The Voice of Aging

Host Brynne Malone of Aging Solutions interviews hospice liaison Kathleen Giannette about palliative care and how it differs from hospice. Giannette explains hospice as comfort-focused care for people with life-limiting illness who no longer want curative treatment, often provided at home or in assisted living, and clarifies common misconceptions about treatment, hospital use, and what hospice is....

Join Brynne Malone as he discusses caregiver themes of safety planning, adequate coverage, and balancing cost with risk when supporting older adults at home. Jessica Thompson, a previous caregiver turned supervisor, describes how reducing overnight care to save money led to a serious fall where a very weak client with frequent UTIs was left on the floor for about six hours. Underscoring that emerg...

Host Brynne Malone of Aging Solutions (Pacific Northwest) introduces a “dueling doulas” format with birth doula Gina Carlson interviewing Dr. Susan Abernethy, a death doula and trained primary care physician, about peaceful, dignified dying. Abernethy explains the role of an end-of-life doula in guiding families back toward home-centered care, supporting patient autonomy, and filling gaps around h...

Host Brynne Malone (Aging Solutions) continues a conversation with Aleshia Salter (executive director/administrator) and Jessica Johnston (community relations) from an independent, assisted living, and memory care community about what retirement communities offer and how they differ. They define ADLs, explain the value of socialization, and describe continuum-of-care options and the importance of...

Host Brynne Malone of Aging Solutions interviews Aleshia Salter, an executive director of a retirement community offering independent living, assisted living, and memory care, and Jessica Johnston, a community relations director, about how to navigate the transition from home to senior living. They explain key roles in a community, why aging adults can be “vulnerable” (especially with cognitive ch...

Host Brynne Malone of Aging Solutions welcomes hospice liaison Kathleen Giannette to reframe hospice as a holistic, supportive journey rather than something to fear. Kathleen explains her role as a family’s first contact, shares her mother’s hospice experience, and clarifies common misconceptions: hospice can last months to years, focuses on comfort without automatically stopping all medications,...

Host Brynne Malone of Aging Solutions welcomes licensed real estate broker Jake Beal to discuss today’s real estate market through the lens of adults 65+. They note that 78% of people 65+ own homes, 40% still carry mortgages, and many weigh selling to fund retirement or a move to a retirement community. Beal emphasizes starting conversations 6–12+ months early to reduce stress, plan personal prope...

Host Brynne Malone of Aging Solutions interviews local Pacific Northwest funeral directors Andrew and Julie Adams about funeral planning and pre-planning, aiming to make end-of-life conversations more approachable and consumer-focused. They share how they entered funeral service, discuss traditional versus modern practices, and explain that embalming is generally optional in Washington and what th...

Nobody wants to talk about it, but how will we ever know what to do at the end of the life of a loved one if we don't? To bury or cremate? What kind of end of life celebration do you want for yourself? How does your family want to celebrate you? In this candid conversation we speak with Chuck Wendt a pre-planning coordinator. We talk about the process, cost, options and benefits of doing it now un...

Host Brynne Malone of Aging Solutions introduces Donelle Cross, Pacific Northwest representative for the nonprofit Twilight Wish, which grants wishes and provides support to low-income seniors. Donelle shares her background in social work, geriatrics and caregiving experience. How she discovered Twilight Wish and launched the PNW chapter with grant funding, volunteers, and local fundraising so don...

Brynne Malone, founder of Aging Solutions, interviews high school friend Tom Tucker about his experience serving as trustee/executor for two estates. Tom describes settling a friend’s estate that took two years after discovering a trust folder with no trust documents or will, forcing probate, legal fees, and out-of-pocket costs while coordinating with cooperative sisters and managing care-center i...

Host Brynne Malone of Aging Solutions interviews Washington elder law attorney and inactive CPA Julie Olds about core estate planning and fiduciary/advocate responsibilities. Olds outlines a basic plan: reciprocal wills, separate healthcare and financial durable powers of attorney, and a healthcare directive/living will, with added tools like community property agreements, special-needs trusts, ch...