Answers For Elders Radio Network

Retirement coach Larry Jacobson joins Suzanne to talk about finding purpose and fulfillment in your senior years vs just seeking pleasure – how you find passions and opportunities after your career. Jacobson sold his business, bought a boat, and sailed around the world for six years. He felt fantastic, but when he got back, something was missing — what to do now? He was looking for self-actualization, the highest point on Maslow's hierarchy of needs: giving back to society, improving other peoples' lives.

Larry says, "A lot of people confuse pleasure with purpose and fulfillment. Pleasures are what a lot of people seek in retirement – travel, sleep late, and play golf. Finding that purpose and fulfillment – I want to stress the importance of that. Even if you didn't like your job, what you did for your career, you still had some fulfillment from it. Even if you're screwing screws on the door in an auto assembly line, you still know that that door was made by you. I think that's robotic now, but you get the point. What's your legacy? Right now I'm working on three new books. One of them is about wisdom, things I've made up over the years, "Larry-isms." Why am I doing that? I don't want them to be forgotten. I want to pass that wisdom on to the next generation, giving back.

"If I were to leave your listeners with one thing to remember, it would be that you're striving to become part of something larger than yourself. It's like if you're in the military, or helping out at your church, if you're teaching kids, elders, anything that you're providing for others, you're doing something larger than yourself." Seek to find fulfillment vs. pleasure.

Hear more:
Larry Jacobson podcasts on Answers for Elders: https://answersforelders.com/tag/larry-jacobson/
Occupational Wellness podcasts: https://answersforelders.com/vitality-revolution/occupational-wellness/

Learn more:
Larry's Sail Into Retirement training course: https://buoytraining.com/sail-into-retirement/

You can reach Larry Jacobson via his website at https://larryjacobson.com/

Answers for Elders is part of the SeniorResource Network: https://www.seniorresource.com/
Check out our affiliate podcast Alzheimer’s Speaks: https://alzheimersspeaks.com/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Abby Winter, a pharmacist and teaching professor at the University of Washington School of Pharmacy, joins Suzanne to talk about advantages that residents of Era Living retirement communities receive thanks to a partnership with the university.

Abby says, "At Era Living, we will provide lectures about various topics, often ideas suggested by residents. Right now we're doing a campaign of health promotion days. So we've had a diabetes day, a brain health day, a heart health day, and provide things like blood sugar checks, and blood pressure checks, osteoporosis screenings, diabetes screenings. We pair that with a lecture as well, since people learn in different ways."

What happens at one of these events? Abby says, "I'll use Bone Health Day as an example. So for a few hours in the morning, we'll have an informational booth up with a poster, some handouts and flyers to take with you. On Bone Health Day, we provided bone density screenings, so folks could come in and actually get a DEXA scan, which kind of helps them know if they need to talk to their doctor about their potential for osteoporosis. Folks can bring us their medication list, or ask simple questions about their medications. Depending on the community, we'll also offer staff education.

"We also provide one-on-one consultations with the residents at Era Living. Just have an expert go through your medications to make sure everything gets along, or make sure that they're not having some side effect that they don't realize is a medication side effect. A lot of times we think of different symptoms, they might just be getting older, but that's not always the case. Maybe it's a medication causing that side effect. And pharmacists are really well-suited to find those possible interactions or side effects. And as we get older, medications work differently in our bodies. So sometimes something that worked well for you 10, 20 years ago that you've been completely fine on doesn't work so well anymore. Or now it causes you a side effect. So being kind of an expert in geriatrics helps me to better find those things.

"As folks get older, one of the biggest things that pharmacists do is de-prescribe: try to find medicines that aren't warranted anymore. Additionally, there's a lot of lifestyle things that help medications work better, or maybe replace the need for some medications. I empower residents with knowledge so that they feel more comfortable talking to their providers about it.

"A new service has developed. We're reviewing older adults' medications in their homes for expired products, or unused products, and helping them know how and where to dispose of them safely. Just to make sure that you don't take the wrong drug accidentally, or maybe you have something left over, or your dose changed and you kept the old dose with you, you don't want to take the wrong one. And to keep, in case grandkids or pets are around, keep them safe too. There's a lot of different opportunities for engagement and interaction with the pharmacist as a resident at Era Living."

Abby talks about how the program got started. "The Plein Center is part of the Department of Pharmacy at the school. Where I serve as the assistant director for outreach, we work on research, education and outreach to optimize older adults' medication use in many ways by working directly with older adults, working with their caregivers, working with health care providers, and also kind of being at the forefront, working in research. Everything provided through our partnership is completely free to the residents at Era Living."

Hear more podcasts about Era Living at Answers for Elders, including conversations with other residents, at Answers for Elders: https://answersforelders.com/era-living/

Learn more about:
Abby Winter: https://sop.washington.edu/people/abby-winter/
University of Washington School of Pharmacy: https://sop.washington.edu/
Plein Center for Geriatrics: https://sop.washington.edu/plein-center-in-geriatrics/
Answers for Elders: https://answersforelders.com/welcome-to-answers-for-elders/.
Era Living’s website: https://www.eraliving.com/

Answers for Elders is part of the SeniorResource Network: https://www.seniorresource.com/
Check out our affiliate podcast Alzheimer’s Speaks: https://alzheimersspeaks.com/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If you're thinking about senior living, wondering what the first steps should be, what to expect, what's the process like, questions can hold us back. Karla talks about the process of selecting the right community. It takes a lot of courage to pick up the phone or visit a community. Karla Clark is the Regional Director for Sales and Marketing at Era Living, and she talks about how a community relations team member can guide you through the process — finding the right fit based on your needs.

What should you expect when you call a community? Karla says, "First of all, they should expect someone to be warm and welcoming, and help guide them, to be that trusted advisor. They're probably going to be connected with a community relations team member, and that person is going to be asking some questions of the family member, or maybe the person considering making a move themselves. And these questions are designed to get to know that person, because everybody has a specific unique journey, and our team members have helped hundreds, thousands, of family members go through this. But it's different for everybody, and we don't know what has happened at the other end of the line that has caused them to reach out to us. And so, by asking these questions, we can find out important things, like what's not working out so well right now, what are you hoping to gain by making a move to a retirement community, and what's gonna be most important to you, because that is going to mean something different for everybody. And so it's less about our story and what we can offer, and it's more about their story, and what we can help provide a solution for. And only by asking questions can we find out if we're going to be the right fit for them, right? We're not going to be the right fit for everybody. But by having that conversation and that dialogue and asking good questions, and building that relationship together, then we can perhaps invite them in for that next step, guide them through this journey or give them other recommendations that might meet their needs better.

"They've been through this before, they have the insight of what has worked or hasn't worked for others, and by talking through certain topics and conversations, whether that has to do with finances, or their needs, their hobbies, and their interests, as our residents are so engaged, and we wanna see that liveliness and that engagement. And so that person is somebody that they can call on the phone, or come and talk to ask questions. And we always think it's best, if it's a good fit from that first conversation, is we're gonna invite them into the community, so they can see it, touch it, taste it, feel it, because there's nothing like actually just walking in the community and describing that feeling that you get.

"That visit is going to be very personalized for what's important to them. And I can guarantee that they are going to meet some amazing people. It's so important to meet the community directors, the executive director, other team members. We're gonna make some introductions to some other residents. It's amazing how the connections that you find with people who go to the same church or the same organizations or retired from the same industries. And so we make those connections, because that's what's important, and then of course we'll show them some apartments.

"We encourage people to come back and visit multiple times. Come back, and have a lunch or dinner. We really like to pair people with other residents. Or come back and participate in one of our events — if somebody likes to play bridge with the bridge group, or be in an exercise class, or yoga, or Tai Chi, or a happy hour.

"We have a lot of different lectures and presentations that are specific to helping people make a good decision and guide them through the process. Some of our most popular ones are our resident panel, and that's where we invite usually 5 to 6 residents, and they share their story and what they went through. It's so popular because the people who are considering making a move, they want to hear that from the residents. Our downsizing events are very popular. It's all designed to help somebody make a good decision.

"We do want other family members, or maybe friends, somebody who they rely on, and trust to make decisions like this, to be a part of that. And that's why multiple visits to the community is important too, because they can buy in, they can make the selection as far as like, OK, this is it, I feel good. And it's amazing, oftentimes when you're with people and they revisit this apartment that they love, you can just see it on their face, lighten up. It's almost a sense of relief, too. Like, oh my gosh, I'm moving forward out of the status quo. I'm looking forward to this. It's a very hopeful, positive moment and we love it."

Hear more podcasts about Era Living at Answers for Elders, including conversations with other residents, at Answers for Elders: https://answersforelders.com/era-living/

Learn more about:
Answers for Elders: https://answersforelders.com/welcome-to-answers-for-elders/.
Era Living's website: https://www.eraliving.com/

Answers for Elders is part of the SeniorResource Network: https://www.seniorresource.com/
Check out our affiliate podcast Alzheimer's Speaks: https://alzheimersspeaks.com/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Catherine Arendt is the At Your Service Manager for Era Living retirement community at Aljoya Thornton Place. She hosts downsizing workshops, a helpful tool to help work through the things in our homes. When people choose an apartment at Aljoya Thornton Place in Seattle, Washington, she helps them figure out what they're going to bring to their new home.

"I always tell them, I'm not a designer, I'm a space planner," she says. "I take pictures of what they'd like to bring, and when I get back to the office I can put it on a floor plan. Just to know that those items will fit, it's a great relief to them.

"People do have all of those emotions about it. In fact, they often will delay their moves longer than maybe they really want to, simply because they're afraid. I just recently did a downsize workshop with someone from a moving company that we use all the time. After the event, one of the women came up and said that the person sitting next to her leaned over, and said to her before it started how afraid she was of this whole process. But that after we were done, she felt so much better.

"So knowledge is really power. I'm really letting them know that they're not alone, and that I'm gonna walk with them through this whole process, and that everyone is out for making this an easy process for them. And they really truly do feel that. In the end, it's such a privilege to be able to walk this path with them. And it all really starts with downsizing."

Hear more podcasts about Era Living at Answers for Elders, including conversations with residents, at Answers for Elders: https://answersforelders.com/era-living/

Learn more about:
Answers for Elders: https://answersforelders.com/welcome-to-answers-for-elders/.
Era Living's website: https://www.eraliving.com/
Aljoya Thornton Place, located at 450 NE 100th St. in Seattle, WA: http://www.eraliving.com/communities/north-seattle/

Answers for Elders is part of the SeniorResource Network: https://www.seniorresource.com/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Said Hitti was born in Lebanon, studied economics in London and Oxford, and then moved to the United States in 1963 to work at the International Monetary Fund in Washington D.C. Said now lives at Ida Culver House Broadview, an Era Living retirement community. He says, "I'm quite happy here. There is a preponderance of highly educated people from academia, from the business world, from other areas, too. You meet a lot of people, and it's always pleasant to hear their life experiences."

For those who are considering senior living, he says, "Do it only if it's necessary for you to do. A retirement community isn't a cruise for the rest of your life. You have to think in terms of doing small things in a paced way, not having expectations that you can resume life as it used to be before. It's a new phase in life. And I would encourage anybody — even if they don't feel they are writers — to write down their life experiences. If you train yourself to write your experiences, think of it this way: you'll be having the last word in whatever way you want to look at it."

Ida Culver House Broadview is located at 12505 Greenwood Ave N, Seattle, WA 98133-8040. http://www.eraliving.com/communities/broadview/

Hear more podcasts about Era Living at Answers for Elders, including conversations with other residents, at Answers for Elders: https://answersforelders.com/era-living/

Learn more about:
Answers for Elders: https://answersforelders.com/welcome-to-answers-for-elders/.
Era Living's website: https://www.eraliving.com/
Aljoya Thornton Place, located at 450 NE 100th St. in Seattle, WA: http://www.eraliving.com/communities/north-seattle/

Answers for Elders is part of the SeniorResource Network: https://www.seniorresource.com/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If you're considering senior living, it's important to hear from residents who've gone through the process of transiting to a senior living community. Kathy Swanson is a retired junior high and high school teacher, the oldest of four children. She started looking when she was 74, and only looked at Aljoya Thornton Place. She brought friends and other family members to check out the community. She sold her home during COVID and moved in August 2020 to the Era Living retirement community.

Kathy says, "The easiest thing about the move was being able to sell during COVID, to have the support of family, and to have the opportunity to come several times and visit, to get a feeling for the social atmosphere, to see the opportunities. One time I went to a play, I got my ticket ahead of time, and went in the van with other Aljoya people. That was lovely. I met some of the people there that I see regularly here. It was really easy to make that move, and having made the decision two years before.

Moving during COVID was complicated. "Goodwill wouldn't come out with a truck, Habitat for Humanity, nobody. I had connections with World Relief and was able to give them some of my furniture."

If people are looking into senior living, Kathy advises, "Really search your soul, make sure it's what you really want to do, because this is going to be your lifetime home. Visit, ask questions, talk to people, and think about things like, "What's their maintenance service like? What's the food like? What activities can I get involved in? What are the staff like? Is there mutual respect between the residents and the staff?

"And I have to say, I couldn't have asked for more perfect relationships here. I've never heard any bickering here. They learn to know our names right away, and I don't know how because we were all wearing masks. Only within the last couple of months have we not worn masks, and I had to learn how to recognize people!"

Learn more about:
Answers for Elders: https://answersforelders.com/welcome-to-answers-for-elders/.
Era Living at Answers for Elders: https://answersforelders.com/era-living/
Era Living's website: https://www.eraliving.com/
Aljoya Thornton Place, located at 450 NE 100th St. in Seattle, WA: http://www.eraliving.com/communities/north-seattle/

Answers for Elders is part of the SeniorResource Network: https://www.seniorresource.com/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Michelle Cornelius, VP of Memory Care at Cogir Senior Living, joins Suzanne to talk about the social wellness of those with dementia in senior living communities. This segment focuses on how senior living communities have responded after having had to isolate seniors during the pandemic.

Michelle says, "We really have seen effects from COVID starting with families not wanting to have a person move into memory care or assisted living, because you didn't know when you would see that again. And so people are moving in much later in the disease process than they used to, which makes adjustment harder sometimes. And then, when a person was in assisted living or memory care, we told them they had to isolate. And so we're sending people to their rooms and we're providing meals in the rooms and activities in the rooms and doing things one-on-one, instead of bringing them to groups. Dementia is use it or lose it. So if I tell you to go to your room for three months, and now I'm telling you it's OK to come out, you're not coming out.

"We've had to start with a lot of small group involvement. We can still have our great activity calendar where the people who are ready to come out are participating. A lot of the staff have gotten involved, one or two people at a time encouraging people to come out for those one or two things that are most purposeful and meaningful for them. Increasing their volunteer portion of what the resident is doing in memory care: I am much more likely to come out if I'm leading the activity than if I'm just participating in the activity. And then getting the family involved. When the family visits, they say I'm coming over because they're having a party. Let's go to the party that they're having."

The Vitality Revolution podcast series is sponsored by Humana.

Hear more:
Michelle Cornelius episodes on Answers for Elders: https://answersforelders.com/tag/michelle-cornelius/
Social Wellness episodes: https://answersforelders.com/vitality-revolution/social-wellness/
Occupational Wellness episodes: https://answersforelders.com/vitality-revolution/occupational-wellness/

Learn more:
Cogir Senior Living: https://www.cogirseniorliving.com/
Michelle Cornelius: https://cadencesl.com/cadence-living-hires-michelle-cornelius-as-vp-of-memory-care-engagement/
The Vitality Revolution podcast series: https://answersforelders.com/vitality-revolution/
Humana: https://www.humana.com/
Answers for Elders: https://answersforelders.com/welcome-to-answers-for-elders/

You can reach Michelle Cornelius at [email protected].

Answers for Elders is part of the SeniorResource Network: https://www.seniorresource.com/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Michelle Cornelius, VP of Memory Care at Cogir Senior Living, joins Suzanne to talk about helping those with dementia adjust socially and find their fit in their senior living community.

Michelle says, "Their nonverbal communication skills increase, and they do a really good job of picking up on how others around them feel. And so if they walk into a dining room and they feel like they're being ostracized, they're not very likely to want to come back to the dining room, because they know that they don't fit in. And so when we can join people together in pairs or groups or in areas where they can be themselves, it's much more comfortable. It's great to be in a group of folks who have early memory loss, even may not be living in memory care yet, but they all recognize that they have issues, and I've had people say to each other, 'I'm losing this, this is going, I don't remember it anymore. Have I told you this before?' And I know they've told the story before, but the other resident says they haven't heard it. It's great to be in that setting where you're accepted.

"They may not know the other residents names, but you'll see ladies holding hands, walking down the hall, and they gravitate to the same person every time, even in early memory loss. If you feel comfortable with the person, this is who I'm going to find as my support. It also helps the environment feel safer, because now there's somebody else here that I'm gonna stick with, and somebody else with me when I'm feeling lost, or don't know where I am."

Regarding what you as a loved one can do to help them adjust to living in memory care, Michelle says, "Participate in the life of the community. When you visit, don't go lock yourself behind a door in the person's apartment or their room. Join in the activities, join in the meals. And when you're going to leave, don't say goodbye. Consider when you walk in the door, the hug you give them when you walk in, that's your goodbye hug too. Leave them with a good feeling, and that means they're involved in an activity, they're involved in a meal, they're doing something that brings them joy. And now you're just going to go, and it can be a 10 minute visit. It doesn't have to be a two hour visit."

The Vitality Revolution podcast series is sponsored by Humana.

Hear more:
Michelle Cornelius episodes on Answers for Elders: https://answersforelders.com/tag/michelle-cornelius/
Social Wellness episodes: https://answersforelders.com/vitality-revolution/social-wellness/
Occupational Wellness episodes: https://answersforelders.com/vitality-revolution/occupational-wellness/

Learn more:
Cogir Senior Living: https://www.cogirseniorliving.com/
Michelle Cornelius: https://cadencesl.com/cadence-living-hires-michelle-cornelius-as-vp-of-memory-care-engagement/
The Vitality Revolution podcast series: https://answersforelders.com/vitality-revolution/
Humana: https://www.humana.com/
Answers for Elders: https://answersforelders.com/welcome-to-answers-for-elders/

You can reach Michelle Cornelius at [email protected].

Answers for Elders is part of the SeniorResource Network: https://www.seniorresource.com/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If you have a loved one experiencing some Alzheimer's or dementia, and you're wondering how to help them find purpose and meaning each day, this show focuses on ways to help. Michelle Cornelius, VP of Memory Care at Cogir Senior Living, joins Suzanne from Phoenix to talk about providing a sense of purpose, accomplishment, and motivation for getting up each day for those with dementia.

Michelle says, "Our calendars change every month, and they're really individualized by the community and the culture of each community, because what we do in Phoenix is very different than what we do in some of our Mid Atlantic properties or our California properties. Some of it is just weather related — I can do things in the winter in Phoenix that you can't do elsewhere. Some of it's based off the culture of the location. Even the foods we serve vary depending on where you are. Folks in the Phoenix area are used to a little spice in their food, but in other areas, they don't want that.

"And then we have to vary the amounts of support that people need as well. People in the early stage of dementia, we want to make sure we're incorporating a lot of reminiscing and a lot of things that trigger their memory. And it's a different type of support than for folks who are in the later stages, where we need to give a lot more time. We need to use a lot more sensory integration. So we might have trivia. and trivia is gonna look very different for people in the early stage than in the late stage. Our exercise groups will look very different depending on what stage a person is in their disease process. and the amount of support they need to be successful."

The Vitality Revolution podcast series is sponsored by Humana.

Hear more:
Michelle Cornelius episodes on Answers for Elders: https://answersforelders.com/tag/michelle-cornelius/
Social Wellness episodes: https://answersforelders.com/vitality-revolution/social-wellness/
Occupational Wellness episodes: https://answersforelders.com/vitality-revolution/occupational-wellness/

Learn more:
Cogir Senior Living: https://www.cogirseniorliving.com/
Michelle Cornelius: https://cadencesl.com/cadence-living-hires-michelle-cornelius-as-vp-of-memory-care-engagement/
The Vitality Revolution podcast series: https://answersforelders.com/vitality-revolution/
Humana: https://www.humana.com/
Answers for Elders: https://answersforelders.com/welcome-to-answers-for-elders/

You can reach Michelle Cornelius at [email protected].

Answers for Elders is part of the SeniorResource Network: https://www.seniorresource.com/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Michelle Cornelius joins Suzanne from Phoenix to talk about occupational and social wellness for those with dementia. Michelle is VP of Memory Care at Cogir Senior Living. Michelle talks about ways that occupational wellness — having a sense of purpose, accomplishment, and reason for getting up each day — can be incorporated in the social calendars of people with dementia at senior living communities.

"For example, we had one guy with dementia who used to teach line dancing classes. We scheduled him on the calendar to teach line dancing. He didn't remember what he had taught the previous week, the residents didn't remember what he'd taught them the previous week, he's taught the same two measures of the song in the course every week, and the residents loved it. It didn't matter that they were relearning something that they had already done.

"I had another woman who did that with crocheting. She was the head, and it had her name on it, so it was Crocheting with the resident's name on the calendar. She didn't know how to turn her rows any more, so she would do that initial row, and when she'd get to the end, she'd stop, and we'd say that's our time for the week, and next week we're going to turn and start over, and we just did it every week. She taught us the same thing. And the residents were learning."

The Vitality Revolution podcast series is sponsored by Humana.

Hear more:
Michelle Cornelius episodes on Answers for Elders: https://answersforelders.com/tag/michelle-cornelius/
Social Wellness episodes: https://answersforelders.com/vitality-revolution/social-wellness/
Occupational Wellness episodes: https://answersforelders.com/vitality-revolution/occupational-wellness/

Learn more:
Cogir Senior Living: https://www.cogirseniorliving.com/
Michelle Cornelius: https://cadencesl.com/cadence-living-hires-michelle-cornelius-as-vp-of-memory-care-engagement/
The Vitality Revolution podcast series: https://answersforelders.com/vitality-revolution/
Humana: https://www.humana.com/
Answers for Elders: https://answersforelders.com/welcome-to-answers-for-elders/

You can reach Michelle Cornelius at [email protected].

Answers for Elders is part of the SeniorResource Network: https://www.seniorresource.com/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.