Answers For Elders Radio Network

Lindsay Friedman and Shannon Lyons join Suzanne to talk about peace of mind and other reasons for getting their innovative health monitoring system Care Bloom to help senior loved ones age in place in their homes. Listeners, sign up for free to win one year of Care Bloom! Care Bloom is holding drawings in June and September 2024. There's no obligation or commitment to purchase. Learn more at https://carebloom.com. Lindsay explains the need for Care Bloom. "It's really important because people want to stay in their homes. People are aging much more rapidly than they have been. Caregiving is on the rise. Caregiving is a very hard challenge that we all are going to have to face as our parents are aging. And also our [number of] home health workers are decreasing. If you want it, that cost is increasing. So there's less of them, and it's only going to get more and more expensive to have somebody come and help. It's going to be unaffordable if you could even find somebody. And on top of that, our nursing homes are struggling. The care is not good, the cost is increasing. I see a lot of future closings, and where are you gonna put mom? So we need something that can really help. And Care Bloom is a great care partner to help with care for their family." Care Bloom is a $199 per month subscription, and you get the hardware for free. Shannon says, "This is something that we spent quite a bit of time on, because it is a hardware, right? We provide a smart watch. We provide hardware for the rooms, but we really wanted to make it an easy purchasing decision for a family." Multiple family members can use the app. "If brother and sister want it, and then you want a neighbor to have a little bit less [access], that's an option as well. So the app allows you to add as many people as you want, because obviously we can't all be with mom at one time. So we want to make sure that we're giving you the opportunity to provide all the care you can." Hear more podcasts about aging in place. Answers for Elders is part of the Senior Resource Network. Check out our affiliate podcast Alzheimer’s Speaks. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Through the use of a watch, room sensors, and an app, Care Bloom provides 24/7 health monitoring services for caregivers. Lindsay Friedman and Shannon Lyons join Suzanne to talk more about the Care Bloom watch and app, an innovative new tool to assist senior loved ones with aging in place. Listeners, sign up for free to win one year of Care Bloom! Care Bloom is holding drawings in June and September 2024. There's no obligation or commitment to purchase. Learn more at https://carebloom.com. Shannon describes the information a caregiver can see on the app. "We really want to pull the most important information forward for a caregiver. You're gonna be able to see information like vitals, so that would include temperature, blood pressure, heart rate, and oxygen saturation. You're also going to be able to see accurate location data, where they're spending most time, if they're in the living room, kitchen, bathroom, and really how how the mobility looks throughout the home. And then the last one is, you're going to be able to see important health behavioral data. "We know that there's a lot of smart watches on the market that tell you you're going to get this health and wellness data. How we're different is that we take that health data, and we put it in the context of behavioral. And those things look like sleep, mobility, or steps throughout the home, and then self-care, like toileting and bathroom, so that you can really be proactive in your care. You're not finding out that mom hasn't left her bedroom for six hours and you're getting off of work and saying, 'mom, what's going on.' You're going be able to see that there's stagnation, and maybe something's wrong, so that you can communicate earlier, find out what's going on, and be more proactive with what your next steps are. We also thought it was really important to be able to set alerts in the home. So if there's a restricted room — a room that is a fall risk, like the basement, garage, or stairwells, we want to be able to tell you, hey, mom's out in the basement right now, and you can call her and say, 'hey, I'm coming over after work to do laundry. I see that you're in the basement. Let's make sure you get up those stairs,' so that you're not finding out about it after that. Or if your loved one has issues with leaving the home at times that they're not supposed to, or maybe wandering, we want to make sure that elopement is part of the alert package, so that it really is sort of all of those behaviors. And then if your loved one needs assistance, they can actually request it through their watch. And that notification goes directly to your app. It's a push notification, and you can see mom needs help, she's currently in the bathroom, and you're able to make a plan for what's next." Lindsay gave an example of Care Bloom solving a problem. "We had one individual who was talking about how lightheaded he was, and feeling fatigued, and he was an elderly gentleman, and you start to wonder what's going on. His vital signs were looking good, but after watching him for a series of days, we were noticing that there were no toilet activities. So, went in and kind of monitored him for a little bit, and he wasn't drinking. No one was there reminding him it's time to have a glass of water, it's time to drink during the day. And dehydration really plays heavily on our seniors with confusion and all of that. It was an easy thing to remedy, that we were able to see within a matter of days. No doctor trip, nothing. And it was a quick fix that, just from looking at the data, was able to be resolved." Hear more podcasts about aging in place. Answers for Elders is part of the Senior Resource Network. Check out our affiliate podcast Alzheimer’s Speaks. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Lindsay Friedman and Shannon Lyons from Care Bloom join Suzanne to talk about an innovative new home-monitoring tool to assist senior loved ones with aging in place, living independently in their later years. Through the use of a watch and app, Care Bloom provides health monitoring services for caregivers. You'll be able to purchase Care Bloom beginning in June. Listeners, sign up for free to win one year of Care Bloom! Care Bloom is holding drawings in June and September 2024. There's no obligation or commitment to purchase. Learn more at https://carebloom.com. Lindsay explained how Care Bloom came about. "All through college, I was a state-tested nursing assistant. So, with the experience, when my grandma needed to a family caregiver, I got designated to take that role. While she was in Cleveland, where we are from, I was taking care of her in the home. But she did want to go back to Florida where, once she got to Florida there, we got her aid. So she had a rough time. And my grandma would complain to me, and say they're not doing what they're supposed to do. They're not there when I wake up at night. The caregivers were saying she's confused, it's night time, and was already in her nineties, so that was the case. Well, one night she was calling out for them in her room, and asking them to come and help her, and they couldn't hear because they were asleep in her guest bedroom. So she decided to get up on her own to go use the restroom, and she fell, and she broke her femur. And that ended her time at home. It ended up being what caused the end of her life. And, you know, my story is a common one. It is more common than not. So I decided that there has to be something that we can do, to make sure that grandma and mom can be home. I've got to do something, and Care Bloom was born." Shannon describes Care Bloom. "It is a monitoring system. Your loved one wears a watch. It actually looks very similar to a Fitbit. So this is not a medical device. It's very cool looking. And there's actually a lot of really lovely data that most people actually get in tune with, such as what their daily activities look like. That's the watch. Each room has an anchor which is connected to an outlet. So you just plug it into an outlet in each of the rooms that you want monitored. You have a gateway, and that gateway sends all of the information to your app. So as a caregiver, you'll use the Care Bloom app. And it really gives you a snapshot of what your loved one's daily activities are, and their health status. "So, really quick, you're able to see on one page page, everything's green, Mom's good to go, and you can go about your day. It's more insight than we've ever had, in some ways, on their behaviors. You could also send reminders to your loved one, that goes to their watch. So, 'mom, hey, it's time to take those meds.' And so we're really looking at care plan compliance. We're looking at supporting health behaviors, and making sure that there's some accountability. So if your loved one does have a home health worker, you can actually designate tasks for that worker and confirm that they occur. So if medication should be taken at 10 a.m., they should be checking into the kitchen and taking that med. If mom's not in the mood for a shower, they're able to say, hey, you know what, she was not in the mood to take a shower today, it did not occur, so that the next day when the health worker comes, they know what that week look like. So it's a lot of interesting data." Lindsay says, "Our largest goal, which really is probably impacting all of your listeners right now, is we're trying to improve the process of caregiving." Hear more podcasts about aging in place. Answers for Elders is part of the Senior Resource Network. Check out our affiliate podcast Alzheimer’s Speaks. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If you or your relatives want to build a new structure, or get modifications done on your house, there are resources to make sure that the builders are doing it right. Dr. Jill Bjerke joins Suzanne to talk about aging in place constructions as part of this month's Specialist Spotlight on Aging in Place. A home assessment at silverspaces.com provides guidelines and recommendations to design an aging in place home, like lever handles on doors and faucets, a raised dishwasher so you don't have to bend down so far, a stove that has controls in the front, a low-maintenance exterior, things you ordinarily wouldn't think about with new construction. Dr. Jill says, "You can't predict your future. I had knee surgery, I had joint replacement. And boy, did that give me a firsthand view of what it's like to have to use a walker, and to have to shuffle, and... I have stairs. I shouldn't have stairs. How am I going to get up and down the stairs? So this assessment really gives you a picture of what you could be facing in the future if you're not thinking about it." Learn more at silverspaces.com. Hear more podcasts about Silver Spaces with Dr. Jill Bjerke. Answers for Elders is part of the Senior Resource Network. Check out our affiliate podcast Alzheimer’s Speaks. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Silver Spaces is an online home safety assessment tool with a lot of research behind it. It works by taking you through each of your rooms, have you answer questions, and get educated along the way. For this month's Specialist Spotlight on Aging in Place, Dr. Jill Bjerke joins Suzanne to talk about the benefits of Silver Spaces. Only 25% of people who suffer from a broken hip are able to return home after they recover. The biggest injury that older adults incur comes from trips and falls, and they are preventable. A $39.95 assessment at Silver Spaces (silverspaces.com) could mean the difference between a good quality of life and living in a senior living community. Dr. Jill says, "I've been in the senior services realm for 18 years. I own a downsizing company; I had so many people tell me they wish they didn't have to move that. I spent about nine years researching and creating this electronic product, which is an electronic home safety assessment. I talked to gerontologists, researchers, city planners, interior designers, just about anybody you can think of, to try and come up with a content for their safety assessment. I was trying to cover as many bases as I could. So a lot of research and a lot of work went into creating this. It's SilverSpaces.com and it explains what it is and how to use it. The whole purpose is to go from whatever room — there's 18 rooms and places you can assess in the house, you can pick which ones you want to do. You just answer the questions, and you get educated as you go along, because you don't realize that some of those could have been risk places or safety issues. For example, 'I have a smoke alarm. I can hear it.' If you have someone with hearing aids, can they hear it when they don't have their hearing aids in? "When you sign up, it will ask you questions about your community, because a lot of people don't think about how their community may have changed. It may no longer be safe, and then [it] asks general home questions. Do you have a second bedroom for a caregiver? Do you have a second bathroom? Do you have a lot of stairs? Do you have zero thresholds, meaning flat thresholds, are your doorways wide enough for a wheelchair or walker? And then it goes into every single room you can possibly think of. You can pick the room you want to do, and the questions are right there. You just answer them. Do you have sharp countertop edges in your kitchen? Why is that important if you fall? That's an immediate possibility for a traumatic brain injury. So all of these different kinds of questions that people usually do not think about. And when you're done, you submit it. And what comes back is either a PDF or a printable version, so that you can have it in your hand. You can send it to a doctor, or a modification professional, or a relative. You can take it to a modification professional and get bids on whatever you think you need to change. So it's a very very usable product." Dr. Jill adds, "We do the exterior. Not in detail, but we ask things like, do you have a tree that drops berries on your concrete? That's a slip and fall hazard. Do you have grass that grows over the edges of your sidewalk? That's a slip and fall hazard. Do you have landscaping that takes a lot of maintenance? That's an issue. Do you have an overhang where at the door that you come in and out of, because you need protection from the elements. That's slippery. Do you have a non-slip surface when you step outside? "We ask as many questions as we can. But the problem is, if we ask all the questions — I have 300 of them — it would take you a couple of hours to do. So we had to be very selective, and ask the most important questions, which is why I had so many people work on this with me." Learn more at silverspaces.com. Hear more podcasts about Silver Spaces with Dr. Jill Bjerke. Answers for Elders is part of the Senior Resource Network. Check out our affiliate podcast Alzheimer’s Speaks. See omnystudio.com/listener for...

During our lighting round segment on the Answers for Elders radio show, expert Dr. Jill Bjerke joins Suzanne to answer three top questions about aging in place as part of this month's Specialist Spotlight. 1. When should anyone start thinking about remaining in their home? “Probably as soon as possible. At retirement, before retirement. When you feel unsafe in your home. Really, almost any time is a good time to start thinking about it because there's so many decisions to be made." 2. Who should help someone make a decision on this? “Basically, you'd probably start with your family. But you'd surprised how much your friends, churchgoer, friends, neighbors — people who know you well — can look at your house with different eyes. You see it every day, they don't. You'd be amazed to see things that you aren't even aware of.” 3 How do people pay for modifications to the home? “It sounds like an intimidating question. It's not. If you go to the government site National Institute on aging.gov (https://www.nia.nih.gov/), they have a whole host of ideas of where you can look. Every county in the United States has an area agency on aging, AAA as they're called. They have all kinds of information on aging in place, but they also have information on funding. There are states that are offering grants for home modifications. So you might want to check and see if your state has any of those. You can also use a home equity loan, a reverse mortgage, there are ways to do it. It just depends on what your financial needs are and what is best for you.” Learn more at silverspaces.com. Hear more podcasts with Dr. Jill Bjerke at https://answersforelders.com/silver-spaces/doctor-jill-bjerke/. Answers for Elders is part of the Senior Resource Network at https://www.seniorresource.com/. Check out our affiliate podcast Alzheimer’s Speaks: https://alzheimersspeaks.com/. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This month's Specialist Spotlight on Aging in Place features Dr. Jill Bjerke, the creator of Silver Spaces, an online assessment tool to help you identity safety risks and dangers in your home that you haven't noticed. If you want to remain in your home in your later years, Dr. Jill talks talks about many of the risks you can avoid. Dr. Jill says, "Every 20 minutes, according to the National Institutes of Health, an adult over 65 dies from a fall. That is so unnecessary. Things like this assessment are out there to identify where trip-and-fall hazards are. And they can be so insidious. You walk over that same darned carpet every day, and you don't realize the edge is frayed. And now, all of a sudden, a zipper catches on it, and you go down. It shouldn't be that way." Learn more at silverspaces.com. Hear more podcasts with Dr. Jill Bjerke at https://answersforelders.com/silver-spaces/doctor-jill-bjerke/. Answers for Elders is part of the Senior Resource Network at https://www.seniorresource.com/. Check out our affiliate podcast Alzheimer’s Speaks: https://alzheimersspeaks.com/. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dr. Jill Bjerke, CEO of Silver Spaces, joins Suzanne for this month's Specialist Spotlight on Aging in Place. People don't ask these questions enough. We get emotionally attached to a locale, and while our health and lifestyle changes, our home stays the same. Tasks that seem so simple can become complicated when we age. Dr. Jill says, "Aging in place is different than people think. It's not, "I'm gonna live in my home forever." There are a lot of decisions that have to be made. The biggest ones are things like finance, transportation, health, socialization, all of those things you need to think about either at retirement, before retirement. What am I gonna do about my finances? I'm still gonna have maintenance on my house. I'm still gonna have to pay someone to shovel my snow. How's my health? Is it good enough for me to stay home or will it deteriorate in the future? What if I can't drive? How am I gonna get places? How am I gonna get church, get my hair cut, whatever. What options are there? Are there senior services in your town? And then obviously socialization, that's the biggest barrier to aging in place is becoming isolated. So how can you avoid that? Is your church close enough where you can walk? Do you play bingo? Do you play cards? Can you get there? Can someone pick you up? Meeting with other people is absolutely vital to longevity.” When should you start this planning? “It really should start when you're thinking ahead about retirement, because that's the time to think about. When you get to your seventies or eighties, all of a sudden it becomes, 'Can I stay here?'” Learn more at silverspaces.com. Hear more podcasts with Dr. Jill Bjerke at https://answersforelders.com/silver-spaces/doctor-jill-bjerke/. Answers for Elders is part of the Senior Resource Network at https://www.seniorresource.com/. Check out our affiliate podcast Alzheimer’s Speaks: https://alzheimersspeaks.com/. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If you're caring for a loved one who is cognitively impaired, this hour is for you. Dr. Shawn Weiss joins Suzanne this hour to talk about giving yourself some grace and working on self-care to lessen burnout during the overwhelming experience of family caregiving. Dr. Weiss talks about recognizing the symptoms of burnout, working on self-care, and giving yourself some grace. Burnout will lead you to have a short fuse, the last thing you need while caregiving. Take time and step back, find ways to de-stress, and have someone you can vent to. Knowledge is power. The more you are prepared, the better as your loved one's dementia worsens. When it comes down to it, you have to make sure you're taking care of yourself and finding people that can help. If you have to take a break, make sure you come back refreshed, don't feel guilty about it. Have trusted people around you. You don't want to wait till it's too late to find the right people, because then you'll be forced to make quick adjustments and not find the right people. Get a free guide for cognitive impairment strategies at https://www.seniorhealthandwellness.org/freeguide. Learn more: * Shawn Weiss: https://answersforelders.com/shawn-weiss/ * Senior Health and Wellness website: https://www.seniorhealthandwellness.org/ Hear more podcasts about: * Aging in place: https://answersforelders.com/tag/aging-in-place/ * Dementia: https://answersforelders.com/tag/dementia/ Answers for Elders is part of the Senior Resource Network: https://www.seniorresource.com/ Check out our affiliate podcast Alzheimer’s Speaks: https://alzheimersspeaks.com/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If you're caring for a loved one who is cognitively impaired, this hour is for you. Dr. Shawn Weiss joins Suzanne this hour to talk about the listening and non-verbal side of communicating better. We're rushed, living hectic lives. When we walk into the room with our loved ones, are we empathetic, or just pretending to listen? With empathy, you'll have more success with them doing what you need, like eating breakfast or going to the doctor. Not interrupting, not finishing their sentences for them, goes a long way. You're going to learn more about mom, a long of things you can still learn from them if you just listen. Their long-term memory is still intact. Her advice: actually listen, don't pretend to listen. Get over repetition. Don't interrupt. Ask the right questions. Take inventory of your own weaknesses. Practice listening. Resist the impulse to correct errors. And don't let yourself get offended. Get a free guide for cognitive impairment strategies at https://www.seniorhealthandwellness.org/freeguide. Learn more: * Shawn Weiss: https://answersforelders.com/shawn-weiss/ * Senior Health and Wellness website: https://www.seniorhealthandwellness.org/ Hear more podcasts about: * Aging in place: https://answersforelders.com/tag/aging-in-place/ * Dementia: https://answersforelders.com/tag/dementia/ Answers for Elders is part of the Senior Resource Network: https://www.seniorresource.com/ Check out our affiliate podcast Alzheimer’s Speaks: https://alzheimersspeaks.com/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If you're caring for a loved one who is cognitively impaired, this hour is for you. Dr. Shawn Weiss joins Suzanne this hour to talk about ways of adjusting the home environment to improve the quality of life for those who face cognitive challenges. Environment plays a major role in daily success, especially as symptoms progress. Adding lavender and vanilla through diffusers can provide a calming effect, reducing stress. It helps to set lights lower after dinnertime. Colors have a huge affect as well. Communicate with more of a soothing tone of view, and use calmer body language. Avoid jargon, and speak one step at a time. If you want to maximize what they can do, rather than toss out lots of instructions, because the brain is processing more slowly, give them one instruction at a time, and give them time to process it. Simple tweaks can help. For instance, avoid asking they want to take a shower, because they can say no. Instead, say "It's time to take a shower, let's go take a shower." Get a free guide for cognitive impairment strategies at https://www.seniorhealthandwellness.org/freeguide. Learn more: * Shawn Weiss: https://answersforelders.com/shawn-weiss/ * Senior Health and Wellness website: https://www.seniorhealthandwellness.org/ Hear more podcasts about: * Aging in place: https://answersforelders.com/tag/aging-in-place/ * Dementia: https://answersforelders.com/tag/dementia/ Answers for Elders is part of the Senior Resource Network: https://www.seniorresource.com/ Check out our affiliate podcast Alzheimer’s Speaks: https://alzheimersspeaks.com/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If you're caring for a loved one who is cognitively impaired, this hour is for you. Dr. Shawn Weiss joins Suzanne this hour. This segment provides an overview of mental impairments, including dementia. 12-18% of those over 60 years old have at least some mild cognitive disorder, and that is expected to grow by 20% by the year 2040. 80% of seniors in senior living communities have some kind of impairment. Most people want to age in place, particularly after Covid, and people are feeling ill-equipped when it comes to caregiving. People are looking for ways to help mom or dad, to improve their quality of life. There are more than 100 types of dementia. People have language deficits or an expressive aphasia, taking unnecessary risks, memory losses, confusion, decreased concentration, and some personality changes are some of the symptoms. Get a free guide for cognitive impairment strategies at https://www.seniorhealthandwellness.org/freeguide. Learn more: * Shawn Weiss: https://answersforelders.com/shawn-weiss/ * Senior Health and Wellness website: https://www.seniorhealthandwellness.org/ Hear more podcasts about: * Aging in place: https://answersforelders.com/tag/aging-in-place/ * Dementia: https://answersforelders.com/tag/dementia/ Answers for Elders is part of the Senior Resource Network: https://www.seniorresource.com/ Check out our affiliate podcast Alzheimer’s Speaks: https://alzheimersspeaks.com/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sean Joseph, CEO of Jordan River Moving & Storage, joins Suzanne this hour to share his top ten tips for a successful move. In this segment, Sean advises to always pay for moving by weight, not cubic feet, and to inspect the empty truck at the end of the move before the crew leaves. 9. Always pay by weight, not cubic feet. Move by weight, not volume. Cubic feet is not a precise measure. The same boxes can be arranged to take up different amounts of space. Scammers can leave big open gaps within stacks of boxes on a truck, so that the boxes appear to take up more space than they really do. If you don't have a precise measure, you don't have control over the price. The military, governments, and corporations all ship by weight for a reason. The scale is your best friend, weight is an absolute measure. 10. Inspect the empty truck after delivery, before the crew leaves. It's on Jordan River Moving & Storage paperwork, to initial that you've inspected the truck. Nobody wants to have items accidentally left behind on the truck. You'll feel more comfortable knowing that if you can't find something, it's somewhere in your house, and not on the truck. It gives you closure. Learn more: * Jordan River Moving & Storage: https://answersforelders.com/jordan-river-moving-and-storage/ * Jordan River website: https://jordanrivermoving.com/ Hear more: * Senior moving: https://answersforelders.com/tag/senior-moving/ * Moving to senior living: https://answersforelders.com/tag/moving-to-senior-living/ Answers for Elders is part of the Senior Resource Network: https://www.seniorresource.com/ Check out our affiliate podcast Alzheimer’s Speaks: https://alzheimersspeaks.com/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sean Joseph, CEO of Jordan River Moving & Storage, joins Suzanne this hour to share his top ten tips for a successful move. This segment, Sean advises that you pre-plan your space in your new house before you move there, and observe the truck as it's being weighed before and after loading. 7. Space plan at your destination before your move. Make sure you know where you want your furniture to go in your new home. You need to be able to show the movers where to unload items. If you haven't done that ahead of time, local movers are being paid by the hour while you decide. Sometimes you don't end up liking where you wanted that couch to go, and they'll move it to an alternate spot. On a long distance move, they've only been paid to put your couch in one spot, and will have to charge extra for moving it to various spots in your living room. It starts with marking your boxes clearly, and not in cursive. Most movers are foreign, and cursive can be hard to read. If you're moving from a larger house to a smaller one, space planning is essential. Joseph says, "People are not prepared for moving bigger to smaller. So many times movers have to stack boxes all the way to the ceiling, and then the people couldn't get to them to open them. What could we do?" Arrange for offsite storage or have some of the boxes placed in the garage. 8. Observe the truck being weighed before and after packing. Personally observe the truck on the scale before and after packing so you know how much your stuff weighs, because that is the basis for the price you're being charged. You also have the right to have the truck weighed at the destination. Learn more: * Jordan River Moving & Storage: https://answersforelders.com/jordan-river-moving-and-storage/ * Jordan River website: https://jordanrivermoving.com/ Hear more: * Senior moving: https://answersforelders.com/tag/senior-moving/ * Moving to senior living: https://answersforelders.com/tag/moving-to-senior-living/ Answers for Elders is part of the Senior Resource Network: https://www.seniorresource.com/ Check out our affiliate podcast Alzheimer’s Speaks: https://alzheimersspeaks.com/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sean Joseph, CEO of Jordan River Moving & Storage, joins Suzanne this hour to share his top ten tips for a successful move. In this segment, Sean advises packing boxes fully to avoid damage, organize your house for the move, don't sign blank forms, and stay with the crew but out of the way. 3. When you pack, fill up boxes all the way to avoid damages. If you're doing your own packing, the moving company is not liable for damages to boxes. To avoid damage, prevent items from shifting inside the boxes. To do that, fill each box completely. If they're sealed and flat, they can be stacked faster in the truck. Line the bottom, pack in layers, and if you have empty space, stuff it will filler so items won't move around. Always mark the room it's going to, and the contents if you'd like. A good company will provide color-coded smart tape, so movers can quickly tell by color where each box belongs. Local movers are working by the hour, so save money and seal your boxes. If they're unsealed, movers will have to spend extra time to seal them. 4. Organize your house for the move. Movers want to arrive and just see furniture and boxes. Then they don't waste any time, and can get started right away. If packing isn't completed, or boxes aren't taped, it takes them more time. 5. Do not sign blank paperwork under any circumstances. Scammers work by saying they have to change their estimate, then get you to sign a blank paper. Make sure you get a copy of their estimate. Jordan River Moving & Storage uses tablets; when something changes on the estimate, they will send a new completed electronic estimate. 6. Stay with the crew, but stay out of the way. Let the crew work, they know what they're doing. Observe all the time. If you have questions or problems, don't hesitate to call the office. Learn more: * Jordan River Moving & Storage: https://answersforelders.com/jordan-river-moving-and-storage/ * Jordan River website: https://jordanrivermoving.com/ Hear more: * Senior moving: https://answersforelders.com/tag/senior-moving/ * Moving to senior living: https://answersforelders.com/tag/moving-to-senior-living/ Answers for Elders is part of the Senior Resource Network: https://www.seniorresource.com/ Check out our affiliate podcast Alzheimer’s Speaks: https://alzheimersspeaks.com/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sean Joseph, CEO of Jordan River Moving & Storage, joins Suzanne this hour to share his top ten tips for a successful move. In this segment, Sean urges people to get an in-home estimate and pack yourself to save money. 1. Get an up-front, in-home estimate. Joseph says, "A move is a big deal. You're giving them everything you own. Don't you want to see who you're dealing with, to build trust?" Choose a local company from the neighborhood. An in-home estimate is your insurance. You want them to come out to you, to meet them. While there, they can survey your items, and they won't be able to charge more than 10% above the amount quoted in their free binding estimate. You can ask the proper questions, and they'll estimate the number of boxes you'll need, and the types of boxes you'll need. Most people underestimate how many boxes they'll need. If you don't have time, you can meet virtually, but definitely do hire a local company, where you can visit their offices. 2. Pack yourself to save money; supply deliveries should be free; don't order boxes online. Online boxes are cheap, not strong enough or durable enough for a move. The company that did the quote already knows from their estimate what boxes you'll need. A firm like Jordan River Moving & Storage will deliver the right boxes for free, and only charge for the ones you use. They'll also bring additional boxes if you need more, with no delivery fee. Jordan River has the option of providing good used boxes for a discount. They also will pick up your used boxes once you've unpacked after your move, so you don't have to recycle them. Learn more: * Jordan River Moving & Storage: https://answersforelders.com/jordan-river-moving-and-storage/ * Jordan River website: https://jordanrivermoving.com/ Hear more: * Senior moving: https://answersforelders.com/tag/senior-moving/ * Moving to senior living: https://answersforelders.com/tag/moving-to-senior-living/ Answers for Elders is part of the Senior Resource Network: https://www.seniorresource.com/ Check out our affiliate podcast Alzheimer’s Speaks: https://alzheimersspeaks.com/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Suzanne is joined by Joan Rettmann, Regional Director of Sales in the Seattle area for Skyline, a unique life care senior living community. She clears up misperceptions about life care communities and explains how they work. Joan says, "Skyline has an extra special place in my heart, because this is actually where I got my start in the industry... Many residents that moved in 15 years ago are still here. Many of them have utilized what we call the Terraces at Skyline, and have used the various components to our continuum of care. And it's been really lovely to see all of that support in place just as it was intended." "A lot of people don't necessarily know what life care specifically is. So a quick mini lesson on that: there are three core types of CCRCs, continuing care retirement communities. The term "life care" is actually different than life plan. Life plan is the umbrella term in which types A B and C fall under. So type A and "life care" are one and the same. How it's different than A, B, or C, is that under the life care plan, you have priority access to higher levels of care at a fraction of what the market rate cost would normally be for any care level as long as you need it. So it really serves kind of like if you think of the best possible long term care insurance policy you could buy, that would be similar to having that here at Skyline. "Type B can offer some discounts, but it's limited in some way, or limited to the care levels. And type C is paying market rate. So type A offers the greatest peace of mind for financial protection in the future. And our residents really love that. There are certain things that you need to explore when you come into the community, and you talk to a sales and marketing team member to make sure that you qualify for it, because there are certain pre-existing conditions that would prohibit that, age requirements and such. That can all be part of the planning process when considering moving, so it's always good to get a head start and looking at your plans to see if that's a fit for you." Learn more: * Skyline * Hear more podcasts about senior living Answers for Elders is part of the Senior Resource Network Check out our affiliate podcast Alzheimer’s Speaks See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Suzanne is joined by Sean Joseph, CEO of Jordan River International Moving & Storage, a nationwide firm that specializes in working with seniors. Suzanne highly recommends Jordan River after her experiences with the company helping move her mom twice. Suzanne says, "You guys did two moves for my mom. And I remember each time it was just a breeze, it was easy. Your staff was wonderful. They were kind, they were gentle, they listened to what she had to say. There was a lot that we had to do, especially in the first move, where we had a lot of stuff to get rid of, but you guys just handled it perfectly. So I always say thank you. That is really important to me, that you're not like anybody else. And I mean that." Sean says, "I would like to provide a good service to people. I remember my business partner, Kobe, we started in Boston working for my brother in Philadelphia, and we learned how to provide quality service. And we went back to — we originally were born and raised in Israel — we went back to Israel. One day Kobe come into my house and said after seven years, we already had a baby each, he said, 'Let's go back to the United States, let's do moving the way we believe moving should be, high-quality service. He didn't say let's go to the United States to make money. Let's do moving services with high quality. We picked Seattle because we wanted a place that was safe, education was good, public schools and everything was high grade, a low crime ratio. And really from the get go, we emphasized customer service." Sean adds, "We are born and raised in Israel, which is a very family-oriented country. Take care of your parents and respect grandparents." Learn more: * Jordan River Moving & Storage: https://answersforelders.com/jordan-river-moving-and-storage/ * Jordan River website: https://jordanrivermoving.com/ Hear more: * Senior moving: https://answersforelders.com/tag/senior-moving/ * Moving to senior living: https://answersforelders.com/tag/moving-to-senior-living/ Answers for Elders is part of the Senior Resource Network: https://www.seniorresource.com/ Check out our affiliate podcast Alzheimer’s Speaks: https://alzheimersspeaks.com/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Suzanne is joined by Sean Joseph, CEO of Jordan River International Moving & Storage, a nationwide firm that specializes in working with seniors. Sean describes everything to do to make sure you have stress-free move. Sean says, "People need to understand the process of the move, what they need to expect, and how to create and complete a simple move in a good way, that shouldn't be stressful. The moving company could take so much stress away. Make the right first move. Call for an estimate, gain trust with the person from the company. Second, discuss either on the phone or in person what services would you like. We can do a full packing for you, so you don't need to worry about anything. Leave your house as is, we'll come and pack it for you: bring our boxes, our smart tape, sharpie to write the contents of the boxes and the location, and everything like that. Or you want to do your own packing? We can supply the boxes. I think it's very important, we deliver boxes to you for free. Do not order boxes online, the boxes online are not good. They're not thick enough. They will cause damage to your items, I guarantee that. They're not the right sizes, the proper sizes for a movie. We have all type of boxes: specialty boxes, picture boxes, and all the rest. We will charge you [for what you use] the day of the move, so you don't need to stress about ordering too many boxes. "We would like you to prepare your house for us for the day of the move. Which means we would like to come and find boxes and furniture. The boxes packed all the way to the top, sealed, and marked with the location. First, we're going to load all the boxes in the truck. Then we're going to disassemble the furniture, wrap the furniture at the house. That's one of the differences between us and other moving companies. There's two way of handling the furniture. One is when you take the furniture as is to the truck and drop a blanket on it, or shrink wrap, which I think is a joke; shrink wrap does not protect anything. So we disassemble the furniture, wrapping the furniture, protecting mattresses with a heavy-duty mattress cover, and load them on the truck. “Fully inspect the house. Walk around, open every cupboard, every cabinet, every closet, everything, make sure nothing is left behind. I instruct our crew to open everything with the customer. Don't rush out of the house to save 20, 30 bucks and leave stuff behind. Take five minutes, do the walk through. "At the destination, we're going to unload all your furniture first. Make sure you know where you want the furniture, because moving it around will take time for no reason. And we're gonna place the furniture, reassemble the furniture, set up the house. Once you say [everything is OK], we're going to bring the boxes in, place them exactly where they need to go in each room based on the customer direction. And then after we're done, we ask the customer to inspect the truck, even if it's a rainy day in Seattle, make sure you inspect the truck. I we got a few comments recently from customer that said, 'wow, it's the first time your crew insisted we check the truck, and we appreciate it.' They want to make sure nothing left behind. This is the proper way to do it. It's on our paperwork, too, that you need to initial 'I did a walkthrough and I inspected the truck.' We don't want to take any of your items back to our warehouse by mistake. "If you use our boxes, we'll gladly come and pick up the boxes. Call us [after you unpack], we don't want you to get stuck with all these big boxes and figure out where to recycle them." Learn more: * Jordan River Moving & Storage: https://answersforelders.com/jordan-river-moving-and-storage/ * Jordan River website: https://jordanrivermoving.com/ Hear more: * Senior moving: https://answersforelders.com/tag/senior-moving/ * Moving to senior living: https://answersforelders.com/tag/moving-to-senior-living/ Answers for Elders is part of the Senior Resource Network:...

Suzanne is joined by Sean Joseph, CEO of Jordan River International Moving & Storage, a nationwide firm that specializes in working with seniors. They continue their conversation about moving company scams to watch for. Sean says, "I'm a board member of the Washington Movers Conference. And every time, we're talking about education, education, education. People need to be aware of scams. The scan is very simple. The company tries to get you in at a certain amount of money, and then double it. "First, stay away from brokers. Brokers won't admit they are brokers. Brokers always charge a 35% deposit... If the company asks you and try to move you based on a cubic feet, run and hang up the phone. You don't want to move by cubic feet, because this is not a precise measure... [A scammer] will create a hole in the middle of the truck to inflate the amount of space they're using... Pay attention to blank paperwork. They must send a bill of lading three days before the move... Don't sign a blank paper. "Recently [scammers] have been using the same tactic of a binding estimate fee... Legitimate companies will not charge for an estimate. Any time you hear that, it's a scam." Regarding red flags to look for on a company's website, Sean says, "It's tricky. Look up their department of transportation number. You might not want to use a brand new company, which is if their number starts with a 3. Look up their DOT number to see if they're a broker or a carrier. It's simple math, the broker is charging more. "Do not pay for a binding estimate, do not move by cubic feet, make sure it's not a broker, try to avoid brand-new moving companies, and ask for an in-home estimate, so you can look them in the eye, so they can get a visual estimate, and get something in writing. Always use a local moving company. Look at their contact information. If it doesn't have a full address, run." Learn more: * Jordan River Moving & Storage: https://answersforelders.com/jordan-river-moving-and-storage/ * Jordan River website: https://jordanrivermoving.com/ • Washington Movers Conference: https://wmcmovers.com/ Hear more: * Senior moving: https://answersforelders.com/tag/senior-moving/ * Moving to senior living: https://answersforelders.com/tag/moving-to-senior-living/ Answers for Elders is part of the Senior Resource Network: https://www.seniorresource.com/ Check out our affiliate podcast Alzheimer’s Speaks: https://alzheimersspeaks.com/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.