Episodes
Diagnoses of depression and anxiety have risen 25% since the pandemic. Dr. Shawn Weiss joins Suzanne to talk about ways depression and anxiety can be reduced holistically. One of the best things to do for depression and anxiety is to exercise. If you are over 50 and are feeling a bit lost and want to make changes, check out Shawn Weiss's Fit Over 50 30 day Coaching Program that will address the 6 Pillars of Health, that includes improving emotional health. How do you start? Shawn says, "The first thing, you have to get an assessment. There are many wonderful standardized assessments. Just g...
Joan Rettmann from Transforming Age joins Suzanne to talk about the definition of a life plan community and what it offers residents. Joan says, "A lot of different terms are used in the industry, and this is a classic example of where things get confusing. A life plan community is really an umbrella term that covers independent communities that have additional care levels available, such as assisted living, memory support, and normally skilled nursing as well. "That term 'life plan' is actually replacing, if you will, the term CCRC, or continuing care retirement communities. So they can r...
Somebody comes into independent living in a retirement community. What does it offer? Generally it takes care of housekeeping, provides meals, and lots of social activities. Joan Rettmann from Transforming Age joins Suzanne to summarize the various offerings. Joan says, "One of the things that a lot of people appreciate most is a release from some of the domestic responsibilities, like housekeeping for instance. Not having to do that is quite appealing to a lot of folks. There's always a meal plan. So it's not surprising that food is oftentimes towards the top of the list. Various meal plan...
The term 'retirement community' covers a lot of different types of options, some with care, some without care. Joan Rettmann from Transforming Age joins Suzanne to talk about what they all mean. Joan says, "There are a lot of terms that are used out there in the industry. The first step may potentially be one that falls in the category of 55 plus, starting with a younger age group. A lot of times those communities can be designed in an apartment-like complex. They can be more of a campus-like setting or a town home. Some folks choose that option if they're ready to have a little bit of a l...
Joan Rettmann from Transforming Age joins Suzanne to talk about various independent living retirement options. People are starting to explore senior living options at an earlier age. We're seeing a shift to people in their 60s and early 70s, people looking to improve their quality of life. What seems like a forever home could get in the way of other priorities. Retirement communities can provide a low-maintenance lifestyle with more social opportunities. Joan says, "The use of technology has changed, become more and more important. You'll see that play out in a lot of different ways in reti...
Sean Joseph, CEO of Jordan River Moving & Storage, joins Suzanne to talk about how to make your move as smooth and stress-free as possible. The better you prepare ahead of time, the smoother the move will be. Sean says, "If you want the move to be fast and smooth, we would like to see boxes and furniture. So the boxes will be all packed and taped on the top, nicely closed, flat, no items sticking up. Because then our guys will come in, take all the boxes immediately to the truck, and be fast, because they're working fast. Then we will handle the furniture for you. We will disassemble the be...
A lot of seniors get taken advantage of by moving companies. In this segment, Sean Joseph, CEO of Jordan River Moving & Storage, joins Suzanne to talk about how to avoid moving scams. Sean says, "A lot of people think that everything on the Internet must be cheap, safe, and good. All those are wrong assumptions. Websites [can be] completely made up, the five star reviews that been posted on the website are completely fake. By the way, I just filed two complaints with the FBI about all those five-star fake reviews that are posted by all of those people. It's a major issue, and seniors are bo...
Sean Joseph, CEO of Jordan River Moving & Storage, joins Suzanne to talk about how to find trustworthy providers to help seniors with moving. This segment focuses on in-home estimates. Make sure items that are priceless to you are packed appropriately, and moving companies are there to provide these services. Sean says, "So when we go to the house, first of all we would like to see what we're dealing with. We will go room by room, and ask what needs to be moved, what services are required from us to perform on the day of the move. And we will engage in conversation, and pretty much try to g...
If you're thinking about the next chapter of your life, and downsizing or senior living is on the horizon, this month Suzanne covers all aspects of the process, starting from the beginning. In this episode, Sean Joseph, CEO of Jordan River Moving & Storage, joins Suzanne to talk about how to plan, what to take with you, and how to find trustworthy providers to help seniors with moving. It's a monumental step for someone who's lived in the same home for more than 50 years, and often an emotional turmoil to depart from that home. Sean says, "Just last Friday, I went to a couple, I think they ...
On this bonus episode of Answers for Elders, Suzanne introduces the new podcast of estate planning specialist David T. Phillips: Estate Planning Made Easy. Visit the podcast's YouTube channel to watch the show, or subscribe and listen to the podcast by following these links on Spotify or Apple Podcasts. By law every American can gift $18k annually, to anyone they want, completely gift, estate and income tax free. Many are reluctant to use their gifting allowance. But proper gifting will not only give the giver fulfillment during their life, it can produce generations of powerful, productive...
Lindsay Friedman and Shannon Lyons join Suzanne to talk about peace of mind and other reasons for getting their innovative health monitoring system Care Bloom to help senior loved ones age in place in their homes. Listeners, sign up for free to win one year of Care Bloom! Care Bloom is holding drawings in June and September 2024. There's no obligation or commitment to purchase. Learn more at https://carebloom.com. Lindsay explains the need for Care Bloom. "It's really important because people want to stay in their homes. People are aging much more rapidly than they have been. Caregiving is ...
Through the use of a watch, room sensors, and an app, Care Bloom provides 24/7 health monitoring services for caregivers. Lindsay Friedman and Shannon Lyons join Suzanne to talk more about the Care Bloom watch and app, an innovative new tool to assist senior loved ones with aging in place. Listeners, sign up for free to win one year of Care Bloom! Care Bloom is holding drawings in June and September 2024. There's no obligation or commitment to purchase. Learn more at https://carebloom.com. Shannon describes the information a caregiver can see on the app. "We really want to pull the most imp...
Lindsay Friedman and Shannon Lyons from Care Bloom join Suzanne to talk about an innovative new home-monitoring tool to assist senior loved ones with aging in place, living independently in their later years. Through the use of a watch and app, Care Bloom provides health monitoring services for caregivers. You'll be able to purchase Care Bloom beginning in June. Listeners, sign up for free to win one year of Care Bloom! Care Bloom is holding drawings in June and September 2024. There's no obligation or commitment to purchase. Learn more at https://carebloom.com. Lindsay explained how Care B...
If you or your relatives want to build a new structure, or get modifications done on your house, there are resources to make sure that the builders are doing it right. Dr. Jill Bjerke joins Suzanne to talk about aging in place constructions as part of this month's Specialist Spotlight on Aging in Place. A home assessment at silverspaces.com provides guidelines and recommendations to design an aging in place home, like lever handles on doors and faucets, a raised dishwasher so you don't have to bend down so far, a stove that has controls in the front, a low-maintenance exterior, things you o...
Silver Spaces is an online home safety assessment tool with a lot of research behind it. It works by taking you through each of your rooms, have you answer questions, and get educated along the way. For this month's Specialist Spotlight on Aging in Place, Dr. Jill Bjerke joins Suzanne to talk about the benefits of Silver Spaces. Only 25% of people who suffer from a broken hip are able to return home after they recover. The biggest injury that older adults incur comes from trips and falls, and they are preventable. A $39.95 assessment at Silver Spaces (silverspaces.com) could mean the differ...
During our lighting round segment on the Answers for Elders radio show, expert Dr. Jill Bjerke joins Suzanne to answer three top questions about aging in place as part of this month's Specialist Spotlight. 1. When should anyone start thinking about remaining in their home? “Probably as soon as possible. At retirement, before retirement. When you feel unsafe in your home. Really, almost any time is a good time to start thinking about it because there's so many decisions to be made." 2. Who should help someone make a decision on this? “Basically, you'd probably start with your family. But you...
This month's Specialist Spotlight on Aging in Place features Dr. Jill Bjerke, the creator of Silver Spaces, an online assessment tool to help you identity safety risks and dangers in your home that you haven't noticed. If you want to remain in your home in your later years, Dr. Jill talks talks about many of the risks you can avoid. Dr. Jill says, "Every 20 minutes, according to the National Institutes of Health, an adult over 65 dies from a fall. That is so unnecessary. Things like this assessment are out there to identify where trip-and-fall hazards are. And they can be so insidious. You ...
Dr. Jill Bjerke, CEO of Silver Spaces, joins Suzanne for this month's Specialist Spotlight on Aging in Place. People don't ask these questions enough. We get emotionally attached to a locale, and while our health and lifestyle changes, our home stays the same. Tasks that seem so simple can become complicated when we age. Dr. Jill says, "Aging in place is different than people think. It's not, "I'm gonna live in my home forever." There are a lot of decisions that have to be made. The biggest ones are things like finance, transportation, health, socialization, all of those things you need to ...
If you're caring for a loved one who is cognitively impaired, this hour is for you. Dr. Shawn Weiss joins Suzanne this hour to talk about giving yourself some grace and working on self-care to lessen burnout during the overwhelming experience of family caregiving. Dr. Weiss talks about recognizing the symptoms of burnout, working on self-care, and giving yourself some grace. Burnout will lead you to have a short fuse, the last thing you need while caregiving. Take time and step back, find ways to de-stress, and have someone you can vent to. Knowledge is power. The more you are prepared, the...
If you're caring for a loved one who is cognitively impaired, this hour is for you. Dr. Shawn Weiss joins Suzanne this hour to talk about the listening and non-verbal side of communicating better. We're rushed, living hectic lives. When we walk into the room with our loved ones, are we empathetic, or just pretending to listen? With empathy, you'll have more success with them doing what you need, like eating breakfast or going to the doctor. Not interrupting, not finishing their sentences for them, goes a long way. You're going to learn more about mom, a long of things you can still learn fr...
If you're caring for a loved one who is cognitively impaired, this hour is for you. Dr. Shawn Weiss joins Suzanne this hour to talk about ways of adjusting the home environment to improve the quality of life for those who face cognitive challenges. Environment plays a major role in daily success, especially as symptoms progress. Adding lavender and vanilla through diffusers can provide a calming effect, reducing stress. It helps to set lights lower after dinnertime. Colors have a huge affect as well. Communicate with more of a soothing tone of view, and use calmer body language. Avoid jarg...
If you're caring for a loved one who is cognitively impaired, this hour is for you. Dr. Shawn Weiss joins Suzanne this hour. This segment provides an overview of mental impairments, including dementia. 12-18% of those over 60 years old have at least some mild cognitive disorder, and that is expected to grow by 20% by the year 2040. 80% of seniors in senior living communities have some kind of impairment. Most people want to age in place, particularly after Covid, and people are feeling ill-equipped when it comes to caregiving. People are looking for ways to help mom or dad, to improve their...
Sean Joseph, CEO of Jordan River Moving & Storage, joins Suzanne this hour to share his top ten tips for a successful move. In this segment, Sean advises to always pay for moving by weight, not cubic feet, and to inspect the empty truck at the end of the move before the crew leaves. 9. Always pay by weight, not cubic feet. Move by weight, not volume. Cubic feet is not a precise measure. The same boxes can be arranged to take up different amounts of space. Scammers can leave big open gaps within stacks of boxes on a truck, so that the boxes appear to take up more space than they really do. I...
Sean Joseph, CEO of Jordan River Moving & Storage, joins Suzanne this hour to share his top ten tips for a successful move. This segment, Sean advises that you pre-plan your space in your new house before you move there, and observe the truck as it's being weighed before and after loading. 7. Space plan at your destination before your move. Make sure you know where you want your furniture to go in your new home. You need to be able to show the movers where to unload items. If you haven't done that ahead of time, local movers are being paid by the hour while you decide. Sometimes you don't e...
Sean Joseph, CEO of Jordan River Moving & Storage, joins Suzanne this hour to share his top ten tips for a successful move. In this segment, Sean advises packing boxes fully to avoid damage, organize your house for the move, don't sign blank forms, and stay with the crew but out of the way. 3. When you pack, fill up boxes all the way to avoid damages. If you're doing your own packing, the moving company is not liable for damages to boxes. To avoid damage, prevent items from shifting inside the boxes. To do that, fill each box completely. If they're sealed and flat, they can be stacked faste...
Sean Joseph, CEO of Jordan River Moving & Storage, joins Suzanne this hour to share his top ten tips for a successful move. In this segment, Sean urges people to get an in-home estimate and pack yourself to save money. 1. Get an up-front, in-home estimate. Joseph says, "A move is a big deal. You're giving them everything you own. Don't you want to see who you're dealing with, to build trust?" Choose a local company from the neighborhood. An in-home estimate is your insurance. You want them to come out to you, to meet them. While there, they can survey your items, and they won't be able to c...
Suzanne is joined by Joan Rettmann, Regional Director of Sales in the Seattle area for Skyline, a unique life care senior living community. She clears up misperceptions about life care communities and explains how they work. Joan says, "Skyline has an extra special place in my heart, because this is actually where I got my start in the industry... Many residents that moved in 15 years ago are still here. Many of them have utilized what we call the Terraces at Skyline, and have used the various components to our continuum of care. And it's been really lovely to see all of that support in pla...
Suzanne is joined by Sean Joseph, CEO of Jordan River International Moving & Storage, a nationwide firm that specializes in working with seniors. Suzanne highly recommends Jordan River after her experiences with the company helping move her mom twice. Suzanne says, "You guys did two moves for my mom. And I remember each time it was just a breeze, it was easy. Your staff was wonderful. They were kind, they were gentle, they listened to what she had to say. There was a lot that we had to do, especially in the first move, where we had a lot of stuff to get rid of, but you guys just handled it ...
Suzanne is joined by Sean Joseph, CEO of Jordan River International Moving & Storage, a nationwide firm that specializes in working with seniors. Sean describes everything to do to make sure you have stress-free move. Sean says, "People need to understand the process of the move, what they need to expect, and how to create and complete a simple move in a good way, that shouldn't be stressful. The moving company could take so much stress away. Make the right first move. Call for an estimate, gain trust with the person from the company. Second, discuss either on the phone or in person what se...
Suzanne is joined by Sean Joseph, CEO of Jordan River International Moving & Storage, a nationwide firm that specializes in working with seniors. They continue their conversation about moving company scams to watch for. Sean says, "I'm a board member of the Washington Movers Conference. And every time, we're talking about education, education, education. People need to be aware of scams. The scan is very simple. The company tries to get you in at a certain amount of money, and then double it. "First, stay away from brokers. Brokers won't admit they are brokers. Brokers always charge a 35% ...