All Things Seniors: A Podcast For Caregivers: Recent Episodes
Rafiq Punjani
In this podcast we talk with experts about 'All Things Seniors' - Transportation, Food, Housing (Downsizing, Retirement Communities, Assisted Living, Independent Living, Personal Care Homes etc.), Health (Dementia, Alzheimer, Arthritis, Parkinson, Posture, Hearing Loss, Blindness etc.), Abuse, Loneliness, Isolation and much more.
The purpose is to provide information and learning for Caregivers about these challenges. Most caregivers end up in the role of Family Caregiver for the first time in their lives - they crave this knowledge.
Most caregivers are from a Sandwich generation, where on one hand they have their own life (kids, jobs, wife, their own health etc.) and on the other hand they also have older parents to take care of.
These sandwich generation caregivers crave for these knowledge nuggets, as to how to support Mom/Dad, to be able to provide better care to their loved ones.
If you would like us to address a topic that you currently don’t find in any episodes, let us know and we will address your questions with a relevant industry expert. You can connect with us at Rafiq@SeniorsPodcast.com.
Did you know that in 2018 the number of people older than 64 surpassed the number of children under five years old? It was the first time in history that this was the case. The timing of this change, though, varied significantly between countries.
In higher-income countries with low fertility rates and longer life expectations, it has been shifting for decades. Take the United States, for example, where the under-fives were already outnumbered by those older than 64 in 1966; in Spain, it was 1970; in South Korea, it was 2000. For many countries, this crossover point is yet to come. In India, for example, it is projected to be 2028 and 2036 in South Africa.
In low-income countries with high fertility rates and a lower life expectancy, this point is still many decades away. For example, in Nigeria, under-fives will outnumber those older than 64 by 2087.
As the number of older adults grows around the world, aging people need seniors advocates. Today we have one such advocate with us who has been doing this awe-inspiring work for decades, Barbara Kirby.
After 15 years of caring for her parents with complex health issues, Barb recognized the gaps and barriers in services for seniors and their families. Thus, she chaired and co-chaired the family council in her dad's care home for over ten years; subsequently, she became a board member of advocates for care reform.
Before her parents passed in 2019, she started SeniorsAdvocate.ca in 2009. Its mandate is to treat older people with respect, provide all options to make informed choices to live as they choose, and ensure they and their caregivers have support when they need it most.
Focusing on planning, navigating, and management, she has published numerous articles and authored multiple books. She is a trainer, public speaker, and change agent.
Topics:
- What 'to be an advocate for an older adult' means
- What she means by many faces of advocacy
- What are the signs of caregiver abuse and how to prevent it
- Her concept on lifestyle planning over financial planning
- The five basic principles of living well in later life
- On continuing to educate yourself
- On being prepared to take action
- On refraining your thought
- On self-aware
- What radical collaboration is
- On knowing who we are and what our values are
- On investing time to learn more about your loved ones
- On building a support network
- Who can be an advocate
- On sharing the responsibility with others
- Why working through these support networks is essential to an elder
- Her tips for the listeners
Links:
- Host’s email: Rafiq@SeniorsPodcast.com
- Sponsor’s Link - Right at Home: www.RightAtHomeCanada.com/Winnipeg
- All Things Senior’s Facebook: www.facebook.com/AllThingsSeniors
- Barbara's LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/seniorsadvocate/
- Barbara's Website: www.SeniorsAdvocate.ca
- Barbara’s Twitter: @SeniorsAdvocate
- Barbara's Facebook: www.facebook.com/seniorsadvocate.ca
Barbara's Book: Life Planning, Support & Advocacy for Seniors & their Families: https://store.seniorsadvocate.ca/books/life-planning-support-advocacy-for-seniors-their-families.html
Did you know that nearly 25% of all households are providing care for the elderly? Although you may be willing to help, you may find unexpected challenges in doing it. Matters you never thought about are now your responsibility: healthcare, housing, financial, legal matters, day-to-day issues involving nutrition, and personal safety. With these, you may find yourself worried, overworked, and exhausted. Listeners, being primary caregivers, can relate to this.
Today, we have with us Dr. Marion Somers, a leading Geriatric specialist. Over the past 45 years, she has helped thousands of individuals and their families struggling with these matters.
Topics:
- 10 Steps of Doctor Marion to Help You Care for an Aging Loved One
- On using the personal pronoun I
- The importance of listening
- Her experience with her father and putting safety first
- Improving the lifestyle and simple examples
- Making life easier with adaptive equipment
- Managing financial issues
- Taking care of legal matters
- Mobility in disability
- Finding the suitable housing
- Learning to let go
- Her experience on letting go that changed her life
Links:
- Host’s email: Rafiq@SeniorsPodcast.com
- Sponsor’s Link - Right at Home: www.RightAtHomeCanada.com/Winnipeg
- All Things Senior’s Facebook: www.facebook.com/AllThingsSeniors
- Dr. Marion's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drmarionsomers/
- Dr. Marion's Website: http://drmarion.com/
- Dr. Marion's Book: Eldercare Made Easier: Doctor Marion's 10 Steps to Help You Care for an Aging Loved One: https://www.amazon.com/Elder-Care-Made-Easier-Marions/dp/1886039801
- Mary Sue Wilkinson's Season 1 Episode 9 : https://www.seniorspodcast.com/2020/02/episode-9-the-power-of-music-in-dementia-care/
- Tim Ihrig's Season 1 Episode 13: https://www.seniorspodcast.com/2020/02/episode-13-palliative-care-being-alive-vs-living-a-life/
Did you know that over 50% of people over 60 years old in Asia and Africa live in extended family setups? This number is approximately 40% in Latin America and the Middle East. Meanwhile, in North America though, that's only 7%. In North America, people over 60 living as a couple is close to 50% while those living solo ager or those living by themselves are over 25%.
Living alone brings its own unique sets of challenges and needs. What are these challenges and needs? To talk about these and more about living solo among the elderly, we are happy to have Dr. Sara Zeff Geber with us. She is an expert on this subject and a world-renowned speaker.
Dr. Sara is an author, speaker, and retirement coach. She has a soft spot for solo agers that inspired her to write her book Essential Retirement Planning for Solo Agers, published in 2018 and was selected as a Best Book on Aging Well by Wall Street Journal. Dr. Sara was named an Influencer in Aging and is also a regular contributor to Forbes.com.
Topics:
- What solo aging is and how she got into it
- The three-legged stool
- How the solo ager needs are different from others
- How a solo ager should plan
- What to do seeing somebody who is in denial
- On expanding social network
- On planning for social network security
- How a solo ager finds a reliable person
- Pros and cons of aging in place
- The purpose that solo agers seek
- Her tips to the listeners
Links:
- Host’s email: Rafiq@SeniorsPodcast.com
- Sponsor’s Link - Right at Home: www.RightAtHomeCanada.com/Winnipeg
- All Things Senior’s Facebook: www.facebook.com/AllThingsSeniors
- Dr. Sara's LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/sarazeffgeber
- Dr. Sara's Twitter: @LifeEncore
- Dr. Sara's Website: www.LifeEncore.com
- Dr. Sara's Email: Sara@LifeEncore.com
Did You Know Segment: https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2020/03/10/older-people-are-more-likely-to-live-alone-in-the-u-s-than-elsewhere-in-the-world/#:~:text=In%20the%20U.S.%2C%2027%25%20of,5%25%20of%20seniors%20live%20alone
Did you know that the population of seniors, ages 65 and older, in Canada will grow approximately 70% over the next 20 years? While the older seniors, ages 75 and older, will grow at an even faster rate of 100% over the next 20 years, which is a steep increase in the number of seniors. With this information at hand, there is a need to improve care and advocacy for seniors in Canada and internationally to get more attention towards the subject.
Fortunately, today we have Erin Galyean, author of the book Badass Advocate to give more inputs on stepping up care and advocacy for seniors. Erin is a pharmaceutical trainer, professional speaker, a published author, and above all, she is an experienced family caregiver.
Erin has cared for and lost two of her loved ones. In 1997, Erin lost her father Mike to Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma, and in 2018, she lost her sister Meghan to rare lung disease. These heart-breaking life events, combined with her professional caregiving experience, taught her how to advocate for a patient effectively.
Due to her life experiences, Erin's vision in life is to share her knowledge with others — people like us — so that we can learn from her experience and become badass advocates for our loved ones.
In her book, she shares eight strategies for advocating for a patient who is either homebound or hospitalized. This interview will touch-base on some of those.
Topics:
- On building a support team
- The role of Director of Delight
- Other unique roles that they came up with
- The role of a Meal Train Organizer
- The role of a VP in Communications
- On asking 'strong' questions
- What she means by being persistent and respectful from the caregivers perspective
- On giving pushback and asking for a second opinion
- The source of fatigue for caregivers and ways to avoid it
- What she means by letters of love
- What are the do's and don'ts while writing these letters
- Her take on living behind in unexpected gifts
- Her two tips to the listeners to make them better caregivers
Links:
- Host’s email: Rafiq@SeniorsPodcast.com
- Sponsor’s Link - Right at Home: www.RightAtHomeCanada.com/Winnipeg
- All Things Senior’s Facebook: www.facebook.com/AllThingsSeniors
- Erin's Instagram: #BadAssAdvocate
- Erin's Twitter: @BadAssAdvocate
- Erin's Website: www.BadAssAdvocate.com
- Erin's Facebook: www.facebook.com/BadAssAdvocate
- Erin's Email: Erin@BadAssAdvocate.com
Did You Know Segment: https://www.cihi.ca/en/infographic-canadas-seniors-population-outlook-uncharted-territory
In this episode, Rafiq will share five essential tips he learned from all the episodes in the first season that helped shape caregivers into becoming better caregivers to their loved ones. He will give a bonus tip for caregivers to enhance their knowledge on providing care to the elderly. He will share snippets of the particular episodes where those tips or recommendations came.
Tip 1:
Teepa Snow's Episode 6
Title: Using A Positive Approach To Dementia Care
Link: https://www.seniorspodcast.com/2020/01/episode-6-using-a-positive-approach-to-dementia-care/
Tip 2:
Mary Sue Wilkinson's Episode 9
Title: The Power Of Music In Dementia Care
Link: https://www.seniorspodcast.com/2020/02/episode-9-the-power-of-music-in-dementia-care/
Tip 3:
Judy Cornish's Episode 10
Title: Preserving Dignity In Dementia – the DAWN Method
Link: https://www.seniorspodcast.com/2020/02/episode-10-preserving-dignity-in-dementia-the-dawn-method/
Tip 4:
Debra Hallisey Episode 16
Title: “Caregiving Changes Relationships”
Link: https://www.seniorspodcast.com/2020/07/episode-16/
Tip 5:
Samantha Rodeck Episode 19
Title: Transportation For Seniors & Its Role In Purposeful Aging
Link: https://www.seniorspodcast.com/2020/07/episode-19/
Topics:
- What people understand on sharing vulnerability
- His take on “Someone who is singing with you or to you is probably not there to hurt you.”
- Mood management
- On the part of the caregiving journey when our relationship diminishes
- On encouraging people to continue walking
- Bonus tip that he learned being a family caregiver
Links:
- Host’s email: Rafiq@SeniorsPodcast.com
- Sponsor’s Link - Right at Home: www.RightAtHomeCanada.com/Winnipeg
- All Things Senior’s Facebook: www.facebook.com/AllThingsSeniors
- All Things Senior’s Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4EpFqgau5hrQ3dHc5wCLM7?si=ZscY-NknSrGrE170PfA5LA
- All Things Senior’s iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/all-things-seniors-a-podcast-for-caregivers/
I have four facts to share with you today: First, did you know that every day in North America, over 10,000 people turn 65? Second, seniors tend to rent as they age. 83% of seniors up to the age of 79 own a home, but when they enter the age category of 80+, the ownership statistics go down to 63%, a 20% drop, people tend to like to rent more when they age over 80. Third, 60% of seniors say that they have more things than they need and a whopping 75% say that the amount of these things that they own makes them reluctant to move. Lastly, a study found that seniors who moved as part of their retirement plan were happier than those who stayed put. And, seniors are most happy when they move to short-distance near their family and friends.
Moving later in life has its unique self-challenges. We are fortunate to have a guest with us today who is an absolute expert on this subject, Lisa Sinnicks. She is the owner and managing director of The Seniors Moving Company.
Lisa has over 25 years of experience in seniors housing. Her profession revolves around the following topics: physical and emotional health, conflict resolution, loneliness, isolation, effects of grief and loss, and many such things.
It is a hefty chat about moving later in life in this episode and its challenges and the things to consider. Join us!
Topics:
- What are the common mistakes that people make in moving
- Why people think of moving and their considerations
- Making the whole process more positive and simpler
- How she coaches caregivers to take this at face value and appreciate their feelings
- Challenges she sees during moving
- When is the good time to start the discussion
- Where to start moving
- Her tips to the listeners
Links:
- Host’s email: Rafiq@SeniorsPodcast.com
- Sponsor’s Link - Right at Home: www.RightAtHomeCanada.com/Winnipeg
- All Things Senior’s Facebook: www.facebook.com/AllThingsSeniors
- Lisa's Instagram: #TheSeniorsMovingCompany
- Lisa's Website: www.SeniorsMovingCo.com
- Lisa's Facebook: www.facebook.com/TheSeniorsMovingCompany
- Lisa's Email: Lisa@SeniorsMovingCo.com
Did You Know Segment: https://www.seniorlifestyle.com/resources/blog/infographic-upside-downsizing/
Did you know that over 25% or 1 out of 4 Canadians will be over the age of 60 by 2036? Did you know that 80% of retired Canadians have a fixed income with approximately 27,000 dollars for the median income?
With these facts in mind bundled with the sub-standard system for long-term care for seniors and shortage of retirement homes, there is a need for a lot more work for seniors. Caregivers also play an essential role in this as companions of their loved ones in their old-age journey.
Today, we have with us Sue Lantz to discuss this and more. Sue is the founder and managing director of Collaborative Aging, a creative consulting firm supporting individuals, organizations, businesses, and communities to improve and expand the "options" for aging in place.
Sue is a passionate advocate for resourceful and grassroots housing, healthcare, and neighborhood solutions connected to inclusive communities. She is a trusted policy expert and voice for seniors and people with disabilities.
Sue has worked over many years in Canada to generate innovative designs for home care and housing alternatives to institutional living.
She regularly speaks about empowered aging, including housing options, building stronger social connections, and supporting healthy and balanced caregiving.
Topics:
- What Collaborative Aging is and what she does
- Why she started this work
- What she means by boomers need to step up and co-design the solution and contribute
- The Five strategies that refer to the perspective of the caregiver
- When is the right time to move in housing choices
- Different housing options
- How to make a change and planning to move
- Her thoughts on mixed generation housing
- On having a support
- About her latest book -- Options Open
- Her tips to make the caregiver's life better
Links:
- Host’s email: Rafiq@SeniorsPodcast.com
- Sponsor’s Link - Right at Home: www.RightAtHomeCanada.com/Winnipeg
- All Things Senior’s Facebook: www.facebook.com/AllThingsSeniors
- Sue's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sue-lantz-8b700a5/
- Sue's Twitter: Sue_Lantz
- Sue’s Instagram: #OptionsOpenGuide
- Sue's Website: www.CollaborativeAging.com
- Sue's Email: Sue@CollaborativeAging.com
Did You Know Segment: https://www.tvo.org/video/the-future-of-senior-care
Death is inevitable. However, talking about death and dying are uncomfortable or upsetting, much more challenging to talk about someone we dearly love, and all the more if we talk about death while that loved one is still living. Study shows that having conversations about these subjects within families and communities can help the caregivers prepare emotionally and financially. There is so much to prepare for the death of a loved one. Among these are preparing for the funeral, expenses, wills, and others. These preparations sometimes get too much emotionally and mentally for the caregiver to bear. Getting an expert to help out during this grieving time is necessary.
Today, we have invited someone who can guide us to make this whole process less painful, Richard Rosin. Richard has been in the funeral industry for over 36 years, three decades, and more. He shares his knowledge and expertise to plan green burials, cremations, and funeral events. He also shares the importance of discussing pre-planning and presenting educational seminars.
Richard is a wonderful man who gives back to the community through the Winnipeg Jazz Orchestra and Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce. He also helps fundraise for various not-for-profit organizations.
Topics:
- What is the role of a funeral director
- Why family needs a funeral director
- On having most funerals in the funeral homes than in homes
- The start of the funeral industry
- On having a conversation about pre-planning
- Some challenges and questions that families still have around the funeral time
- His advice in making conversations less painful
- The process for families of doing funeral by themselves
- What green burial is
- What he learned from green burial
- Going green burial financial-wise
- How should families manage the digital assets
- How to circumvent these challenges
- The STEP Organization
- How have the funerals been during the time of the COVID-19 pandemic
- His two tips to the listeners to make the whole process less painful
Links:
- Host’s email: Rafiq@SeniorsPodcast.com
- Sponsor’s Link - Right at Home: www.RightAtHomeCanada.com/Winnipeg
- All Things Senior’s Facebook: www.facebook.com/AllThingsSeniors
- Richard's Email Address: richard@richardrosin.ca
- Richard's Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RichardRosinFuneralDirector/
- Richard's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-a-rosin-39b74943/
- Richard's Twitter: https://twitter.com/RichardRosin8
- Richard's Website: https://www.richardrosin.ca/
- STEP: https://www.step.org/
Fact check! Did you know that the elderly are the fastest-growing age group? And did you know that only less than 4% of people over Sixty-Five years old are in nursing homes? In today's world, we get these stats all the time, right! We have the information and the data. However, elderly care and caregiver challenges were little known facts in the 90s, and having the foresight in the 90s of this upcoming silver tsunami is something.
Our guest today, Denise Brown, launched caregiving.com. It is an online community that started way back in 1996, having one of the largest libraries of caregiving stories where caregivers find consolation in their reflections and confidence in the contributors' advice. She also started her education and support programs on The Caregiving Years Training Academy, Caregiving Consultant Training Program, and Healing Our Way.
Topics:
- Denise backstory and what prompted her to start home care
- On building a support system around you
- What The Caring Question Project is
- Her suggestion on asking for help
- Her experience towards older adults on technology adoption
- Why do we need these caring questions
- Her take on online support group
- Examples of caring questions to ask family caregivers
- What stops people from asking these questions
- What would she change in the current system
- Her tips to the listeners to make their caregiving journey easier
- What are courses that people can take to become better caregivers
Links:
- Host’s email: Rafiq@SeniorsPodcast.com
- Sponsor’s Link - Right at Home: www.RightAtHomeCanada.com/Winnipeg
- All Things Senior’s Facebook: www.facebook.com/AllThingsSeniors
- Denise's Website: www.CareYearsAcademy.com
- Denise's Email: Denise@CareYearsAcademy.com
- Denise's Twitter: @DeniseMBrown3
- Denise's Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/denise.brown1
Denise's Latest Project: The Caring Question Project
https://caring.substack.com/
Did You Know Segment: https://agingresources.org/interesting-facts-about-older-adults/
Did you know that 40% of caregivers are in high-burden situations? Older caregivers who are above seventy-five years old provide over thirty hours of caregiving work a week. Primary caregivers of people with dementia spend an average of nine hours per day, providing care. It truly is a lot of hours! A lot of tired burned out caregivers indeed. Thus, caregivers need help! They need guidance and a support system around them all the more.
Today, we have with us someone who has been helping families since 2004 and has a tremendous experience in the field of caregiving, Stephanie Erickson. Stephanie, author of Plan for Aging Well, was born and raised in California. She has a Masters Degree in Social Work and a certified Alzheimer's Disease Treatment Specialist with a license in Quebec and California.
Stephanie is passionate about sharing her experience and knowledge. She also encourages others to take control of their health. Add to that she is an advocate on behalf of vulnerable populations.
Topics:
- On Stephanie's TEDx talk
- Why words are powerful
- What team caregiving means
- The concept of team caregiving
- Things that people can do remotely
- What emotional support means
- Her thoughts on the medical system in the future
- On spreading the message to change life
- Her advice on documentation
- Her advice to the listeners on elder abuse
- On looking at the baseline behaviour with our loved ones
- What we should do if we see a sign of an early dementia
- What to expect in her book -- Plan for Aging Well
Links:
- Host’s email: Rafiq@SeniorsPodcast.com
- Sponsor’s Link - Right at Home: www.RightAtHomeCanada.com/Winnipeg
- All Things Senior’s Facebook: www.facebook.com/AllThingsSeniors
- Stephanie's Website: www.StephanieErickson.ca
- Stephanie's Email: stephericksonassistant@gmail.com
- Stephanie's Twitter: @FamCareExpert
- Stephanie's Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Stephanie-Erickson-Media-Commentator-Family-Caregiving-Expert-115638081801824
- Stephanie's Book: https://amzn.to/2M4gOIq
Did You Know Segment: https://www.caregiver.org/caregiver-statistics-demographics
Now, let us talk about facts concerning caregiving in society today:
Number 1: Did you know that an estimated 50 million-plus people in North America are caregivers for a family member or a loved one?; Number 2: Approximately 75% of caregivers are women who may be spouses, partners, siblings, children, or neighbours even.; Number 3: About 15% of caregivers care for two or more people, right, so that is an even bigger job.; Number 4: Although men were traditionally not in the role of family caregivers, that trend is changing, for example, about a third of people with cancer are cared for by a man, this group may have to take on tasks which they have never performed before like things like laundry, shopping, cooking, which are a different set of skills needed.; Number 5: 85% of caregivers found the satisfaction of caring for the loved one to outweigh the disadvantages, but 10% found caregiving to be a burden that is a challenge for sure.; Lastly, Number 6: caregivers report higher levels of insomnia, anxiety, fatigue, poor appetite, and even depression, that is higher compared to non-caregiving counterparts.
Challenges of caregiving evolve through time. Some emerging concerns not imminent before are here today, which adds to the many challenges of caregivers. It includes males shifting roles as a caregiver. It can be reduced to a certain extent if there is harmony in the family. Caregiving matters need to be talked about to make meaningful conversations happen. Caregiving is not easy, which is why we have experts on the subject today to guide us and help us make this happen.
Today we have with us Dr. Amy D’Aprix. She is an internationally renowned expert on lifestyle issues related to ageing, caregiving, retirement, and family dynamics. She is a life transition expert, social entrepreneur, coach, speaker, author, and consultant to North American organizations in ageing and financial services.
Topics:
- What essential conversations mean and when should it happen
- What kind of conversations you should have to better prepare as a family
- Caregiving: planned or decided during the crisis
- Reasons why there is no essential conversation happening
- Obstacles to these conversations
- What to consider to determine who should be the primary caregiver
- How caregiving tests relationships
- Her advice on reaching out to others for support
- What facing life transitions with grace means
- Who should be involved in these conversations
- Tips on caregiving for the listeners to make life easier
- Action items for the listeners
- Her Caring Cards and Life Memories Journal
Links:
- Host’s email: Rafiq@SeniorsPodcast.com
- Sponsor’s Link - Right at Home: www.RightAtHomeCanada.com/Winnipeg
- All Things Senior’s Facebook: www.facebook.com/AllThingsSeniors
- Dr. Amy's Website: www.DrAmy.life
- Dr. Amy's Email: Amy@DrAmy.life
- Dr. Amy's Twitter: @DrAmyDAprix
- Dr. Amy's Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dramydaprix
- Dr. Amy's Conversation Cards: https://store.dramy.life/collections/frontpage/products/caring-cards
Did You Know Segment: https://www.oncolink.org/support/caregivers/resources/did-you-know-facts-about-caregivers
Did you know that 60% of people with dementia will wander? Anyone who has memory problems and can walk is at risk for wandering. It is risky for dementia patients because they may not remember their name or address and can become disoriented even in familiar places. It is just one of the many potential risks and challenges a caregiver has to work around while caring for a loved one with dementia.
Today, we have Karen Tyrell, a dementia expert, who has over 25 years of experience on this subject, to share her knowledge about dealing with dementia and the risk of wandering among dementia patients. She will also talk about some tools that will benefit caregivers to provide better care to their loved ones with dementia.
Karen is a dementia consultant, educator, and author. She is the CEO of Personalized Dementia Solutions Inc. Karen shares her expertise through speaking engagements and conducting dementia workshops for both families and frontline staff. She also facilitates weekly online family caregiver support groups working one-on-one with family caregivers to provide emotional support and creative solutions to alleviate everyday challenges associated with dementia.
Topics:
- What dementia detective means
- What PHATCS is
- Why using therapeutic reasoning is beneficial
- Examples of therapeutic reasoning and becoming creative
- Her work focusing on wandering
- Possible reasons why people wander
- What to do when a person is wandering and lost
- Her advice for caregivers on wellness
- The importance of self-care
- What we can do to remain healthy
- The five regions of the brain and game exercises-
- Her tips for caregivers to make life easier
- Her action item for the listeners
Links:
- Host’s email: Rafiq@SeniorsPodcast.com
- Sponsor’s Link - Right at Home: www.RightAtHomeCanada.com/Winnipeg
- All Things Senior’s Facebook: www.facebook.com/AllThingsSeniors
- Karen's Website: www.DementiaSolutions.ca
- Karen's Email: info@DementiaSolutions.ca
- Karen's Twitter: @Dementia__Help
- Karen's Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KarenTyrell
- Karen's Book: https://amzn.to/3t6nWVo
Did You Know Segment: https://www.alz.org/help-support/caregiving/stages-behaviors/wandering
Did you know that women have a higher risk of dementia? Nearly twice as many women have Alzheimer's disease as men. Alzheimer's disease also worsens more quickly in women.
Also, did you know that heart disease can raise the risk of getting Alzheimer's disease? Other conditions that cause heart disease such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, and deficient diet are all links to a higher risk of getting Alzheimer's disease.
Whatever the gender or the cause, once dementia (Alzheimer's disease) happen, it forces families to change their lifestyles. Dementia is always a very stressful and worrying time.
Today, we have with us someone who live this life, walk this path, learn from her experiences, and now she has made her life mission to help others with dementia families who are going through this journey, Vicki Tapia.
When Vicki's parents were both diagnosed with dementia within a few months of each other, she became their caregiver. Out of that experience came her first book "Somebody Stole My Iron: A Family Memoir of Dementia." What began as a journal to help her cope with the many challenges her family face, morphed into a roadmap for others.
Her work shares encouragement, insight, and lessons learned along the way. It is named one of the "Best Alzheimer's Books Of All Time" by Book Authority. Vicki's memoir brings hope to those whose lives had been intimately affected by dementia, letting them know that they are not alone.
She's also a founder and a director of the non-profit AlzAuthors, an evergrowing global community of over 250 authors united to light the way for others with the vision to lift the silence and stigma surrounding Alzheimer's and other dementias through sharing of personal stories.
Topics:
- Her life when her parents both diagnosed with dementia and becoming a family caregiver
- What "Graduate of the dementia caregiver school of hard knocks" means
- Her tips to the listeners on redirecting the conversation
- Situation with her mom on redirecting the conversation
- On protecting the love ones valuable
- Her advice to caregivers on having dark moments
- Her fear for her future on having dementia
- Things she did to make sure it doesn't happen to her
- On convincing the love ones to go for an evaluation
- Her approach to making her mom move into her own home
- Her tips with the listener to make their life easier as dementia caregivers
Links:
- Host’s email: Rafiq@SeniorsPodcast.com
- Sponsor’s Link - Right at Home: www.RightAtHomeCanada.com/Winnipeg
- All Things Senior’s Facebook: www.facebook.com/AllThingsSeniors
- Vicki's Website: www.AlzAuthors.com
- Vicki's Email: VickiTapia@gmail.com
- Vicki's Twitter: @vicleetap @AlzAuthors
- Vicki's Facebook: www.facebook.com/SomeBodyStoleMyIron
- Vicki’s Book: Some Body Stole My Iron
Did You Know Segment:
https://www.healthline.com/health/alzheimers-facts
Did you know that there are over 10 million new cases of dementia every year? That is one new case of dementia every three seconds or so. By the time you will be finished listening to this episode, that will be close to a thousand new cases of dementia worldwide. That is scary! It is not a country-specific challenge but a worldwide phenomenon.
It is a fact that there is no cure for dementia. However, some great minds are playing their part to make a dementia caregiver's journey relatively tolerable. One such advocate is Lori La Bey.
Lori is a change agent from Minnesota known around the world when it comes to dementia care. Recognized by Oprah, Maria Shriver, Dr. Oz, AARP Minnesota, and the National Institute of Dementia Education who all recognized her cutting-edge approach to shifting global dementia care from crisis to comfort.
Her mother has lived with dementia for 30 years. Lori left the long successful career as a residential realtor and launched Alzheimer's Speaks, advocacy in a multimedia company that gives voice to all, including those living with dementia.
Her mission is to educate, raise awareness, shift perceptions, and to share resources with families and professionals regarding all forms of dementia and caregiving.
She is also the co-founder of Dementia Map, a global dementia resource directory.
Topics:
- On dementia is a global problem that needs to be address
- What made her became the new Alzheimer's expert
- Her transition from realtor to an Alzheimer's expert
- On people with dementia that are in denial
- What "Shifting dementia care from crisis to comfort" means
- Why she created Your Memory Chip
- How listeners can apply the journal tools in her website
- On accepting dementia from a different point of view
- On asking ourselves what lessons in the pain that we go through
- What "Are we going to be the next to forget or to be forgotten" means
- What Betty the bald chicken is and how it relates to us
Links:
- Host’s email: Rafiq@SeniorsPodcast.com
- Sponsor’s Link - Right at Home: www.RightAtHomeCanada.com/Winnipeg
- All Things Senior’s Facebook: www.facebook.com/AllThingsSeniors
- Lori's Website: www.AlzheimersSpeaks.com
- Lori's Email: Lori@AlzheimersSpeaks.com
- Lori's Twitter: @alzspks
- Lori's Facebook: www.facebook.com/AlzheimersSpeaks
- Lori's YouTube: www.YouTube.com/user/AlzheimersSpeaks
Free Educational Training Videos:
Dementia Chats Webinar: “https://www.alzheimersspeaks.com/dementia-chats-webinar”
Did You Know Segment:
https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/dementia
Did you know that according to the 2019 University of Michigan National poll on Healthy Aging, 55% of participants age between 50 and 80 own at least one pet and majority of these older adults felt aging was easier, both physically and mentally, because of their pets? Approximately 80% participants said pets reduce their stress. Also, over 25% of pet owners reported that their pet's needs take priority over their own health needs.
These stats and more prove that pets play a very important role in the lives of older adults. So what are the impacts of losing a pet for older adults? How does it affect the purpose and activities in their lives? How can we as caregivers help and communicate with our loved ones during that tough time?
To discuss this and many other topics about our communication with our loved ones, let's have an expert on the subject of caregiver relationships, Debra Hallisey. Debra's most important role these last five years is being her mother's caregiver. She lost her job due to caregiving issues and as a result she founded Advocate for Mom and Dad.
Her mission is to support and educate family caregivers primarily in 3 ways;
Number 1, through her blog www.advocateformomanddad.com which is filled with information to help answer the questions where do I start? what do I do next? kind of things.
Number 2, in her book, Your Caregiver Relationship Contract she explains how to say yes to help and how to create a support network for yourself and your loved one.
And number 3, Debra also consults with family caregivers helping them to navigate the minefield of new family dynamics.
Topics:
- On her nomination for Caregiving Visionary Awards 2020
- What she means by “growing old is not for the faint of heart and it needs careful planning”
- What she means by elder orphan
- On older loved ones that are reluctant to share sensitive information
- Why relationship is really important
- Her thoughts on bringing professional consultant or a caregiving company
- How to convince our loved ones to use technology
- Figuring out what self-care looks like for a caregiver
- On finding new and different ways to keep us going in terms of self-care
- Her tips to caregivers to make their lives easier
Links:
- Host’s email: Rafiq@SeniorsPodcast.com
- Sponsor’s Link - Right at Home: www.RightAtHomeCanada.com/Winnipeg
- All Things Senior’s Facebook: www.facebook.com/AllThingsSeniors
- Debra's Website: www.advocateformomanddad.com
- Debra's Email: hallisdl@gmail.com
- Debra’s Twitter: @advocatemomdad
- Debra’s Facebook: www.facebook.com/advocateformomdad
Debra’s Book: “Your Caregiver Relationship Contract: How to navigate the minefield of new roles and expectations” - www.shorturl.at/hBIU4
Did You Know Segment:
https://people.com/pets/poll-pets-make-aging-better-senior-citizens/
Did you know that worldwide, around 50 million people have dementia and there are nearly 10 million new cases every year? Dementia is one of the major causes of disability and dependency among older adults worldwide. Not only it impacts the life of a person affected by dementia it can be overwhelming for the families especially their caregivers.
Physical, emotional, and financial pressures can cause great stress and support is required from health, social, financial, and legal systems from governments and organisations. One such organisation is TimeSlips which provides support to caregivers and families of people suffering with cognitive challenges like dementia.
Today, we are very fortunate that we have Dr. Anne Basting, founder of TimeSlips. Dr. Anne is a leader in transforming aging and elder care. Also, she is the recipient of the MacArthur Genius Grant.
Dr. Anne is the founder of the non-profit TimeSlips which implements her innovative approach to memory care. She is the author of three previous academic books and the new book "Creative Care: A Revolutionary Approach to Dementia and Elder Care."
She is also the Founding Director of UWM's Center on Age and Community. She was also featured in the PBS documentary The Penelope Project in 2011.
Topics:
- What she means by creative care
- On creating positive experiences
- Structure of adopting her new approach
- On building memory and creating new connections
- Storytelling in present moments
- How she came up with this approach
- How her approach is helping the community
- How our relationships are emotional
- How her work is helping her family as well
- Her tips to the listeners and what they need to do to make their caregiver journey easier
- How human being connects through storytelling
- How she came up with TimeSlips
- Free resources that people can use from their website
- Her action item to the listeners to bring the meaningful change in their caregiver role
Links:
- Host’s email: Rafiq@SeniorsPodcast.com
- Sponsor’s Link - Right at Home: www.RightAtHomeCanada.com/Winnipeg
- All Things Senior’s Facebook: www.facebook.com/AllThingsSeniors
- Dr. Basting’s Website: www.TimeSlips.org
- Dr. Basting’s Email: Anne@TimeSlips.org
- Dr. Basting’s Twitter: @TimeSlipsCreate
- Creative Care: A Revolutionary Approach to Dementia and Elder Care: https://amzn.to/3j2TVj2
Did you know segment:
https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/dementia
Did you know that for most people a routine is pleasant and useful to keep us grounded during the stressful time?
For those with dementia, routines are key components of staying healthy. Typically, people with dementia have trouble forming new memories and learning new information. For them, routine and repetition are critical to function. While they can learn new things, it is very difficult and takes much longer.
A good routine includes consistent sleep and wake times, hygiene, meal times and key activities. The coronavirus pandemic has disrupted much of these. Disrupting the routines of those with dementia creates a lot of stress for someone who cannot track information. This may lead to an increase in confusion and memory issues. The good news is that this is most often temporary and can stabilize once people get back to the routine.
To discuss these and many other Alzheimer's and dementia related matters, let's start our chat with Teepa Snow. Teepa is an occupational therapist with 40 plus years of clinical and academic experience. She presents with extraordinary expertise and humor to audiences, large and small, throughout the world.
Her company Positive Approach to Care was founded in 2006 and provides online and in person education and products.
Topics:
- How pandemic affects the Alzheimer's community
- Why social isolation is devastating
- How the PPE affects the approach to people with dementia
- On creating new routines in using PPE
- On learning the tone of your voice
- On using online resources
- What she means by helping through spiritual connection
- What challenges she see during lockdown
- On using technology
- The challenge of hearing loss
- How we can identify people with hearing loss and give some support
- What she mean by Assist to sit
Links:
- Host’s email: Rafiq@SeniorsPodcast.com
- Sponsor’s Link - Right at Home: www.RightAtHomeCanada.com/Winnipeg
- All Things Senior’s Facebook: www.facebook.com/AllThingsSeniors
- Teepa’s Website: www.teepasnow.com
- Email address: pollyl@teepasnow.com
- Twitter: @teepasnow
- Instagram: teepasnows_pac
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/teepasnow.dementiaexpert
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/teepasnow
Did you know segment:
https://www.lifespan.org/lifespan-living/caring-someone-dementia-during-coronavirus-pandemic
Did you know that according to a 2020 Aging in Place report, 86% of baby boomer homeowners in Canada's key metro areas want to live in their current home for as long as possible? Thirty six percent of those are likely to move. So, why do people feel that they will be compelled to move?
Almost half of the survey participants referred the reason to be their mobility or their ageing needs—things like elevators are now required. Also, a large portion used safety as their reason for moving. Place of living has huge impact on the quality of life.
Let's have our today's chat with an occupational therapist whose mission is to help people age in place, Marnie Courage. Marnie is the owner of Enabling Access Inc., an occupation therapy company which she established 15 years ago, with an executive certificate in home modification from the University of Southern California.
She sets on the Canadian Home Builders, Home Modification Council, and The Canadian Association of Occupational Therapist Home Modification Task Force.
Marnie stablished Aging in Place Manitoba to support people living with disabilities and those wanting to age in place. She is a dynamic public speaker and educator presenting in her field Canada-wide.
Topics:
- What aging in place is
- What are the types of modification
- On changes in the mobility dynamics of the family
- What age-friendly communities are
- On her role as an occupational therapist
- The modification she usually sees people doing
- On people who are afraid of making changes
- On how to make the house more visitable
- How she helps people change those attitudinal barriers
- On rephrasing the sentence of limitation in a conversation
- What she sees in terms of accepting technology
- On people who are resistant technology
- Her tips to listeners on how to start modification
- The aging in place they have in her company
Links:
- Host’s email: Rafiq@SeniorsPodcast.com
- Sponsor’s Link - Right at Home: www.RightAtHomeCanada.com/Winnipeg
- All Things Senior’s Facebook: www.facebook.com/AllThingsSeniors
- Marnie’s Website: www.EnablingAccess.ca & www.AgingInPlaceMB.ca
- Marnie’s Email: Marnie@EnablingAccess.ca
- Marnie’s LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/marnie-courage-439844b/
- Marnie’s Twitter: www.twitter.com/enablingaccess
- Marnie’s Instagram: www.instagram.com/enablingaccessinc/
- Marnie’s Facebook: www.Facebook.com/enablingaccess/
Did you know segment:
https://sothebysrealty.ca/insightblog/2020/03/04/2020-generational-real-estate-trends-report-aging-in-place/
Did you know that baby boomers represent nearly 20% of the American and close to 30% of the Canadian population? By 2030, all baby boomers will be older than 65. Most people want to age in place (i.e. they want or they love to continue living in their homes).
But for many older adults, the decision of ageing in place comes with it's own challenges like transportation needs, limited socialization opportunities, meal preparation help, or medication reminders. There are many needs that still need to be served. To understand how to circumvent these challenges, we have today with us Merrily Orsini.
Merrily is considered a thought leader in the in-home care industry and is evolving numerous organisations providing insight and advice. She is a leader in the Help Choose Home Initiative where she is a podcast creator and host. She focuses on educating how and when to choose health care at home.
Merrily won a lifetime achievement award in business at the 2017 Stevie Awards for Women in Business and she also guards the prestigious Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award in 1996.
She was recently Chair of the Private Duty Homecare Association of America and has served on the boards of The National Association for Home Care and Hospice and The National Association of Geriatric Care Managers now Aging Life Care Professional.
Topics:
- Why aging in place is important
- Her tips when considering a home care partner
- How COVID-19 changed the perspective of families about home care
- The challenges the dementia family face from an ageing place perspective
- The myths and misconceptions in the home care industry
- On educating the community that home care makes the age in place experience better
- Why she started her podcast
- Her tips to family caregivers on how to lower the hospital readmission
- How to help people in addressing one of the difficult conversations about end of life care or palliative care
- Her advice to caregivers on how to become a better version of themselves
- Her action item to the listeners
Links:
- Host’s email: Rafiq@SeniorsPodcast.com
- Sponsor’s Link - Right at Home: www.RightAtHomeCanada.com/Winnipeg
- All Things Senior’s Facebook: www.facebook.com/AllThingsSeniors
- Merrily’s Website: www.HelpChooseHome.com
- Merrily’s Email: Merrily.Orsini@corecubed.com
- Merrily’s Twitter: @MerrilyO
- Merrily’s Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Helpchoosehome
Did you know that barring a medical breakthrough, the number of people aged 65+ with dementia may nearly triple by 2050? It means there will be more need for dementia care.
On the other hand, according to a 2020 survey of primary care physicians, nearly half of those physicians say that the medical profession is not prepared to meet this increased demand. Bottomline is, there is a huge gap between the need for dementia care and what our current medical system is offering.
To fill this need, various community-led initiative are emerging across the globe. One such initiative is Memory Cafe Directory, and we have with us today Dave Wiederrich. Dave is the owner and operator of MemoryCafeDirectory.com, a global directory of all memory cafes.
Memory Cafes are dementia-friendly outings for people living with any cause of dementia or other cognitive impairments along with their care partners.
Topics:
- What memory cafe is and how it works
- How he came up with the idea of creating a directory for the memory cafes
- On finding memory cafe at one centralized place
- How the consistency and accuracy of the data works
- How memory cafes play a big role for the caregivers
- What memory care was intended and purposely designed for
- How people in memory cafes share their interpersonal challenges
- Feedback from the people who visit the memory cafe
- How to attend the memory cafe
- What they do in the memory cafe and what their activities are
- His action item to the listeners
- The resources of memory cafe that he continues to add
Links:
- Host’s email: Rafiq@SeniorsPodcast.com
- Sponsor’s Link - Right at Home: www.RightAtHomeCanada.com/Winnipeg
- All Things Senior’s Facebook: www.facebook.com/AllThingsSeniors
- Dave’s Website: www.MemoryCafeDirectory.com
- Dave’s Email: Info@MemoryCafeDirectory.com
- Dave’s Instagram: @MemoryCafeDirectory
- Dave’s Twitter: @MemoryCafes
Did You Know Segment:
https://www.alz.org/news/2020/primary-care-physicians-on-the-front-lines-of-diag
Did you know that there are over 6.5 million Canadians over the age of 65? Our older adults and loved ones have some unique needs and evolving challenges. They need advocacy, they need a voice, they need a change in elder care system. A change in the mindset that enables and empowers our seniors in our communities.
Let's have an insightful chat with someone who has been in the elder care industry for over 30 years now--Joy Loverde. Joy has a reputation for being a path carver and a visionary when it comes to active ageing.
Knowing that planning is a key factor in creating a quality of life, Joy wrote "The Complete Eldercare Planner.” Six editions later, this trusted resource remains a bestseller in its category. The American Medical Association says it's the best book we have seen.
Her latest book, "Who Will Take Care of Me When I'm Old?" is also making headlines. This book is an exceptionally worthwhile read says The American Society on Ageing.
Joy's work has taken her to every quarter of the world where she has personally interacted with thousands of family members as well as the professionals in the field of ageing.
Joy is frequently in the news. You may have seen her on the Today Show or read about her in the Wall Street Journal. In this episode, Joy is looking forward to sharing her strategies for the second time on the show.
Topics:
- Her thoughts on what the caregivers go through as they take this new role
- How to help when the patient refuses help
- What's the secret sauce to successful caregiving
- When a caregiver should start their training
- How the relationship changes between the family caregiver and the loved one and how to cope with it
- Example of parenting your parent
- On bringing some other influencer
- How caregivers can go forward and ask for help
- Her self-respect tips to the caregivers
- How she approaches a person with dementia
- What her thoughts are on guilt in caregiving
- On Rafiq's spiritual of souls and connection
Links:
- Host’s email: Rafiq@SeniorsPodcast.com
- Sponsor’s Link - Right at Home: www.RightAtHomeCanada.com/Winnipeg
- All Things Senior’s Facebook: www.facebook.com/AllThingsSeniors
- Joy’s Website: www.ElderIndustry.com
- Joy’s Email: JLoverde@ElderIndustry.com
- Joy’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joyloverde/
- Joy’s Twitter: @JoyLoverde
Did You Know Segment:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hXBAg5i-0PM&list=PL-KJWta_eCkKxktRPXu9LwpVx4_HFLkUT&index=12
Did you know that a baby boomer is a person who was born between 1946 and 1964? This group represents nearly 20% of American and 30% of the Canadian population. By 2030, all baby boomers will be older than 65 and many won't have a family caregiver to help them take care of themselves.
Question is, who will take care of them when they are old? Yes, there are government programs that provide healthcare and other support but there has to be a change in the mindset that enables and empowers older adults in our communities.
How about we discuss this subject and have a heart-to-heart chat with someone who has over 30 years of experience in elder care industry? Joy Loverde has a reputation for being a path carver and a visionary when it comes to active ageing.
Knowing that planning is a key factor in creating a quality of life, Joy wrote "The Complete Eldercare Planner.” Six editions later, this trusted resource remains a bestseller in its category. The American Medical Association says it's the best book we have seen.
Her latest book, "Who Will Take Care of Me When I'm Old?" is also making headlines. This book is an exceptionally worthwhile read says The American Society on Ageing.
Joy is frequently in the news. You may have seen her on the Today Show or read about her in the Wall Street Journal. In this episode, Joy is looking forward to sharing her strategies as you journey toward the future and what's next for you.
Topics:
- Why she’s doing what she’s doing
- What inspires her to do her work
- The 2 challenges she sees older adults find themselves in when in an unplanned situation
- How the caregiver industry is losing workers
- What she will change in our society
- On people who are resisting technology
- On multigenerational families
- What intergenerational is
- On creating that family dynamics around the world
- How to overcome the fear of making new connection
- Her thoughts on LGBTQ elders and where they can go
- Her tips to the listeners who are still struggling in communicating in another language
- On having resources that are available
- On protecting older adults in the future
- Difference between patient advocate and people's advocate
- On her book "Who Will Take Care of Me When I'm Old?"
Links:
- Host’s email: Rafiq@SeniorsPodcast.com
- Sponsor’s Link - Right at Home: www.RightAtHomeCanada.com/Winnipeg
- All Things Senior’s Facebook: www.facebook.com/AllThingsSeniors
- Joy’s Website: www.ElderIndustry.com
- Joy’s Email: JLoverde@ElderIndustry.com
- Joy’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joyloverde/
- Joy’s Twitter: @JoyLoverde
Did You Know Segment:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hXBAg5i-0PM&list=PL-KJWta_eCkKxktRPXu9LwpVx4_HFLkUT&index=12
Did you know that there are currently over 75 million unpaid caregivers in North America? Mostly, family caregivers of individuals who want to be able to care for themselves. Being a caregiver is arguably the hardest job in the world. What's the secret to being an excellent caregiver? Self-care—put your oxygen mask on first, show up for your self—so that you can show up for others.
In this episode, we discussed caregiving with Dawn Renee. She is the founder of Traveling Caregivers, a grassroots faith-based organization that operates in a holistic way. Dawn is a pioneer of holistic caregiving, integrating herbal medicine, Ayurveda, and energy work, along with emotional guidance.
Dawn has been a live-in caregiver and health coach for almost 15 years and knows that caregiving for others can easily take you away from yourself. She is passionate about helping other caregivers with their journey.
Topics:
- What got her into caregiving
- On her first experience as a caregiver
- What made her stop doing a thing that made her happy
- Her morning routine
- How Traveling Caregivers came about
- What holistic caregiving means
- What plant-based healing is
- Her advice to listeners from a plant-based healing perspective
- Her tips on how to become a better caregiver
Links:
- Host’s email: Rafiq@SeniorsPodcast.com
- Sponsor’s Link - Right at Home: www.RightAtHomeCanada.com/Winnipeg
- All Things Senior’s Facebook: www.facebook.com/AllThingsSeniors
- Dawn’s Website: www.TravelingCaregivers.com
- Dawn’s Email: Dawn@TravelingCaregivers.com
- Dawn’s Instagram: @TravelingCaregivers
- Dawn’s Twitter: @TravelingCare
- Dawn’s Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TravelingCaregivers
Did you know that there are over 6.5 million Canadians over the age of 65? Almost 11 thousand of those are over the age of a hundred. Our older loved ones and community members have some unique needs and evolving challenges. They need advocacy and they need a voice.
In this episode, we have two such experts representing their organisations whose work over the years have proven pivotal and has helped older adults not only in Canada but around the world.
First, let me introduce Gregor Sneddon. Gregor is the executive director of Help Age Canada. He's passionate about social justice and working with the under privileged and marginalised. His many years working with older people inspires him to help them find a voice. Since 1975, Help Age Canada has been working for older persons and helping them overcome poverty, claim their right, challenge discrimination, and lead a dignified, secure, and healthy life.
Help Age Canada is a founding member of Help Age International and is part of a global network of organisations operating in 85 countries. Help Age Canada’s mission is to work in partnership with others to improve and maintain the quality of life of vulnerable older persons and their communities in Canada and around the world.
My second guest is Laura Tamblyn Watts. She is the president and CEO of CanAge. Laura is a lawyer, advocate researcher, and media commentator. Her work focuses on law, ageing abuse, accessibility law reform, governance, and knowledge mobilisation. She has served as Chief Public Policy Officer at the Canadian Association of Retired Person for the past two years and national director of the Canadian Centre for Elder Law. She currently teaches at the University of Toronto where she is also a fellow of the Institute for Life Course and Aging.
CanAge is an independent non-profit advocacy organisation which educates, empowers, and mobilises people on the issues that matter most to older Canadians.
Topics:
- What CanAge is and what they do
- What Help Age Canada is and their work
- Laura's thoughts on COVID-19
- The infection control in affecting COVID-19
- What Laura will fix in the system
- How Gregor's organisation is helping older adults in this time of isolation
- The isolation and loneliness in Canada
- The effects of loneliness in people
- Why isolation and loneliness is also a pandemic
- Laura's thoughts on the financial aspects of home care
- Different kinds of legislation to make the change
- On the bigger questions like the value of life
- How to help older adults who go are going through hearing loss
- What Gregor sees in people reporting elder abuse
- Gregor's tips to caregivers who want to become better version of themselves
- Laura's tips to the listeners
Links:
Host’s email: Rafiq@SeniorsPodcast.com
Sponsor’s Link - Right at Home: www.RightAtHomeCanada.com/Winnipeg
All Things Senior’s Facebook: www.facebook.com/AllThingsSeniors
Laura's Website: https://www.canage.ca/
Laura's Email: laura@canage.ca
Laura’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laura-tamblyn-watts-a8ab61/
Laura’s Twitter: @ltamblynwatts
Gregor's Website: www.HelpAgeCanada.ca
Gregor's Email: gsneddon@helpagecanada.ca
Gregor's Instagram: @HelpAgeCanada
Gregor's Twitter: @HelpAgeCA
Gregor's Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/helpagecanada
Did You Know Segment:
www150.statcan.gc.ca/t1/tbl1/en/tv.action?pid=1710000501
Did you know that over 400 million people worldwide have disabling hearing loss? By 2050, that number would be over 900 million people! Hearing loss may result from genetic causes, infectious diseases, exposure to excessive noise, and ageing among other reasons. Whatever the cause are, hearing loss has functional, social, emotional, and economic impacts on an individual. From the frustration of the inability to communicate to feeling isolated, the hard of hearing community lives a challenging life to say the least.
There are many organizations and individuals who work tirelessly to ease some of these challenges. One such tireless advocate is with us today, Alle Rhames. Alle has been advocating on behalf of the hard of hearing community for over a decade now. She has a Masters in Counselling Psychology and focused on seniors and the Alzheimer's community. She helps people find balance between health and living. She believes in experiencing life no matter what avenue it takes us.
Topics:
- How Alle started
- What Meniere's disease is
- Why isolation promotes depression
- On losing the sense of communication and connection
- The challenges the hard of hearing community faces
- How it affects their safety
- How it affects their employment opportunities
- What her work and organization does and its impact on people’s lives
- What captioned telephone is and how it has changed people’s lives
- Support group she has created
- How a caregiver can help their family members or patients who are going through hearing loss
- Her tips to listeners on how to protect their hearing
- Her action item to the listeners
Links:
- Host’s email: Rafiq@SeniorsPodcast.com
- Sponsor’s Link - Right at Home: www.RightAtHomeCanada.com/Winnipeg
- All Things Senior’s Facebook: www.facebook.com/AllThingsSeniors
- Alle's Website: https://www.oeius.org/profile/allerhames
- Alle's Email: Alle.Rhames@oeius.org
- Alle’s Instagram: @AlleWeldy
- Alle’s Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/watch/captel
Did You Know Segment:
https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/deafness-and-hearing-loss
Welcome to season 2 of our show! I am feeling so humbled. When we started season 1, we didn't know we’ll call it season 1 because we didn't know there will be season 2.
We were not sure how our listeners will take the concept, how they will listen to it, and how they will engage with it.
But the way we have been getting some of the most loving messages, it's heart warming when you see that your work has been able to help others. And not only here in Canada as the show has been listened to in over 35 countries!
Topics:
- Why he started the podcast
- What he learned from the guests on the show
- How the podcast has helped him personally
- What to expect in season 2 and the upcoming episodes
Links:
- Host’s email: Rafiq@SeniorsPodcast.com
- Sponsor’s Link - Right at Home: www.RightAtHomeCanada.com/Winnipeg
- All Things Senior’s Facebook: www.facebook.com/AllThingsSeniors
Did you know that our podcast is now listened to in 30 countries? When we started the “All Things Seniors” podcast, I never imagined that our efforts of creating the show will be accepted so positively around the world and that we will be given so much love and support. Thank you from the bottom of my heart!
Topics:
- Rafiq's backstory and how he came to where he is today
- How the “All Things Seniors” podcast came about
- How the podcast made him a better caregiver
- Things he learned from the guests on his show
- What's next for the podcast
Links:
- Rafiq's Email: rafiq@seniorspodcast.com
- All Things Seniors’ Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/AllThingsSeniors/
Did you know that although coronavirus (COVID-19) is primarily a health challenge, its impacts on financial markets is very significant as well? On one hand, global death toll has gone over 100,000 people and on the other hand financial markets have gone down by over 30 percent. To address the elephant in the room, I decided to invite a health and financial expert over.
In this episode, we’ll talk about the deep impact the pandemic has on people's retirement savings and cash flows. To help us figure things out, we have Doug Buss with us today. Doug has over 33 years of experience and is considered a veteran in the financial industry. Doug works with over 1,200 families and has been on the podcast before.
To cover topics related to elderly care and the role of caregivers, we have Taz Lakhani with us today. She is the director of care for Right At Home - Greater Winnipeg Area. She has been in the industry for over 15 years now. Taz works with various community organisations and lots of families who are dealing with dementia or various other elderly challenges. She's working at the grassroots level.
Topics:
- How coronavirus affects older adults especially on the health side of things
- What to do to prevent the spread of the virus
- Difference between social distancing and social isolation
- On utilising technologies
- The impact of the pandemic on older adults from a financial perspective
- Taz's thoughts on what caregivers should be doing at times like these
- What Taz sees in the community right now
- How Doug helps some of the families he’s working with in terms of retirement savings loss
- What Taz sees while working in the community of people with dementia
- Taz's advice to caregivers to make this journey easier for them in times like these
- Doug's tips to caregivers in terms of finances
- Their advice on what caregivers should do
Links:
Zoom: https://zoom.us
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com
Taz's Company Website: https://www.rightathomecanada.com/winnipeg
Taz's Office Contact: 2043185554
Doug's Company Website: https://www.yourstylefinancial.ca/
Doug's Office Contact: 2042276395
Doug Buss' Episode: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/episode-2-how-much-do-i-need-for-my-retirement/id1490462770?i=1000459492474
Teepa Snow's Episode: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/episode-6-using-a-positive-approach-to-dementia-care/id1490462770?i=1000460272808
Links:
Host’s email: Rafiq@SeniorsPodcast.com
Sponsor’s Link - Right at Home: www.RightAtHomeCanada.com/Winnipeg
All Things Senior’s Facebook: www.facebook.com/AllThingsSeniors
Doug's Company Website: www.yourstylefinancial.ca/
Doug's Book: www.yourstylefinancial.ca/bookpurchase
Doug's Facebook: www.facebook.com/yourstylefinancial/
Doug's Twitter: https://twitter.com/dougbuss
Doug's Email: doug@yourstylefinancial.ca
Office number: 204.474.2929
Tazz's Website: www.RightAtHomeCanada.com/Winnipeg
Taz's Email: Taz@RAHWinnipeg.ca
Taz’s Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RightAtHomeWinnipeg
Did You Know Segment:
https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/
Did you know that a 50 plus year old startup founder is almost 3 times more likely to have a successful business compared to a 25-year-old startup founder? I would have thought that due to positive stats like that there would have been more and more support to grant fundings available to this older entrepreneur group but no, we don't see that.
However, there are great people in our society who see the need for that kind of support for older entrepreneurs and they take action.
One such awesome person is with us here today, Wendy Mayhew. Wendy is an author, educator, and entrepreneur with over 40 years of experience. Her most recent businesses are "WISE - Seniors in Business" and "WISE 50 over 50 Awards.” WISE - Seniors in Business was formed to change how older entrepreneurs are perceived and to guide older entrepreneurs in deciding if entrepreneurship is for them.
Wendy has quickly became Canada's leading expert on older entrepreneurship. She has an extensive research in understanding the challenges. She is a sought after speaker and workshop facilitator of many business organisations. Now, she's starting to realise the importance of serving this newest group of entrepreneurs.
Topics:
- Why she created the WISE 50 over 50 Awards
- Who decides who is going to receive the award
- The biggest challenge of older entrepreneurs
- What she sees people use as an alternate option
- On finding different avenues of financing
- How people approach entrepreneurship if their family is not supporting them
- What the role of the local Chamber of Commerce is
- Her thoughts on seeing some people venture into different things
- Her advice to people when preparing for a change
- On her book
- Her advice to people who are retired and wants to venture into entrepreneurship
Links:
Host’s email: Rafiq@SeniorsPodcast.com
Sponsor’s Link - Right at Home: www.RightAtHomeCanada.com/Winnipeg
All Things Senior’s Facebook: www.facebook.com/AllThingsSeniors
Wendy's Website: www.Wise-SeniorsInBusiness.com
Wendy's Email: Wendy@LaunchItRight.com
Wendy’s Twitter: Wendy_Mayhew
Wendy’s Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wiseseniorsinbusiness/
Wendy’s book: WISER: The Definitive Guide to Starting a Business after the Age of 50
Did You Know Segment:
https://www.inc.com/jeff-haden/a-study-of-27-million-startups-found-ideal-age-to-start-a-business-and-its-much-older-than-you-think.html
Did you know that nearly half of the Canadian population has cared for an ageing, ill, or disabled family member or friend at some point in time? This is according to the latest data from Statistics Canada.
Despite little or no training, family caregivers are expected to provide care at home while trying to navigate our complicated healthcare system. On top of that, they also serve as substitute decision-makers.
As a society, we need to do more to support informal caregivers. The question is, how? Do we have a silver bullet? No. There is no definitive answer or approach as yet. Therefore a lot of research is being done to identify ways and methods we can use to support family caregivers.
In this episode, we have a prolific and renowned national researcher, Michelle Lobchuk. Michelle is a registered nurse and an associate professor at the College of Nursing, University of Manitoba.
Her research, spanning over almost two decades, has focused on communications support for professional and family caregivers. Michelle has held Canadian cancer society research scientist award and recently, a research Manitoba chair in caregiver communications.
Topics:
- What caregivers’ iceberg means
- Actions that help improve caregiving
- On building confidence in caregivers
- What high-risk family caregiver means
- Two red flags
- Tools developed in Canada
- The red flag questions
- Myths about caregiving
- Current percentage of male and female caregivers
- Methods taught to students
- The course they offer
- Who they offer the course to
- Responsibilities of healthcare providers
- Importance of open-ended questions
- Her message and tips to family caregivers
- The action item she gave
- On her warning factor
Quotes:
“We have to remember, especially with our ageing population, that more and more families are serving in the role as our care partners.”
“So I think environments, in terms of our systems, is a huge barrier in terms of how we can practice holistic care.”
“The world seems to say, ‘It takes a village to raise a child,’ I think it takes a village to help and support family care.”
“In a moment of calmness and in the moment where the pressure is not very high, remind yourself that you have to ask for help when you feel like your health is not doing well.”
“I wanna give you permission to love yourself and to pay attention to the needs that you have always addressed perhaps your whole life.”
“Keep a list of things that people can do for you.”
Links:
Host’s email: Rafiq@SeniorsPodcast.com
Sponsor’s Link - Right at Home: www.RightAtHomeCanada.com/Winnipeg
All Things Senior’s Facebook: www.facebook.com/AllThingsSeniors
Michelle's Email: Michelle.Lobchuk@umanitoba.ca
Links:
Host’s email: Rafiq@SeniorsPodcast.com
Sponsor’s Link - Right at Home: www.RightAtHomeCanada.com/Winnipeg
All Things Senior’s Facebook: www.facebook.com/AllThingsSeniors
Michelle's Email: Michelle.Lobchuk@uManitoba.ca
Federal Caregiver Readiness Video:
https://www.canada.ca/en/employment-social-development/corporate/seniors/forum/caregiver-readiness-video.html
Caregiver Self Assessment:
https://tevacaregivers.com/files/13960_Teva-CG-QC-Self-Assess-EN_FA.pdf
Did you know that a lot of home care in Canada is free? It is part of our healthcare system and a benefit for Canadians. If you knew this, you are part of a very small percentage of people. Congratulations!
Home and community care services, as it is formerly called, help people to receive care at home rather than in a hospital or long-term care facility and to live as independently as possible in the community.
Home care services may include nursing, personal care such as bathing and dressing, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, social work, dietitian services, homemaking, and respite services. That is a lot of offering!
As good as our healthcare system is, it is a maze. It is a huge system. At times, it becomes overwhelming. And even on good days, it has its challenges. There are very few people in Canada who understand the healthcare system really well due to their work, their research, and their community.
We are very fortunate to have one such person with us here today, Dr. Christine Kelly. Dr. Kelly is part of community health services and she is a research affiliate with the Centre on Aging at the University of Manitoba. Dr. Kelly is nationally and internationally recognised for her expertise on the subject of direct funded home care in Canada.
Topics:
- What disability activism is
- How she got involved with direct funded home care
- On people’s understanding of the word, care
- The differences between traditional and direct funded home care models
- The history of direct funded home care
- What makes direct funded home care different from others
- The benefits and drawbacks of direct funded home care
- Discoveries and observations from their research
- True stories about the relationships between family self-managers and workers
- The program’s supporters
- Why the program has not been promoted as a mainstream in Canada
- What niche program means
- The current obstacles and concerns of the program
- How the program works in terms of races and genders
- Her professional tips when choosing a home care worker
- The action item she gave
- On her book, The Aging-Disability Nexus
Quotes:
“Having that match is what makes the workers very happy and what makes the family very happy.”
“It’s not for everybody but it is a good option.”
“If you decide to get into this path, make sure it is for you.”
“You determine what kind of experience you are looking for.”
Links:
Host’s email: Rafiq@SeniorsPodcast.com
Sponsor’s Link - Right at Home: www.RightAtHomeCanada.com/Winnipeg
All Things Senior’s Facebook: www.facebook.com/AllThingsSeniors
Christine's Website: www.ChristineKelly.ca
Christine's Email: Christine.Kelly@umanitoba.ca
Christine’s book: Mobilizing Metaphor: Art, Culture, and Disability Activism in Canada
Did You Know Segment:
https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/home-continuing-care/home-community-care.html
Did you know that driving is the primary mode of transportation for a large majority of Canadian adults including seniors ages 65 to 74? Almost 70% reported driving their own vehicles as their primary means of transportation. Thirty percent of seniors 85 years old and older also relied on driving as their main mode of transportation.
More than one in five seniors diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease or dementia drove in the previous months and 17% reported driving as their main form of transportation. Continuing to drive even with mild visual or cognitive limitations does not always increase risk but driving with significant impairment is the problem.
The challenge is to ensure seniors who should no longer drive have access to affordable and appropriate alternatives to meet their transportation needs. Transportation is important for their independence, social engagement, and their overall health. However, driving has to be safe not just for them but for everyone else as well. Surely, this is a complex matter.
To help put things in perspective, we have with us Samantha Rodeck. Samantha is a community development consultant working with TONS (Transportation Options Network for Seniors). For the past several years, her work focused on community capacity building within the nonprofit sector, working specifically with community groups supporting older people.
Samantha educates, supports, and inspires individuals to live a positive fulfilling life and continues to work to give way to individuals who are often not heard.
Topics:
- On people who are no longer able to drive
- Transportation options available
- The role community resource coordinators play
- Role medical professionals have to ensure drivers stay safe on the road
- Age an older adult should stop driving
- Her thoughts on self-driving cars
- Her tips to make the whole process easier
- Her thoughts on technology companies providing another mode of transportation for people
Links:
Host’s email: Rafiq@SeniorsPodcast.com
Sponsor’s Link - Right at Home: www.RightAtHomeCanada.com/Winnipeg
All Things Senior’s Facebook: www.facebook.com/AllThingsSeniors
Samantha's Website: www.TonsMB.org
Samantha's Email: info@TonsMB.org
Samantha’s Twitter: @options_network
Did You Know Segment: https://www.ctvnews.ca/features/more-seniors-dying-on-canadian-roads-than-any-other-group-1.3821118
https://www.conferenceboard.ca/temp/51db4b64-3857-45f8-ac99-c9265cd1ab59/8293_ManagingMobility_BR.pdf
Discussion Topics References During Episode:
https://www.ctvnews.ca/features/made-in-canada-solutions-to-seniors-dying-on-the-roads-1.3822357
https://www.wired.com/story/stop-saying-driverless-cars-will-help-old-people/
Did you know that 76% of seniors living at home and 97% of those living in healthcare institutions are taking some form of medication? Two-thirds of Canadians over 65 also have one or more different prescriptions and a quarter of them have ten or more.
Pharmacists are integral members of the healthcare team and they play a significant role in seniors' care. They are readily accessible to offer advice and information about medications, monitor their use, and work with physicians and other healthcare providers to manage and improve drug therapy and enhance the patients’ quality of life.
Today we have with us a seasoned pharmacist, Jason Hoeppner. Jason graduated from the University of Manitoba Faculty of Pharmacy in 2001. He worked for 10 years at St. Boniface Hospital Pharmacy department before starting his own pharmacy, The Medicine Shoppe Pharmacy in 2012.
Jason also completed his advanced cardiology pharmacy practice program at the University of Toronto in 2008. He is also a certified diabetes educator.
Topics:
- His role within the healthcare team as a pharmacist
- How he communicates with other healthcare professionals
- The database he is using
- The ideal pharmacy to hire as a personal pharmacist
- On people who use natural medications/supplements
- On cannabis-based medications
- How to get cannabis-based medications
- Best time to get vaccines before travelling
- Kind of care available that’s part of the free healthcare system
- On getting blood work done
- On testing strips
- Responsibility of patients when they visit a doctor
- Tips/advice for listeners in terms of their approach to medication and drugs management for their loved ones
- What polypharmacy means
- The role of a pharmacists/family caregivers in initiating the conversation of reducing medications
- Step people need to do that will benefit them and their loved ones
Links:
Host’s email: Rafiq@SeniorsPodcast.com
Sponsor’s Link - Right at Home: www.RightAtHomeCanada.com/Winnipeg
All Things Senior’s Facebook: www.facebook.com/AllThingsSeniors
Jason's Website: www.MedicineShoppeWinnipeg.ca
Jason's Email: ms0331@store.medicineshoppe.ca
Jason’s Instagram: @medshoppeosbrne
Jason’s Facebook: www.facebook.com/MedicineShoppeOsborne/
Did You Know Segment: https://hospitalnews.com/the-role-of-the-pharmacist-in-senior-care/
Did you know that according to Stats Canada, people aged 65 and older are Canada's fastest growing group of cannabis users? Additionally, there are 10 times more seniors using cannabis today than in 2012.
Despite this increase there still remains a large population of older adults that grew up in an era where pot, weed, marijuana or whatever it was called was not legal and hence, there are questions or misconceptions. So we thought that cannabis 101 discussion especially from the perspective of older adults should be done.
Today, we invited Dr. Arash Taghvai on the show. Dr. Arash is an international medical graduate who works at Apollo Cannabis Clinic in Toronto, Canada. His duty is to support patients who are looking to improve their quality of life with medical cannabis.
Apollo Cannabis Clinic prescribes medical cannabis for patients suffering from conditions such as chronic pain, sleep issues, and PDSD. They also educate patients about this method of alternative medicine.
Topics:
- Different terminologies of cannabis
- Difference between THC and CBD
- The myths about cannabis
- How to approach cannabis medication for those who have not used it before
- Process when prescribing cannabis-based medications to patients
- The advantages of using medical cannabis
- The best ways to consume cannabis
- The high impact of cannabis on many common diseases
- On cannabis-based medications
Links:
Host’s email: Rafiq@SeniorsPodcast.com
Sponsor’s Link - Right at Home: www.RightAtHomeCanada.com/Winnipeg
All Things Senior’s Facebook: www.facebook.com/AllThingsSeniors
Arash's Website: www.ApolloCannabis.ca
Arash's Email: Arash@ApolloResearch.ca
Arash’s Instagram: ApolloCannabisClinic
Did You Know Segment: https://www.ctvnews.ca/lifestyle/seniors-are-canada-s-fastest-growing-group-of-cannabis-users-statcan-1.4665383
Did you know that there are over 6 million family caregivers in Canada? Over 50% of family caregivers are themselves over the age of 45. That means most of them are managing careers as well as kids along with being a caregiver.
Many family caregivers don’t have formal caregiving training so I really applaud people and organisations who help educate caregivers. One such educator is with us today and her name is Debra Hallisey.
Currently, Debra’s most important role is being her mother's caregiver for the past 5 years. She took on that role after seeing her father go through congestive heart failure.
Losing her job due to caregiving issues prompted Debra to create "Advocate for Mom & Dad.” Her mission is to educate family caregivers and provide answers to basic caregiving questions like where to start, what to do next, etc. She also uses her blog, book, and work to help other caregivers like her.
Topics:
- How caregivers can change relationships
- How she created new ways of engaging with her mom as a daughter
- On empowering her mom
- One thing she will tell family caregivers not to do
- What they can do to make their lives as family caregivers easier
- How caregiving can change relationships
- Why saying no is something every caregiver should learn
- How to approach financial challenges when playing the role of a caregiver
- Her advice to caregivers who are not good in budgeting
Links:
Host’s email: Rafiq@SeniorsPodcast.com
Sponsor’s Link - Right at Home: www.RightAtHomeCanada.com/Winnipeg
All Things Senior’s Facebook: www.facebook.com/AllThingsSeniors
Debra's Website: www.advocateformomanddad.com
Debra's Email: hallisdl@gmail.com
Debra’s Twitter: @advocatemomdad
Debra’s Facebook: www.facebook.com/advocateformomdad
Debra’s Book: “Your Caregiver Relationship Contract: How to navigate the minefield of new roles and expectations”
Did You Know Segment: https://www.familycaregiversbc.ca/community-resources/statistics-in-family-caregiving/
Did you know that Parkinson's disease is the second most common age-related neurodegenerative disorder after Alzheimer's disease? To date, an estimated 7 to 10 million people worldwide have Parkinson's disease. The prevalence of the disease ranges from 41 people per hundred thousand in the fourth decade of life. More than 100, 000 people afflicted with the disease are 80 years old and above.
Men are 1.5 times more likely to have Parkinson's than women. The disease affects the patient's quality of life. For starters, it can make social interactions difficult and might also affect their financial condition. However, a few people come out stronger despite the challenges brought about by the condition and help others achieve the same feat. One such amazing human being is with us today, Tim Hague Sr.
Tim is a retired nurse of 25 plus years. Nowadays, he devotes his time to professional speaking and writing. Tim is the founder of U-Turn Parkinson's. He is also the author of the bestselling book "Perseverance: The Seven Skills You Need to Survive, Thrive, and Accomplish More Than You Ever Imagined." He has spoken for TEDx and he’s sought-after across North America for his motivational and inspiring topics like "Live Your Best" and "The Power of Perseverance."
Even after being diagnosed with Parkinson’s at just 46 years old, Tim and his son still won the 1st season of the reality television series “The Amazing Race Canada.” Tim is also considered an outspoken and effective advocate for people living with Parkinson's around the world.
Topics:
- What Parkinson's disease is
- How he got into The Amazing Race Canada
- How U-Turn Parkinson’s came about
- How to live one’s best life even with Parkinson's
- What the word perseverance means for him
- How his family has been supporting him
- A story that helps improve one’s quality of life
- The form of exercise that has helped him
- The biggest social challenge people with Parkinson's disease face
Links:
- Host’s Email Address: Rafiq@SeniorsPodcast.com
- Sponsor’s Link - Right at Home: www.RightAtHomeCanada.com/Winnipeg
-
All Things Senior’s Facebook: www.facebook.com/AllThingsSeniors
-
Tim's Website: www.timsr.ca
- Tim's Email Address: tim@timsr.ca
- Tim’s Twitter: @timhaguesr
- U-Turn Parkinson’s: www.uturnparkinsons.org
- Parkinson's Canada: www.parkinson.ca
Tim’s Book: Perseverance: The Seven Skills You Need to Survive, Thrive, and Accomplish More Than You Ever Imagined By Tim Hague Sr.
Did You Know Segment: https://parkinsonsnewstoday.com/parkinsons-disease-statistics/
According to a 2018 Stats-Canada report, over 30% of people aged 60 and above are working or are looking for work. The report also indicated that over 50% are working or looking for work out of necessity. Freedom 55 is becoming less and less of a reality as more people are now working past their 50s and 60s.
To help us understand some of the reasons why many older adults choose to continue working even past retirement age, we have Chris Farrell. Chris is a senior economics contributor at Marketplace, an American radio program that focuses on economy, business, and the events that influence them.
Chris is also an economics commentator for the Minnesota Public Radio as well as host of the series “Conversations on the Creative Economy.” He also writes for PBS Next Avenue and The Star Tribune. Chris has been in the industry for over 25 years and he definitely knows what he’s doing.
Topics:
- Why people no longer prefer conventional retirement
- How his book came about
- Why people are not happy in their jobs
- How people should prepare themselves so they're better equipped to work in their retirement years
- Trends he sees more people are doing in their retirement years
- How he sees ageism and age discrimination
- Why some people who are 60 are still considering starting a business
- On having a support system in their entrepreneurial journey
- Acknowledging the labour shortage at a policy level
- What young people should do to become better entrepreneurs in their older years
Quote:
"Don't invest a lot of money, invest a lot of time.”
Links:
- Host’s email: Rafiq@SeniorsPodcast.com
- Sponsor’s Link - Right at Home: www.RightAtHomeCanada.com/Winnipeg
-
All Things Senior’s Facebook: www.facebook.com/AllThingsSeniors
-
Chris’s Articles on PBS Next Avenue: www.nextavenue.org/writer/chris-farrell/
- Chris’s Articles on Star Tribune: www.startribune.com/chris-farrell/16828336/
- Chris on MPR News: https://www.mprnews.org/people/chris-farrell
- Chris’s Website: www.ChrisFarrell.net
- Chris’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-farrell-596ab76/
- Chris’s Twitter: @CFarrellEcon
- Chris’s Email: CFarrell@mpr.org
- Chris’s Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Chris-Farrell-272463121638/
- Chris’s Book: Purpose and a Paycheck: Finding Meaning, Money, and Happiness in the Second Half of Life
Did You Know Segment: https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/71-222-x/71-222-x2018003-eng.htm
Did you know that over 75% of Canadians want to die at home? A new report by the Canadian Institute for Health Information also revealed that people who access palliative home care services in their last year of life are 2.5 times more likely to be able to do so. Yet, another report tells us that each year, an estimated 40 million people around the world are in need of palliative care and only 14% actually receive it.
In this episode, we have Dr. Tim Ihrig. He is the Chief Medical Officer at Crossroads Hospice and Palliative Care. He is also the founder and CEO of Ihrig MD & Associates. Dr. Ihrig has been recognised internationally for combining clinical and administrative experience to improve health care coordination and care delivery systems for the most vulnerable individuals.
Dr. Ihrig's featured TED Talk “What We Can Do to Die Well" has been viewed more than 1 million times globally. He also co-authored "Palliative Care and Symptom Management.”
Topics:
- What palliative care means
- What he meant by hierarchy of needs
- On giving people a choice to make life decisions
- The value healthcare systems currently offer
- The difference between “being alive” and “living a life”
- What palliative care in the healthcare system looks like
- Why people are not being referred to palliative care
- When is the right time to get palliative care
- The rights of the family caregiver from a legal standpoint
- On his book "Palliative Care and Symptom Management”
Links:
- Host’s email: Rafiq@SeniorsPodcast.com
- Sponsor’s Link - Right at Home: www.RightAtHomeCanada.com/Winnipeg
- All Things Senior’s Facebook: www.facebook.com/AllThingsSeniors
- Tim’s TED Talk: https://www.ted.com/talks/timothy_ihrig_what_we_can_do_to_die_well?language=en
- Tim’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ihrigmd/
- Tim’s Twitter: @ihrigmd
- Tim’s Email: Tim@ihrigmd.com
- Tim’s Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ihrigMD/
- Tim’s Book Contribution: The Art Of Healthcare Innovation by Christina Warner, Essayist Tim Ihrig
Did You Know Segment: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/palliative-care
Did you know that according to aging.com, every 11 seconds, an older adult is treated in the emergency room for a fall? More than 300, 000 people are hospitalised each year from broken hips and 95% of these fractures are the result of a fall.
The average cost of treating a fall is $30,000. There are many factors that contribute to falls including impaired vision, poor lighting, slippery floors, uneven surfaces, etc. but research shows that physical strength and posture are among the leading causes.
Today we have Eric Daw, a personal trainer who works with seniors to help them become more active and help them improve their functional movement. He also works with seniors either individually or in group settings at various locations including Michael Garron Hospital, The Badminton and Racquet Club, Revera Senior Living, and many more.
Eric is a functional movement specialist as well as an older adult specialist.
Topics:
- His approach to working with seniors who are concerned about falling
- How he motivates people in their 40s or 50s to be more active
- His suggestion to people who can only spend a limited time in the gym
- Different types of exercises that can help one become active in the later years of their lives
- Tips on how to motivate older people to be more active
- How he measures weight loss goals
- When is it considered too late to start exercising
- His thoughts on age-centric classes versus multi-generational classes
- One tip he would give to people in their 30s to 60s who want to avoid falls
- The one thing he learned from working with seniors
Quote:
“We’re always a perfect age to do anything.”
Links:
- Host’s email: Rafiq@SeniorsPodcast.com
- Sponsor’s Link - Right at Home: www.RightAtHomeCanada.com/Winnipeg
- All Things Senior’s Facebook: www.facebook.com/AllThingsSeniors
- Eric's Email: info@omni-fitt.com
- Eric’s Website: www.Omni-Fitt.com
- Eric’s Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WeMakeLifeEasier
- Eric’s Instagram: OmniFitt - https://www.instagram.com/omnifitt/?hl=en
Did You Know Segment: https://www.aging.com/falls-fact-sheet/
Did you know that according to a stats Canada report from 2016, as of 2011, there are 340, 000 Canadians who are living with dementia? Close to 50% of the time, the primary or informal caregiver for these people with dementia was a spouse. It affects their marriage, their family, the finances, and their lives in general.
We are so pleased that today we have with us Angela Gentile. She is a social worker working in the clinical side of things. She has 25 years of experience under her belt. Angela has also written various books as well as various other pieces on multiple platforms. She also manages and co-administers Facebook groups.
Topics:
- On writing a book about somebody with dementia from the perspective of the spouse
- What she found out while working with women who are caring for their husbands
- Some of the symptoms of dementia
- How to look after people with dementia
- Caregiver risks
- How family and society as a whole should take care of the caregivers
- How early diagnosis can help in the long run
- What people/society should be doing more/differently
Quotes:
- "We have to really go with where the person is at."
- "Trying to minimize the arguing is the key I believe."
- "There's lots of different layers that can happen to caregivers. Lots of different layers of feelings."
Links:
- Host’s email: Rafiq@SeniorsPodcast.com
- Sponsor’s Link - Right at Home: www.RightAtHomeCanada.com/Winnipeg
- All Things Senior’s Facebook: www.facebook.com/AllThingsSeniors
- Angela’s Website: www.AngelaGGentile.com
- Blog Articles - https://angelaggentile.com/blog/
- Dementia Caregiver Solutions App - https://apps.apple.com/ca/app/id969874075
- Facebook Group (Dementia Caregiver Solution Support Group) - https://www.facebook.com/groups/DCSSupportGroup/
- Angela’s LinkedIn: www.Linkedin.com/in/AngelaGGentile/
- Angela’s Twitter: @AngelaGGentile
- Angela’s Instagram: AngelaGGentile
- Angela’s Email: CareToAge@Gmail.com
Angela’s Books
- Caring for a Husband with Dementia: The Ultimate Survival Guide by Angela G Gentile
- Other Books: https://amzn.to/38pXWc7
Did You Know Segment: Alzheimer's disease and other dementias in Canada
Did you know that family caregivers of people with dementia are often called the invisible second patient? The effects of being a family caregiver though sometimes are positive, are generally negative with high risk of emotional burden, social isolation, physical ill-health, and a lot of financial hardships.
Thankfully, there are callers, professionals, and educators around the world that are working hard to bring new approaches of care.
Today we have Judy Cornish, an elder law attorney, author, and founder of the Dementia and Alzheimer's Wellbeing Network (DAWN). She is best known for creating the DAWN method, dementia care that supports the skills not lost to dementia.
Topics:
- What she meant by preserving dignity in dementia
- The DAWN approach
- The 7 skills and how it applies to the relationship between caregiver and the person receiving the care
- Her suggestions to caregivers
- What is strength base care
- Judy’s books
Links:
- Host’s email: Rafiq@SeniorsPodcast.com
- Sponsor’s Link - Right at Home
- All Things Senior’s Facebook: www.facebook.com/AllThingsSeniors
- Judy’s TEDx Talk Link: https://www.ted.com/talks/judy_cornish_the_dawn_of_dementia_care
- Judy’s Website: https://thedawnmethod.com/
- Judy’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/judycornish/
- Judy’s Twitter: @theDAWNmethod
- Judy’s Instagram: thedawnmethod
- Judy’s Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theDAWNmethod/
- Judy’s YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8UbxgQFYpSvJtaYmAF8wOw
- Judy’s Email: Judy@theDAWNmethod.com
Judy’s Books:
- The Dementia Handbook: How to Provide Dementia Care at Home by Judy Cornish
- Dementia with Dignity: Living Well with Alzheimer's Or Dementia Using the Dawn by Judy Cornish
Did You Know Segment: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3181916/
Did you know that there are close to 10 million cases of dementia worldwide? That is one case of dementia every 3 seconds. Suffice it to say, it’s no longer just a challenge specific to a country but it has become a worldwide phenomenon.
Today we have Mary Sue Wilkinson, an educator and a professional musician. She is the author of “Songs You Know By Heart: A Simple Guide For Using Music In Dementia Care.” Mary Sue is also a public speaker and trainer. She leads hundreds of music sessions each year for seniors and has recorded two sing-along CDs.
Topics
- How her journey started towards dementia care
- How music helps dementia patients
- Five reasons why she thinks music is a tool in dementia care
- How family caregivers can figure out what kind of music their parents enjoyed when they were young
- How someone working at assisted living facilities or retirement homes can incorporate music
- Her works and CDs
Quote:
“Someone who is singing with you or to you is probably not there to hurt you.”
Links:
- Host’s Email Address: rafiq@SeniorsPodcast.com
- Sponsor’s Link - Right at Home
- All Things Senior’s Facebook: www.facebook.com/AllThingsSeniors
- Mary Sue’s Website: www.SingingHeartToHeart.com
- Mary Sue’s Email Address: MarySue@SingingHeartToHeart.com
- Mary Sue’s Twitter: @YoungatHeartMus
- Mary Sue’s Instagram: singing_heart_to_heart
- Mary Sue’s Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8Mhx0bIjD03YXHsAcwUt-A/featured
- Mary Sue’s CD1: Songs You Know By Heart: https://singinghearttoheart.com/songs-you-know-by-heart-cd
- Mary Sue’s CD2: Sing Along With Mary Sue: Folk Song Favorites For Young And Old - https://singinghearttoheart.com/sing-along-with-mary-sue-folk-song-favorites-for-young-and-old
- Mary Sue’s Book: Songs You Know By Heart: A Simple Guide For Using Music In Dementia Care - https://singinghearttoheart.com/songs-you-know-by-heart-a-simple-guide-for-using-music-in-dementia-care--2
- Research Link: https://musicandmemory.org/music-brain-resources/current-research/
- Did You Know Segment: https://www.alz.co.uk/research/statistics
According to a few research done by AARP, 64% of older adults in the United States have seen or experienced age-based discrimination. Unfortunately, it’s no longer a problem that’s prevalent in the United States alone. In fact, ageism is now regarded as the most wildly experienced form of discrimination in Europe.
Ageism also exists in social platforms like Facebook groups. In addition, the median age of employees at Apple, Google, and Facebook are 33, 31, and 26 respectively.
Today's guest is Ashton Applewhite. Ashton is the author of the book “This Chair Rocks: A Manifesto Against Ageism.” Ashton is an internationally recognised expert on ageism. She has spoken on the topic at various venues including the TED main stage and the United Nations.
Ashton has also written for Harper's, The Guardian, and The New York Times. Ashton is also the voice of "Yo, Is This Ageist?" Ashton is considered the leading spokesperson for the emerging movement against discrimination on the basis of age.
Topics:
- What ageism is
- Why ageism was reported as the top form of discrimination most people encounter
- Why age is a real number
- Negative messages about asking for help
- Why she started "Yo, Is This Ageist?"
- On her TED Talk
- Seeing ageism’s effect in different parts of the world
- Her take on the issue of climate change
- When she started becoming an activist for ageism
Links:
- Host’s email: Rafiq@SeniorsPodcast.com
- Sponsor’s Link - Right at Home
- All Things Senior’s Facebook
- Ashton’s Website: www.thischairrocks.com
- Ashton’s TED Talk: https://bit.ly/38OWPDQ
- Ashton’s Twitter: @thischairrocks
- Ashton’s Instagram: thischairrocks
- Ashton’s Facebook: www.Facebook.com/ThisChairRocks
- Ashton’s Book: https://amzn.to/35B9zfq
- Ashton’s Blog: https://thischairrocks.com/blog/
- Ask her a Question: https://yoisthisageist.com/
- Did You Know Segment: https://brandongaille.com/44-shocking-ageism-statistics/
- Age Discrimination Canadian Information: http://www.agediscrimination.info/international-age-discrimination/canada
Did you know that 61% of baby boomers would want to work after their formal retirement? This finding is also evident in the Babson College report as it revealed that 51% of small businesses are owned by people over the age of 50.
Today's guest is Paul Tasner. Paul is the CEO of PulpWorks, Inc., a company that designs and manufactures biodegradable packaging for consumer goods. Paul is also the co-founder of Sort Inc. Paul has a unique thing about entrepreneurship and he highly encourages everyone to watch his TED Talk on how he became an entrepreneur at age 66.
Topics:
- How his journey as an entrepreneur started
- Things to take into account when launching a business
- What he would have done differently as an older entrepreneur
- What people can learn from his experience in terms of finding capital
- His response to people who ask why he’s still working instead of relaxing
- His advice to older people who would like to start a business
Quote:
"If you really want to live a long rich life, do something entrepreneurial."
Links
- Host’s email: Rafiq@SeniorsPodcast.com
- Sponsor’s Link Right at Home: www.rightathomecanada.com
- Paul’s TED Talk: https://www.ted.com/talks/paul_tasner_how_i_became_an_entrepreneur_at_66?language=en
- Paul’s Website: http://www.pulpworksinc.com/
- Paul’s LinkedIn Page: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paultasner/
- Did You Know segment: https://www.businessinsider.com/seniors-realize-their-small-business-dreams-2019-8
- Email Address: paultasner@gmail.com
A new study conducted by the Transportation Research Board on the issues impacting seniors indicated that these so-called “ignored and invisible” population has a lot to worry about from a travel standpoint. Four of the biggest challenges faced by seniors are wayfinding, fatigue, technology, and amenities. In short, travel can be stressful for them.
Carla McDonald will discuss how to plan better and reduce the travel stress for seniors. Carla has 4 decades of experience with airlines. She has worked at the frontlines of airports checking in passengers, departing hundreds of flights, and boarding thousands of passengers in her career. She retired in 2017 but decided to continue servicing people who experience challenges that airlines are not able to address.
Carla started her own companion travel company business called The Travelling Guardian. The Travelling Guardian helps relieve the stress and worries of travelling alone with their travel chaperone service. Carla offers travelling companions for children, elderly individuals, mobility impaired individuals, as well as a nanny air service for parents.
Topics:
- The biggest senior-related travel issue
-
Things that can help in planning your travel better
- Medical clearance
- Travel insurance
- Carry-on bag size and dimension
- Difference between personal items and carry-on
- Incorrect names can disrupt your travel
- Questions most asked by seniors
- About Travelling Guardian
Quote:
"The airlines aren't going to say NO to you. They just want to make sure that your parent is fit to travel."
Links:
- Host’s email: Rafiq@SeniorsPodcast.com
- Sponsor’s Link Right at Home: www.rightathomecanada.com
- Carla’s Website: www.TheTravellingGuardian.com
- Email address: TheTravellingGuardian@Gmail.com
- Instagram: TheTravellingGuardian
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/TheTravellingGuardian
- Did You Know Segment:
- https://bit.ly/35OI9Tl
- https://bit.ly/374NDtz
Over half a million Canadians are currently living with dementia. Unfortunately, at least 10% of Canadians with dementia are being cared for in hospitals even though it’s not the ideal location for them. Dementia is not just a Canadian challenge, it's also a global issue and a complex one as well. It affects families financially, emotionally, and culturally. In short, it affects their overall lives in general.
Fortunately, there are some great people around the world who are spearheading movements to empower families affected by dementia. With us today is the world's most renowned speaker and educator on the subject of dementia, Teepa Snow.
Teepa is an occupational therapist with 40 years of clinical and academic experience. She presents with extraordinary expertise and humor to audiences large and small throughout the world.
Topics:
- What Teepa meant by positive approach
- When people have shortcomings
- How dementia can differ depending on the patient’s personality
- On getting connected before care
- One of our biggest mistakes people commit
- Why it’s hard for family caregivers
- The importance of getting good and credible information early and throughout the diagnosis and progression of the condition
- Some symptoms of dementia that needs to get a diagnosis
- Gaps in the ability of family and professional caregivers to provide quality care for people with dementia
Quotes:
"There's almost always a solo person who thinks they know the person better, who believes they are the better caregiver."
"What I thought was gonna be the case may not turn out to be how it works."
"We start off as a human being first and foremost."
Links:
- Teepa’s Website
- Email address: pollyl@teepasnow.com
- Twitter: @teepasnow
- Instagram: teepasnows_pac
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/teepasnow.dementiaexpert
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/teepasnow
- Host Mentioned: https://www.aging2.com/
- The AD8 - Dementia Checklist
- Did You Know Segment: https://alzheimer.ca/en/Home/About-dementia/What-is-dementia/Dementia-numbers
- Consulting - consulting@teepasnow.com
- Products - https://teepasnow.com/product-category/all-products/
- Coupon code - ALLTHINGS19
Cohousing originated in Denmark in the 1960s. Today some 50,000 people in Denmark are cohousing. In Canada, we have less than 20 cohousing projects and they are mainly in BC.
There are however over 150 such projects in the US (and maybe more now). Building communities and avoiding loneliness is something we all need to address as a society and cohousing definitely helps.
Today, our guest is Grace Kim. Grace is an architect with over 20 years of experience under her belt. She is also an internationally recognised expert in cohousing. Grade had a great TED Talk where she talked about how cohousing can make people happier (and live longer).
Topics:
- What cohousing is
- What makes cohousing different from a traditional condominium or single family home development
- The benefits of cohousing
- How some people approach cohousing
- The biggest reason people don't prefer it
- How cohousing helps people to live more happily
- What we can do to share the message about choosing
- How seniors can be supported in cohousing
- What the mode of communication will be
- The pros and cons of cohousing
- What she does on her spare time
Quotes:
"Having a strong social connections and strong relationships are the most important things that would help longevity of life."
"Cohousing helps us to remember the humanity in all of us and to really be connected with each other in a more meaningful way."
Links:
- Grace’s TED Talk
- Grace’s Website
- Grace’s LinkedIn
- Grace’s Facebook
- Contact Grace: info@schemataworkshop.com
- How to find CoHousing options for you: http://cohousing.org/ and https://cohousing.ca/
- Did You Know Segment
Did you know that in Canada the average cost of living, whether it’s assisted or going to retirement homes with dementia suites can go up to 1.5k-6k dollars a month and the country has recorded a great increase of seniors in the last years.
Today we have Tony Weeks, the president and CEO of York Care Centre and also part of the Centre for Innovation and Research in Aging in New Brunswick. He also previously operated his own health consulting firm, served as a hospital CEO, and worked in senior provincial health and long-term care executive roles in Ontario, Saskatchewan, and Alberta.
Given that New Brunswick has the highest percentage of seniors, serving seniors and researching in better ageing solutions is very close to his heart. In this episode, he shares his thoughts on the retirement living facilities and his endeavour to help seniors improve their quality of life.
Topics:
- Tony’s thoughts on the cost of living and the facilities of retirement living
- His take on what we could do to do better in Canada
- The 2 or 3 different types of facility life
- The advocacy that needs to happen to empower people in their own homes
- What and where to look for information for family caregivers to make the right decisions and to have the right perspective in mind
- How to make the experience of moving to a retirement living or assisted living as best as possible
- His thoughts on how as a society we can tap on the experiences of older adults and try to bring the purpose back to their life
- The role technology plays in their activities and how to engage older adults in technology
- Tony’s background and his organisations or institutions
- The kind of collaborators and work they are looking for
Links:
- Right at Home
- Tony's Twitter
- Tony's LinkedIn
- Tony's Email: tweeks@yorkcarecenter.ca
- Centre for Innovation and Research in Aging
- York Care Centre
- York Care Centre's Facebook
- Age Well Canada
As of July 2019, there are more than 10,000 Canadians over the age of 100 and over 80% of those centenarians are women. Also, 16% to 17% of the people who are over the age of 65 today that is part of the population by 2031 will become 23%. Another 6% to 7% of Canadians will enter age 65 and above and by 2039, there will be another 4 million people.
We have Margot McWhirter with us today to talk about her insights on aging populations. Margot is a registered occupational therapist and has over 25 years of experience in the industry. She is also the founder of Inclusive Aging.
Topics:
- How she sees the aging population in Canada
- Reflecting on what aging means to us
- What occupational therapist means and what they do
- What successful aging in place means
- How end-of-life planning doesn't need to be a difficult, painful, or awkward conversation
- How an occupational therapist can help people to stay in place
- How people usually pay for modifications in accessibility, safety, and quality of life
- What Inclusive Aging is and what they do
Quote:
"Success is person-based, so what success is to you might be different than what success looks like to another individual."
Links:
- Right at Home
- Canada.ca
- National Post
Profiles:
- Margot's Website
- Margot's Email: info@inclusiveaging.com
- Twitter: @InclusiveAging
- Instagram: inclusiveagingca
A Canadian Income survey conducted in 2017 revealed there’s close to quarter of a million seniors living in poverty in Canada and most of them are women. A 2016 data also indicated that 2/3 of the people in Canada who are over the age of 85 are women. To help us understand how seniors are living in poverty and how the age and gender thing works, we have Doug Buss with us today.
Doug is a financial planner and has more than 30 years of experience in the financial service industry. He has encountered countless different client situations (both business and personal) and has used his knowledge and experience to provide unique solutions. Doug is also the author of the book "Life Balance: The Secrets to Managing Your Personal Journey."
In this episode, he shared his thoughts from the financial planning perspective and provided recommendations in terms of financial planning.
Topics:
- What financial planning is
- When should people do financial planning
- How to be budget-conscious
- The 4 areas to focus on when working with a financial planner
- What people should expect from their financial planners
- What financial literacy means
- Long-term care insurance
- What he sees in housing options
- His advice to listeners on what they should do today so they can change the direction of their financial planning
- What he does on his free time
- On his book “Life Balance: The Secrets to Managing Your Personal Journey”
- How people can connect with him
Quote:
"The more you ask, the more you learn.”
Links:
- Right at Home
- Doug's Company Website
- Doug's Book
- Doug's Facebook
- Doug's Twitter
- Doug's Email: doug@yourstylefinancial.ca
- Office number: 2044742929
Imagine leaving a house you’ve lived in for many decades and moving to a smaller and unfamiliar new home. For many people, moving to a new place can be very stressful. For seniors, even more so. Fortunately, today’s guest has a vast experience guiding seniors as they move to a new place and he candidly shared many valuable tips and insights.
Jeff Brown started his successful real estate career in 2005. He has worked every aspect of the industry and has represented buyers, sellers, investors, and even banks. Jeff also has an SRES (Seniors Real Estate Specialist) designation. For many years now, he has used his expertise and knowledge to help and guide homebuyers over the age of 50 navigate major financial and lifestyle transitions more easily.
If you’re a senior who’s considering moving to a new place or someone helping your senior parents downsize and get settled in a new place, consider today’s episode a must-listen. Jeff not only shared plenty of tips that can help make the move easy, he also shared tips on how to make the transition less stressful, so don’t forget to tune in!
Key Takeaways
- How the real estate market has changed over the last 30 years
- What SRES means
- The difference between a seniors real estate specialist and the typical real estate agent
- The amazing benefits of working with a senior real estate specialist
- One of the biggest concerns he deals with
- The pros and cons of moving to a smaller house versus moving to a condominium
- Things to look for when moving to a condominium
- The ideal thing to do prior to buying a condo
- What people often miss when they move to a smaller place
- Tips on how to find good service providers
- How an occupational therapist can help make a home safer and more accessible
- Two tips he’d give to listeners who are helping their senior parents downsize
- What he does on his free time
- How people can connect with him
Links:
- Jeff’s Website
- Senior’s Real Estate Specialist
- Jeff’s Facebook
- Downsizing after Retirement: A Complete Guide to Downsizing Costs in Canada
- Most boomers likely won’t downsize for another 20 years — too late for millennials