aging in place

According to a recent study, over 20 million Americans aged 55 and older have difficulties completing one or more basic daily activities.  This according to a recent study by the Schwartz Center for Policy Analysis at the New School for Social Research.   Of that number, 8.3 million people are NOT getting the help they need. 

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People aged sixty-five and older make up the fastest growing population around the world, posing unique challenges to societies. A Harvard initiative called Social Technology for Global Aging Research is founded on the belief that there’s a great potential for technologies and interventions to benefit the elderly, but only if they are developed with a deep understanding of day-to-day life. In the scope of this collaboration, technology for the elderly covers a wide range of needs—from engineering hardware for mobility to designing living environments and even tackling the logistics of meeting friends for tea. It’s an expansive collaboration between Harvard scholars and their Chinese counterparts. We speak with four collaborators who share fascinating examples of their work.

The founder of the initiative, Arthur Kleinman, believes that aging societies represent an unprecedented transformation of the global population that introduces a range of challenges. He emphasizes the need to bring together various disciplines—such as medical practitioners, engineers, and anthropologists, to name a few—to collaboratively solve problems the elderly face in their day to day lives. Much of the team’s research is conducted on the ground in China, where about 30 percent of the population of China will be sixty-five or older by 2050.

Fawwaz Habbal points out the particular challenges of engineering products and services for this constituency, but also highlights the great insights that emerge from using a multidisciplinary approach. 

Ann Forsyth discusses the desire of the elderly to “age in place,” and what that means from an urban planning and housing perspective. The locations that may be desirable at one stage in life often change in older age. In China, for example, many older people have moved from the rural areas to the cities, and culturally it’s frowned upon to relocate parents to assisted living facilities.

Designing social interventions can be just as powerful as designing an effective piece of hardware. Drawing on his vast experience with older patients and elder resources, Hong-Tu Chen describes a simple method for fostering connections between children and their elderly parents. 

All four scholars share fascinating stories about unintended consequences of new technologies, and surprisingly simple interventions that can have a powerful impact on quality of life.

Guests:

Arthur Kleinman, Faculty Associate. Esther and Sidney Rabb Professor, Department of Anthropology, Harvard University; Professor of Medical Anthropology in Global Health and Social Medicine; Professor of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School.

Hong-Tu Chen, Assistant Professor of Psychology, Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School.

Ann Forsyth, Faculty Associate. Ruth and Frank Stanton Professor of Urban Planning; Interim Chair, Department of Urban Planning and Design, Harvard Graduate School of Design.

Fawwaz Habbal, senior lecturer in applied physics, Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences. 

Related Links:

• Social Technology for Global Aging Research Initiative at Harvard University
• “Social Technology: An Interdisciplinary Approach to Improving Care for Older Adults”
• By Arthur Kleinman, Hong-Tu Chen, Fawwaz Habbal, et al. (Frontiers in Public Health, December 9, 2021) 
• “Making Communities Age-Friendly: Lessons From Implemented Programs” by Ann Forsyth et al. (Journal of Planning Literature, 2023)
• “Climate Change, Aging, and Well-being: How Residential Setting Matters” by Ann Forsyth et al. (Housing Policy Debate, Volume 33, 2023)
• “Technological Devices To Help Older People beyond the Home: An Inventory and Assessment Focusing on the Neighborhood and City Scales” by Ann Forsyth et al. (Cities & Health, 2022)
• Reshaping Engineering Education: Addressing Complex Human Challenges by Fawwaz Habbal et al. (forthcoming, Springer, January 2024)
• The Soul of Care: The Moral Education of a Husband and a Doctor by Arthur Kleinman (Penguin Random House, 2019)
• “How Are China and Its Middle Class Handling Aging and Mental Health?” by Arthur Kleinman in The China Questions: Critical Insights into a Rising Power edited by Jennifer Rudolph and Michael Szonyi (Harvard University Press, 2018)

Music credit: Cinematic Documentary by Aleksey Chistilin, Pixabay

Episode Credits:

• Hosted by Erin Goodman, Executive Director of the Weatherhead Center
• Produced, edited, and mixed by Michelle Nicholasen, Editor and Content Producer at the Weatherhead Center

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Join Kosta and his guest: Meredith Oppenheim, Founder and CEO of Vitality Society, an online community designed to enrich, engage and empower people 60 and better to remain at their best.

Meredith proudly served on Mayor Bloomberg’s Age-Friendly NYC Commission and the NYC Department for Aging board during her decades as an executive in the senior housing industry where she received a US Congressional Award for her service to seniors. Recently featured as a Speaker at South By Southwest, Meredith’s mission to create sustainable, long lasting change in senior living is just getting started.

In this episode: What’s the difference between someone’s age and their vitality? The Baby-Boomer Generation is known for completely demolishing every trend and tradition in their path. As they’re getting older and starting to shape the landscape of what retirement and life past 65 looks like to them, how do you think communities like Vitality Society play into the new way we age? As someone that’s started an online community for seniors and is actively working to integrate technology into the aging process, what role do you see technology taking in senior living, care and security? 

Find out more about Meredith Oppenheim and Vitality Society:
https://www.vitality-society.com/

Join Kosta and his guest: Malika Moore, Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Educator and Founder of Aging and Amazing, a network committed to older adults and strengthening the networks that surround them.

In this episode: In my experience, people either never want to think about getting older or they’re afraid of getting older and thinking about it way too much. As a society, why does it feel like we’ve turned growing old into a punishment? As someone working on the front lines of advocacy for our elder-generation, do you think we’re starting to wake up to the shame we’ve created around getting old? Are people starting to reframe how they see their life after 65? What do you think are the greatest sources of joy and purpose as we age that are sometimes overlooked or lost throughout our lives? 

Find out more about Aging and Amazing:
https://www.agingamazing.com/

Find out more about Kosta Yepifantsev:
https://kostayepifantsev.com/

Kaushik Gune is Head of Healthcare (US) for Huma ( https://www.huma.com/ ), a global digital health technology company that uses AI to advance a digital-first care delivery and research model to help people live longer, fuller lives. Huma's regulated Software as a Medical Device is the only disease agnostic platform to hold both EU MDR (The European Union Medical Device Regulation) Class IIb and US FDA Class II regulatory status and has applications including - - Digital first care for health systems, - Companion apps to support patients through treatment and drug therapies, and - Virtual clinical trials to accelerate research. Kaushik has over 20 years of operational, financial and strategic experience in companies such as McKinsey & Co, NuVasive and United Airlines. Before joining Huma, Kaushik was responsible for building Smith+Nephew’s digital health business within the musculoskeletal space. Kaushik has a BE, Mechanical Engineering, from University of Mumbai; an MS, Industrial Engineering, from Purdue University; and an MBA, Strategy & Finance, from INSEAD. 

Join Kosta and his guest: Gretchen Kingma, Occupational Therapist, Realtor and Founder of Empowered Homes and Custom Joy.

Throughout her career Gretchen has dedicated herself to improving aging-in-place services, creating intentional home modifications, and facilitating community transitions that assist older adults and persons with disabilities in making spaces that fit their needs while promoting independence, comfort, and personal choice.

In this episode:  What is universal design? For anyone that’s trying to evaluate the accessibility of a home, what should be on their main list of considerations? At what point should you choose downsizing over renovations when it comes to home modifications and accessibility? In the event someone is deciding to age in place, as AARP reports 80% of us would prefer to, what are the most overlooked obstacles for mobility?

Find out more about Gretchen Kingma and Empowered Homes:
https://empoweredhomes.com/

Find out more about Custom Joy:
https://customjoystl.com/

Find out more about Kosta Yepifantsev:
https://kostayepifantsev.com/

Real Estate 55 Plus provides a spectrum of services for seniors. Real Estate 55 Plus CEO Juli Anne Gibson joins Suzanne to talk about what typically happens when a senior loved one passes and a home goes into probate.

"When we're gonna go into the home, I would say 25% of the time the personal representative or the executor doesn't live in the state or the city where the property is at. They may have never even have seen it depending on the circumstances. So we're going to come in and do an evaluation on the home, and we're going to give a comparative market analysis that says what the home value is worth. 

"And we're gonna provide up to four options for the executor for the estate, with the first one being selling the home off market. People say, well, why would you do that? Well, typically in a seller's market, sellers aren't gonna take that option and we would typically recommend not for an executor to do executor to do that. But if we're in a buyer's market or the property has a lot of deferred maintenance, it may be the best option for the estate. 

"Option number two would be do a pre-inspection on a home and disclose the issues, but don't do any work. And option three could be, do a pre-inspection and do some work so you're gonna increase the net proceeds. And number four would be to do a full remodel. So we give those options to the executor. 

"Typically, the decisions are made based on how much we return on investment and time. Those are the two big, you know, indicators I think for the person that's going through that process and making decisions. If there are multiple beneficiaries, there's a lot of family dynamics. So we not only work on the real estate, we not only work on the real estate side, but we're the, we're the, we're the problem solvers. We're coming in and we're, we're working with the executor honoring the deceased person's wishes. And, you know, we don't know the family dynamics and they share those with us. So we want to be really sensitive to everybody else that's part of the process."

You can reach Juli Anne Gibson at (800) 964-1553 or https://realestate55plus.com/.

Learn more:
* Real Estate 55 Plus: https://realestate55plus.com/
* Juli Anne Gibson: https://realestate55plus.com/team/
* Call 800-964-1553 to speak to a live person

Hear more shows with Juli Anne Gibson: https://answersforelders.com/tag/juli-anne-gibson/

Answers for Elders is part of the SeniorResource Network: https://www.seniorresource.com/
Check out our affiliate podcast Alzheimer’s Speaks: https://alzheimersspeaks.com/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Seniors are waiting longer before they make a change. For many, they wait so long that they end up limiting their options. They have a fall, are injured to an extent that they're no longer able to live independently, and now have a crisis to move. Real Estate 55 Plus CEO Juli Anne Gibson joins Suzanne to talk about what holds people back, the biggest questions people ask about downsizing, and provides an example of a family that faced a moving crisis.

Juli Anne says, “It's amazing what you don't see when you live in your own home. When you have somebody with fresh eyes coming in, we can see all of the possible hazards in somebody's home. That includes not just the house itself, but someone's physical presence. Oftentimes people are dehydrated, or malnourished, or their balance is off. And so they're not taking care of themselves in the way that they could so they could live independently longer.”

What holds people back from downsizing? Juli Anne says, "I think it depends. I think a lot of it's not knowing, it's the unknown. And I think in the United States, we really pride ourselves on independence. When we're teaching workshops, one of the questions we ask is, have you made a plan for housing and aging and overwhelming? We hear people say, 'I want to stay in my home until you take me out feet first.' And I always say, what's the plan for you being able to stay in your current home? And what we find is a lot of times a senior is only living in maybe 25 - 35% of their home. And the reason they don't want to move it because they don't know how they could possibly do that and. Oftentimes when we come in, and we can show them these are the options available to you, and this is how you could do it, it's a relief for people. Our, goal is that someone make good decisions and proactive decisions about housing and aging."

You can reach Juli Anne Gibson at (800) 964-1553 or https://realestate55plus.com/.

Learn more:
* Real Estate 55 Plus: https://realestate55plus.com/
* Juli Anne Gibson: https://realestate55plus.com/team/
* Call 800-964-1553 to speak to a live person

Hear more shows with Juli Anne Gibson: https://answersforelders.com/tag/juli-anne-gibson/

Answers for Elders is part of the SeniorResource Network: https://www.seniorresource.com/
Check out our affiliate podcast Alzheimer’s Speaks: https://alzheimersspeaks.com/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If you're thinking about moving, Real Estate 55 Plus conducts valuable Aging With Choice workshops. Founder and CEO Juli Anne Gibson joins Suzanne to talk about working with families, real estate agents, executors, and estate planners. She talks about how the workshops work, then provides a great example of a senior who took the workshop and how it led to her moving choices.

Juli Anne says, "We really are passionate about seniors and we would love for everybody to have a plan about housing and aging. That's really what we would love. And we understand that everybody is in a different stage in their lives when they come to us. So Aging With Choice workshops, we offer free, and we host them at retirement communities at fire stations, llibraries, anywhere that we can gather. It is a workshop in the sense that you're gonna leave with something that you're gonna be working on. But we're gonna give you the steps of what you're gonna be working on to make good decisions about housing and aging."

"The first 30 years of your life, you're deciding what you want, what you like, and then you spend the next 30 years accumulating it. Then the last part of your life, you're getting rid of it. And for so many people, that process is what stops them from moving forward. We talk about how you can do that successfully, and we even have tools that you can use. And people can actually access that information on our website. They can download a request form and we'll mail out that packet to them."

"We partner with senior housing advisors who really understand the different options that are available, how much they're gonna cost, what level of service they're gonna provide. And in 95% of the cases, those services are free to seniors. We're referring all the time to our senior housing advisors, because they do the leg work for our senior clients and their families. So once we meet with the family, and we have a really clear understanding of their finances, what types of services they're going to need for both physical or possibly mental, what they love doing, and what are their passions and desires, and then that senior housing advisor will say, based on that criteria, these are the communities or the options that are available to you."

You can reach Juli Anne Gibson at (800) 964-1553 or https://realestate55plus.com/.

Learn more:
* Real Estate 55 Plus: https://realestate55plus.com/
* Juli Anne Gibson: https://realestate55plus.com/team/
* Call 800-964-1553 to speak to a live person

Hear more shows with Juli Anne Gibson: https://answersforelders.com/tag/juli-anne-gibson/

Answers for Elders is part of the SeniorResource Network: https://www.seniorresource.com/
Check out our affiliate podcast Alzheimer’s Speaks: https://alzheimersspeaks.com/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If you're a senior living in a home that's not working for you, and you need to make a change, but don't know what the next steps are, specialized services for seniors are available at Real Estate 55 Plus. Founder and CEO Juli Anne Gibson joins Suzanne to talk about working with families, real estate agents, executors, and estate planners. She talks about creating a roadmap to minimize the stress involved in moving, particularly for those over 55.

Juli Anne says, "Oftentimes people don't know the options that are available to them. So we teach those Aging With Choice workshops, and then we have clients that were really working more with the adult child, and there's been a crisis, mom or dad fell and are no longer able to go home and live alone by themselves. You get called in and really, it's kind of triage at that time. And then we work a lot with executors and executors for estates. So someone has real estate that they need to sell with the probate process. We step in and most people are just overwhelmed with what that emotionally and financially and all the above just trying to figure out how to deal with all of this overwhelm when you've had a horrible loss."

"We actually have a client that's been living in a home for a long time and recently has moved to assisted living. And most of our seniors, their major asset is the equity in their home. They don't have the funds to pay for an assisted living or retirement community or memory care. So we offer gap funding, and we pay that directly to the community, so the senior can move in, and then we do any of the needed repairs or refresh on the property so we can maximize their net proceeds. And then we get reimbursed at closing for paying for that gap funding. And we don't charge an interest rate for that. There's not a minimum or maximum amount of time."

Juli Anne adds, "We recommend to our clients that we do what we call a pre-listing inspection of the home. Not only will that provide information for our senior clients, so they can make good decisions on repairs, if it makes sense to do a refresh or make repairs, because they're gonna get a return on investment.But it's also really great to provide that information to a buyer, so they can make good decisions on writing offers. And then we know when we list a property, we can fully disclose any of the issues with the home."

8:30-9:10 set the stage... style of the home based on the buyer... work with the family... variety of products we can provide based on senior circumstance, save the most time, make the most money

"50% of the seniors that we work with don't have their legal matters in place. And so their plan is no plan, and that is a plan. So they're waiting for a crisis to happen. They aren't aware of the documents that they need, and who they need to appoint for those..."

"When they have a plan, number one, I think it just gives you peace of mind knowing, hey, if, if I'm no longer able to make decisions, this person's gonna make those for me and they know what my decisions are. So when we get called in to work with the senior, and all the family or the friends know what the plan is, we don't have to do a lot of the triage... We have about 72 different types of services organizations that we partner with, and depending on someone's unique road map for housing and aging, we plug in those services for them."

You can reach Juli Anne Gibson at (800) 964-1553 or https://realestate55plus.com/.

Learn more:
* Real Estate 55 Plus: https://realestate55plus.com/
* Juli Anne Gibson: https://realestate55plus.com/team/
* Call 800-964-1553 to speak to a live person

Hear more shows with Juli Anne Gibson: https://answersforelders.com/tag/juli-anne-gibson/

Answers for Elders is part of the SeniorResource Network: https://www.seniorresource.com/
Check out our affiliate podcast Alzheimer’s Speaks: https://alzheimersspeaks.com/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Disclaimer: This episode contains conversations about suicide, mental health, and some content that might not be appropriate for all audiences.

Join Kosta and his guest: Nikki Lawley, Medical Cannabis Advocate, Educator, and Founder of Nikki and the Plant.

Today we’re talking about aging, longevity, and medical cannabis.

In a 2020 publication from Harvard Health Researchers found medical cannabis is increasingly viewed as one of the most effective options for managing insomnia and chronic pain among seniors.

Find out more about Nikki Lawley:
https://www.nikkiandtheplant.org/

Find out more about Kosta Yepifantsev:
https://kostayepifantsev.com/

Founder and CEO of Real Estate 55 Plus Juli Anne Gibson joins Suzanne to talk about the unique services that her company provides for people over 55.

Juli Anne says, "We know that in real estate, it's really about the relationships with the people. It really is not about the house, because it doesn't become a home until the people reside in and create the space that they want. So we come from a place of proactivity. The primary focus is to find out what the seniors' goals are. And then we create a road map for how they're going to age, and where they're going to live. And for the most of the people that we work with, they're gonna be selling their current home, and they're gonna be right-sizing. So they may move from a large home to a condominium. They may might move into multi-generational living. They may be exploring assisted living, retirement communities. 

"But one thing people don't know about what we do, is there are about 72 potential services that we can recommend and refer to a family and for seniors, so that they can make really good decisions. One of the examples is, as a necessity with COVID, we started offering estate sale services. It's not for profit. We just charge for the labor and the dump fees, and marketing promotion. Any proceeds we make go back to the family. We've created a system so we have realtors that are in different states, they can actually access that program and provide estate sell services to clients in their areas, or we're gonna tell them how they can partner within an estate sale company.

"Oftentimes, what prevents a senior from moving forward is lack of funding. Some people want to move to a retirement community, but all of their assets are tied up into the equity of their home real estate. 55 Plus will pay that gap funding to the retirement community at no interest. And we get reimbursed from the sale of the proceeds from the house. So our goal is to get the person settled where they need to be. We will go as far as getting the whole place set up for them, and hiring the movers, and getting it all set up for that. It's not just a real estate piece of it, it has to do with the housing, and aging, and making sure people are in really good spaces."

Learn more:
* Real Estate 55 Plus: https://realestate55plus.com/
* Juli Anne Gibson: https://realestate55plus.com/team/
* Call 800-964-1553 to speak to a live person

Hear more shows with Juli Anne Gibson: https://answersforelders.com/tag/juli-anne-gibson/

Answers for Elders is part of the SeniorResource Network: https://www.seniorresource.com/
Check out our affiliate podcast Alzheimer’s Speaks: https://alzheimersspeaks.com/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Juli Anne Gibson joins Suzanne to talk about home maintenance, which not only keeps a senior safe, it can defer expenses, or increase the value of our home. Maintaining a home can help seniors aging in place in their homes for as long as they can. Juli Anne is the founder and CEO of Real Estate 55 Plus.

About maintenance, Juli Anne says, "It not only keeps the senior safe, but it also can defer expenses, or it can increase the value of your home. Oftentimes if we're coming in, doing an assessment, there's been lack of maintenance on systems and the property itself, which are gonna cost a lot more money than it would have had they been preventative. And as we age, we don't see smell or hear things that we might have when we were younger. They're giving us clues that there's an issue in our home. 

"The furnace is probably first, because we're going into the fall right now. Having your furnace checked is super important. You make sure that it, it's working properly, so you have adequate heat coming on. But you also want to make sure that you have your air ducts cleaned out, for two reasons. One is if your air ducts get clogged, especially your dryer, that can start a fire. Number two is, if you have allergies at all, and it's clogged in your air ducts or in your vents in your bathrooms, that can cause all kinds of havoc on your breathing.

"With the roof, if you have an area that has a lot of moss, it's just ugly to look at, but it expands and contracts, and that's what causes the shingles to deteriorate. So having moss removed, having someone inspect your roof, looking for either cracked shingles, or flashing, or a rain cap that's missing. So that helps with any leak prevention, coming into your home. They can also take a look at your gutters and make sure that they're not full. Full gutters cause water spills. What do water spills do? They wreck havoc on siding and windows and intrusion into basements.

"As far as walking with moss, it becomes very, very slippery and slick when it's wet. So making sure that someone's coming in and removing the moss from your sidewalks, and your stairs, and your decks, is super important to make sure that you have a clean space to be able to walk."

Learn more:
* Real Estate 55 Plus: https://realestate55plus.com/
* Juli Anne Gibson: https://realestate55plus.com/team/
* Call 800-964-1553 to speak to a live person

Hear more shows with Juli Anne Gibson: https://answersforelders.com/tag/juli-anne-gibson/

Answers for Elders is part of the SeniorResource Network: https://www.seniorresource.com/
Check out our affiliate podcast Alzheimer’s Speaks: https://alzheimersspeaks.com/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Juli Anne Gibson joins Suzanne to talk about home safety, and a key aspect of this for seniors is fall prevention. Being injured in a fall is the number one reason seniors aren't able to go back their homes and live independently. 75% of home falls are preventable. It's the simple things that cause falls or tripping, there are easy things to do to prevent them. Juli Anne, founder and CEO of Real Estate 55 Plus, talks about how to assess your home for the future to "age in place" and "right-size" your living domain.

Juli Anne says, "We work a lot with the Red Cross. The Red Cross actually has a Fall Prevention program, and they will come in and assess your home. So we follow their guidelines on what we can recommend to a senior, and we're teaching workshops, we will provide that information to them.

"When we age, our sight changes, our hearing changes, our sense of smell, our balance, and our touch. So what we used to be able to see in front of us, now oftentimes it will look like a black hole. And so, walking through your home, you’re saying, am I seeing this as a continuation, or does it look like a stair to myself? So if you have carpets, rugs that are a darker or lighter color than your other flooring, you may want to consider removing those. Because at some point, you may think that's a hole, and you're gonna try to step over it, and you're gonna fall. We see that happen quite a bit. 

"Getting out of their bathtubs, you have all kinds of grab bars that come in permanent or semi-permanent installation, a whole package in a movement called Universal Design. So you can retrofit your home, so that you can age successfully as possible... If you have chronic arthritis and it's going to get worse, or you have a flare up, you want to make sure that doors and handles are easy for you to maneuver. So not a round handle, but a lever-style handle.

"If you can spend five or 10 minutes a day on balance, there are some chair exercises that you can download online, or get a video for. You can also go to a local YMCA or gym that's going to focus on balance, and also your core. For many of us, when we start getting tipsy, if we have really good balance, it's gonna prevent a fall. And with our core, if we can have that strength, and we're back, it's gonna have a huge, huge impact on our being able to regain balance."

Learn more:
* Real Estate 55 Plus: https://realestate55plus.com/
* Juli Anne Gibson: https://realestate55plus.com/team/
* Call 800-964-1553 to speak to a live person

Hear more shows with Juli Anne Gibson: https://answersforelders.com/tag/juli-anne-gibson/

Answers for Elders is part of the SeniorResource Network: https://www.seniorresource.com/
Check out our affiliate podcast Alzheimer’s Speaks: https://alzheimersspeaks.com/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Founder and CEO of Real Estate 55 Plus Juli Anne Gibson joins Suzanne to kick off the topic of environmental wellness: surrounding yourself with an environment that brings you joy; being in an environment that supports you; living sustainably and being mindful of the world we live in. This is one of the 8 foundational principles of wellness, featured as part of the Vitality Revolution podcast series sponsored by Humana.

Juli Anne says, "Let's specifically talk about environmental wellness for seniors. Number one, our home is where we create family and community and connection. And as we age, we're gonna be seeing people leaving our homes coming back and returning to visit us. And we're wanting to have a space that feels comfortable, brings back memories and that's gonna honor the senior themselves. So we're working with someone who's currently in their home and they're moving someplace else. We want to recreate that space for them. So it feels like home because home is a feeling it's the people around you. It's not necessarily the house itself. And what and what we know about real estate is it really isn't about the houses. It's about the people, and the people are what create a home. And that's the fundamental basis of where we start with the senior and their families, is what their priorities are. So we can make sure we help them make good decisions on that journey for housing and aging."

Seniors have many options. "We teach Aging With Choice workshops, where we look at all the different options that are available to somebody. And there's a wide scope. Of course, we're gonna look at their financial, their emotional, spiritual, and physical, that's gonna help define really the base point of what they're gonna be looking for, and searching for, whether they want to age in their current home or move someplace else. The options are endless." 

Juli Anne adds, "When we sit down with somebody, we're looking at their uniqueness, and we're looking at what makes the most sense for them. Oftentimes you don't know what you don't know, until you sit down with us and we help you create that road map. Oftentimes people say, I wish that we had pulled you in a year sooner, because all of these resources we wish we had known about, because trial and error, we found our way. So we help seniors and their families create a road map, so that they can age and how successfully and have a sense of well-being, right? The home is the most important part of our lives, because it's where we live."

Learn more:
* Real Estate 55 Plus: https://realestate55plus.com/
* Juli Anne Gibson: https://realestate55plus.com/team/
* Call 800-964-1553 to speak to a live person

Hear more shows with Juli Anne Gibson: https://answersforelders.com/tag/juli-anne-gibson/

Answers for Elders is part of the SeniorResource Network: https://www.seniorresource.com/
Check out our affiliate podcast Alzheimer’s Speaks: https://alzheimersspeaks.com/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Join Kosta and his guest: Maxwell Schmitz, MSFS, CLTC, Senior Advisor, CEO of Yetworth Insurance Solutions, and Author of Planting the Seed: 20 Ways to Preserve Your Yetworth.

Today we’re talking about who actually needs long-term care insurance.

In this episode: What is long-term care insurance? How is it most commonly used? How does the price of long-term care insurance change with age and typically what impacts it the most? Why do we wait so long to get insurance and how can we start having these conversations earlier? How will changing enrollment qualifications for Medicaid programs like Medi-Cal impact the need for long-term care insurance?

Find out more about Maxwell Schmitz and Yetworth Insurance Solutions:
https://www.yetworth.com/home

Find out more about Kosta Yepifantsev:
https://kostayepifantsev.com/

Join Kosta and his guest: Kevin Jameson, Founder, President, and Chief Volunteer of Dementia Society of America, a non-profit working to educate and promote awareness of all types of dementia.

In this episode: Dementia looks different for everyone, how does technology aid in providing personalized care options, specifically in improving community engagement and communication? There are important distinctions to be made between Dementia and Alzheimer's, why do you think so many think of these conditions synonymously?  Why do you think so many people are afraid to bring technology into the care process? We use technology and automation for almost every other part of our life, why is this different?  

Find out more about Kevin Jameson and Dementia Society of America:
https://www.dementiasociety.org/

Find out more about Kosta Yepifantsev:
https://kostayepifantsev.com/

Join Kosta and his guest: Steve Gurney, Founder and CEO of Positive Aging Community,  Author, and Senior Living Advocate of over 30 years.

In this episode: What is Positive Aging Community? How does it help seniors and our communities overall? As an expert in senior living, what do you believe is the biggest misconception about this experience? What’s the hardest part of getting older from a social and communal perspective? What can we do to ease these hardships?
  
Find out more about Steve Gurney and Positive Aging Community:
https://www.retirementlivingsourcebook.com/

Find out more about Kosta Yepifantsev:
https://kostayepifantsev.com/

Join Kosta and his guest: Lori Ramos Lemasters, Founder of Care Partners Resource and Consulting, Certified Journal to the Self ® Therapeutic Writing Instructor, and Author of “You're a Caregiver, Not a Saint”.

Today we’re talking about the power of therapeutic journaling for caregivers.

Find out more about Lori and Care Partner Resource:
http://CarePartnersResource.com

Find out more about Lori's Book You're a Caregiver, Not a Saint: Yeah, Write!:
https://www.amazon.com/Youre-Caregiver-Not-Saint-Write/dp/0578338904/

Find out more about Kosta Yepifantsev:
https://kostayepifantsev.com/

Join Kosta and his guest: Star Bradbury, Aging Life Care Specialist, Founder of Senior Living Strategies, and Author of Successfully Navigating Your Parents' Senior Years.

In this episode: What’s normally the most overlooked or misunderstood aspect of aging for your clients? What does aging successfully really look like? How can we measure if we're reaching the goals and checkpoints of a successful aging plan? Is there a difference between what we think we want and what we actually want as we get older? What does that differentiation usually look like?

Find out more about Star Bradbury:
https://starbradbury.com/

Purchase Star's book Successfully Navigating Your Parents’ Senior Years:
https://a.co/d/h6QirfV

Find out more about Kosta:
https://kostayepifantsev.com/