Volunteer groups advocate to make a difference in the lives of people facing Alzheimer's and dementia. Jim Wilgus, Executive Director for the Washington State Chapter of the Alzheimer's Association, joins Suzanne Newman on the Answers for Elders Radio Show to talk about various ways you can help the search for a cure.

Jim says, "There's a lot of ways for folks to engage with the Alzheimer's Association, whether you're in need of services yourself, or you want to volunteer for a clinical trial, or you want to volunteer for an event, or be a community educate educator in your home community. We're present with Walk events in 600 communities across the United States and over almost 30 in my territory.

"There's all kinds of ways for people to get involved. Certainly if you're in need of services, that's a place to start your journey, to access services at the local level or at a 24/7, 365 day year level. Contact our helpline at 1 800 272-3900. We have master's level social workers that work at that helpline to provide care and support services and advice to individuals, but also they're available with our central information around what's happening locally that you can get involved with.

"Another great place to go is our website www.alz.org, and you can access a myriad of resources there, but also find your local chapter. Getting involved as a volunteer, or seeking our services, is a good first step to begin your journey of supporting the Alzheimer's Association or gaining services from the Alzheimer's Association.

"A one time opportunity could be to participate in your state's Advocacy Day, which actually has individuals from all parts of the state. We held ours last week in Olympia here in Washington. We had over 100 individuals at the state capitol in Olympia who visited with every legislator on a scheduled appointment to talk about the agenda that we were promoting to support Alzheimer's disease and other dementias. We were in Juneau last week in Alaska. If you're in Des Moines, if you're in Santa Fe, if you're in Annapolis, there's a state advocacy day for every single state. It's just as easy as finding the information on our website and learning about when those dates are, and how you can register."

Visit https://www.alz.org/trialmatch to find clinical trials in your area.

• Alzheimer's Association website
• About Alzheimer's and Dementia
• Call their helpline at 800.272.3900
• Hear more podcasts about the Alzheimer's Association
• Hear more podcasts about the Walk to End Alzheimers

Check out our affiliate podcast Alzheimer’s Speaks

Jim Wilgus, Executive Director for the Washington State Chapter of the Alzheimer's Association, joins Suzanne Newman on the Answers for Elders Radio Show to talk about the need for participants in Alzheimer's clinical trials.

Jim says, "There are circumstances, certainly, where Alzheimer's disease is prevalent within family units, but there's also incidents where it's not. And that's what makes Alzheimer's disease such a mystery, and why research and clinical trials are so important. There's also known evidence that Alzheimer's disease and other dementia are more prevalent in certain populations, particularly African Americans and Hispanic Americans.

"There are needs for all kinds of individuals. And certainly some trials don't require a diagnosis, some trials do. But the bottom line is we need participants in trials. They're safe, they're ethically sound and founded. Many of them are at universities and hospitals, and new treatments for Alzheimer's disease and other dementia are nearly impossible without clinical trials. Many more participants are needed, including people, as I mentioned, with dementia or those who are at risk of developing it. Also, for caregivers, or healthy volunteers, with no dementia issues. All are urgently needed for the hundreds and hundreds of trials that take place throughout the United States."

Visit https://www.alz.org/trialmatch to find clinical trials in your area.

• Alzheimer's Association website
• About Alzheimer's and Dementia
• Call their helpline at 800.272.3900
• Hear more podcasts about the Alzheimer's Association
• Hear more podcasts about the Walk to End Alzheimers

Check out our affiliate podcast Alzheimer’s Speaks

Daphne Davis from Pinnacle Senior Placements in Seattle, Washington joins Suzanne Newman on the Answers for Elders Radio Show to talk about why and how to choose a referral agent to help with making choices about a senior parent.

Daphne says, "When you don't have enough information about making a really serious decision or consequential decision, inevitably what I have found is that people have to make another decision in a very short amount of time. What is the right fit for my mom or dad? I don't want to limit it to just talking to adult children and talking about your mom and dad, but let me just generically paint that picture. Even if you're looking for yourself, having enough information so that you don't have to move again is probably one of the things that could motivate consumers to want to explore a referral agent.

"Many times we can think we can do this ourselves [with] a computer and the Internet... But in this scenario, people are very unique, and they do not fit into a cookie cutter, one-size-fits-all group... It's so important to me to find to be able to meet the loved one. And I don't I don't care if it's for 2 minutes or 2 hours. There's a uniqueness in the energy of your loved one that is important to pick up on. And that's one of the things that in choosing a referral agent, make sure that they're not going to just work off of piece of paper of symptoms and general allergies... Inviting a professional to help you in figuring out where is your mom or dad right now, or where are you right now in the journey of life? What chapter of life are you in to have someone be able to come in and take a snapshot picture of today?"

Daphne adds, "What are our highest values in making this move? Why are we making this move? What are the things that have to exist in this new place called home for your loved one? Once you've established what those highest values are, then you as a family — and I'm going to just talk as a family — you can keep each other accountable to that litmus to that list of highest values and not get in the weeds, but mom really liked doing Fill in the Blank. And she was 40 years old when she did that... So sticking to what are the highest values, that's what a referral agent will do, will help walk through discovering what are the important things to talk about.

"I'm going to generically say in our later years in life, whatever number that starts out, but 80, 90 years old, being able to to say, what is it today? Yeah, Dad used to like to go out and go fishing and he still has that interest, but he's not fishing anymore. But now he wants to talk about it. Or now he wants to educate other people about how fishing, or he wants to be proud of his collection of fly fishing poles, whatever it is... it's not choosing a community that he gets to go out on the river and go fishing."

Reach Pinnacle at 1-855-734-1500 or visit PinnacleSeniorPlacements.com.

Learn more:

• Pinnacle Senior Placements at Answers for Elders
• About Daphne Davis
• Hear more podcasts with Daphne Davis

Check out our affiliate podcast Alzheimer’s Speaks.

Daphne Davis of Pinnacle Senior Placements joins Suzanne to offer tips for dealing with complex family dynamics of helping a struggling senior loved one. Be the son and daughter, don't try to parent your parent.

Daphne says, "My first golden tip would be: if anyone has an opinion, or wants to be a part of a process, or will have a thought about what should happen with mom and dad, they need to be involved in gathering the information from the very beginning. Everyone needs to hear the conversations, everyone needs to get the printed matter. Even if they say 'I trust you, you take care of it,' because inevitably we're curious people, we're gonna ask a question and the person who's at the front line is gonna go, 'I've done all this work already. I've narrowed it to these things. You said you trusted me.'

"Those conversations need to be collective. I encourage people to have a third party. If you have a situation where someone lives out of town — or the relationships between child and parent are strained, or very different, or there's 19 years between the oldest and the youngest siblings, there's gonna be different perspectives — have these conversations together. 

"The other thing that I would really suggest is having it agreed upon by all people involved that we are going to stick to the following highest values, which means you go through a process of discovering what are the highest values from your perspective with a child. What is an example of that? Mom could never give up her gardening. She's got to have some kind of place to be gardening. That's a high value. If they're going to assisted living or independent living, she's got to have a garden. Dad has to have a TV room, dad has to have his own space, he has a collection that he has to keep. There might be something from a religious point of view. They might need to be close to their church or their synagogue. There might be a difference in perspective concerning finances. Mom and dad have money, let's just assume they have some money that they can privately pay for their own care, and they've worked hard for that. And one perspective is they should spend their money on themselves. But mom or dad says no, no, no, we gotta leave something for our kids."

• Pinnacle Senior Placements website
  
• More podcasts with Daphne Davis
• Check out our affiliate podcast Alzheimer’s Speaks

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Chuck Olmstead interviews Patriot’s Landing resident Bill North, a retired Sergeant Major with the U.S. Army. He was born on a farm in Oklahoma in 1932. He joined the National Guard in Fort Sill when he was 16, becoming a cannoneer. The battalion was mobilized for the Korean War, trained by the U.S. Army, shipped out to Japan and finally to Korea.

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In Alzheimer's and in all stages of Dementia, conversation is based on the moment. We've all been taught to be real and truthful, not to lie. But Daphne Davis at Pinnacle Senior Placements suggeststhat white lies are okay at this stage, because they keep someone calm. It's important because their reality is their reality. It's more of staying in the moment with them – the little details don't matter when their reality is what they believe.

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Chuck Olmstead interviews Patriot’s Landing resident Gil Conforti, a retired lieutenant colonel from the U.S. Army. He was born in 1935 in Massachusetts. His father passed away when he was in high school, so he went to work to help support the family. After his 17th birthday, he joined the National Guard. He enjoyed his work, and in 1955 he enlisted in the regular army. He spent 16 months in Korea near the demarkation line, earning promotions to staff seargant.

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Owner Vanessa Carr with Care at Home Seattle says don't wait for care.

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Chuck Olmstead interviews Patriot’s Landing resident Roberta "Bobbie" Quarm, a wife of a retired United States Army serviceman who served for 24 years and was injured in Vietnam. She was born in Cincinnati and lived in Philadelphia during high school, graduating in 1955. She joined the USO and Red Cross. She met her husband of 51 years at Fort Dix in New Jersey, where they married. They were stationed three times at Fort Lewis in Tacoma, Washington.

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Taking away the mystery, Daphne Davis at Pinnacle Senior Placements explains what families can expect with an advisor. She starts as an information post for our families, as an educator. Pinnacle Senior Placements doesn't charge families for our services as advisors. She's paid like a realtor. She works with every community of care in the state of Washington. She's totally transparent, regardless of whether she has a contract with them or not, she works with them. Her motivation is to take away some of the stress of making very big decisions for our loved ones.

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When you are working with a professional, you need to be heard and valued, not put into a box. It's also a relationship with the entire family. There are services to help you and walk alongside you. Daphne Davis at Pinnacle Senior Placements recommends having an advisor you feel from your gut has your best interests in mind.

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During Fall Prevention month, be a watchdog for your senior loved one. Tracy Marcom at Cascade In-Home Care asks: What is a family's role to check in with their loved ones? Some are hands-off, and may not realize how their love ones are declining. If Mom or Dad don't live nearby, they can put on a good front because they don't want to burden their children. Have a service that can come in, even in the beginning, as an in-home care agency before you really need it, is a peace of mind both to your loved one and your family.

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During Fall Prevention month, Regional Business Development Manager Tracy Marcom at Cascade In-Home Care suggests acting as a watchdog for your senior loved one. Some of the things we notice in the house are throw rugs on top of carpet, which is a huge tripping risk. Also, a rug in the bathroom should have a rubber bottom so it doesn't lift up and cause a hazard. In-Home Care agencies are able to do non-medical in-home care, but we have a home health license, and we can do fall-and-risk assessments, wheelchair certification and have a nurse on duty. We can provide that fourth or fifth day of would care, but we wouldn't do occupational therapy or physical therapy.

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Chuck Olmstead interviews Patriot’s Landing resident Kent Troy, U.S. Army West Point graduate, former protocol officer at JBLM (Joint Base Lewis-McChord) in Washington. He was born in Roswell, New Mexico.

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A senior loved one has had a hospital stay, and now they want to go home. Or their insurance is running out and they need to return home to recuperate. What are their options at home for care? While at the hospital, talk to a social worker about in-home care, which can supplement help from a spouse and other family members. Daphne Davis of Pinnacle Senior Placements talks about considering the various services available to families that Medicaid can pay for.

Daphne says, "It happens all the time.Because mom or dad was at home already, and husband and wife were making this work, the natural place to go is back home. And that's not a bad thing to do, if you have the services available to help you. I encourage people to talk to a social worker if they're coming out of a rehab situation, or at the hospital, to talk to the social worker and ask them about in-home care. That is something that can supplement the family supporting mom or dad. And it can be a little bit expensive, and nationwide I'd say probably an average is about $40 to $45 an hour. There's usually a four-hour minimum. So there's some restraints on that.

"But it's a time that you can leave the rehab and have a cushion, of somebody to help mom or dad in the morning, let's say to start their day. Or it might be more to end their day, or it might be to make sure there's three meals prepared, or something like that, but it's a good way to transition back home, if in fact it can be successful at home. 

"The other thing is, I caution families to put too much stress on themselves. You've got your siblings. 'Mom and dad have taken care of us all of our lives. We can take care of them now.' And that is good for the short term, but not the long term. And I'll tell you why: your relationships will suffer. And your primary relationship, as son or daughter to your mom or dad, will change. And the stress level increases — that's transferred to your mom and dad. Now the healing process is going to slow down. They're stressed because they feel like they're bothering you, because you're in the sandwich generation, and you're running kids to soccer game and taking care of mom."

• Pinnacle Senior Placements website
  
• More podcasts with Daphne Davis
• Check out our affiliate podcast Alzheimer’s Speaks

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Sandy Myerson has written a book called Elder Care Assistance: A Practical Guide Covering Health, Financial and Legal Considerations, which is a practical guide for everyone. This discussion centers around making sure to find out what your loved ones want, so that you can handle their wishes in case they are in a condition where they can't tell you themselves.

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Sandy Myerson has written a book called Elder Care Assistance: A Practical Guide Covering Health, Financial and Legal Considerations, which is a practical guide for everyone. Something could happen to us or our spouses at any moment, and people need to be able to pick up where we left off, know where different assets are, and understand the process.

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Every 20 minutes a senior adult dies as a result of declining health triggered from a fall. Fall prevention is critical for seniors, especially if they are living alone. Careage's Gidgette Chesley discusses how, at Patriot's Landing, seniors have an active calendar, helping those even with mobility issues. A resident who experiences a fall is taken care of first, but then they investigate the cause, whether it's a throw rug or a rug/carpet transition.

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Fall is time when weather kicks up and we should get a head start on preventing falls. Colette Roberge at CarePartners Senior Living point our there are many hazards around the home or that seniors are doing that can cause falls. What medications are they taking? Are some combinations making them dizzy? Fall is good time for a follow-up with the doctor to assess all their medications. Colder weather brings arthritis, which can also bring falls, and there are also wet decks, icy walks.

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Your senior loved one staying at home is the ultimate goal for as long as possible, but it can be hard if it involves maintaining a mortgage or a big yard. Sometimes families will wait because they don't want to give up the family home or their loved one has dug in, and they wait too long. Warning signs depend on their situation, but if they're living at home, are they able to manage their medications, are they eating appropriately? They're isolated and don't think about eating. Colette Roberge at CarePartners Senior Living sees residents move in, and new life comes back into them, and they flourish.

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Elisa Hawkinson, founder of How2GetOrganized, shows us how to organize for safety.

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Elisa Hawkinson, founder of How2GetOrganized, tells us how to get started.

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Stan Esecson shows seniors Voxx Socks at the Snow Valley Senior Center in Carnation, WA.

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Program Coordinator Kira Avery at the Snow Valley Senior Center in Carnation, WA talks about fall prevention.

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Part 2 of a conversation with Gidgette Chesley, the executive director of Patriot's Landing in DuPont, WA. When people are investigating memory care, most are not looking for someone in the early stages of Alzheimer's. It's priceless to have conversations while they are able to express their wishes. It's a tough conversation to have.

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When do you start discussing having more care for mom and dad? Oftentimes, people wait too long. In this segment, Daphne Davis of Pinnacle Senior Placements offers the broad picture health analogy of a three-legged stool: hydration, medication, and nutrition, which balance fine so long as all three are done well. Daphne gives us some warning signs that it may be time to have that dreaded conversation with a senior loved one that they could benefit from some assistance at home.

Daphne says, "Are you finding a medication on the floor that's underneath the dining room table, because it just slipped out of their hand when they walked from the kitchen to the dining room? Think of that big broad picture. Let's say mom and dad are living in the home, and you help with supplementing some grocery shopping, and you're seeing the same foods around, or even the box of saltine crackers that they asked for isn't opened yet. Or you bring over a meal or two a week, and there's very little taken out of it. You'll say, mom, you haven't eaten, it's your favorite dish, and she'll, she'll say, 'well, I just wasn't hungry.' That's a sign. Everyone needs calories to make their body work. If it's not fueled, it won't work. Your body is a machine and it needs high-octane fuel. You can still have your ice cream, but you gotta get some protein.

"Let's say that they've lived in the same house for 60 years, and the furniture has been exactly the same way for 60 years. All of a sudden you're seeing them touching the back of the furniture as they walk, or they're touching the wall, or they're using their next hand, that they're taking a step with, to reach for the chair that's in front of them. Furniture walking. It's not a terrible thing to do because your loved one has figured out, how do I keep myself safe? But there's something behind that ,in terms of maybe a balance issue, maybe lightheadedness, weakness in their muscles, something's going on. That's a sign."

• Pinnacle Senior Placements website
  
• More podcasts with Daphne Davis
• Check out our affiliate podcast Alzheimer’s Speaks

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Part 1 of a conversation with Gidgette Chesley, the executive director of Patriot's Landing in DuPon, WA. When people are investigating memory care, most are not looking for the services when their loved one is in the early stages. It's priceless to have conversations while they are able to express their wishes. They're tough conversations to have.

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Daphne Davis at Pinnacle Senior Placements works with lots of patients with Alzheimer's, all stages of Dementia and their families. One stumbling block for families is communicating with someone who has cognitive challenges. And they are different at different stages of the disease, and different from moment to moment. It's a challenge to keep yourself in their world. There are some key phrases to use and avoid using.

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Karin Taifour, owner of Aging Care Consultation, talks about pre-planning services.

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Chuck Olmstead interviews Patriot’s Landing resident Elizabeth Osborn, a retired first class E6 yeoman in the U.S. Navy. She joined in 1958 and loved every minute of it.

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Karin Taifour, owner of Aging Care Consultation, talks about advance directives.

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How can an environment best support a senior loved one? Melanie Mosshart at Hospitality Home Care talks about how her organization helps with non-medical care in the home, the activities of daily living. Having a safe environment is taken for granted, but there are common-sense items that come to light when you’re looking at adapting a home for a senior, with seven key items to look at.

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Nichole Smith at CarePartners Living says that a lot of science was put into the design of their cottages. Their clients with dementia have a cycle of self-isolation, depression, that exasperates the dementia. The cottages are based on a home environment. Each site has three cottages on it, 20 residents each, which encourages interaction. Residents smell the coffee in the morning, hear their neighbors getting up, going to breakfast just like they did when they had kids, and this encourages their curiosity.

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Chuck Olmstead interviews Patriot’s Landing resident Richard Dobson, a retired major in the U.S. Army special forces. Born in Renton, Washington, he enlisted in 1957.

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Allison Fine, Executive Director and Founder of the Center for Chronic Illness, explains why you need a social worker.

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If you're in a situation where no one needs to make an urgent move, or even in-home care, but if you're wondering if you're on the right track and you give me a call, Daphne Davis at Pinnacle Senior Placements suggesting calling her or one of her advisors. They come out to your home and have a conversation, get to to know you. The process is unique for everyone.

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Daphne Davis joins Suzanne to talk about crossroads and transitions. One of the most difficult parts of aging with families is being unprepared for life's changes. When adult children realize that mom or dad may need some help, broaching the topic can be challenging. A longtime contributor to Answers for Elders, Daphne Davis is President of Pinnacle Senior Placements.

Daphne says, "Post pandemic, what I'm seeing is that families are really trying hard to have their loved ones stay at home for as long as they possibly can. And I think that comes from a number of places. No one wants to leave their home. There's no place better than home, and we're going to figure out how to make that work. But I think there's another piece that's happened, and that's in terms of having trust, and knowing who can you trust to help you navigate this whole world of care outside of your home. When we were back in that pandemic time, we got to see what it's like to rely on a caregiver who's taking care of 15 to 25 people. And so we got scared, and we said, oh my gosh, I can do this. I know I can do it. 

"We're waiting way too long to give support to our elders. I'm just gonna say it. It's hard to hear. Having a bandaid to the professional care of what your family may need is not helpful on many levels. One, the quality of life for your parent and their ability to have a quality life every month of their life, it should never decline. There are ways to keep it happy, even though it's going to change.

"Families are really at odds with each other. I've been doing this for 25 years and I have never had such dissension within families and not be able to help them get on the same page. Each state has different offerings. And so it's really important for you, the families, to be able to connect to somebody who can help you navigate within your own state system. That's very important because what we can do in Washington doesn't happen in New York."

• Pinnacle Senior Placements website
  
• More podcasts with Daphne Davis
• Check out our affiliate podcast Alzheimer’s Speaks

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Gathering information – you never know when you'll need it. Some families are really good about thinking about it: downsizing to a smaller home, no steps, putting in grab bars, a step-in shower. But there are other things to pay attention to, such as a throw rug. Daphne Davis at Pinnacle Senior Placements goes through advance planning steps. 

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Allison Fine, Executive Director and Founder of the Center for Chronic Illness, talks about support groups.

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Careage provides home health services, which is medical or skilled intervention in the home. Chris Strand at Careage describes the process of requesting and arranging for home health services.

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What happens after a patient is discharged from a rehab center or a hospital? Chris Strand at Careage takes us through caring options. Home care is meal preparation, grooming, and light housekeeping, and is paid for as a fee-for-service, Medicaid, veterans benefits or private pay, which. Outpatient service is similar, but more limited as you have to drive to the service, and is a Medicare Part B benefit for therapy only. Home health is nursing intervention and rehabilitative health, and is covered by Medicare Part A and private insurance, and there are no annual caps.

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Mama Blue, Pattie Hammond, is an original season-ticket holder for the Seattle Seahawks. She’s 87 and an inspirational figure. She was a hair stylist for 65 years, standing and using her hands all the time. Arthritis took a tool. But after she started to wear Voxx Socks., she says she’s getting stronger by the minute.

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Heather Lyon at MBK Senior Living talks about the community at Mt. Lake Terrace.

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Marlene Diaz talks about Hospitality Home Care opening a new facility, the Hospitality Adult Family Home in Federal Way, WA, by the Twin Lakes Golf and Country Club. It’s a six-bed home and is a little more personal than living in a community. They have four private bedrooms and one that is shared. Candidates would be over 55 and have a variety of health issues such as Alheimer’s, Dementia, or Parkinsons, who would need a higher degree of one-on-one care.

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Nichole Smith at CarePartners Senior Living says that surprisingly, a majority of financial abuse comes from family members. We often have so many red flags that families are squirreling away money. When a person loses their safety awareness, of course they trust their family more than anybody else, and family members may be making decisions which they think are in the best interest of their loved one, but later down the line it may make it so they can’t get on a state Medicaid program because they’ve gifted money within the last five years.

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Britt Burkhart, president of Safeguard Financial Assets, educates how to effectively manage assets and reduce taxes. He helps with Aid and Attendance Benefits, a benefit available through the Dept. of Veterans Affairs, which most veterans don't know about.

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James Carey from On The House talks about walk-in tubs and other accommodations.

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This segment focuses on how various legal documents work together as part of your estate planning to make sure you're taken care of if anything happens that makes you incapacitated. Andrea Lee from Legacy Estate Planning joins Suzanne to talk about the pieces of a person's legal puzzle.

Andrea says, "Estate planning is very much like a puzzle. And within that puzzle, there are so many different pieces that come together to create a picture, like a beautiful picture of that puzzle. And the problem is, frequently people might miss a piece or two of that puzzle. They think they've got the whole puzzle in place because they don't have a good understanding of what a comprehensive estate plan looks like. But the reality is, all those pieces come together, and they each serve a different purpose. For example, some of my clients and most individuals need a slew of documents. You need a financial power of attorney that says, if you're incapacitated and not able to manage your own finances, who can manage your finances for you. They might also need a health care power of attorney that says who can make those medical decisions, housing decisions on your behalf, a HIPPA release that allows medical institutions to share information with agents, a living will that gives end of life direction, a disposition of remains that says what do you want done with your body when you're gone. And then maybe a will or a trust, that you dispose of your assets when you're gone. So those are some of the pieces of that puzzle. And the reality is, depending on how they're prepared determines how effectively and efficiently those documents could work."

Mention you heard the show on Answers for Elders to get a free consultation.

• Legal Documents You Need podcast episode mentioned in the show
• Andrea Lee
• Incapacity planning overview at Legacy Estate Planning
• Incapacity planning articles at Legacy Estate Planning
• More podcasts with Andrea Lee
• More podcasts about Power of Attorney
• Check out our affiliate podcast Alzheimer’s Speaks

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Stan Esecson shares success stories he’s heard about Voxx Socks.

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Chuck Olmstead interviews Patriot’s Landing resident Captain Marvin Reiner, a retired radio tech 2nd class, U.S. Navy. A native of Aberdeen, Washington, he was born in 1923 and grew up during the Depression.

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