystrophy, people who are in wheelchairs, people who are in walkers, things that need to think about when you're ambulating around the home clutter elimination. Big huge one. We all have way too much clutter and we don't realize how dangerous it is for us. "We just seem to accumulate things for whatever reason. We don't realize how many things we have, and when I talk to people, their fear, it was like, oh my gosh, how am I going to move all this stuff? This is the time to start thinking about downsizing. I've had clients who have said, 'I don't want to leave all this stuff for my kids to go through. I want to get rid of it now.' Now gives you the perfect opportunity to make a list, or put labels on the back of things of where you want some of your things to go when you're no longer here. Because once you are no longer here, no one knows you wanted your niece to have that emerald bracelet." Visit Silver Space’s website to learn more.

Our lives change, but our home doesn't. If you're getting close to 65, or thinking about retirement, it's time to talk about aging in place: steps we can take to maintain our quality of life during our senior years. National aging-in-place expert Dr. Jill Bjerke of Silver Spaces LLC joins Suzanne to talk about the Silver Spaces App, which helps you survey your home to make it more aging-in-place friendly. Dr. Bjerke says, "There are dangerous situations, but because these things have been around us for so long, we just don't recognize that they could be a danger to our health: trips and falls. Trips and falls are the major cause of deaths for people over 65. With a hip fracture, you will usually not live independently, and most will have to go to a nursing home. These are preventable, and that was the reason this assessment was created. "It's called SilverSpaces.com. It allows you to walk through your home, each room at a time, and answer questions about that room as it pertains to the way you use it. So it will say, do you have floor rugs? You should not have floor rugs. So the recommendation will be, either tape them down, or remove them. You have three sources of light. Do you have a task source, a natural source, or an ambient above-light source? We need a lot of sources of light, as our eyes change, and we just don't realize it. Do we have motion detector lights throughout our home? So that as we move through our home, particularly during dusk or during the dark, our ways are lighted. If we have arthritis in our shoulder, can we reach up to that second shelf in our kitchen, or do we need to put in shelves that come down to us. Are we having back troubles and we can't bend over very well? Then we need drawers that pull all the way out to us. "If you have sharp corners on your countertops in your kitchen, or your bathroom, and you fall, that's a perfect way to get a traumatic brain injury. There are rubber things you can put over those countertops. There are all kinds of solutions that are not real, real expensive that can change that environment." "Another one that people don't realize over time, and I know this sounds silly but having gone through knee replacement surgery myself, I can attest to this: How high is your toilet? Is it hard to get up and down off of? Because it's too low, or do you have grab bars, and are they in the right place? So this assessment goes through both the interior and the exterior. It goes through second bedroom, second bathrooms, offices, dens. You can do as much or as little as you want, and what you are trying to assess. "And then, at the end, you get a report that can either be printed or saved as a PDF. And it gives you very, very targeted recommendations and changes that you can make to make that problem easier to live with, and maybe even go away and do it in a different direction. Visit Silver Space’s website to learn more.

National aging-in-place expert Dr. Jill Bjerke of Silver Spaces LLC joins Suzanne to talk about steps we can take to maintain our quality of life in our senior years: downsizing, eliminating clutter, and improving safety. Dr. Bjerke says, "Aging in place is not what people think it is. It's not 'I'm just gonna stay in my home forever.' The problem is that we change, but our homes don't. That means we need to step back and take a look at what's going on in our lives. We need to look at our finances, transportation, health, socialization. Ask questions: What am I gonna do if I can't drive? Do I have transportation in my town so I can get where I need to go? Is my health good enough for me to remain at home, or my partner to remain at home, or do I have a condition that's going to need some attention in the future, and remaining at home may not be the best option for me. Socialization is one of the downsides of aging in place, because you can become very isolated if you can't get to where you can socialize with other people. So those are some of the really important factors that we need to think about in addition to staying in my home as long as I can." Some people get overwhelmed with downsizing and de-cluttering. Dr. Bjerke says, "I've had clients say things like, 'I need to downsize because I don't want to leave all this stuff to my kids,' which is an amazing thing. And I hear people say, 'I don't know where to start.' Well, I can see why. But if you break it down into manageable pieces, you do two drawers at a time, or part of a closet at a time, and you sort things, you decide what you're, keep going to keep, what you're going to sell, what you're going to recycle what you're going to give away, that makes it a lot easier. "Now, along with that comes with some things that have memories attached to them. One of the things people don't realize is they are not attached to that thing, they are attached to the memory that that thing brings to them. If you are going to downsize, you don't have the room for some of these things, possibly take a picture of it, so you still have that image, or find someone who will love that piece as much as you do. I've given entire sets of China to churches. There are ways to manage getting rid of some of your things in a very peaceful way. And that's what it should be. It shouldn't be full of stress, it should be peaceful." Coming in our next segment, Dr. Bjerke introduces the Silver Space app to help you survey your home and make it more aging-in-place friendly. Visit Silver Space’s website to learn more.

Tonya Hilson at CarePartners Living joins Suzanne talk about senior wellness and how the senior living community fits into the quality of life for seniors. This segment focuses on physical wellness. The number one reason why we want to have our senior loved ones be in senior living and be under care is the principle of physical wellness. It's that ability to eat right, to live right, to exercise, to have a better quality of life. Tonya says, "It's so important for our seniors as they're aging that they're still moving — whether it's moving just arms, or still walking, it's very important. At our cottages, we have courtyards, and there are lots areas where seniors can come and watch. Some are so dedicated that they bundle up and come out in the cold – I've got to get my daily exercise. They come, whether they're taking a walker, or if they're taking small steps, or walking briskly, they just want to get out and enjoy the outside and the fresh air. So whether we're doing a gentle yoga class, or if they're lifting weights, even two pound weights, it's so exciting for them." They also have an amazing food program, and there's a great deal of mindfulness in the quality of food that's being served. Tonya says, "With your rent, food is included, so it's not a separate fee. There's breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks. If someone wants something between those times, food is available. We have sandwiches, healthy snacks, and we want to make sure they're feeling full." Suzanne ends the hour with a story. Sometimes the true sign of life's purpose shows up in the most unexpected ways. CarePartners Living currently has a move-in special that waives up to $2,000 in charges, based on your spend-down. They're encouraging families to try them out. With respite care, you can stay anywhere from 2-3 days to 2-3 weeks at a flat, daily rate. If you're on the fence, but you want to try it, give Tonya a call at 206-412-355, or visit the CarePartners Living website.

Venetia Dela Cruz from CarePartners Living joins Suzanne talk about senior wellness and how the senior living community fits into the quality of life for seniors. Previous segments have covered emotional and social wellness, and this segment introduces environmental wellness, an aspect that people might not think of. Venetia says, "By keeping our residents safe, that means keeping them away from illnesses as well. They want to feel safe and comfortable in their own environment, and we're also making sure they have everything they need in their spaces and in our buildings." Suzanne says, "There are so many seniors at home with throw rugs, they have to climb stairs, they might have rickety banisters, they might have a bathroom that is hard to navigate, maybe a tug they have to step over — all of these are huge fall risks for a senior, that's not an environment that supports someone, if they have vision or mobility issues. Environmental wellness also covers the things that bring people joy — it might be pictures on the wall, beautiful colors you like to wear, it's a way of expressing yourself." "Senior living is ADA compliant. If your loved one ever needs to have a walker, or a wheelchair, or if they get vision issues, the hallways have railings, and they have benches so that you can sit. Environmental wellnes also is being in an environment that is beautiful. One of the things that's so great about CarePartners is that the communities are beautiful." CarePartners Living currently has a move-in special that waives up to $2,000 in charges, based on your spend-down. They're encouraging families to try them out. With respite care, you can stay anywhere from 2-3 days to 2-3 weeks at a flat, daily rate. If you're on the fence, but you want to try it, give Venitia a call at 425-919-4006, or visit the CarePartners Living website.

Tonya Hilson at CarePartners Living joins Suzanne talk about senior wellness and how the senior living world keeps ourselves grounded in the best quality of life. This segment focuses on social community, our ability to connect with others. Tonya is a Community Relations Director for CarePartners Living. Tonya says, "One of the things people ask about is that their mom is used to staying at home; will she be able to adapt to this new environment? They will meet new friends, we encourage that. Whether that means making sure she's available for an activity that's happening in the morning, or the afternoon, we just want her to be a part of it. It's so important — they look forward to it. Our residents look forward to the socialization, the activities, even meal times. You're not at home eating alone any more, you're at the table with friends." CarePartners Living currently has a move-in special that waives up to $2,000 in charges, based on your spend-down. They're encouraging families to try them out. With respite care, you can stay anywhere from 2-3 days to 2-3 weeks at a flat, daily rate. If you're on the fence, but you want to try it, give Venitia a call at 425-919-4006, or visit the CarePartners Living website.

Venetia Dela Cruz from CarePartners Living joins Suzanne talk about senior wellness and how the senior living world fits into the quality of life for seniors. Venetia is Business Development Manager and works closely with the Community Relations Director. Soon AFE will be launching a program series on the Eight Foundational Principles of Wellness, and this hour touches on four of the principles. Emotional Wellness is at the core of our being, where we're most able to adapt to changes, and is our sense of well-being, feeling as if we're fit to take on the day, and also a willingness to nurture and be nurtured. It's key when moving into a senior living community, because, yes it is a change, but it's a change for the better. Instead of feeling isolated, watching TV at home all day, or be in a community that surrounds you with that kind of love and acceptance. CarePartners Living currently has a move-in special that waives up to $2,000 in charges, based on your spend-down. They're encouraging families to try them out. With respite care, you can stay anywhere from 2-3 days to 2-3 weeks at a flat, daily rate. If you're on the fence, but you want to try it, give Venitia a call at 425-919-4006, or visit the CarePartners Living website.

Asset protection attorney Darol Tuttle joins Suzanne. Darol shared a couple of stories. "I grew up poor, a farm boy. When I was three years old, I watched my grandfather die right in front of me. I can remember that vividly. Our family went on a different course from that day on. Our grandmother lived with us — she died two years ago, she lived another 54 years alone, relying on family members. And so, for me, the silver tsunami is biased, it's not gender neutral, it adversely affects women. The great thing is, the law has solutions." BoomX.biz, the BoomX Academy, is a membership site, an online digital academy. "There is a member level called Family Leaders, and these are people who are actively planning. For $44/month, we meet weekly for a live Q&A, they have exclusive checklists and guides, and that site also has a drafting app for a work product that I currently charge $8,000 for. You can draft that work product for $150 and you'll have it in your in-box immediately, the same app I use for my clients in my law firm, because I wrote the code for it." Learn more at the BoomX website or visit Darol's YouTube channel. Suzanne also shares a poignant story about dog adoptions.

Asset protection attorney Darol Tuttle joins Suzanne. Suzanne asks what is the easiest way to get started. Darol says, "The old model is you go to an expensive lawyer's office, with doorknobs made of gold. Some of these estate plans cost $15,000. My website, which I've been pouring my heart and soul into, is a great way to start. I'm a lawyer, I have a law firm, I practice law. However, to get started, you need information, you need to process it, sitting in the comfort of your home, reading an article, listening to a podcast. I have a podcast show - I had a radio show called the BoomX show on another network, for Baby Boomers and Ex Gen'ers. My website is BoomX.biz, the BoomX Academy, and it has several audio master classes on spousal protection trusts. A free master class introduces you to the power of the law, called The Roadmap, so you can get the idea." "Investing is offense, you're growing your money," Darol says. "There's no conversation about defending your money." We need to start early and plan, and have a grasp of what's going on. Learn more at the BoomX website or visit Darol's YouTube channel.

Asset protection attorney Darol Tuttle joins Suzanne. In our last segment, Darol talked about a spousal protection trust. Rules have changed for living trusts. Darol explains, "If you transfer a personal residence into a living trust for Medicaid purposes, the home is no longer exempt. That's poison. There's a court of appeals case for that, if you have a spousal protection trust in your will. For this trust, the surviving spouse cannot be the executor or the trustee of their own trust. Talking about the probability of financial loss, Washington is tax obsessed right now. If you want to double your exemption, set up a spousal protection trust. But for some people, even when they know that, there's some block to moving forward and taking a simple solution that guarantees a solution. "Spend-downs never apply. Brutal, brutal Medicaid spend-downs, which is what every retiree should be afraid of, even if you think you have it wired through your life and that of your spouse, $30,000 a month for long term care, although a remote possibility, it will clean your clocks, it will ruin everything. Take simple little precautions." A living trust doesn't protect finances, it just avoids probate. A living trust is disregarded by the IRS and Department of Revenue. Learn more at the BoomX website or visit Darol's YouTube channel.

Attorney Darol Tuttle joins Suzanne to talk about going beyond estate planning in asset management. Darol explains the differences between estate planning and asset protection planning. Estate planning is about handing the transfer of your wealth to heirs after you've passed on. Asset protection focuses on protecting your assets while you're still alive, to finance your retirement throughout your life, and to fund the retirement of your spouse. You want specifically to defend against the three main threats, which are high unreimbursed medical expenses, unnecessary taxation, and family mismanagement/mistakes. A great example to illustrate: Washington is one of 12 states with an estate tax, the highest in the country, with a $2 million exemption. But these days a home could cost $1 million. A life insurance policy, even term, counts as your estate, so if you had a $1 million home and a $1 million insurance policy, you're hitting the cap. Washington also has a 7% capital gains tax. A bill introduced in Washington on January 20 proposed a third tax on wealth, a 1% tax on worldwide investments. So that's three unique wealth taxes in the state, eroding our nest eggs. Setting up a simple trust doubles the exemption of a couple to $4 million, saving about $160,000 in taxes. People going broke on long term care is a serious problem. People don't understand spousal protection, and another trust set up by Federal law says if you leave money for your spouse in a spousal protection trust, for their benefit, then Medicaid spend down and transfer penalties do not apply. This is the most important trust in asset protection law, and has the fewest penalties. So think about asset protection. Forget about asset transfer, think about putting the inheritance of your spouse in a bullet-proof silo so it doesn't have to be spent down to $2,000, so she doesn't have to be in poverty, so she can co-pay with Medicaid and have everything taken care of all the way to the finish line in comfort. Learn more at the BoomX website or visit his YouTube channel.

Architecture and Aging-in-Place expert Aaron Murphy, owner of ADM Architecture, joins Suzanne to talk about his vision for the website foreverhome-us.com in the next three to five years. If you're over 55, look at your home. Ask yourself these questions if you want to stay in your home as you get older: Can you navigate around your house when you're older? Are there stairs, can you navigate your bathrooms? If you were in a wheelchair, could you use the bathroom? Could you climb into a slippery bathtub? Do you have proper handrails? Could your home be adapted as you age? Yes, it is possible, and there's a great opportunity for architects, designers, and home remodelers to learn how. Murphy is building a one-stop place to visit where you can trust that everyone brought onto the team will be able to help. Check out foreverhome-us.com if you're a homeowner thinking about aging-in-place. The site has three main areas. First, if you want us to speak with members of your company, they can do that. Second is the opportunity for business owners to be trained. Third, there will be a nationwide database of aging place and universal housing design stock plans. The average buying cycle is seven years, but when you buy a home you ought to consider what it'll be like living there longer than that, especially if you're over 40. This might be your last home purchase. It's beneficial to think about aging in place questions even if you aren't worried about it now. Visit foreverhome-us.com to learn more. If you email aaron@foreverhome-us.com and say that you heard him on Answers For Elders, you'll get a free home evaluation checklist. If you're a consumer looking for a longevity plan house design, he will provide 50% off on the first house design, more than $1,000 savings. If you're a business owner thinking of getting into the industry, there's a phenomenal opportunity here. If you're interested in the course work to become an aging-in-place expert, you'll get 50% off on the first teaching module, also more than $1,000 off.

Architecture and Aging-in-Place expert Aaron Murphy, owner of ADM Architecture, joins Suzanne. If you're a Baby Boomer concerned with how to live longer in your home, this hour is for you. With 10,000 people turning 65 each day, Murphy's site foreverhome-us.com takes what he does in his business, designing houses with aging in place and universal design solutions, and helps more people by bringing what he knows to a national level. Now instead of training the individual consumer, he trains the trainer. It will become a group of experts (general contractors, occupational therapists, remodelers, home designers) and all the affiliate products and things that go with staying at home. Visit foreverhome-us.com to learn more. If you email aaron@foreverhome-us.com and say that you heard him on Answers For Elders, you'll get a free home evaluation checklist. If you're a consumer looking for a longevity plan house design, he will provide 50% off on the first house design, more than $1,000 savings. If you're a business owner, interested in the course work to become an aging in place expert, you'll get 50% off on the first teaching module, also more than $1,000 off.

Aaron Murphy, owner of Aging-in-Place-focused ADM Architecture in the greater Seattle area, joins Suzanne. While going to college in architecture, he realized that his grandmother's split-level house was not conducive to what she needed later in life. He designed commercial building for ADA compliance. He saw that there was a real-world housing issue when he learned how much assisted living would cost. Everyone wants to stay at home as they age, and many more can stay home independently for longer, with some modifications. Visit foreverhome-us.com to learn more. If you email aaron@foreverhome-us.com and say that you heard him on Answers For Elders, you'll get a free home evaluation checklist. If you're a consumer looking for a longevity plan house design, he will provide 50% off on the first house design, more than $1,000 savings. If you're a business owner, interested in the course work to become an aging in place expert, you'll get 50% off on the first teaching module, also more than $1,000 off.

This hour addresses the process of facing a chronic diagnosis, not just with the loved one, but also their caregivers. Suzanne is joined by Lianna Marie, author of ''The Complete Guide for People With Parkinson’s Disease and Their Loved Ones'' and the upcoming book ''The Parkinson's Path." She explains, "We talk about facing our fears, but my Mom and I talked about 'faithing' our fears. None of us knows what the future holds, and there are so many unknowns, in particular for Parkinson's because it looks so different for different people. Ultimately, it did end up that mom was in long term care, but at the beginning if you'd told me that I would have been freaking out. I imagined all these horrible things, none of which happened, by the way." Fear is a funny thing. Be comfortable with being uncomfortable. Channeling fear and anxiety can lead to amazing things. Lianna explains, "My mom handled her fears over time with counseling, being okay with being vulnerable, admitting how she feels. It's really a big deal to be able to say that you're afraid. Once she was able to acknowledge this, her faith saved her, I feel that literally. She had strong faith in God right up until the end. Every morning, as she got up, Parkinson's presented itself differently, but faith gave some purpose and meaning in her life. A lot of people that have talked to me have said, whether it's God or some form of spirituality, it has really helped them, especially for those who have had a larger hand dealt to them." Learn more at Lianna's website, All About Parkinson's.

If you're a caregiver for someone with a chronic condition, you'll appreciate this hour, as Suzanne is joined by Lianna Marie, author of ''The Complete Guide for People With Parkinson’s Disease and Their Loved Ones'' and the upcoming book ''The Parkinson's Path." After denial, some go through an anger phase. It's a thing and we shouldn't ignore it. For Lianna's mother, her independence was being taken away, a frustrating situation for anyone. “There were lots of tiny moments where anger came out. Anger and defiance – I'm staying in my house no matter what – are feelings of vulnerability.” Lianna provides tips for how to deal with it. Understand where your anger is coming from, and let it out, and find constructive ways to let it out. Acknowledging it goes a long way.

Lianna Marie, author of ''The Complete Guide for People With Parkinson’s Disease and Their Loved Ones'' and the upcoming book ''The Parkinson's Path,'' joins Suzanne to talk about the shared path families experience when a loved one gets a chronic diagnosis. Initially, there's denial. Lianna says what we often don't think about isn't about the loved one's feeling of denial, but caregivers as well. "I thought I could "save" her from Parkinson's," she confesses about having denial, "not that I could make it go away, but I could make things a lot easier. I'll put it on my shoulders. But I wasn't able to do that." Lianna explains, "People often come to me and say, my husband's in denial about his Parkinson's disease, and I ask for clarification, and they say, he doesn't want to get any help. But sometimes this is how some people adapt to a diagnosis, they need time. How long? Depends on each person. As caregivers and loved ones, we need to give them some time and space for that. Lianna explains the differences between adaptive and maladaptive behaviors. Part of caregiver acceptance is to give them respect and allow them time to process the diagnosis, support them by asking them how we can be there for them rather than trying to take charge. Learn more at her website, All About Parkinson's.

Kelley Smith at CarePartners Senior Living joins Suzanne to present a checklist of items to review each year regarding your legal paperwork, to make sure everything is up to date. Review your powers of attorney documents: make sure your wishes are still accurate, because your viewpoints may have changed. If you have a healthcare directive, make sure it's filled out in detail, because it can save a lot of heartache. Does your doctor have a copy of your healthcare directive? Is everything that matters to you somewhere that it can get to medical records when needed. If you have a POLST form (Physician Orders for Life Sustaining Treatment), or a DNR (Do Not Resuscitate Order), is it up on the fridge where paramedics could find it, or if you're in an assisted living facility, is the staff aware of your values and what matters most to you? They will ask a lot of these questions when you check in. There's a reason behind why every piece of paper is asked for and needed by an assisted living community – they need to know who to contact depending on circumstances. Kelley and Suzanne remind everyone that you should talk to an elder law attorney or an estate planning attorney about getting paperwork filled out.

The healthcare power of attorney is the person who's called when mom is in the hospital, who will make medical decisions for care at an assisted living community. They're asked to make decisions if mom becomes incoherent and is unable to speak for herself. For instance, if she's medically unable to sign the paperwork to get rehab after an accident, the power of attorney would come and sign that paperwork for it. Kelley Smith at CarePartners Senior Living provides an interesting example: the amount of antibiotics given to a patient during hospitalization led to kidney issues. The patient wasn't in a state of mind to sign paperwork, so the power of attorney was needed to approve a surgery to put in a stent for use in kidney dialysis, and then sign off on the dialysis. The healthcare power of attorney if faced with the choice of doing it to save their life, or not doing it, and facing the consequences. Maybe you don't want them to go through more procedures, more pain, but you're responsible for the outcome, the resulting quality of life. It's a profound responsibility. Kelley and Suzanne remind everyone that you should talk to an elder law attorney or an estate planning attorney about getting paperwork filled out.

It's a scary and deeply personal thing families deal with when a senior loved one needs to transition to an assisted living community. It's also scary just to turn 65 and have to sign up for Medicare. The underlying question: will they be taken care of, “can I trust you with the care of my loved one?” This follows through with selecting a power of attorney, the person who will become your advocate, who will have the ability to do pretty much anything financially on your behalf. Kelley Smith at CarePartners Senior Living joins Suzanne to talk about the various responsibilities that come with accepting a role as power of attorney. There are two types: medical and financial. Kelley strongly recommends that if mom has more than one child, she shouldn't give both roles to the same child. Medical power of attorney is the person who's called when mom is in the hospital, who will make medical decisions for care at an assisted living community. Financial power of attorney goes to the person who, while mom is in the hospital, will make sure that all of her bills are paid. They're accountable to the state as well as other siblings. Kelley and Suzanne share advice for financial powers of attorney – the first is to be transparent about how money is being spent. Kelley and Suzanne remind everyone that you should talk to an elder law attorney or an estate planning attorney about getting paperwork filled out.

As 2023 begins, if you're wondering whether your senior loved ones have all their legal documents in order, or a transition is impending as they move into a senior living or assisted living community, or you just want to be sure their documents are up to date, this hour will answer your questions. Kelley Smith at CarePartners Senior Living talks about how people are often happy to speak about their wishes, but don't often take the time to write them down. Depending on the circumstances of a person's health, without certain documentation in place you can put yourself and certain loved ones at risk. So take a few minutes and get your documents in order. Memory care residents required a power of attorney because they don't have, unfortunately due to their disease journey, the wherewithal to sign certain documents. But if your loved one goes into the hospital, they have to be coherent enough to sign power of attorney paperwork. What if mom and dad go into the hospital because of a stroke, and they can't sign that paperwork — who can make decisions then? There are ways to get these documents prepared for not a lot of money, if you ask the right people and ask the right questions. For example, for $30 a month, Legal Shield will send you paperwork for wills, and can send power of attorney and other forms for dollars.... How many people know if you bought a burial plot, or where it is? Does your family know what bank you use? Before choosing someone to have power of attorney, do they fully understand the level of responsibility they're taking on? Some of the decisions they have to make can be daunting. Kelley and Suzanne remind everyone that you should talk to an elder law attorney or an estate planning attorney about getting paperwork filled out.

Senior Resource’s content manager Jennifter Otto joins Suzanne to talk about visions for the future at our sister website SeniorResource.com. Our joint goal is bringing together the best of the best senior experts to share their knowledge, advice, and guidance. Nobody knows better what's right for your senior loved one than you. If they can't speak for themselves and you have to intervene, it's important by being educated and empowered that you feel good about the decisions you're making. At SeniorResource.com, that means not just providing new podcasts, but also adding books, resources, directories, webinars, classes, support groups, and more... the sky's the limit. Check out the tools available at SeniorResource.com.

SeniorResource.com empowers and educates caregivers, with access to many senior experts, not just those from Answers for Elders. Aging is a heavy topic – it's hard to think about if you might need care some day, what are you going to do with your life, how can you sustain yourself through all the possible scenarios. Senior Resource’s content manager Jennifer Otto joins Suzanne to talk about podcasts at SeniorResource.com. More podcasts will debut soon, but right now, in addition to Answers for Elders, SeniorResource.com features Medicare Moments with Toni King, a Medicare wiz out of Houston. Her show personalizes Medicare, making it easy to understand, providing tips, strategies, and little-known facts, and clearing up common misconceptions. Check out Medicare Moments as well as the other numerous solutions available at SeniorResource.com

Senior Resource focuses on people over 50, thinking about retirement, those who are wondering about navigating not only their own life but possibly also a senior loved one – how do you make good caregiving decisions, good financial decisions for my future, and all the different scenarios that we all face. Senior Resource’s content manager Jennifer Otto joins Suzanne to talk about our sister website SeniorResource.com. Its directory listings have blossomed to provide searchable information for all 50 states on home care, hospice care, senior living, senior housing, assisted living, elder law, you name it. Check out the tools available at SeniorResource.com.

As Answers for Elders begins its seventh year as a podcast and radio show, we've upgraded our studio and partnered with Salem Media’s Senior Resource network to provide even more services for our listeners. Senior Resource’s content manager Jennifer Otto joins Suzanne to talk about the network. Visit our sister website SeniorResource.com to get knowledge, advice, and guidance for all aspects of life over fifty, including free guides, author excerpts, and much more.

Suzanne joins Tiana Jackson and Kelaiah Erickson talking about the new senior living and memory care community MorningStar at Laurelhurst that is opening spring 2023 in Portland, Oregon. This segment focuses on MorningStar's involvement in the local community and its commitment to make a positive impact on the world. Each community works with a local charity, and Laurelhurst works with a local senior center to host birthdays and other events there. They are also connected with an Alzheimer's Walk they do each year, do volunteer work with their local Lion's Club, and more. MorningStar at Laurelhurst is located at 3140 NE Sandy Blvd, Portland, OR 97232. To learn more, visit the community's website at  or call (971) 248-7720. You can also hear more podcasts about MorningStar's Oregon communities.

Tiana Jackson and Kelaiah Erickson join Suzanne to provide all sorts of information on MorningStar at Laurelhurst, a new senior living and memory care community opening spring 2023 in Portland, Oregon. This segment focuses on memory care. Tiana and Kelaiah discuss quality of care and Lavender Sky, their signature program that trains team members on how to properly approach a resident in memory care who has dementia or Alzheimer's. MorningStar at Laurelhurst is located at 3140 NE Sandy Blvd, Portland, OR 97232. To learn more, visit the community's website at  or call (971) 248-7720. You can also hear more podcasts about MorningStar's Oregon communities.

Tiana Jackson and Kelaiah Erickson join Suzanne to talk more about MorningStar at Laurelhurst in Portland, Oregon, a brand new senior living and memory care community opening in spring 2023. This segment focuses on assisted living. Tiana and Kelaiah describe what a typical day is like for residents, services available, and the types of daily activities that are available through their comprehensive life enrichment program. MorningStar at Laurelhurst is located at 3140 NE Sandy Blvd, Portland, OR 97232. To learn more, visit the community's website at  or call (971) 248-7720. You can also hear more podcasts about MorningStar's Oregon communities.

Tiana Jackson and Kelaiah Erickson join Suzanne to talk about the brand new senior living and memory care community MorningStar at Laurelhurst in Portland, Oregon, which will open in spring 2023. Tiana Jackson is Senior Executive Director for the Oregon communities. Kelaiah Erickson is Director of Community Relations at Laurelhurst. Tiana and Kelaiah provide an overview of community planning, and how Laurelhurst fits into the MorningStar culture and philosophy of growth and vitality through their Radiance program. MorningStar at Laurelhurst is located at 3140 NE Sandy Blvd, Portland, OR 97232. To learn more, visit the community's website at  or call (971) 248-7720. You can also hear more podcasts about MorningStar's Oregon communities.

Brittany Fleshman, VP of Culture and Program Development at MorningStar Senior Living, joins Suzanne from the corporate office in Colorado to talk more about MorningStar's guiding principles. The three principles are to honor God in their business practices and relationships, to invest generously in the team's ability to serve well, and to value all seniors as gifted and contributing individuals. What that means, in terms of daily practice, is doing the right thing, treating people how they themselves want to be treated. That's service at its finest. Residents have so much to give. Truly listening to their residents gives them dignity and peace. Learn more about MorningStar, their culture, and find more of their podcasts here and here.

There are a lot of senior living programs out there, but it's important to understand that they're not all the same. Some of them stand for something, and during this hour Brittany Fleshman, VP of Culture and Program Development at MorningStar Senior Living, joins Suzanne from the corporate office in Colorado to talk about what sets MorningStar apart, with the principles and values of their organization. But they don't stop there. This segment focuses on local outreach, communities giving back to their own local communities. All of their communities are asked to get involved with a local charity of their choice. The home office in Colorado, for instance, helps with the Denver Children's Home. Giving back locally is very important to them. Learn more about MorningStar, their culture, and find more of their podcasts here and here.

Brittany Fleshman, VP of Culture and Program Development at MorningStar Senior Living, joins Suzanne from the corporate office in Colorado to talk about MorningStar's residents. The Radiance program communicates trust in numerous ways. When they have families come in, they sit down with them and start from ground zero, answering what is assisted living, what is independent living or memory care, what's dementia, and then learning the ins and outs of their loved ones. They talk all aspects, what they're going to expect, what they're experiencing right now, in making what we do for their loved ones very specific and real, to meet their needs and wants. Learn more about MorningStar, their culture, and find more of their podcasts here and here.

Brittany Fleshman, VP of Culture and Program Development at MorningStar Senior Living, joins Suzanne from the corporate office in Colorado to talk about the company's foundational vision and mission. Their core values of love, honesty, kindness, goodness, fairness, and respect show up in everything they do, from new hire paperwork, to when residents move in, to their Radiance program, their customer service hospitality initiative. Their three principles are to honor God in their business practices and relationships, to invest generously in the team's ability to serve well, and to value all seniors as gifted and contributing individuals. Learn more about MorningStar, their culture, and find more of their podcasts here and here.

Elder law attorney Jim Koewler joins Suzanne to talk about setting up your estate plan and the people needed to complete various documents, such as powers of attorney, wills, living wills, revocable trusts, and irrevocable third-party trusts. This segment covers setting up irrevocable third-party trusts. Irrevocable Third-Party Trust for disabled person Grantors are initial trustees Successor trustee Successor trustee approaches First approach - Trustee: Person who will look out for disabled beneficiary but will not cave in to unreasonable demands for money from trust and will not resent having to deal with beneficiary Second approach - Trustee: Bank or trust company or trusted family member - Distribution Committee (to make decisions on when to pay out for benefit of beneficiary, taking pressure off the trustee) Special needs attorney Social worker Family member(s) (maybe) HIPAA Release (Gives access to health information. Doesn't grand decision-making authority.) Include everyone who is named in Health Care Power of Attorney Include any other family members or friends who are likely to help look after you if you need care (long-term or otherwise) Listen in to hear details and explanations. Learn more about Jim Koewler at Answer for Elders or at his website, and look here to see a list of all of Jim's podcasts.

Elder law attorney Jim Koewler joins Suzanne to talk about setting up your estate plan and the people needed to complete various documents, such as powers of attorney, wills, living wills, revocable trusts, and irrevocable third-party trusts. This segment covers revocable trusts. Revocable Trust Initial Trustee: Grantors (the people setting up the trust in the first place) Successor Trustee (after initial trustees both diseased or physically/mentally unable to continue as trustee): Person who gets stuff done, meets deadlines, and doesn't buckle under pressure (just like backup executor for Will) Listen in to hear details and explanations. Learn more about Jim Koewler at Answer for Elders or at his website, and look here to see a list of all of Jim's podcasts.

Elder law attorney Jim Koewler joins Suzanne to talk about setting up your estate plan and the people needed to complete various documents, such as powers of attorney, wills, living wills, revocable trusts, and irrevocable third-party trusts. This segment covers wills. Living Will Person to receive phone call (that Principal seems to have suffered traumatic brain damage): Probably spouse First alternate person to receive phone call: Person most likely to take in Principal (person signing the Living Will) if Principal needs long-term care (same for Powers of Attorney) Second successor agent: Person second-most likely to take in Principal if Principal needs long-term care Etc. (Note: The person listed on Living Will to receive the phone call doesn't have any "power," but many families don't know that. So, to avoid "power struggles" among family members, it is prudent to list the same people in the Living Will as are named in the Powers of Attorney.) Will Executor: Spouse first Backup Executor (if spouse not able): Person who gets stuff done, meets deadlines, and doesn't buckle under pressure from other heirs Listen in to hear details and explanations. Learn more about Jim Koewler at Answer for Elders or at his website, and look here to see a list of all of Jim's podcasts.

Elder law attorney Jim Koewler joins Suzanne to talk about setting up your estate plan and the people needed to complete various documents, such as powers of attorney, wills, living wills, revocable trusts, and irrevocable third-party trusts. This segment covers Powers of Attorney. Agent: Probably spouse (unless spouse cracks under pressure of making decisions for others) First successor agent: Person most likely to take in Principal (person signing the POA) if Principal needs long-term care) Second successor agent: Person second-most likely to take in Principal if Principal needs long-term care) Etc. Jim suggests naming the same agents and successor agents in both the General and Health Care Powers of Attorney so that, should you ever need long-term care, the person providing care also has the ability to hire help and to pay for it. Listen in to hear details and explanations. Learn more about Jim Koewler at Answer for Elders or at his website, and look here to see a list of all of Jim's podcasts.

Kelley Smith from CarePartners Senior Living joins Suzanne to add insights and advice to the fifth and sixth of Teepa Snow's six tips for making holidays successful for those who have Alzheimer's and dementia, providing advice and insight. Tip 5: Accept General Comments. Kelley says, "If mom and dad have some memory issues, help them. Teepa gives an example, if you're Jewish, of setting the menorah on the mantle, but she says Mom might not understand the word menorah. So maybe what you do is, you pick up the menorah. 'Mom, would you like me to put this over here?' and show her as you're doing it. Mom, do you like the green lights of the white lights? Maybe you show her the lights. A lot of times with dementia, the detail is what becomes missing. Grandpa might not be able to describe things specifically, like when you're helping him get his dinner plate together. Sometimes it's very general. They might say, I want the bird. I don't want that yellow stuff. Show Dad the cranberries, this cranberry sauce. 'Dad, do you like this, you used to like this.' And don't make him describe it to you until he wants it, help him. And that's kind of what she's getting at with that. Keep it simple." Tip 6: Give Room For a Getaway. Kelley clarifies, "I'm a grown up. I can go get in my car and I can drive away, and I can go get away from everybody if I need you. If I have dementia, I can't do that. So if you're gonna have mom or dad over, do you have a room that has a bed, that's on the first floor, easy to get to, that's a quiet space, if they are overwhelmed and they just need to get away from everybody? They're not ready to go home yet, but just need a break. Do you have a quiet spot where they can just go reconnect for a minute? Take a nap, be able to put your feet up for a minute. Sometimes that's all they need, a little bit of quiet time, and they can come back and join the rest of the family recharged again." Suzanne adds, "Make it a kid-free zone, too. Let the kids know, grandpa's just gonna go be quiet for a few minutes. Leave him alone for a little bit. Give them that opportunity to recharge. There are many of us in this world who need that, and don't have dementia yet. Now put somebody who's having a hard time keeping up with the conversations, who can't describe how good dinner was because they can't find their words, and that's exhausting. Think about how tired they are, you know. So I love that advice, give them some space." As an alternative to having everybody together in one big event, spread out the holiday. Kelley says, "It depends on where they're at with their dementia journey. Depending on the type of work that you do, many people are off this week. If you have that kind of time, why cram everything into one day? They're not gonna remember half of it if you do that anyway. You can have dinner at your house and have lunch with mom a day later. If taking her out is too much for her, there are other things you can do. If you've got family coming in from out of town that they'd like to see, if they live in assistant living, call the community, check visiting stuff, see if they've got anything going on — some of them have holiday dinners that you can sign up for. Lots of places like ours, we even have private dining rooms. You could come in, and bring the kids from out of town to come see mom, and spend an hour or two. Or on Christmas morning, have family show up at different times at the senior living community, bring them some goodies." Learn more about CarePartners Senior Living at their website.

Kelley Smith from CarePartners Senior Living joins Suzanne to add insights and advice to the third and fourth of Teepa Snow's six tips for making holidays successful for those who have Alzheimer's and dementia, providing advice and insight. Tip 3: Be Ready to Hear the Same Story Multiple Times. Kelley says, "This is also a good way to connect with mom and dad. What if, while dad was telling your story about his fishing trip to Alaska – you've heard it nine times – ask who went with you. Who went? How long have you known Bobby? Didn't you guys grow up together? You can steer the story, to see what else do they remember? One of these days you're not gonna hear that story any more. For your grandkids, what about taking the opportunity to record some of these stories over the holidays? These are things that I look back on, things I wish I had of my grandparents." Tip 4. Avoid Direct Corrections. Kelley says, "This is one of my favorites. What Teepa says is, corrections don't make you feel good about yourself. I'll tell you something, I've been embarrassed in the past by well-meaning people who correct you, and the first thing I always jumped to is, I don't remember you being my mother, and I'm not five, right? A person living with dementia, their brain doesn't fire the same way. You have dementia and you don't really even understand first of all what was said, but now, coming at you is this correction, it's it's a little demeaning in a way. I've always been a big fan of 'follow them where they're going.' "They're doing the best they can with the memories that they've got. They're not liars, they're not trying to set you up, but just telling a story, and they might not get all the details right. Is it important? No, so pick your battles. Not every story is going to be 100% accurate, not every every memory is going to be 100%, and that's okay. You have to give yourself a little grace too. You're not going to be perfect. Let it go. It's not life for death." In the next segment, Kelley and Suzanne talk about the fifth and sixth tips. Learn more about CarePartners Senior Living at their website.

Kelley Smith from CarePartners Senior Living joins Suzanne to share Teepa Snow's six tips for making holidays successful for those who have Alzheimer's and dementia, providing advice and insight. Tip 1: Smaller, Simpler, Shorter. Kelley says, "I've always said I'd rather break bread with friends than eat wagyu with strangers. It's not about the meal, it's about the company. The best times in my life were spent just with the people, I don't remember the food. Do you want to build memories for the grandkids about grandma and grandpa being there, or are you more worried about that turkey being absolutely perfect? And that's your focus, and now you're mean and hateful of the party because you didn't get a chance to also sit and enjoy your family while they were there? I've gone to things before were I never saw the host, almost the whole night, because they were in there cooking." Suzanne relates, "When I was caring for my mom, even though I was a burned out caregiver, and working a full time job on top of it, I knew the holidays were important to my mother, so I bent over backwards to give her a wonderful Christmas celebration. And that included taking her to the Swedish Club so that she could have lutefisk. That included making sure that she got to all these places. And I know she was worn out. I think I just put way too much stress on myself and upon her. Ask for help – you don't have to do it all. Maybe what you do is have a pot luck when you bring the family together. You can downsize things, you don't have to decorate the entire house. Maybe you do a nice tree, and maybe you do some flowers and candles on the table, and that's enough. You don't have to go overboard." Tip 2: Use Retained Abilities. Kelley explains, "Remember, mom and dad haven't forgotten everything. We have residents that couldn't tell you their name, but they know how to fold socks. They still know how to help set the table. There's some things that are like what we call 'muscle memory', that we just know how to do. It's amazing. My grandfather could probably tear a car apart, but he couldn't tell me what he had for breakfast. But what I'm getting at is, while mom and dad are there, instead of just putting them in a chair by the window, give them something to do that is a retained ability. If they can still sit with the kids and put puzzles together, let them do that. If they want to help set the table, let them help. Part of dementia is feeling like you no longer fit in and you're no longer needed. That's another big thing that people with dementia deal with. So, if mom and dad are at the house, and you could use a little help, I guarantee they'd be happy to do it. Those retained abilities also make them feel successful, like they got to help too. They say there's greater joy in giving than there is in receiving. Well, that also means in the way we treat people, and sometimes it's a good thing to let someone else feel good about trying to be part of the family." In the next segment, Kelley and Suzanne talk about the third and fourth tips. Learn more about CarePartners Senior Living at their website.

Kelley Smith from CarePartners Senior Living joins Suzanne to share Teepa Snow's six tips for making holidays successful for those who have Alzheimer's and dementia. As many of you are driving to family locations, maybe listening in the car, you may be wanting to know how to deal with a loved one who has dementia. You don't necessarily know what to expect, and there's a lot of questions about how do we deal with dad, mom, aunt, uncle, and include them in the family gathering. According to the Alzheimer's Association, more than six million Americans of all ages have Alzheimer's disease, and that is expected to grow to 14 million people by the year 2060. About 11% of those over 65 have some sort of dementia or Alzheimer's. The majority are at least 75 years old. It progresses and gets more evident as you get older. Oftentimes we may not necessarily know how to communicate, how to best serve them, how to feel comfortable in a dialogue. Kelley Smith explains, "A lot of it stems around education. We sometimes have higher expectations than we should. I think people also get frustrated, because when mom does have those moments of clarity, we think she's okay again. It doesn't always quite work like that. People get frustrated with the same story 600 times, but that's also part of the disease. They can't remember if they told you this or not, or who they told. As the communication declines for their loved one, a lot of times, it's how do you keep up? What do you do? And that that's where people feel lost, not so much the frustration, but, what do we do now?" Kelley offers a few tips of her own to prepare for the holidays. "There's a ton of different things we could talk about, but I think that the easiest thing is, first of all, don't be afraid to ask questions. If mom and dad are in a community, feel free to talk to those folks, and find out what are some activities maybe they're doing in the community that might be better for mom. Ask for advice, call the Alzheimer's Association. They have resources, ask questions. "What is your plan, and then how do we execute that? What are the key things logistically of bringing mom or dad or an aunt or uncle into your home: Can they get up the stairs? Are they in a wheelchair? Can they get to the bathroom? Not only that, but has their dementia gotten to a point where maybe they're gonna need some some help eating? Everybody's circumstances are different, everybody's journey with dementia is different. There are many things to take into consideration. You bring them into your home, and it's all decorated for Christmas, and you've got bright lights and pokey, shiny, crazy, lots of stuff going on, loud Christmas music playing. That might not necessarily be the best environment for them." In the next segment, Kelley and Suzanne provide insight and advice with the six tips for making holidays successful for those who have Alzheimer's and dementia. Learn more about CarePartners Senior Living at their website.

What does a family do when faced with having to pay for a senior loved one to move into a senior care community? In this segment, Emily Schwarz with ElderLife Financial joins Suzanne to share some success stories and various examples of ways that ElderLife has helped families, courtesy of MorningStar Senior Living. Emily says, "we recently had a family down in Florida that was looking for a bridge loan while their home was selling. So Mary had a $131,000 home to list and they needed to move into the community immediately. They reached out to the ElderLife Financial concierge, and within three days we were able to fund a bridge loan. They needed $5,000 a month for rent and care, and so we estimated that it would probably take about six months for that home to sell. Now, the great part about this is they listed their home for $131,000 and they actually received $146,000 for that home when it sold. How did that happen? Because they were able to fix up that home. I know we talked a lot about home repairs, and staging them, and having mom and dad out of the home. They ultimately got $15,000 more by utilizing our bridge loan. They were able to get top dollar, even in this tough real estate market, because the house was staged and in its tip-top shape, all repairs done. So I would think that's the one of the best case scenarios. That's what we see a lot, where families actually earn more for their home than they thought they would. "One thing people don't realize that we help with is existing residents. So if you are already living in senior living, or your mom's already living in senior living, and you never knew that ElderLife Financial existed, and you're struggling to pay that rent bill every month, because your home hasn't sold as fast as you thought, or your VA benefit is dragging along, you can contact ElderLife and we even provide bridge loans for existing residents. So before you start thinking about moving mom and dad out of the community, have a conversation with us. We also clear up arrearages. I just had a family in that situation. We've provided $25,000 to their community because they were in arrears. The next month, their house sold. They were able to pay it off, but they didn't have to be evicted. They were able to stay while they waited for that home to close." Listen to hear more examples of ways ElderLife Financial can help. Call their financial concierge family line at 888-228-4500 or visit ElderLife Financial's website. Courtesy of MorningStar Senior Living. Lead image © Can Stock Photo / Feverpitched