Answers For Elders Radio Network

Baby Boomers are redefining retirement, and many, as long as they're able, want to keep living in their homes. Yet as they get older, one accident could change their future and shatter their dreams. So if you want to age in place, if you have parents that want to age in place, this program is for you. Paul Kocharhook, the CEO of Pathway Design & Construction, joins Suzanne Newman on the Answers for Elders Radio Show to talk about keeping our home safe as we get older.

Paul says, "Nobody wants to hear that they're aging. And so I try to turn that conversation, about making it safe. How can we make your home safe for you? Or making it safe for parents who are going to come and visit? Because we have a lot of parents that come from out of country, for some of our clients, and they'll stay for the summer. So how do we make that bathroom safe for them, to be able to manage while they're here?"

He adds, "When I started remodeling homes... we were starting to do remodels on bathrooms, and kitchens, and additions to make spaces better for homeowners. But some of the pieces that were missing were that thinking about more long-term. So, thinking about a bathroom as an example, there was there was a lot that we could do on the on the front end to prepare the homeowner for the future, where we don't have to add things right now, but everything's prepared.

"So we did a fire restoration for [an elderly couple]. Half of their home had and caught fire, and so we were building it back, and they wanted us to put the house back as it was. I said, 'There's things that I can do now, not included in the insurance estimate, like I can put backing in your shower. You're telling me right now you don't need grab bars. But I can put backing in your wall right now, so that when the time comes, we can add those grab bars whenever you want.' They were insistent that, no, they were able to manage in their home as it was before, and they're going to continue to manage in the future.

"Lo and behold, three months after we gave them their house back, they were calling us to add grab bars in the shower. [Now] it's not as easy of a task to do, when we're having to retrofit versus having all the backing in the walls that's hidden behind there, when we'd just be adding screws."

About grab bars, Suzanne commented, "In 2023, we moved into a new house, and when we toured it and we walked in the bathroom, there's all these grab bars in the shower, and there's a walk in-tub. I looked at my husband and I said, 'Honey, this is for old people.' Here's me, you know, the expert. And he looked at me, and he kind of giggled and he said, 'Honey, we are old people.' I said, 'Well, I don't need all these grab bars in the shower.' Guess what? I use them all of the time. And I don't even realize that I'm hanging on to it when I'm turning around in the shower because of the slippery surface, and I'm glad they're there."

Visit PathwayDC.com or call 206-937-4809 for more information. If you're in the Seattle area, mention Answers for Elders to get a free consultation. Paul will come out, check out your home, make sure that it is safe, and talk about different potential projects, whether for now or in the future.

National Homebuilders Association website

At Answers for Elders:

• Bathroom Safety Guide
• Aging in Place Checklist
• Aging in Place podcasts

Mentioned in this episode:

Chateau Retirement

Chateau Retirement

Legacy Estate Planning

Legacy Estate Planning

What is the most important question every family should ask before hiring anyone to care for a senior loved one? Host Suzanne Newman is joined by Daphne Davis of Pinnacle Senior Placements and Ellie Brown from Chateau Retirement to share their answers. This segment continues the conversation at Answers for Elders Radio in a new monthly series by Trustcasters™, vetted professionals who raise the bar in senior care.

Suzanne says, "I'm going to say something very, very bold. I would bet 50% of placement advisors, if not more, should not be serving our seniors. They are not educated. They don't have the ethics or the morality. I have heard nightmare stories from people that think that they can serve our seniors. Daphne, what are some key questions that every family should have at the very forefront before they even get into hiring anyone?"

Daphne answers for placement advisors, "Families get connected to advisors in a variety of ways, depending upon what their story is. They’re in a hospital, in a rehab, social worker, it's a variety of things. And so I think first of all, , 'Why are you recommending these people to me? What are they about? What do they stand for? How are they going to help me? Are they going to listen to me?' I mean, just the basics.

"And then as you meet them, number one thing I'd ask them: 'What is your highest value in helping my family?' And depending upon how long it takes them to answer that, you'll know if they even thought about it. That should roll off their tongue, as 'Why are you even doing this job?' You ask them that, you'll get an answer."

Ellie answers for senior living communities, "It's a family coming into a community. The questions that should be asked are: Who owns this building? Who really owns this building, and are you the operator, manager, or do you manage the building for the asset, for the bank? It's not wrong if you manage it, but what it means is, who owns the building, what what's the longevity of that building? What are the values of that company? How how truly regional are you? Those kinds of questions matter. And then, what is your tenure of your staff, and what are your staffing patterns, and what's your survey results?

"I mean, start asking about care, stop getting blown away by the bells and whistles. If it's new and shiny, don't get spun by that. I got hit by that when I came into the industry for my mom. I got spun by the the prettiness of a new building, the shiny penny. And I didn't know the correct questions to ask. What is your philosophy? What is your value system with your tenants? Show me that. You show me that, then you're going to have somebody that all the way through is going to be caring for your loved one in all the right ways."

When it comes to caring for older adults, trust isn’t optional—it’s essential. Learn more at AnswersForElders.com.

Learn more about Daphne and Pinnacle Senior Placements at 1-855-734-1500 or visit PinnacleSeniorPlacements.com. Visit Pinnacle's specialist page on Answers for Elders.

Chateau Retirement provides independent living, assisted living, and memory care services. They have been locally owned and family operated for more than 25 years. Chateau Retirement has three communities in Washington's Seattle/Puget Sound area: Chateau Pacific in Lynnwood, Bothell Landing in Bothell, and Chateau Valley Center in Renton. Visit them online or call 800.960.1944. Visit Chateau's specialist page on Answers for Elders.

Links

• More podcasts by Daphne Davis of Pinnacle Senior Placements
• More podcasts by Ellie Brown and others at Chateau Retirement

Mentioned in this episode:

Chateau Retirement

Chateau Retirement

Legacy Estate Planning

Legacy Estate Planning

Answers for Elders Radio debuts a monthly series called Trustcasters™, by vetted professionals who are raising the bar in senior care. Host Suzanne Newman is joined by Daphne Davis of Pinnacle Senior Placements and Ellie Brown from Chateau Retirement continue their conversation about the state of the industry. This segment delves into the differences in the journey that families go through today in realizing that senior loved ones need care.

Suzanne says, "I am fortunate, the fact that my mom lived at Chateau Pacific, and I always say my boot camp of learning this industry was its staff... But I realize now how rare that is... There's so much confusion in senior living. [Even] if someone is already living there, they still don't know necessarily the resources that may be available to them... There's obviously a secret source that Chateau Retirement has, but I think, really, that's the difference between it and so many others out there in the industry."

Ellie says, "Back in the old days, I'm sure there was a lot of handshake, and a lot of networking in-person, whether it's a church or events or what have you. Maybe it used to be grandma, your church, your network. [Now] a lot of people go inside in their homes at night and shut the garage door, and it's online... I think we could put any industry in this conversation, and know that with the advent of social media, and the different levels of social media, and the instant information, and the viral. And then if you add deep pockets to nationwide operators, the people that are speaking the loudest on those platforms that are buying the most ads, that becomes the narrative, that becomes the place, right?

"So senior living... the journey now, it's like a snake, there's so many points of context. There's so much research by the families, it's a longer search pattern now. It takes longer for them to get to the community. And there's more stops along the way. And there's a lot of distraction... So it's like anything, discretion, right? Consumer beware, discretion. And I think we need to decide what is our value, right? What is what are you really looking for? Are you looking for the best deal or are you looking for the best place and if you put money over the best place, you're wrong, right out of the gate. So if it looks like it's too good of a deal, it probably is."

Daphne adds, "At the same time, we are in a time where some people — some decades of life — have one one foot in paper and one foot in digital. And so that is also adding to the the confusion. This group of people — those are the people we're still working with — shut down. They just stop. 'Okay, I'm doing nothing because it's beyond me. I don't even know how to navigate this world.' And so that's another thing that's happening. It happens every single week in my world. And I'm talking to 50-, 60-year-old children. We don't even know how to navigate this anymore."

Ellie adds, "Or one viral bad video of a horrible experience that gets millions of views clouds the perception. Okay, it's like anything. One bad seed can pollute the whole thing, but that doesn't mean it's all bad... Maybe we should be educating on what to run from. Run! I think once we have families in our pocket, we're very expert at having those conversations, once we're with them. But there's a whole journey happening. Or not happening."

Daphne agrees, "I would say it's not happening more than it's happening... And some of that, I think, it's just our times. We can talk about that sandwich generation. I think they're more exhausted. I don't think they have the bandwidth to embrace mom and dad's issues. I don't think they have the time, or that's a part of the perception that they have, in the day in the life of an American right now. And so what happens, the stories that I hear are, 'Mom says she's fine, so she's fine.' So there's a shut down before they even get anywhere."

Ellie says, "I'm a business strategist, I like looking at long-term planning... We first have to address this while we plan for that next [generation]. So I think it's a messaging issue. I think it's a branding and messaging issue, and usually there's some body that's helping formulate the message, or the standards to look for, or as an industry we agree these are the standards that we all are hoping to attain. And I think that people would probably really like to see what we — as an industry — what the goals would be, what does good look like on every level: practices, operations, care, pricing, food? What would that perfect scenario look like, and the cottage industry that surrounds it?"

When it comes to caring for older adults, trust isn’t optional—it’s essential. Learn more at AnswersForElders.com.

Learn more about Daphne and Pinnacle Senior Placements at 1-855-734-1500 or visit PinnacleSeniorPlacements.com. Visit Pinnacle's specialist page on Answers for Elders.

Chateau Retirement provides independent living, assisted living, and memory care services. They have been locally owned and family operated for more than 25 years. Chateau Retirement has three communities in Washington's Seattle/Puget Sound area: Chateau Pacific in Lynnwood, Bothell Landing in Bothell, and Chateau Valley Center in Renton. Visit them online or call 800.960.1944. Visit Chateau's specialist page on Answers for Elders.

Links

• More podcasts by Daphne Davis of Pinnacle Senior Placements
• More podcasts by Ellie Brown and others at Chateau Retirement

Mentioned in this episode:

Chateau Retirement

Chateau Retirement

Legacy Estate Planning

Legacy Estate Planning

In a world where anyone can claim to be a senior care expert, who can you really trust? This month, Answers for Elders Radio debuts a new series of episodes by Trustcasters™, vetted professionals who are raising the bar in senior care. Trustcasters™ episodes will talk about what every family needs to know before choosing care for a loved one. From licensing to leadership, we’re pulling back the curtain — so you don’t get misled by unqualified, or even worse, unethical providers. This month, host Suzanne Newman is joined by Daphne Davis of Pinnacle Senior Placements and Ellie Brown from Chateau Retirement to start the conversation about the state of the industry. How do you ask the proper questions? How to you can you navigate this very complex journey of choosing care for a senior loved one?

Suzanne says, "What we have seen in our industry in many ways is tragic. Since COVID, from my perspective, seeing the anguish and the confusion in families has been overwhelming. People don't know if they will have Medicare tomorrow. They're confused about their Social Security. They're confused about their financials. As aging seniors start to fail physically and mentally, their vulnerability makes them even more scared."

Daphne says, "What I'm finding from families right now is a real a hunkering down, a pull within to rely on their own resources, their own intellect, doing their own nominal research, trying to educate themselves on their own...

"The journey of finding care — when someone can no longer stay at home or they're in a vulnerable position because of an illness or cognitive issues — having somebody walk alongside you is probably one of the most important things that you could do in the journey... It's very much like if you had children in child care, you had resources amongst your parenting groups, a church, your neighborhood, whatever it was that you reached out to each other. We're not even doing that. I'm very active in the church that I attend, and people know what I do, but they're not reaching out to me. And so the phone calls that I get now are to fix a situation.

"In the 25 years that I've been doing this job, I would have thought by now that [senior care providers] would have had a presence of an all levels, no matter what means or what community of care you choose. That our education would be high enough that our community would know more. They know less. And because people are withdrawing, because people are unsure about who to trust, they're making more mistakes."

Ellie says, "Well, I'm one of those people that's actually grateful for COVID, because it shook the industry up. So my recommendation is we can't stop now, because the shake-up needs to continue. In fact, COVID made us look at practices and operations, and care and communication, and not just infection control, but all the manner of assisted living, independent living, and memory care, and how we communicate and get that messaging out. Great...

"But now we need to look at the practices at a legislative level. As an industry level, what are the metrics, what are the policies? We need to grow up. We need to become more professional in our industry. Where other industries have so many metrics and protocols that would be followed, we just don't have that quite yet, in certain areas in our industry. And I'm not talking about the state, in the surveys, and the care. I'm talking about the cottage industry that surrounds senior living... the providers, the home health, the home care, but also the paid advisors. What does that mean, and what do we really look like? What do we stand for, and what are the highest standards? What is our code of ethics? And then drill it down from there."

When it comes to caring for older adults, trust isn’t optional—it’s essential. Learn more at AnswersForElders.com.

Learn more about Daphne and Pinnacle Senior Placements at 1-855-734-1500 or visit PinnacleSeniorPlacements.com. Visit Pinnacle's specialist page on Answers for Elders.

Chateau Retirement provides independent living, assisted living, and memory care services. They have been locally owned and family operated for more than 25 years. Chateau Retirement has three communities in Washington's Seattle/Puget Sound area: Chateau Pacific in Lynnwood, Bothell Landing in Bothell, and Chateau Valley Center in Renton. Visit them online or call 800.960.1944. Visit Chateau's specialist page on Answers for Elders.

Links

• More podcasts by Daphne Davis of Pinnacle Senior Placements
• More podcasts by Ellie Brown and others at Chateau Retirement

Mentioned in this episode:

Legacy Estate Planning

Legacy Estate Planning

Chateau Retirement

Chateau Retirement

The loss of a senior parent brings home renewed urgency for adult children to have difficult conversations with aging parents who struggle with declining health. Ellie Brown, VP of Sales at Chateau Retirement, joins Suzanne Newman on the Answers for Elders podcast to share the story of the recent loss of her father.

Ellie says, "My own father, who has been a life force for my senior living career forever, because he's refusing to go live in 'those senior living places,' wants to be on his own. And the conversations in my own life have been trying to build the urgency with my family members, and him, to realize it is not a failure to move into senior living. You aren't admitting defeat because you decide you want to be in a safe environment, or you can live independently but maybe you don't need care yet, but you started falling.

"My own father has been having medical issues, and falls, and falls, and me every Sunday for hours, 'Dad, I really want you to consider moving into senior living, because we know, Dad, it's proven that once you start [having] these falls... the rates exceptionally accelerate that you're going to have a traumatic fall. And your wish is to hold on to this ideal that you're going to somehow pass in your sleep, miraculously.'

"And so I went on my vacation on July 20th -- and took him up for Father's Day in May, and gave him a hug, and I said, I'm going on vacation on the 20th. My last directive to you is no falling, and don't get into any trouble. So I was on my vacation and he was having a good time. He was talking about his tomatoes and having a lovely summer. And on the Saturday night before I flew out, I got the call from Harborview Trauma Center that he had had that tragic, traumatic fall. And he had been alone for hours upon hours in his home. And, and there we were, me trying to get back home.

"And it was the Don't Wait Too Late — which I have the trademark pending already for. Now I'm living it. I respect that he had, and everybody has, the right to say, I choose to stay home. Do they really understand what that does to the grandkids, and the great grandkids, and the daughters, and the sons, who now have to live the trauma of the Trauma Unit at Harborview? I don't know that they truly understand that.

"So how do we build the urgency to say, it's not defeat? No, it is not defeat to say, 'This next adventure, I'm going to embrace that. This next adventure, I'm going to go in there and make it what I need and want it to be.' My dad was cognitively fine. He was fine. He could have done cognitively another ten, 15 years... Don't Wait Too Late is getting ahead of it, because if you're ahead of it, you get to choose where.

"So let's say my dad had survived this fall. He would have been still injured enough where he wouldn't have been on the front end of that decision. Did we lose some years because I didn't effectively get him convinced? Maybe.

"My personal story is a teaching moment for us all. How do we build urgency without scaring people away, but also have that hard conversation to say it's time, or something's going to happen. You're either not going to survive — and it's going to be brutal for your family — or you're not on the front end of that decision, because then all sorts of other things come into play. Do you have the right POA, do you have the right executor?"

Chateau Retirement provides independent living, assisted living, and memory care services. They have been locally owned and family operated for more than 25 years. Chateau Retirement has three communities in Washington's Seattle/Puget Sound area: Chateau Pacific in Lynnwood, Bothell Landing in Bothell, and Chateau Valley Center in Renton.

Visit them online or call 800.960.1944. Also visit Chateau's specialist page on Answers for Elders to hear more of their shows.

Check out our affiliate podcast Alzheimer’s Speaks.

Mentioned in this episode:

Chateau Retirement

Chateau Retirement

We are honored today to talk about stories of the past., the richest stories with our older adults, and think about the history and legacy that they bring to our lives. Suzanne Newman on the Answers for Elders podcast is joined by Chris Serold, former VP of Marketing at Chateau Retirement who collects stories of their senior living residents.

As she quotes from one collection, A Legacy of Reflections: "Our life on Earth is represented by a hiking trail in the Pacific Northwest wilderness or mountain setting. Many days of our lives are spent walking. Sometimes we walk alone. Sometimes we walk with others. Family, friends, teachers, coworkers. Doctors, advisors. Helpers and caregivers. Our walk of life may include adventure, challenges, building relationships, love, growth, leadership and sadness."

This book, Legacy of Reflections, is a compilation of the stories of residents who have passed away or moved from Chateau at Bothell Landing prior to 2025.

Chris explains, "I had worked at Chateau since 2000. In the year 2010, I retired. About eight months later, my phone rang, and it was the executive director at the building at the time. And he said, I'm calling because we need an activity director. And I said, 'You want a 69-year-old activity director?' ... So I did the activity director job until 2016. And then I retired again. In 2016, the owner of the company. Jim Godfrey, wanted me to write resident stories, so that the staff could read their stories and have a better understanding of the people they serve.

"So I came back and did Resident Stories, and then it was maybe a year. And pretty soon the residents started saying to me, 'What are you doing with our stories?' And so I told them that we would put them in books for the staff lounges. And they said, 'Well, can we read the stories?' And I said, 'Sure, I will make up books that we will put in the libraries and the lobby areas, so that you can sit and read the stories.'

"Invariably, if I asked a resident, or I talked to a resident, about doing their story, they say to me, 'I really don't have a story.' And so I have to remind them that everybody has a story... maybe we should just sit and talk about their lives... And if the staff is reading them, the staff, this is a new education for the staff. They have no idea what it is to live without running water. They have no idea what it is to go to a one-room schoolhouse. And so when they start to read these stories, then it is it sparks a conversation. Not only with that resident, but it sparks a conversation with the staff when they are in the staff lounges."

Chateau Retirement provides independent living, assisted living, and memory care services. They have been locally owned and family operated for more than 25 years. Chateau Retirement has three communities in Washington's Seattle/Puget Sound area: Chateau Pacific in Lynnwood, Bothell Landing in Bothell, and Chateau Valley Center in Renton.

Visit them online or call 800.960.1944. Also visit Chateau's specialist page on Answers for Elders to hear more of their shows.

Check out our affiliate podcast Alzheimer’s Speaks.

Mentioned in this episode:

Chateau Retirement

Chateau Retirement

How many jobs let you say, "I made a difference in somebody's life today?" Caregivers at senior living communities help residents with activities of daily living, who can mostly live independently, but maybe they need a little assistance with showering, or dressing, or any other types of activities that may be a little bit of a challenge as we age. Hiwot Yeshitla, a caregiver for Chateau Retirement Communities, joins Suzanne Newman on the Answers for Elders podcast to talk about the role of caregivers at Chateau.

Hiwot says, "Caregivers do daily activity tasks for a resident. Everybody is different. Individual care starts with dressing, reminding, giving medications, taking them to the activity room, or to lunch... It's easy for us to do things for them... By doing a little thing, they just appreciate it. And then when they are doing something, they feel liked and happy.

"When I go there, and maybe their family member [isn't] there for them, I'll just go and stand with them, listening to them, and just [help] them meet the day. They forget being sad... Maybe today's their birthday, and maybe there's no family to visit them. I’m there [with them], 'How old are you? Just ask questions...'"

Suzanne asks, "If somebody wants to come to work for Chateau Retirement, what advice would you have for them?"

Hiwot answers, "They have to have a big heart when they come. Just be willing to help people."

Chateau Retirement provides independent living, assisted living, and memory care services. They have been locally owned and family operated for more than 25 years. Chateau Retirement has three communities in Washington's Seattle/Puget Sound area: Chateau Pacific in Lynnwood, Bothell Landing in Bothell, and Chateau Valley Center in Renton.

Visit them online or call 800.960.1944. Also visit Chateau's specialist page on Answers for Elders to hear more of their shows.

Check out our affiliate podcast Alzheimer’s Speaks.

Mentioned in this episode:

Chateau Retirement

Chateau Retirement

Often we take for granted all of the factors that make residents safer in senior living communities. Chateau at Bothell Landing's Maintenance Director Loren Adams joins Suzanne Newman on the Answers for Elders podcast to talk about not only building upkeep, but longevity of staff, and helping residents in little ways that are a huge help.

Loren says, "They should be comfortable there. They should feel safe and secure and relaxed almost to the point where, rather than being apprehensive about making that transition in their lives, they should feel like, oh, this is the best move I ever made because now I can just relax and enjoy the rest of my life, and not worry about the little things.

"I always try to remind [my staff] that we're only as good as the work we do for the residents. When we get the positive feedback from the residents, that's huge. When I hear a compliment about one or two of the people, I like to share that with the team, just to let them know that what they're doing is appreciated and recognized. And just because maybe they singled out this individual or that, it's an example of how much the residents appreciate the team as a whole.

"And it can be something so, so small. Residents might have a hard time opening a window, that any of us could go in and just slide the window open really easy. But when you get asked to do things like that, you realize how frustrating, and maybe even discouraging that might be, for those residents. Like, wow, they can't even open their own window anymore. And so the guys go in, and they're just glad to help. And to see that the appreciation for just those little things, that we take for granted I think is is huge.

"And I think that's why our residents stay as long as they do. We have residents that have lived there for years because they get to know the people. They get to know the staff who have also been there for years. It just doesn't feel like you're at a business. It's like you're in this community where everybody knows everybody."

Chateau Retirement provides independent living, assisted living, and memory care services. They have been locally owned and family operated for more than 25 years. Chateau Retirement has three communities in Washington's Seattle/Puget Sound area: Chateau Pacific in Lynnwood, Bothell Landing in Bothell, and Chateau Valley Center in Renton.

Visit them online or call 800.960.1944. Also visit Chateau's specialist page on Answers for Elders to hear more of their shows.

Check out our affiliate podcast Alzheimer’s Speaks.

Mentioned in this episode:

Chateau Retirement

Chateau Retirement

Aprill Uskoski and Stacey Greenshields join Suzanne Newman on the Answers for Elders podcast to talk about building a senior living community culture, and how Chateau Retirement Communities stands out for their employee culture, hiring, creating supportive leadership, being valued, and creating a path for people to grow within the organization. Aprill Uskoski is Senior Human Resources Director for Chateau Retirement. Stacey Greenshields is Senior Recruiter and Employee Wellness Director.

Stacey says, "Chateau does an excellent job of really caring for our employees and going above and beyond. I first started here back in 2012, almost 13 years ago... And what Chateau does for their employees, from their orientation to the Bloom program that we have, our wellness program to our benefits, we have the Employee Appreciation Fund. I mean, I could just go on and on, we just do a lot of different things for our employees. I think if you have happy employees, it turns into happier residents. And so then you get those residents laughing in the dining room because our employees are so happy to be here, because Chateau invest a lot of time and money into making sure that they're happy."

Aprill says, "It starts with the culture of just what we bring. We have to show it. So if we don't show it, then what's the point? So what we practice every day, it's what you see. From the top to the bottom, everyone's equal. We treat everybody kind. I've been here for 25 years and there's a reason for that. I help create a lot of things at the Chateau. So, when you see the birthdays for the residents, we do that for the employees. There's a reason that a lot of them stay here for as long as we do. Like Stacey said, from our onboarding to our hiring process to... we just have a good time here.

"You can you can train anyone to do a job. You can't train how people treat others. So you have to look for those people that really care for people. And that's what you try to find in everyone. You can't be perfect every time, but you really look for people that want to take care of others. We have a thorough process when it comes to hiring for a reason. Sometimes people just say it takes a little while, but that's okay. We've got to find the right people to take care of."

Chateau Retirement provides independent living, assisted living, and memory care services. They have been locally owned and family operated for more than 25 years. Chateau Retirement has three communities in Washington's Seattle/Puget Sound area: Chateau Pacific in Lynnwood, Bothell Landing in Bothell, and Chateau Valley Center in Renton.

Visit them online or call 800.960.1944. Also visit Chateau's specialist page on Answers for Elders to hear more of their shows.

Check out our affiliate podcast Alzheimer’s Speaks.

Mentioned in this episode:

Chateau Retirement

Chateau Retirement

Derek Larson and Lacy Steed join Suzanne Newman on the Answers for Elders podcast to talk about a new program for senior living residents with Alzheimer's and dementia. Lacy talks about the additions of sensory walls, aromas, and the addition of life-skills stations that bring back memories. The program is at Chateau Gardens, part of Chateau at Bothell Landing in Bothell, Washington. Derek Larson is Executive Director, and Lacy Steed is Vice President of Life Enrichment, at Chateau Retirement Communities. This week's show was recorded at Chateau Pacific in Lynnwood, Washington.

Lacy explains, "We did a lot of research on this. I would say right now, probably about two years that we've been doing this. We went and visited other communities. We spoke to a lot of staff, residents, family members, and higher-up leadership. We went to over 15 communities throughout the state, because we wanted to try to get a vibe of what people are doing, what works and what doesn’t. And it was really eye opening. Chateau Gardens, I hope it becomes just something that is the norm, not the exception.

"People think that when you have dementia or Alzheimer's, that you're just in a nursing home. That's it. And you're just watching TV and you're unable to do anything. And that is far from the truth. There is still so much that residents with dementia and Alzheimer's can give and talk about and do. They can still share stories and participate in activities. And they're so they're one of my favorite populations because you just never know what they're going to say, what they're going to do, what they you can do. And it's amazing."

Derek adds, "Some of the activities can create some of that light-bulb moment for residents, like that music bringing that light back in people's eyes. For me, I was talking in the first segment about my mom having been diagnosed with dementia early. Up until the very end, she was able to play piano. You put sheet music in front of her and she could just play. She couldn't even hardly talk, but she could play. And you can see in her eyes, it created this something in her brain that just put her on fire. So the idea is, we want to create that light and that spark through the activities and everything else we do. So much of what Lacy's department does, and the activities, will play a huge role in that."

Lacy says, "We are trying to incorporate ways for them to be active... Arch Design [makes] amazing senior living, tactile wall art that the residents can touch, so they can get just a sense of appreciation, sensory, tactile, everything. Get those neurons, synapses, inspiring everything...

"We do doll therapy. We've actually purchased really nice new babies that will breathe and feel like actual dolls the residents just love to hold and touch and care for.

"We are working on creating life-skill stations. Those are little places, for instance like a laundry area, or a makeup area, where the residents can just go and sit and tinker and play, and hopefully just go back to their days of working or getting ready for work, anything. And they are very effective... We even have an office space where we bought an old-school typewriter and a Rolodex and anything that you can think of from their era.

"Aroma Impressions [makes] a scientifically-based product that works to elicit memories for older adults. It is a very fine mist that you can't even see. And it's just slight enough that you can walk into memory care, and it's just a very lovely smell. You would never know that it's there, but it just makes it smell homey."

Chateau at Bothell Landing is located at 17543 102nd Ave NE in Bothell, Washington 98011-3787.

Chateau Retirement provides independent living, assisted living, and memory care services. They have been locally owned and family operated for more than 25 years. Chateau Retirement has three communities in Washington's Seattle/Puget Sound area: Chateau Pacific in Lynnwood, Bothell Landing in Bothell, and Chateau Valley Center in Renton.

Visit them online or call 800.960.1944. Also visit Chateau's specialist page on Answers for Elders to hear more of their shows.

Check out our affiliate podcast Alzheimer’s Speaks.

Mentioned in this episode:

Chateau Retirement

Chateau Retirement