Is your parent or loved one considering a move to a care facility? Are they already residing in one? Your Eldercare Success host, Nancy May, gives you an eye-opening podcast episode with guest Justine Bykowski, a gerontology expert who has spent much of her career working with the University of Michigan Health System.

This episode sheds light on the often-overlooked issues that can severely impact the well-being of care facility residents – our parents and loved ones. You’ll also learn about the six red flags that you absolutely want to be aware of when evaluating care environments for your elderly parents. These red flags are essential in ensuring that your loved ones receive the care and dignity they deserve and that you, as a caregiver, can sleep well each night.

This Eldercare Success episode emphasizes the importance of families being proactive, informed, and vigilant in monitoring the care their loved ones receive. You’ll also get invaluable insights on identifying the six red flags, what questions to ask facility staff, and how to advocate for better care.

Key Takeaways:

• Importance of service plans and when to reevaluate them
• Why you need to know about Medication Administration Records (MAR)
• Researching resident protection and safety lapses
• Learning about how staffing can pose a risk to your parent or loved one
• Simple, or not so simple, importance of food quality and dining experience
• Other often overlooked indicators of overall care

This podcast is a must-listen if you have a loved one in a care facility. It could mean the difference between a good day and living with caregiver regrets for a long time to come.

Don't wait until it's too late - tune in now and learn how to become a powerful advocate for your parent or an elderly loved one's well-being in care facilities. Your vigilance could make all the difference.

🔑 Eldercare Success Episode Links & Resources:

• Six Red Flags to know about when working with a care home.
• Recommended fall detection tools are fall calls and emergency door open locks.
• Podcast: Eldercare Success (please share with those you care about)
• Book: How to Survive 911 Medical Emergencies, Step-by-Step Before, During, and After
• Eldercare Success on YouTube
• Eldercare Success, here is a link to ask Nancy a question: A small blue tab on the right side of the page says "Send a Voice Mail Message to Nancy." Click on that and follow the directions on the pop-up. Then send me your comments and questions so I can answer them on the show.

Guest:

This episode of Eldercare Success dives deep into this daughter's personal, and sometimes humorous journey as she navigates the challenges of assisting her father with accepting that he needs to use incontinence underwear.

Nancy May, your host, openly shares her, and her Dad’s personal experiences, including both missteps and successful strategies, revealing the complexities of caregiving with empathy and authenticity. From employing unconventional methods like acupuncture to confronting somewhat embarrassing medical appointments, this episode of Eldercare Success addresses the delicate balance of maintaining dignity and the practical realities of incontinence, and when pee happens.

This episode includes lessons on patience, understanding, and respect, providing practical insights into the realities of caregiving for the parents we love.

It's guaranteed to make you laugh, and perhaps shed a tear or two, also.

Key Takeaways:

• How to be involved, and even empowered to help
• Ways to preserve dignity, theirs and yours!
• Considerations about comfort
• Important health-related issues
• Tips to maintain independence, privacy, and respect.

This episode of Eldercare Success gives you insights into the practical aspects of caregiving. It also touches on the emotional resilience required to handle such sensitive matters.

It's a must-listen for anyone in a caregiving role… wife, daughter, and professional caregivers alike.

🔑 Eldercare Success Episode Links & Resources:

• Recommended Fall Detection tools: Fall Call, Emergency Door Open Locks.
• Podcast: Eldercare Success (please share with those you care about)
• Book: How to Survive 911 Medical Emergencies, Step-by-Step Before, During, and After
• Eldercare Success on YouTube
• Eldercare Success, link to ask Nancy a question: There's a small blue tab on the right side of the page that says "Send a Voice Mail Message to Nancy." Click on that and follow the directions on the pop-up. Then send me your comments and questions so that I can answer them on the show.

Host: Nancy A. May has managed caregiving from both the Boardroom to the Emergency Room while supporting the wellbeing of her aging parents. Today she teaches and advises business owners, corporations, and individual families how to navigate and improve the quality of eldercare with more strength and confidence. Nancy is the five-star author of How to Survive 911 Medical Emergencies, Step-by-Step Before, During, After! and an award-winning expert in managing the complexities of caring for an aging parent or family member, even from over 1200 miles away, or more. For a Free File-of-Life to

This episode of Eldercare Success is guaranteed to give you some useful tools to make it easier to help your loved ones be accepted and function well in your community and public social settings.

Listen in as Nancy May shares the ways that Jim Magnis helped transform his community while caring for his wife with early-onset Alzheimer's Disease. Love for his wife ignited the creation of "Dementia-Friendly Saline," an initiative that’s now making waves beyond Saline, Michigan. Discover how small acts of understanding and adaptation have worked to create an inclusive environment for individuals facing cognitive challenges, and how you can do this too, in your own community.

It’s easier than you might think.

Key Highlights: ✨

• It’s Personal For Everyone: Jim shares his personal journey of caring for his beloved wife, Kathleen, and how it led to the birth of "Dementia Friendly Saline."
• Easy Education of a Community: Learn about Jim's efforts to educate local businesses and organizations, making everyday activities more accessible and enjoyable for those with dementia. It’s good for business too!
• Dementia-Friendly Cinema Movies: How a simple idea has increased business for a local movie theater chain, is now bringing joy and a sense of normalcy to families, proving that small changes can make a big difference.
• Expanding the Movement and Reach: The blueprint for replicating Saline’s success in communities nationwide, encouraging a collective effort towards inclusivity.

💌 Your Takeaway: Inspired by Jim's commitment, let's challenge ourselves to contribute to a dementia-friendly world. Whether it’s through advocating for inclusive practices, volunteering, or simply spreading the word, every action counts.

🕒 Timestamps:

[00:00] Welcome: Introduction to Creating Change

[02:10] Jim Magnis' Story: A Caregiver's Journey to Advocacy

[05:20] Identifying Dementia: Understanding the Early Signs

[08:01] Fighting Stigma: Alzheimer’s as a Disease, Not a Disgrace

[15:27] Dementia-Friendly Saline: A Model for Community Engagement

[21:17] Cinema for All: The Joy of Dementia-Friendly Movie Showings

[30:11] Impactful Moments: Stories That Touch the Heart

[33:52] Scaling Compassion: Spreading the Dementia-Friendly Initiative

[36:58] Conclusion: A Call to Action for Communities Worldwide

🔗 Links & Resources Mentioned:

• Jim Mangi, and Dementia Friendly Saline Website
• Dementia Friendly Saline Info document
• What to Expect at the Movies in Dementia Friendly Saline
• Podcast: Eldercare Success (please share with those you care about)
• Book: How to Survive 911 Medical Emergencies, Step-by-Step Before, During, and After
• Eldercare Success on YouTube
• Eldercare...