Radio Show Podcasts

Silver Sneakers is the only fitness program that provides financial rewards for staying fit. Members can grow a college fund for a loved one. So even if a senior is on a fixed income, they can actually provide money for a grandchild's college tuition. It's a great motivator to get exercising — people will often do for others what they won't do for themselves.

A lot of people choose not to get married. They cohabitate, they mix assets, they'll buy a home, and some even have retirement plans. There are many legal protections for married couples, but some of those protections don't extend to individuals who live together, such as Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid benefits. If an unmarried couple decides to live together, they ought to discuss how to protect each other, and consider how do you protect yourself if you choose to live with a partner. Elder law attorney Andrea Lee from Legacy Estate Planning joins Suzanne to talk about protections and estate planning for unmarried couples.

Aging with purpose and intention: Dr. Marc B. Cooper joins Suzanne Newman on the Answers for Elders Radio Show to discuss the evolving role of elders in society, particularly as the population over 65 continues to grow. Suzanne Newman shared her personal experience of being downsized, which led her to establish Answers for Elders. Both Suzanne and Dr. Cooper emphasized the importance of storytelling and legacy for baby boomers, who control a significant portion of wealth. They discussed the need for elders to guide younger generations and the value of inquiry in fostering personal and societal growth, while also addressing the challenges of ageism and the importance of living authentically as one ages.

So many of us have a loved one that may have special needs, a disability. Maybe a spouse has just been diagnosed with dementia and needs care, and they're afraid of losing their house or their money. If you're in that situation, or maybe your parents are, or a child that has special needs, this episode will be important. Elder law attorney Andrea Lee from Legacy Estate Planning joins Suzanne to talk about special needs trusts and how people can protect their own resources.

L.E. "Ellie" Brown from Chateau Retirement Communities joins Suzanne to talk about how to best support our senior loved ones, particularly as they get older and might need to consider senior living. Ellie works with families every day, and shares common situations that she encounters as families try to help their loved ones. Ellie is Vice President Sales - Strategic Market Analysis, Branding & Sales Leadership for Chateau Retirement.

How do you make updates to your estate plan? Elder law attorney Steve Waltar joins Suzanne to talk about dos and don'ts. In particular, he explains that a power of attorney is not a commodity. They're all radically different.

Kitty Norton, director of the documentary Wine, Women, & Dementia, joins Suzanne to talk about her movie's premiere on PBS. Kitty talks about caregiving for her mom, blogging about everything that she and her sister were going through, using humor to cope and surrender to the moment. She became friends with people across the world who enjoyed the blog.

Alexis Bonoff, Program Director of the Alzheimer's Association in Washington state, joins Suzanne to talk about the Walk to End Alzheimer's and various programs and resources of the Alzheimer's Association.

Cory Townsend, Director of Development for the Alzheimers Association, Washington branch, joins Suzanne to talk about the Walk to End Alzheimer's. Cory says, "This cause is a lot more than professional for me. My grandfather was a great guy who taught me a lot about life, but also how to fly fish, which is one of my passions. And when he forgot my name, I was heartbroken. We lost my grandpa when he was 99, back in about 2012."

What are pet therapies, and why are they important in the world of Alzheimer's? Washington Therapy Dogs' manager Marlina Velasco-Barker joins Suzanne for September's conversations about the Walk to End Alzheimer's.