All Home Care Matters

All Home Care Matters and our host, Lance A. Slatton welcomed Laura Ellen Christian and Jessica Smith of AGE-u-cate as guests to the show for a special demonstration of their "Dementia LIVE" experience.

About Laura Ellen Christian - President:

Laura Ellen comes to AGE-u-cate with 17 years of experience in the senior living industry.

She began her career as an Activity Director for a senior living community, which quickly led to the opportunity to an expand her reach. For the past 14 years she has led The Arbor Company in the development and implementation of comprehensive dementia training programs for care partners and innovative engagement programs for seniors at large. “As evident in my tenure with the Arbor Company, I take pride in aligning myself with well-rounded, compassionate people. I quickly found that connection with the AGE-u-cate team several years ago and feel fortunate to open the next chapter of my career with this organization.”

Laura Ellen leads the strategic development of AGE-u-cate’s brand awareness, product accessibility across market channels and quality collaborative partnerships.

She is a graduate of the University of Georgia and lives in Smyrna, GA with her husband and two boys.

About Jessica Smith - Director of Senior Living Initiatives:

Jessica comes to AGE-u-cate with 12 year's of experience in the senior care industry. She started in home care as Marketing Director, to leadership positions including managing dementia care units and becoming a licensed nursing home administrator in Ohio and Michigan. She knows that education is a powerful tool for both family members and caregivers to advocate for their loved ones in their later years and is excited to be a resource to other senior living leaders and their communities by working with the AGE-u-cate team. Her passion for the seniors in her community began with a close relationship to her grandfather and a desire to give back to those who deserve a dignified life in their aging years.

She graduated from Ohio University, where she met her husband. They have two young children and enjoy living the country life in rural Northwest Ohio.

About AGE-u-cate:

Welcome to AGE-u-cate Training Institute! We impact people, organizations, and communities with powerful dementia training, innovative life engagement solutions and dynamic partner collaborations. Since 2015, together with our program partners, AGE-u-cate training and education programs have impacted over 2 million people both nationally and internationally. Our programs focus on elevating quality of life for elders, especially those living with dementia and their care partners. AGE-u-cate 5 solutions: Dementia Live, Compassionate Touch, REVEAL Aging online learning courses, Intergenerational Arts Programming for People Living with Dementia and Flashback.

About Dementia LIVE:

Dementia Live® is a high impact, dementia simulation experience that immerses participants into life with dementia, resulting in a deeper understanding of what it’s like to live with cognitive impairment and sensory change. This program is offered through a train the trainer model, training Dementia Live® Coaches who are empowered to train and educate internal staff, family caregivers, healthcare professionals and the community-at-large. As a training institute, AGE-u-cate supports all program partner with ongoing education and resources to connect Dementia Live® to business goals and desired outcomes.

Conscious Caregiving with L & L is "Tackling the Tough Conversations."

The topic of this episode is on "Legalities & Seniors" and features an All-Star Panel.

Mary Farquhar - CEO of Roger Fisher’s Care:

Mary Farquhar started as a colleague to her husband, Roger Fisher when he was diagnosed with Mild Cognitive Impairment in October 2018. As Roger’s disease progressed to Alzheimer’s, Mary reluctantly promoted herself to CEO of Roger Fisher’s Care.

Attorney Ramsey Bahrawy:

Attorney Ramsey Bahrawy has 43 years experience as an Estate Planning and Elder Law Attorney. During that time he has advised countless clients (individuals and families) in both simple sophisticated estate planning strategies. He also advises families with special needs, whether children or adult, on estate planning matters. Attorney Bahrawy represents elders and caregivers to plan for future or, in some circumstances, an immediate need for institutional medical care. In this regard,

Attorney Bahrawy assists elders in protecting assets in order to qualify for Medicaid, making or adjusting estate plans such as Wills, Trusts, and Advance Directives, administering estates, guardianship of elderly persons, and financial elder abuse. Attorney Bahrawy is a former member of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys

Deborah Snyder – Care Partner for Her Husband and Aging & Disability Resource Center Specialist:

Deborah Snyder is a Care Partner in her husband’s care who is experiencing brain change with Behavioral variant Frontotemporal Dementia (BvFTD). He was diagnosed in 2019, and life changed. She is a Certified Independent Consultant with Positive Approach to Care, Teepa Snow, and has worked in the arena of senior care and aging resources since 2017. Deborah presently works for North Star Counsel on Aging as an Aging & Disability Resource Center (ADRC) Specialist.

Lance A. Slatton and Lori La Bey Co-Host and Produce Conscious Caregiving with L & L.

Visit their website at:

https://consciouscaregivingll.com/

To learn more about Lance A. Slatton and Lori La Bey you can visit their websites.

Connect with Lance A. Slatton:

Official Website:

https://lanceaslatton.com/

Official Website for All Home Care Matters:

https://www.allhomecarematters.com

Connect with Lori La Bey Official Website:

https://alzheimersspeaks.com/

Official Dementia Map Website:

https://www.dementiamap.com/

All Home Care Matters was honored to welcome the former Governor of Wisconsin & Author of "My Two Elaines: Learning, Coping, and Surviving as an Alzheimer's Caregiver" Martin J. Schreiber as guest to the show.

Former Wisconsin Gov. Martin J. Schreiber is an award-winning crusader for Alzheimer’s caregivers and persons with dementia. Reaching audiences nationwide at live events and through various forms of media, Marty uses humor and compassion as he shares lessons from his ongoing, decade-plus journey as caregiver.

His speaking tour takes him to conferences, civic organizations, senior communities, libraries and more around the country. He has given more than 300 presentations since launching his awareness campaign in late 2016. Whether in Texas, Idaho, New York, Missouri, Florida, Ohio or closer to home, caregivers tell Marty that his message gives them encouragement and hope that they can manage their challenging situation.

Marty’s book, My Two Elaines: Learning, Coping, and Surviving as an Alzheimer’s Caregiver, is winning acclaim from caregivers across the country. It was rated as the No. 11 “Best Alzheimer’s Book of All Time” by bookauthority.org, and was named to Caring.com’s list of “Best Caregiving Books” of both 2017 and 2018.

Now in its fourth print edition, My Two Elaines also has been released as an e-book, an audiobook and on CD. Net proceeds are used to promote Alzheimer’s caregiver support.

Prior to writing My Two Elaines – and while still caring for his wife at home – Marty helped the Alzheimer’s Association launch Operation: Stronger Together in 2015. This multi-year awareness program has helped the Southeastern Wisconsin Chapter connect record numbers of families to education and resources that are vital to successful caregiving.

He also collaborated with Wisconsin state government and various business groups to help create the online Dementia-Friendly Employers Toolkit, which is now used by human resources departments and employee assistance programs. These initiatives have led to Marty being recognized with awards from the Alzheimer’s Association and other organizations.

Marty’s work on behalf of older citizens goes back decades to his 16 years in public service as a state senator, lieutenant governor and governor focusing on elderly concerns, improved quality of nursing home care, and development of the in-home Community Care Organization. He went on to become a successful insurance executive and publisher before starting his own government relations firm in 1988.

He attended Valparaiso University in Indiana and the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee, and earned a doctorate of law from Marquette University in Milwaukee.

Marty and his wife Elaine, who died in 2022, are the parents of four children, Kathryn Lyon, Martin Schreiber, Kristine Haas and Matt Schreiber. They have thirteen grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.

All Home Care Matters was honored to welcome Luke Gilligan the founder of Resense as guest to the show.

Luke Gilligan is the founder and CEO of Resense, a company that creates innovative and restorative products for individuals living with Dementia. Luke has a passion for care and creating unique, dementia-friendly products and experiences for individuals living with Dementia. As an upcoming Graduate from Grove City College, studying Entrepreneurship, Luke has been featured in the Wall Street Journal, and Pittsburgh Post Gazette, and was honored with Top 5 under 25 Founders in Pittsburgh.

Luke recently joined the Dementia Friendly Pennsylvania Dementia Advisory Committee and is excited to continue to get involved in this space.

About Resense: Resense, is a company specializing in tailored engagement activities for individuals with dementia and neurodegenerative diseases. Our latest offering, the Resense Register, is a unique dementia-friendly newspaper with exclusively positive news articles, large fonts, accessible word puzzles, and beloved columns like "Dear Abby."

Additionally, Resense offers the Connect + Comfort Kit, comprising 5-8 expert-designed activities. It serves as an ideal welcome package or activity toolkit for your clients or for use at home with their loved ones and care partners.

The Caregiver's Journal is the show where we are sharing the caregiving experiences, stories, and wisdom of family caregivers.

Chapter 3 - "The Unexpected Crisis":

In this journal entry, we welcomed Angelena Taylor, Debbie Weiss, and RoxAnne Daignault who shared their stories and experiences on "The Unexpected Crisis".

Angelena Taylor is a proud daughter, military caregiver, cat mom, world traveler, and reigning Ms. USA Ambassador. A native of Detroit, Michigan, Angelena works part-time as a behavior analyst but her most prominent and favorite role to date has been as a caregiver for over 8 years to her father Benjamin who is a stroke survivor and veteran. Becoming a caregiver at the age of 28 without much assistance or support birthed Angelena's passion for advocating for her fellow caregivers and restructuring the care infrastructure.

She has been heavily involved as a fellow with organizations such as Caring Across Generations and The Elizabeth Dole Foundation where she has been able to connect with hundreds of other caregivers, collaborate with elected officials, and more. Featured in The New York Times and on The Tamron Hall Show, Angelena’s story is one of 53 million caregivers (and estimated 5.5 million military caregivers) in the USA with the special redemption song of winning the prestigious title of Ms. USA Ambassador 2023.

Angelena created Crown the Caregiver as a platform of awareness and advocacy in the caregiving community and plans to launch services as a Certified Caregiving Specialist soon.

Debbie Weiss became a family caregiver at 17 after her father’s massive stroke. Her caregiving experience intensified after her son’s diagnosis with autism spectrum disorder and then ADHD, depression and anxiety and after her husband became permanently disabled. Over the last decade, Debbie learned to balance caring for her family with taking care of herself. Even after losing her husband in 2022, she’s still here, caring for her boys, navigating widowhood, but also living life on her terms.

RoxAnne Daignault is the parent of a child who has struggled with mental illness for over 17 years and is now an independent adult successfully living on their own. She spent much of her time attending support groups, workshops, and courses related to mental health, coaching, and supporting other caregivers in search of finding a community that she could connect with on these challenges.

She has spoken at various event about her experiences, notably the Vancouver Mental Health Conference in 2013 and most recently the Two-Eyed Seeing Conference in 2023. She now shares my expertise and creating an environment of peer support, education and empowerment with other parents and caregivers through organizations that she partners with; Parent’s for Children’s Mental Health, Firefly, Lake of the Woods District Hospital and Canadian Mental Health Association Fort Frances, so that others can find a sense of belonging and experience the same sense of community that she found when it mattered most.

The Caregiver's Journal is hosted by Lance A. Slatton & Denise M. Brown.

Visit the Official Website of The Caregiver's Journal:

https://thecaregiversjournalpodcast.com

Visit the Official Website of All Home Care Matters:

https://www.allhomecarematters.com

Visit Lance A. Slatton's Official Website:

https://www.lanceaslatton.com

Visit Denise M. Brown's Official Website:

https://join.caringourway.com/

Conscious Caregiving with L & L is "Tackling the Tough Conversations."

The topic of this episode is on "Staffing Issues for Senior Services" and features an All-Star Panel.

Joel Prevost, CMO, Prevost Partners:

Joel Prevost is a Licensed Nursing Home Administrator and Licensed Health Services Executive with more than 20 years of experience in long-term care and aging services. He has a deep understanding and passion for our senior population. He has successfully led regions, campuses and communities including skilled nursing, assisted living, home care, hospice care, palliative care, transitional care, and adult day.

Deb Nygaard, LALD, Dir. Of Development at Arthur’s Senior Care:

Deb Nygaard has worked with Arthur’s Senior Care and the sister company ACR Homes for 35 years. She is currently responsible for admissions and outreach and is the Licensed Assisted Living Director.

Deb does the dementia training for all new employees, as well as doing dementia training in the community, and most recently for employees of the Minneapolis / St. Paul airport with a team of volunteers from the Dementia Friendly Airports Working Group.

Ron Bowen, Executive Director at The Pines at Hilton Head a WindRiver:

Ron Bowen started his career in Healthcare in the late 1980’s after graduating from college with a BA in Mass Communication/Business. He found his passion working with the Older Adult population specifically those afflicted with Alzheimer’s/Dementia. Ron has a Master’s in Human Development and Gerontology specializing in dementia.

Ron’s philosophy and success have been incorporating Aging Theories into our knowledge of Alzheimer’s and other related dementias. Even though some diseases can change personality, the older adults he has dealt with have had a life time of being themselves. Knowing a persons’ past personality, passions, triggers, and fears will better equip our caregivers to deal with behaviors and to gain trust with the individual we are serving.

Conscious Caregiving with L & L is Co-Hosted by Lance A. Slatton and Lori La Bey.

All Home Care Matters is honored to welcome back the team behind the film "No Country for Old People" as guests to the show as they discuss the story behind the film with our host, Lance A. Slatton.

About Susie Singer Carter:

Susie Singer Carter is a multi-award-winning, Oscar qualified filmmaker, writer, director, producer, actor, podcast producer, host, & Caregiver Advocate. She is best known for writing, directing, and producing the 2018 Oscar qualified short film, My Mom and The Girl starring Valerie Harper in her final performance, writing and producing “Bratz the Movie” for Lionsgate, & co-producing “Soul Surfer” for Sony.

Susie also produces and hosts the podcast Love Conquers Alz – awarded BEST PODCAST 2020 by New Media Film Festival and is #4 on Feedspots’ 2022 25 Best Alzheimer’s Podcasts list. Susie is also the co-creator, co-writer, co-star, and director of the outrageous horror/comedy narrative podcast I Love Lucifer, nominated Best Audio Fiction 2023 by Indie Series Awards.

She is currently writing, producing, and directing a docuseries, No Country For Old People, which centers on the Nursing Home Neglect and the systemic healthcare crisis responsible for it.


About Rick Mountcastle:

Mr. Mountcastle is the former United States Attorney for the Western District of Virginia (2017-2018) and is a retired award-winning federal and state prosecutor. He led the prosecution of Purdue Pharma for fraudulently marketing OxyContin, as portrayed in the Emmy-nominated limited miniseries "Dopesick" (streaming on Hulu).

About Don Priess:

For over two decades, Don Priess has shunned sleep in order to become a highly sought-after, award winning writer, producer, director and editor. He co-founded Modern Media, now one of the top marketing and infomercial production companies in the world.

After six years and hundreds of TV and radio commercials, Don decided to spread his wings and since his credits include projects for CBS/Dic Entertainment, Nickelodeon, Buena Vista, American Movie Classics, Lifetime, Hanna-Barbera, Playboy Entertainment and more.

All Home Care Matters was honored to welcome Dr. Barak Gaster M.D. as guest to the show to discuss the current state of evaluation and management of Alzheimer's disease.

About Dr. Barak Gaster M.D.:

Barak Gaster, MD is a professor of medicine at the University of Washington where he serves as the director of the Cognition in Primary Care Program which designs training and tools to improve dementia care in the primary care setting. He served on the leadership committee which guided the most recent CDC Healthy Brain Roadmap, he is a co-investigator at the University of Washington Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center and is a governor-appointed member of the leadership council for the Washington Dementia Action Collaborative.

He has more than 20 years experience as a primary care provider, and he is a nationally recognized expert on dementia in the primary care setting.

All Home Care Matters was honored to welcome Steve Ventura the Founder of USA Bio Care LLC as a guest to the show to discuss the issue of hoarding.

About Steve Ventura:

Born and raised in Northville, MI. A graduate of Northville High School. Steve attended Ferris State University on a Track Scholarship while earning a Bachelors degree in Business. After graduation Steve attended New York University earning his Masters Degree in Sports Business Management.

After 20 years in the Sport & Entertainment industry Steve’s entrepreneurial spirit couldn’t be contained and he launched two different businesses: USA Bio Care & Hoarding and Ventura Ventures Franchise Consulting. Both are based here in SE Michigan and are heavily involved with partnerships with local non-profits and the VA in Ann Arbor through their Hometown Heroes Program which hires vets when they arrive home from active duty. Steve resides in Milford, MI with his wife and two children.

About USA Bio Care LLC:

USA Bio Care LLC has three divisions: USA Bio Care which works directly with Federal, State and Local law enforcement performing Bio Hazard Remediation in homes, commercial settings and vehicles, USA Hoarding which supports individuals and families dealing with Level 1-5 Hoarding situations and USA Cleaning which is a traditional Janitorial Cleaning division that also does carpet cleaning and HVAC decontamination.

All Home Care Matters was honored to welcome Laurette Klier, Christine Droney, Elisa Bosley, and Paula Muller as guests to the show to discuss "Spirituality, Faith, & Care."

About Laurette Klier - Founder of NANA'S Books:

As the founder of NANA'S BOOKS, Laurette Klier brings a wealth of experience and expertise to elder care and compassionate communication. With a lifelong commitment to teaching and caregiving, Laurette holds undergraduate and master's degrees in speech communications and education from Boston College. A certified dementia practitioner and cognitive stimulation therapist, Laurette is dedicated to enhancing the lives of elders through innovative techniques and purposeful resources.

An Aetna fellow and teacher consultant for the National Writing Project, Laurette blends academic knowledge with hands-on caregiving experience. Her pioneering approach to re-imagining the culture of elder engagement has earned her a 2021 Maude's Award, a 2023 National Mature Media Award and a 2023 Service to Seniors Award from the National Society of Certified Senior Advisors.

About Christine Droney, LCSW, MSW, CT, MPH-C, NCTTP: Christine's journey began 3,217 miles away in Belfast, Northern Ireland, during the Troubles, the war of the 1970s. Her parents bravely left everything they knew behind to pursue a life of peace and opportunity for their family in the United States. Christina has noticed the barriers to an individual’s (and their family’s) emotional, social, and cultural experiences while going through complex life events. These barriers contributed poorly to their mental health.

After years of starting a family and raising children with a bleeding disorder, she was determined to embark on a path of being part of the solution to the problem. Christine's emphasis on whole-person wellness provides a holistic treatment to your psychological well-being. Therefore, she inherently invest in the best outcome for her clients.

Christine is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW). Her desire to help others has pushed her to serve her community for over thirty years. She was inducted into the New Jersey Women’s Hall of Fame in 2017 for her contributions to social services and volunteerism. She has made over 400 visits to the United States Senate, House of Representatives, and legislative offices advocating on behalf of patients for much-needed change. She has a passion for education issues, brain health, Men’s, Women’s, and LGTBQIA+ health, and has worked on several nonprofit boards.

About Elisa Bosley, Chaplain:

Elisa has more than 40 years of experience leading non-denominational Christian worship services and Bible studies in both church and parachurch settings. She also has over 20+ years of experience interacting with older adults with dementia, a population she absolutely loves. (Her own father-in-law developed Alzheimer’s disease in the early 2000s, and she and her husband were intimately involved with his journey until his death in 2012.)

In 2016, she combined her spiritual-care experience with my dementia-care experience and became a licensed chaplain for elders with dementia. She serves at a long-term memory care community near her home in Boulder, Colorado. She is now caring for a parent living with dementia.

About Paula Muller, Ph.D.:

Founder of CareLink360™, brings a wealth of experience in healthcare technology, including a background in Biomedical Engineering, EEG analysis in Switzerland, Ph.D., and Post-doc work with Parkinson patients. Her career spans tech and software development roles at companies like SiriusXM, Net-Scale Technologies, and Authentidate. Paula’s vision for CareLink360™, inspired by her commitment to family bonds, aims to bring seniors and their loved ones closer together.