April 30, 2025 • 29 mins
What if we approached aging with the same enthusiasm and preparation as expecting parents planning for a baby? This transformative perspective is just one of the powerful insights Kayla Cook brings to our discussion on navigating senior care with confidence and compassion.
Drawing from her psychology background and extensive experience in home health and hospice, Kayla challenges common misconceptions that prevent families from accessing vital resources at the right time. She paints a vivid picture of modern senior living communities that feel more like cruise ships than clinical facilities, with vibrant activities and amenities designed to help residents thrive rather than merely exist.
Our conversation tackles the widespread misunderstanding of hospice care, revealing how this Medicare-covered service can actually extend life while dramatically improving its quality when utilized early enough. Yet many families wait until the final days of life, missing months of comprehensive support that could transform their experience.
Kayla advocates for proactive planning, suggesting families begin care conversations at milestone moments like a 65th birthday, when everyone is still healthy enough to express their preferences clearly. This approach normalizes aging as another life stage worthy of thoughtful preparation rather than something to be feared or avoided.
We explore underutilized resources from specialized fitness training to help maintain crucial muscle mass, to educational programs like Kayla's upcoming "Senior Pathways" course. This monthly program will equip families with practical knowledge about dementia stages, available resources, and financing options without sales pressure.
Listen now to reframe your approach to aging and discover how early planning can transform this journey from one of crisis management to meaningful connection. Join Kayla's first Senior Pathways course on May 1st at Abington Senior Living in Murray to take your first step toward confident, compassionate care planning.
RSVP here: https://web.facebook.com/SeniorPathwaysUT
• Psychology background shapes Kayla's person-centered approach to helping families make difficult care decisions
• Modern senior living communities offer vibrant social environments comparable to cruise ships, far from outdated stereotypes
• Hospice care is drastically underutilized and misunderstood – studies show it can actually extend life by about 15 days
• Families should start care planning conversations at milestone moments like age 65, long before crises occur
• Physical fitness and muscle maintenance are critical yet overlooked factors in healthy aging and longevity
• Understanding the landscape of Medicare-covered versus private pay options requires early education
• Senior Pathways course launches May 1st to help families understand dementia stages, caregiving tips, and available resources
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:02):
Welcome back to Senior Care Academy, the podcast
where we equip families andcaregivers with the tools they
need to navigate the agingjourney with confidence and
compassion.
So today I'm excited toannounce and welcome Kayla Cook.
Kayla holds a degree inpsychology and a master's in
gerontology from the Universityof Utah.
With over five years ofexperience in home health and
hospice as a service coordinatorand a marketer, she has seen
(00:25):
firsthand a lot of thechallenges that families face
when navigating senior care.
Kayla played a key role indeveloping the vital aging
program for her county and nowshe's training to become an
executive director of AbingtonSenior Living, which is a great
senior living facility.
Throughout her journey, one gapthat she consistently has
noticed is how little guidancethe families have when it comes
to care planning for theirelderly loved ones.
So, to help facility Throughouther journey, one gap that she
consistently has noticed is howlittle guidance the families
(00:46):
have when it comes to careplanning for their elderly loved
ones.
So to help bridge that gap,kayla's launched a one-time
course called Senior Pathways.
It's actually coming out on May1st, so in about a week.
That's exciting.
The course is designed toempower families with knowledge
about the three stages ofdementia, practical caregiving
tips and a comprehensive look atresources, both like insurance
(01:08):
coverage and private pay, thatcan make a major difference when
used at the right time.
So we're thrilled to have heron today and to share her
insights and passion foreducating families on not only
the realities but thepossibilities of aging well.
So, kayla, thanks so much forcoming to Senior Care Academy.
I'm excited to have you.
Speaker 2 (01:26):
Thank you, I'm excited to be here.
Thanks for that lovely intro.
Speaker 1 (01:30):
Yeah, so just to get started, what drew you to?
So you got your degree inpsychology, but what drew you to
gerontology?
I think that a lot of peoplemight not even know what that
means.
Speaker 2 (01:41):
Most people don't.
It's actually fun.
When I go on like dates or meetnew people, they're like so
what did you study?
And I love saying gerontology,and their face just goes blank.
They don't know what to say.
So, um, super niche.
So I volunteered in high schoolat an assisted living down the
street, just helping withactivities.
Um, I just loved seniors.
I just think they're soadorable, so fun to work with,
so kind of gentle.
And then I moved up to college,originally studying to do sports
(02:04):
broadcasting.
I wanted to be the next AaronAndrews but quickly learned in
school that's not the route Iwanted to go and I was really
fascinated with psychology.
So my undergrad is in marriageand family therapy.
And during college I needed ajob because I needed to pay for,
you know, living and everything.
And at the time I was workingsome job that just paid so
(02:24):
little and I was really tryingto find something else.
And there was one day I wasdriving around, I was at the
hospital for something and Ifound a cute little old man
walking around the parking lotat like 10 PM and so I pulled
over and it was cold and I said,hey, do you need a ride?
Like, are you okay, and he goes.
Yeah, I just forgot where Iparked my car.
So he sat on the passenger sideand we drove around the parking
(02:45):
lot looking for his car and inthe meantime he was telling me
stories about his wife and theirmarriage and just we just
chatted for a while and itreminded me how much I love this
population.
So, um, my graduation date wascoming up soon and um, I said,
okay, I needed a job to carry methrough the last year or two.
So I just went to an assistedliving and I said, hey, I don't
know what kind of jobs are here,but like I love your population
(03:08):
, what can I do?
What can my skills help with?
And luckily, the activitiesassistant had just turned in his
two weeks the week prior.
So she hired me after like oneor two interviews and then I did
activities at a cute littlebuilding down in Provo and fell
in love with it.
I just absolutely loved it.
I never got sick of it, and sowhen I graduated I was only 21
(03:28):
and I said, well, no one's goingto take me seriously, I'm not a
nurse, I just graduated inpsychology.
I'm not gonna be able to be ahospice nurse or anything like.
What can I do?
So I found the program at the?
U.
There's only a few colleges inAmerica that offer a gerontology
program.
So, I found that the?
U had one and I instantlyapplied, got in, and I'm really
glad I did that because Ilearned a lot, but that's kind
(03:50):
of what sparked my passion.
It's honestly, I just love thepopulation and the people.
Speaker 1 (03:54):
And yeah.
That's so fun.
And so, coming from apsychology background, what kind
of do you think that thatshaped your approach a little
bit when it came to working withseniors and their families,
rather than I feel like a lot ofactivities directors come from
more of just a.
They don't have a psychologybackground, they're just love
hanging out, you know they dolike rec therapy.
(04:16):
Yeah, very clinical.
Speaker 2 (04:18):
I mean a lot of people in the field are very
like clinical minded or businessminded.
I am psychologically minded, sovery different but it does help
because, um, I mean, we talk alot about person centered
therapy and marriage and familytherapy.
We talk about like the answersare within the people.
You just need to talk and be asoundboard, help them work
through it.
And, um, you know, in my jobs Iwork with seniors but also
(04:40):
their families, and theirfamilies are the ones caretaking
and making decisions and theyknow what they want.
They know what mom really wantsin their heart of hearts, but
they're just in denial or theydon't want to let go and they
have all these barriers thatblock them.
So by being there, I'm justthere to listen, Like they
already know what they want todo.
I'm not going to tell them whatthe best thing to do is.
That's up to them.
So I think that skillset isreally good to have in those
(05:03):
conversations with families justto let, to guide them to do
what they already know they needto do essentially, yeah, yeah,
I like that it's.
Speaker 1 (05:10):
it gives you kind of the room to be able to have more
of a conversation with them,rather than like having a
clinical mind.
You're like no, these thingsneed to happen.
Versus I feel like a psychologybackground.
You're almost more like curious, of like, oh well, why do you
feel that way or why?
And it just helps really pullfrom them exactly what they,
like you said, the things thatthey know inside don't want to
(05:30):
say you're able to kind of helpget that out of them.
Speaker 2 (05:32):
which is cool.
Speaker 1 (05:34):
What, as you've worked with families, are some
of the most commonmisconceptions that families
have when they start theirsenior care journey, and do you
feel like they start theirsenior care journey on time, or
is it typically a little bitlater than they maybe should
have?
Speaker 2 (05:52):
So that's the biggest barrier that I've in my whole
career.
This is like the one thing thathas surprised me the most,
right, I mean, I always thoughtI would run into problems,
seeing like, well, there's justnot enough care, or it's too
expensive, or families don't,they're in denial, but I think
the real problem is there'smisconceptions and people don't
utilize what's available whenthey should be.
(06:13):
So that's like my whole soapboxwhenever I talk about this
subject.
So the most commonmisconceptions that I see a lot
are.
You know, senior livings arestinky, gross, scary hospitals
that are dim, there's peopleyelling, it smells weird.
I don't want to put my mom ordad in one of those and I would
say maybe 50 or a hundred yearsago that's probably true.
(06:34):
But, um, as a country, as aworld, we've grown a lot and we
have smart people that areinnovative, and these services
have evolved so much over theyears that now these communities
like the one I work out, I feellike I'm on a cruise ship every
day because there's activitiesgoing on all day long.
There's an ice cream bar herethat I'm gaining weight every
day eating at.
(06:54):
I mean we have clubs based offthe residents goals and hobbies
that they have.
I mean we really help themthrive.
And I think that's a commonmisconception that families just
don't know because they don'tever step foot until it's too
late and then they move mom anddad in when they're on hospice
and it's near the end of theirlife and they don't get to
benefit from those friendshipsand activities and life
(07:17):
enriching programs.
So that's one of them.
The other one, themisconception is hospice care.
I have a strong love forhospice care.
I think it's one of the mostbeautiful healthcare programs in
our country and, having workedin it for a few years, I've
really noticed that familiesutilize it way too late and they
just think that it's for whenyou're actively dying.
You know, mom now is on herlast string of life and they
(07:41):
miss out on all the coolservices and all the support
they get.
And I just saw it every dayworking in hospice and it made
me sad for those families thatmissed out.
Speaker 1 (07:49):
We've had.
That's actually with hospice Ihad.
There was one client that wewere working with that the
family didn't want to put themon hospice because that means
that she was their love.
Their dad was going to die andI was like hospice's goal isn't
to like kill your dad, it's theopposite, like their goal is to
try to help them get better.
Um, so I thought that was alittle bit of a funny
(08:11):
misconception about hospice isthat it has to be like the last
little bit of life and theirwhole point is to transition.
But I'm like no, like they wantto help and I'll make my little
plug here at this.
Speaker 2 (08:24):
So it's actually been proven, like studies have shown
, that by electing hospice theirlifespan actually adds up like
15 more days to their life.
Wow, because by taking off allthose medications and all those
extensive, you know treatmentsthat they're doing, and being in
and out of hospitals andadjusting to all that, by just
being home and being comfortable, their body can just breathe
(08:46):
and chill and they get to bearound family in their own home.
They don't have to worry aboutgetting poked and labs done all
day long.
It actually prolongs their lifea little more and their quality
of life is just way better.
So I also think, like hospicegets paid a lot of money because
they do a ton for the families,right, and every month we get
Medicare taxes pulled out of ourpaychecks and this is when we
(09:07):
get to, like, really see therewards of it, because you get a
doctor assigned to you, a nurseassigned to you, an aid
assigned to you.
They're there at your beckoningcall If you ever have an
emergency or need them.
And I just think families don'tunderstand that until they're
in it and then when they're init, they're like, wow, this is
(09:30):
really cool.
Speaker 1 (09:31):
Yeah, my grandma passed away almost two years ago
now and she was on hospice forabout nine months.
It was really cool to see theamount of support that she had
from this hospice company thatmade it so.
That way she has 10 kids, butall the daughters were able to
kind of be there for more likehomemaker and to be daughter
rather than yes and nurse andand all these things.
So I think that it is a superunderutilized tool.
Um, in your experience, when doyou feel like family should
(09:52):
start planning for care?
Because I to be more proactive?
I think we're still in theelderly or in the aging.
95% of the people are reactiveof like, oh crap, mom fell, what
do I do?
Or oh no, you know, dementiagot is starting.
What do I do?
Versus how do we?
How can families be moreproactive as everybody gets old?
Speaker 2 (10:17):
So yeah, I mean, that's, that's the golden
question, right, like when isthe right time to start planning
?
And I truly think there's neverone right time.
But I also think it's so goodto be proactive.
Like you, look at new moms orexpecting moms when they're
pregnant, they're so excited,they like remodel the nursery
and they start reading all thesebooks and they get excited.
And we should kind of do likeincorporate that love and
(10:38):
knowledge into this, into thisstage of life too, right?
Like I even think when myparents turned 65, which they're
coming up on in the next 10 ishyears or so and when they
turned 65, we're all going tohave a big family dinner and say
, okay, let's talk about this.
Obviously you're not passingaway anytime soon and you're not
declining yet.
You're still young and active.
But now that Medicare iscovering you and you're retired,
(10:58):
let's talk about all thescenarios that could happen and
how you would want me to helpwith that, because maybe what I
would think is best for you andwhat I want for you is not what
you do, so let's talk about thatnow, in case something were to
happen in the next few years,right?
Or maybe someone gets diagnosedwith early onset dementia and
you just would never think thatbecause they're so young and
healthy and active.
(11:18):
Maybe after you get thatdiagnosis it might be tricky and
hard to have that conversation,but if you do it in like a
loving light and a good space tojust talk about it, I think
that's the best way to just getit out in the open, start
talking about it, and then yourealize it's not as scary and
ugly as you think it is and thenyou can be ready, prepared.
Speaker 1 (11:37):
Yeah, I love that example of like at 65, most
people are relatively still inindependent and they're still
they ski they're still skiing,you know yeah.
But it's like it's okay to havethat conversation and be like
let's look at all of these, um,all of the different scenarios
that could happen over the next.
(11:57):
You know, heaven forbid nextyear, but the next 20, 30 years,
who knows how old you're goingto get?
But these things are eventuallygoing to happen.
You know, let's make a gameplan.
How can we be the mostsupportive as a family, as kids
and things?
I like that example of anexpecting mom, because I wanted
to add to that list of you know,redoing the nursery, all of
that, like they go above andthey have enough clothes for
(12:20):
like eight kids by the time thebaby gets, there, he gets so
excited.
It's like way over prepared andthen you have the kid and it's
like obviously a lot of work,but you're prepared for it, so
it's a lot of fun.
Versus the opposite end, whereit's like we're way under
prepared and it is like somework with, depending on the
(12:40):
situation, to have an agingloved one.
But being prepared can make ita lot easier.
So I like that example.
Speaker 2 (12:47):
And like when you're, when your child is being born,
it's so exciting and then peoplethink passing away is so sad
and dark and gloomy.
But it's not like, it's abeautiful part and like usually
by then they've lived a fruitful, good life and they're ready to
go up to their sweetheart andtake on the next stage and I
think we need to like be proudof them.
(13:09):
They've lived such a long,healthy life, they've had their
children, they've done theirroles that they needed to do,
and so let's be excited aboutthat and let's plan and make it
the best, most fruitfulexperience for them.
We should treat it equallyright.
I just hate that we're so hushhush about death and passing and
aging in general, like gettingold is so frowned upon now and
we should celebrate it.
It shows that you're like wiserand you've accomplished a lot
more and we've made it anotherday.
(13:30):
You know, maybe I'm weird forthinking that way.
Speaker 1 (13:32):
No, I think I agree and I think having that
preparation or like thoseconversations early make it
easier because then if you havethat conversation at 65 and your
mom and dad live until 85, 90,that's like a whole lifetime of
memories that they can have andyou don't have to like it's not
a hard, um, every new milestonethat they hit as they get older
(13:54):
isn't a hard, uncomfortableconversation, like they're
retired and they're superinvolved in your life and it's
like 25 years of having justawesome memories.
And it makes it easier totransition rather than, um, just
avoiding.
You know they're never going todie, they're never going to die
, they're never going to getolder.
And then it does happen andit's a really sad, hard thing
because we're not fullyexperiencing it the whole time.
(14:15):
So I like that a lot.
I agree that it could be ahappy thing.
I do want to talk um you'relaunching a course in seven-ish
days seven days, actually sevendays today.
You're right One week nextThursday called Senior Pathways.
So what inspired you to makethat?
And then, what do you cover inSenior Pathways?
Speaker 2 (14:35):
Okay, so I'll give you the little rundown of how
this all started marinating inmy brain.
But so in my program we had todo a thesis project or a paper,
and I'm much more of a projectperson than I am a writer.
So I went the project route andI put together a course for um
caregivers of dementia patients.
But it was focusing onself-care, like how to, you know
(14:58):
, take care of yourself and tobuild a good relationship with
your care recipient while you'recaregiving, and I was really
proud of it.
I thought I put a lot of workinto it and it was needed.
But then, once I startedworking in the field, I realized
that the people that this wouldtarget don't really need to
learn how to take deep breathsand how to plant a garden with
mom and dad.
They need to learn what theheck is available, where to
(15:20):
start, who to call, what do Ihave to pay for versus what's
insurance covered?
All these things.
And then, having worked in thefield, I was a hospice and home
health liaison.
So a hospital would call me andsay, hey, we have a patient
that's declining and needs yourservices.
Come talk to them about it.
So I would come in specificallyto talk about home health or
hospice.
But I would leave and I, youknow, gotten them in contact
(15:43):
with the new geriatric doctorand told them about an assisted
living and like, got the familyset up with a therapist, like I
just was a resource person forall of them, which is totally
not my job description, but Imean no one else was helping him
with that.
So I thought, wow, these familymembers.
And then in my own family too,my grandma was my grandpa's main
caregiver and she did not knowwhere to go.
(16:05):
Um, the senior centers havesome great um support groups to
go to, but in there they justkind of share stories and help
each other and empathize, whichis so great.
We need a space for that.
But my grandma would leavesaying I just don't know like he
needs a therapist to help himwhen do I find that?
Speaker 1 (16:20):
How do I do that?
So you'll have to take care ofhim all day, every day.
Speaker 2 (16:24):
Yes, like, do I need to do this?
Like he's waking up in themiddle of the night going to the
fridge, like, what do I do?
So so for that reason, when Istarted this job or actually,
funny enough, I quit my previousposition in October and I took
three months off to just gotravel, learn more about what I
want to do, kind of where myskills will fit in.
And then I found this role andgot really excited about it and
(16:48):
they are giving me the freedomand creativity and space to do
this project on the side.
But it can also go hand in handwith our community, because we
have a great event space and wecan hold those programs here.
So that's how this all started.
Then I just started ramping up,putting the program together.
I utilized another dementiaspecialist in the community.
That's really smart and we'reputting our heads together and
(17:10):
put this program together.
Speaker 1 (17:11):
So that's where we're at.
That's awesome.
So what?
As you've done your researchand putting this project
together and this awesomeresource, what are?
Some of the resources thatyou've found are most often
underutilized by family.
You mentioned hospice often isgetting used too late.
Assisted livings often have aterrible image because of the
70s.
But what other resources areout there that people could be
(17:36):
using but just typically aren'tbecause they don't know about it
?
Speaker 2 (17:39):
Yeah.
So hospice will always be mynumber one answer for that.
I mean not even just because Iworked in that field, but I also
just I just see that every day,um, there's.
I mean I think every resourcecould be utilized more.
I totally do, like you guyswork in.
I mean we have a personal careagency and I think those are
awesome.
My family utilizes those first.
Some families just don't knowthat that's available.
(18:01):
They don't know what that costlooks like, they don't know that
they could just have a couplehours a day versus needing them
24 seven.
You know those companies couldbenefit a lot.
I think assisted livings, Ithink that stigma we're still
beating those myths and I thinka lot of families think if I
need to move mom into a building, that means I can't take care
of them and she's going to thinkI'm neglecting her and not
loving her, but it's so fun.
(18:23):
But since I've been here, I'vealso worked in another facility
or assisted living community inDC and since I've been working
in these settings I noticed thatfamilies move them in and they
come and visit and then they getto visit and just be mom or
sorry, just be daughter or beniece and they get to go walk
around and play games with momand come to do all the events
(18:44):
and eat lunch with her, but youknow, changing briefs and
showering and taking meds can bedone by our team, so they get
to just be daughter, and thenmom has friends here and has a
whole new group of support andsocialization.
So, man, I think they're justreally underutilized, truly.
Speaker 1 (19:00):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (19:00):
And then my last little plug for that one.
I'm actually a personal trainertoo and I have emphasis in
senior fitness, and havingworked in you know home health
hospice, I see that patients, asthey get older, they don't know
how to exercise anymore.
Their bodies don't work thesame, so they just kind of stop
exercising and stop moving andthen they get more stiff, they
have more falls, they get morediseases, they get more sick and
(19:23):
then their last days aren't asquality as they should be.
So I think physical therapistsand senior personal trainers are
really, really helpful andshould be utilized more to help
them exercise and be happy.
Speaker 1 (19:35):
I agree with that.
My grandpa, one of my grandpas,he's turning 90 in June and
he's you know, he's still movingaround.
He's like I'd get up the stairsslower but he's still like he
has this junk trailer that hejust fills up and takes to the
landfill once a month orsomething.
Just like, continue to move,because that's one of the best
(19:58):
things me.
But I'm fairly certain therewas like a study or a
correlation between muscledensity in older adults and like
longevity, uh, dementia, allthese other things.
Like it showed, um, thebasically the quad, the thigh
muscles of an old man thatworked out and how dense it was
(20:21):
and kind of his life compared toone that was more sedentary and
his life compared to one thatwas more sedentary and his life.
And it's just interesting, likeyou don't have to be some crazy
gym rat at 90 or something, butlike continue to move.
You know, pick up cans of beansor something.
You move, use your muscles alittle bit.
I think goes a long way.
Speaker 2 (20:41):
So yeah, and we could do a whole podcast and I would
just geek out with you aboutlongevity and like exercise and
fitness and nutrition.
I mean, I'm a big longevitynerd and it's so right.
Muscle is medicine.
There's so many podcasts andnew studies that are coming out
talking about that and howmuscle density and strength
training is something that likeback in the day it was all just
(21:01):
cardio and eat less carbs andeat less fat, you know.
And now it's like no, we needmuscle, we need strength and
that like helps every aspect ofyour body and your mind, you
know.
So totally agree with that.
That's sweet.
Speaker 1 (21:14):
You mentioned kind of in this resource that you also
talk through.
Once you're on Medicare, theworld opens up as far as
different things like that.
So how can families betterunderstand the difference
between what is covered byinsurance or by Medicare and
then what private pay optionsare out there?
Like you said, a lot offamilies for companies like
Helperly we work with insurancesbut also out of pocket and
(21:36):
people just don't know that itexists.
So it's crazy how longdifferent industries have been
around and yet people are stilllike, oh my gosh, this is a
genius idea and it's like wellkind of, but also people just
don't talk about it.
Speaker 2 (21:48):
Yeah, oh, it's been around for a hundred years.
I mean that's that's the goldenquestion is, how can families
learn about what's covered andwhat's not, and what they can
afford and not?
And I mean, I hate to just say,educate yourself, but that's
kind of what they need to do.
They need to just educatethemselves.
And that's kind of where I'mhoping my class can help with.
That gap is coming and learningabout it.
(22:09):
I think usually so in hospitals, when whenever a patient's
admitted whether whether you'rea newborn or you're a senior
you're always assigned a casemanager and those case managers
help set you up with resources.
After, usually, they're theones that are insurance covered
right.
(22:31):
Yeah, um, insurance pays foryour hospital stay and they
usually do continuum of caremoving forward to therapy,
whether that's outpatient or inhome health therapy, so those
case managers can be greatresources.
Doctors know a little here andthere, but that's not what they
studied.
And they're meeting with thepatient for 15 minutes.
They can't go over everything.
And they don't know about allthe private pay services and all
the cool new services that havebeen created in the last few
years.
So I mean, it's kind of up tous professionals to really do
(22:52):
some more outreach and reach outand to the families to, you
know, poke their head out and,you know, listen to podcasts,
like you guys that have startedand, you know, just call up
local agencies and say, hey,like how much do you guys charge
if I were to have this need?
And by having those earlyconversations when mom and dad
are 65, not when they're 90 andjust had a fall, that gives them
time to just be aware and keeptheir ears open and research and
(23:15):
understand what's available.
But man, it really it's hard.
It's hard to know unless you'rereally in the field or you're
like you're aware of it, right.
Speaker 1 (23:25):
Yeah, and I think that families should there
should be less of a worry or astigma.
I've, like you said when youwere in marketing for forever
you'd go in, but you were thereto be as a resource and I think
families should be okay withhaving an assessment.
You know, have a home healthcompany come in and be like I'd
love to get an assessment done.
They're not going to.
you know, use car salesman,pressure you into getting care
(23:46):
or something like come and letthem somebody that's in the
space say these are all thethings that are available to you
whenever you need them, and Ifeel like nine, 99 times out of
a hundred, whatever company youhave come in.
That's what the conversation isgoing to be like.
They're not going to be likeand let's, we'll get somebody in
here tomorrow.
You know like, just talk tothem.
Speaker 2 (24:07):
Most people are pretty well connected within the
industry right.
If you're talking to a homehealth liaison.
They know assisted livingsbecause they market to them.
They know personal careagencies they market to them.
So they all have networks thatthey're in and can be really
good tools to help you getstarted.
Speaker 1 (24:24):
But yeah, what's been one of the most rewarding
moments in your career so far.
Speaker 2 (24:30):
Oh, man, that's I know.
When you, when you asked methat or when I saw that question
I got, I really started toreflect back because truly, man,
I'm in the best field.
I really will never lose myhistory and I was trying to
think of one like monumentalmoment that I was like this is
the most rewarding thing and Ithink it's just the daily little
conversations that I have withthe resident.
I try to make time every day tospend 20 minutes with the
(24:52):
resident or so and just get toknow him a little more and that
fills my bucket.
But as far as like a wholecareer, like my one proudest
moment was when I worked forthat home health and hospice
agency.
And there's a, there's ahospital here in Murray that
they're an intermountainhospital and they have their own
home health and hospice agencythat they use 90% of the time
(25:13):
Right and um, everyone at mycompany said, oh, you can try
and market there, but they'rekind of tough, they'll probably
not use us, you know.
But I was able to find aconnection through someone and
um, go to meet all the casemanagers.
They have three on every floorand they have like 12 floors,
but I made relationships withlike four or five of the floors,
and I think what really helpsthem see the value in using my
company is that I was willing tobe there every day if I needed
(25:36):
to be, and I would be thatresource.
I wasn't there to just get thepaperwork, close the deal.
I was there to talk to thefamily and set them up with
something else too and be alistening ear.
And I was there to talk to thefamily and set them up with
something else too and be alistening ear.
And they saw that in me and sothey would use me a lot.
And that became our topproducing account for our
company, which was really funfrom a business perspective and
I just it filled my altruisticbucket because I got to help
(25:56):
people every day instead of justcold call.
Speaker 1 (25:58):
So yeah, that's awesome.
I think that's a huge lessonfor marketers in the industry of
just being available as aresource, rather than the guy
that you know brings in coffeeor something once a month being
like I'm still here, like be anactual resource and and things
(26:18):
will come back around, you know,and tenfold People can smell
and they can sense where yourheart really lies.
Speaker 2 (26:25):
You know, it's not that hard to weed out the people
that just want their paycheckversus wants to help.
So that's all the difference.
Speaker 1 (26:31):
That's awesome.
The timer went off, which iscrazy, but how can listeners
join the course that you've madeor connect with you if they are
interested in learning more?
Speaker 2 (26:43):
Yeah, so I have a Facebook page for it.
It's called Senior Pathways andwe're holding it so it's the
first Thursday of every month,from 537 or 530 to seven as of
right now.
That may change based off theum is it virtual?
Speaker 1 (26:58):
Is it going to be at Abington?
Speaker 2 (26:59):
No, it'll just be Abington.
So the goal is to get them hereso that they can get to see
other people that are kind of intheir same shoes and they can
stay and ask questions after.
I feel like their attention ismore here when they're present.
Yeah, and also, so my wholepresentation.
We talk about it's in threephases.
Phase one, we talk aboutdementia what the stages of
dementia are, what to expect inthose stages and how to
(27:20):
intervene, and kind of like alittle to-do list of what to do
as a caregiver in those stages.
And then part two, we're goingto talk about a majority of the
resources available, so homehealth versus personal care
versus assisted living, um,placement agencies.
We just talk about everythingavailable.
And then part three, I leaveopen for questions.
So if they, you know, have aquestion they want answered
(27:41):
based off what we talked about,we can.
And then I it's not endorsed byany company, it's not funded by
a company.
There's, it's not a sales pitch.
Um, however, at the end I willhave tables in the back that
have brochures to each servicethat we mentioned in the program
, so that they can at least havea starting point and start
interviewing calling around.
Maybe they don't go with any ofthe services on the table, but
(28:02):
it's just, you know something tostart with, um, and so we have
a few vendors that'll bringstuff, set it up and then leave.
They're not going to be there tobombard anyone.
Um, so yeah, it's just once amonth you can.
I mean it's the same courseeach time.
The goal is to just keep itminimalistic show up, get the
information you need, get somephone numbers and then go from
there you know.
Speaker 1 (28:23):
Just a starting point , and so the first one is next
Thursday.
At what time?
Speaker 2 (28:27):
Yep, may 1st, 5, 30 PM at here at the Abington and
Murray.
Speaker 1 (28:31):
That's awesome.
I think I might actually cometo that.
That'd be fun.
Speaker 2 (28:35):
It's going to be a good time.
Speaker 1 (28:37):
Cool.
Well, kayla, it's been reallyfun.
Um, and I think insightful andbig takeaways is get prepared,
you know, uh, educate yourselfearly, make plans early.
Resources are out there.
Um, and then for people in thespace is to be somebody that's
there with the right reasons andjust there to give and support
(28:59):
and help, and that's the bestway that you can create, um,
that network and create animpact, a long lasting impact
for everybody that we come incontact with as senior care
providers.
So I feel like it's just been areally good conversation and
episode.
Speaker 2 (29:14):
So, yeah, thank you, caleb.
It's a pleasure talking to you.
You guys do some good work outthere.
I see you out there.
Speaker 1 (29:19):
Well, thanks, thanks, awesome.
Well, this was so great.
Welcome back to Senior Care Academy, the podcast
where we equip families andcaregivers with the tools they
need to navigate the agingjourney with confidence and
compassion.
So today I'm excited toannounce and welcome Kayla Cook.
Kayla holds a degree inpsychology and a master's in
gerontology from the Universityof Utah.
With over five years ofexperience in home health and
hospice as a service coordinatorand a marketer, she has seen
(00:25):
firsthand a lot of thechallenges that families face
when navigating senior care.
Kayla played a key role indeveloping the vital aging
program for her county and nowshe's training to become an
executive director of AbingtonSenior Living, which is a great
senior living facility.
Throughout her journey, one gapthat she consistently has
noticed is how little guidancethe families have when it comes
to care planning for theirelderly loved ones.
So, to help facility Throughouther journey, one gap that she
consistently has noticed is howlittle guidance the families
(00:46):
have when it comes to careplanning for their elderly loved
ones.
So to help bridge that gap,kayla's launched a one-time
course called Senior Pathways.
It's actually coming out on May1st, so in about a week.
That's exciting.
The course is designed toempower families with knowledge
about the three stages ofdementia, practical caregiving
tips and a comprehensive look atresources, both like insurance
(01:08):
coverage and private pay, thatcan make a major difference when
used at the right time.
So we're thrilled to have heron today and to share her
insights and passion foreducating families on not only
the realities but thepossibilities of aging well.
So, kayla, thanks so much forcoming to Senior Care Academy.
I'm excited to have you.
Speaker 2 (01:26):
Thank you, I'm excited to be here.
Thanks for that lovely intro.
Speaker 1 (01:30):
Yeah, so just to get started, what drew you to?
So you got your degree inpsychology, but what drew you to
gerontology?
I think that a lot of peoplemight not even know what that
means.
Speaker 2 (01:41):
Most people don't.
It's actually fun.
When I go on like dates or meetnew people, they're like so
what did you study?
And I love saying gerontology,and their face just goes blank.
They don't know what to say.
So, um, super niche.
So I volunteered in high schoolat an assisted living down the
street, just helping withactivities.
Um, I just loved seniors.
I just think they're soadorable, so fun to work with,
so kind of gentle.
And then I moved up to college,originally studying to do sports
(02:04):
broadcasting.
I wanted to be the next AaronAndrews but quickly learned in
school that's not the route Iwanted to go and I was really
fascinated with psychology.
So my undergrad is in marriageand family therapy.
And during college I needed ajob because I needed to pay for,
you know, living and everything.
And at the time I was workingsome job that just paid so
(02:24):
little and I was really tryingto find something else.
And there was one day I wasdriving around, I was at the
hospital for something and Ifound a cute little old man
walking around the parking lotat like 10 PM and so I pulled
over and it was cold and I said,hey, do you need a ride?
Like, are you okay, and he goes.
Yeah, I just forgot where Iparked my car.
So he sat on the passenger sideand we drove around the parking
(02:45):
lot looking for his car and inthe meantime he was telling me
stories about his wife and theirmarriage and just we just
chatted for a while and itreminded me how much I love this
population.
So, um, my graduation date wascoming up soon and um, I said,
okay, I needed a job to carry methrough the last year or two.
So I just went to an assistedliving and I said, hey, I don't
know what kind of jobs are here,but like I love your population
(03:08):
, what can I do?
What can my skills help with?
And luckily, the activitiesassistant had just turned in his
two weeks the week prior.
So she hired me after like oneor two interviews and then I did
activities at a cute littlebuilding down in Provo and fell
in love with it.
I just absolutely loved it.
I never got sick of it, and sowhen I graduated I was only 21
(03:28):
and I said, well, no one's goingto take me seriously, I'm not a
nurse, I just graduated inpsychology.
I'm not gonna be able to be ahospice nurse or anything like.
What can I do?
So I found the program at the?
U.
There's only a few colleges inAmerica that offer a gerontology
program.
So, I found that the?
U had one and I instantlyapplied, got in, and I'm really
glad I did that because Ilearned a lot, but that's kind
(03:50):
of what sparked my passion.
It's honestly, I just love thepopulation and the people.
Speaker 1 (03:54):
And yeah.
That's so fun.
And so, coming from apsychology background, what kind
of do you think that thatshaped your approach a little
bit when it came to working withseniors and their families,
rather than I feel like a lot ofactivities directors come from
more of just a.
They don't have a psychologybackground, they're just love
hanging out, you know they dolike rec therapy.
(04:16):
Yeah, very clinical.
Speaker 2 (04:18):
I mean a lot of people in the field are very
like clinical minded or businessminded.
I am psychologically minded, sovery different but it does help
because, um, I mean, we talk alot about person centered
therapy and marriage and familytherapy.
We talk about like the answersare within the people.
You just need to talk and be asoundboard, help them work
through it.
And, um, you know, in my jobs Iwork with seniors but also
(04:40):
their families, and theirfamilies are the ones caretaking
and making decisions and theyknow what they want.
They know what mom really wantsin their heart of hearts, but
they're just in denial or theydon't want to let go and they
have all these barriers thatblock them.
So by being there, I'm justthere to listen, Like they
already know what they want todo.
I'm not going to tell them whatthe best thing to do is.
That's up to them.
So I think that skillset isreally good to have in those
(05:03):
conversations with families justto let, to guide them to do
what they already know they needto do essentially, yeah, yeah,
I like that it's.
Speaker 1 (05:10):
it gives you kind of the room to be able to have more
of a conversation with them,rather than like having a
clinical mind.
You're like no, these thingsneed to happen.
Versus I feel like a psychologybackground.
You're almost more like curious, of like, oh well, why do you
feel that way or why?
And it just helps really pullfrom them exactly what they,
like you said, the things thatthey know inside don't want to
(05:30):
say you're able to kind of helpget that out of them.
Speaker 2 (05:32):
which is cool.
Speaker 1 (05:34):
What, as you've worked with families, are some
of the most commonmisconceptions that families
have when they start theirsenior care journey, and do you
feel like they start theirsenior care journey on time, or
is it typically a little bitlater than they maybe should
have?
Speaker 2 (05:52):
So that's the biggest barrier that I've in my whole
career.
This is like the one thing thathas surprised me the most,
right, I mean, I always thoughtI would run into problems,
seeing like, well, there's justnot enough care, or it's too
expensive, or families don't,they're in denial, but I think
the real problem is there'smisconceptions and people don't
utilize what's available whenthey should be.
(06:13):
So that's like my whole soapboxwhenever I talk about this
subject.
So the most commonmisconceptions that I see a lot
are.
You know, senior livings arestinky, gross, scary hospitals
that are dim, there's peopleyelling, it smells weird.
I don't want to put my mom ordad in one of those and I would
say maybe 50 or a hundred yearsago that's probably true.
(06:34):
But, um, as a country, as aworld, we've grown a lot and we
have smart people that areinnovative, and these services
have evolved so much over theyears that now these communities
like the one I work out, I feellike I'm on a cruise ship every
day because there's activitiesgoing on all day long.
There's an ice cream bar herethat I'm gaining weight every
day eating at.
(06:54):
I mean we have clubs based offthe residents goals and hobbies
that they have.
I mean we really help themthrive.
And I think that's a commonmisconception that families just
don't know because they don'tever step foot until it's too
late and then they move mom anddad in when they're on hospice
and it's near the end of theirlife and they don't get to
benefit from those friendshipsand activities and life
(07:17):
enriching programs.
So that's one of them.
The other one, themisconception is hospice care.
I have a strong love forhospice care.
I think it's one of the mostbeautiful healthcare programs in
our country and, having workedin it for a few years, I've
really noticed that familiesutilize it way too late and they
just think that it's for whenyou're actively dying.
You know, mom now is on herlast string of life and they
(07:41):
miss out on all the coolservices and all the support
they get.
And I just saw it every dayworking in hospice and it made
me sad for those families thatmissed out.
Speaker 1 (07:49):
We've had.
That's actually with hospice Ihad.
There was one client that wewere working with that the
family didn't want to put themon hospice because that means
that she was their love.
Their dad was going to die andI was like hospice's goal isn't
to like kill your dad, it's theopposite, like their goal is to
try to help them get better.
Um, so I thought that was alittle bit of a funny
(08:11):
misconception about hospice isthat it has to be like the last
little bit of life and theirwhole point is to transition.
But I'm like no, like they wantto help and I'll make my little
plug here at this.
Speaker 2 (08:24):
So it's actually been proven, like studies have shown
, that by electing hospice theirlifespan actually adds up like
15 more days to their life.
Wow, because by taking off allthose medications and all those
extensive, you know treatmentsthat they're doing, and being in
and out of hospitals andadjusting to all that, by just
being home and being comfortable, their body can just breathe
(08:46):
and chill and they get to bearound family in their own home.
They don't have to worry aboutgetting poked and labs done all
day long.
It actually prolongs their lifea little more and their quality
of life is just way better.
So I also think, like hospicegets paid a lot of money because
they do a ton for the families,right, and every month we get
Medicare taxes pulled out of ourpaychecks and this is when we
(09:07):
get to, like, really see therewards of it, because you get a
doctor assigned to you, a nurseassigned to you, an aid
assigned to you.
They're there at your beckoningcall If you ever have an
emergency or need them.
And I just think families don'tunderstand that until they're
in it and then when they're init, they're like, wow, this is
(09:30):
really cool.
Speaker 1 (09:31):
Yeah, my grandma passed away almost two years ago
now and she was on hospice forabout nine months.
It was really cool to see theamount of support that she had
from this hospice company thatmade it so.
That way she has 10 kids, butall the daughters were able to
kind of be there for more likehomemaker and to be daughter
rather than yes and nurse andand all these things.
So I think that it is a superunderutilized tool.
Um, in your experience, when doyou feel like family should
(09:52):
start planning for care?
Because I to be more proactive?
I think we're still in theelderly or in the aging.
95% of the people are reactiveof like, oh crap, mom fell, what
do I do?
Or oh no, you know, dementiagot is starting.
What do I do?
Versus how do we?
How can families be moreproactive as everybody gets old?
Speaker 2 (10:17):
So yeah, I mean, that's, that's the golden
question, right, like when isthe right time to start planning
?
And I truly think there's neverone right time.
But I also think it's so goodto be proactive.
Like you, look at new moms orexpecting moms when they're
pregnant, they're so excited,they like remodel the nursery
and they start reading all thesebooks and they get excited.
And we should kind of do likeincorporate that love and
(10:38):
knowledge into this, into thisstage of life too, right?
Like I even think when myparents turned 65, which they're
coming up on in the next 10 ishyears or so and when they
turned 65, we're all going tohave a big family dinner and say
, okay, let's talk about this.
Obviously you're not passingaway anytime soon and you're not
declining yet.
You're still young and active.
But now that Medicare iscovering you and you're retired,
(10:58):
let's talk about all thescenarios that could happen and
how you would want me to helpwith that, because maybe what I
would think is best for you andwhat I want for you is not what
you do, so let's talk about thatnow, in case something were to
happen in the next few years,right?
Or maybe someone gets diagnosedwith early onset dementia and
you just would never think thatbecause they're so young and
healthy and active.
(11:18):
Maybe after you get thatdiagnosis it might be tricky and
hard to have that conversation,but if you do it in like a
loving light and a good space tojust talk about it, I think
that's the best way to just getit out in the open, start
talking about it, and then yourealize it's not as scary and
ugly as you think it is and thenyou can be ready, prepared.
Speaker 1 (11:37):
Yeah, I love that example of like at 65, most
people are relatively still inindependent and they're still
they ski they're still skiing,you know yeah.
But it's like it's okay to havethat conversation and be like
let's look at all of these, um,all of the different scenarios
that could happen over the next.
(11:57):
You know, heaven forbid nextyear, but the next 20, 30 years,
who knows how old you're goingto get?
But these things are eventuallygoing to happen.
You know, let's make a gameplan.
How can we be the mostsupportive as a family, as kids
and things?
I like that example of anexpecting mom, because I wanted
to add to that list of you know,redoing the nursery, all of
that, like they go above andthey have enough clothes for
(12:20):
like eight kids by the time thebaby gets, there, he gets so
excited.
It's like way over prepared andthen you have the kid and it's
like obviously a lot of work,but you're prepared for it, so
it's a lot of fun.
Versus the opposite end, whereit's like we're way under
prepared and it is like somework with, depending on the
(12:40):
situation, to have an agingloved one.
But being prepared can make ita lot easier.
So I like that example.
Speaker 2 (12:47):
And like when you're, when your child is being born,
it's so exciting and then peoplethink passing away is so sad
and dark and gloomy.
But it's not like, it's abeautiful part and like usually
by then they've lived a fruitful, good life and they're ready to
go up to their sweetheart andtake on the next stage and I
think we need to like be proudof them.
(13:09):
They've lived such a long,healthy life, they've had their
children, they've done theirroles that they needed to do,
and so let's be excited aboutthat and let's plan and make it
the best, most fruitfulexperience for them.
We should treat it equallyright.
I just hate that we're so hushhush about death and passing and
aging in general, like gettingold is so frowned upon now and
we should celebrate it.
It shows that you're like wiserand you've accomplished a lot
more and we've made it anotherday.
(13:30):
You know, maybe I'm weird forthinking that way.
Speaker 1 (13:32):
No, I think I agree and I think having that
preparation or like thoseconversations early make it
easier because then if you havethat conversation at 65 and your
mom and dad live until 85, 90,that's like a whole lifetime of
memories that they can have andyou don't have to like it's not
a hard, um, every new milestonethat they hit as they get older
(13:54):
isn't a hard, uncomfortableconversation, like they're
retired and they're superinvolved in your life and it's
like 25 years of having justawesome memories.
And it makes it easier totransition rather than, um, just
avoiding.
You know they're never going todie, they're never going to die
, they're never going to getolder.
And then it does happen andit's a really sad, hard thing
because we're not fullyexperiencing it the whole time.
(14:15):
So I like that a lot.
I agree that it could be ahappy thing.
I do want to talk um you'relaunching a course in seven-ish
days seven days, actually sevendays today.
You're right One week nextThursday called Senior Pathways.
So what inspired you to makethat?
And then, what do you cover inSenior Pathways?
Speaker 2 (14:35):
Okay, so I'll give you the little rundown of how
this all started marinating inmy brain.
But so in my program we had todo a thesis project or a paper,
and I'm much more of a projectperson than I am a writer.
So I went the project route andI put together a course for um
caregivers of dementia patients.
But it was focusing onself-care, like how to, you know
(14:58):
, take care of yourself and tobuild a good relationship with
your care recipient while you'recaregiving, and I was really
proud of it.
I thought I put a lot of workinto it and it was needed.
But then, once I startedworking in the field, I realized
that the people that this wouldtarget don't really need to
learn how to take deep breathsand how to plant a garden with
mom and dad.
They need to learn what theheck is available, where to
(15:20):
start, who to call, what do Ihave to pay for versus what's
insurance covered?
All these things.
And then, having worked in thefield, I was a hospice and home
health liaison.
So a hospital would call me andsay, hey, we have a patient
that's declining and needs yourservices.
Come talk to them about it.
So I would come in specificallyto talk about home health or
hospice.
But I would leave and I, youknow, gotten them in contact
(15:43):
with the new geriatric doctorand told them about an assisted
living and like, got the familyset up with a therapist, like I
just was a resource person forall of them, which is totally
not my job description, but Imean no one else was helping him
with that.
So I thought, wow, these familymembers.
And then in my own family too,my grandma was my grandpa's main
caregiver and she did not knowwhere to go.
(16:05):
Um, the senior centers havesome great um support groups to
go to, but in there they justkind of share stories and help
each other and empathize, whichis so great.
We need a space for that.
But my grandma would leavesaying I just don't know like he
needs a therapist to help himwhen do I find that?
Speaker 1 (16:20):
How do I do that?
So you'll have to take care ofhim all day, every day.
Speaker 2 (16:24):
Yes, like, do I need to do this?
Like he's waking up in themiddle of the night going to the
fridge, like, what do I do?
So so for that reason, when Istarted this job or actually,
funny enough, I quit my previousposition in October and I took
three months off to just gotravel, learn more about what I
want to do, kind of where myskills will fit in.
And then I found this role andgot really excited about it and
(16:48):
they are giving me the freedomand creativity and space to do
this project on the side.
But it can also go hand in handwith our community, because we
have a great event space and wecan hold those programs here.
So that's how this all started.
Then I just started ramping up,putting the program together.
I utilized another dementiaspecialist in the community.
That's really smart and we'reputting our heads together and
(17:10):
put this program together.
Speaker 1 (17:11):
So that's where we're at.
That's awesome.
So what?
As you've done your researchand putting this project
together and this awesomeresource, what are?
Some of the resources thatyou've found are most often
underutilized by family.
You mentioned hospice often isgetting used too late.
Assisted livings often have aterrible image because of the
70s.
But what other resources areout there that people could be
(17:36):
using but just typically aren'tbecause they don't know about it
?
Speaker 2 (17:39):
Yeah.
So hospice will always be mynumber one answer for that.
I mean not even just because Iworked in that field, but I also
just I just see that every day,um, there's.
I mean I think every resourcecould be utilized more.
I totally do, like you guyswork in.
I mean we have a personal careagency and I think those are
awesome.
My family utilizes those first.
Some families just don't knowthat that's available.
(18:01):
They don't know what that costlooks like, they don't know that
they could just have a couplehours a day versus needing them
24 seven.
You know those companies couldbenefit a lot.
I think assisted livings, Ithink that stigma we're still
beating those myths and I thinka lot of families think if I
need to move mom into a building, that means I can't take care
of them and she's going to thinkI'm neglecting her and not
loving her, but it's so fun.
(18:23):
But since I've been here, I'vealso worked in another facility
or assisted living community inDC and since I've been working
in these settings I noticed thatfamilies move them in and they
come and visit and then they getto visit and just be mom or
sorry, just be daughter or beniece and they get to go walk
around and play games with momand come to do all the events
(18:44):
and eat lunch with her, but youknow, changing briefs and
showering and taking meds can bedone by our team, so they get
to just be daughter, and thenmom has friends here and has a
whole new group of support andsocialization.
So, man, I think they're justreally underutilized, truly.
Speaker 1 (19:00):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (19:00):
And then my last little plug for that one.
I'm actually a personal trainertoo and I have emphasis in
senior fitness, and havingworked in you know home health
hospice, I see that patients, asthey get older, they don't know
how to exercise anymore.
Their bodies don't work thesame, so they just kind of stop
exercising and stop moving andthen they get more stiff, they
have more falls, they get morediseases, they get more sick and
(19:23):
then their last days aren't asquality as they should be.
So I think physical therapistsand senior personal trainers are
really, really helpful andshould be utilized more to help
them exercise and be happy.
Speaker 1 (19:35):
I agree with that.
My grandpa, one of my grandpas,he's turning 90 in June and
he's you know, he's still movingaround.
He's like I'd get up the stairsslower but he's still like he
has this junk trailer that hejust fills up and takes to the
landfill once a month orsomething.
Just like, continue to move,because that's one of the best
(19:58):
things me.
But I'm fairly certain therewas like a study or a
correlation between muscledensity in older adults and like
longevity, uh, dementia, allthese other things.
Like it showed, um, thebasically the quad, the thigh
muscles of an old man thatworked out and how dense it was
(20:21):
and kind of his life compared toone that was more sedentary and
his life compared to one thatwas more sedentary and his life.
And it's just interesting, likeyou don't have to be some crazy
gym rat at 90 or something, butlike continue to move.
You know, pick up cans of beansor something.
You move, use your muscles alittle bit.
I think goes a long way.
Speaker 2 (20:41):
So yeah, and we could do a whole podcast and I would
just geek out with you aboutlongevity and like exercise and
fitness and nutrition.
I mean, I'm a big longevitynerd and it's so right.
Muscle is medicine.
There's so many podcasts andnew studies that are coming out
talking about that and howmuscle density and strength
training is something that likeback in the day it was all just
(21:01):
cardio and eat less carbs andeat less fat, you know.
And now it's like no, we needmuscle, we need strength and
that like helps every aspect ofyour body and your mind, you
know.
So totally agree with that.
That's sweet.
Speaker 1 (21:14):
You mentioned kind of in this resource that you also
talk through.
Once you're on Medicare, theworld opens up as far as
different things like that.
So how can families betterunderstand the difference
between what is covered byinsurance or by Medicare and
then what private pay optionsare out there?
Like you said, a lot offamilies for companies like
Helperly we work with insurancesbut also out of pocket and
(21:36):
people just don't know that itexists.
So it's crazy how longdifferent industries have been
around and yet people are stilllike, oh my gosh, this is a
genius idea and it's like wellkind of, but also people just
don't talk about it.
Speaker 2 (21:48):
Yeah, oh, it's been around for a hundred years.
I mean that's that's the goldenquestion is, how can families
learn about what's covered andwhat's not, and what they can
afford and not?
And I mean, I hate to just say,educate yourself, but that's
kind of what they need to do.
They need to just educatethemselves.
And that's kind of where I'mhoping my class can help with.
That gap is coming and learningabout it.
(22:09):
I think usually so in hospitals, when whenever a patient's
admitted whether whether you'rea newborn or you're a senior
you're always assigned a casemanager and those case managers
help set you up with resources.
After, usually, they're theones that are insurance covered
right.
(22:31):
Yeah, um, insurance pays foryour hospital stay and they
usually do continuum of caremoving forward to therapy,
whether that's outpatient or inhome health therapy, so those
case managers can be greatresources.
Doctors know a little here andthere, but that's not what they
studied.
And they're meeting with thepatient for 15 minutes.
They can't go over everything.
And they don't know about allthe private pay services and all
the cool new services that havebeen created in the last few
years.
So I mean, it's kind of up tous professionals to really do
(22:52):
some more outreach and reach outand to the families to, you
know, poke their head out and,you know, listen to podcasts,
like you guys that have startedand, you know, just call up
local agencies and say, hey,like how much do you guys charge
if I were to have this need?
And by having those earlyconversations when mom and dad
are 65, not when they're 90 andjust had a fall, that gives them
time to just be aware and keeptheir ears open and research and
(23:15):
understand what's available.
But man, it really it's hard.
It's hard to know unless you'rereally in the field or you're
like you're aware of it, right.
Speaker 1 (23:25):
Yeah, and I think that families should there
should be less of a worry or astigma.
I've, like you said when youwere in marketing for forever
you'd go in, but you were thereto be as a resource and I think
families should be okay withhaving an assessment.
You know, have a home healthcompany come in and be like I'd
love to get an assessment done.
They're not going to.
you know, use car salesman,pressure you into getting care
(23:46):
or something like come and letthem somebody that's in the
space say these are all thethings that are available to you
whenever you need them, and Ifeel like nine, 99 times out of
a hundred, whatever company youhave come in.
That's what the conversation isgoing to be like.
They're not going to be likeand let's, we'll get somebody in
here tomorrow.
You know like, just talk tothem.
Speaker 2 (24:07):
Most people are pretty well connected within the
industry right.
If you're talking to a homehealth liaison.
They know assisted livingsbecause they market to them.
They know personal careagencies they market to them.
So they all have networks thatthey're in and can be really
good tools to help you getstarted.
Speaker 1 (24:24):
But yeah, what's been one of the most rewarding
moments in your career so far.
Speaker 2 (24:30):
Oh, man, that's I know.
When you, when you asked methat or when I saw that question
I got, I really started toreflect back because truly, man,
I'm in the best field.
I really will never lose myhistory and I was trying to
think of one like monumentalmoment that I was like this is
the most rewarding thing and Ithink it's just the daily little
conversations that I have withthe resident.
I try to make time every day tospend 20 minutes with the
(24:52):
resident or so and just get toknow him a little more and that
fills my bucket.
But as far as like a wholecareer, like my one proudest
moment was when I worked forthat home health and hospice
agency.
And there's a, there's ahospital here in Murray that
they're an intermountainhospital and they have their own
home health and hospice agencythat they use 90% of the time
(25:13):
Right and um, everyone at mycompany said, oh, you can try
and market there, but they'rekind of tough, they'll probably
not use us, you know.
But I was able to find aconnection through someone and
um, go to meet all the casemanagers.
They have three on every floorand they have like 12 floors,
but I made relationships withlike four or five of the floors,
and I think what really helpsthem see the value in using my
company is that I was willing tobe there every day if I needed
(25:36):
to be, and I would be thatresource.
I wasn't there to just get thepaperwork, close the deal.
I was there to talk to thefamily and set them up with
something else too and be alistening ear.
And I was there to talk to thefamily and set them up with
something else too and be alistening ear.
And they saw that in me and sothey would use me a lot.
And that became our topproducing account for our
company, which was really funfrom a business perspective and
I just it filled my altruisticbucket because I got to help
(25:56):
people every day instead of justcold call.
Speaker 1 (25:58):
So yeah, that's awesome.
I think that's a huge lessonfor marketers in the industry of
just being available as aresource, rather than the guy
that you know brings in coffeeor something once a month being
like I'm still here, like be anactual resource and and things
(26:18):
will come back around, you know,and tenfold People can smell
and they can sense where yourheart really lies.
Speaker 2 (26:25):
You know, it's not that hard to weed out the people
that just want their paycheckversus wants to help.
So that's all the difference.
Speaker 1 (26:31):
That's awesome.
The timer went off, which iscrazy, but how can listeners
join the course that you've madeor connect with you if they are
interested in learning more?
Speaker 2 (26:43):
Yeah, so I have a Facebook page for it.
It's called Senior Pathways andwe're holding it so it's the
first Thursday of every month,from 537 or 530 to seven as of
right now.
That may change based off theum is it virtual?
Speaker 1 (26:58):
Is it going to be at Abington?
Speaker 2 (26:59):
No, it'll just be Abington.
So the goal is to get them hereso that they can get to see
other people that are kind of intheir same shoes and they can
stay and ask questions after.
I feel like their attention ismore here when they're present.
Yeah, and also, so my wholepresentation.
We talk about it's in threephases.
Phase one, we talk aboutdementia what the stages of
dementia are, what to expect inthose stages and how to
(27:20):
intervene, and kind of like alittle to-do list of what to do
as a caregiver in those stages.
And then part two, we're goingto talk about a majority of the
resources available, so homehealth versus personal care
versus assisted living, um,placement agencies.
We just talk about everythingavailable.
And then part three, I leaveopen for questions.
So if they, you know, have aquestion they want answered
(27:41):
based off what we talked about,we can.
And then I it's not endorsed byany company, it's not funded by
a company.
There's, it's not a sales pitch.
Um, however, at the end I willhave tables in the back that
have brochures to each servicethat we mentioned in the program
, so that they can at least havea starting point and start
interviewing calling around.
Maybe they don't go with any ofthe services on the table, but
(28:02):
it's just, you know something tostart with, um, and so we have
a few vendors that'll bringstuff, set it up and then leave.
They're not going to be there tobombard anyone.
Um, so yeah, it's just once amonth you can.
I mean it's the same courseeach time.
The goal is to just keep itminimalistic show up, get the
information you need, get somephone numbers and then go from
there you know.
Speaker 1 (28:23):
Just a starting point , and so the first one is next
Thursday.
At what time?
Speaker 2 (28:27):
Yep, may 1st, 5, 30 PM at here at the Abington and
Murray.
Speaker 1 (28:31):
That's awesome.
I think I might actually cometo that.
That'd be fun.
Speaker 2 (28:35):
It's going to be a good time.
Speaker 1 (28:37):
Cool.
Well, kayla, it's been reallyfun.
Um, and I think insightful andbig takeaways is get prepared,
you know, uh, educate yourselfearly, make plans early.
Resources are out there.
Um, and then for people in thespace is to be somebody that's
there with the right reasons andjust there to give and support
(28:59):
and help, and that's the bestway that you can create, um,
that network and create animpact, a long lasting impact
for everybody that we come incontact with as senior care
providers.
So I feel like it's just been areally good conversation and
episode.
Speaker 2 (29:14):
So, yeah, thank you, caleb.
It's a pleasure talking to you.
You guys do some good work outthere.
I see you out there.
Speaker 1 (29:19):
Well, thanks, thanks, awesome.
Well, this was so great.
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