Join host Nancy Griffin as she interviews Janet Engel, VP ofClinical Strategy and Engagement at Dwell Safe, about the latest innovations in aging well. Discover how technology and home modifications are helping older adults live safely and comfortably in their homes.

About Janet

Janet Engel, MOT/L, CAPS, ECHM is the VP of Clinical Strategy and Engagement at DwellSafe, where she leverages AI and clinical expertise to democratize home safety modifications for aging in place. An expert in Aging in Place and Universal Design, Janet leads initiatives to revolutionize home safety assessments and foster strategic partnerships in the industry.

With a deep understanding of the Baby Boomer demographic, Janet helps businesses tailor their strategies to better connect with and serve this important market. Her expertise extends to messaging specialization, improving communication and market share for companies focused on this consumer group.

Janet is the creator and host of the podcast "Home Designs for Life," which ranks in the top 10% globally. Through this platform, she offers valuable insights and discusses current trends related to aging in place, effective consumer communication, and innovative home safety solutions.

Passionate about empowering individuals to live independently as they age, Janet is committed to driving meaningful conversations and innovations in her field. At DwellSafe, she leverages her extensive background as an occupational therapist, specializing in home health care for older adults, to ensure that everyone can age safely and comfortably in their own homes.

Janet's unique blend of clinical knowledge, technologyexpertise, and consumer insight positions her at the forefront of the aging-in-place movement, where she continues to push the boundaries of what's possible in-home health solutions.

Key Takeaways

• Planning early for aging in place is essential to reduce fall risks. Home hazards are responsible for half to two-thirds of all falls in people age 65 and older.
• Dwell Safe is a home safety platform that combinesAI with clinical expertise to assess home safety. Technology scans individual rooms in a home and gives a fall risk score for the person and the environment. An occupational therapist reviews the video footage and makes tailored home safety recommendations.
• From Instacart to smart home technologies like automated window treatments, technology is key to supporting aging in place. Technology makes life more comfortable in the home and reduces fall risk.
• Vision is the first system that deteriorates with the aging process — starting as early as age 35 or 40. Smart solutions include creating color contrast in your environment — between walls, furniture and flooring, or installing motion sensor lighting and smart appliances in your home.
• Age-tech friendly kitchen appliances allow older adults to prepare meals safely. The kitchen presents significant hazards. You can burn yourself, fall, or cutyourself with sharp objects.
• An induction stove is an efficient way of cooking and eliminates the risk for burns and fires. A Smart Refrigerators can tell us if food has gone spoiled, which is important as our taste sense of smell deteriorates. Eating spoiled food is a common reason why older adults end up in the hospital.
• Universal design has broad general appeal. It is for everyone, regardless of height, weight, gender, and strength. Lever handles, motion sensor faucets and lighting are examples of universal design.
• Aging in place means living in the home of your choice. Whether it's the home you've been in for 30 years, a new home, or a 55 plus community. The key is choice.
• Social determinants of health include living ina community where you have easy access to neighbors, parks, restaurants and stores.

In this episode of the Glowing Older podcast, host Nancy Griffin interviews Eric Blake, a financial planner specializing in retirement planning for women. They discuss the unique financial challenges faced by women, particularly solo agers, and the importance of having a clear financial plan. Eric emphasizes the need for women to be involved in financial conversations and decision-making, especially in the context of couples. The conversation also touches on the significant wealth transfer occurring as women inherit more wealth and the importance of holistic financial planning that aligns with personal goals and values.

About Eric

Eric Blake is a Certified Financial Planner (CFP®) and the founder of Blake Wealth Management, specializing in helping women navigate retirement with confidence. With 25+ years of experience, Eric provides clear, practical strategies that help women optimize their investments, create reliable income streams, and minimize taxes.

His personal passion for helping women stems from beingraised by a single mother and grandmother being widowed at 62, providing a deep understanding of the financial challenges many women face later in life.

As the host of The Simply Retirement Podcast, Eric educates and empowers women to take control of their financial future.

Key Takeaways

• Optimizing investments for retirement is different than strategizing for an accumulation portfolio. Planning for retirement starts with determining what is most important to you.
• Not prioritizing women a failure of the financial services industry. 70% of women change their financial advisor within 12 months of losing their husband when he passes away.
• If you are married woman, make sure you are part of the financial conversation. Be willing to ask hard questions.
• Women are set to inherit approximately $30 to $34 trillion in the next few years and will potentially control as much as 67 % of the stock market wealth in the U.S.

In this episode of the Glowing Older podcast, host NancyGriffin interviews Erin Thompson, founder of Aspire for More and co-founder of The Mentoring Company. They discuss the importance of leadership in senior living, the challenges of navigating change in the industry, and the critical role of supporting caregivers. Aaron shares insights from his extensive experience in senior living, emphasizing the need for strong leadership to enhance resident experiences and the importance of personal growth for caregivers. The conversation also covers practical advice for families seeking the right senior living community and the emotional complexities involved in caregiving.

About Erin

With over 20 years of experience in the Senior Living Industry, Erin Thompson has built a legacy of turning struggling communities into thriving places to live and work. As a former Executive Director, she led teams to record breaking occupancy, near-perfect survey scores, and award winning workplace cultures—earning her communities the Great Place to Work distinction two years in a row.

Now, as the Founder of The Mentoring Company and Aspire for More with Erin, Erin is on a mission to mentor, motivate, and equip the next generation of senior living leaders. Through her executive coaching, leadership courses, cohort programs, and national leadership community, she helps new and emerging leaders own their story, develop their leadership voice, and create environments where both residents and teams thrive.

She is also the host of the Aspire for More with Erin Podcast, where she shares real-life leadership insights, industry expertise, and conversations with top thought leaders in senior living. Her approach is simple: Great leaders create great communities. When leaders grow, communities flourish, retention improves, and resident experiences are elevated.

Key Takeaways

• Leadership is crucial for creating a positive resident experience in a senior living community. A strong leader doesn't just operate the community, they shape the environment and culture.
• Staff turnover is a detriment to tech adoption and stops the innovative changes inside of a community.
• Finding the right senior living community requires understanding individual needs. What is most important? Survey scores matter, but they are not the “end all be all.”
• Sometimes being home alone is not the best option. The desire to be in control can override every system of rational thinking.