Senior Care Confidential

Hospital care is designed to treat illness. But for older adults, it often creates a new problem: decline. Research shows that up to 50% of seniors lose physical or cognitive function during a hospital stay, and the majority never recover it. At the same time, nearly 1 in 5 Medicare patients are readmitted within 30 days, with a large portion of those readmissions occurring within the first few da...

Did you know that in one county in the U.S., hundreds of hospice agencies were recently shut down for fraud? In this episode of Senior Care Confidential, we uncover shocking stories from the senior care world, including cases where people were enrolled in hospice without their knowledge, doctors allegedly signing orders for patients they never treated, and one region that holds about 2% of the nat...

Did you know most adult children end up managing a parent’s aging like an “operations crisis,” even though the real win is having a playbook before the fall, hospitalization, or scary diagnosis? In this guest-takeover episode, Tradition Senior Living COO, Vanessa Randall, flips the script and interviews Brian and Jo on the earliest warning signs families miss, like subtle mobility changes, weight...

Joy Care Management is now offering faith-based end-of-life doula training that most other training programs do not offer. Jo shares why the end-of-life doula is an important adjunct to palliative and hospice care.

According to The Florida Quality Improvement Organization from 2023, 18.4% of seniors are re-admitted to the hospital in the first 30 days. Other studies show 11.1% are readmitted within the first 2 weeks. There are numerous causes for this: residual illness, newly acquired frailty, medication changes, poor transition of care, etc. This is where Segue Health comes in. During your first 30 days hom...

Hear Author and Executive Director of a successful assisted living share tips on how to find the right community for your loved one.

Over 25% of seniors are considered frail or pre-fail. Frailty is NOT just ‘getting old’. It's a diagnosable condition with signs: unintentional weight loss, weakness, slow walking, low activity. Frail seniors are 5 times more likely to become disabled. The good news is that frailty is manageable and often reversible with proper interventions.

When dementia is no longer manageable, is it time for a care manager to step in? Hear tips from two dementia specialists on how to make necessary changes for your loved ones suffering from dementia.

Medicare Advantage market is still growing, though slower, but has some legal and PR challenges they are currently facing. Reports of upcoding to increase revenue from Medicare, significant increase in denial rates, and some new congressional investigations and legislation are causing the public to reconsider these plans. In today’s show, we’re discussing some plan details, the trade-offs with the...

Peter Abraham, BSN, RN, Author of over 50 books discusses the difference between hospice and a death doula, as well as how to become a death doula.

Medicare is introducing the GUIDE program to assist loved ones and patients affected by dementia and alzheimer's. Arcy Healthcare of Flowermound, TX is one of the selected companies rolling out this program starting July 1st.

Heavy sedation and immobilization is an antiquated approach for those critical patients in the ICU. We know how bad immobilization is in hospitals, it’s even worse in ICUs where the stakes are higher. Today we are joined by Kali Dayton, who teaches around the country how changing our approach to patients in the ICU can lead to profoundly better outcomes for patients.

In the U.S. alone, approximately 800,000 people suffer from a stroke each year. There are 300,000 Americans living with a spinal cord injury. Traditional treatments, including physical therapy may provide limited success in some cases. Incorporating the Neuro20 PRO System can be a highly effective way to improve your overall movement potential. Whether you are suffering with a neuromuscular condit...

Meet Dr. Hari Raja, an internal medicine physician practicing 30+ years, and hear about his concierge house call practice. It is no longer difficult to see the doctor when he can come to you. Labs, X-rays, and EKGs are just a few of the services that can be brought to you at home.

Did you know that approximately 10 million people worldwide are living with Parkinson’s Disease? Nearly 1 million in the US alone. This is expected to double in the next 15 years. Today, we are joined by Leisha Phipps, MSW and Executive Director of the Dallas Area Parkinson Society to discuss how their organization helps patients and families affected by this disease.

On this episode, we speak with Bob Bacheler, a Registered Nurse and Managing Director of Flying Angels, a company that transports patients domestically and internationally. Listen as he shares stories of escorting medically compromised patients to their preferred destination, whether it be home or a nursing facility.

Immobility in hospitals leads to significant decline across multiple body systems. This often leads senior patients to have poor outcomes long term. Today, Lesley Williamson joins our show to discuss preventative strategies in the hospital, including the ICU.

Jo and Brian discuss the increased number of claims being denied by health insurance companies. They share tips on how to appeal and overturn invalid claim denials.

All seniors prefer to live at home and age in place. On this episode, we speak with Girish Sabari about telehealth and remote patient monitoring in the home, creating a pathway of communication between the patient and the doctor.  This helps prevent unnecessary ER visits and medical crisis situations.

Hospital Acquired Frailty is a precipitous multi-system decline due to immobility while in a hospital that is often preventable. This lack of movement creates a cascading ‘doom loop’ that can happen with breathtaking speed. Learn what it is as well as how to avoid it on this episode.

28% of seniors live alone in the United States, and there are great ways to stay at home and avoid moving to a nursing home. Laurie Miller, with Apple Care and Companion & Age Tech Now, discusses safe ways to stay in your home as you age using technology, community resources, and Medicare services.

Did you know that 90% of people with Parkinson’s are at risk of developing a weak voice that can lead to life-threatening swallowing complications? Aspiration, choking, reduced cough reflex and even malnutrition can be consequences of weakened muscles that control speech and swallowing. To make matters worse, some studies show that over half of adults with communication disorders experience suicid...

Since the onset of COVID, standards of care have been compromised. What was once not acceptable, is now often the norm. How do you protect your loved ones with dementia living in memory care communities?

There is no such thing as a free lunch, or in this case ‘free or lower premiums’. There is ALWAYS a cost.   Open enrollment is about to begin for Medicare and Advantage plans. As providers, we handle a lot of questions around these plans…specifically:   Why they are no longer on Medicare when they were told they were being signed up for a ‘cheaper Medicare plan’?   Why are there denials when my pl...

There are 8.2 Million seniors are affected by wounds in the U.S. annually. Medicare spends $97 Billion dollars per year to treat them. We’re seeing more wounds and higher severity since the pandemic. Today, we are joined by Dr. Jenna Wishnew and Marina Lakhmanchuk, PT, DPT to discuss prevention, treatment strategies, as well as when to call in the specialist.