Jennifer Fink created the Fading Memories podcast after finding that balancing everything that a caregiver needs to attend to, doing more research about what she needs to be doing, as well as her own life was too much. She speaks the honest truth about her journey with her mother and grandmother who both had dementia. Some of these things that have been taboo to talk about your loved one has been taboo for years and is now starting to change to make way for a more honest look into the life of caring for someone with dementia, and the factors that drove people like Jennifer to choose senior living over home care. Find out how she arrived at the decision she made for a community and what she's learned in the 20 years of dementia care that she saw with her mother.

Shari Flight and Katie Fournier of Ember Holistic Care have dedicated themselves to making sure that Memory Care communities don't stick to the status quo. They are trying to break the cycle of using old trainings from the 1980s when society has learned so much more about how providers can use newer research in various methods, such as light therapy, that will benefit both the resident and the staff. These new methods don't have to be a kick to the system though, so tune in to hear how these new approaches can also complement a traditional care model as well.

John McDonough, Senior Director of Program Development & Integration for Asbury Communities, claims to not be a tech guy but after this interview it's clear that he has a larger grasp of how we interact with tech in the senior living industry than he leads us to believe. We cover how our relationship with wanting the shiny new product affects our perception of what we actually need, and how operators and vendors alike can alter the course to a goal or the pitch to better suit a client's need. Effective products in this space don't just need to be high-tech, but we need to make sure we still fill the need for high-touch interactions as well. Listen in to hear how you can navigate this web and more.

Marlo Fogleman, Founder & CEO of Marlo Marketing, and Jenna Anderson, VP at Marlo Marketing may not have necessarily come to senior living or marketing in a familiar way, but they've brought plenty of impact among their customers who've seen great swings of success. With notable backgrounds and long-time experience in and out of the senior living industry, they give us an idea of what gaps they see in most marketing strategies that they've revamped. They also have a unique perspective on what it takes to succeed in the marketing side of the business, now and in the future.

Laurie Schultz, Principal and co-founder of Avenue and Viva Bene, came to senior living as a real estate developer that wanted to instead get into "development with purpose". Their goal is to marry the ideas of socialization that most seniors come to senior living for, with their other need for overall wellness. They do this a few ways, but they find prevention is key to longevity for the benefit of both, which is why they integrate physical wellness into activities every day as well. You'll find a theme for this episode is making sure you're thinking about prevention-based care, rather than the industry standard of needs-based care.

We found our previous episode with Frank G. Howard, the CEO of GeneIQ, so interesting and important that we wanted to dive even deeper into pharmacogenomics with Dr Tariq Adwan, the Chief Science officer of GeneIQ.

The short definition of pharmacogenomics is the science of determining the genetic variability that influences physiological response. This means that instead of a whole lot of trial and error with medications, people can get the medication that is genetically most likely to be accepted by the body. This means less side effects, and less medications to treat those side effects, along with many other benefits.

Learn more about this new science, the benefits and what it takes to get this program started for someone truly in need. Knowing what medications are right for each person can mitigate the need to throw many medications, on average 15 medications for seniors, to treat their health concerns.

Charles Mann, Founder and CSO of Accushield, like many of us came into senior living from the time that was passed down with his father in senior living as an executive director. He saw a gap in what's provided and decided he was the one that needed to fill it. We hear about ways that making a good first impression to residents and their family members can help land a sale, and keep them at the community longer. This includes the beginning of the Love Meter, which brings residents who aren't being engaged with to the top of the care list.

Learn more about Accushield at accushield.com.

Jodi Guffee, COO & Owner of Radiant Senior Living, has found the key to the golden ratio of senior living leads. She talks about how freeing it is to rip the bandaid and start fresh in your CRM to focus on quality qualified leads.This can make the lead to move-in process easier for your team, the potential resident, and your budget. Jodi also explains where they put their dollars for the best leads and what they've coined as the FORD principle to guide them along the way. By the end, we've covered a lot of ground, including some fascinating ideas about how we can bridge the gap to work the middle market by meeting cost needs for potential residents and communities' needs in the staffing crisis.

Michael Belleville, who was diagnosed with Lewy Body Dementia, talks about his journey from when he first started realizing the change in himself to diagnosis and acceptance. He's learned a lot about himself, the various journeys people take in their diagnosis, and organizations that can help. Keeping engaged with the community has helped him connect with the amazing stories of people that have persevered and thrived together, as a community, in spite of their diagnosis. In spite of all of the stigma that comes with living with dementia. In spite of the internal battles that each of them may have. If you take anything away from this episode it's this: they're still here. Talk to the human that's still in front of you that may just understand the world and communicate differently now.