Dreamweaver Foundation is on a mission to help older adults realize their dreams and connect with hope! They do this through 2 primary programs.

1) They make dreams come true for terminally ill seniors living in senior care communities. These dreams may be something as simple as a themed birthday party, a visit with a family member they haven't seen in a while, or even a trip to Florida. No dream is too small or too big for Dreamweaver to help with!

Having these dreams come true has been known to spark hope and purpose for the person receiving them and create lasting memories for families.

2) Their partnership with GrandPad connects isolated seniors with their families and interesting programming. These straightforward devices eliminate confusing technology and are adaptive so easier to use. They are available to everyone in the US, for both people living at home or in a care community. You can go directly to GrandPad to learn more. If resources are limited, apply for a scholarship through Dreamweaver.

Erin shares heartwarming stories and inspires ideas on how to help our loved ones live each day with more joy.

Contact Dreamweaver Foundation to nominate someone for a dream or apply for a GrandPad by visiting their website, https://dreamweaver.org/

P.S. Illuminating Senior Living helps families understand how to make the best decision about senior living and how to have those conversations. You're doing a great job! Keep up the great work!

Sometimes we get caught in the trap of having made a promise to a family member (ourselves?) that eventually doesn't line up.

Things change. People change. Situations change.

We can't hold ourselves to a promise made 3 years, 3 months, 3 days, 3 HOURS ago, if when we have new information or the situation changes, we have to move in a different direction.

This episode is packed with goodness. Here are your 3 steps.

1. Know what you will and won't do

2.Know your dealbreaker

3.Know your next step

Illuminating Senior Living get's you answers you need right now to make the best decisions for your family member!

Pando Geriatrics specializes in the mental health of seniors through counseling services appointments via telehealth, in-office, or in-home (in the Omaha area).

Seniors are often dealing with health crises, loss of control in their lives, loss of independence, or living arrangement transitions, just to name a few of life's major curve balls.

We talk about strategies to help our family members through these transitions.

Sometime after a move seniors have a sense of homelessness, having to dispose of their material possessions factor into this feeling. It's hard to process when someone else is having to go through all of your stuff and getting rid of it.

Some ready reminders from our conversation:

Mindy Crouch, LCSW, LIMHP, LISW

https://www.pandogeriatrics.com/

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100057440799930

Illuminating Senior Living is the video course you need to get the ball rolling to understand senior living!

It is SO easy to live on autopilot and just plow through our days. Unfortunately, that leaves a lot of room to mindlessly be triggered, anxiety to build, and feeling off track with areas in our lives.

What are your Love Languages? What are your Core Values? What are your Gallup Strengths?

When we pull all of this data together, it helps us understand who we are and the energy we are bringing to our relationships and life.

I love working with clients to help them understand themselves even better, teach them how to observe themselves and in the moment determine what they want to happen next. When you observe your ownself, it gives you the power to do the most immediate next best thing to support yourself.

Everything that has created your success in other areas of your life also applies to this role within the family as a caregiver. So pay attention, see what is working for you and what's not, and let's make a plan for that next first step!

Illuminating Senior Living is the only comprehensive program that will help you before a move to senior living. You don't need to be an expert, you just need this information.

When is it time to move?

What to look for and how to choose?

What are the objections and How to have the conversations

And more! Check it out HERE.

Join me in the conversation with Bill about caring for his mom and turning his pain into a passion to help other families on this caregiving journey. Here's a note from Bill to you!

Hi, I am Bill Cohen.

My loving and talented mother, Sheila, lost her home to Hurricane Katrina. Then, she lost her health, ability to create beautiful art and, ultimately, her life due to Alzheimer's. For almost 10 years, I was her primary caregiver and advocate, not just her son. I turned my personal loss into my passion for supporting other caregivers. 

After “retiring” from state employment after 25 years and entering my “encore career”, I am a caregiver support group and memory cafe leader, podcast guest, and speaker, a Certified Senior Advisor (CSA)®, an elder mediator, and a caregiving support consultant. I have completed several caregiving courses through the Alzheimer's Association and the Society for Certified Senior Advisors (CSA)®, and also earned business degrees from Boston and Portland State Universities. 

I am a native New Englander and have lived in the Portland, Oregon area for almost 39 years with my wife and supporter of over 40 years, Lori.  Here are all of the ways you can reach me.

[email protected] 

https://linktr.ee/CohenSupport

https://cohencaregivingsupport.com/services

Time is tricky. Sometimes it feels like it's moving slowly, other times it feels so fast. We all have the same amount of hours in the day, yet how each of us engages with time can be so different.

Is TIME one of your Core Values? I had hours and hours stuck in airports recently and didn't get anything accomplished during that time. I was OK with my lack of productivity, I was generally OK sitting around the airport for 9 hours.

It was when my core values of integrity, faith, and connection felt triggered that caused me to feel sad about the delayed flights and not being with my mom when she needed me.

How we feel about time and engage with time makes up our lives. When it comes to losing people we love, it never feels like we had enough time with them.

I walk you through an exercise to unpack your thoughts around time and invite you to reflect on observations so you can engage with time in the most meaningful ways.

Questions about a move to senior living? Illuminating Senior Living answers all your questions and puts you in the best position to figure out the next step for your family!

Lisa is passionate about helping people enjoy their memories through organizing their photographs. Our pictures are the keys that unlock our stories. Our stories are part of the legacy we leave for our families!

Lisa helps with larger organizing projects by consolidating the locations of your pictures and putting them in order. She is also able to put together slide shows for celebrations, memorials, and accessibility for enjoyment.

Lisa shares tangible tips on what to do with the boxes and albums of physical pictures and how to dig out of the thousands of digital images that have accumulated.

Connect with Lisa through any of these platforms!

Website: HOPEorganizing.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HOPEorganizing

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/HOPEorganizing

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/HOPEorganizing

A few specific things Lisa mentioned:

Memories Hub and Ollie - iPhone app

When it's time to begin to think about Senior Living, you want to make the best decisions for your family. Check out Illuminating Senior Living for critical information you need to know and guidance on how to have these conversations.

Sharon Riff Ackerman passed away 1/1/2020 from Parkinson's Disease and her son, George, has been on a mission ever since to honor his mother through the movement his family created, Together For Sharon.

Their mission is to raise awareness of Parkinson's Disease in hopes of a cure. George is making headway by connecting with caregivers, organizations, and Government officials to elevate the urgency, to spare other families from losing a loved one to PD.

In this episode, he shares some of the blessings and challenges his family faced as they cared for his mom.

The website, https://www.togetherforsharon.com/, features many resources for families, partnerships, interviews, and ways to share your own story and support this important mission.

Several years ago I began doing an end-of-year reflection and have learned it has brought tremendous value in several areas of my life. In this episode, I outline my process. Why do this?

First, you will find that you got more done than you realized. Often we are so caught up in the day-by-day, and lose sight of how much we've accomplished over time. I took 2 trips to CA to see my Dad and had 2 mini trips with my Mom to KC. That's a lot! We need to pause and celebrate, not just keep plowing forward towards our goals.

Second, you will discover what felt good over the last year and want more of in the coming year. What lights you up? You'll also figure out what didn't work for you and need to cut out.

Third, you will be living an intentional life and not feel like life is just happening TO you. Reflecting on the last year will help you set your intentions for the coming year. What do you want more of? How can you be sure to support yourself? Did you make it to the doctor this year or do you need to get that colonoscopy scheduled?

We're all in this together!

I'm so grateful to have had this year with you, thank you for sharing time and space with me, it's truly a privilege to walk this journey with you.

2024 here we come!

If you're concerned it may be time for Senior Living for your parents, Illuminating Senior Living will help you find clarity and confidence to have those conversations.

Managing the holidays can be tough under the best of circumstances, but when we have new situations at play or living arrangements happening, it can make it much harder. As family caregivers, we have our share of challenges.

As you step into these next couple of weeks, I want to share some strategies to help you have the best possible outcomes so you can relax and enjoy the season.