Aging In The Willamette Valley

Baron Robison, our guest this week and the Executive Director of Kickin' Cancer, joins us to outline what it takes to outsmart that disease.Baron dedicates his time to help many people reduce the risk of cancer and supporting others in their fight against cancer. His organization, Kickin’ Cancer, offers education and support for living an anti-cancer lifestyle. You can achieve this through five core values that everyone needs: get good social support, reduce your stress, give yourself plenty of rest, understand that your food matters, and get your body moving. Using these five approaches can help you reduce your risk of getting cancer during your lifetime. If you want to hear more about Kickin’ Cancer, don’t miss this show!

Our guest, Rachel Davis, Account Executive from Amedisys Home Health, gives us an overview of what skilled home health care is and how you receive it. She also unravels the question of who pays for this service, as well as many other related concerns. She even covers how home health visits are conducted during the Coronavirus pandemic, and how Medicare has added guidelines about care during this time. Finally, Rachel will cover the various categories of home health, such as physical therapy and RN visits. Don’t miss this show!

This week on Aging in the Willamette Valley, it’s Part 2 of “Ten things you should know about the aging process.”In this episode, show hosts John Hughes and Presley Reader look back over the first 100 shows and review ten categories that are important to those who are growing older in the Mid-Valley. This is the second installment of a two-part series reviewing important topics for our listeners, mentioning the guests who spoke about them, and including some of the tips given during their shows. We’ll topics such as Medicare, Hospice Care, Dementia Care, and more. Don’t miss this show!

This week on Aging in the Willamette Valley, it’s Part 1 of “Ten things you should know about the aging process.”In this episode, show hosts John Hughes and Presley Reader look back over the first 100 shows and review ten categories that are important to those who are growing older in the Mid-Valley. This is the first installment of a two-part series reviewing important topics for our listeners, mentioning the guests who spoke about them, and including some of the tips given during their shows. We’ll topics such as Medicare, Hospice Care, Dementia Care, and more. Don’t miss this show!

This week, Brad Burge, Executive Director of Prestige Senior Living Orchard Heights, and Teresa Dinsmore, Community Relations Director with Prestige Senior Living Southern Hills, joined us to discuss tips on choosing an assisted living facility.Brad and Teresa bring us views of two senior living communities in one show! Both Southern Hills and Orchard Heights offers assisted living, and Orchard Heights offers memory care as well. Brad and Teresa tell us about these communities and share their insights on what you should consider if you’re evaluating assisted living for yourself or a loved one. They have a lot of information to share, so don’t miss this show!

This week on Aging in the Willamette Valley, I interviewed Mac McCurry, CLTC, or New York Life Insurance. We discussed setting up your retirement to weather turbulent markets. Mac explains how to create a good foundation for your retirement by outlining the building blocks of that foundation. Many people worry about their income during retirement, especially if that income is from a traditional 401(k) or IRA retirement investment plan that is tied to market trends. It's no fun to watch your nest egg go up and down with the market, especially in volatile times. Mac explains how to ensure your plan will last for you without drama and turbulence. Don't miss this show!

This week our guest, Miles Johnson, is an expert on the benefits of planning ahead for funeral service and end-of-life decisions. The Johnson Funeral Home is a family-run, local establishment with deep roots in the Salem community and a long-standing commitment to providing a gentle, caring, quality service. Their role is to guide a family through its darkest days with compassion and affordably priced options. Of course, families are spared some of the pain and confusion if we each take time to plan ahead for our own end-of-life concerns. Miles shows us that if we take the time to decide what options we each prefer, we can set up those arrangements in advance, greatly easing the burden of decision placed on our loved ones. Learn more about what you should consider and how to make those decisions in a fascinating conversation about this delicate subject that we’re often hesitant to discuss. Don’t miss this show!

This week, we’re joined by Allison Harris, Coordinator of the “Walk with Ease” program created by the Arthritis Foundation and offered through the Oregon State University Extension Service. Allison details the importance of physical activity in chronic pain management and aging. Walking can help to decrease pain and improve overall health. Walk with Ease can be done individually or as part of a class or group. The program teaches you about walking and pain management, as well as exercises to do before walking. Don’t miss this show!

This week, we’re doing something a little different. Host John Hughes interviews himself – giving you an opportunity to learn more about his role as owner and administrator of ComForCare Home Care in Salem. John is also a certified dementia educator who likes to give back to the community with free dementia training, by serving on the Advisory Board of Center 50+, and by hosting this radio show. John shares his story about dealing with his mother’s long-term care needs and how it motivated him to change careers to help people in our area. Get to know him better -- don’t miss this episode!

This week, I interviewed Steve Toll, Care Enhancement Specialist from ComForCare Home Care. We discussed what to do if you worry that your loved one’s forgetfulness might be dementia.Steve explains normal age-related forgetfulness and how that differs from dementia. He answers many questions such as, when is forgetting a normal part of life? When does forgetting become a reason for concern? How can we tell the difference between forgetfulness and dementia? Memory changes that interfere with a person’s ability to function are NOT part of the normal aging process and may be a sign of dementia. Steve covers all this information and more, so don’t miss this show! #Salem

This week, FETCH’s volunteer founder, Shannon Priem, tells us about Fido’s Emergency Team for Caring Hospitals (FETCH). She shares details about this option for people who are hospitalized and don't have anyone to care for their pets. The FETCH program provides help for senior hospital patients using a network of volunteers who will care for your pet in your own home, or possibly foster your pet in the volunteer’s home. FETCH also works with the Oregon Humane Society to provide boarding for pets when the numbers exceed the capacity of volunteers. Don’t miss this show!

This week, our guest is Steve Toll, Care Enhancement Specialist from ComForCare Home Care. During this episode, Steve shares how music can be used as therapy in many situations, like with hospice patients for pain and with people who have dementia. He explains the technical details about music therapy, some history on how this field has evolved, and a few stories of how he has seen music work as therapy. Research shows that playing memorable music can help people with dementia reduce fall risk, improve mood and behaviors, and increase cognition. Don’t miss this show!

This week, our guest is Nicki Marazzani, Program Manager from Villages United. She tells us about Villages United, which is a community-based nonprofit that assists older adults who want to continue to live in their own homes as they age. Villages United connects interested neighbors to their senior neighbors, encouraging companionship and volunteerism, and helping seniors age in place with confidence. The village offers a network of resources, services, and programs that revolve around the daily needs of members. Nicki is looking for both volunteers and seniors interested in aging in place. Don’t miss this informative show!

This week, our guest was Fred Steele, agency director of Oregon’s Long-Term Care Ombudsman’s office. Fred tells us what a state ombudsman’s office is and what they do. The mission of the Long-Term Care Ombudsman program is to protect individual rights, enhance quality of life, improve care, and promote dignity of life for Oregonians living in licensed long-term care facilities. This includes all nursing facilities, assisted living facilities, residential care facilities, and adult foster care homes. They are looking for volunteers, so don’t miss this show!

This week, our guest is Lucy Morgan, Business Development Director from Moving Made Easy. She explains that while moving is never easy, it’s even harder when you are a senior. The organizing, packing, lifting, and unpacking are more than you might want to face. On top of that, there is all that stuff that needs to be decluttered or that you no longer want. To avoid dealing with all this, many seniors spend years living somewhere they don’t especially want to stay just to avoid the huge hassle and strain of arranging a move.It doesn’t have to be that way when services such as Moving Made Easy can help. They specialize in moving seniors, and their staff will pack, move, and unpack all your belongings, making the transition as easy as possible. They will even help you declutter and get organized along the way. Before you know it, you’re living where you want to live, and you’re liberated from all the stuff you no longer want to have around you. Don't miss this show!

This week’s guest is Kelley Rogers, Senior Living Advisor and Owner of Senior One Source. She talked with us about senior living and all of the options available to seniors and their loved ones. Kelley and her team work to create the best living environment for each situation, whether that means someone staying in their home with assistance, or exploring other senior living options. They work with each client to determine what type of senior community is best suited for their needs and their budget. A senior living advisor will take an interested senior you on tours of the communities that match their needs. Best of all, their services are free. Don’t miss this informative show!

This week our guest Jim Graham, Partnership Specialist from the US Census Bureau. He discusses the 2020 Census, why the census is done every decade, why it is important, and how it is made safe and easy to complete. The 2020 Census can be completed electronically, via telephone, in paper form, or in-person with a census worker. Jim explains that the data is used to allocate funds to various entities like states and counties and that its data can help fund programs for older adults. Don’t miss this highly informative show! #Salem

This week’s guest, Dara Queen, is the Community Relations Director of Senior Helpers In-Home Care. We talked about what, exactly, an in-home care agency does.Dara helps educate us on the benefits of home care services by defining what home care means, including what it does and does not entail. Also, she answers important questions people are often hesitant to ask, such as “How does home care work?” and “Who pays for it?” There are a few laughs along the way, and Dara even sings for us! You don't want to miss this show.

This week, our guest is Michelle Te, General Manager and Managing Editor of Northwest50Plus. She talks about the importance of providing relevant information to the growing audience of 50+ readers in the Willamette Valley.Although many senior publications have useful information, they don’t provide local content. The articles in Northwest50Plus are mostly all by local writers, interviewing local experts and personalities about topics that relate specifically to the Northwest audience. Michelle gives us insight into the reporting, features, and advertising that informs, entertains, and pertains to us here in the Willamette Valley. Don’t miss this show!

This week, Sheryl Sodorff, the Business Development Specialist from Willamette Valley Hospice & Palliative Care, discussed the nonprofit’s 41 years serving the Mid-Valley area. She shared the basics of hospice care, dispelled some of the common myths, and talked about hospice services with which you may not be familiar.Few of us are emotionally prepared to face a life-limiting illness, and the hospice can help make that difficult time easier on families in a place that provides warmth, kindness, and pain-free care. The hospice supports both adults and children in its mission to change the end-of-life experience. Also, it offers families grief services and can even find new homes for surviving pets. Don’t miss this informative show!