Aging Answers Podcast

Aging Answers Podcast

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Aging Answers Podcast episodes

  • Why Correcting Someone With Dementia Can Make Things Worse
    What do you say when someone with dementia believes they’re waiting for a flight in their living room? Or asks where their spouse is, even though that person died years ago?On this episode of Aging Answers, Rebecca and Vicky welcome Cloud Conrad, dementia caregiver educator and author of The Dementia Field Guide, for a conversation about navigating these moments with more understanding and less frustration.Cloud shares how caring for her father left her sitting in the parking lot before visits, praying she would know what to say. That experience led her to help other families find their way through dementia caregiving.Together, they discuss recognizing changes in a loved one, adapting how you communicate, understanding the emotions behind difficult moments, and finding support before caregiving takes over your life. Cloud also explains how the “yes, and” principle from improv can help caregivers join a loved one’s reality and keep a conversation moving.If you’re helping a parent, caring for a spouse, or beginning to wonder whether you’ve become a caregiver yourself, this episode offers a place to start.CHAPTERS00:00 Welcome to Aging Answers00:31 Meet Cloud Conrad and her caregiving story04:33 Dementia education and advocacy08:32 Understanding symptoms and individual differences12:01 Noticing changes in a loved one16:27 Planning ahead and family conversations17:23 How dementia changes communication20:10 When helping becomes caregiving23:33 What caregiver support groups offer26:27 Using “yes, and” in dementia care32:14 Anxiety, unmet needs, and building trust36:30 When a loved one asks about someone who died39:19 Sundowning and changing the environment41:10 Resources for families and caregiversRESOURCESCloud Conrad and The Dementia Field Guide:[New Street Compass](https://newstreetcompass.com/caregiver-manual/)Alzheimer’s Association:[alz.org](https://www.alz.org/)REBECCA COXDirector of Sales and Marketing, Manor Lake Senior LivingManor Lake Dawsonville: Independent Living, Assisted Living, Memory Care3769 Kallie Circle, Dawsonville, GA 30534Phone: (706) 841-9029Web: ManorLakeDW.comVICKI JONESSenior Real Estate Specialist (SRES), Anchor Real Estate Advisors, LLCServing Dawsonville, Dahlonega, and North GeorgiaPhone: (678) 614-2627Email: [email protected]: anchorhomeadvisors.com===============================ABOUT AGING ANSWERS===============================A podcast for families sorting out senior services.Care at home. Assisted living. Memory care. Transportation, safety, and money questions. Plus how Medicare, Medicaid, and VA benefits actually work in real life.Every episode: a quick map of your options, and simple next steps.Got a question, or a topic you want us to cover? Reach out. We'll connect you with the right resource.Like, subscribe, and share this with someone who needs it.Make it a beautiful day.===============================Subscribe to Aging Answers Podcast for conversations that help families understand senior services, explore care options, and support the older adults they love.#AgingAnswers #Alzheimers #CaregiverSupportSubscribe to Aging Answers for conversations that help families understand senior services and navigate caring for someone they love.
    45 min
  • Advance Directives Explained: What Every Georgia Family Needs to Know | Aging Answers
    About 70 percent of people do not have an advance directive. When a health crisis hits, that gap leaves families guessing about the most important decisions at the worst possible time.In this episode of Aging Answers, Rebecca Cox and Vicki Jones sit down with Libby Dunahoo, who leads the advance care planning team at Northeast Georgia Health System. She explains what an advance directive actually is, how Georgia law treats it, and why every adult over 18 should have one. She also shares a simple tool called Plan in a Can that helps families get ready for an emergency and start a conversation most people avoid.--------------------------------------WHAT WE COVER- Why hospitals are required to ask if you have an advance directive- The difference between a living will, a last will and testament, and ahealthcare power of attorney- Part 1 and Part 2 of a Georgia advance directive, and what each one does- Why you do not need an attorney to complete one in Georgia- What Georgia law does when you have no advance directive, and why common law marriage and legal separation create problems- What DNR really means, and why everyone is a full code outside the hospital- The truth about CPR that most families never hear- Plan in a Can, and how a recycled tennis can could help save a life--------------------------------------ABOUT PLAN IN A CANPlan in a Can is a simple emergency tool built from a recycled tennis ball can. Inside goes a medical form with your advance directive status, your medications, your medical history, and your allergies, along with personal items you would want in the hospital like glasses, hearing aids, and a phone charger. Keep one on top of your refrigerator and one in your car. If you ever have to call 911, the information goes with you.--------------------------------------RESOURCESAdvance care planning at Northeast Georgia Health SystemGo to nghs.com, open the Patient and Visitors tab, and select Advance Care Planning. You can download a blank Georgia advance directive, follow a step by step guide for each section, request printed folders by mail, or use the contact form to ask a question.--------------------------------------CONNECT WITH YOUR HOSTSRebecca CoxDirector of Sales and Marketing, Manor Lake Senior Living, Dawsonville Independent living, assisted living, and memory careManorLakeDW.comVicki JonesSenior Real Estate Specialist, Anchor Real Estate Advisorsanchorhomeadvisors.comresultsbyvicki@gmail.com--------------------------------------If this helped you, like the video, subscribe, and share it with someone who needs to hear it. New episodes of Aging Answers help families sort out senior care with clear answers and simple next steps.#AdvanceDirective #AdvanceCarePlanning #LivingWill #HealthcarePowerOfAttorney #DNR #EndOfLifePlanning #PlanInACan #Caregiving #SeniorCare #ElderCare #Georgia #AgingAnswers
    41 min
  • The Free Senior Care Resource Most Families Never Hear About | Aging Answers
    Most families call for help the day AFTER something goes wrong. Laura Banner wants the call six months before.===============================Laura is a Family Nurse Practitioner (MSN) and Certified Senior Advisor who spent her clinical career in neurology specializing in dementia. Today she owns Oasis Senior Advisors North Georgia.In this episode she explains what a senior placement advisor actually does, why the service costs families nothing, and how a clinical background changes the conversation. "I speak English, and I speak medical."It's personal for her, too. She's the daughter of someone with dementia, walking the same road she walks other families through.===============================WHAT WE COVER===============================- Why 4 hours of in-home care often isn't solving the real problem- The full assessment: driving, finances, scam risk, POA, medication errors, weapons in the home- The driving conversation, and the one question that gets past the denial- Why moving to memory care EARLIER often leads to better outcomes, not worse- "Am I giving up on her?" The guilt caregivers carry, and why the answer is no- How advisors match families on care level, budget, social needs, and geography- Why a local advisor beats a downloaded list or a national referral line- What a realistic timeline looks like (about 2 weeks, and why waiting lists matter)- Caregiver burnout, and how often caregivers pass before the person they care forHelping a parent. Caring for a spouse. Planning ahead for yourself. Wherever you are in it: no jargon, no guilt, just clear answers.===============================OUR GUEST===============================LAURA BANNER, MSN, FNP, CSAOwner/Operator, Oasis Senior Advisors North GeorgiaDementia advocate, keynote speaker, authorPhone: (770) 878-3610Web: oasissenioradvisors.com/locations/north-ga===============================YOUR HOSTS===============================REBECCA COXDirector of Sales and Marketing, Manor Lake Senior LivingManor Lake Dawsonville: Independent Living, Assisted Living, Memory Care3769 Kallie Circle, Dawsonville, GA 30534Phone: (706) 841-9029Web: ManorLakeDW.comVICKI JONESSenior Real Estate Specialist (SRES), Anchor Real Estate Advisors, LLCServing Dawsonville, Dahlonega, and North GeorgiaPhone: (678) 614-2627Email: [email protected]: anchorhomeadvisors.com===============================ABOUT AGING ANSWERS===============================A podcast for families sorting out senior services.Care at home. Assisted living. Memory care. Transportation, safety, and money questions. Plus how Medicare, Medicaid, and VA benefits actually work in real life.Every episode: a quick map of your options, and simple next steps.Got a question, or a topic you want us to cover? Reach out. We'll connect you with the right resource.Like, subscribe, and share this with someone who needs it.Make it a beautiful day.===============================#SeniorLiving #Dementia #Alzheimers #Caregiving #MemoryCare #AssistedLiving #CaregiverSupport #ElderCare #NorthGeorgia #AgingAnswers
    33 min
  • Home Health Explained: What It Covers, How to Qualify, and What Insurance Actually Pays For
    Home health confuses most families the first time they run into it. On this episode of Aging Answers, hosts Rebecca and Vicki sit down with Chelsea Crews, an occupational therapy assistant and home health account executive with Amedisys in the Dahlonega and Dawsonville area, to break down what home health actually is and how to get a parent, or yourself, qualified for it.Chelsea explains who gets sent to the home (nurses, PT, OT, speech therapy, social work, and sometimes a home health aide), what diagnoses typically qualify someone for services, and how the doctor's order and insurance approval process actually works behind the scenes. She walks through wound care and wound vac treatment, the real difference between home health, palliative care, and hospice, and why you can't have all three running at once. She also covers how insurance assigns "buckets" of visits, why Medicare Advantage plans are often stingier than traditional Medicare, and how to get equipment like grab bars, shower benches, and specialty wheelchairs ordered and delivered.Along the way, Chelsea shares the story of a patient who was told he'd never walk again after brain surgery and, two and a half years of therapy later, was back on his feet running a homestead with his wife.If you're trying to keep a parent at home longer, coming off a hospital or rehab stay, or just trying to understand what home health can and can't do, this episode maps it out step by step.Topics covered:What home health is and who it's forHow to get a doctor's order and start serviceCommon diagnoses that qualify for home healthWound care and wound vac treatmentHome health vs. palliative care vs. hospiceHow PT and OT visit frequency gets decidedInsurance approval, visit "buckets," and reauthorization headachesGetting equipment like grab bars, shower benches, and wheelchairs coveredHow to request a specific home health providerA patient success story: walking again after being told he never wouldHave a topic you want Aging Answers to cover, or a question about senior care in North Georgia? Reach out:Chelsea Crews, Home Health Account Executive, Amedisys — reach her through the Dahlonega Care CenterVicki Jones, Anchor Real Estate Advisors — [email protected] Cox, Manor Lake Dawsonville (independent living, assisted living, memory care) — [email protected] to Aging Answers for new episodes on care at home, assisted living, memory care, transportation, safety, and the benefits questions every family eventually runs into: Medicare, Medicaid, and VA.
    46 min
  • Hearing Loss and Dementia: What Every Family Needs to Know | Aging Answers
    DESCRIPTION:Untreated hearing loss can speed up dementia, isolate your loved one, and even affect their safety behind the wheel. This week on Aging Answers, Vicki Jones and Rebecca Cox sit down with Dr. Peyton Lack of North Georgia Audiology, who has worn hearing aids himself since he was thirteen, to break down everything families need to know about hearing health.This episode covers the real connection between hearing and brain health, why untreated hearing loss is linked to faster cognitive decline, and what actually happens during a hearing test and fitting. Dr. Lack also explains tinnitus management, earwax removal, insurance coverage, and why waiting to get a hearing test checked can cost your loved one far more than money.Topics Covered:- Why hearing loss is directly linked to dementia risk- The difference between hearing something and understanding it- Why seniors often wait far longer to get help than they should- How modern hearing aids use Bluetooth, apps, and noise cancellation- What tinnitus is and how sound therapy can help manage it- When to get your ears professionally cleaned versus at home- Should you see an audiologist or an ENT first- Why the two week adjustment period matters so much- How hearing loss affects driving safety and reaction time- Insurance, VA coverage, and financing options for hearing aids- Current advocacy efforts to improve Medicare access to audiology care- Simple communication tips for talking to a loved one with hearing lossAbout Our Guest:Dr. Peyton Lack, AudiologistNorth Georgia AudiologyLocations in Gainesville, Johns Creek, and WoodstockHosts:Vicki Jones, Anchor Real Estate Advisors, Dawsonville [email protected] Cox, Manor Lake [email protected] on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and iHeart Radio.#AgingAnswers #HearingLoss #HearingHealth #DementiaAwareness #SeniorCare #ElderCare #Audiology #NorthGeorgiaAudiology #HearingAids #Tinnitus #FamilyCaregiver #NorthGeorgia #ManorLake #BrainHealth #SeniorLiving
    46 min
  • When Your Family Can't Do It Alone: What a Care Manager Actually Does | Aging Answers
    Most families wait for a crisis before they call a care manager. By then everything is harder. In this episode Vicki Jones and Rebecca Cox sit down with Ali Arnett and Monique York, RN, both with Premier Care Management of Georgia, the largest care management company in the state, to talk about what care managers actually do and why more families should know they exist.This conversation covers everything from managing medications and doctor appointments to advocating in the ER, navigating hospital discharge, and walking alongside families all the way through end of life. Ali and Monique share real stories from the field that show what this kind of support actually looks like in practice.Topics Covered:- What care managers do and how they work as a team- Why seniors listen to a care manager when they will not listen to their own kids- How care managers navigate the gap between specialists who never talk to each other- Medication reconciliation and why doubling up on prescriptions happens more than you think- What a meddy planner is and why it matters- How to get through a hospital discharge when nobody explains what comes next- When to call a care manager and what the first visit looks like- How care management is billed and what long term care insurance may cover- Why families outside of the state need care management most- How care managers advocate for a patient's end of life wishes when the family is not ready to hear it- The difference between doing something for a patient and doing something to themAbout Our Guests:Ali Arnett, CDP - Geriatric Care ManagerMonique York, RN, BSN, CDP - Geriatric Care ManagerPremier Care Management of Georgiahttps://www.premiercmga.com/Ali also has a YouTube channel called Ali Answers with over 300 videos.Monique runs a Facebook page and YouTube channel called Life with Hospice.Hosts:Vicki Jones, Anchor Real Estate Advisors, Dawsonville [email protected] Cox, Manor Lake [email protected] on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and iHeart Radio.#AgingAnswers #CareManagement #SeniorCare #ElderCare #FamilyCaregiver #SeniorLiving #DementiaCare #NorthGeorgia #ManorLake #PremierCareManagement #EndOfLifeCare #HospiceCare #AgingParents #MedicationManagement #CaregiverSupport
    40 min
  • How to Spot and Stop Senior Scams with Dale Jordan | Aging Answers

    In this episode of Aging Answers, Dale returns to break down what to do after a scam, how to protect your accounts, and the steps families can take to stop scammers before they get too far.We talk about the warning signs that someone has been targeted, what to do immediately if money is involved, why you should never give remote access to your computer, and how to protect seniors from Facebook scams, phone scams, and fake urgent messages. Dale also explains password managers, account alerts, device safety, and how to lock down family accounts without creating conflict.If you have aging parents, this is the kind of conversation that can save time, money, and a lot of stress.Topics covered:- What to do first if you think you have been scammed- When to call police, your bank, or the FBI- Why urgency is one of the biggest scam tactics- How fake pop-ups and remote access scams work- Why password managers are safer than storing passwords in browsers- How scammers use Facebook, Messenger, and social media profiles- How to limit unknown calls and texts- Why family-safe controls matter for seniors- How to talk to a loved one without sounding controllingDale also shares practical examples and simple steps families can use right away to reduce risk and protect their loved ones.Important Links:FTC fraud reporting and consumer guidance https://reportfraud.ftc.gov/Identity theft recovery guidance https://www.identitytheft.gov/AARP Fraud Watch Network https://www.aarp.org/money/scams-fraud/Annual credit report access https://www.annualcreditreport.com/National Do Not Call Registry https://www.donotcall.gov/About Our Guest:Dale Jordan, Cybersecurity SpecialistPerspectives Cybersecurityhttps://www.perspectivescybersecurity.com/about/Hosts:Vicki Jones, Anchor Real Estate Advisors, Dawsonville [email protected] Cox, Manor Lake [email protected] on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and iHeart Radio.#AgingAnswers #SeniorScams #CyberSecurity #ScamAlert #ProtectYourParents #OnlineSafety #ElderFraud #FacebookScam #PasswordSecurity #FamilyCaregiver #NorthGeorgia #SeniorCare

    24 min
  • How Scammers Target Your Parents and What to Do About It | Dale Jordan Cyber Security Specialist

    Scammers are getting smarter, and seniors are their number one target. Hosts Vicki Jones and Rebecca Cox sit down with Dale Jordan, cybersecurity specialist at Perspectives Cybersecurity, to break down exactly how these scams work and what families can do right now to protect their loved ones.This is Part One of a two-part conversation. Part Two covers the specific steps you can take to protect your family.Topics Covered:

    • Why seniors are the most targeted group for scams and fraud
    • The grandparent scheme and how AI is now used to clone voices and impersonate family members
    • Romance scams and why isolation makes seniors so vulnerable
    • Medicare and Social Security fraud and how to spot the red flags
    • How scammers build detailed profiles on your family for as little as $25
    • The difference between phishing, smishing, vishing, and catfishing
    • The Venmo scam that tricks people into sending their own money
    • How a 25 million dollar company was robbed through a fully AI-generated video call
    • How to set up bank fraud alerts and daily transaction limits
    • Why you should never answer a number you do not recognize
    • How to lock down a senior's Facebook profile to limit public exposure
    • What geofencing is and how companies track your location without you knowing
    • Family safe words and why every household needs one right now

    Important Links:FTC fraud reporting and consumer guidance https://reportfraud.ftc.gov/Identity theft recovery guidance https://www.identitytheft.gov/AARP Fraud Watch Network https://www.aarp.org/money/scams-fraud/Annual credit report access https://www.annualcreditreport.com/National Do Not Call Registry https://www.donotcall.gov/About Our Guest:Dale Jordan, Cybersecurity SpecialistPerspectives Cybersecurityhttps://www.perspectivescybersecurity...Hosts:Vicki Jones, Anchor Real Estate Advisors, Dawsonville [email protected] Cox, Manor Lake [email protected] on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and iHeart Radio.

    33 min
  • Hospice Myth Busting: What Your Family Was Never Told

    Think hospice means giving up? Think it is only for cancer patients?

    Think you have to leave your doctor? This is Part Two of our conversation with Taylor Smith from Golden Rule Hospice and Matt Cox, owner of Spirit Hospice, and they are busting every myth families believe about hospice care.**Myths Busted in This Episode:**- You do not have to be days away from death to qualify- Hospice is not giving up, it is changing the goal of care- Hospice is not only for cancer patients- You do not have to leave your doctors- Switching hospice companies takes one piece of paper- Hospice is not complicated or hard to access**Topics Also Covered:**- What extended prognosis means and how you can graduate off hospice- How to choose the right hospice company and what questions to ask- Nursing ratios and why they matter- 24-hour on-call availability and what to expect after hours- Why dementia patients require a family member to sign all paperwork- Why a healthcare power of attorney must be set up before a diagnosis- How hospice handles families who do not want their loved one to know they are on service- Why frequent hospital visits can qualify someone for hospice- Planning cremation and funeral arrangements before the moment arrives- How hospice social workers help with the hardest conversations**Contact Our Guests:**Taylor Smith, Golden Rule [email protected] Cox, Spirit Hospice of [email protected]**Hosts:**Vicki Jones, Anchor Real Estate Advisors, Dawsonville [email protected] Cox, Manor Lake [email protected] on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and iHeart Radio.#AgingAnswers #HospiceCare #HospiceMyths #EndOfLifeCare #SeniorCare #ElderCare #DementiaCare #CaregiverSupport #Medicare #PowerOfAttorney #GoldenRuleHospice #SpiritHospice #ManorLake #NorthGeorgia #SeniorLiving #PalliativeCare #FamilyCaregiver #HospiceAwareness #AgingInAmerica #SeniorServices

    31 min
  • The Most Underutilized Senior Resource in North Georgia | Aging Answers Ep 9

    There is a resource available to your family right now that is fully covered under Medicare, comes with an entire team of superheroes, and most families have no idea it exists until they are already in crisis.Hosts Vicki Jones and Rebecca Cox sit down with Taylor and Matt, two liaisons who have spent a combined 30 years walking families through one of the most underutilized senior care resources in North Georgia.Topics Covered:What this resource actually covers and why it costs families nothingThe full team included: nurse, CNA, social worker, chaplain, bereavement coordinator, and your own personal liaisonAll durable medical equipment, supplies, and related medications covered at no chargeThe four levels of care: routine home care, respite care, inpatient unit, and continuous careTransitional care from hospital to home and from home to heavenBereavement support that continues for 13 months after your loved one passesEarly signs and qualifiers that signal it may be time to callWhy your doctor may not bring this up and what you can do about itWhat it means to graduate off this resource and why it actually happens more than you thinkHosts:Vicki Jones - Senior Real Estate Specialist, Anchor Real Estate Advisors📧 [email protected] Cox - Director of Sales & Marketing, Manor Lake Dawsonville📧 [email protected] on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and iHeart Radio.#AgingAnswers #SeniorCare #ElderCare #CaregiverSupport #Medicare #EndOfLifeCare #NorthGeorgia #ManorLake #FamilyCaregiver #ComfortCare #SeniorLiving #TheResource


    59 min

About Aging Answers Podcast

From the publisher's feed

Welcome to Aging Answers with Rebecca and Vicki—your trusted guides through the maze of senior services.