Answers for Elders

CarePartners Cottages are secured campuses containing a small neighborhood of three or four apartments. These unique cottages are a great solution for many issues facing those with Alzheimer's and dementia, including sundowning and socialization. Tracy Helling at CarePartners Living talks about the company, their special spot in the area of senior living, and the benefits of the cottages.

Tracy Helling at CarePartners Living shares three most important things to keep in mind during interactions with senior loved ones who have Alzheimer's and dementia. They can't make new memories, so correcting them and arguing with them just causes distress. Have a sense of humor when the unusual happens. And remember that every day is a new day – someone with Alzheimer's and dementia lives in the moment, so if they get angry with you, they won't carry that into tomorrow.

Socialization and relationships are important for our mental health, and it's a core part of memory care at senior living communities. Mom or dad wants to be with peers as well as with family. Home care agencies are available to come in and provide assistance to seniors with activities of daily living. Tracy Helling at CarePartners Living joins Suzanne to talk about these factors for those with dementia and Alzheimer's.

Tracy Helling at CarePartners Living joins Suzanne to talk about memory care. CarePartners has senior living communities in Washington and Arizona. She talks about the warning signs of dementia, comparing them with natural signs of aging.

Alzheimer's and dementia expert Forrest Stepnowski joins Suzanne to talk about dementia, particularly when someone with dementia has gone through a traumatic event. Forrest is CarePartners Living's Executive Director of The Cottages at Renton, in Seattle.

Alzheimer's and dementia expert Forrest Stepnowski joins Suzanne to talk about learning to communicate better with those who have dementia. Forrest is CarePartners Living's Executive Director of The Cottages at Renton, in Seattle.

Tonya Hilson at CarePartners Senior Living joins Suzanne to talk about how we can do better with our seniors to reduce feelings of loneliness and isolation. Tonya says, "If they still have a pulse and a heartbeat, they want to still have you near them, whether they remember you or not. I would love to see people take the time to make a senior smile."

Tonya Hilson talks about physical wellness and senior living: maintaining health, movement, and eating well.

Venetia Dela Cruz talks about the importance in senior living of feeling safe and comfortable in our homes, in an environment that brings people joy.

Tonya Hilson at CarePartners Living talks about how social wellness keeps seniors grounded in the best quality of life in senior living. This segment focuses on social community, our ability to connect with others.

Venetia Dela Cruz from CarePartners Living talks about Emotional Wellness as it pertains to senior living. It is at the core of our being, where we're most able to adapt to changes. It is our sense of well-being and our willingness to nurture and be nurtured.

Kelley Smith from CarePartners Senior Living joins Suzanne to add insights and advice to the fifth and sixth of Teepa Snow's six tips for making holidays successful for those who have Alzheimer's and dementia.

Kelley Smith from CarePartners Senior Living advises on Teepa Snow's tips 3 & 4 for making holidays successful for those who have dementia.

Kelley Smith from CarePartners Senior Living joins Suzanne to add insights and advice to Teepa Snow's first two tips for making holidays successful for those who have Alzheimer's and dementia.

Kelley Smith from CarePartners Senior Living joins Suzanne to share Teepa Snow's six tips for making holidays successful for those who have Alzheimer's and dementia.

Kelley Smith at CarePartners Senior Living joins Suzanne to talk about CarePartners cottages and their memory care Bonded Pairs program.

Kelley Smith at CarePartners Senior Living joins Suzanne to talk about the most commonly asked Dementia questions. Kelley explained, “People want to know what a...

Kelley Smith at CarePartners Senior Living joins Suzanne to talk about different types of dementia, and how to approach caring for a senior loved one.

Kelley Smith at CarePartners Senior Living joins Suzanne to discuss how to have the conversation about dementia or Alzheimer's with your senior loved one.

This segment talks about what a senior living community needs to know to provide the right help for someone working through the grieving process.

Kelley Smith at CarePartners Senior Living has talked to Suzanne about senior dynamics and what families are going through regarding grief. This segment is...

Kelley Smith at CarePartners Senior Living joins Suzanne to talk about grief. With the loss of a loved one, Kelley talks about how to support those who are in the grieving process.

How many of us have lost loved ones during the pandemic, having illnesses resulting from the pandemic, taking care of spouses or loved ones who are struggling? We turn ourselves inside out while caring for a loved one. Kelley shares insights about grief, how people process grief, and how we can be better at supporting and helping those working through the grieving process.

Suzanne joins Community Relations & Marketing Director Tanya Hilson to talk about the The Cottages of Renton, a CarePartners Senior Living community just for seniors who have dementia and Alzheimer's. The layout is unique. Each Cottage opens and exits into an expansive but secure outside interior courtyard allowing residents the freedom to safely stroll, exercise and enjoy open spaces among landscaped walkways and surroundings. The memory care community offers three small, cozy cottages, each with a maximum of 20 residents. This design concept allows them to provide senior loved ones with personal attention they deserve in a familiar, intimate, calm and safe environment.

Suzanne joins direct of nursing Melanie Caoagas for the grand opening weekend at Vineyard Park of Covington in Covington, WA. Melanie oversees the physical health and wellness of the residents: giving them medications, keeping communications with doctors and families, customizing their care plans, and keeping residents informed. The community's assisted living options offer personalized assistance, supportive services and compassionate care in a professionally managed, carefully designed, retirement community setting. It's for seniors who can no longer live on their own, but don’t need 24-hour, complex medical supervision.

Suzanne joins Community Relations Director Keith Roberts at Vineyard Park of Covington in Covington, WA to talk about the details of assisted living. For example, if mom is fine but dad needs help, they have a bonded pairs program where they can come and live together. The care can be provided for dad, mom can live independently, and we'll have an individualized care plan specifically tailored to dad's needs. And if dad ever needed memory care, and it started to not be safe for him to stay here at Vineyard Park, we could literally move him across the parking lot and he can stay with us in memory care as well. She can go visit him whenever she wants, plus she can take him out for activities on this side. There are so many options... if she needed to go to the grocery store, or just needed a little break, she can bring him back.

Suzanne joins Community Relations Director Keith Roberts for the grand opening weekend at Vineyard Park of Covington in Covington, WA. Assisted living is a whole new ball game these days because you have so many amenities: you get the theater, you get the activities, you get the best of everything. Being able to come into a community, know you're going to be cared for, have activities, be able to socialize with folks who are on the same journey as you, make new friends, establish new close bonds, and have a good experience and live with dignity for the rest of your life.

Suzanne joins activities director Chelsea Hansen for the grand opening weekend at Vineyard Park of Covington in Covington, WA. All sorts of things are happening this weekend, with various stations set up throughout the building showcasing events, activities, food, and live music with a Hawaiian theme. Vineyard Park has a host of clubs, plus Bingo, karaoke, a weekly social event, movie night, a monthly birthday dinner, men's poker night, and ladies night, with family as well as residents welcome.

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.

Suzanne Newman joins Kelley Smith at CarePartners Senior Living to talk about CarePartners' commitment to community, being involving in the chamber of commerce, rotary club, food drives, the Alzheimer's Association, and other outreach.

Suzanne Newman joins Kelley Smith at CarePartners Senior Living to talk about The Arbor in Bremerton, CarePartners' newest community.

Suzanne Newman joins Kelley Smith at CarePartners Senior Living to talk about their secret sauce, the evolution of their communities in the Seattle area.

Suzanne Newman joins Kelley Smith at CarePartners Senior Living to talk about to talk about CarePartners' history and core values.

Once you've got Mom settled in her new senior living community, you still have to go back and sort through the rest of her things. This segment talks about three piles you need to make while sorting through her things: sell, donate, trash.

This segment focuses on beginning stages, and putting the plan in action. First: we're downsizing for a reason, whether Mom is moving in with an adult child, moving into an assisted living facility. Look at the space she's moving into and assess how much space is available. Visit model units to get an idea of what would work in the space, to see if Mom's couch will actually fit.

Kelley talks about how we can help our parents and ourselves so we don't leave a lot of clutter for our own children to deal with. When a family member downsizes from a 2,000 square foot home to a 900-1200 square foot retirement apartment, or to an independent living or assisted living apartment, now you're looking at 500-700 square feet of space, or smaller depending on the apartment. You have to weigh what's important to keep, and it will be home — you want to bring your things so it feels like home. Many people in a home look at the challenge and don't even know how to begin downsizing. If you have a senior loved one, or have mobility issues, it can seem an overwhelming challenge. This hour will talk about how to begin, and what to expect regarding amenities when you move into senior living, and how can you leave a legacy for your community.

When the conversations are over, and something doesn't go right, Kelley talks about next steps. You can't control another human being. There are other options if a loved one digs in their heels. Northeast Seattle has NEST — Northeast Seattle Together — and other neighborhoods have programs like this. For a small fee, people will come to the house and do chores, mow the lawn, and do other tasks, so you don't have to be overwhelmed. A family advocate or caregiver needs to keep their balance and boundaries.

This segment addresses what to do when our loved ones are adamantly resisting, but you know something has to change. You have to make sure that a decision's been made - that they are no longer safe in their own home — you have to look at next steps, whether it's home care, home health, rehabilitative care, or something else. Make sure they've been diagnosed by a doctor. And learn what the consequences are if you don't do something.

Kelley talks about red flags to watch for that may signal when to intervene as an adult child or loved one of a senior who may need care. Maybe you've noticed that your mom used to keep her house spotless in the past, but now you see spoiled food in the fridge, stacks of stuff in odd places, and she's ordering strange stuff by mail. You know your loved one, and some things will stand out as unusual. Are they grabbing onto furniture and walls to support themselves? Making excuses for you not to visit? Kelley provides advice when you see behaviors that stand out as unusual in our senior loved ones.

Kelley Smith at CarePartners Senior Living joins Suzanne Newman to talk about how and when to intervene as an adult child or loved one of a senior who may need care. Families may be concerned about their role while honoring parents facing Alzheimer's or dementia. Kelley Smith says to best serve parents and grandparents, first understand what you need as well as what your parents need. When you have conversations, give them time to process so they aren't on the defensive. Create an open dialogue to figure out the next steps. Bring up that you noticed things are getting more challenging for them around the house. Casual conversations often work better than a scheduled meeting.

Whether regarding skilled care, skilled nursing, or memory care, especially during the pandemic myths have persisted about senior living. This segment focuses on family members who care for a senior loved one. It's important to understand your role to make sure they have the best quality of life possible.

Kelley in this segment focuses on quality of life: what to expect in a senior living or assisted living community. It's not what you might think, and there are a lot of preconceived ideas about skilled care. Nothing's perfect, but if you're a caregiver and it's affecting you to where you can't do it any more, or you're in a situation where their needs are over your head, you're not serving them by keeping them at home.

In this segment Kelley explains that the general public's impression of senior living is based on folklore. People think their mom will move in and be isolated, as when you changed schools as a kid. But that's not giving the communities enough credit. A lot of communities have ambassadors that introduce your mom  to new people. That's why you fill out a social assessment – for instance if she's from Norway they might sit her with someone from Norway. A lot of communities put their residents first, with activities, and have a way of making sure the residents are entertained throughout the day.

Whether regarding skilled care, skilled nursing, or memory care, especially during the pandemic myths have persisted about senior living. In this hour, Kelley talks about myths heard all the time about senior care. We remember great-grandma or great-grandpa being in nursing homes, which weren't pleasant places. They don't exist any more — skilled nursing has taken over, and it doesn't look the same as it did even five or ten years ago. If you don't know anybody in assisted living, if you've never been to an assisted living facility, you don't know what actually happens. Skilled nursing now is more like a rehab center that need 24-hour care not appropriate for a hospital setting. People don't realize that things like therapy dog visits and music therapy are available, providing a quality of life — they don't even know that it exists.

Kelley talks about capturing special moments — how we can memorialize these moments to make them last. Take a picture, but frame it and put it up in her room or on her wall, because even if she's in memory care, it helps. Some other ideas are making recordings, scrap books, or a gallery wall.

Kelley talks about lightening up a senior loved one's day. One thing Kelley's done often is dressing up in costumes, such as pirates, food, and baseball players. It got to be fun, and it created events that were about them, and helped them look forward to your visit.

Kelley talks about how to lighten up and have fun, getting creative, not taking everything your senior loved one says personally. Putting yourself in their shoes, trying to understand and listen as a peer if you can, how would you feel if you were in their situation, helps.

Kelley talks about winning the Nesby Glasgow Essence Award. Many reasons for that were for her outside-the-box ideas, such as how to be creative with seniors. In this segment, Kelley talks about how to step into the mindset of being creative in the moment, ways to entertain, be fluid, with seniors.

In this vacation hour, Kelley talks about how to travel with your senior loved one to get them experiencing life once again. There's still a lot of pandemic fear and lots of questions about bringing joy during a family trip. In this segment, Kelley talks about sporting events and other excursions, staycations that families can do with their senior loved ones locally.

In this vacation hour, Kelley talks about how to travel with your senior loved one to get them experiencing life once again. There's still a lot of pandemic fear and lots of questions about bringing joy during a family trip. In this segment, Kelley talks about senior bucket lists, and finding ways to help senior loved ones visit places they'd like to see but never had the opportunity.

There's still a lot of pandemic fear and lots of questions about bringing joy during a family trip. In this segment, Kelley talks about preparing for a trip. Bring a fact sheet listing their doctor, primary care physician, everyone that might need to be contacted in case of an emergency. Make sure you have a care plan, all the medications. Does the destination have everything in place should there be an emergency? Consider the conditions that might cause trouble if they have hearing, eyesight or mobility issues, because you don't want to get there and have it be an unsafe, unpleasant time for all of you.

In this vacation hour, Kelley talks about how to travel with your senior loved one to get them experiencing life once again. There's still a lot of pandemic fear and lots of questions about bringing joy during a family trip. This segment provides an overview of concerns and considerations.

As we talk about transitioning our senior loved ones out of the pandemic this Father's Day weekend, Kelley talks about CarePartners Senior Living's various community outreach programs.

As we talk about transitioning out of the pandemic on Father's Day weekend, Kelley talks about if you've had a loved one stuck at home these past 450 days, how do you help bring them back into the world, as well as how to assess whether they might need additional care.

As we talk about transitioning out of the pandemic and how it affected seniors on Father's Day weekend, Kelley talks about how to assess if their senior loved ones are depressed or if their health has changed, and what their expectations are when the subject of senior living is approached.

In the first of four segments, Kelley Smith talks about how COVID has affected seniors and updates us on various CarePartners Senior Living openings and remodels at various senior living communities. For 450 days we've all dealt with the pandemic, but what about our loved ones? Seniors are watching their restaurants go out of town, changes to the Seattle atmosphere, their friends may have died of COVID, they don't get to see their family members, with COVID restricting socialization.

Jill Martinez, director of community relations for CarePartners Living, discusses financial planning.

Jill Martinez, director of community relations for CarePartners Living, discusses Alzheimer's disease and CarePartners cottages.

Jill Martinez, director of community relations for CarePartners Living, discusses fall prevention and health.

Jill Martinez, director of community relations for CarePartners Living, discusses their Seattle-area North End communities.

CarePartners Senior Living's Kelley Smith joins community relations directors Amanda Kirilenko (Vineyard Park Puyallup, Cottages at Edgewood) and Holly Carr (Cottages Lacey, Cottages University Place) for a three-part conversation about Alzheimer's. This segment focuses on the staff and their qualifications, and the activities that can help improve the quality of life for those impacted by Alzheimer's.

CarePartners Senior Living's Kelley Smith joins community relations directors Amanda Kirilenko (Vineyard Park Puyallup, Cottages at Edgewood) and Holly Carr (Cottages Lacey, Cottages University Place) for a three-part conversation about Alzheimer's. This segment focuses on CarePartners' cottages concept.

CarePartners Senior Living's Kelley Smith joins community relations directors Amanda Kirilenko (Vineyard Park Puyallup, Cottages at Edgewood) and Holly Carr (Cottages Lacey, Cottages University Place) for a three-part conversation about Alzheimer's. This segment is an overview of the different types of dementia.

Kelley Smith at CarePartners Senior Living talks about their communities in Pierce County, Washington, specifically Vineyard Park in Puyallup.

Kelley Smith at CarePartners Senior Living talks about their communities in Pierce County, Washington.

Kelley Smith at CarePartners Senior Living provides a COVID-19 update.

In the second part of this conversation, Kelley Smith at CarePartners Senior Living defines the various types of assisted living services and the CarePartners process.

In this two-part conversation, Kelley Smith at CarePartners Senior Living defines the various types of assisted living services and the CarePartners process.

Kelley Smith at CarePartners Senior Living talks about how the vaccine is impacting protocols and safety. Those in home care agencies are doing a great job of keeping their seniors as engaged as possible, but they don't have the same restrictions as those in assisted living facilities.

Kelley Smith updates us on the status of COVID vaccinations at CarePartners Senior Living. In our industry, most of us are so excited to get it because of the hope behind it. We do this from the heart and love the people we care for. This vaccine has renewed passions to be able to take care of our senior loved ones.

Kelley Smith from CarePartners Senior Living talks about cottages at CarePartners Senior Living.

Kelley Smith from CarePartners Senior Living talks about assisted living facilities at Vineyard Park.

elley Smith from CarePartners Senior Living talks about how a family will know when the time is right to consider moving a senior loved one into an assisted living situation.

Kelley Smith from CarePartners Senior Living talks about how to maintain safety during the holiday season for our senior loved ones who live independently.

Kelley Smith from CarePartners Senior Living talks about the changes and adaptations healthcare professionals make in response to COVID government mandates. From changes in clothing to disinfecting surfaces, we must now be constantly mindful of caring for the environment of our senior loved ones.

Kelley Smith from CarePartners Senior Living talks about inaccurate portrayals of healthcare workers in the media. A recent story in the press misrepresented CarePartners, relating only one side of the story and failing to provide context.

Kelley Smith at CarePartners Living discusses Alzheimer's and Dementia care in Washington state. They provide support groups for family caregivers, a safe place where they can talk about caregiving. We also do family nights and respites, even for early onset seniors. If we do an assessment and they're not a good fit for us, we'll refer them to the right service.

Kelley Smith at CarePartners Living talks about medication management. It's a big deal because as we age we can get forgetful. There are a hundred reasons why we're on certain medications. If you take too much or too little, the medication could either cause damage or be ineffective. Certain medications for seizures, blood pressure, diabetes or pain have to be taken regularly or they don't work.

Kelley Smith at CarePartners Living talks about assisted living, which means something different for everybody because it's so customized. Every single resident has an individualized care plan, whether it be medication management or their activity levels have tapered off, all based on the nurse's full assessment.

Kelley Smith from CarePartners Senior Living talks about the top concerns family members have for their senior loved ones: nutrition, fall risks, medication concerns, and socialization.

During the holiday season, family members tend to visit their senior loved ones around Thanksgiving and Christmas, and then the attention drops off. Kelley Smith describes how CarePartners Living ramps up activities after the holidays to keep the momentum going, so residents don't suffer from loneliness following that surge of holiday attention.

Kelley Smith at CarePartners Living talks about 2019’s 12 Days of Goodness events. We're all the 12th Man, and CarePartners Living has a lot of fun with it. Residents light up; they're so excited to make these connections and be involved together. It's one of the happiest events we have.

If your senior loved one is dealing with Alzheimer's or Dementia, we still encourage a visit over the holidays. If Mom is overly sensitive to lights, turn off the blinking of the Christmas tree lights, because that can be overwhelming. Play music more quietly. Kelley Smith at CarePartners Living encourages families to contact a home care service and have someone come over to help with eating and toileting, to help with the things your loved one wouldn't want you to do anyway.

Kelley Smith at CarePartners Living talks about senior loved ones continuing to be honored over the holidays once they are in assisted living. People ask questions about whether to take Mom home over the holiday, can she handle the noise, should we hire a caregiver, what if mom feels isolated in the home because she can't keep up? We suggest that you not make assumptions and see what your senior loved one is capable of.

Kevan Atteberry discusses his fundraising work for the Pacific Northwest Walk to End Alzheimer's. His efforts honor his wife Teri, once an active soccer...

CarePartners Living has a variety of cottage communities catering to those with Alzheimer's and Dementia. Kelley Smith discusses how these cottages create an unconfined, non-medical atmosphere where senior loved ones facing these conditions can get the care they need while still being treated like adults with respect and dignity.

Kelley Smith at CarePartners Living discusses Alzheimer's Care during September's Walk to End Alzheimer's, of which CarePartners Living is a major sponsor. The Walk increases awareness for opportunities offered by the Alzheimer's Association, including its support network. Talking about it improves awareness, leading to more research and support.

Faith Marshall, author of “I Miss You, Mom: A Daughter’s Journey Into Dementia Land,” works to build communities and awareness.

Kelley Smith at CarePartners Living discusses costs of various senior living arrangements. An over-55 retirement community can cost $900 - $1500 per month. Independent assisted living with 24-hour caregivers, nurses, full-time activities, and meals can cost $3,000 to $6,000 per month. Memory care ranges from $4,500 to $7,500 per month.

Kelley Smith at CarePartners Living discusses various Medicaid qualifications. CarePartners Living has the largest floating Medicaid license in Washington state. People are confused over how to qualify for Medicaid. Average costs of assisted living is $5,000 or $6,000 per month. Income and assets are limited, so perhaps one or two years can be paid for out of pocket. Don't wait till they've exhausted their funds before applying for Medicaid. Qualifications include having less than $2,000 in the bank, requiring assistance with at least three activities of daily living, and assets cannot be hidden.

Kelley Smith at CarePartners Living discusses Medicaid qualifications. Let's say that you have $100,000 in the bank. One qualification for Medicaid is having less than $2,000 in the bank, so you would need to spend the rest of that money in ways the state allows, with expenses analyzed for the most recent five years.

The Warm Beach Senior Community provides post acute and rehabilitative care following hospitalization. Scott Ernst says they fulfill the need for skilled nursing and...

Kelley Smith at CarePartners Living recommends many things to families, including support groups and resource room.

Memory Care is a living environment for those with symptoms of dementia or Alzheimer's. Kelley Smith describes CarePartners Living cottages. Activities need to be set up differently for those needing memory care. The smaller the environment, the better, to ensure a better quality of life and feeling needed.

Assisted living means that you have a care plan, physicians orders, and a care team set up to help you with activities of daily living throughout your stay in a community. Kelley Smith at CarePartners Living describes this aspect of senior living.

Housing is a daunting aspect for senior living. Kelley Smith at CarePartners Living talks about the differences between retirement living and independent assisted living.

Shawn D'Amelio from With A Little Help talks about making sure your senior loved one’s home supports them so that they are better able...

Shawn D'Amelio from With A Little Help talks about what qualities make a senior loved one a great candidate for aging in place. For...

Kelley Smith at CarePartners Living talks about the end of the caregiving journey, after your loved one has passed, to find a new purpose.

Shawn D'Amelio talks about CarePartners Living partnerships such as With A Little Help. She is the VP of Washington State Homecare Association, which is...

Shawn D'Amelio talks about CarePartners Living partnerships such as With A Little Help. It's helpful to have a partner during the transition from in-home...

Annie Jacobsen talks about family caregivers. Once you have a family member in medical care, the family member's role is to help the medical...

Kelley Smith at CarePartners Living provides advice on how to go through the process with aging loved ones. The role reversal in caring for a loved one needs to preserve your loved ones' dignity. You need to preserve your role as the son or daughter.

Shawn D'Amelio discusses the four stages of the caregiver's journey.

Kelley Smith, VP of sales and marketing at CarePartners Senior Living, talks at Discovery 2019, the 34th Annual Alzheimer's Regional Conference. CarePartners operates seven dementia-dedicated senior care facilities in Washington. Sometimes intervention happens too soon — it has to be the right marriage of timing and where seniors are in their journey.

Shawn D’Amelio is the director of business development for With A Little Help, a locally-owned home care company. They provide home care services, solve...

Nichole Smith from CarePartners Living: We in the senior living industry think of ourselves as co-petitors, not competitors, and we meet on purpose to know all of the services out there. Just this morning I met with a group of 140 providers, and I thanked them all for their help, because we just went through placing my own family in assisted living, putting my dad in hospice, him ultimately passing away, and it was the people in that room that I called upon when my family needed help. One provider can't do everything

Susan Dale with CarePartners Living: Families that come to us are very overwhelmed, don’t know where to start or what’s the process, especially when they come in for the holidays.

Fall is time when weather kicks up and we should get a head start on preventing falls. Colette Roberge at CarePartners Senior Living point our there are many hazards around the home or that seniors are doing that can cause falls. What medications are they taking? Are some combinations making them dizzy? Fall is good time for a follow-up with the doctor to assess all their medications. Colder weather brings arthritis, which can also bring falls, and there are also wet decks, icy walks.

Your senior loved one staying at home is the ultimate goal for as long as possible, but it can be hard if it involves maintaining a mortgage or a big yard. Sometimes families will wait because they don't want to give up the family home or their loved one has dug in, and they wait too long. Warning signs depend on their situation, but if they're living at home, are they able to manage their medications, are they eating appropriately? They're isolated and don't think about eating. Colette Roberge at CarePartners Senior Living sees residents move in, and new life comes back into them, and they flourish.

Nichole Smith at CarePartners Living says that a lot of science was put into the design of their cottages. Their clients with dementia have a cycle of self-isolation, depression, that exasperates the dementia. The cottages are based on a home environment. Each site has three cottages on it, 20 residents each, which encourages interaction. Residents smell the coffee in the morning, hear their neighbors getting up, going to breakfast just like they did when they had kids, and this encourages their curiosity.

Nichole Smith at CarePartners Senior Living says that surprisingly, a majority of financial abuse comes from family members. We often have so many red flags that families are squirreling away money. When a person loses their safety awareness, of course they trust their family more than anybody else, and family members may be making decisions which they think are in the best interest of their loved one, but later down the line it may make it so they can’t get on a state Medicaid program because they’ve gifted money within the last five years.

Kelley Smith at CarePartners Senior Living talks about funding options for senior care. If a retirement/assisted living/memory care community really is the best solution, then we are going to talk about financing. What are you supposed to do if your dad’s gone, and all your mom has is her social security and her house? We have the largest floating Medicaid license in the state. Mom can take what little assets she has, and when she runs out of money, Mom qualifies for the state benefits and is guaranteed to be able to stay with us.

Jill Martinez, director of community relations for CarePartners Living, explains that Dementia can hit 90% of the population in some form. To care for a loved one on your own is an overwhelming experience. We really try to help them through that process of determining when it’s time to consider memory care or moving their loved one into a retirement community, because there really are some key factors to pay attention to. The cottages are set up for memory care specifically and are built a specific way.