AI50

Robert Espinoza works to strengthen the direct care workforce; in his role at Phi, he is the vice president of policy, overseeing research and public education. We talk about how he got interested in aging and long-term care from his own experience of watching his parents age. He tells about who direct care workers are and the essentials they play in elder care facilities. Robert and I discuss the high turnover rates associated with direct care workers, and he provides some ways to mitigate this. We finish by speculating what the direct care workforce will look like 20 years into the future.

Robert's Links:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robertespinoza1/
Personal Website: https://medium.com/@robertespinoza
PHI: https://phinational.org/

This episode is a first for Boomer Living – Christine Thelker is an elder care advocate who has been living with dementia for six years. She is very open about her experience and why she chose to make it public. Christine opens up about the friendships and relationships she’s lost because of her transparency about her dementia diagnosis. She also shares some of the ways her dementia diagnosis has impacted her day-to-day life and capabilities.

Christine's LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christine-thelker-a6183289/

Leon D. Caldwell, Ph.D

Leon is a senior level solution focused strategist for social innovation. He is an accomplished leader in philanthropy, education, and social innovation. An award winning international scholar-activist, change agent and researcher with a track record of moving from vision to execution in multiple settings. An entrepreneurial mindset and professional counseling training are foundations for his ability to work collaboratively to design solutions within ecosystems.

Dr. Caldwell has transformative leadership, thought partnership and consulting experiences across multiple sectors.

Leon's Links:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leon-d-caldwell-ph-d-3312192/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ActiveScholar


Jacob Fisher
Regional Vice President, Pennrose, LLC

Jacob Fisher serves as Regional Vice President. In this role, he oversees all development activity in New Jersey and the Delaware Valley. Jacob brings more than 10 years of experience to Pennrose and has been instrumental in working with partners from the public, private, and non-profit sectors to bring development projects to fruition. Jacob has secured financing and led award-winning development teams on more than 1,100 units of new housing, with a total investment worth more than $300 million. Jacob joined Pennrose in 2007 as an Associate Developer. Prior to Pennrose, he worked on community development in the public sector as the Assistant Director for Policy for the Mayor of Philadelphia. Jacob received his Bachelor of Arts from Wesleyan University and his Master of Government Administration, with a concentration in Public Finance, from the University of Pennsylvania’s Fels Institute of Government.

Jacobs LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacob-fisher-6a71465/

PHILLY SENIOR HOUSING UPDATE Webinar

Timothy J. Reidy’s career of 40 years includes successfully completing projects for local, national and international builders and developers, including mid & high-rise multifamily senior living, condominium and apartment projects. With over 14 years of experience working for national senior living owners and operators, including Classic Residence by Hyatt (now Vi Living), Devonshire, Paradise Retirement and HRA.

Mr. Reidy has directed the design and construction completion of projects across the United States (CA, NY, IL, FL, CO, TX, NJ & HI). He is a graduate of Arizona State University and enjoys golfing and occasionally finding his ball in the fairway.

He lives in Jacksonville, FL and is married to Lauren, his wife of 25 years. They are extremely proud of their two remarkable and talented children Eleanor (24) and Mitchell (22).

Topics:

• Market considerations for new Senior Living - Where to Build?
• Design for Multiple Care Levels (IL, AL, MC, SNF)
• Covid Design considerations for Future Communities
• Interior Design and Fabric Choices
• Sales: Getting Residents comfortable with the Move

You can reach Timothy on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/timothy-j-reidy-4131bab/

Judy Cornish is an author, founder of the Dementia & Alzheimer’s Wellbeing Network (DAWN®), creator of the DAWN Method® of dementia care, and a retired elder law attorney. Her two books (The Dementia Handbook and Dementia With Dignity) take person-centered dementia care from theory to practice by identifying the skills not lost to dementia. Through DAWN, Cornish provides online training programs for families and professional caregivers, as well as certification courses for agencies and facilities. Cornish’s life work has been making dignified dementia care and aging in place available for all.

Topics:

• You’re an attorney; how did you become involved with dementia and dementia care?
• Why do you say that your work takes “person-centered care” from theory to practice?
• How can there be strengths in dementia?
• What is the DAWN Method?
• What’s the most important thing for families to know when a loved one begins to experience dementia?

You can reach Judy on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/judycornish/
Visit her website: the DAWN Method: https://thedawnmethod.com/

Lakelyn Hogan serves as Gerontologist and Caregiver Advocate at the Global Headquarters of Home Instead®. Lakelyn began her career at the local franchise working one-on-one with seniors and CAREGivers. Today at the Global Headquarters, Lakelyn works to educate professionals in aging, families and communities on Home Instead’s services and how to navigate the unique challenges older adults face.

Lakelyn is a doctoral candidate at the University of Nebraska – Omaha where she is studying Social Gerontology. She has a Master of Arts in Social Gerontology and Master’s in Business Administration from UNO. Lakelyn has professional experience in the private and public sectors of senior care services. She also values giving back to her community. Currently, serving as a board member of the National Alliance for Caregiving, Vice Chair of the Board of Directors for the Dreamweaver Foundation and Vice Chair of the Alzheimer’s Association’s Dementia Care Provider Roundtable.

Lakelyn has a passion for helping others, especially aging adults and their families.
 
Topics:

• Isolation and loneliness has been an issue for older adults far before we have ever social distancing and COVID-19. This time is giving us a heightened awareness of some of what older adults go through; but there is a difference between being isolated and being lonely.
• What are the risk factors that make an older adult more prone to being isolated and lonely?
• ​Studies have found that loneliness can have considerable health implications, worse than that of obesity, alcoholism and even smoking 15 cigarettes a day.  What are some additional health implications of loneliness and isolation?
• What are some symptoms that family caregivers can look for if their loved one is feeling isolated and lonely?
• What are some things that people can do to help their loved ones feel less isolated and lonely right now?

You can reach Lakelyn on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lakelyn-hogan/

Dr. Aaron Blight, Ed.D., is the author of a new book, "When Caregiving Calls: Guidance as You Care for a Parent, Spouse, or Aging Relative", which was just released last month. Dr. Blight is the Founder of Caregiving Kinetics, a consulting firm dedicated to those who care for the aging population. He’s also an Adjunct Professor at Shenandoah University. He has served as a family caregiver, home care company owner, caregiving scholar, and leader at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.

BOOKLIFE REVIEW: 
Editor’s Pick: BookLife Reviews named When Caregiving Calls an editor’s pick. 
From BookLife Reviews: “This outstanding guide will be a lifesaver for anyone saddled with these immense responsibilities and seeking peace of mind…[C]aregivers for loved ones will benefit greatly from this empathetic and informative guide.”

Topics:

• How did caregiving enter your life?
• Why did you write your new book, "When Caregiving Calls: Guidance as You Care for a Parent, Spouse, or Aging Relative"?
• How does your book assist caregivers?
• What is one important piece of advice you’d give a family caregiver who’s listening?
• What do you do as a speaker and consultant with Caregiving Kinetics?

Aaron's Links:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aaronblight/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/aaronblight
Caregiving Kinetics: https://caregivingkinetics.com/
Speaker Match: https://www.speakermatch.com/profile/speaker/aaronblight/biography
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AaronBlightAuthor
Email: mailto:[email protected]

Marc Cayle is a 15-year veteran of the age in place industry that includes leading his multi-territory Comfort Keepers franchise to award-winning status, as well as launching ONKÖL, a remote monitoring hub that allows seniors’ circle of care to be informed of health challenges and daily living activities. His latest venture, Silver Maple Solutions, combines his past experience helping seniors with his passion for identifying the best technology solutions so they can stay in their homes with the dignity and grace they deserve. Marc can be reached at 414-331-0224 and [email protected]


Topics:

• How live-in-place technology has been deployed historically
• Benefits of live-in-place tech for the circle of care
• Trends in live-in-place tech
• The need for infrastructure to support live-in-place tech for those who need it most (rural population, etc)
• The need for VC/PE investment in new technology

Marc's Links:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marc-cayle-809ab5/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MarcCayle
Silver Maple Solutions: https://www.silvermaplesolutions.com/

Dr. Matthew Lefferman is a pioneer in the field of geriatric mobile medical care. His unique care model has been providing quality mobile care for the geriatric community in greater Los Angeles for over a decade. 

Dr. Lefferman has an undergraduate degree from John Hopkins University, and received his medical degree as a D.O. from Midwestern University. From his experiences in residency, and close connections to his grandparents, he discovered his passion for working in the field of geriatrics, and his unique ability to connect with seniors. As a practicing physician he quickly realized the need for a new approach for this rapidly growing population, and their multiple chronic medical conditions such as chronic pain, ambulatory dysfunction and memory loss, which make traveling to a physician very cumbersome.

As a respected physician in the Los Angeles area, Dr. Lefferman is a regular speaker for facilities, senior groups, and medical conferences on the range of geriatric topics. He also works with several healthcare technology companies as an advisor, helping them gain valuable insight on how they can best serve the geriatric population.

Outside of medicine, Dr. Lefferman enjoys spending time with his wife, three children, and labradoodle, Lucky. He is also active athletically, especially on the soccer field. Dr. Lefferman was a member of Team USA in soccer that won a bronze medal at the 2015 Pan American Maccabi Games in Santiago, Chile. Dr. Lefferman is also active in community service, serving on several local boards, including his kids' school and the Westside JCC.

Topics:

• Mobile Medicine
• Geriatric Care
• Alternative Medicine
• Nutrition & Health
• Dementia and Cannabis
• Pandemic Related Lockdown Decline
• Telemedicine
• COVID-19

Matthew's Links:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-matthew-lefferman-627a9b8/
Access Healthcare Associates: https://www.accesshealthca.com/

Candy Cohn is a Certified Senior Advisor® and owner of Oasis Senior Advisors South Florida. Originally from Philadelphia, Candy has lived in Florida since 1985. After living in Martin County for years, she moved to Delray Beach in 2008 and then to Boca Raton in 2017.

Her background in healthcare marketing includes community relations at Martin Memorial Hospital in Stuart, FL; writing for “Psychotherapy Finances” newsletter; Marketing Director for Flexsite Diagnostics; and community relations at the Visiting Nurse Association of Florida. After helping her own parents move to a senior living community in 2011, Candy realized the complexity and emotional challenges involved in this transition and has since dedicated herself to serving others who needed to make these life changes.

Candy is very active in the community, including being a member of the Rotary Club of Downtown Boca Raton, the Palm Beach County Partnership for Aging (PFA), the Skilled Nursing & Assisted Living Alliance (SNALA) and participating regularly in the Palm Beach County Guardianship Association and Florida Assisted Living Association (FALA). Candy also serves as past president of Broward County Elder Services Resource Network (ESRN) and has served for several years on the planning committee for the Boca Raton Walk to End Alzheimer’s.

Candy's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/candycohn/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/candycohn
Oasis Senior Advisors: https://www.oasissenioradvisors.com/south-florida/


Becky Dieter is a JD Senior Placement Advisor, originally from Maryland, Becky has also lived in Colorado for a number of years and currently resides in Palm Beach County, Florida. Becky holds a bachelor’s degree in business as well as a Juris Doctorate. She practiced law and worked in the Human Resources arena for many years. She is certified both in mediation as well as life coaching.

Becky’s journey navigating the complexities of senior care began with her own family. Becky left her job to help care for her parents in Sarasota, and helped other senior relatives with the decision of finding the right senior living option.

Because of her own personal experience, Becky saw a need for guidance for seniors and families when they are facing the challenges that come with aging. She also realized that many families are still working and/or were raising kids and had little time to do the legwork and research needed to find a good living option for their senior loved one. This led her to becoming a Senior Living Advisor, which she has done since 2015.

Because of her experience, she is passionate about helping people plan for aging, and helping families and seniors navigate the many living options available to them. Becky enjoys speaking on the topic of “Planning for Aging” and is involved in community events supporting seniors.

Becky's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/becky-dieter-9935297/