Aging In The Willamette Valley

In this episode, Alex Johnson of TrueLife Financial Solutions explains the basics of Medicare. What are the important dates? What do the different pieces of the Medicare puzzle mean, and how should you deal with them? Alex is able to guide us through the Medicare maze so that everyone can understand! Medicare is complex, so this is part one of a four-part series. Don't miss this crucial information!

Our guest this week is Keith Relf, owner and operator of Roadrunner Transport, which is an ambulatory and wheelchair accessible non-emergency medical transport service. If you do not require the use of a wheelchair but need a little extra help getting in and out of the vehicle or checking in at your appointment, they can accommodate you. Roadrunner's mission is to provide customers with safe and reliable transportation to and from medical and personal appointments. Their motto is "Let's get mobile." Don't miss this episode!

This week Kyle Issacs, RDH, spoke with us about the importance of dental hygiene and how her services can come to you in your home or in your care setting such as assisted living. Kyle discusses oral hygiene and how it is important for overall health, especially as people age. Kyle is passionate about those unable to care for themselves, not only providing much needed preventative oral hygiene services but also educating the caregivers of those unable to care for themselves. Tune in for another exciting episode!

Jennifer Neahring joins us to discuss WEAVE (WE are All Village Elders), an Oregon nonprofit organization working to make Salem part of a national movement of villages developing across the country to help provide support for seniors to experience an active, healthy lifestyle and remain in their homes for as long as possible. Connecting neighbors with neighbors and local services will allow a platform for the integration of innovative projects to build healthier communities. Don’t miss this exciting show!

This week we are joined by Meg Rowe to discuss a new training program offered via the Chemeketa Small Business Development Center called "Age Is Opportunity." It's a 10-week program designed for people over 50 who have an idea for self-employment or “encore entrepreneurship” and need information and guidance to get started. The program combines lectures, discussion and collaboration with your peers, and ongoing business advising to provide you with the skills and support needed to successfully plan and sustain your new business.

Oregon is investing in behavioral health to better meet the needs of older adults and people with disabilities, and making sure that providers work together to provide coordinated, high-quality physical and behavioral health care. Tune for our discussion with Patrick Brodigan, Older Adult Behavioral Health Specialist with Marion County Health and Human Services. He describes the types of services available and the effort put in to make sure all providers work together. Don't miss this exciting episode!

Kimberly McCord joins us to explain acupressure and the benefits of using it. To clarify, no needles are involved! Simply touching a specific point on the body will release stress and improve physical health. It can relieve muscle tension and improve circulation but is also effective in treating conditions such as headaches, backaches, insomnia, and anxiety.

In this episode, we discuss respiratory issues with Jennifer Beam from Premier Pulmonary Services. They offer comprehensive support groups to help people deal with a variety of conditions, including COPD, emphysema, asthma, pulmonary fibrosis, and hypertension. Learn to manage symptoms like shortness of breath and ultimately manage your condition, feel better, and participate in life's activities. They also offer services for sleep apnea and CPAP machines. We discussed masks to use when allergies flare up or smoke is present.

Karla spoke about the basics of reverse mortgages - how to qualify, how they work, how long can you stay in your home, and more! She also covered how reverse mortgages have changed over the years and dispelled some of the common myths and misconceptions about them. Tune in to find out how reverse mortgages work and if one might be right for you or your loved one!

This week, our guest is Meg Rowe, Mediator/Facilitator of ReCenter Resolutions who offers mediation and/or facilitates family dialog. She provides adult family mediation and estate mediation to families in conflict, supporting them to have necessary conversations and come to solutions that meets everyone’s interests and needs while preserving important relationships. Do you ever have difficult conversations and wish you had help, like getting your loved one to stop driving? Tune in for more information!

This episode features Alex Johnson from TrueLife Financial Solutions. TrueLife specializes in educating seniors on insurance solutions that are affordable and suitable for their specific situations. The focus is on the needs of the client as opposed to a sale. Free services that TrueLife offers clients include: insurance reviews, travel booklets, and needs analysis. Tune in to listen to a great show with Alex Johnson!

Dr. Kevin Cuccaro discusses methods for treating pain (including opioids), as well as a different approach to understanding pain and how it is constructed in the brain. Pain is an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience in response to perceived danger; it is comprised of emotion, cognition, and sensation. Tune in for part 2 of our series as it will challenge you to think differently about pain and remember to use the pain triangle!

Dr. Kevin Cuccaro discusses methods for treating pain (including opioids) as well as a different approach to understanding pain and how it is constructed in the brain. Pain is an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience in response to perceived danger. It is comprised of three things: emotion, cognition, and sensation. Tune in for part one of a two-part series that will challenge you to think differently about pain!

In this episode, we talk about in-home care services with Toby Forsberg from Helping Hands Home Care. Toby explains what in-home care services do and do not cover and, most importantly, how you can get help with paying for these services to keep you or your loved one safely at home. There is a lot of information, so tune in to hear Toby give us the scoop!

Have you heard about the trend toward direct primary care? We discuss DPC with Dr. Rob Rosborough of Township Health DPC. Most primary care doctors are busy and see 25 to 30 patients per day. Not so with DPC! DPC doctors see fewer than 10 patients per day and spend about 30 minutes with them. They even make house calls when necessary! Tune in to find out more about the pros and cons of DPC!

This week we talk with Jennifer Garner, Senior Service Navigator, about what you need to know to successfully navigate long-term living options and resources to age in place. Many people experience overwhelming feelings that come with facing a long-term diagnosis or even simply seeking long-term care. Information should be easy to access and trustworthy because families and loved ones need support and guidance. Navigating through the murky waters of long-term care is NOT easy, so tune in for this exciting show!

During this episode, we discuss residential care (which is similar to assisted living) and memory care at Four Seasons & Blue Haven. These communities operate on a much smaller scale than the large buildings you may have seen before. Julie Waterhouse, Community Liaison, tells us why a smaller setting is better for some people and what makes these communities different from their larger contemporaries.

In this episode, Marilyn Daily the Director of Center 50+ explains the process of evaluating the city of Salem and the process to determine whether Salem is Age Friendly. There are 8 domains that are analyzed during this process: outdoor spaces and buildings, transportation, housing, respect and social inclusion, civic participation and employment, communication and information, & community support and health services. Tune in to learn more!

In this episode, Christy Turner, the Dementia Sherpa, is our guest, and we are talking about memory care at home. You've heard of memory care facilities, but Christy talks about keeping your loved one home instead of moving them to a memory care facility. It's not easy, but Christy gives guidance on how to do this for your loved one with dementia. You don't want to miss this episode and the riveting discussion!

Jamie Callahan of Team Senior Referral Services provides guidance and advice to seniors and their families when they're trying to find the ideal senior living option for their budget and needs. While running her business, Jamie encountered other advisers who do not research senior communities as she does, and at times, it seemed like they were only trying to get a paycheck. Jamie decided to make a difference and get more rules and regulations put into place on these referral agencies. She succeeded, there are new laws coming into effect in 2018!