2Sisters Speak: Surviving the Sandwich Generation

Michelle, Alyson, Emily and Kristine discuss the concept of acceptable or negotiated risk. The balance between trying to keep our loved ones safe from their own poor choices and keeping our sanity is precarious.

The author, Roald Dahl said, "The more risk you allow children to take, the better they learn to take care of themselves." When we allow children to take risks they hopefully build resilience." But, is the same true with our loved ones who are aging? Not so much.

Listen to our discussion!

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More information at https://2sisters-sla.com/

© 2022 Michelle Woodbrey and Alyson Powers

People in search of care options for an aging loved one need to become familiar with things they probably never wanted to. We have callers who are commonly confused and need clarification. For example, what does insurance cover regarding senior care?

Panel of experts:

Michelle Woodbrey

• Certified Senior Advisor (CSA)®
• Certified Placement & Referral Specialist (CPRS)
• Certified Dementia Practitioner (CDP)®
• REALTOR®

Alyson Powers

• Certified Senior Advisor (CSA)®
• Certified Placement & Referral Specialist (CPRs)
• Certified Dementia Practitioner (CDP)®

Emily Rogue

• Licensed Nursing Home Administrator (LNHA)
• Certified Senior Advisor (CSA)®
• Certified Dementia Practitioner (CDP)®

Kristine Callahan

• Certified Senior Advisor (CSA)®
• Certified Personal Coach (CPC)
• Certified Dementia Practitioner (CDP)®

In a break from our more typical conversation-style episodes, we draw upon our expertise as senior care consultants to briefly answer the following questions:

• What is a nursing home and what does insurance cover?
• What is the difference between Medicare and Medicaid?
• What is the difference between a nursing home and an assisted living?
• What can an assisted living community do?
• Everyone has advice, how do you know who to listen to?
• What is a memory care neighborhood and a memory care unit?

If you need help figuring out Medicaid eligibility, you can visit MedicaidPlanningAssistance.org, a free service provided by the American Council on Aging.

You can always schedule a consultation with us to discuss your situation and get some answers. Begin by scheduling a FREE 15-minute consultation.

Please click the button to subscribe so you don't miss any episodes and leave a review if your favorite podcast app has that ability. Thank you!

More information at https://2sisters-sla.com/

© 2022 Michelle Woodbrey and Alyson Powers

During this episode, Alyson is away travelling with family so Michelle and Emily have a discussion reminiscing about how Emily started working for 2Sisters Senior Living Advisors.

When is it time to give up on something that you've spent so much time working toward? Emily worked hard for many years to actualize her dream of becoming a Nursing Home Administrator only to realize it was not her dream anymore. She also currently has a client who is resistant to giving up caring for her father because she has spent so long trying to be his best caregiver, but now she is feeling resentful of her identity as a caregiver.

What happens when we choose to give up? It feels scary and counterproductive considering all we've worked toward, but what if taking that leap of faith leads to something better than we could have imagined? We are not suggesting quitting the responsibilities that are weighing you down, but we do discuss considering what it might look like.

Can we find ways to ease into letting go and stepping into a new identity? Can leaps of faith actually begin with just small steps?

Whenever we picture leaps of faith, this scene from Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade starts playing in our minds. In all seriousness, real life can feel just as scary sometimes!!

Change can be hard but continuing to do something that may not be working, just because you spent so much time on it, might actually be harder.

Please click the button to subscribe so you don't miss any episodes and leave a review if your favorite podcast app has that ability. Thank you!

More information at https://2sisters-sla.com/

© 2022 Michelle Woodbrey and Alyson Powers

How do we help our parents when they fear intervention? How bad does it have to get?

Joined by Alyson, Emily and Kristine in this episode, Michelle tells us about her daughter waiting to tell her about a cavity until it was a crevASSe the size of the Grand Canyon. Similarly, we see this with our aging loved ones who can minimize situations or withhold information out of fear of change.

Join us as we talk through strategy in having these types hard conversations with our aging loved ones.

1. Kristine shares her experience with her mom falling and techniques that she used to diffuse her fear
2. Step back and cool down
3. Re-approach when in a more comfortable space
4. Divert attention with other things like sorting the mail or a warm cup of tea
5. Do not express judgement, come from the heart and not the mind
6. Let them know how you are impacted and come to an understanding for the future

Falls are dangerous for the elderly. Why do falls happen? Can falls be prevented? We recommend visiting the Free Falls Check-Up through the National Councils on Aging to for an assessment tool.

If you are concerned about a loved one being a risk for falling, have a conversation with their doctor about ordering an in-home safety evaluation.

Please email us and let us know your thoughts on this podcast episode and if you have any topics we can address in a future episode! [email protected]

More information at https://2sisters-sla.com/

© 2022 Michelle Woodbrey and Alyson Powers

We take on a case study about wandering and dementia. Michelle and Alyson, joined by Emily and Kristine, present options for someone whose mother had a scary wandering event.

Resources mentioned in the episode:

Alzheimer's Association https://www.alz.org/

Please click the button to subscribe so you don't miss any episodes and leave a review if your favorite podcast app has that ability. Thank you!

More information at https://2sisters-sla.com/

© 2022 Michelle Woodbrey and Alyson Powers

"Unspoken Expectations are premeditated resentments." – Neil Strauss

In this episode, Michelle and Alyson are joined by Emily and Kristine. Who feels guilty? Do you? We do, and we even listen to Kristine when she tells us that guilt is a useless emotion. How do we set the right expectations with our loved ones so that we don't live in a world of guilt?

Please click the button to subscribe so you don't miss any episodes and leave a review if your favorite podcast app has that ability. Thank you!

More information at https://2sisters-sla.com/

© 2022 Michelle Woodbrey and Alyson Powers

How in the world do you find time for yourself? Baby weight, the freshmen 15, and pandemic pounds are "socially acceptable" reasons for carrying extra weight, but what about caregivers like us? What about aging parent pounds?

Kristine shares techniques on how to take some time for ourselves. She had us drooling over her description of her morning rituals. While many of us can't fathom having a self-care morning ritual, we can begin to incorporate being kinder to ourselves in small ways.

Resources mentioned in the episode:

Brene Brown's Family Gap Plan https://www.today.com/parents/bren-brown-s-advice-peace-home-during-covid-19-t177083

Self-Care Tips: Breathing through anxiety https://www.drweil.com/health-wellness/body-mind-spirit/stress-anxiety/breathing-three-exercises/

Tapping Method, Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=02bN4JFx10Y

Please click the button to subscribe so you don't miss any episodes and leave a review if your favorite podcast app has that ability. Thank you!

More information at https://2sisters-sla.com/

© 2022 Michelle Woodbrey and Alyson Powers

When your plans fall through what are you going to do? Our plow company didn't show up after the recent 29 inches of snow. We were unprepared. This isn't unlike the calls we get when a home care agency can't fill a shift.

In this episode, Michelle, Alyson, Kristine and Emily discuss levels of planning and why, when you have 29 inches of snow, is not the time you want to be looking for a shovel.

Please click the button to subscribe so you don't miss any episodes and leave a review if your favorite podcast app has that ability. Thank you!

More information at https://2sisters-sla.com/

© 2022 Michelle Woodbrey and Alyson Powers

What is revenge procrastination insomnia and how did it lead to this podcast?

We stay up way too late spending time procrastinating on going to bed, sucked in by social media and binge-watching TV. We noticed groups all over social media platforms offering support for adults who are struggling to care for their aging loved ones. But people are still searching for more.

Alyson and I felt called to start this podcast. Today we discuss how we grew up going to work with our parents in nursing homes and how that led us to become the senior care advisors that we are today.

Combine our decade plus of experience as entrepreneurs of a senior care consulting agency with our present-day situation as adult children of aging parents, parents to small children and women in a world that is coping with a pandemic and you have the recipe for a riveting, thought-provoking podcast!

Please click the button to subscribe so you don't miss any episodes and leave a review if your favorite podcast app has that ability. Thank you!

More information at https://2sisters-sla.com/

© 2022 Michelle Woodbrey and Alyson Powers

Something's got to give, but how do we know what? And when?

The line between our personal lives and our professional lives is blurrier than ever with so many of us working from home these days. It's a new level of multitasking and, sometimes, when we hit a groove, it can feel like we're managing it all ok. But…

"The hunter that chases two rabbits, catches neither." – Confucius

Are we actually effective when we are multitasking or are we fooling ourselves? How do we know when it is time to quit a job or pause a career to care for a loved one?

Kristine Callahan tells us her story of having to make difficult decisions for herself and how those led to her becoming an Advisor with 2Sisters Senior Living Advisors.

Michelle Woodbrey, Alyson Powers and Kristine Callahan talk about what resources there are to support you as a caregiver - if this is what you choose to, or need to, do. What is out there to support you?

Please click the button to subscribe so you don't miss any episodes and leave a review if your favorite podcast app has that ability. Thank you!

More information at https://2sisters-sla.com/

© 2022 Michelle Woodbrey and Alyson Powers