Desperately Seeking Senior Living

You KNOW your mom or dad isn't safe at home alone but they are refusing to leave their home so what are you supposed to do when you truly believe it’s what’s best? In this episode, we’re exploring one of the most difficult conversations many of us will face: convincing your mom or dad, to leave their home and transition to senior living. CLICK HERE for our DOABLE DOWNLOAD with FULL SHOW NOTES Foll...

No one wants to talk about or even think about senior living and care and I think that goes double for death and dying. I’m so excited to welcome Penny Hawkins Smith to the show. She’s a nationally certified hospice & palliative care registered nurse with over 17 years of experience. You may know her as Hospice Nurse Penny on YouTube, TikTok, Instagram and Facebook where Penny is working to di...

You toured a few assisted living communities …you were very up front with all of them about the money situation. The community your mom chose said don’t worry! When your mom runs out of money, we’ll take Medicaid. No Problem! Until it was a BIG problem. I can’t believe how many times this has happened to my clients and families I’ve met over the years. How is it possible that so many families are...

Are they going to let my mom in? Is there anything that could come up that would make the community not take my dad? My mom is really nervous. She’s afraid she won’t pass the test. These are all statements I’ve heard from families when it comes to the assisted living nurse assessment. While the nurse assessment may be a requirement and yes there are lots of questions…is it a test? Could your loved...

I’ve often heard families say that moving their mom or dad into assisted living or memory care kindof felt like dropping their kids off at daycare that first time. Why would it feel that way? The first time I dropped my son off at daycare is burned in my brain. He cried...I cried…it was terrible! I think one of the reasons moving your loved one into a senior living community feels like this is bec...

Why do certain items get locked up in memory care communities and adult family homes? Was there a list of items like medications, vitamins, and even flowers and plants that you were told would be locked up before move-in day? It is vital to understand the importance of these "lock-up" precautions and how to adjust your routines to ensure the safety of your loved ones, and a smooth move-in process....

Patti LaFleur is the Lorenzo’s House Youth Initiatives and Outreach Lead.  Patti is the former carepartner to her mom, Linda, who had younger-onset dementia - and a former elementary educator of over 10 years. Patti designs and leads our youth programming with intentionality, knowledge and love. Her capacity to connect with family members through lived experience and profound generosity of spirit...

Ana Burnes is a seasoned marketing professional with over a decade of experience forging strong community partnerships. Her extensive background includes leadership roles and a specialized focus in the medical field, where she excels in patient care and assistance. Ana is dedicated to making a positive impact on the lives of those she serves, and she is passionate about helping others through coac...

You’re on your first tour of a memory care community and as you walk in to the common area you stop in your tracks. All the residents are lined up facing a big screen TV. You don’t even remember what was on the screen because you just couldn’t stop thinking… is this what they do all day? In this episode we’re getting real about activities in senior living. CLICK HERE for our DOABLE DOWNLOAD with F...

Dr. Corinne Auman is a Gerontologist with over 20 years of experience. She has a Ph. D. in Developmental Psychology with a specialty in adulthood & aging. She's an author, educator, caregiving and aging expert. Corinne’s passion for educating families comes from her own family's caregiving journey and years helping families through her care management company. She’s on a mission to change the...

They don’t give you a handbook when your mom or dad isn’t safe to live alone any longer… This is what a family member recently said to me and while a complete handbook would be way more involved than this podcast episode…and probably not even possible… I’m going to share insights from families just like yours and give you some tips for creating your own handbook to hopefully help make your journey...

Has your loved one said they’re never moving from their house but they’re also refusing to let you bring in a caregiver…to help them with that shower or make that meal? Well then you do not want to miss this episode! Angela Garcia is here to share her secret sauce for helping seniors accept the care they need! In this episode we’re exploring pain, joy, goals, getting creative in the 4th quarter of...

In this episode, Sharon opens up about her journey alongside her husband, Loyd, as they navigate life with Dementia. From those heart-sinking moments of noticing Loyd's memory and ability to communicate slip away to caregiving, strong views about skilled nursing & rehab and finding the right adult family home.  This is Sharon's story. CLICK HERE for our DOABLE DOWNLOAD with FULL SHOW NOTES Fol...

Many folks love and respect their doctor this is one reason they’re the first line of defense when it comes to a Dementia diagnosis, however studies show that families often aren't receiving the assistance they expected. Studies also show a lack of Dementia training for Primary Care Physicians. In this episode, we're taking a look at some strategies to help your Doctor help you and maybe even thei...

Last episode we talked about this same topic but we applied it to those in Independent and assisted living. We talked about getting creative and advocating ….and with Memory care I believe that’s even more important …if you’re listening and you’re a family member looking for memory care I believe you hold the key to helping this transition to memory care be successful… If you’re listening and you...

Some of my favorite stories in senior living have come from finding that thing…that activity…that spark.... that makes this really difficult transition… a little more personal.  Many seniors express that moving to senior living is where they're going to die or that you...their loved one or caregiver are just going to drop them off...or another phrase I've heard is you're going to dump me at a seni...

Rehab…. Short term rehab…. Skilled nursing facility… SNF… Through the years, I've witnessed families struggle with tough decisions, particularly when it comes to transitioning to assisted-living or memory care following a crisis at home, often triggered by a fall or illness.  Unfortunately, about 90% of the families I've worked with have faced challenges with short term rehab stays… some more seri...

What is a Medicaid spend down?? Does it mean my mom is guaranteed to qualify for Medicaid after she spends down her money? If you’ve started your search for senior living and care and are concerned about finances… it’s likely you’ve heard the word Medicaid and the phrases straight Medicaid and the Medicaid spend down. But what exactly does this mean for your mom or dad?? In this episode we’re talk...

You’ve started to google senior living and care and maybe you’re scratching your head trying to figure out - why it's so confusing! I’m your host Valerie Lynn and…in this episode I’m talking with industry professional and host of the upcoming PBS North special, Inside Senior Living, Melissa Fritz. Melissa’s series, Inside Senior Living, follows families on this journey. Her background working for...

Does your state...city...county require dementia training for your Police Officers and EMT's? Many do not. In this episode, we’re talking about interactions with first responders and their Dementia training or lack of dementia training and what caregivers can do to help. CLICK HERE for our DOABLE DOWNLOAD with FULL SHOW NOTES Follow us on INSTAGRAM for more doable tips! Need help with your situati...

When you toured a community you most likely gave them your phone number and most likely your Mom gave them hers. When you do that you’re going to get follow up phone calls. That call is to check in and see where you’re at in the process and how things are going. From this call the home visit is born. In this episode we're talking about what exactly a home visit is and why it can be a helpful resou...

Have you ever wondered what it takes to run an assisted living community? Should you ask to meet the person in charge and is there anything you should be asking them? Who exactly IS the person in charge and what should you expect from them when your mom or dad lives there? In this episode, we’re talking with Executive Director Tina Nutt ... that person in charge...about what it takes to run a succ...

"I'm sorry...what did you say?" After years of working in senior living, I still forget that this industry has its own language. A language most of the families I work with have never heard or know very little about. A language largely from the medical field... no doubt due to its creator Doctor Keren Wilson of Oregon.  No matter where it came from, not knowing what you're being asked or what it a...

Despite the fact that dementia is a very individual disease - and that symptoms may vary - many memory care communities will not even consider a new resident with a Lewy body, Frontotemporal, Vascular or Alcohol Related Dementia diagnosis. They won’t even look at their medications or doctors notes. This week we're looking at some of the symptoms of the different types of Dementia including Alzheim...

You’ve made so many phone calls ... gone on tours and ultimately didn’t find what you were looking for. Let’s be honest....maybe you're not even really sure what you're supposed to be looking for or even need. So this week we’re going to talk about the help you may find along the way if you or someone you know is starting this journey. We're talking about what you can expect..what should happen an...