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Welcome to Healthcare Redefined: Advocating for Aging Adults and Their Families, where we empower families to navigate the complexities of aging and healthcare. Presented by Your Nurse Advocate Consulting, we share real stories, expert advice, and practical tools to help you and your loved ones confidently navigate aging with dignity.
We explore topics like creating collaborative care plans, demystifying Medicare, handling healthcare crises, and preparing for the future. Join us as we transform uncertainty into understanding.
Pam Dunwald: [00:00:00] Welcome back to Healthcare Redefined: Advocating for Aging Adults and Their Families. Hi, I'm Pam.
Linda Kritikos: [00:00:05] Hi. And I'm Linda. We're Your Nurse Advocates, and we're here to help you and your loved ones navigate the journey of aging with confidence and compassion.
Pam Dunwald: [00:00:14] You know, today we're already in episode number seven, and the title of our episode today is New Year, New Possibilities: Empowering Aging Adults and Families for a Safe, Connected 2026. And you know, as we say goodbye to 2025, as you're listening to this podcast, you know, we're looking ahead to a new year full of possibilities. And that means even for our aging adults, whether you are an aging adult or a family member, whether you live near or far, this episode is for you. So we're going to start with our first topic. What makes a great new year? You know, what is a great New Year mean for aging adults? And Linda, is there anything that you would like to share as far as your thoughts? What makes a new year for an aging adult?
Linda Kritikos: [00:00:57] You know, I think it's not necessarily that they're an aging adult. I think throughout their lifespan, I think individuals make goals and reflect on what's happened in the previous year or what they want to change, and I think it's no different for aging adults. I can tell you, some of my clients, some of the things that they've talked about is, well, I'm just, I want to spend more time with my family. I want to spend more time with my children. I have everything that I can possibly have purchased in my life, and now I just want time. And I think that's been a generalized theme when I talk to my clients and ask them about, you know, what would they like for the new year? And pretty much it's a resounding topic that they all want more time. They want time, they want time back. They want time to redo things or spend more time with their family. They don't want material things. They want time.
Pam Dunwald: [00:01:51] You know, that's a really great point. So I think it's, you know, much more than just, you know, resolutions like you said. So today we're going to be breaking down four essentials. We're going to talk about four topics that pertain to a thriving 2026. And those topics are winter safety, finding purpose and social connection, and we're going to talk about why that's really important for aging adults, advanced life planning, and also preparing for possible moves. So in reflecting on what a great new year means for aging adults, you know, how do you think goals change as you age? You know, it's the importance of intention setting versus resolution, like Linda said so clearly, you think about what is that new year want to be for you. You want to have more time. And there's a lot of things that aging adults can do. We're going to talk a little bit about milestones that they have to achieve in order to successfully meet the aging adult section of their growth and development. We're going to talk a little bit about that later. But, you know, what's the role of your family in supporting aging loved ones? If you're an adult child listening to this podcast, you know, what are your goals to help foster a great 2026 for your parents? You know, whether you're live close to them or whether you're long distance, what can you do to help foster a great New Year for your aging loved ones? We're going to look at encouraging realistic and meaningful goals. You know, what are some physical, emotional, social... We're going to talk about some statistics about socialization and how that impact can impact our aging adults. And we're going to look at challenges and opportunities that may be unique or specific to our aging adults during the year. And again, how can you as a family member, open up the conversation that needs to occur to help your aging loved one have a great 2026. So the first segment, we're going to turn this over to Linda. And Linda's going to talk about winter safety for aging adults.
Linda Kritikos: [00:03:45] Yeah, that's a really good topic. And I think safety is foremost on a lot of our elder populations' mind. They want to stay safe. They, you know, they realize that they have a mortality and morbidity and they don't want to fall and they don't want to hurt themselves. But I think sometimes they don't know what they don't know, or other things like their health conditions, or maybe memory or forgetfulness come into play in regards to how they deal with that safety. So things like home safety checks, such as, you know, is the furnace working? Does it need a new filter? What are they going to do in regards to snow and ice removal on their steps and their sidewalks and their driveways so they don't fall? Do they have emergency kits set up in case they need to evacuate their home? Do they have three days worth of medications set up? What is their medication management look like for the cold and flu season? Do they get the flu shot? Did they, are they updated on all their vaccines? What types of medication do they have and how will they get it in the middle of a snowstorm or if they forget to order it. How does that happen? And also for, you know, for families that live far away from their parents, how do you check in with them? I know some of my clients have weekly calls with their, or Zooms or team meetings with their kids on a weekly basis so that everybody checks in all at the same time.
Linda Kritikos: [00:05:12] And even though they can't be close, they're still close through that video chat. So simple things like, you know, making sure that there's, they have shovels to make sure their walkways are clear, or like we did with my parents getting a landscaping company to come out every time it snows and shovel until the snow has stopped to make sure that the walkways are clear. Make sure that they have working flashlights in the home, and they know where they are, because those things can prevent accidents in case there's a power outage. And families out of state, you know, really can just make sure that they'll remind them when they have these weekly calls that, did you check the flashlight? Did you check that there's batteries? A lot of times parents find this kind of patronizing, but it's not. It's more of we just need to make sure you're safe. We can't be there. And sometimes those roles get reversed. So the safety checks have to really happen through some of those video calls.
Linda Kritikos: [00:06:10] Or if you live close enough, are you going over there and checking with them and making sure that everything is okay? Sometimes staying indoors when the weather is really cold and then when the weather gets like it is today out here, it's like five degrees. Calling them and saying, hey, do you, are you guys okay? Do you have everything you need? And one of the things I didn't touch on is groceries. We have a lot of opportunities these days to have groceries delivered and have groceries sent to the home. We did that actually for my parents, because it was difficult for them to get out in the winter, and we wanted to keep them safe. So we had groceries delivered to the house and all they had to do was go to the front porch, bring it in and put it away. So those things can also be put into place to help your aging adult with winter, and keeping them safe at home. Transportation such as how are they going to get to these places? Are they safe to drive? Is the car in working order? Does it need tires? A lot of times we take a lot of those things for granted, but we really can't as we age we really have to be intentional about the things that we do and the goals that we set, and about, you know, how we're going to accomplish certain goals.
Linda Kritikos: [00:07:22] But one of the biggest things that I want to touch on, and Pam touched on it a little bit ago, is social isolation. When you think about it, if they're not going out as much in the winter because of health issues, because of safety issues, they can become very socially isolated, especially if they live alone, especially if their spouse or their significant other is no longer around and their children do not live close. So social isolation is a huge issue and it can increase falls and it can increase depression and it can increase confusion. So making sure that they stay connected somehow through, you know, either video calls, talking to friends on the phone, making sure that they have groups or Bible studies or churches that they can go to when the weather is better. Those are the things that are going to keep them from being socially isolated. So I think that's I think where I wanted to go with this part of it. So, Pam, any other comments or anything on that?
Pam Dunwald: [00:08:26] I know we talked a little bit in preparing for this episode that sometimes, and if you just want to touch on it, sometimes we've got children that, we think about aging adults and snowbirds, you know, leaving the Midwest where we're at and going to a warmer climate. But what about those adult children that may live in that warmer climate, and those aging adults that maybe do live in a colder climate. It's really easy for them to forget what the winter is like and to, you know, prepare their aging parents for that. Did you want to just touch on that for a bit?
Linda Kritikos: [00:09:00] Yeah. And I think some of those things that I talked about actually will help with that because you're right. If the children are living in Arizona or Florida and their parents are here because they didn't want to move, I think a lot of that resonates. And I do think that they forget about the fact that, oh my gosh, you know, when was the last time that furnace was checked? Oh my God, they have a fireplace. Was that fireplace checked for safety, because they a lot of times I think we as children assume that our parents are always going to be able to take care of things because they have for all of our lives, they've taken care of the house and the furnace and the air conditioner and all the things that keep us as, when we were kids, safe. And now, as they age, I think sometimes those things get put by the wayside because other priorities take place, such as, you know, their health issues, they're not feeling good, or medication issues. So I think reminding them that these things need to be dealt with, because I can tell you if they're anything, if these parents are anything like my parents, they're like, we don't need help, we're fine, we're fine. We're not, we're not invalids. We're not children. We can take care of the furnace. We can take care of that. But did they? Probably not. So I think it's a constant reminder and a constant reeducation. And we don't like thinking that those roles are reversed. But sometimes they are. And especially when it comes to winter safety, people think that they can just do what they can do when they were younger. And sometimes it causes problems. So I think just giving them gentle reminders in a way that, you know, helps them know that you're trying to come from a place of compassion and making sure that they're safe, instead of a patronizing, you need to do this type of attitude, I think, will help with keeping them safe in, you know, in the winter.
Pam Dunwald: [00:10:56] I think that's a great point, Linda. And I just want to remind everybody that we're going to have for this episode, since we're going over kind of four different topics prepping for the new year, we're going to have several resources for you in the show notes. We do have a winter safety blog post that we did. One of the things, like Linda said to, you know, to help them, avoid patronizing them and try and preserve their independence, maybe even depending on, you know, where they live in their situation, make them a to-do list for winter. This way, you know that, and just all you have to do then is say, hey, Ma, hey, dad, you know, have you gone through your winter checklist? This way that they still feel independent, but you have a hand in making sure things are done, and then you just review the checklist with them. So something simple like that, that can prompt them and make you feel good that they're remembering, and also to support them because aging, they do forget and they will forget to do some of these things. So great point. Great points, Linda. So thank you on that.
Linda Kritikos: [00:11:50] You know and just another note on that. Just another note on that in regards to that checklist. I think that is a really great idea because it does make them think through things without us making them feel that they are, you know, that they're childlike or that the issues are not important. And I think it cues them to wanting to do things and be independent and remain as independent as possible.
Pam Dunwald: [00:12:15] Absolutely. And speaking that, we're going to move into the next segment, we're going to talk about goals for purpose and socialization. I know Linda touched base a little bit on that, and it is really such an important topic that we thought that we'd, you know, wanted to give it a little bit more time as we're prepping for the new year. So if we look at the formal, and we won't spend a lot of time, we don't want this episode to be, you know, a lecture on psychology or anything like that, but I think it's important, you know, each stage of development from an infant all the way to late adulthood, which many of our aging adults are in. There are certain developmental, growth and developmental tasks that they need to, you know, achieve in order to be successful in that period. And so some of the things for aging adults is adjusting to physical decline in health challenges. They have to emotionally and, you know, be able to deal with that. Practical strategies for physical adaptation. Do they need a walker? Are they wheelchair bound? They need to get used to that and adapt to that. What is retirement like for them? The search for new meaning they've, you know, worked so many times either in a career or, you know, what do they do now? How do they, you know, contribute and feel like they have purpose? Creating structure and purpose in retirement.
Pam Dunwald: [00:13:35] You know, do they wake up every day and say, oh, I don't know what I'm going to do today and sit in front of the TV all day? You know, another thing is coping with loss and grief. Their circle is getting smaller. They're losing friends. They're losing family, siblings, cousins. So, you know, they're feeling like, okay, well, when is it my turn? You know, healthy grief and adaptation strategies. Learning to live with these health challenges, as we mentioned before. Housing and living arrangements. Are they looking at a move? And we're going to spend a little bit more time on that in a few minutes. But you know, can they stay in their home? Are they still safe? Are they going to move in with a family member? Do they need to look at assisted living or memory care? And then maintaining relationships and building new connections. How do we preserve that socialization? How do we keep them from, you know, getting depressed or suffering from social isolation? And just reflecting on life and finding meaning. You know, when Linda and I can both say that during, you know, taking care of hospice patients, one of the biggest things that they share with us is regret. And it's not regret about what they've done. It's regret about what they didn't do. And so reflecting on life and finding meaning, that's something that's going to be going through the minds of all of our aging adults. And then contributing to community and legacy.
Pam Dunwald: [00:14:57] And, you know, again, coming back to purpose or legacy. What do they want? What do they want their family to be known for? And we're going to talk a little bit about that. Some legacy things that you can do. And again we'll have so many resources for this episode in you. And so I'm just going to give you a couple statistics. So according to the Retirement Living Journal of Retirement Research, we're going to share just a few statistics on isolation for aging adults. And you know, the statistics on isolation and aging adults reveal that there really is a significant concern for the health and well-being of older adults. And here's a few of the key insights that I took from that research study. So 37% of older adults in the US experience loneliness with women more affected than men. And then 53.8%, so really 54% of older women and 34% of older men live alone, increasing their risk of loneliness. And lastly, 34% of senior adults felt isolated overall, with the number rising to more than 50% in 2020 due to the pandemic. So those are staggering statistics. I mean, one-third to one-half of our aging adults are sharing that they're feeling some form of isolation. What are some ideas for keeping them engaged? Different kinds of clubs, card club, Bible studies, craft clubs, volunteering.
Pam Dunwald: [00:16:20] We just need our families to encourage connection. You know, senior centers, chair yoga, walking tracks, mall walking. Adult Daycares. You know, we have, currently we have a client that suffers from depression, and she has found new purpose in trying to maintain her friendships. But this has to be very structured for her. So she has to schedule. So when we do our check-in calls, we ask, you know, have you scheduled lunch meetings with your friends? She likes to do chat and chew, which is a, you know, social after church event. She likes to go to the senior center where she can do chair yoga. They do have a walking track. And so sometimes this is a struggle for her. But really part of our month, you know, two times a month check in with her is to go through this list and see what she's doing to get out of the house. And now it's going to be a little bit more hard with the winter. But we have to do some outlets for her. Otherwise she does kind of withdraw and becomes a victim of isolation, even though her husband is there and does his best. You know, we have to really encourage her. Linda, is there anything before we move on to your next topic, is there anything that you'd like to say about, you know, what we talked about here?
Linda Kritikos: [00:17:36] You know, I think isolation is a huge issue. And I think it is has a domino effect on their physical well-being. So a lot of times isolation will cause them to have more physical symptoms. And sometimes it actually causes people to not see certain symptoms. So if they're isolated and they're not around other people, a lot of times our friends and our family are the ones that can observe symptoms that we might be presenting, that we look pale or we haven't been eating as well, or we've lost weight. And if we're socially isolated, a lot of times that part of our physical well-being can be overlooked.
Pam Dunwald: [00:18:18] You know, that's a great point, Linda. And as we're, as families are getting together with their aging loved ones over the holidays, take a peek in the fridge. Take a peek in the freezer. You know how are they eating? How do their clothes look on them? You know, ask them. Oh, what have you been doing to keep busy? You know, Catholic Charities, I know is a national organization. And they also, I know in the South, I've interviewed one of the directors of the Southeast Minnesota offices, and they do a lot with support groups for those aging, for those adult children of aging parents. They also pair aging adults with volunteer opportunities and try and find meaning and purposeful things for these aging adults to use. So I highly recommend checking with your aging in our, again in Wisconsin they're called Aging Disability and Resource Center, but every county and every state has a county office on aging with a lot of resources. So, you know, take advantage of checking with them, seeing what goes on as far as ways that your aging loved one can participate in some kind of socialization.
Linda Kritikos: [00:19:25] You know, one more thing I want to add on that is, along with social isolation and sometimes with winter and not being able to go somewhere, I think their spiritual well-being gets affected also. A lot of times these, you know, the elders have gone to church every single Sunday or whether it's during the week, but they, that a lot of times is also their social networking group is the church. And a lot of them have been involved in the church for many, many years. So not being able to participate in those activities because it's winter, I think having family members help them continue to participate, whether it means getting someone to help them, drive them there on a Sunday, or making sure someone can come to the home to visit them to give them communion, whatever it is, I think keeping them spiritually involved along with physically involved, really will help with that decreasing that social isolation and those increased possibilities for physical and emotional decline.
Pam Dunwald: [00:20:26] You know, and one more thing too, that, you know, what made me think of that, too. Some people live in a very rural area, and they may not have a neighbor next door. So it's really important when it comes to neighbors too, if you're, you know, a family member of an aging adult, you know, a long time ago, people used to rely on their neighbors a lot. And we live in Amish community, and they still do. It's, the community supports each other and, but we have moved away from that. So maybe it might not be a bad idea to introduce yourself, maybe to their neighbor, someone that may just keep an eye out on your aging loved ones when you're not around. And I think that's important to try and build some kind of a safety network around your aging loved one. Linda, if you would like to move on, I think if you're ready, we can move on to segment four, which would be advanced life planning, which is a big thing to look at for the new year.
Linda Kritikos: [00:21:20] Yeah, it truly is. I think one of the goals, I think for a lot of people, including not necessarily older people, but younger people as well, is reviewing and updating their, you know, their insurances, their advanced directives, their power of attorney, their wills. I think there, you know, there's something to be said about starting afresh the new year and reviewing those things to make sure those things are still meeting their needs. So setting up an appointment with the financial adviser or your CPA or someone that you trust in regards to reviewing those advanced directives, do they still meet the needs? Do I still want this individual to be my healthcare power of attorney? So many times I've had clients show me their power of attorney for healthcare, and the person that they chose has passed, or they're no longer in the state, or no longer available to do these things. So looking at how those things are still relevant is really important. And, you know is the will, do you need to make any changes to that? You know, is the will something that still resonates importance to you? Is it something that you know where to find it? Do people who have the authority as the executor have a current copy of that will? So having those documents in place are really important. But not only that, but having those conversations with family and with people who are the healthcare power of attorney or durable power of attorney to make sure that those wishes and values are still important and resonate, because people can be very forgetful in regards to how and what is important to them.
Linda Kritikos: [00:22:56] So reminding them of your wishes and those values of what you want in your final days and your final years. And if you can't make decisions for yourself. And who knows where those documents are, I can tell you more than once I've had clients, children say to me, I don't know where mom put that. I have no idea where the power of attorney paperwork is. I thought she had it in the safe. It's not in the safe. Doctor's offices are saying we don't have a copy of it. So making sure that these documents are well organized, that there's some place where everyone has access to them, who needs to have access to them. That there's a copy with your primary care physician or your health care provider, that your healthcare power of attorneys have it. Your executor has a copy of it. These things are really important. They need to have access to this in order to be able to support you if you can't make decisions for yourself.
Linda Kritikos: [00:23:55] One of the other things that I think is really important is your healthcare. Right now we are in the middle of annual enrollment, so annual enrollment ends December 7th. But making sure you have the right healthcare plan moving forward into the new year, does it still meet your needs? Are you planning any surgeries for next year? How is your health doing? Is that health plan going to carry you through 2026 in a way that is resonating with what your healthcare needs are? Do you have an appropriate and up-to-date medication list? Who are your doctors? What are the contacts? Do you have their contact information? Is the contact information available to your emergency contact, and everybody should have an emergency contact. A lot of times our emergency contacts are on our phones, but for some individuals, that needs to still be in paper and in front of them so that other people can reach them. Make sure that all your insurance information, if you're driving, make sure that you have up to date auto insurance. Does the auto insurance meet your needs? I had a client whose daughter said that car has been gone for forever and a day, and I don't know why they're still insuring something that's been sitting in the garage for the last ten years, and nobody's driven. So I think going through all of those things and making sure that everything is in line for the new year, and I'm kind of an organizational kind of individual.
Linda Kritikos: [00:25:20] So I like to know where things are and everything has its place. So I think that sometimes I go overboard on it. But to me, it's really important to have those things organized, because if you're unable to make those decisions or you forget where these things are, somebody else is your backup and it's okay to ask for help. It's okay to ask for that support. You know, you have to plan for the what ifs. You have to plan for that hospitalization you didn't plan on. Those emergencies you didn't plan on. Those unexpected changes, like when the roof leaks or the furnace goes out, or you end up, you know, falling in the shower. God forbid that, you know, you end up in the E.D.. How do you plan for those things? Make sure that you're talking to your families about such topics that are sensitive to you in regards to things that may cause you stress or fear in regards to money, or in regards to your health care or current diagnoses or exacerbations of a disease process. Make sure that you're talking to people about those. And, you know, we do have a lot of checklists and guides available to you in the show notes today. So please check those out because they can really help make sure things stay organized, because it does give you peace of mind when you're prepared.
Linda Kritikos: [00:26:36] I mean, you can't manage something if you don't know what it is that you're managing. So it's not necessarily sometimes easy to talk about. And a lot of times family members say, oh no, I don't want to talk about it. Or like, oh, dad, mom took care of this. And one thing that I find really interesting is I had a client last year that said to me, I really don't know how to do this. My husband took care of everything, so when he passed away unexpectedly, she had no idea where to start. She had no idea where the bills, what bills needed to be paid, how the bills were paid, what was in the bank account, how many bank accounts they had because she relied on her husband for 57 years to take care of all of those things. And that's how the relationship was, and it worked for them until he passed away. So neither the children nor she knew where any of this was. So it's really important that these things come out to the forefront and are discussed, and there's a plan in place to understand where all of these documents are so that you don't have that angst and that stress and that fear when something unexpected happens.
Pam Dunwald: [00:27:46] Yeah, I was going to say that really is a good point. And I thought about, you know, my father-in-law passed away first and then, you know, my mother-in-law just in the last two years. And I know, thank goodness, she was very organized. She had sticky notes everywhere. She had notes inside everything. But had she not left a note that she had a post office box with important papers at, and which bank she had it at, we wouldn't have had any clue. And I don't know, at some point in time, hopefully the bank would have reached out. We're in a small community, but yeah, we wouldn't have known any of that. So, you know, Linda, you know, to speak to your point, it's really important that you have a list of where things are and that people other than the person working on them, you know, shares that information on where the things can be found. All right. So now let's move on to the next segment. And that's preparing for a possible relocation. And maybe that's, you know, in the near future. And whether we talked about whether it's to move in with family, whether it's to downsize to maybe a senior apartment, whether it's to move into assisted living or a memory care unit, you know, those are some of the things to consider. Could that happen in the next year? So what do I need to do to prepare to plan for it?
Pam Dunwald: [00:29:03] So, you know, we have, and I'll make sure I put this in the show notes, we have an 11 signs that your aging parent may need help in the home. So I'm not going to spend a lot of time on that. We will include that in the show notes, but, you know, signs that it might be time to consider a move, you know, are there safety concerns, health concerns, loneliness concerns? They're not keeping, you know, up with the home. Pets aren't being taken care of. You know, you see stacks of bills on the kitchen table that aren't being paid, you know, so you want to explore, you know, different options, you know, is aging in place an option with support? Do we need to do downsizing? There are companies that do downsizing for aging adults. Do we need to consider that assisted living move or moving closer to family? And you know, what are the emotional sides of relocation? There's going to be grief, maybe excitement, anxiety relief. I mean, it all depends on the situation. Everybody's situation is different. So we want to make sure that we involve that aging adult in the decision-making process. And I, Linda, and I can tell you from now till the cows come home that the number one thing that pushback that aging adults will give you is they will fight tooth and nail to maintain their independence, even when it's clear and even when it's maybe plain that they're not able to continue to function independently, they will fight tooth and nail for that independence.
Pam Dunwald: [00:30:33] So it's always important to involve them in any way, shape or form that they can, in the decision-making process, because that will help to at least make them feel that they are still maintaining some control and some kind of independence. I had a story, one of my clients, one of those things where in our networking group, there was a gal that her sister-in-law, her husband's sister, she lived in Wisconsin, but their mom lived in Florida. She was on a cruise. She fell. She got injured. She ended up in a hospital out of the country, in Mexico. And they, her son lived in Texas. He had to go to Mexico. Got her out of the hospital there. They had, unfortunately, had missed a spinal fracture in her neck. The one sister worked from home and she was in Kansas. So this woman ended up in Kansas needing surgery from an emergency. Now, she, her doctors were gone, she had no doctors. Her health insurance didn't cover her in Kansas. She now was at this point in time, was bedbound. And even though the daughter worked at home, she needed help at home because she couldn't provide all of this care and still work at the same time. So there is so much that goes into, you know, a move. And so we're going to talk just then for a minute on some of the clinical aspects, some of the things that Linda and I would be experts at in helping with a move for an aging adult.
Pam Dunwald: [00:32:12] So, you know, how to prepare for your new primary doctors. You know, what about your health care insurance? What about your Medicare? You know, we were going to have to make sure that you are covered. Now was she covered because of an emergency? Yes. But she wasn't covered for routine things. She had no doctor to renew her prescriptions. So that was something very basic that we had to deal with right away is she had no way of getting her regular medications refilled. And so we're going to look at Medicare and insurance coverage after a move. You know, what are your local healthcare resources? Depending on that situation of that aging adult, what are they going to need? What resources are they going are they going to need? Are they going to need any healthcare equipment? You know, some people are oxygen, you know, dependent. And so we can help work on all those things, help you find those community resources, hook you up with the new county and your aging resources and find out which providers are in network for you based on your new insurance. So there's a lot of things that we can do to help you manage those transitions as well. Like we mentioned with the medications, ensuring that you have uninterrupted refills, you know, during and after the move.
Pam Dunwald: [00:33:22] And these are things that again, like Linda mentioned before, it's very easy to take these things for granted because they just happen kind of automatically. But when you have this change or this relocation or you're planning for a move, there's a lot of little details that need to be considered. And, you know, what are some of the emotional and social aspects of moving? Maybe it's socially, it's a good thing they're going to be able to interact with people their own age. So there may be some very positives. But what about that aging loved one that's been in the home for 50 years, 60 years? And you know, they don't want to leave that home and they're no longer safe there. What are they going to be going through? Again, we may look at it very practically and say, you know, mom, dad, the time has come. You need to move. You're not safe here any, you know, any more at home. That's what we're seeing. That's the practical aspect. But let me tell you what they're hearing. They're hearing is I'm going to die soon. I no longer can take care of myself. What's next for me? This is the end of the road. So you gotta, you gotta think about, you know, what you're thinking. But then put your, you know, put your feet in their shoes and think about what they're thinking and how you can handle that, you know, tactfully and still try to preserve what little independence that some of the aging loved ones may have.
Pam Dunwald: [00:34:45] You know, we're going to have, in the show notes, too, we have a whole guide on relocation. And we're going to talk about, you know, decluttering and organization. There's there's resources for that. We're going to have tips for long-distance family. There's so many things that you as a long-distance family member can do. My chart, getting access to their health records. Anything you can do with a phone or a computer, you can assist with paying bills, ordering food. I know my kids with my mom, they take turns and they will order her DoorDash. It took a little bit. She didn't, she called me the first time and said, you know, it's been a half an hour after they said they were going to deliver my food and my food's not here. And, you know, again, we take these little things for granted. Neither me nor my daughter thought that, oh, you know, mom, grandma, you gotta go to the porch. They're not going to ring your doorbell and tell you that it's here. You gotta look for it. So once we got through that first time, it was okay after that. But again, it's always the little things. So, Linda, is there a story, anything that you can share about, you know, relocation or moving or anything that you want to add to that?
Linda Kritikos: [00:35:51] Well, I think it's very true that it's an emotional as well as physical stressor on the individual and also their family, especially if they've lived in that neighborhood. They have access to their church and their community and have been part of that community for many, many years. It's giving up a very large part of themselves and their identity because their identity has been tied to this community, to this church, to this neighborhood, to this home. And they built a home in this community. So all of that change is very hard for anyone to accept, even us. So imagine being in that environment for over 50 or 60 years and then having to change and move into an environment where you know no one, you don't have the support system, except maybe for your kids who may or may not live close to you. It's a, it's huge. It's a huge emotional stressor, and we need to really be looking at that. I had a client that recently moved from Florida to Wisconsin and didn't realize her health insurance wasn't going to cover her when she moved to the state. And so just that whole added stressor of changing that health insurance to meet her needs in the current state because her other one didn't work, was very stressful for her. On top of the fact that she was relocating to an environment where she really did not know anybody, but she knew that she was moving there for a good reason, because she was going to be closer to her children and her grandchildren, and that was important to her. So the move, in one sense, was kind of bittersweet.
Linda Kritikos: [00:37:34] She really loved Florida, and she lived there for many years, and she really enjoyed it. But she also knew that moving here was better for her health and closer to family. And in case of an emergency, she had better support systems and her insurance was going to then cover her. The new insurance was going to cover her. But even those little things, like just that whole point of relocating and getting, making those changes, it's not easy to change. Change is something we all have to go through. But, you know, when you're in a routine, just as we all are and we all have our routines, it's difficult, and we have to look at how it's affecting our aging adult, both emotionally and spiritually and physically. And, you know, there's so many moving pieces when it comes to that relocation, not just the sale of the house, but the changing of the bank accounts and the changing of the health insurance and the pharmacies and the hospital and the doctors and all the things that go along with that have to be assessed along with what do I take with me? What do I leave behind? What do I donate and what do I give to my children? Because I don't need all these things anymore. So all of those have to be taken into account and it can be very stressful for all parties involved. So you need to just take a breath and take some time and do it one piece at a time. Don't try to do everything all at once because it's very, very stressful when you look at it from the big picture standpoint.
Pam Dunwald: [00:39:10] You know, that's a great point. What it made me think of, Linda, is when you mentioned bank accounts, you know, some of the things that we may do as adult children and both of us, you know, have aging parents. And, you know, you think about making it easier for them. Having them auto deductions for their car insurance or their homeowner's insurance or whatever it may be. Now, if they're moving, you know, I hate having to change out all my auto deductions when it comes to changing accounts. And so something that we may have set up for them to help make things easy for them, we now have to go through and change, you know, when there's a move. And, you know, I just want to mention too, don't get hung up on, you know, the moving or if the house has to be sold or if you know you're live long distance and you need someone to box up. There are so many resources out there now for aging adults. There are what we call SRA. Those are senior certified real estate agents that specialize in dealing with our aging adult population and selling their homes and being sensitive to the needs that we mentioned. There are also national companies that do senior relocation. And what I mean by senior relocation, they are the ones that declutter, box everything up, ship it to the new location, move everything. So there are a lot of resources out there that people may not be aware of. And we will again mention those in the show notes. So.
Linda Kritikos: [00:40:39] You know, one thing I just want to add to that is, you know, and you're right, there are a lot of great resources. But a few of the clients that I've had the children said, you know, mom and dad were kind of like, they kept a lot of stuff here at the house. I really don't want anybody else going through this stuff. I'm going to need to do this myself. I need to figure out what is here and what's not, and not give it to somebody else. So there's always that angst from the kids saying, you know, mom was, you know, mom kept money all over the house, or mom kept these things hidden. And I don't want somebody else going through her personal things. I want to do that. So there's still some of that I think that goes on. But I think once you as children or adult children go through that and figure out what needs to be gone through, I think those resources are absolutely, you know, the best way to deal with, you know, a move or relocation, because it does take that stress away of having to figure out where these things go because they do truly work on, you know, what is important and what's not, and what needs to go and what needs to stay, and how to help you access all the things that you need for a successful relocation.
Pam Dunwald: [00:41:53] You know, and I am so grateful and so thankful to my mother-in-law because she was, I admired her so much. She was such a well-organized woman. And what she did, which made it a lot easier, and it took away, you know, when someone passes, I think it can bring out the worst in everyone. Everyone's grieving. There's a lot of emotions flying. And so when it came to her belongings, the things that were most important, she over the years, she wrote the name of the person somewhere inconspicuous or taped a note to the bottom or the back, or put a note inside the item who that would go to. Now, over the years, she remembered who maybe complimented, oh, I would love to, you know, I really like that piece, or I like this or I like that. Or her rings or her jewelry. I mean, she assigned all of those things that were important to her, to a person so that when we were going through all of her things, there was, you know, there was no fighting. There was, you know, no bickering with the important things because she had already written on there who that they were supposed to go to. So even we, some people may not have been happy with who got what, but nobody argued about it because it was what mom wanted and was what mom put on those items. So just, you know, as you go through and, you know, this is something that might help your family as well. So anything else you'd like to say, Linda, before we wrap up?
Linda Kritikos: [00:43:19] Nope. I think we've pretty much covered a lot of different topics here and hopefully it's been very helpful. We hope today's episode gives you and your family a roadmap or some type of structure for a safe and meaningful start to 2026. 26. If there's any questions or if you have any concerns or if you'd like to have some clarification on what we talked about today, please feel free to let us know. And we also have plenty of checklists and guides for you at the end of the show. So, Pam.
Pam Dunwald: [00:43:53] Yeah. So like Linda said, check out the show notes for free resources. We'll have quite a few for this episode. Winter safety, life planning, so much more. Remember, the most important thing is you do not have to navigate this journey alone. Linda and I are here. We're willing to help in any way that we can.
Linda Kritikos: [00:44:09] So please subscribe and share this with someone who might need the support this season in regards to making their 2026 a successful year for all.
Pam Dunwald: [00:44:19] You know, and thanks for listening to Health Care Redefined, and we're wishing all of you a very happy and healthy New Year. Take care and we'll see you in the next episode.