EPAGA University

Have you ever envisioned yourself as a business owner, but never knew quite where to start? Looking to lead a more purposeful life AND build a prosperous business?

We're currently helping people just like you own and operate a successful business that focuses on providing meaningful employment and fulfilling a desperate need in their community. It's time to create a future you're proud of. We're committed to helping you along the way!

Join our mission to provide care and bring joy through our home care franchise opportunities at www.epagahomecarefranchise.com.

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For many of us, grandparenting means a weekend together every now and then, an afternoon play date, an evening babysitting, a summer vacation, or chats on the phone and email exchanges here and there. But when life circumstances change—through divorce, the death of parents, or changes to a parent’s work or school-related responsibilities, for example—it often falls to grandparents to assume full- or part-time responsibility for their grandchildren.

Also known as “kinship care,” a growing number of grandparents are now taking on the parenting role for their grandchildren, thus foregoing the traditional grandparent/grandchild relationship. This often means giving up your leisure time, the option of traveling, and many other aspects of your independence. Instead, you once again take on responsibility for the day-to-day maintenance of a home, schedules, meals, homework, and play dates (HelpGuide). Join us this week as we dive into the challenges, joys, and real-life examples of grandparenting!

Show Notes:

Read More: https://www.helpguide.org/articles/parenting-family/grandparents-raising-grandchildren.htm

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What a blessing it was to have Rev. Tonnes Pollestad join us this week!

Reverend Tonnes Pollestad is the Development Director of the Association of Free Lutheran Congregations (AFLC). He graduated from the Association Free Lutheran Bible School (now called Free Lutheran Bible College) in 1972 and the Association of Free Lutheran Seminary (now called Free Lutheran Seminary) with his Masters of Divinity in 1991. He has served as the Development Director of the AFLC since 2011. His primary responsibility is to raise funds to meet the annual budgets for each of the 10 ministries through visitation with donors. Tonnes travels 27 states building deep relationships with many about the 10 ministries of the AFLC for prayer and financial giving (bio from AFLC).

Tonnes joins us this week to discuss the weight of the responsibility of preparing an estate plan, what an estate plan includes, and the impact not preparing one can have on those we leave behind. Strap in folks, this is one you don't want to miss!

Show Notes:

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Have you ever received a diagnosis, treatment, or basic advice from you or your loved one's doctor and found that all of it went in one ear and out the other?

This week, we discuss what it means to be health literate, for the purpose of understanding the intricacies of your own health, as well as the health of your aging loved one. Diseases, unnecessary side effects, and even death in some cases can be avoided if we build a better working understanding of the jargon used by our health care provider. At the end of the day, one main theme seems to ring true throughout most all of our episodes... Prior proper planning is the key to success!! 

Show Notes:

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Boy howdy, do we have a good episode for you this week! We are excited to welcome Polly Cavill, RT and End of Life Specialist, to the podcast this week.

As we've discussed in episodes-past, the last thing that most of us want to talk about is death. But because it is the one thing on this Earth that is ultimately inevitable, when death is near for you or for a loved one, a little bit of planning and a whole lot of communication can help bring peace to the situation. Polly facilitates these conversations on a day to day basis all in an effort to create a "beautiful death." We know, we know... a potentially jarring way to put it, but you'll just have to trust us as you dive into this truly captivating conversation full of love, laughter, and a whole lot of wisdom!

Show Notes:

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This week, we talk about the POLST form; your Provider Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment. Join us as we walk you through this important form, step-by-step, giving you the confidence to get it done for yourself or with your aging loved one!

Show Notes:

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This week, we are beyond stoked to welcome a couple of very special individuals to Caregiven, Dave and Jessica (Jess) Kostecki! This husband and wife duo are just as excited as we are to bring much-needed caregiving services to the Bitterroot Valley here in Montana through opening EPAGA Home Care of Missoula!

Join us as we learn more about who Dave and Jess are, a little bit about what they did that got them to this point, and what they're most excited about heading into the future.

Interested in going into business for yourself, but not by yourself, just like this week's guests? Learn about our home care franchise opportunities at www.epagahomecarefranchise.com!

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This year at our 3rd Annual Loving Through Alzheimer's - Alzheimer's and Dementia Seminar, we were stoked to welcome nationwide speaker on Alzheimer's care and author of Creating Moments of Joy, Jolene Brackey!

Jolene invited us to join her in looking beyond the challenges of Alzheimer’s disease and focus more of our energy on creating moments of joy. It’s impossible to create a perfectly wonderful day, but we can create perfectly wonderful moments! We were blessed with the opportunity to be among Jolene's energy and obtain fun, simple ways to bring joy and hope into our everyday lives, and now we get to sit her down for a recap of the seminar and to dig a little bit deeper.

Show Notes:

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"The number of Americans over the age of 65 is projected to more than double by 2060, rising from 46 million to more than 98 million.1 Baby boomers (people born between 1946 and 1964) will be the first wave of this elderly population boom. As the elder boom unfolds, the number of seniors with substance abuse problems could increase significantly" (Thomas 2021).

Join us this week as we deep dive into the ins and outs of substance use, abuse, and misuse in one of our communities' most vulnerable populations. The elderly turn to drugs and alcohol for many reasons, including physical and emotional pain, but despite difficulties accessing care, seniors who get help tend to do just as well if not better than those younger than them. We hope to open a conversation around how you can better identify the signs in your aging loved one and help them access treatment options.

Show Notes:

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"The stairs are getting so hard to climb."

"Since my wife died, I just open a can of soup for dinner."

"I've lived here 40 years. No other place will seem like home."

These are issues so commonly experienced by our aging population. You may share the often-heard wish — "I want to stay in my own home," or rather the common fear — "I don't want to end up in a retirement home." The good news is, is that with the right preparation and professional assistance, you are more likely to be able to live out your days in one of your most precious investments; your home.

Join us this week as we discuss the ins and outs of what it takes to stay in your own home as you age, otherwise referred to as "aging in place." We're here to share with you how to go about finding the help you need to continue to live independently, as well as some adjustments you can begin to consider making to your home to make it more suitable to live in throughout your golden years.

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Show Notes:

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