Desperately Seeking Senior Living

Is your mom leaving the stove on? Did the furnace break down in the middle of winter or the air conditioner during the hottest days and you didn’t find out for a week? Are you considering installing cameras…But that just seems too intrusive? Then you won't want to miss this episode! We’re talking with the creator of caregiver smart solutions, Ryan Herd. You may have seen his TEDx talk about his in...

What’s in a name? Alot…there’s so much that I would give anything to have had the technology we have today where I could've kept a recording of my dad leaving me a message… calling me the way he usually did by my first and middle name. My dad died in 2007 he had alcohol related dementia and there was a point in his disease where he didn’t know who I was.  In this episode we're talking through what...

Ok…so who’s going to talk to mom about the fact that she is not doing ok at home? Is it you? Your brother? Her best friend or her Doctor? Are you seriously dreading this conversation...because most families are! This week is PART 2 with Bekah Wolken who has years of experience working in the senior living industry and in this episode she's sharing her tips! We're talking strategies, tone and likel...

We've all been asked how we're doing and most of us... at one time or another have said..."I'm fine." If you've asked your aging parent the same question? Chances are you're hearing..."I'm just fine." So this week we're talking with Bekah Wolken about some of the signs that fine...might not be fine at all. Bekah has years of experience working in the senior living industry and in this episode she'...

Are you the one trying to convince your family that your Mom needs more help? Or are you the family member that just doesn't see it. Denial is something we hear families talk about, admit to and think a family member might be in. The most important thing about denial is that it's normal. If you’ve been told you’re in denial, you are not alone. If you're the one trying to convince someone else they...

Last week we talked about weight in assisted living and how that affects transferring but it’s not just weight. It’s arthritis, a stroke, Parkinson’s, surgery or a fall… and no matter how much your mom or dad weighs transfer assistance can be more expensive and may not be available at every assisted living. In this episode we're talking about the different types of transferring and why you should...

This is NOT a weight loss episode and when it comes to weight… Let’s just say right now what we’re all thinking…. This subject sucks…Not only is it hard to think about being immobile and needing help to get around but it can also be really uncomfortable to talk to your mom or dad about their weight. The hard TRUTH is that it matters in ways that have nothing to do with your health. Don't miss this...

One of the things that families tell us they find most frustrating, is when their mom or dad pushes the call button and it takes forever for a staff member to answer that call. This can be a big deal! What if they're needing help to the restroom or had a fall? In this episode we're talking about the call system in assisted living and memory care. CLICK HERE for our DOABLE DOWNLOAD with FULL SHOW N...

Whether your dad is a recovering alcoholic, you're concerned about medications, memory care or your mom's right to have her glass of wine with dinner....alcohol is something that can be an issue in senior living. So today we’re talking all about alcohol! CLICK HERE for our DOABLE DOWNLOAD with FULL SHOW NOTES Follow us on INSTAGRAM for more doable tips! Would you like to share your story and be a...

Care staff, management and maintenance…all have keys or access to keys to your parent’s apartment. The standard is to knock, announce themselves and wait for a response. But so often we hear from residents that they’re sitting in their living room …watching TV…lying down for a nap or in the bathroom and all the sudden their apartment door swings open and in walks a caregiver! Listen in to find out...

I recently worked with a family whose dad was touring assisted living communities and during the tour he found himself alone with the tour guide. She later shared with me that he had some real concerns about how the whole showering thing was going to work. The first thing I thought was... wow! He didn’t feel comfortable asking his kids this question or asking the question in front of everyone on t...

This week we welcome Author Tracy Crump. Tracy had no idea that her years as an ICU nurse would prepare her for her Mother’s mysterious illness a mystery that her diligence helped solve… Tracy even preventing a potentially life threatening mistake when hospital staff attempted to give her father the wrong medication. Through everything, Tracy reminds us how important it is to advocate for your lov...

What if I told you …that for the rest of your life you could only eat at one place…what would you say? I’m actually surprised we don’t hear more about how important food is to the seniors we help… even though care and location are arguably more important…food is often one of the reasons seniors want to move out of their current community. So this week we’re going to talk about how dining works in...

This week I’m so excited to welcome Kim Plumridge. Kim shares her caregiving journey and we're also talking about her award winning short film, My Story of Alzheimer’s Disease, highlighting a diverse group of families and their journeys. Kim is a woman who holds many titles…actor, director, producer, teacher and yes… caregiver. Don't miss her story!! CLICK HERE for our DOABLE DOWNLOAD with FULL SH...

Show UPDATE! There are Guardianship companies that can also do Power of Attorney*** Maybe…you didn’t know there was something called power of attorney… or maybe your mom didn’t really understand what it was and whenever you asked about it? Her response was… I can take care of myself… Or maybe you signed POA paperwork years ago… but no one can seem to find it anywhere…. What can you do if you need...

Your dad is in the hospital and you need to pay his bills so you do some digging and find out where he banks. You need access to his accounts so you can make sure everything’s taken care of. You get to the bank and they ask for your Power of Attorney…. you have no idea what they’re talking about… If this sounds familiar or even if you've heard of the term POA before…this episode is for you! CLICK...

You moved your dad to senior living for his safety, to make sure he takes his medications and that someone is right there in case he falls so you weren't really focused on his hearing loss. Hearing loss is something that we just live with....I know I do...I turn the tv up or I ask "What?" or I just let things go....so it's no surprise that it's not a focus when moving to a senior living community....

Over the past several weeks…We’ve looked at signs that your loved one may no longer be safe at home alone. No longer safe driving, cooking, bathing, cleaning. Maybe their friends and neighbors are also worried. But every time you bring it up to your mom? Well…It doesn’t go great…or maybe it does! But she forgets the conversation even happened. This week…we’re looking at what you can do when your m...

When looking for a senior living community or even in-home care, many families ask why there has to be another nurse assessment. Why can't the first community share their assessment with the next one or why can't Medicaid use the current assessment? This week we're answering these questions and more! CLICK HERE for our DOABLE DOWNLOAD with FULL SHOW NOTES Follow us on INSTAGRAM for more doable tip...

It was Thanksgiving Dinner… now you’re used to mom repeating herself a few times and always chalked it up to old age… but this time was different… she started doing the strangest things and it all started with the mashed potatoes. This week we’re going to take a look at some real life examples…stories families have shared with us and things we’ve experienced. Things that made everyone go … whoa.....

One parent with Alzheimer’s and 5 kids with… no hope of agreeing about what to do… what to do with Mom, the house, the car or even the cat. If this sounds like your family? You won’t want to miss this week’s episode on Elder Mediation. CLICK HERE for our DOABLE DOWNLOAD with FULL SHOW NOTES Follow us on INSTAGRAM for more doable tips! Would you like to share your story and be a guest on our show? ...

Your dad’s health is declining. Your mom has been his caregiver for years and let’s face it.. She’s not getting any younger! You’re worried about her health…so  when she finally agrees to let you help her find a senior living community for dad, you’re relieved. You get on the phone to tell your brother, excited about the plan… but he’s not as excited and all hell breaks loose. This week we're taki...

We’ve been focused on family caregiving for the last couple of episodes and one of the things we see so often is the caregiver getting sicker than the one they’re caring for. So this week we’re going to talk about one option for taking a break, the respite or short term stay. We're also going to look at some other reasons you may want to consider one.  CLICK HERE for our DOABLE DOWNLOAD with FULL...

In Episode 72 I defined the role of a caregiver because most of the time we identify as "helping" mom or dad not actually being a caregiver….but the truth is … most of the time - we are caregivers…. whether you’re a son, daughter, friend or spouse… caregiving is hard and asking someone else to step in and take over the job can be even harder. In this episode I'm exploring why you might be consider...

Are you a caregiver? Not by trade…not that you went to school for it… not that you even ever thought you’d be doing it. sometimes we’re caregivers without even knowing it…  We’ve worked with families who didn’t realize they were caregivers… of course they knew they were doing things for their mom or dad but they didn’t realize the extent of the role they were playing…so this week we're answering t...