The Agewyz Podcast

In her new book, “Role Reversal: How To Take Care Of Yourself And Your Aging Parents” author Iris Waichler combines practical advice for caregivers with her personal story of caring for her father, a colorful World War II veteran who died at age 97. Iris brought forty years of experience as a licensed clinical social worker to the task of caring for her dad, peppering medical staff with questions based on her insider’s view of how hospitals work, collaborating with her dad on choosing an assisted living facility for him, even setting him up with an age-appropriate social group after he started hanging out in bars, years after his wife died of cancer. In today’s show, Iris offers professional tips on how to navigate the medical system, family relationships and end-of-life challenges. She talks about her dad's autobiography and explains why it's beneficial for older folks to share their history, and she tells us about the emergency phone call that cut short her trip to Greece. She also shares some surprising discoveries made while writing her moving and useful book.

Explore Iris’ website: https://iriswaichler.com

Check out her book, “Role Reversal”: http://amzn.to/2qTyqv1

Music: “Cases to Rest” and “Astrisx” by Blue Dot Sessions | CC BY NC | Free Music Archive

Loretta Veney’s greatest fear is that her mother will outlive her money. Her great grandmother lived to age 107 and her grandmother to age 98. Neither had dementia. But Loretta’s mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease at age 77. In today’s show, Loretta talks about journeying with her mother through Alzheimer’s and about her book, “Being My Mom’s Mom.” She describes the hilarious, poignant tale of her mother’s escape from her group home and the “earthly angels” who helped return her to safety, how she adapted to her mother’s reading aloud phase and the grocery store drama that led to a customer pleading with Loretta for help managing her anger issues with her mother. Loretta also talks about her husband’s death, coping with loss and why Lego bricks play a key role in her caregiver training. Tune in for an inspiring conversation with this fifth generation Washingtonian. Note: this episode originally aired May 18, 2017.

Loretta’s website and book: http://bit.ly/2qtgp4E

Washington Post article about Loretta and her mom: http://bit.ly/2Dhv2LI

NY Times Article: http://nyti.ms/2C8LTRK

Documentary on Alzheimer’s (Loretta/Mom are 15-1/2 minutes in): https://youtu.be/CcBH077AEm8

RoadID Medical Bracelet: http://bit.ly/2qT02zQ

Music: “Even When We Fall” by Philipp Weigl | CC BY | Free Music Archive

Twenty years ago, when author Joy Loverde began thinking about writing her new book, “Who Will Take Care of Me When I’m Old?” the timing wasn’t right. Back then people were still grappling with the concept of elder care, and Joy’s book “The Complete Eldercare Planner” was a go-to guide for caregivers. But now, she tells us, we’re more “settled” around elder care and the timing for “Who Will Take Care of Me When I’m Old?” is perfect. Joy has spent a lifetime interacting with thousands of experts—old people themselves. Her new book is all about creating a plan for living the life you want for as long as possible. Tune in as Joy Loverde talks about this engaging, step-by-step guide to creating a quality life in old age.

Amazon link to “Who Will Take Care of Me When I’m Old?”: http://amzn.to/2ztC1Dl

Connect with Joy: https://www.elderindustry.com

Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/joyloverde

Music: “Flower Drops” by Dlay | CC BY NC ND | Free Music Archive

Former Ohio state trooper Matt Gurwell talks about his organization Keeping Us Safe and the Beyond Driving With Dignity self-assessment program he created as a proactive measure, after spending years as a trooper delivering bad news to family members about accidents involving older drivers. He tells us how sibling relationships are torn apart over a parent’s driving in later years, why some older drivers are better than others and why having the older driver make the decision about when to give up the car keys is a big part of how his team convinces the driver to do so. Matt also talks about the connection between exercise and safe driving, he explains how handicap parking spots actually increase accidents and he offers tips on how to evaluate and implement a program to keep your family safe. He tells us why he dreads having the conversation with his own father about giving up the car keys, and he ponders how it will work for him when he has to give up driving after spending so much time on the road as a trooper.

UPDATE:  In April 2021, Matt became a Consultant to Senior Care Authority® for the “Beyond Driving with Dignity” program he created.

For a transcript of this episode click here: Transcript

Learn more :  Keeping Us Safe 

Music: “Growing Silence” by Ketsa | CC BY NC ND | Free Music Archive

As the Trump administration rolls out its plan to deal with the opioid crisis, author and radio host Peter Rosenberger wants to know why caregivers have not been invited to the table. Thirty-plus years of handling medications prescribed for his wife’s chronic pain have convinced him this public health emergency goes beyond people buying drugs on the street: it is rampant in the world of care. In today’s show, Peter explains how opioid abuse intersects with caregiving, why he calls himself the “crash test dummy of caregivers” and what he’s learned from caring for his wife, Grace, a double amputee. He tells us why he’s on a mission to strengthen his fellow caregivers and offers practical advice for coping, how he “works out the kinks” in his soul while caring for Grace and about the prosthetic limb ministry he started called Standing With Hope.

Peter’s Op-Ed, “Caregivers need help navigating the opioid crisis” (Washington Examiner, 11/12/17): http://washex.am/2hwXFQ2

Peter’s website: https://www.Caregiverswithhope.com

Standing With Hope: http://standingwithhope.com

Music: “Into the Woods” by Dlay | CC BY NC ND | Free Music Archive

When her mother was diagnosed with Huntington’s Disease, 29-year-old writer Melissa Bilchik had to decide whether she too should be tested: there was a 50/50 chance Melissa was carrying the gene for this progressive brain disease. In today’s show, Melissa talks about the events leading up to her mother’s diagnosis of HD—which she says is like having Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s simultaneously—caring for her mom, her views on getting tested and her approach to having kids. She also talks about how millennial caregivers differ from baby boomer caregivers, her experience of support groups and why she’s not a Pinterest mom. Note: today's episode was originally broadcast April 27, 2017. We have an update on Melissa and her family at the end of the show.

Melissa’s blog: https://grownuppains.com

More about Huntington’s Disease: http://bit.ly/1GrrvED

Google Hangout for young caregivers (mentioned in the show): http://bit.ly/2ppZVtU

Music: “Arashi” by Kakurenbo | CC BY NC | Free Music Archive

It’s open enrollment season in the United States, so if you need to sign up for an individual health insurance plan through the Affordable Care Act (ACA) marketplace or you want to learn more about Medicare, Medicaid and long-term care, today’s show is for you. Our guest is Thad Hooker, an insurance agent and broker with the Assurance Group, who has worked in health care for over twenty years. Thad gives us an overview of the ACA marketplace plans, he tells us what to look for in choosing a plan and explains why one type of plan might be better for you than another. He also defines some confusing terms, talks about Medicare and Medicaid, dispels some major misconceptions about both programs, and he explains three different ways to accomplish the goal of having long-term care insurance. Get out your pen and paper, take notes and send us your questions and feedback so we can provide more information in a future episode: [email protected].

Contact Thad: [email protected] | 954-854-1197 (cell phone)

Music: “Wandering Path” by Dlay | CC NY NC ND | Free Music Archive

Writing “The Wide Circumference of Love” turned best-selling author Marita Golden into an Alzheimer’s activist. In today’s show she tells us why and about the process of writing her novel, in which the real world impact of Alzheimer’s disease on the African-American community is woven into a fictionalized story. Marita shares some alarming facts, uncovered during her research for the novel, about the impact of Alzheimer’s on communities of color, she tells us how she was transformed by her experience of being embedded with the staff and residents of a memory care unit and she ponders some big questions about how Alzheimer’s is changing America. Marita also talks about the colorful, pre-gentrified Washington, DC neighborhood where she grew up, she offers some caregiver strategies gleaned from the writing of her book and she tells us about a new anthology project to raise funds for Alzheimer’s and dementia research.

Marita’s website: http://bit.ly/2igYwBk

Connect with Marita on Facebook: http://bit.ly/2iVKLrp

Amazon: http://amzn.to/2jqBKdW

Link to Washington Post Magazine article: http://bit.ly/2zZsuEF

Submit a short narrative for consideration in Alzheimer’s caregiver anthology: [email protected]

Music: “Tower of Mirrors” by Blue Dot Sessions | CC BY NC | Free Music Archive

During the making of her documentary film, “The Weight of Honor,” which profiles the caregivers of military veterans, Director/Producer Stephanie Seldin Howard told the production team to put their politics aside: the film was about the caregivers—not the wars in Iraq or Afghanistan or the shortcomings of the Veterans Administration. In today’s show Stephanie tell us why she took this approach, she shares some of the needs expressed by the military caregivers interviewed and tells us what motivated members of this otherwise closed community to participate in the film. She talks about some of the experts in the film, including Nathan Graeser, administrator of the USC Military Veterans and Research program, and Carissa Tourtelot, who coordinates the USMC Wounded Warrior Battalion. Stephanie also tells us how making “The Weight of Honor” changed her, what she wants viewers to take away from the film and she shares the inspirational story of how a catastrophically wounded soldier and his wife, who was pregnant when her husband was wounded, found their way back to a life of purpose.

Learn more about “The Weight of Honor” - http://bit.ly/2z1AcwY

Music: “Astrisx” by Blue Dot Sessions | CC BY NC | Free Music Archive

Google, Twitter, Facebook and Wikipedia didn’t even exist when Chicago native Denise M. Brown started exploring the idea of launching a website for caregivers the early 1990s. Everyone told her she was wasting her time: people don’t go online for the kind of information Denise wanted to offer. She launched CareGiving.com anyway, and today the website is a go-to destination for millions of family caregivers desperate for practical advice and encouragement. In today’s show, Denise talks about the origins of CareGiving.com, how the landscape of care has changed since she began working in the field 27 years ago and why family caregiver stress is an epidemic. She shares some lessons from caring for her own parents and explains why it’s important to document your caregiving experience in some way. Denise also tells us about NCC17, the upcoming National Caregiving Conference in Chicago, and how you can attend digitally if you can’t make it in person

For a transcript of this episode click here: Transcript

Learn More: Caregiving.com  

UPDATE: Since this episode aired, Denise sold CareGiving.com and has dedicated herself full-time to her new company Caregiving Years Training Academy, which provides training and certifications for family caregivers.

Music: “Halves And Quarters” by Dlay | CC BY NC ND | Free Music Archive