Episodes
Reverend Doctor Kathianne Lewis joins Suzanne to talk about Spiritual Wellnss, one of the 8 foundational principles of wellness featured this month as part of the Vitality Revolution podcast series sponsored by Humana. Rev. Kathianne is Spiritual Director and Senior Minister at the Center for Spiritual Living in Seattle. Rev. Dr. Kathianne Lewis has inspired and served countless numbers of people—whose lives, she hopes, have been changed for the better by practicing spiritual principles. Rev Kathianne says, "To bless and be thankful in the face of adversity does two things I think. First o...
Director of Capital Projects Kristina Chalfant joins Suzanne to talk about the environmental factors/design considerations that enhance resident quality of life at Era Living. Kristina says, "I'm responsible for a team of project managers and a project coordinator, facilities team, and a procurement coordinator. Our team is responsible for doing renovation projects, keeping the communities fresh and safe and clean, and for taking care of emergency repairs, like if the roof is leaking, or if there's a pipe burst, or something like that, if the boilers stop working. We've got painters that go...
Susan Vahlkamp, Executive Director of Era Living's University House Issaquah, joins Suzanne to talk about the company's executive director in training program, which offers employees an opportunity for advancement to become strong, knowledgeable leaders. Susan says, "It's something that happens periodically in the company. Just two are selected at a time to go through that training program. They announce that they are accepting applications. It is only open to internal employees, and then you have to apply, get the blessing from your supervisor, the executive director at your community whe...
If you’re considering senior living, it’s important to hear from residents who’ve gone through the process of transiting to a senior living community. Jeanne lives with her golden retriever/labrador retriever Joyce at Era Living's Aljoya Mercer Island retirement community. Jeanne says, "I decided that I didn't want to live in my own home. I loved my house, and loved my neighbors, and my family. But any time I didn't feel well, I got really anxious. So I wanted to go someplace that had a health service. And I looked at 12 places, I didn't go into all of them. My criteria was that they would ...
The book "Spirit Calling: Listening to God Within You" is a daily devotional book centered on a Bible passage for each day. Michael Wuehler wrote it as if the holy spirit is responding to the reader through the passage, in first person. Retired United Methodist minister Michael Wuehler joins Suzanne to talk about spiritual wellness, featured this month as part of the Vitality Revolution podcast series sponsored by Humana. Michael says, "I'm all over the internet. You can buy the book in paper format, but I also have "Spirit Calling" in different formats on YouTube as a video, and also somet...
Working in hospice, United Methodist minister Michael Wuehler has helped with the grieving side of families in their spirituality, those coping with that end of life. Michael joins Suzanne to talk about spiritual wellness, featured this month as part of the Vitality Revolution podcast series sponsored by Humana. Michael says, "Grieving takes the rest of our lives. Sometimes people ask, 'When will I be over it?' You won't. If you've spent your life loving somebody, and they pass away, it doesn't just stop. You gave your heart and soul to that person. Grief is that feeling that rushes in when...
We often forget to take the moments to connect with ourselves. Author and Retired United Methodist minister Michael Wuehler joins Suzanne to talk about spiritual wellness, featured this month as part of the Vitality Revolution podcast series sponsored by Humana. Michael describes some tools — ways to connect with ourselves. He says, "We're human beings, not human doings, and we tend to do — we make humanity a verb rather than a noun. I practice yoga, which some Christians have some difficulty with, but yoga has no religion. Yoga is whatever you bring to it. And some of my instructors are ve...
Michael Wuehler joins Suzanne to talk about spiritual wellness, featured this month as part of the Vitality Revolution podcast series sponsored by Humana. The University of Colorado, when defining their 8 foundational principles of wellness, says spiritual wellness has to do with your own sense of well-being, commitment to your morals and ethics, and who you are as an individual. In other words, know thyself, and stand true to your values and principles. This can include your faith. Michael Wuehler is a retired United Methodist minister with 30 years of experience in the parish ministry, he...
Retirement coach Larry Jacobson joins Suzanne to talk about his process of helping people find their life purpose and meaning in retirement. Larry explains, "I take people through nine stages to find their purpose and meaning in retirement. I call it, "What is Your Encore?" What are you going to do next? When people retire, say at 65, well, we're living a lot longer than the previous generation. If you make it to 65 there's a good chance you're gonna make it to 85. That's 20 years. What are you gonna do with yourself? So I first take people through, well, what is your vision? What is it tha...
Retirement coach Larry Jacobson joins Suzanne to talk about finding your life purpose. Larry says, "Most of the people who come to me are about to retire or will retire within a year, and they ask, 'Is this all there is? I thought there would be more, I thought it would be more fun. I'm bored. Help me, I'm gonna go crazy.' I start with, 'Let's talk about a vision that you have for your dream retirement. What did you always dream of doing in retirement?' Well, I don't know, is the answer I get a lot. It's OK if you don't know, because we have tools to help you get there. And one of them is a...
Retirement coach Larry Jacobson joins Suzanne to continue their conversation, expanding on the advantage of seeking purpose and fulfillment in your senior years, rather than just personal pleasures. Why not live a life of multiple pleasures? "Not everything you do has to have purpose. But you're going to be missing something in your life, that you have purpose in doing something. I've had a client say, 'I deserve to have pleasures now, I deserve to do fun things.' My reply is, 'Yeah, you do, so do that. But it's not going to satisfy you in the long term. You don't have join the Peace Corps....
Retirement coach Larry Jacobson joins Suzanne to talk about finding purpose and fulfillment in your senior years vs just seeking pleasure – how you find passions and opportunities after your career. Jacobson sold his business, bought a boat, and sailed around the world for six years. He felt fantastic, but when he got back, something was missing — what to do now? He was looking for self-actualization, the highest point on Maslow's hierarchy of needs: giving back to society, improving other peoples' lives. Larry says, "A lot of people confuse pleasure with purpose and fulfillment. Pleasures ...
Abby Winter, a pharmacist and teaching professor at the University of Washington School of Pharmacy, joins Suzanne to talk about advantages that residents of Era Living retirement communities receive thanks to a partnership with the university. Abby says, "At Era Living, we will provide lectures about various topics, often ideas suggested by residents. Right now we're doing a campaign of health promotion days. So we've had a diabetes day, a brain health day, a heart health day, and provide things like blood sugar checks, and blood pressure checks, osteoporosis screenings, diabetes screening...
If you're thinking about senior living, wondering what the first steps should be, what to expect, what's the process like, questions can hold us back. Karla talks about the process of selecting the right community. It takes a lot of courage to pick up the phone or visit a community. Karla Clark is the Regional Director for Sales and Marketing at Era Living, and she talks about how a community relations team member can guide you through the process — finding the right fit based on your needs. What should you expect when you call a community? Karla says, "First of all, they should expect some...
Catherine Arendt is the At Your Service Manager for Era Living retirement community at Aljoya Thornton Place. She hosts downsizing workshops, a helpful tool to help work through the things in our homes. When people choose an apartment at Aljoya Thornton Place in Seattle, Washington, she helps them figure out what they're going to bring to their new home. "I always tell them, I'm not a designer, I'm a space planner," she says. "I take pictures of what they'd like to bring, and when I get back to the office I can put it on a floor plan. Just to know that those items will fit, it's a great rel...
Said Hitti was born in Lebanon, studied economics in London and Oxford, and then moved to the United States in 1963 to work at the International Monetary Fund in Washington D.C. Said now lives at Ida Culver House Broadview, an Era Living retirement community. He says, "I'm quite happy here. There is a preponderance of highly educated people from academia, from the business world, from other areas, too. You meet a lot of people, and it's always pleasant to hear their life experiences." For those who are considering senior living, he says, "Do it only if it's necessary for you to do. A retire...
If you're considering senior living, it's important to hear from residents who've gone through the process of transiting to a senior living community. Kathy Swanson is a retired junior high and high school teacher, the oldest of four children. She started looking when she was 74, and only looked at Aljoya Thornton Place. She brought friends and other family members to check out the community. She sold her home during COVID and moved in August 2020 to the Era Living retirement community. Kathy says, "The easiest thing about the move was being able to sell during COVID, to have the support of...
Michelle Cornelius, VP of Memory Care at Cogir Senior Living, joins Suzanne to talk about the social wellness of those with dementia in senior living communities. This segment focuses on how senior living communities have responded after having had to isolate seniors during the pandemic. Michelle says, "We really have seen effects from COVID starting with families not wanting to have a person move into memory care or assisted living, because you didn't know when you would see that again. And so people are moving in much later in the disease process than they used to, which makes adjustment ...
Michelle Cornelius, VP of Memory Care at Cogir Senior Living, joins Suzanne to talk about helping those with dementia adjust socially and find their fit in their senior living community. Michelle says, "Their nonverbal communication skills increase, and they do a really good job of picking up on how others around them feel. And so if they walk into a dining room and they feel like they're being ostracized, they're not very likely to want to come back to the dining room, because they know that they don't fit in. And so when we can join people together in pairs or groups or in areas where the...
If you have a loved one experiencing some Alzheimer's or dementia, and you're wondering how to help them find purpose and meaning each day, this show focuses on ways to help. Michelle Cornelius, VP of Memory Care at Cogir Senior Living, joins Suzanne from Phoenix to talk about providing a sense of purpose, accomplishment, and motivation for getting up each day for those with dementia. Michelle says, "Our calendars change every month, and they're really individualized by the community and the culture of each community, because what we do in Phoenix is very different than what we do in some o...
Michelle Cornelius joins Suzanne from Phoenix to talk about occupational and social wellness for those with dementia. Michelle is VP of Memory Care at Cogir Senior Living. Michelle talks about ways that occupational wellness — having a sense of purpose, accomplishment, and reason for getting up each day — can be incorporated in the social calendars of people with dementia at senior living communities. "For example, we had one guy with dementia who used to teach line dancing classes. We scheduled him on the calendar to teach line dancing. He didn't remember what he had taught the previous we...
Lori Hutson joins Suzanne to talk about writing memoirs, an intriguing aspect of finding purpose and connection. Lori says, "we all have it in us, in some way or another. The first step is reflecting on our lives, just thinking about as journaling. But also, coming up with a theme to help you focus: what do you want to accomplish with it? I think about my family members — I would have loved it if my dad had written some of these things down." Lori Hutson joins Suzanne on behalf of Vitality Revolution podcast series gold sponsor Humana. Lori and Suzanne are discussing how to achieve social w...
Lori Hutson joins Suzanne on behalf of Vitality Revolution podcast series gold sponsor Humana. Lori talks about seniors traveling and relocating to places like Mexico, Costa Rica, and Portugal, which have a lower cost of living and nice climates. Lower health care costs are an important consideration. The choice to live abroad is affected by health care options, access to providers, affordable plans, availability of ambulance services, and others. Lori and Suzanne are discussing how to achieve social wellness, one of the eight fundamental principles of wellness. Lori, owner of L.J. Hudson I...
Many baby boomers are starting new careers, redefining retirement, doing things they always wanted to do. Flexibility is important to many baby boomers, whether they are looking for a new job or to launch their own business in order to make a difference. Lori discusses getting over barriers to move forward. During caregiving downtime, while you're not able to leave the house, you could to take online courses. You could connect with support groups and network. Think about transferable skills you've gained while caregiving, such as organization, leadership, communication skills, adaptability,...
Family caregivers, caring for a spouse or a senior loved one, are often floundering in the world. A study said 40% of family caregivers leave or lose their jobs due to caregiving. They spend 70% more time on social media than non-family caregivers. Having left careers behind in their late 40s to mid-50s, they lose pensions and long-term-care benefits. This segment focuses on how to redefine our lives even in the midst of caregiving. Sometimes we discount the skills gained while caregiving. Think about the things that give you passion or joy: hobbies, connecting with others, or eventually po...
Courtesy of Era Living, Julia Goldie shares success stories as new residents settle into their new circumstances. Julia and Suzanne are discussing Social and Occupational Wellness, part of the Vitality Revolution podcast series sponsored by Humana. Seth is a social wellness expert, a licensed mental health. Julia Goldie is Life Enrichment Director at Era Living's Aljoya Thornton Place in Seattle, Washington. Julia says, "I have one resident, she was a little bit on the younger side, and was kind of hesitant to move in at first, and has her own group of friends, and she was an introvert. But...
Courtesy of Era Living, Julia Goldie and Seth Hutchins join Suzanne to talk about Social and Occupational Wellness, part of the Vitality Revolution podcast series sponsored by Humana. Seth is a social wellness expert, a licensed mental health therapist in the state of Washington, and Julia is Life Enrichment Director at Era Living's Aljoya Thornton Place in Seattle. In this segment, Julia and Seth address concerns for helping isolated or depressed seniors adapt as they transition to a senior living environment. Every situation is different, but often it's common that they're moving during a...
Courtesy of Era Living, Julia Goldie joins Suzanne to talk about Social and Occupational Wellness, part of the Vitality Revolution podcast series sponsored by Humana. Julia Goldie is Life Enrichment Director at Era Living's Aljoya Thornton Place in Seattle, Washington. Julia helps new residents find purpose and passions by crafting an exciting calendar of activities. Julia says, "90% of what we offer here is based on what residents interests are, what their passions are, what they want to learn about, where they wanna go, things that they want to see. And I think that's why we see such succ...
Courtesy of Era Living, Seth Hutchins joins Suzanne to talk about Social Wellness, part of the Vitality Revolution podcast series sponsored by Humana. Seth is a social wellness expert, a licensed mental health therapist in the state of Washington working in community mental health, private practice, and senior residents at Era Living retirement communities. Seth defines social wellness holistically. "Every person might define social wellness differently. Some people are more geared toward being more extroverted, being out in the community and participating, while others may not be wired tha...
Get the inside scoop with senior living communities. In this segment, resident Lynn Coulibaly joins Suzanne. She is a retired nurse administrator who resides at Era Living's Aljoya Thornton Place community. She worked at the general hospital in Everett, Washington, and took early retirement when two hospitals merged. For people considering senior living, Lynn advises, "I imagine that most people have something that they're looking for, so you think about that. Do you need something in the health care side? Most people are given meals to come in and check out the place, and I highly recommen...