We don't spend enough time finding out everything we need to know. Have you got your legal paperwork done? L.E. "Ellie" Brown from Chateau Retirement Communities joins Suzanne to talk about how to find resources for seniors that many people don't even know exist.

Ellie says, "There are some great programs out there that don't cost anything to the family. Senior Care Finder is one that I really enjoy a lot. They don't capture your information, but you go on there and you do a search, and it'll show you all the Google reviews, and the different sites in your area, and then it gives you that opportunity to contact those communities yourself... Google reviews are a little tough at times because you get angsty employees, and during COVID, It was rough, but that is still a way to go look, overall... It's got all that vibrant information. Or, there are some amazing smaller paid advisors that will really walk the walk with you.

"I always say tour, tour and tour and tour and tour. Have lunch, attend activities in the building. You get to know the building. I have people that didn't move in for four or five years, but they came to every event. They came to the big events. They came to dinner once in a while, or lunch. They get to know the community... So find that place that feels like your mom could see herself living there, and then and go tour, tour and tour. Tour first as the daughters, or the son, or whoever the caregiver is, and narrow it down. Don't exhaust [mom or dad] with five or seven tours, narrow it down to two or three."

Chateau Retirement provides independent living, assisted living, and memory care services. They have been locally owned and family operated for more than 25 years.
Chateau Retirement has three communities in Washington's Seattle/Puget Sound area: Chateau Pacific in Lynnwood, Bothell Landing in Bothell, and Chateau Valley Center in Renton. Visit them online at https://www.chateauretirement.com or call 800.960.1944.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

L.E. "Ellie" Brown from Chateau Retirement Communities joins Suzanne to share how families can best support their senior loved ones. Ellie shares her top three tips for getting through the transition when a loved one starts struggling.

Chateau Retirement provides independent living, assisted living, and memory care services. They have been locally owned and family operated for more than 25 years.
Chateau Retirement has three communities in Washington's Seattle/Puget Sound area: Chateau Pacific in Lynnwood, Bothell Landing in Bothell, and Chateau Valley Center in Renton. Visit them online at https://www.chateauretirement.com or call 800.960.1944.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What signs of aging are of concern as we're supporting our senior loved ones? L.E. "Ellie" Brown from Chateau Retirement Communities joins Suzanne to talk about the warning signs and facing up to the various dynamics of denials, not just from ourselves, but also our loved ones.

Ellie shared her personal, family experiences with warning signs. She says, "For my mom, her health was clearly in decline. She wasn't recovering as quickly from colds. She was seemingly depressed at times. So that was a sign to me. Not as vibrant anymore. Then I started hearing about falls, which — she was minimizing the falls.

"Those crafty little parents of ours, they fib. They lie about the falls. My dad minimizes it, and then he's got bruises all up and down [his body]. My mom did the same. And the compensation, the lack of sleeping, cognitive – telling the same story over and over again, not remembering, the short-term [memory] going. But also I don't think we pay enough attention to the appetite and the depression as well, so that these are some significant signs. More doctor visits, more of that kind of thing."

Chateau Retirement provides independent living, assisted living, and memory care services. They have been locally owned and family operated for more than 25 years.
Chateau Retirement has three communities in Washington's Seattle/Puget Sound area: Chateau Pacific in Lynnwood, Bothell Landing in Bothell, and Chateau Valley Center in Renton. Visit them online at https://www.chateauretirement.com or call 800.960.1944.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

L.E. "Ellie" Brown from Chateau Retirement Communities joins Suzanne to talk about how to best support our senior loved ones, particularly as they get older and might need to consider senior living. Ellie works with families every day, and shares common situations that she encounters as families try to help their loved ones. Ellie is Vice President Sales - Strategic Market Analysis, Branding & Sales Leadership for Chateau Retirement.

Ellie finds that a lot of families are facing similar challenges, obstacles, stereotypes about senior living, and misinformation. "It could be as simple as the daughter says, 'I visit with my mom every day, so she's got socialization.' I coach my sales teams to say, hold up now, that's not the same as peer-to-peer socialization. Visiting my dad is definitely visiting, but when he's with his friends of the same age group, that's different... At the end of the day, how do we best support our parents at that point, our loved ones who still have every right to make all their decisions as independent, honorable people that have made it this far in life? With the exception if it's a dementia-type thing or a cognitive thing. Because we are starting to shift that, we're having to start making some decisions for them. What does that look like? And those conversations are hard, and there's no there's no perfect roadmap, right? Every family has their own dynamics, but how do we know when to say what we need to say, and how to say it? When does tough love come in? Because we're worried most of the time, [when] something's changed."

Chateau Retirement provides independent living, assisted living, and memory care services. They have been locally owned and family operated for more than 25 years.
Chateau Retirement has three communities in Washington's Seattle/Puget Sound area: Chateau Pacific in Lynnwood, Bothell Landing in Bothell, and Chateau Valley Center in Renton. Visit them online at https://www.chateauretirement.com or call 800.960.1944.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

People sometimes put their estate documents in a file and forget about it. Elder law attorney Steve Waltar joins Suzanne to talk how to keep your estate plan documents current.

Visit the Legacy Estate Planning website at waltar.com for beneficial articles, resources, and webinars.

• Steve Waltar: https://www.waltar.com/our-firm/about-our-firm/
• Books: https://www.waltar.com/resources/books-published-by/
• Webinars and seminars: https://www.waltar.com/seminars/
• Hear more podcasts with Steve Waltar at Answers for Elders: https://answersforelders.com/tag/stephen-waltar/
• Find an attorney in your state at https://www.aaepa.com/
• Check out our affiliate podcast Alzheimer’s Speaks

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How do you make updates to your estate plan? Elder law attorney Steve Waltar joins Suzanne to talk about dos and don'ts.

Visit the Legacy Estate Planning website at waltar.com for beneficial articles, resources, and webinars.

• Steve Waltar: https://www.waltar.com/our-firm/about-our-firm/
• Books: https://www.waltar.com/resources/books-published-by/
• Webinars and seminars: https://www.waltar.com/seminars/
• Hear more podcasts with Steve Waltar at Answers for Elders: https://answersforelders.com/tag/stephen-waltar/
• Check out our affiliate podcast Alzheimer’s Speaks

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With a new year arriving, it's time to consider reviewing and updating legal documents. Elder law attorney Steve Waltar joins Suzanne to talk about when to update estate plans.

Visit the Legacy Estate Planning website at waltar.com for beneficial articles, resources, and webinars.

• Steve Waltar: https://www.waltar.com/our-firm/about-our-firm/
• Books: https://www.waltar.com/resources/books-published-by/
• Webinars and seminars: https://www.waltar.com/seminars/
• Hear more podcasts with Steve Waltar at Answers for Elders: https://answersforelders.com/tag/stephen-waltar/
• Check out our affiliate podcast Alzheimer’s Speaks

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Elder law attorney Steve Waltar joins Suzanne to talk about the Corporate Transparency Act, a new federal law made to thwart money laundering, but has overreaching implications for owners of new and existing small businesses and their legal agents across America.

Visit the Legacy Estate Planning website at waltar.com for beneficial articles, resources, and webinars.

• Steve Waltar: https://www.waltar.com/our-firm/about-our-firm/
• Books: https://www.waltar.com/resources/books-published-by/
• Webinars and seminars: https://www.waltar.com/seminars/
• Hear more podcasts with Steve Waltar at Answers for Elders: https://answersforelders.com/tag/stephen-waltar/
• Find an attorney in your state at https://www.aaepa.com/
• Check out our affiliate podcast Alzheimer’s Speaks

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.