Inspired Caring

Summary In this episode, Kristen Burke and I discuss the complexities of long-term care insurance and its importance for individuals and families. We explore how complicated Medicare can be and that it does not pay for Assisted Living! There has been an evolution of long-term care insurance policies, and the various options available for coverage. Kristen emphasizes the need for family involvement...

Summary In this conversation, Lacey Jungman and I explore the complexities of being a caregiver in the sandwich generation, the emotional challenges faced by adult children caring for aging parents, and the importance of self-care and boundaries. We discuss her journey into senior care, and how she discovered her passion for helping adutl children. Then we dive in to the impact of hormonal changes...

Summary In this episode, Michele and Lakelyn Hogan Eichenberger, Ph. D. with Home Instead (an Honor Company) discuss the importance of in-home care for aging individuals and their families. They explore the various services offered by home care professionals, the differences between home care and home health, and the significance of building relationships in caregiving. The conversation emphasizes...

Summary - In this episode, Lisa Hamilton is back for part 2 where we discuss the challenges and emotions involved in transitioning her mom from the house she had lived in forever, into a 55+ apartment. She shares personal experiences and insights on the importance of asking for help and acknowledging the grief of letting go. We talk about the importance of creating rituals to honor the past. The c...

Summary - In this episode, Lisa Hamilton shares her experience of transitioning her father from assisted living to memory care. She discusses the challenges of moving belongings, managing logistics, and navigating the emotional aspects of the transition. Lisa emphasizes the importance of keeping things simple and not projecting our own feelings onto our loved ones with dementia. She also highlight...

Summary: In this episode, I interview Tanya Godwin from Oasis Senior Advisors in Lincoln, NE. We discuss the challenges and resources available for seniors and their families in the aging process. Tanya shares her background in the industry and how she came to work with Oasis Senior Advisors. We discuss services provided by Oasis, including connecting seniors with resources, assisting with legal a...

Dr. Brandy Archie is an Occupational Therapist who routinely witnessed people wanting to remain independent in their homes, but saw they kept hitting roadblocks on how to safely and effectively accomplish this. She co-created Ask SAMI to help people find the right equipment and services in order to live their best life, wherever they call home. They are able to do virtual assessments of a home to...

You can be 2 steps ahead! One of the biggest challenges people face when helping someone living with dementia is “getting them” to do activities of daily living. When someone is living with dementia, they may not remember the last time they did something, may have lost the ability to take the necessary multiple steps to complete a task, or no longer have the biological trigger to do something. In...

In this episode, you will join us for a conversation about developing resilience, purpose, and a growth mindset at midlife and beyond. Scott Papek, a certified mindset coach at Max Out Mindset, founder of Run Slower, and author of "Age is Your Edge," How to Find Purpose and Fulfillment in Midlife: explores how mindfulness, mentorship, and core values play a crucial role in navigating per...

Over the last 5 years, we've had a LOT of joy in our lives and we've also had a lot of bad news we've had to share with our children, family, and friends. Like, an overwhelming amount. This most recent round, when our kid's beloved childhood dog, Sunny, passed away was tough because our daughters were out of town. It was hard enough not to be together in this moment, then compounde...

Aaron Marcum has over 2 decades in the home care industry serving seniors and their families. He is an award-winning author, speaker, visionary, and Master of Applied Positive Psychology. He is also a great guy whose journey down this road started with his Grandpa, who only lived a few miles from his house. Aaron shares with us the fundamentals of Positive Psychology and how we can integrate these...

Michael Braun has been an Occupational Therapy Assistant for 34 years, helping seniors in a Skilled Nursing and Rehab facility in Sarasota, FL get back on their feet after surgery, illness, or injury. When a patient who lived out of town was trying to figure out how she would get home, she discovered that Med Flight, a private jet service, would cost her $30K - $40K. Michael offered to make the tr...

Parenting is HARD! As a mother of 3, I always feel like I'm trying to balance my kids' needs, family and society expectations, and reality and honestly, constantly feel like I'm failing all over the place. Danielle Bettmann is a parenting coach for strong-willed kids, and the Host of the ⁠⁠Failing Motherhood⁠⁠ Podcast. Our kids are constantly growing and changing which requires us to a...

Author Michael James and his wife Judy’s life together took an unexpected turn when she was denied long term care insurance because she couldn’t pass the ‘mini mental’, the test given that revealed cognition issues.  Ultimately, she was diagnosed with Mild Cognitive Impairment that developed into Alzheimer’s. Michael, faced with this challenge, knew he needed to be thoughtful, calculated, and proa...

Rebecca Adelman is an Attorney, entrepreneur, influencer, thought leader, and founder of Adelman Law Firm and Claims Management, established in 2001. The firm is a Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC) and Tennessee Certified Women’s Business Enterprise (WBE). For over 30 years, Rebecca has concentrated her practice in healthcare and insurance defense and business litigation. Rebecc...

John Locklair served in our United States Air Force for 10 years including a tour in Iraq, earning 2 degrees (and having 2 kids!), before a skin cancer diagnosis medically retired him.  Then several years later during a jujitsu tournament, he heard his neck pop. He had sustained a grade 3 strained neck injury, leading him to explore the pain relief from CBD where he also discovered the tremendous...

Luba found herself feeling isolated as she was running a daycare from home with her own two young children and reached a tipping point in her mental health. On one particularly tough day, she put her Masters in Mathematics to work by locking herself in a room with some art supplies and creating her first Mandala. Drawing the mandala that day allowed her brain fog to clear and she realized it was a...

If you have kids that are launching out of the home, you may discover that your identity is taking a hit as your role changes within your family. However you refer to yourself (empty nester, a bird launcher, manager of free range adult kids, free range parents) you NEED to connect with Jay Ramsden! Jay is "The Empty Nest Coach" and in this episode helps us understand why this shift can f...

The complex medical insurance & billing system can not only leave our heads spinning unnecessarily costing us thousands of dollars, it can also cost someone their life when they miss out on life-saving treatments that would have been covered. Nicole Broadhurst BCPA, Founder and CEO of Tennessee Health Advocates helps people Nationwide understand their medical benefits. She reviews every policy...

Introduction: In this episode, we delve into the profound journey of Mary Lou, a dedicated caregiver to her husband, the renowned artist and rocker, Nicholas ‘Nicky’ Zann. Mary Lou candidly shares their story of navigating life with Lewy body dementia, shedding light on the challenges, resilience, and the importance of understanding and support. Key Points Covered: Understanding Lewy Body Dementia...

When DeAnna's Dad began to need more help, she and her husband opened up their home, not realizing they were embarking on a journey that would span many years. Sharing her home with her dad provided the daily opportunity for him to be around her kids, which brought them all tremendous joy. DeAnna shares how she navigated her role through the frustrations, touching moments, and ultimately end o...

Episode Summary: Singer-songwriter Colin Roberts shares his journey of writing personalized songs for life's significant moments. From weddings to funerals, his mission is to tell stories by capturing the essence of cherished memories and heartfelt emotions and turning them into music. Bio: Colin has been performing his entire adult life. He grew up in rural Nebraska and now lives near Omaha....

Current research shows 1 in 2 cases of dementia can be prevented. In his book, Dementia Prevention, Use Your Head to Save Your Brain , co-written with his wife, Dr. Emily Clionsky, Neuropsychologist Mitchell Clionsky Ph. D., addresses how to prevent dementia. Not surprisingly, earlier interventions are KEY. This conversation covers a lot of territory and you will have specific things you can do to...

When the love of his life had a stroke, Dave Nassaney quickly fell into the role of caregiver, uncertain of what the future was going to bring. Determined to beat the alarming statistic of caregivers dying before their loved one, two decades later, Dave is “The Caregiver’s Caregiver” using every platform available to share their love story and help others find success in the caregiver role. Dave s...

One of the greatest fears we have is the day the person living with dementia doesn't recognize us. While there is really nothing that can prepare us for this moment, there was a progression of things I noticed with my mother in law, Sherry, that led up to it. While the brutal reality of this moment stings and cannot truly be prepared for, the work that we do here with Inspired Caring around kn...