Answers For Elders Radio Network

If you're caring for a loved one who is cognitively impaired, this hour is for you. Dr. Shawn Weiss joins Suzanne this hour to talk about giving yourself some grace and working on self-care to lessen burnout during the overwhelming experience of family caregiving. Dr. Weiss talks about recognizing the symptoms of burnout, working on self-care, and giving yourself some grace. Burnout will lead you...

If you're caring for a loved one who is cognitively impaired, this hour is for you. Dr. Shawn Weiss joins Suzanne this hour to talk about the listening and non-verbal side of communicating better. We're rushed, living hectic lives. When we walk into the room with our loved ones, are we empathetic, or just pretending to listen? With empathy, you'll have more success with them doing what you need, l...

If you're caring for a loved one who is cognitively impaired, this hour is for you. Dr. Shawn Weiss joins Suzanne this hour to talk about ways of adjusting the home environment to improve the quality of life for those who face cognitive challenges. Environment plays a major role in daily success, especially as symptoms progress. Adding lavender and vanilla through diffusers can provide a calming e...

If you're caring for a loved one who is cognitively impaired, this hour is for you. Dr. Shawn Weiss joins Suzanne this hour. This segment provides an overview of mental impairments, including dementia. 12-18% of those over 60 years old have at least some mild cognitive disorder, and that is expected to grow by 20% by the year 2040. 80% of seniors in senior living communities have some kind of impa...

Sean Joseph, CEO of Jordan River Moving & Storage, joins Suzanne this hour to share his top ten tips for a successful move. In this segment, Sean advises to always pay for moving by weight, not cubic feet, and to inspect the empty truck at the end of the move before the crew leaves. 9. Always pay by weight, not cubic feet. Move by weight, not volume. Cubic feet is not a precise measure. The sa...

Sean Joseph, CEO of Jordan River Moving & Storage, joins Suzanne this hour to share his top ten tips for a successful move. This segment, Sean advises that you pre-plan your space in your new house before you move there, and observe the truck as it's being weighed before and after loading. 7. Space plan at your destination before your move. Make sure you know where you want your furniture to g...

Sean Joseph, CEO of Jordan River Moving & Storage, joins Suzanne this hour to share his top ten tips for a successful move. In this segment, Sean advises packing boxes fully to avoid damage, organize your house for the move, don't sign blank forms, and stay with the crew but out of the way. 3. When you pack, fill up boxes all the way to avoid damages. If you're doing your own packing, the movi...

Sean Joseph, CEO of Jordan River Moving & Storage, joins Suzanne this hour to share his top ten tips for a successful move. In this segment, Sean urges people to get an in-home estimate and pack yourself to save money. 1. Get an up-front, in-home estimate. Joseph says, "A move is a big deal. You're giving them everything you own. Don't you want to see who you're dealing with, to build trust?"...

Suzanne is joined by Joan Rettmann, Regional Director of Sales in the Seattle area for Skyline , a unique life care senior living community. She clears up misperceptions about life care communities and explains how they work. Joan says, "Skyline has an extra special place in my heart, because this is actually where I got my start in the industry... Many residents that moved in 15 years ago are sti...

Suzanne is joined by Sean Joseph, CEO of Jordan River International Moving & Storage, a nationwide firm that specializes in working with seniors. Suzanne highly recommends Jordan River after her experiences with the company helping move her mom twice. Suzanne says, "You guys did two moves for my mom. And I remember each time it was just a breeze, it was easy. Your staff was wonderful. They wer...

Suzanne is joined by Sean Joseph, CEO of Jordan River International Moving & Storage, a nationwide firm that specializes in working with seniors. Sean describes everything to do to make sure you have stress-free move. Sean says, "People need to understand the process of the move, what they need to expect, and how to create and complete a simple move in a good way, that shouldn't be stressful....

Suzanne is joined by Sean Joseph, CEO of Jordan River International Moving & Storage, a nationwide firm that specializes in working with seniors. They continue their conversation about moving company scams to watch for. Sean says, "I'm a board member of the Washington Movers Conference. And every time, we're talking about education, education, education. People need to be aware of scams. The s...

Suzanne is joined by Sean Joseph, CEO of Jordan River International Moving & Storage, a nationwide firm that specializes in working with seniors. Moving has changed with the internet, making the whole United States one big neighborhood, and leading to scams. Seek local companies, and get an in-person estimate. Sean says, "People sometimes fall for fake reviews and flashy websites. When you put...

Elder law and estate planning attorney Andrea Lee joins Suzanne to provide some tips for unpaid family caregivers caring for a loved one about the legal documents they need to have in place, and also some practical tips to keep in mind. Andrea Lee serves as an attorney for Legacy Estate Planning in Bellevue, Washington. Andrea says, "I'm going to share my own experiences, my own tips that I have,...

Elder law and estate planning attorney Andrea Lee joins Suzanne to talk about essential legal documents to have in place no matter your age, keeping them up to date, and describing oft overlooked documents such as the HIPAA release and POLST form, Physicians Order of Life Sustaining Treatment form. Andrea Lee serves as an attorney for Legacy Estate Planning in Bellevue, Washington.  Andrea says, "...

Elder law and estate planning attorney Andrea Lee joins Suzanne to talk about the healthcare power of attorney document. Andrea Lee serves as an attorney for Legacy Estate Planning in Bellevue, Washington. This document is often overlooked by families. Who can make medical decisions for you when you're not able to make your own choices? Andrea says, "There is so much that goes into making someone'...

Elder law and estate planning attorney Andrea Lee joins Suzanne to share advice and tips for legal planning to help you age gracefully in a situation that you like. Andrea Lee serves as an attorney for Legacy Estate Planning in Bellevue, Washington. The power of attorney document is a critical tool to let your family help take care of you when you're in a crisis situation. Andrea says, "There are...

John Wenderlein joins Suzanne to talk about how he got started as a hospice chaplain and wrote his two books ''Remember Me: End of Life as Seen through the Eyes of a Hospice Chaplain'' and ''Delayed Honor.'' "John says, "What I found as I was visiting these patients, I would leave having to write their stories down. So on my computer, I have 1,000, 1,500 stories... One of my pastor buddies about a...

Hospice chaplain John Wenderlein joins Suzanne to talk about how he helps families facilitate having those difficult conversations during end of life care and hospice. John says, "I think you have to bring them to a peace of mind. You know, we come into a family, and what we like to call in our Christian life, a lot. Their last season, you have to convince them that you're there because you love t...

Hospice chaplain John Wenderlein joins Suzanne to talk about learning how to have the conversations to say goodbye to our loved ones at the end of their lives. There's often a denial process with family members. John says, "Even though a doctor has told you six months, mother and dad are getting ready to pass. So there's a big fight. I don't mean a physical fight or a verbal fight, I mean an emoti...

Skyline Retirement resident Judy Mayotte joins Suzanne to give a tour of her apartment. Judy says, "I just love my apartment. I've lived in refugee camps and in grass huts. So I'm living in the lap of luxury here. But I also have lived for a number of years in condominiums. I lost a leg in Sudan, in the war zone there, and couldn't manipulate a lawn mower or things like that, so I'm used to living...

Judy Mayotte has been living independently at Skyline Retirement in downtown Seattle for six years. Judy joins Suzanne to talk about how she decided to move into a Life Care Community. What led her to move here? Judy explains, "I had come back from living a number of years in South Africa, and I bought a condo. Because I lost my leg in the war zone in Southern Sudan a number of years ago, I knew t...

Suzanne is joined by Judy Mayotte, an 87-year-old resident of Skyline Retirement in downtown Seattle who lives independently. This is a Life Care Community, in which they take care of seniors from independent through memory care, should they need 24-hour care later in life. You pay an upfront fee, but the quality of care can be much higher. Judy says, "It's very, very easy to live here... We've go...

Sean Joseph, CEO of Jordan River International Moving & Storage, joins Suzanne to talk about what happens on moving day. Sean explains the rules for various local and longer distance moves. "Every state has different rules and tariffs for professionally licensed and insured moving companies. We will use Washington as an example, because it's pretty similar to most other regulated states. So wh...

Particularly for people who have mobility challenges or health issues and require special preparations, moving requires planning. Sean Joseph, CEO of Jordan River International Moving & Storage, joins Suzanne to talk how to plan for a move, especially if you're downsizing or moving into a senior living community. Sean says, "We will do the estimate, then help figure out the packing option, and...