The Better Health While Aging Podcast

Better Health While Aging

104 – Coronavirus Special: Planning to Help Aging Parents (Plus Q&A)

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00:00 / 1:41:27

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In This Episode:

Dr. K shares the coronavirus (COVID19) information and recommendations she presented on 3/12/20 to members of the Helping Older Parents Membership, plus answers to their questions about preparing themselves and protecting their aging parents. She covers:

• What’s most important to know about the coronavirus situation right now
• The current effort to “flatten the curve” and what that might mean in terms of how long precautions are necessary
• Issues that are likely to come for frail older adults
• How to think through care and housing options, and contingency planning
• The importance of reviewing what matters most to your older parent
• Why now is an important time to review advance care planning and preferences regarding critical care
• What to know about POLST and similar advance care planning documents
• Answers to member questions

Better Health While Aging

103 – Interview: Better Sex in Later Life

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00:00 / 1:05:53

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In This Episode:

Dr. K talks about sex in later life with geriatrician Dr. Nicole Didyk, founder of the blog and YouTube channel The Wrinkle. They discuss:

• How Dr. Didyk learned more about this important topic by connecting with Nathalie Wilton, a social worker and sex therapist who focuses on older adults
• Why it’s so common for health providers — and older adults — to have low “sexual literacy”, when it comes to aging and sexuality
• How aging often affects sex and sexuality
• Common concerns that patients have brought up in her clinical practice
• What can be done if there is a mismatch in interest between two partners
• The role of solo sex, toys, and activities other than intercourse
• How being a hands-on caregiver to your partner can affect sex
• Special issues that come up when one partner develops a dementia, such as Alzheimer’s
• Tips on how to maintain and improve sexuality in later life

Better Health While Aging

102 – Interview: The Importance of Grandparents & Intergenerational Connections

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00:00 / 58:53

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In This Episode:

Dr. K talks with Kerry Byrne, PhD, a researcher and expert in aging and family caregiving, and the founder of TheLongDistanceGrandparent.com. They discuss the importance of intergenerational connections and of grandparents in particular. They cover:

• Why intergenerational connections are so important to society, and how they reduce ageism
• What we know about the grandparent-grandchild relationship
• How Kerry’s experience living abroad led to her particular interest in “long distance” grandparents
• Why grandparents are especially important, when it comes to countering ageism
• How grandparents can more easily stay connected to grandchildren, especially if they live far away
• Tips on fostering more intergenerational connections, whether that’s with family or others

Better Health While Aging

101 – Interview: Avoiding Holiday Pitfalls with Aging Parents

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00:00 / 1:06:37

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In This Episode:

Dr. K talks with Linda Fodrini-Johnson, MA MFT CMC, a past president of the National Association of Geriatric Care Managers (now the Aging Life Care Association) and a featured expert providing guidance in Dr. K’s Helping Older Parents Membership Program.

To help families have the best holidays possible, they discuss practical approaches to help families avoid common conflicts that come up during the holidays. They also discuss adapting the holidays for aging parents with dementia. Their talk includes:

• What are geriatric care managers (also now known as aging life care professionals)
• Why adult children should avoid telling their aging parents what they “should” do, and what to do instead
• How to handle common causes of sibling conflict related to aging parents
• How to learn more about what aging parents want for their future
• What you can do if YOU are the older parent and your adult children are concerned
• How to adapt the holidays so they work better for aging parents with dementia
• What to do if an aging parent is showing signs of memory problems but hasn’t been diagnosed

Better Health While Aging

100 – Interview: Bill Thomas on Ageism, Housing & Changing Aging in 2019

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00:00 / 1:05:11

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In This Episode:

Dr. K talks with geriatrician Bill Thomas, MD,  founder of ChangingAging.org. They discuss what he’s worked on during the past year, including his work fostering better aging through Minka houses, MAGIC (Multi-Ability, Multi-Generational Inclusive) Communities, and much more. They cover:

• Why ageism is so important
• Why it’s better to avoid age (and ability) segregation, when it comes to housing and community services
• The mismatch between the housing we have and the housing we need
• The problem of older adults loving houses that don’t love them back
• His own experience this year of turning 60 and of moving to a smaller house
• How cars affect aging and communities, and whether self-driving cars will change things
• Why the Village of Hope community is designed to cultivate social capital
• His recent work in value-based home health care
• Whether aging issues will become part of the election conversation
• Why it’s vital to confront our internal ageist narratives and appreciate our aging faces

Better Health While Aging

099 – Flu Shots for Older Adults: What to Know (2019 Update)

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00:00 / 40:53

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In This Episode:

Dr. K explains what all older adults and family caregivers should know about annual vaccination against influenza. She also reports on the statistics from last year’s flu season. This episode covers:

• What is influenza, and how many people are affected every year
• Why older adults are at higher risk of harm from the flu
• How the vaccine works
• The two key ways you can protect yourself from the flu
• How pneumococcal vaccination helps protect against flu complications
• What to know about flu shots designed for older adults
• Which influenza vaccine she thinks is best for most older adults
• What to do if your older relative is unable or unwilling to get vaccinated

Better Health While Aging

098 – Interview: Medicare Open Enrollment: What to Know & When to Switch

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00:00 / 58:00

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In This Episode:

Dr. K talks with Michelle Allen, LCSW, about what all older adults and families should know about Medicare Open Enrollment and understanding your Medicare coverage. Michelle is an experienced social worker and geriatric care manager based in Atlanta, and is a featured expert providing guidance in Dr. K’s Helping Older Parents Membership. They discuss:

• The surprisingly common misunderstandings that people often have about their Medicare coverage
• The difference between traditional Medicare and Medicare Advantage plan
• What is Medigap, what is secondary insurance, and what is supplemental insurance
• How to find out just what type of Medicare coverage you or your older relative has
• How to know whether it’s worth considering a plan switch during Medicare Open Enrollment
• Why it’s a good idea to request a medication review before reviewing your Part D prescription coverage
• What to consider if you frequently spend time traveling or living in other states 
• How to get free help understanding your Medicare coverage options

Better Health While Aging

097 – Interview: Common Elder Law Issues When Helping Aging Parents

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00:00 / 1:00:59

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In This Episode:

Dr. K talks with elder law and estate planning attorney, Mark Gilfix, JD, about common legal issues that come up when helping aging parents. He is a partner at Gilfix & La Poll Associates, a Bay Area law firm that helped pioneer elder law. They discuss:

• What is elder law and how it differs from estate planning and trust law
• Why a durable power of attorney (DPOA) is a vital elder law planning tool
• How DPOAs come into play if there are memory issues or other capacity concerns
• The role of attorneys in checking capacity when their clients complete legal documents
• What happens if you contact an older parent’s attorney with concerns about memory or capacity
• The risks of undue influence, financial exploitation, and family members having an agenda
• What people can do if they are concerned about the validity of an older person’s legal transaction
• Options when a potentially impaired older parent refuses to release DPOA documents to family
• Why it’s best for families to communicate early and often
• How elder law attorneys can help with long-term care planning
• Tips on starting planning conversations with your family

Better Health While Aging

096 – Interview: Paying for Long-Term Care: 2019 Updates

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00:00 / 1:10:03

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In This Episode:

Dr. K talks with Howard Gleckman, senior fellow at the Urban Institute and an expert on how policy and tax issues affect older adults and their long-term care. He is also the author of Caring for Our Parents: Inspiring Stories of Families Seeking New Solutions to America’s Most Urgent Health Crisis. They discuss:

• What is “long-term care” and who usually ends up paying for it
• Why so many older adults end up needing some form of long-term care
• That it’s Medicaid, not Medicare, that sometimes covers long-term care needs for older adults
• What “triggers” need to occur for long- term care insurance policies to kick-in
• Currently available options to pay for long-term care and “ongoing living assistance”
• Why insurers have had difficulty offering affordable long-term care insurance
• What happened to the federal long-term care program the CLASS act
• How Washington State’s new public long-term care insurance plan is set up, and why it won’t help today’s older adults
• The new Medicare rules that might enable Medicare Advantage plans to offer the “non-medical” services that can help older adults age in place
• What are the benefits of Medicare Advantage care plans
• What politicians are saying about this, and why we don’t hear more about long-term care issues

Better Health While Aging

095 – Interview: Hearing Aids & Other Hearing Loss Treatment Options

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00:00 / 59:16

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In This Episode:

Dr. K talks about hearing aids and other ways to address hearing loss with Meg Wallhagen, PhD, Professor of Gerontological Nursing at UCSF’s School of Nursing. She is a nationally recognized expert on hearing loss and has been on the board of the Hearing Loss Association of America since 2010. This episode is Part 2 of a two-part series on hearing loss. They discuss:

• Why people may be entitled to workplace accommodations to address hearing loss
• What should take place during an initial audiology evaluation
• How audiologists adjust and fit hearing aids, and what to expect from a good audiology provider
• What to expect from using hearing aids
• Common hearing aid options to consider, & how to choose a hearing aid
• Why it’s good to get a hearing aid with a telecoil
• Why the brain needs time to adjust to hearing aids & why it’s essential to use them regularly
• Who shouldn’t get hearing aids
• Why a “Pocket Talker” can be a good option for people with dementia
• Other alternatives to hearing aids, such as special phones
• Why it’s important to address hearing loss sooner rather than later
• Other simple ways to improve communication with older adults with hearing loss
• Recent developments in over-the-counter hearing aids and personal sound amplification products (PSAPs)