Honestly Aging by Friends Life Care VigR®

Demystifying Caregiving: An Inside Look at the Experience

Having a caregiver in your home helping with your activities of daily living can be an unfamiliar situation. In this episode, Annmarie Francis and Erin Price help demystify the caregiving experience by sharing what they’ve learned through their many years working with the aging community.    

Annmarie is CEO and Co-founder of Leta Loving home care Services Inc. She has been in the health care service for over 30 years.   

Her love and admiration for her grandmother brought her to the health care field. Annmarie and her sister took care of their grandmother when she became ill and unable to care for herself.    

The love, appreciation, and happiness they've seen in their grandmother's eyes, became their inspiration for creating Leta Loving Home Care Services. They opened the home care service agency in honor of their loving grandmother and are now providing the best care services on the market for those who know they deserve nothing less.   

Erin holds a master’s degree in Social Work from West Chester University and is a Licensed Social Worker in the state of Pennsylvania. She specializes in geriatrics and is certified by NASW as an Advanced Social Worker in Gerontology. Erin has been working in the healthcare field for 11 years. She spent the past 10 years working with older adults in a continuing care retirement community setting where she oversaw the Social Services departments responsible for the Independent Living, Personal Care, and Memory Care areas.    

Erin enjoys working with Friends Life Care members to find solutions to enhance their quality of life using a person-centered approach so they can live the best life possible.   

Resources: 

https://letalovinghomecare.com/ 

https://www.facebook.com/LetaLovingHomecareService/ 

https://www.friendslifecare.org/about-us/care-coordinators/erin-price/ 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/erin-price-lsw-asw-g-9a4a46148/  

(C) 2023 Friends Life Care. All Rights Reserved.      

 

Finding Your Passion After Retirement

Shelley Morrison has always enjoyed singing. So, after retiring, she decided to join Encore Creativity for Older Adults and found that it was just what she was looking for.  

Through Encore, Shelley has gotten to sing, perform, travel, and connect with other adults, including David Simmons, the conductor of Encore’s Wilmington, DE chorale. David also joins this episode and shares his perspective about how Encore Creativity is helping older adults find their passion after retirement.  

David has been performing professionally since age 14. Upon graduating from Muhlenberg College in Allentown, PA in 1988, David moved to Washington, DC, where he attended The American University, Washington College of Law, and where he lived for 33 years. After a short career as a litigation and real estate attorney, David returned to his true passion, music, where his career has taken him from the music classroom to the church organ and choir loft, and from work as a recital soloist and accompanist to a variety of conductor's podiums, stretching from choral and orchestral work to turns in musical theatre, jazz, and opera.   

From September of 2019 through August of 2021, David served as an Encore conductor in the DC region and then as the Associate Artistic Director of Encore Creativity. He is now conducting Encore's first Delaware chorale.   

Shelley is a member of Encore’s Wilmington, DE chorale. She is also a Friends Life Care member.    

Resources: 

https://encorecreativity.org/    

https://www.facebook.com/encorecreativity     

Encore Creativity for Older Adults - Millennium Stage (December 26, 2022) 

This episode was originally recorded on January 13, 2023. 

(C) 2023 Friends Life Care. All Rights Reserved.      

Memory and Aging: What’s Normal, What’s Not

Changes in memory occur as we get older. These changes may make us wonder, is this normal, or cause for concern. Gary Skole joins us to tackle this important topic. We cover poignant information about Dementia, how solo agers can plan ahead for potential cognitive impairment, caregiving, and how AlzBetter can help. 

Gary Skole is a founder of AlzBetter with decades of experience improving care for patients with challenging healthcare needs at home. He is a published author and frequent speaker on Dementia, Transitional Care Management, and Remote Patient Monitoring.  

Reducing care partner stress is the primary objective of the AlzBetter program. Families often feel all alone and unprepared for the demands placed upon them when caring for a loved one living with dementia. We help empower individuals with easy-to-use care strategies and dementia coaches.  

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gary-skole-a01a247/ 

AlzBetter: https://alzbetter.com/  

AlzBetter App: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/alzbetter-app/id1592825786  

(C) 2023 Friends Life Care. All Rights Reserved.     

#HonestlyAging #VigRHealth #FriendsLifeCare #SoloAgers #SoloAging #Aging #Memory #MemoryandAging #Dementia #Alzheimers #AlzheimersDisease #CognitiveImpairment #Signs #NormalAgingVsDementia #TypesofDementia #DementiaAssessment #DementiaDiagnosis #PlanningAhead #LifestyleAdjustments #QualityofLife #EarlyDiagnosis #Caregiver #caregiving #Depression #AlzBetter #alzheimersawareness 

Can Your “Forever Home” Meet Your Solo Aging Needs?

Can Your “Forever Home” Meet Your Solo Aging Needs?  

Most older adults want to stay at home as they age. Similarly, most older adults will need help to do so successfully. 

Kristin Swanick, CAPS, joins us to discuss accessibility, aging in place, home modifications, and more. Listen and learn actionable ways to make your home safer and more accessible, especially as you age. 

Kristin Swanick is currently the Marketing Manager for Amramp in the Tri State Area. Amramp is a local accessibility product and service company with over 22 years of experience providing individuals and families with solutions to age in place successfully. 

Kristin has spent over 25 years working in the healthcare arena with a focus on accessibility, diagnostics, and pharmaceuticals. Kristin graduated from Thomas Jefferson University with a BS in Diagnostic Imaging and is chasing her Masters in Dynamics of Organization from the University of Pennsylvania. 

For the past 6 years, Kristin has worked with aging adults, people with disabilities, people with mobility challenges and healthcare professionals and organizations. Kristin is passionate about the ADA and accessibility for all. She is also CAPS certified, which means certified aging in place specialist. 

Kristin has an amazing husband and 3 even more amazing children. She also has an 82-year-old mother with mobility challenges she has been helping age in place successfully. They all keep her connected and grounded! 

Resources: 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristin-swanick-caps-8a6928151/  

https://amramp.com/franchises/philadelphia-pennsylvania/ 

https://www.friendslifecare.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/AMRAMP-Home-Safety-Check-List.pdf  

(C) 2023 Friends Life Care. All Rights Reserved.

Spirituality and Aging. Why We Care.

Spirituality can mean different things to different people. As we age, it may enhance good times and support us through life’s challenges.

Listen and learn from Father Stephen Hutnick and Linda Hnatow, Care Coordinator with Friends Life Care, about how spirituality relates to aging. We cover topics like exploring your spirituality, addressing mortality, reflecting on life, and more.

Father Hutnick has served as a Priest for over 36 years, and he’s also served as Chaplain at the Coatesville VA Hospital. He received his bachelor's degree in philosophy from St. Basil College and his master’s degree in theology from the Catholic University of America. He is also a marital and personal counselor and an associate professor of pastoral theology at the St. Sofia Ukrainian Orthodox seminary.

Linda is a Care Coordinator with Friends Life Care. She began her career in molecular biology research before earning a degree in nursing. Since then, her focus has been on geriatric and holistic care. Linda enjoys helping older adults live the best life they can.   

Resources: 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/linda-hnatow-69246847/  

https://www.friendslifecare.org/about-us/care-coordinators/linda-hnatow/  

Website: https://www.friendslifecare.org/  

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/friendslifecare/  

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/friends-life-care-/  

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/friendslifecare/ 

Advanced Planning for Solo Agers

Getting your affairs in order can be daunting, but it doesn’t have to be. Elder Law Attorney, Rob Slutsky, informs us what older adults and solo agers need to know about advanced planning to set themselves up for success. He covers powers of attorney, Medicare, Medicaid, long-term care planning, and more. 

There’s a reason why Robert Slutsky, Esq. has been named the "#1 TOP Elder Care Lawyer Around the Main Line and Western Suburbs" for several years by Main Line Today Magazine and named on the PA Super Lawyers list again in 2022. Rob is able to plan for you and your loved ones in a timely and cost-efficient manner, and so much more. 

Rob has been practicing Elder Law for over 30 years. Rob advises clients on Medicaid and Asset Protection Planning, Special Needs Planning, Guardianships, Wills, Trusts, Powers of Attorney, Estate Administration, and General Estate Planning. 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robertmslutsky// 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SlutskyElderLaw 

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3TKi_QAcQeC9Ss6z4dVtKw 

Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/slutsky-elder-law-plymouth-meeting 

Alignable: https://www.alignable.com/plymouth-meeting-pa/slutsky-elder-law 

Website: www.slutskyelderlaw.com 

(C) 2023 Friends Life Care. All Rights Reserved.    

Solo Travel – How I Set Myself Up for Success

Pat Hall is embarking on a four-and-a-half-month Viking Cruise around the world. This trip is different from any before because she’s taking it alone.  

On this episode of Honestly Aging by VigR Health, Pat reveals the practical and emotional sides of planning for solo travel. We wish we could join her! Listen in to hear about her amazing upcoming adventure at sea. 

So, What is Honestly Aging?

We’re all getting older. We might as well embrace it.  

Join Honestly Aging by VigR Health in exploring what it’s like to get older. Host Cheryl Proska walks with you on the winding road of aging. The peaks. The valleys. And everything in between.   

This is what aging looks like. Real people. Real stories. Real advice. Let’s grow old together.   

Joylyn Williamson, Friends Life Care Plan Counselor, joins us for our inaugural episode to discuss her unique experiences supporting her father through the aging process, being a solo ager, and working with prospective Friends Life Care members.   

Joylyn Williamson, Friends Life Care Plan Counselor, joined Friends Life Care in 2017 and brings many years of experience with inside sales in both business-to-business and consumer. She enjoys connecting with prospective members and appreciates working in an organization guided by Quaker values. 

Joylyn holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Drama, TV and Film and has completed some graduate studies in Communications at Regent University.  

Originally from Southern California, Joylyn has called the east coast home for over 20 years. Several years back, she relocated her father from California to her home in Pennsylvania. He is 90 and she now manages his care as he has a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s.