December 5, 2024 • 36 mins
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Empowering Caregivers with Tracy Lamb and Odessa Connect
In this episode, Erin welcomes Traci Lamb, an international business development specialist for OdessaConnect, who shares her personal and professional caregiving journey. Traci discusses the challenges and emotional toll of caregiving, how she transitioned from being a media mogul to dissolving her business to care for her mother, who suffers from Parkinson's and dementia.
They delve into the significance of technology in improving caregivers' lives, highlighting OdessaConnect's user-friendly TV-integrated system that simplifies digital connectivity for seniors. Tracy emphasizes the importance of support systems, self-care, and proper tools in caregiving, providing insights and resources for caregivers facing similar struggles.
00:00 Introduction and Guest Introduction
00:50 Traci's Journey into Caregiving
03:24 Challenges and Realities of Caregiving
06:54 Navigating Dementia and Emotional Struggles
10:14 Advocacy and Best Practices in Caregiving
14:21 Odessa Connect: A Game Changer for Caregivers
17:27 Personal Experiences with Odessa Connect
29:11 Final Thoughts and Contact Information
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Erin (00:00):
Hi there.
(00:01):
Welcome back to another episodeof this of the podcast where we
are going to have a specialguest Tracy lamb, who's the
international businessdevelopment specialist for
Odessa connect.
But more importantly, she is acurrent caregiver to a loved
one.
She was once going to start acaregiving network TV show,
(00:24):
which is fascinating to me, andhow all of this part of her
life, all the different parts ofher life, Now are connecting and
convening on caregiving andcaregiving technology to make
caregivers and the people thatthey care for their lives
better.
Tracy, thank you for being heretoday.
(00:45):
I appreciate it.
Traci (00:47):
Thank you for having me.
I am thrilled to be here, Erin.
Erin (00:50):
Yes, so talk to me about the big goals that you had.
being, I want to say like amedia mogul, like the Oprah of
caregiving,
Traci (01:03):
right?
Sure.
and I did.
Those were like my visions ofgrandeur.
I'm definitely a visionary.
Anybody who knows me knows that.
I worked at hospice for 13years.
And I just saw and talked to dayin day out patients, families,
how frustrated they were thatthey didn't.
Either 1st of all, they didn'tunderstand the health care
system.
(01:23):
They didn't understand how badit was.
They thought Medicare andMedicaid would pay for
everything.
And then all of a sudden,they're stuck in the back
problems, and they didn't knowabout resources.
They didn't know about all thesedifferent things.
And I just.
19, I'd gotten divorced and Iwas just like, I live in
Florida, I'm in the Mecca ofplace where people retire.
(01:43):
So if nothing else, maybe I canhelp Florida people.
And so that really is where thethought process came in.
I just wanted to help withresources and that's where it
started.
And I ended up doing that and,it built up to a really big.
thing.
it ended up going into radio andTV and all this big crazy and it
was going really well.
And, my dad got sick.
(02:05):
My mom and dad had been marriedfor 60 years.
And in 2022, my dad passed.
and then my mom could not takecare of herself.
She had gotten sick too.
we ended up not having money.
My dad hadn't saved money.
So there was a whole big thingwith financial caregiving and
all of that whole.
rigmarole, it was just, it was alot.
And but she was still doinghalfway.
(02:26):
Okay.
So I was trying to keep buildingthe business, but as you well
know, when anybody listeningknows, when you're building a
business, it's pretty much 24seven, you don't get to turn off
whether it's night or weekends,you do not turn off.
And I couldn't, especially withTV, there was lots of moving
parts.
And, mom, just about 3 monthsago, she just took a turn for
(02:47):
the worse.
She's gotten Parkinson's now anddementia and it's gotten majorly
worse and I just had to make thedecision of, okay, am I going to
keep trying to build thisbusiness or do I need to take
care of mom way that I need totake care of her?
And there was really no option.
And so that was why I dissolvedmy business.
(03:07):
And so that's what led me towhere I am.
Erin (03:10):
Which is this amazing title of the international
business development specialistof Odessa connect,
Traci (03:16):
right?
It's a big, it's a big titlefor, you know, I mean, I have an
international connection, it'sjust, that's all it is, nothing
major.
Erin (03:24):
So as a caregiver, I know you've, when we educate people
on caregiving, I was a caregiverfor 15 years.
for my grandmother, and then Ihad the hospice experience with
my grandfather at a young adultage.
I think that you can preparepeople for that as much as you
can, but then when you findyourself in that situation with
(03:48):
all the baggage, whether it'ssmall baggage or big baggage,
that, parental relationshipsand, Children of the have, how
do you find yourself navigatingthe hard parts of that?
Do you have them?
Are you perfect?
Traci (04:06):
oh, so not true.
I am so not perfect.
I am the 1st 1 to admit, Ireally believe caregiving is
like marriage and raising kids.
none of it comes with ahandbook.
You have no idea what you'redoing.
You do the best you can, but youare definitely going to make
mistakes.
She'll make good decisions andbad decisions, but you do the
best you can.
And, I tell people all the time.
(04:28):
Exactly what you just said.
I could easily talk the care thecaregiver talk for 14 years of
hospice.
But until I actually got in itin 2022, dealing with my dad,
completely different viewpoint.
Now, now that I've been walkingin it for over two years, you
just, you get a lot more empathyand understanding once you
(04:48):
actually have to dive in anddeal with all those issues.
So I think to answer yourquestion, I absolutely have gone
through the muck of it, theyucky part, the nastiness.
And, where.
You really don't know whatyou're supposed to do.
And for me, my, my thing, andit's not for everybody, but for
me, my faith has been what I,what has held me together.
(05:10):
I do understand though, both mybrother and my sister had
problems with like drinking anddrugs and stuff like that.
And I never understood that.
And I told my mom as late as ayear ago, I said, I wish they
were alive for me to be able tosay, I do understand it now, I
do understand getting to a placewhere you're just like, I just
want relief.
I just need relief, even if it'sjust for 20 minutes, you really
(05:33):
can get to that place and I'vegotten there, more than once.
And, when the person lives withyou, so you don't get to say.
you're the problem, you can't dothat, and it's just really hard.
yeah, absolutely.
I've walked through it still.
I am.
Yeah,
Erin (05:52):
yes, going back to the addiction piece of it.
I feel as if when you reallyunderstand.
Driving factors to some of thatit's there is a space to
understand how you get there anda lot.
And it is a lot of not beingable to cope or the shame of
(06:15):
feeling.
I don't want to do this, whichcaregiving will drive you to
that you resent the fact thatyou have to do it.
You resent the fact that noone's there to help you.
And I think.
It's a lot of it is expectationsmanagement.
Traci (06:32):
Yes, that great term.
So true.
So true.
Erin (06:39):
When I think that they can do more than they're doing.
Traci (06:43):
Yes.
Erin (06:43):
And so therefore I start creating all these, Stories and
ultimately they really can't, ormaybe they are manipulating you
a little bit.
Okay.
I hear a lot of people when wetalk about dementia.
Oh, they're just putting on.
Oh, they're just doing this.
and I'm like, there's really noway to tell.
Traci (07:04):
No, there's not.
No, there's really not.
And the thing is that one of thethings I had to get, and I only
just recently got to this space.
I fought it for a really longtime, unfortunately in dementia,
as they progress, they getangry, and they get resentful
and they get defensive and allthat stuff.
And she's gotten to that placeand.
There was about three monthswhere we were literally like, at
(07:27):
each other's throat.
And she would literally get likean inch from my face and ball up
her hands and her fist.
And she would be like, do youwant to fight?
Do you want to fight?
And I'm like, oh my word, thisis my mom.
And my mom is the sweetest,nicest, kindest woman that you
would ever know.
And she's do you want to fight?
And I'm like, oh my word, mom,no.
(07:47):
it's.
And so I really had to thinkabout it and pray about it.
And I finally had to come to therealization.
It was I literally compared itto like my brother, who was an
alcoholic for so many years, Ifinally told my brother about
three months before he died whenhe finally got sober right
before he died.
I said, I hated the alcoholicbecause the alcoholic stole my
brother for 15 years.
(08:07):
And.
she's angry because she feels ittaking her away and she can't do
anything about it.
And I know that.
And so I think 1 of the reasonswhy I was reacting in a bad way.
Was because I was fighting ittoo, and I was angry too,
because I was like, mom, you'resupposed to notice, that the sky
(08:30):
isn't green.
It's blue, and.
Once I got to a place where Iaccepted.
This is the disease.
This isn't mom.
This is easy.
That has helped me tremendouslyto be able to move.
Erin (08:44):
Yeah,
Traci (08:45):
it was hard.
It was hard.
Erin (08:47):
Yeah.
it's true.
People don't want to accept it.
They want to fight through it.
I feel the same way just about,my own caregiving current
caregiving experience and I'veaccepted a lot of things and it
has made my life so much easier.
I can only control what I cancontrol.
I'm not to blame for a lot ofthe different things.
And I watch other people whodon't accept it.
(09:11):
Yes, and the negative energythat it creates.
Traci (09:15):
Yes,
Erin (09:16):
we are responsible for the energy that we create by the way
that we think about things.
And when you realize you justhave to let it go.
so it's a progressive thing, orI used to tell family members
all the time.
If you did not inject a dementiaserum into your loved one, then
you don't have to feel guiltyabout anything.
(09:38):
What you have to do is meet theneeds that are present today.
Traci (09:42):
Absolutely.
Erin (09:44):
Absolutely.
That's really it.
And when your best isn't goodenough, then you have to find
the next best thing.
And that's just where we are incaregiving and parenting.
Traci (09:54):
that's exactly right.
that's why I say it caregivingis almost exactly the same as.
As parenting, or like I say,even marriage, all of it, you
just do the best you can,sometimes you're going to get
it.
And sometimes you're going to beway off the mark, but you're
just doing the best you can.
And that's really all anybodycan do.
You can only control what youcan control.
Erin (10:14):
yeah, from an advocacy standpoint, 1 of the things that
I always ask, or I've always.
So what I always tell people isfrom my experience as a
caregiver and also as a parentto a unique child is you're the
advocate.
Too many times caregivers gointo the doctor's office and
(10:36):
expect the doctor or the nursesto be able to solve their
problems.
And in some ways, maybe theycan, but they don't know the
extent of the problems unlessthey're there.
The caregiver brings in a lot ofthe information from other
specialists, a lot of theinformation, just pattern
recognition, those types ofthings.
(10:56):
Do you have a system that worksfor you?
Do you write things down in anotebook?
Do you use an app on your phone?
what have you seen in yourcaregiving, mobile, personal,
all the things experience?
What have you seen as some ofthe best practices?
Traci (11:12):
and it's been crazy because once you get into the
space, you don't practice nearlywhat you preach.
that's been part of my problem.
I preached a lot of things, butI haven't practiced nearly as
much as I should have.
but I will say, I go to everysingle doctor's appointment with
my mother.
I go, because I want to ask allthe questions I want to ask.
And I don't really like for herto drive anyway.
And so I just.
(11:34):
And then I go ahead and I loggeddown, I've started just recently
logging down, like, where sheis, cognitively, because it is
declining, for a while.
She had a really hard time withblood pressure.
We finally got her bloodpressure problem under control
for a while.
I was tracking that.
it just depends on what thebiggest issue is.
(11:55):
I hate to say that, but,whatever the squeaky wheel, it
gets the attention.
and I keep different apps on myphone, to be able to try and
track some different things justto be able to, when I go in and
see the doctors, I can say,okay, so this was happening this
week or whatever, and thishappened this many times this
week, cause she has startedfalling a little bit.
(12:18):
And all of those different kindsof things.
become paramount and I knowthat.
And, so yeah, I completelyagree.
The beautiful thing is there'sso many fantastic apps out there
now, that you can track allkinds of really cool stuff, and
that's one of the main thingsthat I highly recommend to
people, you need to.
Somehow stay on top of stuff.
(12:39):
I know it's hard.
God knows I'm the first one toraise my hand and say, I'm not
doing as well as I probablyshould, but it does help the
doctor.
I know she's thanked me morethan once about, thank you for.
Back to some of this stuff.
Erin (12:52):
Yeah, 1, some of the most impressive families that I have
seen come in would have abinder.
Traci (13:00):
Yes,
Erin (13:01):
and it would be like the binder of mom.
The binder of dad and it wouldjust all the tabs would be
different topics and they didn'thave the pressure to remember
it.
They had the binder toreference, which was really
cool.
I like that.
(13:23):
And also the apps, but I thinkwhat you said is that it's the
pattern recognition it's as anadvocate and a caregiver for
somebody to be able to answerquestions.
based on experience, based onpatterns, based on we started
this medication on this day, andthen this started happening on
this day.
Like, all that is reallyimportant.
(13:44):
So what, however, that works foryou, is the best way to do that
for sure.
Traci (13:49):
I completely agree.
And it's different for differentpeople.
I'm definitely more old school.
I do like to write everythingdown.
but it, primary record is great.
you know what Gene Ross createdand, there's just, there's a lot
of different ones out there thatare really good, but I
definitely believe that youcould, you should do whatever is
going to work.
So whatever it is, so
Erin (14:11):
absolutely.
And now you work for a techcompany as the international
business development specialistfor Odessa connect.
And you are using that for yourmom right now.
So explain to us what Odessaconnect is and the benefits.
(14:31):
For people, and then what youare seeing, in your home with
your mom.
Traci (14:37):
it has been, like I say, mom's dementia has gotten worse
and it has been a game changerfor me and her for 2 or 3
reasons.
1 of the biggest things is she,most older people loves to watch
TV and, with the normal remote,there's 45 buttons.
And I had gotten to where theinput for the HDMI, I had just
(15:01):
basically called it.
That's the no, no button.
I said, please don't hit thatbutton mom.
You can do not hit the no, nobutton.
Okay.
Don't hit it because, she wouldmess it up and she'd call me if
I was out and about the TV won'twork.
Now.
I don't know what's wrong.
I know what's wrong.
She hit the button, it's allmessed up.
what 1 of the many reasons Ilove Odessa is that there's only
(15:22):
11 buttons on the whole of themand they're all big and so
they're all easy to see andthey're all it's all easy to,
understand and so it's easy forher to navigate and there's no
bad buttons on there.
She can't cannot screw up theTV, which is great.
and there's an on there's an onand off switch and everything.
Erin (15:42):
with Odessa connect, it's it this is a technology that
works with the TV to keep peopleconnected through technology
because the problem is that alot of seniors.
lose the ability to connecttechnology digitally with family
members due to eyesight orlosing the capacity to
(16:06):
understand how to workcomplicated small screens and
Odessa Connect made As software,that will run through the TV and
then needed to have some type ofcontrol that would allow both
control of the TV and thesoftware.
(16:27):
And so then they created thisremote control that's full of
vibrant colors with big buttonsthat is.
Simple,
Traci (16:38):
yes, and easy to use.
It's basically for all intentsand purposes.
It's a hub.
That's all it is.
And it can connect to any TV.
And it doesn't matter if you'vegot satellite direct TV, cable,
streaming, whatever you have,you can easily connect to your
TV.
It can make and it may basicallymakes the TV.
(17:00):
Become a giant iPad.
That's the easiest thing to say.
It literally becomes a giantiPad and the remote control.
You basically can, your remotecontrol basically becomes your
universal remote.
So you can still watch yourregular TV on it, but you also
can get.
What, one of the other thingsthat I love about it is not only
(17:20):
is the remote easy for my mom touse, but like I've recently
started traveling with Odessaconnect.
I went to Nashville for threedays for the leading age
conference.
It's the first time I've left,for three full days, probably in
three years.
And especially with hercognitive to say, I was
concerned was a little bit mild,but I could do a video
(17:45):
conference with mom.
The beautiful thing is it have afree app that anybody can have,
they have to be invited.
I have to invite anybody to callmy mom, so I can invite any of
her friends.
I can invite any of our family.
So random hackers cannot get in,only people that I invite, but
the app is free, so nobody elsehas to have the Odessa box, and
(18:11):
anybody can video call her, andthe TV actually rings, and it
says, video call from Tracy, andmom can hit a talk button.
And immediately with the clickof one button, she's audio and
video connected to me on her TV.
And the great thing for me islike when I was in Nashville, I
(18:32):
could call her all three days Iwas gone and do a video
conference and I can visuallysee her and see she was doing
okay.
I could call, I called her inthe morning and at night and I
could see that it was okay.
And, She literally hit the talkbutton.
She talks basically to theremote.
And then as soon as she wants togo back to TV, she just hits the
TV button and it immediatelyswitches back to her TV program.
(18:55):
So it's that easy for her touse.
Erin (18:58):
So if she was watching TV and you called, it would
interrupt her TV.
Traci (19:04):
Yep.
It would, it interrupts her TVshow and it says video call from
Tracy coming in and she wants toaccept it.
So she hits.
And she immediately has itconnected to me and on the
Odessa Connect box, there's amessaging light.
And so if I called her, andlet's say she was out walking
the dog, and so she wasn't home,then it actually, and I called,
(19:28):
and I can actually leave a videorecording and the little
messages light will light up.
And so she'll see when she comesback in, oh, there's a message
from Tracy.
And so she can go on and she cansee the message that I left.
I can all I could also send her,pictures and they can see she
can see the pictures and theOdessa will store the pictures.
1 of the things I really do loveabout it too is, but let's say
(19:50):
you have grant.
Let's say you've got kids.
You're doing Christmas morningand let's say your mom lived in
Portland, Oregon.
Okay.
You could call your mom on herOdessa and you could turn your
iPad around on Christmasmorning, put it, in front of the
Christmas tree and everybodydoing Christmas and your mom
would see all of Christmasmorning on her TV with her
(20:11):
daughter and her grandkids.
And it would be, there's nothingthat you can, I think that's
amazing, that can be real, thatcan be really profound.
And my mom, for me, she's toldme more than once.
She's I like that so muchbetter.
I, it just, it makes it so mucheasier for her, and she doesn't
have to remember passwords.
There's no passwords.
(20:31):
There's no crazy thing.
That's so cool.
technology scares most olderadults, as we all know.
And so Todd Smith, who's the CEOand founder, when he created it,
he purposely did a ton ofresearch and that's what he
found out, they wanted somethingvery simple and easy to use.
And that's why he created itthat way, to make it very simple
(20:53):
and easy to use.
And it's just fantastic.
It's HIPAA compliant.
So they can even do telehealthvisits.
So if mom, when mom gets to theplace where she doesn't feel
like going to see her doctor, Ican just add her doctor onto the
app and tell her doctor, justcall her, and the doctor can
(21:14):
call, do a video conference withher on the TV, and it'll be
HIPAA compliant.
Erin (21:19):
Yeah, that's pretty darn cool.
the other thing about, using theTV, which is genius is cell
phones get lost tablets getlost.
Sometimes they're just inbetween the cushions of the
couch.
but lost in the moment, andespecially in inside senior
(21:40):
living, things can get lost.
Things can get washed in themoment, but the TV is always
there.
Traci (21:47):
Yes.
Yes, it's always there.
And the great thing too aboutthe Odessa, especially even in
senior living is that, we can dothe dining menus.
We can do the activities.
We can do all of that through 1app.
You don't have to use.
four different apps to put allthose things in.
And if you want to send anymessages to like all the
(22:09):
residents, you can actually seethe residents.
The residents will actually giveyou a thumbs up on the TV that
they got the message.
So that way, and that's even ifyou're a daughter and you send
pictures to your mom and youwant to make sure she got the
picture, she can give you athumbs up on her side and you'll
see it on your app that, okay,mom, I got my, I got the picture
of that, it's great, especially,like I say, senior living, it
(22:31):
allows them, they know, okay,who got the message?
Who didn't get the message?
Who's, who do I need to go checkon?
bingo changed from four o'clockto three o'clock.
Okay.
We need to go tell John becausehe didn't get the message.
you can do all kinds of thosethings.
and it can be white labeled.
It can be reformatted.
It can be, we can do all kindsof different things.
And with the health side, we canactually, we actually have a
(22:53):
health care dashboard.
So we can, we can send a fewextra devices and we can get
their temperature, their bloodpressure.
their pulse, all those kinds ofthings, and it can actually go
to the dashboard for thehealthcare provider.
we can also do questions and askthem questions like, did you,
how are you feeling today?
Are you happy?
Are you sad?
(23:14):
our, did you take yourmedication today?
Did you have a fall and thenthey get a little celebration at
the end.
So they get excited about it.
And so they do those questionsbecause they like the little
celebration at the end, and, butthat's a good because it can be
a key indicator back to thecaregiver or the senior living
that this patient's not isdepressed today, or this patient
(23:36):
didn't take her medication orshe fell last night and she
didn't tell anybody.
So all of those things arereally important and we can
change those questions.
However, we need, but all ofthose things are really
important factors.
Erin (23:47):
Yeah, that's to have a 1 stop shop that, can collect all
that data and also receive andinteract and connect digitally
is.
is pretty important.
and for that to be able to beused in your home.
Traci (24:04):
Yeah, exactly.
Erin (24:05):
for an individual use.
you're currently using it rightnow.
Traci (24:08):
Absolutely.
Absolutely.
And that's like I'm going out oftown next week again for three
days.
book caregiving panel inCincinnati, and I'm going to be
on again, but I know I feel somuch better because I know I can
check in with her like morningand night, how was your day?
Did you sleep okay last night?
I can check in however manytimes I want, and it's okay.
(24:29):
And it's not a difficult thingfor her, unlike Zooms or,
anything like that, where it'sreally difficult for the seniors
to be able to do audio video orwhatever the heck it is, this is
just very simple and they don'thave to remember passwords or
anything crazy.
It's just, it's their TV.
They're used to their TV.
Erin (24:48):
Yeah, that's pretty amazing.
and your mom, what's herfeedback of that?
Traci (24:53):
she loves it.
She has said it has just been,she said she really likes it.
She goes.
it was funny because I got ridof the other remote, the one
that has, 45 buttons on it and,she's I don't you can just throw
that away.
I don't want to use it anymore.
And I laughed and I said, okay,don't worry about it.
And the great thing, too, isthat the installation was really
easy.
I'm not really a person and weliterally had it connected in, 5
(25:17):
minutes and I have a smart TV.
So I have, and all of that on myTV.
And it was able to interact withall of that.
it's not been it's not adifficult setup.
So you can very quickly interactit with the TV.
It can be done.
It's not a problem at all.
And I said, she absolutely.
Loves it.
Loves it.
Erin (25:40):
That is pretty.
I love that.
I love the idea of connectingpeople digitally who don't feel
comfortable with technology ormaybe even has some eyesight
challenges that has justresigned to the fact that.
They're not going to get thatconnection.
(26:00):
Now all of a sudden this opensup a new world, for them.
And that is promising.
I know it's promising for me asI get older to think if
something were to happen,glaucoma, macular degeneration,
all the things that I will stillhave a way to digitally connect
with people.
Oh
Traci (26:20):
yeah.
and the same thing with hearing,a lot of people have hearing
issues, especially as they getolder, they're hearing.
And like even my mom, she turnsthe TV up a lot louder than I
would normally but because herhearing is not great.
And, it allows her because it'sthe TV, she can turn it up
louder, and I think that'sanother big piece of it, between
(26:41):
the hearing and the eyesightalone, those two things are
going to be a lot better becauseit's a lot bigger screen.
Plus the bottom line is thatevery single person on the
planet knows how to run theirTV.
They may not know how to runanything else electronically in
their house.
Okay, a smartphone terrifies mymother.
my mother says to me all thetime.
(27:02):
She's I don't know.
How in the world you do all thethings that you do on that
phone.
And because she sees me, it'smy, my Bible.
I like live with this thing andshe's I don't know how you do
all that.
And so smartphone scare mymother, so we have a landline,
we have an old fashioned phone,because that's the only thing
that she can do.
And she's not alone with that,she's 84.
(27:24):
she, they just grew up in ageneration.
That was not techie.
They're very analog.
And so they're very used to oldschool.
And so I think that was 1 of thebrilliant things that Todd Smith
did when he created this was tocreate something that was more
in what their realm was.
(27:45):
and he has some really excitingthings that are going to be
happening with gaming and allkinds of really cool stuff and
all kinds of fun stuff iscoming.
but I think already it's just agenius thing.
it really has.
Tremendously given me as thecaregiver.
Peace of mind, which is whatevery caregiver wants.
No matter what the ages of theperson that they're caring for
(28:07):
and, and it's given her peace ofmind because she doesn't like
freak out.
Every time she turns on the TV.
Oh, no, I could possibly mess itup.
And then I'm not going to watch.
Erin (28:18):
That HDMI no no button.
That's right, it's the no nobutton.
Because
Traci (28:23):
we don't know how to, we don't know what you did in order
to get back, That's exactlyright.
Oh my goodness, I can't tell youhow many times she's called me
and she's just What do I push toget it back?
And I'm like, Mom, you're gonnahave to wait until I get home.
Erin (28:36):
There are so many stories that every senior living leader
could tell you about the remotecontrols.
Inside senior living and so manymore for people who are caring
for their loved ones at home.
It's just oh, my gosh, don'tflip the red switch.
You know what I mean?
Traci (28:56):
I know.
That's why I love, love, loveour remote.
Our remote alone is worth itsweight in gold because it's
just, it's so much fun.
Oh, you took it away.
Thank God.
You took it away.
Yes.
Yes.
Erin (29:11):
So let's end the conversation on, just, giving a
summary on your caregivingknowledge and experience, both
personal and professional, weall want peace of mind.
Are there ways.
That you find for you that it'seasier to get peace of mind if
you focus on these things or ifyou get to a real anxious point,
(29:34):
how do you get yourself down offthe ledge?
You know what I mean?
Traci (29:40):
oh yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
I've been on the ledge a lot.
Yeah.
I think I, and I think everycaregiver has, I think two or
three things.
One, I think you have to findyour space where you can
breathe.
Yeah, and it's a different foreverybody, for me, I, if I have
to go out for a walk and justlisten to music, or if I can
just go for a drive, I just haveto get alone and just breathe
(30:03):
and just pull myself down offthe crazy.
and I think that's reallyimportant.
Sometimes you just need tocompletely separate yourself
from the situation and theperson, because if you stay in
it, you're just going to keepratcheting up at least.
That's the way it is with me.
Yeah.
So that's 1 of the things forme.
And then I would say, secondly,knowing that, what's coming,
(30:27):
it's okay, I know this iscoming.
I've been in health care longenough to where I know the
drill.
I've seen it with other people,so I know what's coming.
I'm trying in my own way to getthings prepared as I know things
are going to be coming down theline.
And I do think that as much asyou can prepare, you need to
try, because the loved ones thatare left behind need help, and
(30:51):
they don't want to get in all ofa sudden in the middle of, you
know, and then everybody's goingcrazy.
that's a very bad place to be.
I've been in that place with myfather.
Don't wish that on anybody andnobody.
I think the last thing wouldprobably be, I would just say.
try to have a really good tightknit.
I have maybe about four people,but they're awesome of people
(31:12):
that can really support you.
And that really can just sayevery once in a while, okay, I'm
just going to go take care ofthis and you just need to go
breathe.
I'm going to, I'm going to watchyour person for a 30 minutes or
an hour or whatever it is.
And you just go get yourself aburger and fries or go get you a
salad.
Just go do something Because youreally do need people that can
(31:34):
really support you.
Because otherwise, this is not ajourney that you can take home.
It's just too hard.
And I don't care who you'recaregiving and what they've got.
It's just too hard.
So you need people that willlove you and support you, even
through your crazy, becauseyou're going to be going through
your crazy, going, okay, I amnot acting right, and I am
(31:55):
making crazy decisions, and youneed people that are going to
support you even through yourown crazy, because you will.
Erin (32:02):
yeah, it's true.
I agree with all of that.
I would also say, Some of thethings that I've taken away just
2 things that I believe is truethat I've realized I fell into
this trap said it's not alwaysabout you reactions are not
about you.
We can have a tendency to getreal defensive start thinking
things that aren't true.
(32:23):
If we understand or we justassume that it's not about me,
like you did with your mom, it'snot about me, it's about the
progression, it's about herlosing her independence, it's
about all kinds of things, butit's not about me.
Then it makes it easier toassume positive intent.
Traci (32:41):
Yep, for sure.
Erin (32:43):
Because if we just assume that they are doing this to us,
or they are manipulating us,then we're creating negative
energy.
Yep.
And negative energy ruins whatgood time you have left.
Traci (32:57):
Oh, very well said.
I agree.
I agree.
Erin (33:01):
I lived a long time thinking that it was about me,
which is a very egocentric wayto think when it really wasn't
and I create and I lost a lotof.
Sleep about things, that Ishouldn't have.
I think that's important.
take that down.
Caregivers take it down.
(33:22):
Have you a support system?
Definitely take a walk.
I think a walk can solve all theworld's problems.
get outside, because that reallydoes help for sure.
And if people wanted to contactyou about Odessa Connect to
learn more about it, to figureout if this would be something
that would benefit them andtheir current situation, how
(33:44):
would they do that?
Traci (33:45):
They can email me.
My email address is Tracy atOdessa connect dot TV.
they can go to the website aswell, Odessa Connect TV or, they
also could just, I do have a,put my cell phone, eight one
three nine nine seven sevenfive.
I'm more than happy to talk toanybody.
(34:05):
They can connect with me onLinkedIn.
I'm on LinkedIn.
so happy to connect.
And I'm on our Twitter, I'm onInstagram so they can look up me
anywhere.
But happy to talk to anybodyabout it.
it's a great tool.
it's all about having the righttools.
To help you get through yourjourney, I really believe you
have the right tools, then itwill at least make the journey
(34:28):
easier.
It's not going to make it easybecause it's never going to be
an easy journey, but it willmake it easier if you have tools
that can help you get through itand Odessa is an amazing, the
Odessa Connect is an amazingtool.
Erin (34:44):
Yes, I agree.
Every tool man would tell you.
In order to make a perfect,whatever, you have to have the
right tools to do that.
So that's a.
that's a good connection tothat.
And Tracy is T R A C I.
Correct.
Traci (35:02):
Correct.
Yeah, mom wanted it to bedifferent, so there you go.
So I'm not the Y.
Everybody always thinks I'm theY or the I E or E Y or whatever.
So no, it's just I.
Erin (35:13):
Okay, thank you so much for being here.
I appreciate that.
And for any listeners, if youfound this valuable, please
share this episode with 1 otherperson, because we're all in
this together, you know, as,always for my listeners aspire
for more for you.
Hi there.
(00:01):
Welcome back to another episodeof this of the podcast where we
are going to have a specialguest Tracy lamb, who's the
international businessdevelopment specialist for
Odessa connect.
But more importantly, she is acurrent caregiver to a loved
one.
She was once going to start acaregiving network TV show,
(00:24):
which is fascinating to me, andhow all of this part of her
life, all the different parts ofher life, Now are connecting and
convening on caregiving andcaregiving technology to make
caregivers and the people thatthey care for their lives
better.
Tracy, thank you for being heretoday.
(00:45):
I appreciate it.
Traci (00:47):
Thank you for having me.
I am thrilled to be here, Erin.
Erin (00:50):
Yes, so talk to me about the big goals that you had.
being, I want to say like amedia mogul, like the Oprah of
caregiving,
Traci (01:03):
right?
Sure.
and I did.
Those were like my visions ofgrandeur.
I'm definitely a visionary.
Anybody who knows me knows that.
I worked at hospice for 13years.
And I just saw and talked to dayin day out patients, families,
how frustrated they were thatthey didn't.
Either 1st of all, they didn'tunderstand the health care
system.
(01:23):
They didn't understand how badit was.
They thought Medicare andMedicaid would pay for
everything.
And then all of a sudden,they're stuck in the back
problems, and they didn't knowabout resources.
They didn't know about all thesedifferent things.
And I just.
19, I'd gotten divorced and Iwas just like, I live in
Florida, I'm in the Mecca ofplace where people retire.
(01:43):
So if nothing else, maybe I canhelp Florida people.
And so that really is where thethought process came in.
I just wanted to help withresources and that's where it
started.
And I ended up doing that and,it built up to a really big.
thing.
it ended up going into radio andTV and all this big crazy and it
was going really well.
And, my dad got sick.
(02:05):
My mom and dad had been marriedfor 60 years.
And in 2022, my dad passed.
and then my mom could not takecare of herself.
She had gotten sick too.
we ended up not having money.
My dad hadn't saved money.
So there was a whole big thingwith financial caregiving and
all of that whole.
rigmarole, it was just, it was alot.
And but she was still doinghalfway.
(02:26):
Okay.
So I was trying to keep buildingthe business, but as you well
know, when anybody listeningknows, when you're building a
business, it's pretty much 24seven, you don't get to turn off
whether it's night or weekends,you do not turn off.
And I couldn't, especially withTV, there was lots of moving
parts.
And, mom, just about 3 monthsago, she just took a turn for
(02:47):
the worse.
She's gotten Parkinson's now anddementia and it's gotten majorly
worse and I just had to make thedecision of, okay, am I going to
keep trying to build thisbusiness or do I need to take
care of mom way that I need totake care of her?
And there was really no option.
And so that was why I dissolvedmy business.
(03:07):
And so that's what led me towhere I am.
Erin (03:10):
Which is this amazing title of the international
business development specialistof Odessa connect,
Traci (03:16):
right?
It's a big, it's a big titlefor, you know, I mean, I have an
international connection, it'sjust, that's all it is, nothing
major.
Erin (03:24):
So as a caregiver, I know you've, when we educate people
on caregiving, I was a caregiverfor 15 years.
for my grandmother, and then Ihad the hospice experience with
my grandfather at a young adultage.
I think that you can preparepeople for that as much as you
can, but then when you findyourself in that situation with
(03:48):
all the baggage, whether it'ssmall baggage or big baggage,
that, parental relationshipsand, Children of the have, how
do you find yourself navigatingthe hard parts of that?
Do you have them?
Are you perfect?
Traci (04:06):
oh, so not true.
I am so not perfect.
I am the 1st 1 to admit, Ireally believe caregiving is
like marriage and raising kids.
none of it comes with ahandbook.
You have no idea what you'redoing.
You do the best you can, but youare definitely going to make
mistakes.
She'll make good decisions andbad decisions, but you do the
best you can.
And, I tell people all the time.
(04:28):
Exactly what you just said.
I could easily talk the care thecaregiver talk for 14 years of
hospice.
But until I actually got in itin 2022, dealing with my dad,
completely different viewpoint.
Now, now that I've been walkingin it for over two years, you
just, you get a lot more empathyand understanding once you
(04:48):
actually have to dive in anddeal with all those issues.
So I think to answer yourquestion, I absolutely have gone
through the muck of it, theyucky part, the nastiness.
And, where.
You really don't know whatyou're supposed to do.
And for me, my, my thing, andit's not for everybody, but for
me, my faith has been what I,what has held me together.
(05:10):
I do understand though, both mybrother and my sister had
problems with like drinking anddrugs and stuff like that.
And I never understood that.
And I told my mom as late as ayear ago, I said, I wish they
were alive for me to be able tosay, I do understand it now, I
do understand getting to a placewhere you're just like, I just
want relief.
I just need relief, even if it'sjust for 20 minutes, you really
(05:33):
can get to that place and I'vegotten there, more than once.
And, when the person lives withyou, so you don't get to say.
you're the problem, you can't dothat, and it's just really hard.
yeah, absolutely.
I've walked through it still.
I am.
Yeah,
Erin (05:52):
yes, going back to the addiction piece of it.
I feel as if when you reallyunderstand.
Driving factors to some of thatit's there is a space to
understand how you get there anda lot.
And it is a lot of not beingable to cope or the shame of
(06:15):
feeling.
I don't want to do this, whichcaregiving will drive you to
that you resent the fact thatyou have to do it.
You resent the fact that noone's there to help you.
And I think.
It's a lot of it is expectationsmanagement.
Traci (06:32):
Yes, that great term.
So true.
So true.
Erin (06:39):
When I think that they can do more than they're doing.
Traci (06:43):
Yes.
Erin (06:43):
And so therefore I start creating all these, Stories and
ultimately they really can't, ormaybe they are manipulating you
a little bit.
Okay.
I hear a lot of people when wetalk about dementia.
Oh, they're just putting on.
Oh, they're just doing this.
and I'm like, there's really noway to tell.
Traci (07:04):
No, there's not.
No, there's really not.
And the thing is that one of thethings I had to get, and I only
just recently got to this space.
I fought it for a really longtime, unfortunately in dementia,
as they progress, they getangry, and they get resentful
and they get defensive and allthat stuff.
And she's gotten to that placeand.
There was about three monthswhere we were literally like, at
(07:27):
each other's throat.
And she would literally get likean inch from my face and ball up
her hands and her fist.
And she would be like, do youwant to fight?
Do you want to fight?
And I'm like, oh my word, thisis my mom.
And my mom is the sweetest,nicest, kindest woman that you
would ever know.
And she's do you want to fight?
And I'm like, oh my word, mom,no.
(07:47):
it's.
And so I really had to thinkabout it and pray about it.
And I finally had to come to therealization.
It was I literally compared itto like my brother, who was an
alcoholic for so many years, Ifinally told my brother about
three months before he died whenhe finally got sober right
before he died.
I said, I hated the alcoholicbecause the alcoholic stole my
brother for 15 years.
(08:07):
And.
she's angry because she feels ittaking her away and she can't do
anything about it.
And I know that.
And so I think 1 of the reasonswhy I was reacting in a bad way.
Was because I was fighting ittoo, and I was angry too,
because I was like, mom, you'resupposed to notice, that the sky
(08:30):
isn't green.
It's blue, and.
Once I got to a place where Iaccepted.
This is the disease.
This isn't mom.
This is easy.
That has helped me tremendouslyto be able to move.
Erin (08:44):
Yeah,
Traci (08:45):
it was hard.
It was hard.
Erin (08:47):
Yeah.
it's true.
People don't want to accept it.
They want to fight through it.
I feel the same way just about,my own caregiving current
caregiving experience and I'veaccepted a lot of things and it
has made my life so much easier.
I can only control what I cancontrol.
I'm not to blame for a lot ofthe different things.
And I watch other people whodon't accept it.
(09:11):
Yes, and the negative energythat it creates.
Traci (09:15):
Yes,
Erin (09:16):
we are responsible for the energy that we create by the way
that we think about things.
And when you realize you justhave to let it go.
so it's a progressive thing, orI used to tell family members
all the time.
If you did not inject a dementiaserum into your loved one, then
you don't have to feel guiltyabout anything.
(09:38):
What you have to do is meet theneeds that are present today.
Traci (09:42):
Absolutely.
Erin (09:44):
Absolutely.
That's really it.
And when your best isn't goodenough, then you have to find
the next best thing.
And that's just where we are incaregiving and parenting.
Traci (09:54):
that's exactly right.
that's why I say it caregivingis almost exactly the same as.
As parenting, or like I say,even marriage, all of it, you
just do the best you can,sometimes you're going to get
it.
And sometimes you're going to beway off the mark, but you're
just doing the best you can.
And that's really all anybodycan do.
You can only control what youcan control.
Erin (10:14):
yeah, from an advocacy standpoint, 1 of the things that
I always ask, or I've always.
So what I always tell people isfrom my experience as a
caregiver and also as a parentto a unique child is you're the
advocate.
Too many times caregivers gointo the doctor's office and
(10:36):
expect the doctor or the nursesto be able to solve their
problems.
And in some ways, maybe theycan, but they don't know the
extent of the problems unlessthey're there.
The caregiver brings in a lot ofthe information from other
specialists, a lot of theinformation, just pattern
recognition, those types ofthings.
(10:56):
Do you have a system that worksfor you?
Do you write things down in anotebook?
Do you use an app on your phone?
what have you seen in yourcaregiving, mobile, personal,
all the things experience?
What have you seen as some ofthe best practices?
Traci (11:12):
and it's been crazy because once you get into the
space, you don't practice nearlywhat you preach.
that's been part of my problem.
I preached a lot of things, butI haven't practiced nearly as
much as I should have.
but I will say, I go to everysingle doctor's appointment with
my mother.
I go, because I want to ask allthe questions I want to ask.
And I don't really like for herto drive anyway.
And so I just.
(11:34):
And then I go ahead and I loggeddown, I've started just recently
logging down, like, where sheis, cognitively, because it is
declining, for a while.
She had a really hard time withblood pressure.
We finally got her bloodpressure problem under control
for a while.
I was tracking that.
it just depends on what thebiggest issue is.
(11:55):
I hate to say that, but,whatever the squeaky wheel, it
gets the attention.
and I keep different apps on myphone, to be able to try and
track some different things justto be able to, when I go in and
see the doctors, I can say,okay, so this was happening this
week or whatever, and thishappened this many times this
week, cause she has startedfalling a little bit.
(12:18):
And all of those different kindsof things.
become paramount and I knowthat.
And, so yeah, I completelyagree.
The beautiful thing is there'sso many fantastic apps out there
now, that you can track allkinds of really cool stuff, and
that's one of the main thingsthat I highly recommend to
people, you need to.
Somehow stay on top of stuff.
(12:39):
I know it's hard.
God knows I'm the first one toraise my hand and say, I'm not
doing as well as I probablyshould, but it does help the
doctor.
I know she's thanked me morethan once about, thank you for.
Back to some of this stuff.
Erin (12:52):
Yeah, 1, some of the most impressive families that I have
seen come in would have abinder.
Traci (13:00):
Yes,
Erin (13:01):
and it would be like the binder of mom.
The binder of dad and it wouldjust all the tabs would be
different topics and they didn'thave the pressure to remember
it.
They had the binder toreference, which was really
cool.
I like that.
(13:23):
And also the apps, but I thinkwhat you said is that it's the
pattern recognition it's as anadvocate and a caregiver for
somebody to be able to answerquestions.
based on experience, based onpatterns, based on we started
this medication on this day, andthen this started happening on
this day.
Like, all that is reallyimportant.
(13:44):
So what, however, that works foryou, is the best way to do that
for sure.
Traci (13:49):
I completely agree.
And it's different for differentpeople.
I'm definitely more old school.
I do like to write everythingdown.
but it, primary record is great.
you know what Gene Ross createdand, there's just, there's a lot
of different ones out there thatare really good, but I
definitely believe that youcould, you should do whatever is
going to work.
So whatever it is, so
Erin (14:11):
absolutely.
And now you work for a techcompany as the international
business development specialistfor Odessa connect.
And you are using that for yourmom right now.
So explain to us what Odessaconnect is and the benefits.
(14:31):
For people, and then what youare seeing, in your home with
your mom.
Traci (14:37):
it has been, like I say, mom's dementia has gotten worse
and it has been a game changerfor me and her for 2 or 3
reasons.
1 of the biggest things is she,most older people loves to watch
TV and, with the normal remote,there's 45 buttons.
And I had gotten to where theinput for the HDMI, I had just
(15:01):
basically called it.
That's the no, no button.
I said, please don't hit thatbutton mom.
You can do not hit the no, nobutton.
Okay.
Don't hit it because, she wouldmess it up and she'd call me if
I was out and about the TV won'twork.
Now.
I don't know what's wrong.
I know what's wrong.
She hit the button, it's allmessed up.
what 1 of the many reasons Ilove Odessa is that there's only
(15:22):
11 buttons on the whole of themand they're all big and so
they're all easy to see andthey're all it's all easy to,
understand and so it's easy forher to navigate and there's no
bad buttons on there.
She can't cannot screw up theTV, which is great.
and there's an on there's an onand off switch and everything.
Erin (15:42):
with Odessa connect, it's it this is a technology that
works with the TV to keep peopleconnected through technology
because the problem is that alot of seniors.
lose the ability to connecttechnology digitally with family
members due to eyesight orlosing the capacity to
(16:06):
understand how to workcomplicated small screens and
Odessa Connect made As software,that will run through the TV and
then needed to have some type ofcontrol that would allow both
control of the TV and thesoftware.
(16:27):
And so then they created thisremote control that's full of
vibrant colors with big buttonsthat is.
Simple,
Traci (16:38):
yes, and easy to use.
It's basically for all intentsand purposes.
It's a hub.
That's all it is.
And it can connect to any TV.
And it doesn't matter if you'vegot satellite direct TV, cable,
streaming, whatever you have,you can easily connect to your
TV.
It can make and it may basicallymakes the TV.
(17:00):
Become a giant iPad.
That's the easiest thing to say.
It literally becomes a giantiPad and the remote control.
You basically can, your remotecontrol basically becomes your
universal remote.
So you can still watch yourregular TV on it, but you also
can get.
What, one of the other thingsthat I love about it is not only
(17:20):
is the remote easy for my mom touse, but like I've recently
started traveling with Odessaconnect.
I went to Nashville for threedays for the leading age
conference.
It's the first time I've left,for three full days, probably in
three years.
And especially with hercognitive to say, I was
concerned was a little bit mild,but I could do a video
(17:45):
conference with mom.
The beautiful thing is it have afree app that anybody can have,
they have to be invited.
I have to invite anybody to callmy mom, so I can invite any of
her friends.
I can invite any of our family.
So random hackers cannot get in,only people that I invite, but
the app is free, so nobody elsehas to have the Odessa box, and
(18:11):
anybody can video call her, andthe TV actually rings, and it
says, video call from Tracy, andmom can hit a talk button.
And immediately with the clickof one button, she's audio and
video connected to me on her TV.
And the great thing for me islike when I was in Nashville, I
(18:32):
could call her all three days Iwas gone and do a video
conference and I can visuallysee her and see she was doing
okay.
I could call, I called her inthe morning and at night and I
could see that it was okay.
And, She literally hit the talkbutton.
She talks basically to theremote.
And then as soon as she wants togo back to TV, she just hits the
TV button and it immediatelyswitches back to her TV program.
(18:55):
So it's that easy for her touse.
Erin (18:58):
So if she was watching TV and you called, it would
interrupt her TV.
Traci (19:04):
Yep.
It would, it interrupts her TVshow and it says video call from
Tracy coming in and she wants toaccept it.
So she hits.
And she immediately has itconnected to me and on the
Odessa Connect box, there's amessaging light.
And so if I called her, andlet's say she was out walking
the dog, and so she wasn't home,then it actually, and I called,
(19:28):
and I can actually leave a videorecording and the little
messages light will light up.
And so she'll see when she comesback in, oh, there's a message
from Tracy.
And so she can go on and she cansee the message that I left.
I can all I could also send her,pictures and they can see she
can see the pictures and theOdessa will store the pictures.
1 of the things I really do loveabout it too is, but let's say
(19:50):
you have grant.
Let's say you've got kids.
You're doing Christmas morningand let's say your mom lived in
Portland, Oregon.
Okay.
You could call your mom on herOdessa and you could turn your
iPad around on Christmasmorning, put it, in front of the
Christmas tree and everybodydoing Christmas and your mom
would see all of Christmasmorning on her TV with her
(20:11):
daughter and her grandkids.
And it would be, there's nothingthat you can, I think that's
amazing, that can be real, thatcan be really profound.
And my mom, for me, she's toldme more than once.
She's I like that so muchbetter.
I, it just, it makes it so mucheasier for her, and she doesn't
have to remember passwords.
There's no passwords.
(20:31):
There's no crazy thing.
That's so cool.
technology scares most olderadults, as we all know.
And so Todd Smith, who's the CEOand founder, when he created it,
he purposely did a ton ofresearch and that's what he
found out, they wanted somethingvery simple and easy to use.
And that's why he created itthat way, to make it very simple
(20:53):
and easy to use.
And it's just fantastic.
It's HIPAA compliant.
So they can even do telehealthvisits.
So if mom, when mom gets to theplace where she doesn't feel
like going to see her doctor, Ican just add her doctor onto the
app and tell her doctor, justcall her, and the doctor can
(21:14):
call, do a video conference withher on the TV, and it'll be
HIPAA compliant.
Erin (21:19):
Yeah, that's pretty darn cool.
the other thing about, using theTV, which is genius is cell
phones get lost tablets getlost.
Sometimes they're just inbetween the cushions of the
couch.
but lost in the moment, andespecially in inside senior
(21:40):
living, things can get lost.
Things can get washed in themoment, but the TV is always
there.
Traci (21:47):
Yes.
Yes, it's always there.
And the great thing too aboutthe Odessa, especially even in
senior living is that, we can dothe dining menus.
We can do the activities.
We can do all of that through 1app.
You don't have to use.
four different apps to put allthose things in.
And if you want to send anymessages to like all the
(22:09):
residents, you can actually seethe residents.
The residents will actually giveyou a thumbs up on the TV that
they got the message.
So that way, and that's even ifyou're a daughter and you send
pictures to your mom and youwant to make sure she got the
picture, she can give you athumbs up on her side and you'll
see it on your app that, okay,mom, I got my, I got the picture
of that, it's great, especially,like I say, senior living, it
(22:31):
allows them, they know, okay,who got the message?
Who didn't get the message?
Who's, who do I need to go checkon?
bingo changed from four o'clockto three o'clock.
Okay.
We need to go tell John becausehe didn't get the message.
you can do all kinds of thosethings.
and it can be white labeled.
It can be reformatted.
It can be, we can do all kindsof different things.
And with the health side, we canactually, we actually have a
(22:53):
health care dashboard.
So we can, we can send a fewextra devices and we can get
their temperature, their bloodpressure.
their pulse, all those kinds ofthings, and it can actually go
to the dashboard for thehealthcare provider.
we can also do questions and askthem questions like, did you,
how are you feeling today?
Are you happy?
Are you sad?
(23:14):
our, did you take yourmedication today?
Did you have a fall and thenthey get a little celebration at
the end.
So they get excited about it.
And so they do those questionsbecause they like the little
celebration at the end, and, butthat's a good because it can be
a key indicator back to thecaregiver or the senior living
that this patient's not isdepressed today, or this patient
(23:36):
didn't take her medication orshe fell last night and she
didn't tell anybody.
So all of those things arereally important and we can
change those questions.
However, we need, but all ofthose things are really
important factors.
Erin (23:47):
Yeah, that's to have a 1 stop shop that, can collect all
that data and also receive andinteract and connect digitally
is.
is pretty important.
and for that to be able to beused in your home.
Traci (24:04):
Yeah, exactly.
Erin (24:05):
for an individual use.
you're currently using it rightnow.
Traci (24:08):
Absolutely.
Absolutely.
And that's like I'm going out oftown next week again for three
days.
book caregiving panel inCincinnati, and I'm going to be
on again, but I know I feel somuch better because I know I can
check in with her like morningand night, how was your day?
Did you sleep okay last night?
I can check in however manytimes I want, and it's okay.
(24:29):
And it's not a difficult thingfor her, unlike Zooms or,
anything like that, where it'sreally difficult for the seniors
to be able to do audio video orwhatever the heck it is, this is
just very simple and they don'thave to remember passwords or
anything crazy.
It's just, it's their TV.
They're used to their TV.
Erin (24:48):
Yeah, that's pretty amazing.
and your mom, what's herfeedback of that?
Traci (24:53):
she loves it.
She has said it has just been,she said she really likes it.
She goes.
it was funny because I got ridof the other remote, the one
that has, 45 buttons on it and,she's I don't you can just throw
that away.
I don't want to use it anymore.
And I laughed and I said, okay,don't worry about it.
And the great thing, too, isthat the installation was really
easy.
I'm not really a person and weliterally had it connected in, 5
(25:17):
minutes and I have a smart TV.
So I have, and all of that on myTV.
And it was able to interact withall of that.
it's not been it's not adifficult setup.
So you can very quickly interactit with the TV.
It can be done.
It's not a problem at all.
And I said, she absolutely.
Loves it.
Loves it.
Erin (25:40):
That is pretty.
I love that.
I love the idea of connectingpeople digitally who don't feel
comfortable with technology ormaybe even has some eyesight
challenges that has justresigned to the fact that.
They're not going to get thatconnection.
(26:00):
Now all of a sudden this opensup a new world, for them.
And that is promising.
I know it's promising for me asI get older to think if
something were to happen,glaucoma, macular degeneration,
all the things that I will stillhave a way to digitally connect
with people.
Oh
Traci (26:20):
yeah.
and the same thing with hearing,a lot of people have hearing
issues, especially as they getolder, they're hearing.
And like even my mom, she turnsthe TV up a lot louder than I
would normally but because herhearing is not great.
And, it allows her because it'sthe TV, she can turn it up
louder, and I think that'sanother big piece of it, between
(26:41):
the hearing and the eyesightalone, those two things are
going to be a lot better becauseit's a lot bigger screen.
Plus the bottom line is thatevery single person on the
planet knows how to run theirTV.
They may not know how to runanything else electronically in
their house.
Okay, a smartphone terrifies mymother.
my mother says to me all thetime.
(27:02):
She's I don't know.
How in the world you do all thethings that you do on that
phone.
And because she sees me, it'smy, my Bible.
I like live with this thing andshe's I don't know how you do
all that.
And so smartphone scare mymother, so we have a landline,
we have an old fashioned phone,because that's the only thing
that she can do.
And she's not alone with that,she's 84.
(27:24):
she, they just grew up in ageneration.
That was not techie.
They're very analog.
And so they're very used to oldschool.
And so I think that was 1 of thebrilliant things that Todd Smith
did when he created this was tocreate something that was more
in what their realm was.
(27:45):
and he has some really excitingthings that are going to be
happening with gaming and allkinds of really cool stuff and
all kinds of fun stuff iscoming.
but I think already it's just agenius thing.
it really has.
Tremendously given me as thecaregiver.
Peace of mind, which is whatevery caregiver wants.
No matter what the ages of theperson that they're caring for
(28:07):
and, and it's given her peace ofmind because she doesn't like
freak out.
Every time she turns on the TV.
Oh, no, I could possibly mess itup.
And then I'm not going to watch.
Erin (28:18):
That HDMI no no button.
That's right, it's the no nobutton.
Because
Traci (28:23):
we don't know how to, we don't know what you did in order
to get back, That's exactlyright.
Oh my goodness, I can't tell youhow many times she's called me
and she's just What do I push toget it back?
And I'm like, Mom, you're gonnahave to wait until I get home.
Erin (28:36):
There are so many stories that every senior living leader
could tell you about the remotecontrols.
Inside senior living and so manymore for people who are caring
for their loved ones at home.
It's just oh, my gosh, don'tflip the red switch.
You know what I mean?
Traci (28:56):
I know.
That's why I love, love, loveour remote.
Our remote alone is worth itsweight in gold because it's
just, it's so much fun.
Oh, you took it away.
Thank God.
You took it away.
Yes.
Yes.
Erin (29:11):
So let's end the conversation on, just, giving a
summary on your caregivingknowledge and experience, both
personal and professional, weall want peace of mind.
Are there ways.
That you find for you that it'seasier to get peace of mind if
you focus on these things or ifyou get to a real anxious point,
(29:34):
how do you get yourself down offthe ledge?
You know what I mean?
Traci (29:40):
oh yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
I've been on the ledge a lot.
Yeah.
I think I, and I think everycaregiver has, I think two or
three things.
One, I think you have to findyour space where you can
breathe.
Yeah, and it's a different foreverybody, for me, I, if I have
to go out for a walk and justlisten to music, or if I can
just go for a drive, I just haveto get alone and just breathe
(30:03):
and just pull myself down offthe crazy.
and I think that's reallyimportant.
Sometimes you just need tocompletely separate yourself
from the situation and theperson, because if you stay in
it, you're just going to keepratcheting up at least.
That's the way it is with me.
Yeah.
So that's 1 of the things forme.
And then I would say, secondly,knowing that, what's coming,
(30:27):
it's okay, I know this iscoming.
I've been in health care longenough to where I know the
drill.
I've seen it with other people,so I know what's coming.
I'm trying in my own way to getthings prepared as I know things
are going to be coming down theline.
And I do think that as much asyou can prepare, you need to
try, because the loved ones thatare left behind need help, and
(30:51):
they don't want to get in all ofa sudden in the middle of, you
know, and then everybody's goingcrazy.
that's a very bad place to be.
I've been in that place with myfather.
Don't wish that on anybody andnobody.
I think the last thing wouldprobably be, I would just say.
try to have a really good tightknit.
I have maybe about four people,but they're awesome of people
(31:12):
that can really support you.
And that really can just sayevery once in a while, okay, I'm
just going to go take care ofthis and you just need to go
breathe.
I'm going to, I'm going to watchyour person for a 30 minutes or
an hour or whatever it is.
And you just go get yourself aburger and fries or go get you a
salad.
Just go do something Because youreally do need people that can
(31:34):
really support you.
Because otherwise, this is not ajourney that you can take home.
It's just too hard.
And I don't care who you'recaregiving and what they've got.
It's just too hard.
So you need people that willlove you and support you, even
through your crazy, becauseyou're going to be going through
your crazy, going, okay, I amnot acting right, and I am
(31:55):
making crazy decisions, and youneed people that are going to
support you even through yourown crazy, because you will.
Erin (32:02):
yeah, it's true.
I agree with all of that.
I would also say, Some of thethings that I've taken away just
2 things that I believe is truethat I've realized I fell into
this trap said it's not alwaysabout you reactions are not
about you.
We can have a tendency to getreal defensive start thinking
things that aren't true.
(32:23):
If we understand or we justassume that it's not about me,
like you did with your mom, it'snot about me, it's about the
progression, it's about herlosing her independence, it's
about all kinds of things, butit's not about me.
Then it makes it easier toassume positive intent.
Traci (32:41):
Yep, for sure.
Erin (32:43):
Because if we just assume that they are doing this to us,
or they are manipulating us,then we're creating negative
energy.
Yep.
And negative energy ruins whatgood time you have left.
Traci (32:57):
Oh, very well said.
I agree.
I agree.
Erin (33:01):
I lived a long time thinking that it was about me,
which is a very egocentric wayto think when it really wasn't
and I create and I lost a lotof.
Sleep about things, that Ishouldn't have.
I think that's important.
take that down.
Caregivers take it down.
(33:22):
Have you a support system?
Definitely take a walk.
I think a walk can solve all theworld's problems.
get outside, because that reallydoes help for sure.
And if people wanted to contactyou about Odessa Connect to
learn more about it, to figureout if this would be something
that would benefit them andtheir current situation, how
(33:44):
would they do that?
Traci (33:45):
They can email me.
My email address is Tracy atOdessa connect dot TV.
they can go to the website aswell, Odessa Connect TV or, they
also could just, I do have a,put my cell phone, eight one
three nine nine seven sevenfive.
I'm more than happy to talk toanybody.
(34:05):
They can connect with me onLinkedIn.
I'm on LinkedIn.
so happy to connect.
And I'm on our Twitter, I'm onInstagram so they can look up me
anywhere.
But happy to talk to anybodyabout it.
it's a great tool.
it's all about having the righttools.
To help you get through yourjourney, I really believe you
have the right tools, then itwill at least make the journey
(34:28):
easier.
It's not going to make it easybecause it's never going to be
an easy journey, but it willmake it easier if you have tools
that can help you get through itand Odessa is an amazing, the
Odessa Connect is an amazingtool.
Erin (34:44):
Yes, I agree.
Every tool man would tell you.
In order to make a perfect,whatever, you have to have the
right tools to do that.
So that's a.
that's a good connection tothat.
And Tracy is T R A C I.
Correct.
Traci (35:02):
Correct.
Yeah, mom wanted it to bedifferent, so there you go.
So I'm not the Y.
Everybody always thinks I'm theY or the I E or E Y or whatever.
So no, it's just I.
Erin (35:13):
Okay, thank you so much for being here.
I appreciate that.
And for any listeners, if youfound this valuable, please
share this episode with 1 otherperson, because we're all in
this together, you know, as,always for my listeners aspire
for more for you.
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