Caring For Caregivers - Wills, Trusts, Directives, What You Need To Know

Being a person who cares for loved ones can be most stressful at the holidays. In this Caring For Caregivers Conversation, George Dicks returns to chat with our state director Marguerite Ro. George leads geriatric psychiatry services at Harborview Medical Center and so he's very familiar with seasonal challenges in caregiving. He has some tips and reflections on navigating this time of year. He also recently served as a caregiver for his brother in his final days so he shares his personal journey of caregiving. It wasn't quite what he expected. You can get resources on family caregiving in WA at aarp.org/caregiverswa

Whether you're managing the affairs of a loved one or preparing for yourself, understanding the options for finances is important. In this Caring For Caregivers Conversation, Linda Davenport, VP & Senior Trust Officer at BECU joins our state director Marguerite Ro to talk about trusts, health directives, wills and more. Linda is also a caregiver for her 82 year old mother. Learn more about caregiving in WA at aarp.org/caregiverswa

It's Open Enrollment time for Medicare. Did you know there's a Medicare Part G? We talk about what you need to know to make the right choices for you, plus discuss the latest in recommended vaccines for older adults. This is a live recording of a TeleTown Hall hosted by our state director Marguerite Ro and features Dr. Eric Chow, Chief of Communicable Disease, Epidemiology & Immunization at Seattle/King County Public Health, Ingrid Ulrey, CEO of the Washington Health Benefit Exchange and AARP volunteer Jean Mathisen. 

In this Caring For Caregivers Conversation, our state director Marguerite Ro talks with Shauna Sweeney the founder and CEO of Tender, an app and online platform that aims to make life easier for family caregivers. Tender is part of a new wave of companies using high tech to help us care for our loved ones and the discussion focuses on what's possible today and in the future. Shauna has been the caregiver for her dad for the past nine years. For more on family caregiving, see our website at aarp.org/caregiverswa

Lack of affordable housing limits our choices for how we age. Claire Petersky from the Washington State Housing Finance Commission joins our state director Marguerite Ro to talk about the crisis and where we need to do so people can choose to "age in place". For more, see our caregiving webpage at aarp.org/caregiverswa

Generation X is facing new challenges as caregivers. Jeff Ketchel of Spokane talks with our state director Marguerite Ro about caring for his mother-in-law in his home while raising his children. It's called the Sandwich Generation, where people find themselves caring for the young and the old at the same time. Jeff talks about the ups and downs of this life. In his work life, he's a leader in the public health field so he has both a personal and professional view of caregiving. Jeff talks about how Gen X characteristics can help face caregiving in a new way. Learn more about family caregiving in Washington at aarp.org/caregiversWA

Caregivers need care themselves and that's why we're launching our "Caring for Caregivers" conversations. In our first episode, AARP Washington State Director Marguerite Ro sits down with George Dicks, a geriatric mental health practitioner with Harborview Mental Health and Addiction Service, to talk about the need for caregiving support and how we can do it. George and Marguerite also discuss healthy aging and how we can get there. In addition to his professional experience, George’s lived experience as a kinship provider, caregiver, and a community advocate informs his vision of healthy aging in our society at every stage of life. He talks about what he's seen in his practice and his recent experience as a caregiver for his brother. Learn more at aarp.org/caregiverwa