Healthcare Redefined: Advocating for Aging Adults and Their Families

In this episode of Healthcare Redefined: Advocating for Aging Adults and Their Families , hosts Pam Dunwald and Linda Kritikos continue their series on getting your affairs in order with a conversation many families avoid until they’re forced to face it: taxes. Joined by Enrolled Agent and tax professional Megan Steinfeld of Cream City Accounting, they discuss what happens when retirement, widowho...

In this episode of Healthcare Redefined: Advocating for Aging Adults and Their Families , hosts Pam Dunwald and Linda Kritikos continue Season 2 with an essential conversation about financial planning for aging adults and family caregivers. Joined by Certified Financial Planner™and Wealth Management Advisor Dave Czarnecki, they discuss why financial planning is about much more than money; it invol...

Hosts Pam Dunwald and Linda Kritikos launch into the main themes of Season 2 with this episode, exploring getting your affairs in order by diving into estate planning, powers of attorney, wills, trusts, probate, and protecting family assets. Joined by attorneys Stephen Howitz and Pedro Hernandez of Zimmer and Rens LLC, the discussion focuses on why planning ahead matters for aging adults, caregive...

Welcome to Season 2 of Healthcare Redefined: Advocating for Aging Adults and Their Families. Hosts Pam Dunwald and Linda Kritikos close out their discharge planning series from the first season by discussing one of the most stressful parts of a hospital stay: what happens when someone leaves too soon or feels pressured to leave before they’re ready. Pam and Linda explain what it means to leave the...

In this episode of Healthcare Redefined , Pam and Linda sit down with hospital social worker and discharge planner Marsha Hall to unpack what really happens behind the scenes before a patient leaves the hospital. Hospital discharge planning can feel rushed, confusing, and overwhelming, especially when you're caring for an aging parent. From understanding when discharge planning actually begins to...

In this episode of Healthcare Redefined , hosts Pam Dunwald and Linda Kritikos share practical tips on how to run a doctor appointment like an advocate. Whether the visit is in person, through telehealth, or by phone, they walk you through exactly what to do before, during, and after the appointment. If you or a loved one has ever left a doctor's appointment and realized you were not totally sure...

In this episode of Healthcare Redefined: Advocating for Aging Adults and Their Families , Pam Dunwald and Linda Kritikos interview RN Viki Droegkamp to help new family caregivers get more support from their primary care clinic. Viki explains that your clinic should act as the “hub” for coordinating care, and not just be a place for annual checkups, noting that caregivers shouldn’t have to manage e...

In this episode of Healthcare Redefined: Advocating for Aging Adults and Their Families , hosts Pam Dunwald and Linda Kritikos introduce a practical “new caregiver roadmap” designed to guide adult children, spouses, and long-distance family members through the first 30 days of stepping into caregiving. Perhaps a loved one has had a fall, a new diagnosis, or a recent hospital stay. Whatever the sit...

In this episode of Healthcare Redefined, hosts Pam Dunwald and Linda Kritikos welcome Susan Marks, the Cannabis Nurse, to the show to unpack the myths, misinformation, and mystery surrounding medical cannabis use. Susan is a board-certified family medical practitioner with clinical experience in adult surgical practice, pediatric oncology, hematology, home care, case management, disease management...

In this episode of Healthcare Redefined, hosts Pam Dunwald and Linda Kritikos guide aging adults and their families through four key areas that shape a safe, purposeful, and well-supported start to 2026: winter safety, social connection and purpose, advanced life planning, and preparing for possible relocation. They discuss how aging adults often shift their New Year priorities from material goals...

Hosts Pam Dunwald and Linda Kritikos welcome death doula Crystal Flores, Founder of The Grateful Death, to the show to explain what a death doula is and the dignity and compassion they can bring to end-of-life care. There are misconceptions and plenty of questions surrounding end-of-life experiences, which Crystal very openly and candidly answers for Pam and Linda. This conversation sheds light on...

Hosts Pam Dunwald and Linda Kritikos set the record straight on what hospice is and is not about in this episode. They address the top ten misconceptions people have about hospice care, misconceptions that hold people back from choosing hospice for themselves or loved ones. Pam and Linda both have practical experience in hospice and share stories from their book, “Cracking the Hospice Code: Your N...

Hosts Pam Dunwald and Linda Kritikos discuss the issue of hospital readmissions, why they occur, and how they can often be prevented. Hospital readmission is defined as a return to the hospital within thirty days of the patient’s discharge. Often, readmissions occur due to miscommunication, misunderstanding, or medication changes. Advocates, like the type provided by Your Nurse Advocate Consulting...

Host Pam Dunwald explores what listeners need to prepare for the Medicare annual enrollment period in this episode. Pam is joined by guest Wendi Schoonover, the owner and founder of Integrity Insurance Group. Wendi has 16 years of experience in the industry, and started her own agency in 2018 to take a more educational and advocacy-based approach with clients. Pam asks Wendi key questions about Me...

In this episode, hosts Pam Dunwald and Linda Kritikos define exactly how nurse patient advocates are able to help patients and their families navigate healthcare. Through their independent company, Your Nurse Advocate Consulting, they are able to provide assistance that is truly independent and not tied to or bound by a particular hospital, clinic, or insurance company’s rules. The care they offer...

Hosts Pam Dunwald and Linda Kritikos welcome listeners to the first episode of Healthcare Redefined: Advocating for Aging Adults and Their Families. Pam and Linda unpack the reason they created Your Nurse Advocate Consulting and, by extension, this podcast: to help fill the gaps healthcare can leave in people’s lives. How the people-centred focus sometimes slips through the cracks and leaves patie...

Welcome to Healthcare Redefined: Advocating for Aging Adults and Their Families, presented by Your Nurse Advocate Consulting. Hosts Pam and Linda are here to empower families to confidently navigate the complexities of healthcare and aging. They will impart expert advice, share real stories, and provide practical tools for families whose loved ones are in their golden years. Each episode, Pam and...