The Senior Hub

The Senior Hub

By Daniel AlexanderHealth & FitnessKids & Family
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The Senior Hub episodes

  • The Joys of Planning Ahead: Kim Patterson and "The Notebook"

    In this episode, Rebecca Hill and Andy English sit down with Kim Patterson, CEO of Oak Hill Management, who started planning for her family's future in her 40s. Kim walks through the notebook she and her husband Pat have kept for over fifteen years, inspired by helping her mom after her dad's sudden death. It holds the essentials, from passwords and key documents to a will, power of attorney, and medical directive. You'll also hear how it grew from a checklist into a legacy of letters, journals for her grandchildren, and the stories behind what matters most. Kim's one regret is not starting those sacred conversations sooner.

    In this series, we sit down with professionals and families who've walked the journey to share what they've learned along the way.

    35 min
  • Navigating a Health Crisis Ep. 9 - Families Living Together

    In this episode, the finale of this series, we explore the third option for Margaret after rehab — moving in with her family. Rebecca calls it "a bold choice" — and explains why it might also be one of the most rewarding ones a family can make. You'll learn what makes multi-generational living genuinely valuable, what it costs in dollars, space, and relationship, and the questions every family needs to answer before anyone says yes.


    In this series, we follow Margaret — a 78-year-old living alone in Raleigh who fell and broke her hip — and the family navigating what comes next.

    20 min
  • Navigating a Health Crisis Ep. 8 - Choosing The Right Senior Living Community

    In this episode, we get into the practical side of finding the right senior living community — how to search without getting steered by ad-driven results or placement companies with hidden financial incentives, what to look for when you tour, the questions most families never think to ask, and why the best communities often have wait lists that make starting early essential. Rebecca also walks through the emotional weight of this decision and why normalizing the conversation before a crisis forces it changes everything.

    In this series, we follow Margaret — a 78-year-old living alone in Raleigh who fell and broke her hip — and the family navigating what comes next.

    20 min
  • Navigating a Health Crisis Ep. 7: Intro to Senior Living Communities

    In this episode, we map out the senior living landscape — starting with why the words "nursing home" and "facility" have given way to something better — and give Margaret's family the vocabulary they need to navigate it. You'll learn the four main tiers of senior living communities, what each one actually means in plain terms, where the lines between them blur, and roughly what they cost. 

    In this series, we follow Margaret — a 78-year-old living alone in Raleigh who fell and broke her hip — and the family navigating what comes next.

    18 min
  • Navigating a Health Crisis Ep. 6: Going Home

    In this episode we tackle the moment everyone has been working toward — Margaret leaving rehab and coming home — and why it's actually a starting line, not a finish line. You'll learn what home safety modifications matter most before she walks back through the door, what physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech therapy each do in a home setting, and how to think about hiring home care — including what agencies can and can't do, how to find the right one, and how long Margaret is likely to need support.

    In this series, we follow Margaret — a 78-year-old living alone in Raleigh who fell and broke her hip — and the family navigating what comes next.

    32 min
  • Navigating a Health Crisis Ep. 5: The Real (and Hidden) Costs

    It's time to get into the real numbers — what assisted living, memory care, and home care actually cost and why Medicare covers none of it. We also tackle the conversation most families avoid: who actually pays, how family members can each contribute regardless of where they live, and why naming all of that out loud before a crisis is one of the most important things a family can do.

    In this series, we are following Margaret — a 78-year-old living alone in Raleigh who fell and broke her hip — and the family navigating what comes next. 

    25 min
  • Navigating a Health Crisis Ep. 4: Insurance?!

    In this episode, we pull back the curtain on Medicare — what it actually covers, why the difference between observation and admitted status matters more than most families realize, and why the 100-day cliff catches so many families off guard. You'll also learn where long-term care insurance fits in, and why knowing what coverage your loved one already has is one of the most important things you can do before a crisis arrives.

    In this series, we are following Margaret — a 78-year-old living alone in Raleigh who fell and broke her hip — and the family navigating what comes next. 

    22 min
  • Navigating a Health Crisis Ep. 3: Rehab

    When the hospital starts talking about discharge, most families realize pretty quickly they have no idea what their options actually are. In this episode, host Daniel Alexander and Senior Hub Chief Care Strategist Rebecca Hill unpack what skilled nursing and inpatient rehab actually mean, what role the case manager plays in guiding that decision, and what good advocacy looks like once your loved one is settled in — including how to track progress through weekly care plan meetings and when it's okay to push back on discharge.

    Because getting them into the right place is only half the job — showing up well once they're there is the other half.

    In this series, we are following Margaret — a 78-year-old living alone in Raleigh who fell and broke her hip — and the family navigating what comes next. 

    30 min
  • Navigating a Health Crisis Ep. 2: The Hospital

    In this episode, host Daniel Alexander and Senior Hub Chief Care Strategist Rebecca Hill pick up where Episode 1 left off, in the surgery recovery room. Surgery is done, but the hard work is just beginning. You'll learn what to bring to the hospital, what questions to ask the care team, and how to advocate for someone you love when the medical system is moving fast. You'll also learn why discharge planning starts much sooner than most families expect — and what that means for the decisions that are coming next.

    In this series, we are following Margaret — a 78-year-old living alone in Raleigh who fell and broke her hip — and the family navigating what comes next. 

    22 min
  • Navigating a Health Crisis Ep. 1: The First Hours

    It's 2am. Your phone rings. Mom fell. 

    In the first episode of this series, host Daniel Alexander and Senior Hub Chief Care Strategist Rebecca Hill walk you through what happens in those first critical hours after a fall — from the moment EMS arrives to checking into the hospital.

    You'll learn why this kind of event is more common than most families expect, what information to have ready before a crisis ever happens, and how to make one of the most important early decisions: who speaks for your loved one with the medical team. Whether you're in the middle of this right now or hoping to never be caught off guard, this is where the conversation starts.

    15 min

About The Senior Hub

From the publisher's feed

The Senior Hub Podcast is a resource hub for planning and caring well for your aging parents and loved ones. This podcast tackles everything from data, to key terms, to personal stories, to sacred moments, to tricky family dynamics.