Wisdom Wednesday: Aging Wisdom's Podcast
Welcome to Wisdom Wednesday, a short, bite-size podcast offering weekly wisdom and insights for aging well, caring well, and living well.
Our homes are more than shelter, especially as we age. They often hold our hearts, our memories. We are creatures of comfort, we love familiarity. But what happens when our parents are older and no longer safe in their own homes? Why do some fight so fiercely to remain?
Feeling truly seen and heard helps to build trust and relationship, and contributes to aging well, caring well, and living well. Our Care Managers and Creative Engagement Specialists are incredibly adept at the powers of observation, asking questions, actively listening, making connections, learning about the person in front of them, and being in the moment. […]
Our work as Care Managers may be focused on the well-being and quality of life of one person, our client, but it requires understanding and looking at the whole picture. What is the whole picture? It includes everything in the client’s life: health (and disability), family systems and dynamics, goals, preferences, personal history, finances, values, […]
Families are often flummoxed by the myriad of changes and challenges, as well as navigating the complexities of healthcare systems. Our role at care managers is that of advisor, guide, facilitator, advocate, or coach, depending on the client’s needs and that of their family and supports.
We have a lot to celebrate this month. In addition to May being National Aging Life Care Month and Older Adults Month, our colleague Wendy Nathan celebrates ten years with Aging Wisdom! If you are familiar with our team, you know our paths to Aging Life Care are varied, but we share a mutual mission: […]
Aging Life Care Managers®, sometimes called geriatric care managers, are strategic planners with key knowledge in crisis intervention, housing, health and disability, advocacy, family, legal, financial, and local resources. We are advisors who work with individuals and their families to help navigate the complexities and issues that arise with a change in health, aging, and dementia, in particular.
“Transformation happens when someone feels safe and seen and heard. And when people are recognized as who they are rather than what they’re living with or a diagnosis they’ve been given,” reflects Tami Sandygren, Care Manager Associate.
Whenever there’s an opportunity to return to what brings a client joy, we’ll go there in some capacity. Quality of life and well-being are at the heart of our work.
As we grow older, we all experience cognitive change. Our brain, like the rest of our body, naturally changes as we age. Changes in cognition can be subtle and most changes are normal. Misplacing keys or taking longer than usual to recall a person’s name or a word are common examples. There are times, however, when we notice changes that a consistent, repetitive, and may suggest cognitive impairment.
Geriatric Care Managers wear many hats: team member, navigator, diplomat, advocate, collaborator. Additionally, the services and supports they provide are not cookie cutter solutions, but tailored to each client’s needs, finances, and goals.