Aging in Place: How it Helps Older Adults Remain in Their Own Homes

Welcome to the Living to 100 Club Podcast. Here's our host, Dr. Joseph Casciani.

Welcome to all of our listeners tuning in today. This is Joe Casciani, your host for this program, and this is the podcast from the Living to 100 Club. Thanks for joining us and for being a member of our community. Here at the club, I've been promoting the notion of Living to 100 and doing all we can mentally and physically to live longer and healthier. But I also like to emphasize that Living to 100 is a mindset more than anything, a metaphor for pushing ahead. So we can say that Living to 100 is a great destination, but also, if it's not in the cards, We can always stay positive while trying. This is the important part, keeping the mindset that we want to live a positive life regardless of what the circumstances are. We have an exciting program in store for our listeners today. Today's program takes a close look at aging in place. As we look at living longer and expanding the options about where we'll be living in our senior years, aging in our own homes remains a viable alternative for millions of seniors. We have 3 guests on our program today to explore why aging in place makes sense for so many older adults. Our first guest is Tara Ballman. Tara is passionate about connecting and supporting professionals serving aging Americans. She's worked in the aging services marketplace since 2003 and serves as the Executive Director for the National Aging in Place Council. The 14 chapters and members across the country— NAIPC's mission is to bring professionals and communities together to champion aging in place through collaboration and education. Brian McIniff has been the CEO, owner, and care coordinator of Minute Women Home Care since 2011 and is chair of the Massachusetts chapter of NAIPC. Ryan became passionate about home care when his mother needed care while battling cancer. In his free time, Ryan enjoys spearfishing and snowboarding. Julia Yule is a realtor with Realty One Group in San Diego, practicing for over 18 years. She's a leader in the San Diego chapter and senior real estate specialist, with over 90% of her business coming from seniors. Julia is heavily involved with the local seniors and special needs community in San Diego, advocating for individuals and families, working on adult programs and an independent apartment community. Welcome to all three of you. So I always like to begin our podcast by asking our guests to share a little bit about the journey that brought you to where you are today. Tara, why don't we start with you? Tell us a little bit about your journey.

So my background is in entertainment and music, but I went into senior services to work with my father. I was living in Texas and I got an unfortunate phone call that he had cancer. And so everything in my life changed and my priorities changed and I moved and moved back to Florida to work with my dad. And he was— he had retired from his job and got into reverse mortgages. And this was way back in the early 2000s. So That was my initial entry into the senior services world. And then just my path just kept bringing me back around and back around to seniors. And so before the National Aging in Place Council, my husband and I— I met my husband, who's a physical therapist here in Orange County, and I joined forces with him and we provide PT and OT to seniors in their homes throughout Orange County and parts of LA County. So that's how I got introduced to the National Aging in Place Council, which I've been a part of since 2013 here in Orange County, and it has just progressed to recently me taking over as executive director. So that's my background in a nutshell.

Great. Well, congratulations on that role as executive director. That's great. Thank you. We'll be hearing much more about the council in this conversation. Ryan, how about your background? Tell us a little bit about what brought you to where you are today.

Yeah, sure. So Tara and I have similar kind of stories. I, my, my family moved down to Florida. I moved out of state. And, uh, after a few years, I got the same call that Tara did. My mom had cancer. And so I, uh, went to Florida to live with them because it was terminal. And you— I got the firsthand experience of drinking from the fire hose of information that is senior care. And while I was down there, my aunt owned Minute Women Home Care. She had started that company many years ago, and she said that she was looking for somebody to take the reins and purchase it. And after what I what I had experienced. I'd always wanted to be my own business owner. It was back up in the, the town basically that I grew up, so it was very friendly, um, area of circumstances. I knew the area and knew some people going back there, and I took my opportunity when, when it came to me. So that is how I got into senior care. And then about a year and a half, 2 years ago, I was introduced to the NAIPC through just some networking, and it's something that I wanted to be a part of, of giving back and helping. Private home care, we're usually caring for people that are more on the wealthier scale that can pay out of pocket for home care. So the NAIPC provided me a way to help maybe those who are not as fortunate and be able to provide information and education and helpful, uh, things like that to families that are starting their search in the senior care world. So that's how I got involved in both.

Great. Yeah, similar pathway then to Tara. And you're the, the president of the Massachusetts chapter?

I am the president of the Massachusetts chapter. So we are, uh, we are growing and excited to one day maybe not be the only chapter in Massachusetts.

Sure. Sure. Okay. And Julia, tell us a little bit about your background and what brought you to where you are today.

Sure.

Sure.

So I have an amazing 28-year-old with Williams syndrome, special needs, and, uh, actually came to San Diego because one person gave me help. Hope, excuse me, and that was a lot of help, and was invited to NAIPC by a colleague who was in reverse mortgages. And when I looked at the pillars of NAIPC, they are the same things that we look at in special needs. And at the same time, my business really is majorly focused on the super seniors, which I define as 80+. And so it was, it was a perfect match, if you will. And I will tell you that it's pretty exciting to know that within this community we actually serve, I believe, several sectors. So it's very exciting.

Sure. Yeah. So the super agers, that's a whole new subgroup, isn't it? I'd love to read those stories. Yeah. Well, great. Glad to have you part of this conversation today. Let's start with the, the whole notion of aging in place. Tara, let me ask you, what's the definition of it and who's it for? What's it look like? Why do we need it?

Well, the official definition from the CDC of what is aging in place is the ability to live in one's own home and community safely, independently, and comfortably regardless of age, income, or ability level. And I think in the past we had a hard time really explaining what aging in place was because people didn't fully experience it before COVID So we just were okay with, you know, putting mom somewhere and making sure her needs were met, but not thinking, are all of her needs met? Is she being socially interactive? Does she have all the help that she needs? So really, aging in place is happening with everyone. My 4-year-old daughter is aging in place. I'm aging in place. We're living in place. So, the purpose isn't just to survive in place, to plan. It's to thrive in place. So, that's what we focus on is helping people focus on, regardless of their age, income, or ability level, how can you live your best life?

Okay. So, it's really a matter of helping people get whatever support they need to live in their own homes as long as possible. Is that part of it?

Sure, but it doesn't necessarily have to be in what you traditionally think is your own home. Like, the home I'm in right now might not be the place where I age in place. It could be the most appropriate place. So it might be a Golden Girls home in Malibu, or it might be a boarding care in Florida. It's just planning on what do you want and how you're going to get there. And if you can focus on it earlier, like in your 30s and 40s, then you can really make sure that your second half is as good or better than your first half.

Sure. So it's generally an independent living setting. I mean, you wouldn't consider an assisted living facility an opportunity for aging in place, or would you?

Well, if that is where you choose to age in place, then there are definitely services, and even some of our members are assisted living facilities. So there's a lot— our organization is based on the 5 pillars of aging. Which is housing, healthcare, transportation, finance, and social interaction. So all of those are a component of living in assisted living facility or living independently in your home.

Okay. All right. So that's new for me. I wasn't aware of that. I thought it was really to help people maintain their own independence and living in their own homes. So, okay. That's, that's good to know. It really applies to virtually any setting. Where an older adult might be residing and providing whatever support might be needed for that individual. Ryan or Julia, do you have any additional thoughts on this or any additional ways to understand it?

So I just want to piggyback and say that wherever you're living, you know, finding out appropriate transportation can be a really big deal. Some states have more funding for that than others, but it really is Yeah, living your best life wherever you are and starting those questions and the communication with family members sooner than you think. Like, I've never heard Tara say 30s, but I think that would be a great idea.

Yeah.

Yeah. Yeah. Early planning. And I know we haven't talked about healthy aging. It doesn't start in our 60s and 70s, right? It starts in our 30s or 40s. 50. So we need to take all the appropriate actions early on. So this is the same. And Ryan, let me ask you, who benefits? Who in general are the beneficiaries of aging in place?

Well, I think the beneficiaries for a lot of people of aging in place are sometimes— and a big portion of— are the adult children. It's such a stressful time in someone's life. I'm in home care. The stereotypical person person that's calling us up about home care services is a female between the ages of 50 and 65 for their adult mother. Um, that's, that's generally what we get the calls for. Now, obviously it could be for fathers. Sometimes we have men call us up, but it's an immense amount of stress. And so, you know, going off of what Julia and Tara were saying is that this is about planning and this is about preparing. And whether that's for, um, at home, whether that's an assisted living or nursing home, or at some point in time all three, because CCRCs are becoming very popular. It's all those options and those plans are really benefiting the adult children where you might have 2 or 3 or 4 siblings that maybe not see everything eye to eye. And if you're able to plan, uh, forward with this, it's going to make things a lot smoother for not only the adult children but also for the seniors themselves. And so when I look at the goals of Aging in Place, it's educating families, seniors, and their adult children on what their options are and allowing them to and understand that it's not just a one-size-fits-all. You might need home care for a little while, and then you need assisted living, and then you might go to a nursing home, or it might be a totally different path for people. So it's— everybody's like a snowflake. Everybody's story is unique, and everybody's going to be having a little bit different of a journey. So there's a lot of information out there and to digest and then to set up a plan.

Sure. So a lot of dimensions to the services provided. And part of it is coordinating the care, especially if there's a number of adult children that might have some different ideas or opinions on what mom or dad need. So how do you coordinate and how do you make sure you hear from— kind of like an orchestra director where you're trying to hear from all the different parties in the group. Yeah. Tara or Julia, any other thoughts about who benefits? Who have you seen Mostly benefiting? Yeah.

I have to say, I believe it's entire communities. It's entire communities because when we talk about, let's say, an adult child who's calling about getting services for mom, that person also probably has a job, or they might be also caring for younger children. And if we can't help them with that, there's that ripple effect. You know, we're seeing that a bit with COVID right now. With, you know, people sometimes say, well, we need, you know, we need to have stimulus checks stop because then we'll get our minimum wage workers back to work. Maybe. And maybe it's also because somebody at home is still taking care of 3 kids because they don't have child care. I mean, there's, there's so many things that come into play in this, and it's a conversation that I spend a lot of time with people so that we're, we're much more compassionate about the different scenarios and how we can help. Because usually in a family scenario, when you can help just with a small little thing, I call it dial tones, a dial tone better and life gets better for so many people. Sometimes that's an alert button. Sometimes it's a reminder phone call. Sometimes it's much bigger than that.

Yeah, well, that's an important consideration to understand that it really does impact the entire community. Even though you might be working with a single family, there are spillover benefits for a number of areas, especially as you talk about the transportation. And without these services, I can see that it puts a toll. It, you know, it kind of taxes the, the communities. That, you know, maybe be stressed even more without these services. Tara, any other thoughts about who you see as benefiting from aging-in-place services?

Oh, I agree with everything they said. I think everyone benefits because, you know, the more you plan, the more you're prepared for whatever throws at you. So, your family, your community, your employer, everything and all of the above.

So the NAIPC is a national organization with chapters around the country. Julia, what services are— what, what is the goal of the council and what types of providers are comprised in the council?

Sure, so we are all about providing awareness and support, right? And with that, with the 5 pillars, in each chapter it's a little bit different, the members that we have. So some people have, you know, several people that provide in-home support services. Others have more people that are therapists or realtors or reverse mortgage people or something like that. So every chapter is a little bit different. But on a national level, Terry, you can help me, how many positions How many different positions do we hold right now? Hundreds, I'm sure. But within each one of our domains, I know within our chapter here in San Diego, we share our databases and, you know, who we can help out, we do. I referred two of my colleagues in our chapter yesterday, and we're looking to support a couple of people. So in the end, they probably will have, you know, 9 or 10 referrals. But we're all better as individuals when we're more aware of what is available and what we have. And it's very, very gratifying. Tara makes sure that all the chapters get together once a month and we share the information, what's going on in our different areas. And some communities have more to offer than others. And we're all doing things a little bit differently because of COVID and we probably will continue to to do that.

Sure. So the makeup of the chapters is different from one to another. Tara, how many chapters are there? How many states are we in?

We're growing. We have 14 chapters that are currently in existence. Our most recent ones, I think Massachusetts is on the list, Rochester, New York, and our very newest is in Las Vegas, Southern Nevada. And then we have 3 more cities that are speaking to us about starting chapters. And we have members all over the country in all 50 states.

Though.

I think we have one in every state at this point.

Yeah, interesting to hear Rochester. That's my hometown, so I'm glad they're on board with it. So the 5 pillars, we've touched on that a little bit, Tara. What are they again? Housing, healthcare, finance, transportation, and social—

and social interaction. Yes.

So how do they, how do they help support the National Council?

Well, this is really what we've, we've created a document called the ACT III Planning Guide, and we believe that these 5 pillars are really what families should be focusing on when they talk about aging. And, and our planning guide really kind of helps people lead them with the questions on, have you ever thought about this related to each one of these pillars? I think most people think of housing, healthcare, and finances, but they tend to forget about transportation and the social aspect of things. And one of the things that COVID has brought up is this social isolation. And it's really highlighted how our seniors have become even more isolated than they have been in the past. So that's the pillar that is my passion right now. I'm sure, Julia, yours is housing. Do you want to— do you all want to talk about a little bit how the tools that you use?

So one of the things that we do in our chapter, so as Tara mentioned, the ACT III, so it's a document, it's actually 24 pages. It's many, many questions. I use it with many of my clients and their families because and I asked them to do maybe a couple pages at a time because it's a lot. But as a culture, Americans were kind of, if you don't talk about it, it's not going to really happen kind of thing. So kind of starting slow, I think, is helpful. And hopefully our seniors have people on board that can talk about it. In our chapter, when we have a monthly meeting, someone who speaks basically goes through a case study with a client that they've used ACT3. So, for example, in my scenario, I'm a realtor, so housing is my focus. However, all of the other pillars play in. So, for example, I had a client— clients that were in their 80s that moved from New York, from Broadway to basically a suburb here in San Diego. So big difference. So they hadn't owned a car in 25 years. I helped them purchase a car. They hadn't had cell phones. I helped them purchase cell phones, you know, all the doctors that they needed, you know, transferred, etc. But this— these are good conversation builders, you know, making, making sure that everyone has a trust in place. I am not an attorney, but Every client that I work with, I talk about a trust. If you don't get along with your family, don't worry, don't have a trust because it's miserable going through probate, and now it'll be at least, you know, 2+ years. But these are great reminders, and hopefully with that Act 3, they also have a little bit of a roadmap, if you will, to the questions and the conversations with family and friends. And oh, by the way, most people think it's not for me for 10 years. And we have an amazing member of our chapter who she said to me this year, as she's left, she goes, "Oh my goodness, I joined and I never knew this is who I needed this." And all the resources that she has used with her partner, and they've now moved out of the area so that he can be taken care of, et cetera. But to the point of, you know, this is us, like we've got the information. And I think you go, wow. Yeah, I didn't, I didn't think so. So we need, we need to have those regular conversations.

Yeah. That's interesting that we, you know, as you talk about this individual who now has more purpose and kind of definition to what he or she is doing, and besides providing that support, it gives them some sense of meaning and, and kind of purposeful activity in their day. I, I can see that. Now, it sounds a lot like everybody is kind of a case manager with all these different hats that you wear. I mean, not that you're going to specialize in all these dimensions, but you're— as you work with your clients, what are the needs? You do this assessment, and then you can refer or bring in different specialists, kind of what a case manager does. I mean, on a social healthcare provider, really individualizing what the, what the different needs are. Ryan, you see this kind of cross-section among the different specialties also and kind of bringing, bringing in the individual needs for your clients?

Well, with our clients, home care is very much, in my opinion, a crisis-driven industry. So a lot of the times we're getting calls from families who are in immediate need for home care services. But, you know, I do believe that the Act III is a great roadmap, kind of what Julia said, to be able to plan. We, We as a culture do not like to talk about things that, like death or like aging, even though we all know that we're going to go through that in some way. And it can be very difficult for family members to have that conversation when they've typically been in a, for lack of a better term, a subordinate role to their parents, right? Their mom and dad, they're the ones in charge. They're the authority figure. And by using ACT III, you're able to have a roadmap to sit down and say, hey, what do we want? And these are the, the things that you need to think about, and not only for your parents but for yourself as well. And it's applicable to, to anybody at that point in time. If you're thinking about what type of care your parents need, you probably need to be thinking about what kind of care you want to have, because, you know, uh, every— there's been nobody in senior care that I've ever talked to that disagrees that most of the families we're working with are, if they're lucky, they're 3 months behind where they should be. Many are 6 and 12 months behind where they should be. Be, if not further. So you can't plan enough for this. And then if things change, if circumstances change, you go back to your document and you change the necessary plan a little bit to now accommodate whatever's changed in your life.

Mm-hmm. So I'm curious, Ryan, the benefits seem so obvious for people in the community to take advantage of these services. Who objects? What gets in the way? Is it because they're not familiar? They're not aware of these programs, this collaboration?

Yeah, I think again, I don't think anybody strenuously objects on the principle of because they don't like aging in place as much as people aren't comfortable having those conversations. Again, going back to what Julia said, our culture in the United States is very much not talking about this. Then when somebody does get older, they get shipped off to a nursing home that a lot of people feel like that. That's something that we need to change, and we need a plan for this, and we need to be involved. So I think the biggest pushback that I see personally is from families that are in denial. I mean, I work with families that their loved one is actively dying, and they're in denial that their loved one's actively dying. And while that might not be applicable to Act III at that point in time, it's still the common denominator is not accepting the reality of what's going on. And again, being 6 months, a year, 2 years behind where you really are right now. And that's where I think a lot of families struggle with. And I'm sure it's very difficult. I'm sure when I go through that with my dad at some point in time, that's going to be a very hard thing to do. But, um, the fact of the matter is, is that's where we see a lot of that, um, struggle. And then the other place, the other time that we see this, but it's not as common, but it, it's common enough, is with that family dynamics, infighting, disagreements, problems within siblings, or maybe the long-lost cousin that's coming out of nowhere now that things are going downhill and they want to get their opinion in there. And that's where things can become problematic as well.

Sure. It's not so much an objection then to the principles of aging in place. It's the fact that it's so easy to put these decisions off, so easy to not take the steps that we need to take. In terms of planning and foresight. Tara, I'm curious though, have you seen cases where this doesn't work, where aging in place is not the right direction to take? I mean, have you seen misses?

The only time I think it doesn't work is when you don't plan. A lack of plan is certainly a way to fail at something. I've only read one article where anyone had anything negative to say about it. I think it was very tongue-in-cheek written to cause controversy of a daughter who was like, oh, now you've tortured me through my life and now you're going to torture me at the end. So that's the only time I've ever heard anything negative. But I just think the only thing that really can get in the way is lack of planning. Like Julia said, not talking about it, pretending something isn't happening. Do you guys agree with me? I've never seen a situation where people were just like, no, no, thank you.

Right, or failures, or where your, your decisions turned out to be big mistakes for the individual because you're providing this specialty providers, you're recommending the different providers that the individuals need. I could see that. So what can, what can people do to get started? What do you recommend if somebody just calls without that immediate kind of crisis that you refer to, Ryan? But if somebody says, hey, What do I need to do to be aging in place? How would you respond to that? Kind of a general open-ended question. Julia, how would you respond if you got a call, what do I need to do to make this aging in place work right for me?

Because of the work that I've done with NAIPC, I would first just have an open conversation about the things that need to be considered. Insurance is very big and people often think that you just do it once and it's it's done. I encourage people to have their home insurance, their car insurance, and their health insurance reviewed every single year because things change so much. The little piece with insurance with a lot of carriers here in Southern California, it includes transportation right now. And that is huge. It is huge. So, you know, things like that. So it would be first off, Let's take a look at Act 3. And I think we're all in agreement here. What I've seen in general is people usually start a couple of years too late. So wherever you are in life, I think if you're 30 years old and you get a hold of this, it might give you some insight of how you want to live your life well, how you want to thrive, because part of living a good life is making memories and making magical memories. And making a difference. Again, you know, most of us are just going to be able to make a small tweak difference, but it's very, very gratifying when someone says, "Thank you so much for the suggestion of fill in the blank." And for everybody, it's, you know, it is a little bit different, but starting that process early, number one. Two, hopefully family members are working together. That one family member that says, "I don't need it," or because a parent needs more in-care service, though no, they really don't. Maybe they think that they're going to get more of an inheritance. That's very challenging to see, but it's, it's a reality. And the, the other thing is just reviewing, you know. Again, even with, with Act 3, I've gone and done, gone through all of the pages, and I, the second time I've gone through, and I'm like, wow, my answers have changed. But that's life. You know, our circumstances change. Who would have known about COVID 2020 for everybody was a, you know, real eye-opener. Didn't expect.

Yeah. So a lot of it has to do with preparation, planning, putting pieces in place like the insurance, the healthcare directives, the POAs, things like that. Are there other recommendations, Tara or Ryan, that you would have for somebody that just, you know, asks a general question? What do I need to do to make sure I'm aging in place? Any other recommendations?

Well, I would always suggest people go to our website, aginginplace.org. We have a ton of resources on there, articles. We also have a YouTube channel, NAIPC TV on YouTube, and we have all sorts of information up there on all 5 of the pillars. That would be a great place to look as well.

Any other thoughts about a general inquiry about how do I do this?

Yeah, I mean, you know, the, the vast majority of people that I've met, of senior care professionals that are in this industry, have personal stories that brought them into the, the reason why they're working in this industry. And they're more than happy to speak to anybody about what services are out there and where they can start. I get calls about it all the time, and I will tell people the pros and cons of my industry specifically and what we can do and what we can't. And then if it's not a match, I'll point them in the right direction. Or people call call up and say, hey, I'm not needing your services now, but what can I expect? And, and I'm always happy to do that because that to me is taking part of the mission of the NAIPC and, and helping people and getting them on the right path. And then if I can refer them to somebody that I think would be beneficial for them to start talking to, I, I certainly will do that. But just start having the conversation.

We're also doing this because we want to help and give Okay, great resources, especially the website where you have a lot of information for people that are inquiring. How about providers who may want to be a part of the council? Tara, home care attorneys, elder law specialists, psychologists, or—

Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes to all of the above. Anyone that makes life living easier for seniors is welcome in our group. All of our members are background checked. We do have a vetting process. We have an ethics committee that makes sure our members stay on the up and up. So yes, we want— our mission is to educate seniors. And so anyone who wants to help us educate, we, we welcome you with open arms.

Sure. Any other thoughts, Ryan or Julia, to reach other providers? And same thing Tara's saying, we— you're open to anyone and everyone who's focused on this age group.

Yeah, I think people that are, that are advocates for seniors is a great place to start, and then you can reach out to your local NAIPC chapter and learn more about it.

And if there isn't a chapter locally for that person, they can call Tara and she'll let you start a chapter.

That's what, that's what you need to do.

Yeah, she's looking for them all over.

But we, we do have national members as well, and we do about a program a week with the national audience. Some of them are specifically targeted towards seniors. Some of them are more education towards family, but our national members that aren't attached to a chapter do have resources and platforms to share their information as well.

How does the consumer find out about you?

Well, our agingplace.org is really the best place to go. The website, all of the information we've been talking about today is available for download there. The Age in Place, the cost of aging, we have a a brochure, The Cost of Aging. That's a great document you can download. The ACT III planning guide is also on there. And there's actually an assessment that they can do right there on the website that is sent to us. And then we— me, I review it on the back end and then figure out where is the best member and person to help them. So I would really encourage seniors to reach out through agingplace.org, or they can email or any of our chapters. I know locally we're on Facebook. All our chapters have Facebook pages and we're on LinkedIn.

So, so ageinplace.org is your website, or that's different from the NAIPC website?

That is our NAIPC website, is ageinplace.org. So we have another website more for professionals, which is naipc.memberclicks.net. And that would be more for professionals.

Yes.

Okay. That's what I've been looking at, your NAIPC website. Okay.

And one thing I'll note that under each, if you go to the agingplace.org, under the chapters, there's an email for each chapter. And if you want to reach out to a specific chapter, you can get that email address there.

Great. So you're open to new providers. That's good. That's good to know. So let me ask you from this conversation, you know, my listeners on this podcast are generally interested in successful aging and what do I need to do to live longer and live healthier? So what would you hope our listeners take away from this conversation? I'll start with you, Tara.

Well, I, I hope they know that whatever process of aging, uh, they're whatever stage of aging they're in, that you can still plan. There are still ways that you can adjust your situation. There are so many resources out there that people aren't even aware of. So don't get discouraged if you think, oh, I, I'm in a place where I don't need to be, because I promise there are professionals out there that want to help you and can help you.

Great. Great. Okay. Julia or Ryan, what do you hope they take away?

I hope they take away that they start that planning process. I mean, that makes life a lot easier for everyone involved.— that's part of that community from the senior all the way down to, like Julie was saying, the community with the employers and family and friends. By planning just a little bit, you can save a lot of time and headaches down the road.

Yeah, that's a lot of good information. Julia, any other thoughts about what you hope people take away from this conversation?

So, I would say get excited about the whole process., but then also review it. It's exciting to thrive. And some of us were brought up with, you know, the either-or kind of mindset of, you know, I, I, I can never do this so that I can live in my own home. And I think when you go through the document and you have some conversations, you can live your life both and, and more interestingly, but you've got to be able to be a little vulnerable ask some questions, compare notes, and to see, okay, how can I get a little bit better? How can— I like to say with my— okay, how can we get better in this area? What can we do right now? You know, some things aren't going to happen for a while, but you can absolutely review your insurance right now. You absolutely can get an alert button and put it on right now. You know, it's the little things that make a difference.

That's the overriding message, I think, from this conversation today. To think about where we are and, you know, to take the assessment if necessary, but start thinking about what do I need to do to plan? What steps can I put in place today and what steps do I need to think about for tomorrow? But what's the preparation that's needed to make sure I live healthily and successfully and, you know, happier, whatever, what's it going to take? So I can— I appreciate your sharing this information And I'm curious about contact information, Tara. They can go to the websites that you mentioned, NAIPC, as well as aginginplace.org.

Yes, or you can email us at naipc@aginginplace.org, or you can always give me a call here in the office, and the number is 949-872-9180. And I can connect you with any of our members, any of our chapters, any services that fall under those 5 pillars.

Great. NAIPC@aginginplace.org, and the number is 949-872-9180.

That's it.

Okay, great. Thanks to all of you for being a part of this. I appreciate your time and your information and sharing your experience and your insights for our listeners. It looks like we're out of time, but before we break, I just want to mention a few things to our listeners. I'm pleased to announce a new co-sponsor for our podcast with the program. A Mighty Good Time. Are you looking for ways to engage and stay active? Check out amightygoodtime.com. A Mighty Good Time is a one-stop shop for events and activities for those 50 and over. It's free to search and it's free to post. amightygoodtime.com. Also, be sure to visit our website and see the option to work with Dr. Joe— that's me— for one-on-one conversations about Managing setbacks, overcoming a negative outlook, and getting back to feeling engaged and motivated again. Visit the Work with Dr. Joe page on our website and see the options available. You can also pick up a copy of my book on Amazon, Living Longer Is the New Normal. I think that whatever age you're at, inspiration and a positive mindset can be put to good use. That's my message in the book. And be sure to sign up on our email list for announcements and newsletters with reliable information and resources about moving forward. And while you're there, you can download a free copy of my Tips for Living Longer. It's loaded with practical and useful strategies for successful aging and staying positive. Again, thanks to each of you for being on our program today. I really appreciate your time and your information. And thanks to everyone for listening to this episode. Hope to see you next time.

Hi, this is Suzanne Newman, host of the Answers for Elders podcast and radio show. We are the North Star that guides you through the complicated journey of of senior care with trusted experts in money, law, living solutions, and more.

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