Radio Show Podcasts

MorningStar Senior Living community in SilverLake near Everett, Washington is having a reopening special weekend that celebrates veterans. Elena Cuevas, Regional VP of Sales, returns to introduce the program with Suzanne. July 7-9, from 1-4, they're introducing renovations while appreciating veterans. Their bistro will be themed for West Point, the activity room will be the Colorado Air Force station with some giveaways and collateral, model apartments themed for Hawaii, then downstairs to the theater room which is themed for California's Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton with glitz and Hollywood glamour, then the last station in the patio area is themed for Naval Station Everett with BBQ and Northeastern delicacies

Kelley Smith at CarePartners Senior Living joins Suzanne to talk more about the Bill of Rights of senior living. After reviewing the first 16 rights, they talk about the final four of the 20 rights.

Suzanne talks more about the 20 Bill of Rights for senior living residents with Kelley Smith at CarePartners Senior Living, a code of conduct that all senior living communities have to follow by law. Residents have a right to their money, to be involved and have access to what's theirs. If they think their care plan isn't being followed, or a caregiver is being rude, they have a right to speak their mind without fearing repercussions.

The Bill of Rights has 20 items, spelling out basic rights to be yourself, to not restrain you, to feel safe in your home, and to not feel like they are being taken advantage of financially. As a matter of privacy, some communities do not dispense medications in the dining room. In this segment, Suzanne and Kelley discuss items 6-11.

Suzanne joins Kelley Smith at CarePartners Senior Living to learn about the 20 rights included in the Bill of Rights for Senior Residents. One reason people are hesitant to move into assisted living is a fear of losing autonomy — they believe someone's going to tell them when to get up, when to go to bed, when to eat dinner — and who wants to live like that? Every community with senior living type of license has a resident Bill of Rights. In this segment, Suzanne and Kelley discuss the first five rights.

Athira Pharma has a clinical trial right now for patients that potentially could treat people with any type of degenerative brain disease. It is being tested now with people who have Alzheimer's disease in mid stages and also with people who have Lewy body disease and Parkinson's disease. The medication speeds up thinking and processing and a long-term effect of increasing connections between brain cells. Suzanne Newman talks with Dr. Michael Mega, Director of the Center for Cognitive Health in Portland, Oregon. The center helps patients maximize their cognitive function as they cope with Alzheimer's disease and disorders of thinking.

This segment focuses on medical diagnoses for Alzheimer's disease, Lewy body dementia and Parkinson's. The field is rapidly changing. We now have biological markers for Alzheimer's: mis-folded proteins in the brain is the common thread for all degenerative diseases, including Parkinson's disease, Lou Gehrig's disease, and frontotemporal degeneration Pick's Disease. Being able to visualize these in PET scans (Positron Emission Tomography) lets us make a definitive diagnosis 15 years before someone begins having memory problems.

Suzanne Newman is joined by Dr. Michael Mega, Director of the Center for Cognitive Health in Portland, Oregon. Dr. Mega answers: How do you tell the difference between normal age-related forgetfulness and the beginnings of Alzheimer's?

On behalf of MorningStar of Beaverton, Suzanne speaks with resident and veteran Nick Hanks, who served in the United States Air Force for 20 years.

Suzanne joins community relations associate Jasmine Sablan Taitano, an ambassador for MorningStar of Beaverton, in Beaverton, OR. Jasmine grew up in a culture that respects and honors elders. When people visit and she gives them tours, she says they appreciate the welcoming staff and tell her that the atmosphere feels very homey and genuine.