Aging with Altitude

Chances are listeners know someone with dementia, struggle with it themselves, or are concerned they will experience memory and motor loss in the future. The Alzheimer's Association is a go-to source for not just Alzheimer's but also learning about all dementias. It is helpful to know there are differences in dementia and there are actions we can take to help ourselves diminish the chances of getting dementia and to be better prepared if dementia does find its way into our lives. Brain Health in the workforce is the latest effort by the Alzheimer's Association to empower people towards a healthy future. RoseMary Jaramillo, Alzheimer's Association SE Colorado Director, shares current best practice ideas. Learn more at:Alzheimer's Association Colorado Chapter: https://www.alz.org/coAging with Altitude is recorded in the Pikes Peak region with a focus on topics of aging interest across the country. We talk about both the everyday and novel needs and approaches to age with altitude – whether you're in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida or Leadville, Colorado. The Pikes Peak Area Agency on Aging is the producer. Melissa Marts with the Area Agency on Aging is our moderator.Learn more at: https://ppacg.org/pikes-peak-area-agency-on-agingOr call 719-471-2096INSERT GUEST WEBSITE HEREBEACON Senior News is a proud sponsor/partner for this podcast. BEACON Senior News empowers Colorado seniors with inspiring local stories, timely coverage of senior issues, health and travel features, retirement and financial guidance, senior expos and local resources — all presented in a fun, engaging way that helps older adults lead happier, healthier lives. Catch all the news at: https://www.beaconseniornews.com/

Everyone knows about MLK Day, Earth Day, Veterans Day but who has heard about World Elder Abuse Awareness Day? It is estimated that 1 in 10 older adults is a victim of abuse and over the past years even more seniors have fallen victim to fraud scams. Geropsychologist Dr. Sheri Gibson and Long Term Care Ombudsman Lori McGinnis have supported seniors through terrible tragedies, and they still continue to do the good work they do. Hear how their work is putting elder abuse into the rearview mirror for so many. This International day is acknowledged on June 15.Pikes Peak Elder Justice Center: https://www.pikespeakelderjusticecenter.org/Aging with Altitude is recorded in the Pikes Peak region with a focus on topics of aging interest across the country. We talk about both the everyday and novel needs and approaches to age with altitude – whether you're in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida or Leadville, Colorado. The Pikes Peak Area Agency on Aging is the producer. Melissa Marts with the Area Agency on Aging is our moderator.Learn more at: https://ppacg.org/pikes-peak-area-agency-on-agingOr call 719-471-2096BEACON Senior News is a proud sponsor/partner for this podcast. BEACON Senior News empowers Colorado seniors with inspiring local stories, timely coverage of senior issues, health and travel features, retirement and financial guidance, senior expos and local resources — all presented in a fun, engaging way that helps older adults lead happier, healthier lives. Catch all the news at: https://www.beaconseniornews.com/

What makes you live your best life in your 80's, 70's, younger? We introduce listeners to life-long athletes Christel Donley and Rob Rodine. They celebrate life after 60 with insights on being active and connected. Their stories are not much different from ours, yet they validate and inspire us to keep growing, learning and championing our health. LEARN MORE:Colorado Senior Games: https://coloradoseniorgames.orgAging with Altitude is recorded in the Pikes Peak region with a focus on topics of aging interest across the country. We talk about both the everyday and novel needs and approaches to age with altitude – whether you're in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida or Leadville, Colorado. The Pikes Peak Area Agency on Aging is the producer. Melissa Marts with the Area Agency on Aging is our moderator.Learn more at: https://ppacg.org/pikes-peak-area-agency-on-agingOr call 719-471-2096INSERT GUEST WEBSITE HEREBEACON Senior News is a proud sponsor/partner for this podcast. BEACON Senior News empowers Colorado seniors with inspiring local stories, timely coverage of senior issues, health and travel features, retirement and financial guidance, senior expos and local resources — all presented in a fun, engaging way that helps older adults lead happier, healthier lives. Catch all the news at: https://www.beaconseniornews.com/

All the details to get involved with the Colorado Senior Games, national qualifying events in June. Rands Keasler, with the Colorado Springs Sports Corps, highlights why the Games are so important to produce, along with the how and when to sign up as an athlete. More importantly, come to cheer on athletes, from around the State and beyond, in over 16 sports. Listen to learn about the sports and the various venues around the Pikes Peak Region.Host Melissa Marts also visits briefly with Beacon Senior News Managing Editor Rhonda Wray about her May issue.LEARN MORE:Colorado Senior Games: https://coloradoseniorgames.org/Rocky Mountain State Games: https://www.coloradospringssports.org/events/rockymountainstategames/Aging with Altitude is recorded in the Pikes Peak region with a focus on topics of aging interest across the country. We talk about both the everyday and novel needs and approaches to age with altitude – whether you're in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida or Leadville, Colorado. The Pikes Peak Area Agency on Aging is the producer. Melissa Marts with the Area Agency on Aging is our moderator.Learn more at: https://ppacg.org/pikes-peak-area-agency-on-agingOr call 719-471-2096BEACON Senior News is a proud sponsor/partner for this podcast. BEACON Senior News empowers Colorado seniors with inspiring local stories, timely coverage of senior issues, health and travel features, retirement and financial guidance, senior expos and local resources — all presented in a fun, engaging way that helps older adults lead happier, healthier lives. Catch all the news at: https://www.beaconseniornews.com/

Easy and unique tips to find joy in cooking and eating solo. Solo eating for some can be a recipe for disaster. Eating alone either by choice or not is something to pay attention to as we age. Unfortunately, research shows that social isolation often leads to eating alone, poor nutrition and depression. Local chef and owner of Cultivate Health, Michele Mukatis, shares ways to rediscover what makes cooking enjoyable, strategies on recipe re-writes, and more. There is something in this episode for all tastes.To contact Michele Mukatis: CultivateHealth at gmail.comAging with Altitude is recorded in the Pikes Peak region with a focus on topics of aging interest across the country. We talk about both the everyday and novel needs and approaches to age with altitude – whether you're in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida or Leadville, Colorado. The Pikes Peak Area Agency on Aging is the producer. Melissa Marts with the Area Agency on Aging is our moderator.Learn more at: https://ppacg.org/pikes-peak-area-agency-on-agingOr call 719-471-2096INSERT GUEST WEBSITE HEREBEACON Senior News is a proud sponsor/partner for this podcast. BEACON Senior News empowers Colorado seniors with inspiring local stories, timely coverage of senior issues, health and travel features, retirement and financial guidance, senior expos and local resources — all presented in a fun, engaging way that helps older adults lead happier, healthier lives. Catch all the news at: https://www.beaconseniornews.com/

Organizations, the people they serve, and the people volunteering all benefit from the act of volunteering. April is Volunteer Appreciation Month. For all the volunteers out there doing good work, THANK YOU! Aging With Altitude wants to acknowledge the big impact a little volunteering has. Dali Moncada, the Volunteer Program Manager with the Pikes Peak Area Agency on Aging, and Katie Cornelius, long time community volunteer, share stories on how one little pebble in the pond ripples in so many transformative ways.Volunteer: https://ppacg.org/pikes-peak-area-agency-on-aging/volunteer-with-the-area-agency-on-aging/Aging with Altitude is recorded in the Pikes Peak region with a focus on topics of aging interest across the country. We talk about both the everyday and novel needs and approaches to age with altitude – whether you're in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida or Leadville, Colorado. The Pikes Peak Area Agency on Aging is the producer. Melissa Marts with the Area Agency on Aging is our moderator.Learn more at: https://ppacg.org/pikes-peak-area-agency-on-agingOr call 719-471-2096BEACON Senior News is a proud sponsor/partner for this podcast. BEACON Senior News empowers Colorado seniors with inspiring local stories, timely coverage of senior issues, health and travel features, retirement and financial guidance, senior expos and local resources — all presented in a fun, engaging way that helps older adults lead happier, healthier lives. Catch all the news at: https://www.beaconseniornews.com/

Books have been written and movies made on the history of Fannie Mae Duncan with her, all people welcome, iconic Cotton Club operating in Colorado Springs from 1948-1975. Hear from JJ Frazier who, at 17, sang with the orchestra at the Club. Today, JJ continues her legacy of service in the region. Next to share is Shirley Martinez, who is also making history – bringing Martin Luther King Jr.'s granddaughter to keynote the annual All Peoples Breakfast hosted by the MLK Legacy Preservation Society on 2026 Martin Luther-King Jr. Day. LINKS:MLK Legacy Preservation Society: https://www.mlklegacy.org/Pikes Peak Diversity Council: https://www.ppdiversitycouncilinc.org/Everybody Welcome – by Fannie Mae Duncan and Kathleen Esmiol: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29629527-everybody-welcome The Invisible People of the Pikes Peak Region – by John Stokes Holley: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/57752054-the-invisible-people-of-the-pikes-peak-regionAging with Altitude is recorded in the Pikes Peak region with a focus on topics of aging interest across the country. We talk about both the everyday and novel needs and approaches to age with altitude – whether you're in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida or Leadville, Colorado. The Pikes Peak Area Agency on Aging is the producer. Melissa Marts with the Area Agency on Aging is our moderator.Learn more at: https://ppacg.org/pikes-peak-area-agency-on-agingOr call 719-471-2096INSERT GUEST WEBSITE HEREBEACON Senior News is a proud sponsor/partner for this podcast. BEACON Senior News empowers Colorado seniors with inspiring local stories, timely coverage of senior issues, health and travel features, retirement and financial guidance, senior expos and local resources — all presented in a fun, engaging way that helps older adults lead happier, healthier lives. Catch all the news at: https://www.beaconseniornews.com/

The Colorado Senior Games are Coming. Will you sign up? Athletes over 50 are invited to show your skill in a multitude of sports this June in Colorado Springs. The Colorado Senior Games this year are qualifying games that lead competitors on to the National Senior Games. What an accomplishment! Competitors will be coming from Colorado as well as surrounding states for this important qualifying year. Hear from the organizing entity, Colorado Springs Sports Corp, to learn more about volunteering at the events or competing in these awesome games.Register or volunteer at https://coloradoseniorgames.org/Aging with Altitude is recorded in the Pikes Peak region with a focus on topics of aging interest across the country. We talk about both the everyday and novel needs and approaches to age with altitude – whether you're in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida or Leadville, Colorado. The Pikes Peak Area Agency on Aging is the producer. Melissa Marts with the Area Agency on Aging is our moderator.Learn more at: https://ppacg.org/pikes-peak-area-agency-on-agingOr call 719-471-2096INSERT GUEST WEBSITE HEREBEACON Senior News is a proud sponsor/partner for this podcast. BEACON Senior News empowers Colorado seniors with inspiring local stories, timely coverage of senior issues, health and travel features, retirement and financial guidance, senior expos and local resources — all presented in a fun, engaging way that helps older adults lead happier, healthier lives. Catch all the news at: https://www.beaconseniornews.com/

Social connection is a key to aging well. Volunteering is one opportunity to connect with others who share similar interests while also giving back. In January, the Martin Luther King Day of Service is an excellent time to check out opportunities in your community to meet new people and volunteer. The Pikes Peak Area Agency on Aging encourages everyone to find ways to stay connected to counter isolation and depression.Aging with Altitude is recorded in the Pikes Peak region with a focus on topics of aging interest across the country. We talk about both the everyday and novel needs and approaches to age with altitude – whether you're in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida or Leadville, Colorado. The Pikes Peak Area Agency on Aging is the producer. Melissa Marts with the Area Agency on Aging is our moderator.Learn more at: https://ppacg.org/pikes-peak-area-agency-on-agingOr call 719-471-2096BEACON Senior News is a proud sponsor/partner for this podcast. BEACON Senior News empowers Colorado seniors with inspiring local stories, timely coverage of senior issues, health and travel features, retirement and financial guidance, senior expos and local resources — all presented in a fun, engaging way that helps older adults lead happier, healthier lives. Catch all the news at: https://www.beaconseniornews.com/

Staying active is a year-round healthy habit, however, holiday time and new year's resolutions bring reflection on how to stay physically and mentally fit. Exercise routines vary by individual and do not have to be based on age. Tune into this podcast for a better understanding of ageism in the gym and get up to date ideas on how physical fitness and brain training go together in a very unique way.FitBody Studio: https://www.fitbodystudio.com/Aging with Altitude is recorded in the Pikes Peak region with a focus on topics of aging interest across the country. We talk about both the everyday and novel needs and approaches to age with altitude – whether you're in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida or Leadville, Colorado. The Pikes Peak Area Agency on Aging is the producer. Melissa Marts with the Area Agency on Aging is our moderator.Learn more at: https://ppacg.org/pikes-peak-area-agency-on-agingOr call 719-471-2096BEACON Senior News is a proud sponsor/partner for this podcast. BEACON Senior News empowers Colorado seniors with inspiring local stories, timely coverage of senior issues, health and travel features, retirement and financial guidance, senior expos and local resources — all presented in a fun, engaging way that helps older adults lead happier, healthier lives. Catch all the news at: https://www.beaconseniornews.com/

The ability to drive and have access to a vehicle is recognized as a critical need and skill as we age. The more we talk openly about this, the more we learn there are many tools, steps, adaptations, and supports available to facilitate independence – to either keep driving or access alternatives. Learn more as we visit with Terry Cassidy of Fitness to Drive. During December, families often come together and see there may be issues evolving. For this reason, Older Driver Awareness week was established in December.Learn more at Fitness to Drive: https://www.fitnesstodrive.org/Aging with Altitude is recorded in the Pikes Peak region with a focus on topics of aging interest across the country. We talk about both the everyday and novel needs and approaches to age with altitude – whether you're in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida or Leadville, Colorado. The Pikes Peak Area Agency on Aging is the producer. Melissa Marts with the Area Agency on Aging is our moderator.Learn more at: https://ppacg.org/pikes-peak-area-agency-on-agingOr call 719-471-2096BEACON Senior News is a proud sponsor/partner for this podcast. BEACON Senior News empowers Colorado seniors with inspiring local stories, timely coverage of senior issues, health and travel features, retirement and financial guidance, senior expos and local resources — all presented in a fun, engaging way that helps older adults lead happier, healthier lives. Catch all the news at: https://www.beaconseniornews.com/

During tight financial times, Colorado offers four unique resources to help older adults who own their homes, stay in their homes. El Paso County Treasurer Chuck Broerman, and El Paso County Clerk and Recorder Steve Schleiker present on the senior homestead tax exemption program, property fraud alerts, and escrow and tax deferral programs.For more info:El Paso County Treasurer: https://treasurer.elpasoco.com/719-520-7900El Paso County Clerk and Recorder: https://clerkandrecorder.elpasoco.com/https://escrowtaxes.comAging with Altitude is recorded in the Pikes Peak region with a focus on topics of aging interest across the country. We talk about both the everyday and novel needs and approaches to age with altitude – whether you're in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida or Leadville, Colorado. The Pikes Peak Area Agency on Aging is the producer. Melissa Marts with the Area Agency on Aging is our moderator.Learn more at: https://ppacg.org/pikes-peak-area-agency-on-agingOr call 719-471-2096BEACON Senior News is a proud sponsor/partner for this podcast. BEACON Senior News empowers Colorado seniors with inspiring local stories, timely coverage of senior issues, health and travel features, retirement and financial guidance, senior expos and local resources — all presented in a fun, engaging way that helps older adults lead happier, healthier lives. Catch all the news at: https://www.beaconseniornews.com/

Caregivers can be a dying breed. It is a startling statistic that 68% of caregivers die before their care recipient. This makes an excellent call to action for this episode on Celebrating Caregiving in America. We release this episode during the holiday months of November and December because caregivers often find themselves even further isolated at this time. Listeners who know caregivers will learn about how to reach out to your caregiver friend, and caregivers, we want you to know how valued you are after listening in.Learn more at: https://ppacg.org/pikes-peak-area-agency-on-agingOr call 719-471-2096Another special thank you to our sponsor Beacon Senior News, always shining the bright light on current events and topics of interest to seniors. The Beacon can be found at libraries, grocery stores and other community locations in the Pikes Peak Region as well as their on-line presence. Catch all the news at: https://www.beaconseniornews.com/

Seniors can find non-biased Medicare counseling and information on how to avoid Medicare scams. The State Health Insurance Program, or SHIP, is a nationwide program funded by the federal government to support Medicare benefit evaluation for seniors on an individual basis. Medicare.gov has made plan evaluation much more accessible, however, if you are still looking for consultation on a plan or wondering if the text you got is a scam, contact your local SHIP office. During open enrollment, tune into this SHIP episode for more information.In this episode, Rhonda Wray, managing editor of Beacon Senior News, also visits with host Melissa Marts, highlighting some of the coverage in their October issue – including stories about the Rocky Mountain Women's Film Festival, and Colorado's Haunted Hot Spots.Learn more at: https://ppacg.org/pikes-peak-area-agency-on-agingOr call 719-471-2096BEACON Senior News is a proud sponsor/partner for this podcast. BEACON Senior News empowers Colorado seniors with inspiring local stories, timely coverage of senior issues, health and travel features, retirement and financial guidance, senior expos and local resources —all presented in a fun, engaging way that helps older adults lead happier, healthier lives. Catch all the news at: https://www.beaconseniornews.com/BEACON Senior News is a proud sponsor/partner for this podcast. BEACON Senior News empowers Colorado seniors with inspiring local stories, timely coverage of senior issues, health and travel features, retirement and financial guidance, senior expos and local resources — all presented in a fun, engaging way that helps older adults lead happier, healthier lives.Catch all the news at: https://www.beaconseniornews.com/

What happens when bright young people are left to their own devices? With Jump Start the Aging Workforce internships, JAWS, high school students not only finished one internship, they launched another self-directed experiment to connect with seniors in long term care. Students were so interested in learning more about the seniors they met in long term care, they decided to start a story project to continue the blossoming relationships. This project includes multi-media platforms to tell the stories; there is music, poetry, painting, photography, written word and much more. With the support of Long-Term Care Ombudsmen, we are happy to know this project launched during Residents Rights Month, October, which is an opportunity to reaffirm that seniors in long term care are unique people with rich histories.Learn more at: https://ppacg.org/pikes-peak-area-agency-on-agingOr call 719-471-2096BEACON Senior News is a proud sponsor/partner for this podcast. BEACON Senior News empowers Colorado seniors with inspiring local stories, timely coverage of senior issues, health and travel features, retirement and financial guidance, senior expos and local resources — all presented in a fun, engaging way that helps older adults lead happier, healthier lives.Catch all the news at: https://www.beaconseniornews.com/

Senior centers are vital gathering hubs for older adults. It is recommended there be one senior center per population of 25,000, this generates to Colorado Springs needing 19 senior centers. The city historically has had one senior center, and it has been undergoing a rebuild for the past two years, leaving its biggest fans at a loss for connection and engagement. September is Senior Center Month, so in this episode Judith McKay quizzes Tom Lathrop about the re-opening of the Colorado Springs Senior Center. This old friend definitely is providing some new trends and treats.Colorado Springs Senior Center1514 N. HancockOpen M-F 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.https://csseniorcenter.com719-955-3400Learn more at: https://ppacg.org/pikes-peak-area-agency-on-agingOr call 719-471-2096BEACON Senior News is a proud sponsor/partner for this podcast. BEACON Senior News empowers Colorado seniors with inspiring local stories, timely coverage of senior issues, health and travel features, retirement and financial guidance, senior expos and local resources—all presented in a fun, engaging way that helps older adults lead happier, healthier lives.Catch all the news at: https://www.beaconseniornews.com/

No one wants to fall. We even rename classes to Moving for Better Balance to avoid planting the seed of falling, thinking this will help if we don't say the word - fall. Today UC Health's Lori Morgan, will talk us through the physical, physiological and mental causes of falls. We'll bet there is news here for our listeners. We close with practices to build confidence, stability and the renewed strength to take on your next activity and, of course, learn how to roll out of bed in a new way.Learn more at: https://ppacg.org/pikes-peak-area-agency-on-aging/Or call 719-471-2096UCHealth Fall Prevention Program: https://www.uchealth.org/today/virtual-fall-prevention-program-now-offered/BEACON Senior News is a proud sponsor/partner for this podcast. BEACON Senior News empowers Colorado seniors with inspiring local stories, timely coverage of senior issues, health and travel features, retirement and financial guidance, senior expos and local resources — all presented in a fun, engaging way that helps older adults lead happier, healthier lives. Catch all the news at: https://www.beaconseniornews.com/

When technological advancements meet heartfelt human connection, organizations like iSight Connections create meaningful opportunities for support and growth. Tim Richards and Jeanette Fortin from iSight Connections bring a wealth of knowledge and a deep passion for supporting individuals with vision impairment. Tim is the founder, and Jeanette is the Community Relations Coordinator. They discuss how vision care has changed over the last 50 years, especially with the rise of new technology, and how those changes have shaped the services offered today. From computer and tech training to nutrition and wellness support, iSight Connections provides a wide range of programs tailored to meet evolving needs.Tim and Jeanette also share their personal journeys into the field and offer insights into where they see vision services heading in the next 50 years. They emphasize the importance of connection and community, highlighting how the relationships and classes they provide are truly invaluable to those they serve.To learn more and connect, contact Jeanette at 719-332-7529 or email, info@isightconnections.org.Also see https://isightconnections.org/ Aging with Altitude is recorded in the Pikes Peak region with a focus on topics of aging interest across the country. We talk about both the everyday and novel needs and approaches to age with altitude – whether you're in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida or Leadville, Colorado. The Pikes Peak Area Agency on Aging is the producer. Cynthia Margiotta with PEARLS Program of Colorado and All About Dignity is our moderator.Learn more at:Pikes Peak Area Agency on Aging - https://ppacg.org/pikes-peak-area-agency-on-aging/Or call 719-471-2096 PEARLS Program of Colorado - https://pearlsprogram.net/

Are you looking for ways to make your home safer or get support with housing costs? Brothers Redevelopment has been serving the Colorado Springs community for years, offering a variety of programs to help residents make essential home improvements.Jason McCullough, Director of Home Modification and Repair Programs at Brothers Redevelopment, shares insights into the organization's mission, and the services they offer – including home repairs, accessibility modifications, and housing counseling. He also explains how they're helping seniors, people with disabilities, and low-income households live more safely and independently. From free home modification services to community events like the annual Paint-A-Thon, Brothers Redevelopment is committed to making a lasting impact.Colorado Housing Connection Hotline: 303-685-4225Colorado Housing Connect Line: 1-844-926-6632Brothers Redevelopment: https://brothersredevelopment.org/Aging with Altitude is recorded in the Pikes Peak region with a focus on topics of aging interest across the country. We talk about both the everyday and novel needs and approaches to age with altitude – whether you're in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida or Leadville, Colorado. The Pikes Peak Area Agency on Aging is the producer. Cynthia Margiotta with PEARLS Program of Colorado and All About Dignity is our moderator. Learn more at:Pikes Peak Area Agency on Aging - https://ppacg.org/pikes-peak-area-agency-on-aging/Or call 719-471-2096 PEARLS Program of Colorado - https://pearlsprogram.net/

Discover how accessibility can transform lives. Jeneen Phillips of Next Day Access discusses mobility and accessibility solutions that help older adults and individuals with disabilities to live safely and independently. Jeneen shares an overview of the services they offer, including wheelchair ramps, stair lifts, grab bars, and bathroom safety modification. She also discusses how impactful these solutions have been to clients. Whether adjusting to a sudden injury or creating a more accessible space for daily living, Next Day Access is committed to making a difference in the lives of the people they serve.Learn more about Next Day Access here: https://www.nextdayaccess.com/colorado-springs-co/Or call: 719-259-5846Aging with Altitude is recorded in the Pikes Peak region with a focus on topics of aging interest across the country. We talk about both the everyday and novel needs and approaches to age with altitude – whether you're in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida or Leadville, Colorado. The Pikes Peak Area Agency on Aging is the producer. Cynthia Margiotta with PEARLS Program of Colorado and All About Dignity is our moderator.Learn more at:Pikes Peak Area Agency on Aging: https://ppacg.org/pikes-peak-area-agency-on-aging/Or call 719-471-2096 PEARLS Program of Colorado: https://pearlsprogram.net/

Life can change in an instant, and when it does, it can often feel like you're facing it alone. Hear from an incredibly inspiring community leader who has dedicated her life to supporting others who have faced challenges similar to her own.Rebecca Shields is a true example of resilience and service. She lives by the powerful belief that life isn't about what you can get from others, but what you can give. In 2008, Rebecca founded New Vision Professional Services, a community-centered organization that provides vital resources to individuals experiencing vision loss or navigating other quality-of-life challenges.Rebecca takes us through her personal journey, her educational background, and the mission that drives her work. Through New Vision, she offers a variety of classes designed to empower and promote independence, including braille, cooking, daily living skills, financial management, and orientation and mobility training.New Vision Professional Services: http://www.newvision4you.com/Contact Rebecca Shields: 719-635-8996Learn more at:Pikes Peak Area Agency on Aging - https://ppacg.org/pikes-peak-area-agency-on-aging/Or call 719-471-2096 PEARLS Program of Colorado - https://pearlsprogram.net/

Looking for a place where you can stay active, learn new skills, and connect with others in the community? The Senior Center is the perfect destination.Tom Lathrop, the passionate Operations Director at the Senior Center, is dedicated to creating engaging opportunities for seniors. Tom details the exciting new senior center opening in August 2025 (the current temporary location is within the Pikes Peak YMCA in downtown Colorado Springs). The new center will feature larger spaces for classes, community activities, and more. Tom provides information on how and when to sign up for classes, emphasizing that the new space will allow for more classes, more flexible scheduling, and improved accessibility for all seniors.Tom also shares details about the upcoming Colorado Senior Games, which will be held in Colorado Springs this June. The games will offer seniors a chance to compete and engage in a fun event within the community. To learn more, visit: https://coloradoseniorgames.org/sports/To access information on events and programs at the Senior Center visit: https://seniorcenter.ppymca.org/events-programs/Aging with Altitude is recorded in the Pikes Peak region with a focus on topics of aging interest across the country. We talk about both the everyday and novel needs and approaches to age with altitude – whether you're in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida or Leadville, Colorado. The Pikes Peak Area Agency on Aging is the producer. Cynthia Margiotta with PEARLS Program of Colorado and All About Dignity is our moderator. Learn more at:Pikes Peak Area Agency on Aging - https://ppacg.org/pikes-peak-area-agency-on-aging/Or call 719-471-2096 PEARLS Program of Colorado - https://pearlsprogram.net/

Silver Key offers an array of senior services, including meals, a food pantry, activity centers, behavioral health, companionship, and transportation. Jason DeaBueno, a Colorado Springs native who has been with Silver Key since 1982 and now serves as its President and CEO, offers insight into Silver Key's history and the essential programs it provides for seniors. He and host Cynthia Margiotta discuss the growing challenges in senior care, particularly in the region, and passionately emphasize the importance of volunteer work. Throughout the conversation, Jason reflects on his personal experiences with Silver Key, sharing heartfelt stories that highlight his deep connection to the organization. He also explains how listeners can get involved and support Silver Key's mission.For more information about Silver Key and the services they offer, visit their website at https://silverkey.org or call 719-884-2300.Aging with Altitude is recorded in the Pikes Peak region with a focus on topics of aging interest across the country. We talk about both the everyday and novel needs and approaches to age with altitude – whether you're in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida or Leadville, Colorado. The Pikes Peak Area Agency on Aging is the producer. Cynthia Margiotta with PEARLS Program of Colorado and All About Dignity is our moderator. Learn more at:Pikes Peak Area Agency on Aging - https://ppacg.org/pikes-peak-area-agency-on-aging/Or call 719-471-2096 PEARLS Program of Colorado - https://pearlsprogram.net/

Making quality senior dental care accessible to all is the mission of Michelle Vacha, founder and executive director of Community Dental Health. With a background in dental hygiene, she recognized a critical gap in oral health care for seniors and took action by establishing what was originally known as Senior Mobile Dental. She shares her firsthand experiences witnessing the neglect of senior oral care, and her passion for creating lasting change in the field.Michelle takes us through her journey into dental care, the evolution of Community Dental Health into the organization it is today, the crucial role of oral health in overall well-being, the unique dental care opportunities available in Colorado, and how access to these services has expanded over time.If you are interested in contacting her, her number is 719-310-3315, and you can find more information about Community Dental Health here: http://www.communitydentalhealth.org/ Aging with Altitude is recorded in the Pikes Peak region with a focus on topics of aging interest across the country. We talk about both the everyday and novel needs and approaches to age with altitude – whether you're in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida or Leadville, Colorado. The Pikes Peak Area Agency on Aging is the producer. Cynthia Margiotta with PEARLS Program of Colorado and All About Dignity is our moderator. Learn more at: Pikes Peak Area Agency on Aging - https://ppacg.org/pikes-peak-area-agency-on-aging/Or call 719-471-2096 PEARLS Program of Colorado - https://pearlsprogram.net/

How can, and should, families monitor, help and support their elder members? Area Agency on Aging has staff who can help you with that. Dr. Sara Qualls, Ph.D., ABPP shares wisdom and guidance for navigating the delicate and vital process of aging. Based in Colorado Springs, she specializes in supporting individuals and families through the challenges of later life in her psychotherapy practice. She is also a Professor Emeritus of Psychology at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs, where she developed innovative programs for nearly 40 years. Dr. Qualls has received national recognition for her contributions to the field of clinical geropsychology and has published extensively on topics like mental health and aging, caregiver interventions, and geropsychology, including books such as Caregiver Family Therapy and Aging and Mental Health.In this episode, Dr. Qualls shares insights into the changes she has witnessed in aging over her 45 years of work, the evolution of government support programs for older adults, and the impact of initiatives like PPAAA on communities. She also discusses potential consequences of government program cuts for older adults and reflects on the slow decline toward death—an often challenging but thought-provoking topic. Dr. Qualls offers valuable perspectives on the challenges and opportunities faced by older adults and emphasizes how privileged she feels to have been part of this important work. Aging with Altitude is recorded in the Pikes Peak region with a focus on topics of aging interest across the country. We talk about both the everyday and novel needs and approaches to age with altitude whether you're in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida or Leadville, Colorado. The Pikes Peak Area Agency on Aging is the producer. Cynthia Margiotta with PEARLS Program of Colorado and All About Dignity is our moderator.Learn more at:Pikes Peak Area Agency on Aging - https://ppacg.org/pikes-peak-area-agency-on-aging/Or call 719-471-2096 PEARLS Program of Colorado - https://pearlsprogram.net/

It's nothing short of amazing the array of services available to older adults, and their caregivers, through the Pikes Peak Area Agency on Aging. In this special episode, we continue our celebration of the Agency's 50th anniversary by speaking with Jody Barker, Director of the Pikes Peak Area Agency on Aging, and Andy Gunning, Executive Director of the Pikes Peak Area Council of Governments (PPACG), which houses the Agency on Aging. They share their insights on why this milestone is so significant and catalog the many services available. They discuss the agency's funding sources, the importance of the Older Americans Act and Older Coloradans Act, and the wide range of services and contractors they provide to support seniors. Jody and Andy also explain how adults can access or qualify for these services, the challenges involved, and opportunities for volunteering.Finally, they offer a glimpse into the future of the PPAAA and its continued role in serving older adults in the Pikes Peak region.Aging with Altitude is recorded in the Pikes Peak region with a focus on topics of aging interest across the country. We talk about both the everyday and novel needs and approaches to age with altitude whether you're in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida or Leadville, Colorado. The Pikes Peak Area Agency on Aging is the producer. Cynthia Margiotta with PEARLS Program of Colorado and All About Dignity is our moderator. Access services, volunteer, donate, or learn more at:Pikes Peak Area Agency on Aginghttps://PikesPeakAreaAgencyonAgingOr call 719-471-2096Pikes Peak Area Council of Governmentshttps://ppacg.org/PEARLS Program of Coloradohttps://PEARLSProgramofColorado

Get to know Cynthia Margiotta, the heart and voice of Aging With Altitude! As the moderator of nearly every episode, she brings a wealth of experience and passion for senior care that is both inspiring and invaluable. In addition to moderating the podcast, Cynthia is also the executive director of PEARLS (Program to Encourage Active Rewarding Lives for Seniors). With over 50 years of experience in senior care and advocacy, Cynthia's journey began in high school and has shaped her entire career. Throughout this time, she has gained a unique perspective by working in various states, including New York, West Virginia, California, Colorado, and Wyoming, before returning to Colorado Springs. In this conversation, Cynthia reflects on her path to where she is today, including how she became involved with the Pikes Peak Area Agency on Aging. She also discusses the drive and commitment that fuels her work and the many changes she's witnessed in senior care over the past five decades. Aging with Altitude is recorded in the Pikes Peak region with a focus on topics of aging interest across the country.  We talk about both the everyday and novel needs and approaches to age with altitude - whether you're in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida or Leadville, Colorado. The Pikes Peak Area Agency on Aging is the producer. Cynthia Margiotta with PEARLS Program of Colorado and All About Dignity is our moderator.  Learn more at: Pikes Peak Area Agency on Aging https://ppacg.org/pikes-peak-area-agency-on-aging Or call 719-471-2096 PEARLS Program of Coloradohttps://pearlsprogram.net/ If you live in the Pikes Peak region, find your new favorite local podcast at  https://studio809podcasts.com

If you're caring for someone with Alzheimer's, you're not alone, and there is a world of support available. In honor of November being National Family Caregivers Month, we're excited to welcome RoseMary Jaramillo, Director of Community Engagement for Southeast Colorado at the Alzheimer's Association, to discuss advances in understanding Alzheimer's. In this special episode, RoseMary reflects on the history of Alzheimer's and the significant shifts that have occurred over the last 50 years in public understanding and perception, as well as the importance of support for caregivers. The conversation includes the tragedy of caregivers not caring for themselves, Alzheimer's Association's 24/7 help line, and keeping loved ones with dementia engaged – with special advice around the holidays. Aging with Altitude is recorded in the Pikes Peak region with a focus on topics of aging interest across the country.  We talk about both the everyday and novel needs and approaches to age with altitude whether you're in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida or Leadville, Colorado. The Pikes Peak Area Agency on Aging is the producer. Cynthia Margiotta with PEARLS Program of Colorado and All About Dignity is our moderator.  Learn more at: Pikes Peak Area Agency on Aginghttps://ppacg.org/pikes-peak-area-agency-on-aging Or call 719-471-2096  PEARLS Program of Colorado https://pearlsprogram.net/ Alzheimer's Association – Colorado Chapterhttps://www.alz.org/coOr call 800-272-3900  Follow Aging with Altitude so you don't miss an episode. Visit https://studio809podcasts.com to find your new favorite LOCAL podcast!

Caring for a loved one can be one of the most rewarding, and most challenging, roles you can take on. As it has evolved over time it is important to recognize that supporting yourself as a caregiver is just as important as the support you provide to those who depend on you.  In honor of November being National Family Caregivers Month, we're excited to welcome Lucy Crandall, Supervisor of the Family Caregiver Support Center at the Pikes Peak Area Agency on Aging, to discuss the evolving role of family caregiving. With over 25 years of experience serving older adults and their families, Lucy has found her true passion helping family caregivers. In this special episode, Lucy reflects on the history of aging services and the significant shifts that have occurred over the last 50 years since the creation of the Area Agency on Aging. She explores how caregiving has evolved, what has driven these changes, and why support services are more essential than ever. Lucy also discusses the meaning of caregiving and how the growing need for these services has shaped the way we care for older adults today.  Aging with Altitude is recorded in the Pikes Peak region with a focus on topics of aging interest across the country.  We talk about both the everyday and novel needs and approaches to age with altitude whether you're in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida or Leadville, Colorado. The Pikes Peak Area Agency on Aging is the producer. Cynthia Margiotta with PEARLS Program of Colorado is our moderator. Learn more at: Pikes Peak Area Agency on Aginghttps://ppacg.org/pikes-peak-area-agency-on-aging Or call 719-471-2096 PEARLS Program of Colorado https://pearlsprogram.net/ If you live in the Pikes Peak region, find your new favorite local podcast at https://studio809podcasts.com  

Learn about changes coming to Medicare, and why the time is now to consider making a change, or to enroll for the first time if you're newly eligible – during open enrollment October 15 – December 7. This is the period when you get into, out of, or switch Medicare Part D or Medicare Advantage plans – to take effect January 1, 2025. The State Health Insurance Program (SHIP) can answer your questions and guide you through the process if you wish. In this episode, Roma Costanza, local SHIP representative, fills us in. To reach SHIP in El Paso, Teller, Park, Lake, Chaffee, Custer, Las Animas, Huerfano and Fremont counties, call 719-635-4891 or email seniorinsur@ppacg.org. Make an appointment soon! Aging with Altitude is recorded in the Pikes Peak region with a focus on topics of aging interest across the country. We talk about both the everyday and novel needs and approaches to age with altitude whether you're in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida or Leadville, Colorado. The Pikes Peak Area Agency on Aging is the producer. Cynthia Margiotta with PEARLS Program of Colorado is our moderator. Learn more at Pikes Peak Area Agency on Aging http://www.ppacg.org/aging/  and PEARLS Program of Colorado  https://pearlsprogram.net/ If you live in the Pikes Peak region, find your new favorite local podcast at  https://studio809podcasts.com

Grammy award nominated musician Melanie DeMore will lend her soulful voice to lift the pain of our losses at A Community Gathering of Song and Healing on October 9, 2023. Sarah Lee, Program Director for Voices of Grief Support and Education Center shares details about the event, and about the concept behind it. People of all ages in the Pikes Peak region are invited to join this celebration of hope and remembrance. A second event on October 10 will offer a panel of local art therapy experts joining Melanie to explore how the professional community might weave the arts into our caregiving roles to foster growth and resilience in those we serve. The event will also feature art displays highlighting work being done locally by outstanding local art therapists. A Community Gathering of Song and HealingOctober 9, 2023 (professional panel October 10)Information and ticketswww.voicesofgriefcenter.org/events Ent Center for the Arts5225 N. Nevada Ave.Colorado Springs  Sarah has spent more than 20 years in non-profit administration. Her professional experience includes hospice chaplaincy, event planning, fundraising and human resources. In addition to grief support training, Sarah holds a BA in psychology and an MA in Theology. Sarah has partnered with Kathy Sparnins and Voices of Grief since 2020, facilitating support groups and expanding grief support and education programs in the Pikes Peak Region through the Voices of Grief Support and Education Center.  Voices of Grief Support and Education Centerhttps://www.voicesofgriefcenter.org Aging with Altitude is recorded in the Pikes Peak region with a focus on topics of aging interest across the country. We talk about both the everyday and novel needs and approaches to age with altitude whether you're in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida or Leadville, Colorado. The Pikes Peak Area Agency on Aging is the producer. Cynthia Margiotta with PEARLS Program of Colorado is our moderator. Learn more at Pikes Peak Area Agency on Aging http://www.ppacg.org/aging/  and PEARLS Program of Colorado  https://pearlsprogram.net/ If you live in the Pikes Peak region, find your new favorite local podcast at https://studio809podcasts.com  

Learn how the financial, legal, health and even social determinants of retirement can and will impact your future. For the past nine years, Ent Credit Union has partnered with the Pikes Peaks Area Agency on Aging to present retirement preparation classes. In this episode, two of the masterminds behind the classes, Pamela Haugard of Pikes Peak Area Agency on Aging and Bree Shellito of Ent Credit Union join host Cynthia Margiotta to explain what the series covers and how to attend the classes. All classes will be held virtually and at no cost to the participants. This year, the series has been expanded and offers an even more in-depth view of what stepping into retirement can look like. Included in this series will also be the latest information on Social Security and Medicare. Attend one class or the entire series for important information and tools to jump-start your retirement planning NOW! More information about the classes and registration:https://www.ppacg.org/aaa-events/ Ent Credit Union https://www.ent.com/ Aging with Altitude is recorded in the Pikes Peak region with a focus on topics of aging interest across the country.  We talk about both the everyday and novel needs and approaches to age with altitude whether you're in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida or Leadville, Colorado.  The Pikes Peak Area Agency on Aging is the producer.  Cynthia Margiotta with PEARLS Program of Colorado is our moderator.  Learn more at Pikes Peak Area Agency on Aging http://www.ppacg.org/aging/  and PEARLS Program of Colorado  https://pearlsprogram.net/ Aging with Altitude is recorded in the Pikes Peak region with a focus on topics of aging interest across the country.  We talk about both the everyday and novel needs and approaches to age with altitude whether you're in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida or Leadville, Colorado.  The Pikes Peak Area Agency on Aging is the producer.  Cynthia Margiotta with PEARLS Program of Colorado is our moderator.  Learn more at Pikes Peak Area Agency on Aging http://www.ppacg.org/aging/  and PEARLS Program of Colorado  https://pearlsprogram.net/ If you live in the Pikes Peak region, find your new favorite local podcast at https://studio809podcasts.com

Support groups and system changes are just two ways discussed to minimize elder abuse. We also continue our discussion of sex. June 15 is World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, and the Pikes Peak Area Agency on Aging can link you to, or help you organize, a small group conversation about this topic during the week of June 11. Lori McGinnis, regional director of the ombudsman program for the agency, shares insights with host Cynthia Margiotta. The ombudsman helps make sure elders are aware of their rights. If there are issues with an assisted living or long term care facility, an ombudsman is the one to call for help. To contact the ombudsman: Lori McGinnis: 719-471-7080 ext. 132 lmcginnis@ppacg.org Aging with Altitude is recorded in the Pikes Peak region with a focus on topics of aging interest across the country.  We talk about both the everyday and novel needs and approaches to age with altitude whether you're in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida or Leadville, Colorado.  The Pikes Peak Area Agency on Aging is the producer.  Cynthia Margiotta with PEARLS Program of Colorado is our moderator.  Learn more at Pikes Peak Area Agency on Aging http://www.ppacg.org/aging/  and PEARLS Program of Colorado  https://pearlsprogram.net/

A father-daughter team share their breathtaking tale of overcoming barriers and aging stereotypes that embody Aging Unbound, the theme for Older Americans Month 2023.  Dr. Tom Kilroy is the father of Pikes Peak Area Agency on Aging staff and podcast sponsor Melissa Marts. These two adventurers and aquaholics (that's right, not alcoholics) tell the story of how they became self-supporting, multi-day stand up paddleboard pros and lived through the Moab storm of the century on the Green River. Aging Unbound challenges all of us to question the stereotypes of age and share stories of how we push past our own barriers and boundaries to live a rich, rewarding life.  As you listen, think about the labels and stereotypes you have experienced and what barriers you are pushing past. Share your story: mmarts@ppacg.org Aging with Altitude is recorded in the Pikes Peak region with a focus on topics of aging interest across the country.  We talk about both the everyday and novel needs and approaches to age with altitude whether you're in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida or Leadville, Colorado.  The Pikes Peak Area Agency on Aging is the producer.  Cynthia Margiotta with PEARLS Program of Colorado is our moderator.  Learn more at Pikes Peak Area Agency on Aging http://www.ppacg.org/aging/  and PEARLS Program of Colorado  https://pearlsprogram.net/

What are the ways our elders can be subject to abuse and how can we guard against them? Abuse can be subtle and so not blatantly obvious to the victim. Abusers can also be adept at putting on a good show when others are around. June 15 is World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, and the Pikes Peak Area Agency on Aging can link you to, or help you organize, a small group conversation about this topic during the week of June 11. Lori McGinnis, regional director of the ombudsman program for the agency, shares insights with host Cynthia Margiotta. The ombudsman helps make sure elders are aware of their rights. If there are issues with an assisted living or long term care facility, an ombudsman is the one to call for help. Aging with Altitude is recorded in the Pikes Peak region with a focus on topics of aging interest across the country.  We talk about both the everyday and novel needs and approaches to age with altitude whether you're in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida or Leadville, Colorado.  The Pikes Peak Area Agency on Aging is the producer.  Cynthia Margiotta with PEARLS Program of Colorado is our moderator.  Learn more at Pikes Peak Area Agency on Aging http://www.ppacg.org/aging/  and PEARLS Program of Colorado  https://pearlsprogram.net/  

Medicare CAN be expensive, but there are ways to minimize the costs. Pikes Peak Area Agency on Aging's Roma Costanza shares information about the costs and ways to shrink them. Medicare Savings Programs can help you cover the cost of Medicare Part B. A Low-Income Subsidy can help cover the cost of Medicare Part D. Over 50% of the people in our area who qualify for these programs are not taking advantage. Determining eligibility and applying for these programs can be quite easy if you invite a SHIP counselor to help you. This episode is hosted by Cynthia Margiotta, CEO of Pearls program of Colorado. Roma Costanza is Medicare Specialist and State Health Insurance Program (SHIP) Coordinator at the Pikes Peak Area Agency on Aging. For more information:(719) 635-4891seniorinsur@ppacg.org Aging with Altitude is recorded in the Pikes Peak region with a focus on topics of aging interest across the country.  We talk about both the everyday and novel needs and approaches to age with altitude whether you're in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida or Leadville, Colorado.  The Pikes Peak Area Agency on Aging is the producer.  Cynthia Margiotta with PEARLS Program of Colorado is our moderator.  Learn more at Pikes Peak Area Agency on Aging http://www.ppacg.org/aging/  and PEARLS Program of Colorado  https://pearlsprogram.net/  

State Health Insurance Program (SHIP) Medicare Counselors are the best kept secret for seniors looking for non-biased Medicare support.  SHIP counselors can be identified through their Area Agency on Aging.  These counselors walk seniors through many healthcare options and are not associated with any health insurance company.  They receive extensive training in order to best support seniors in selecting plans that make sense for them.  Listen in for more and check your SHIP office out today.

This episode was recorded in June for World Elder Abuse Awareness Day. El Paso County Colorado has one of the busiest Adult Protective Services (APS) offices in the State if not the Nation.  With over 3300 cases this past year, it is hard to believe that this number is actually lower than previous years.  APS notes this number is concerning because they believe the number should be higher and that COVID has led to a decline in recognizing and reporting abuse.  This episode explores the work of APS, who are mandatory reporters and how to connect to resources. Aging with Altitude is recorded in the Pikes Peak region with a focus on topics of aging interest across the country.  We talk about both the everyday and novel needs and approaches to age with altitude whether you're in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida or Leadville, Colorado.  The Pikes Peak Area Agency on Aging is the producer Ms. Cynthia Margiotta with PEARLS Program of Colorado is our moderator.  Learn more at Pikes Peak Area Agency on Aging   and PEARLS Program of Colorado

State Health Insurance Program (SHIP) Counselor Roma Costanza discusses how to avoid being a victim of Medicare fraud.  One message, Protect Your Card.  Learn about Senior Medicare Patrol and SHIP.  Taxpayers want to see tax dollars working for us, unfortunately Medicare fraud hurts with increased costs to the program if criminals get away with it.  Learn how to be proactive and protect the value Medicare provides for us. Aging with Altitude is recorded in the Pikes Peak region with a focus on topics of aging interest across the country.  We talk about both the everyday and novel needs and approaches to age with altitude whether you're in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida or Leadville, Colorado.  The Pikes Peak Area Agency on Aging is the producer Ms. Cynthia Margiotta with PEARLS Program of Colorado is our moderator.  Learn more at Pikes Peak Area Agency on Aging   and PEARLS Program of Colorado

Families continue to learn daily how to live with a family member or friend who has been diagnosed with Alzheimer's.  Last year 5 million Americans were diagnosed, this year over 6 million.  The disease is devastating but we can learn to live better.  RoseMary Jaramillo, Regional Director for the Central and Southern Chapter of the Alzheimer's Association shares insight about the differences of dementia and Alzheimer's.  Exploring the confounding findings of earlier onset Alzheimer's and how the brain and central nervous system operate.  There are ways to live with Alzheimer's with education, understanding and new ways of communication that can provide hope.

A special day for seniors with a complimentary lunch and live music.  The Westside Community Center knows how to host a fun time.  Andrea Fuller, Marketing Coordinator with the Center, highlights the types of resources and experiences for older adults that also includes a flea market and other unique activities.

Many older adults find purpose in volunteering, and then some need the support of volunteers to help them age with dignity.  Cory Smith, Project Manager with COS I Love You is responsible for rallying congregations in the region to provide priceless volunteer services to residents.  From helping new moms, to shoveling snow to prepping older adults for downsizing and moving, COS I Love You is looking for the special projects to serve and also giving opportunities to vibrant older adults looking to continue to give back.

The Association for Community Living highlights the best parts of aging during the month of May with Older American's Month.  Across the country older adults share stories of how they are aging their way this year.  From a 79 year old paddleboard racer to the intergenerational and multi-racial women's group who does tea, there are many great examples of how we Age our Way.  This year Colorado Springs is hosting a multi-cultural food box give-away of heritage comfort foods for our residents.

The Pikes Peak Family Caregiver Pampering Day celebrates 19 years of pampering caregivers.  Kent Mathews, MSW with the Pikes Peak Area Agency on Aging shares, you know you're a caregiver when you don't have time, you put others first, you do more and more.  Caregivers can take time to nurture themselves through Pampering Day or take away fun ideas from this podcast.  Keynote for this event is Cyndy Noel who has written Courageous Hearts, a Journey through Alzheimers.

There are so many unknowns when it comes to retirement and so much to look forward to.  Ent Credit Union and the Pikes Peak Area Agency on Aging (PPAAA) co-host a free retirement series in the spring and fall.  This year kicks off on April 11 and runs through May 16.  Bree Shellito, Ent's Senior Manager of Community Impact and Pamela Haugard, Medicare Insurance Counselor with the PPAAA share about aging by design, estate planning, Medicare and Social Security 101. 

Not happy with your Medicare Advantage Plan? You can make changes during traditional Open Enrollment but also between January 1 - March 31. Roma Costanza, with Colorado's State Health Insurance Program (SHIP) provides tips and answers for how to get the best out of Medicare and Medicare Advantage plans. SHIPs are the best resource for non-biased Medicare counseling. They are funded by the federal government to assist those in Medicare with getting their needs met. SHIP is not associated with any insurance program so they can talk about ALL options. Roma has over 22 years of health insurance counseling experience and is a true Medicare advocate in Colorado.

Not happy with your Medicare Advantage Plan?  You can make changes during traditional Open Enrollment but also between January 1 - March 31.  Roma Costanza, with Colorado's State Health Insurance Program (SHIP) provides tips and answers for how to get the best out of Medicare and Medicare Advantage plans.  SHIPs are the best resource for non-biased Medicare counseling.  They are funded by the federal government to assist those in Medicare with getting their needs met.  SHIP is not associated with any insurance program so they can talk about ALL options.  Roma has over 22 years of health insurance counseling experience and is a true Medicare advocate in Colorado.

PEARLS is the Program Encouraging Active Rewarding Lives for Seniors and is run by Cynthia Margiotta.  Cynthia has a Bachelors in Social Work and a solid history of supporting older adults in the Pikes Peak region.  From her work teaching direct care staff best practices to her volunteering with the Alzheimer's Association and the Family Caregiver program with the Pikes Peak Area Agency on Aging, Cynthia has the best background to support older adults who are struggling with anxiety and mental health needs.  The PEARLS program is a unique in-home 19 week program focusing on goal setting and much more.  PEARLS of Colorado Aging with Altitude is recorded in the Pikes Peak region with a focus on topics of aging interest across the country.  We talk about both the everyday and novel needs and approaches to age with altitude whether you're in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida or Leadville, Colorado.  The Pikes Peak Area Agency on Aging is the producer.  Learn more at Pikes Peak Area Agency on Aging.   Transcript: You're listening to studio 809. This is what community sounds like.   Melissa Marts: Hi, welcome to all. This is the Pikes Peak Area Agency on Aging's Aging with Altitude podcast hosted at studio 809 podcast. We provide answers, assistance, and advocacy for people over 60 and their caregivers. Thank you for joining us today. I am Melissa Marts, program administrator with the Pikes Peak Area Agency on Aging. Our topic today is about behavioral health, but let's just call it kind of anxiety and frustrations that our older adults, some of our best friends, go through and are suffering with and some ideas about how to help them. And to talk about this today we have Cynthia Margiotta with us. Cynthia is typically our podcast host so you'll recognize her voice from other podcasts, but today she is our special guest. Last year during COVID, Cynthia launched the PEARLS Program of Colorado, a unique behavioral health program here in El Paso County with goals to spread it around Colorado, but she started it here in our region. Cynthia is also a strong advocate for older adults, and she's supported the aging community for years with her All About Dignity courses, her volunteering with the family caregiver support program at the Pikes Peak Area Agency on Aging, and many other programs. Then also today we have a special masters of ceremony, Ms. Jenny Nihill, who is a military fellow, and she is currently doing this with the Pikes Peak Area Agency on Aging, so thank you Jenny for joining us. Thank you for your over 20 years of military service and jumping in today as the emcee with Cynthia. I'm going to turn it over to Jenny.   Jenny Nihill: Alright, thanks Melissa for the introduction. I'm happy to be here learning and working with Melissa and the Area Agency on Aging. Now I'd like to introduce Cynthia and learn more about the PEARLS Program of Colorado, so let's get started. Can you tell us what is the PEARLS Program of Colorado and who is eligible to use the program?   Cynthia Margiotta: PEARLS Program of Colorado, we just call it PEARLS for short, but PEARLS program of Colorado is a program that is specifically set up to help seniors in our community. We work with the folks 60 plus population. It is an evidence-based program that I took many classes for in order to hold that program here.   Melissa Marts: Cynthia, what does PEARLS stand for?   Cynthia Margiotta: PEARLS stands for Program Encouraging Active Rewarding Lives for Seniors. Melissa Marts: Thanks. It's funny how we get so used to just saying PEARLS and then we forget to actually, to call out those really special words that PEARLS means.   Cynthia Margiotta: Yeah, it's a great one. I wish I had thought of it.   Jenny Nihill: So before we came here today I did go looking on the website so I could learn a little bit more about the organization. It did mention that there were coaches. Can you tell us about the coaches, who they are, what kind of training they might have gone through?   Cynthia Margiotta: I am the only coach in El Paso County, so I travel all over El Paso County from top to bottom, to left to right, but the training. Oh my. So the training I took for this particular program is out of Washington State University. About a year and a half ago now wasn't it. Then there were some other programs that I also took on my own to make it even more valuable like actually what to do when a person has a seizure. There's a difference if they have a seizure and they're known seizure victims or unknown. Different classes like that through the past year and I am currently in a class where I am becoming a PEARLS master trainer.   Jenny Nihill: That sounds good. Can you tell us what the stool concept of PEARLS is?   Cynthia Margiotta: The stools concept. You're very smart. Yes, the stools concept is a great part of the PEARLS program. The way we think of it is a three-legged stool and each leg holds up the person. So those three legs are one leg is the socially active. We encourage people to be socially active, whatever that means to them, and another one is to be physically active. Being physically active actually reduces depression and anxiety so that's important as well, and then also to be like planning an activity of interest. And I don't mean planning to go to Mexico in three years, but maybe going to have supper with a friend next week. So those three legs, and then it's held up by the floor, and the floor is actually in our program, the psychologist and the nurse practitioner so they in a sense they supervise me and help me to understand the medications people are on and what might be a better approach with any particular person. There is really a team of us that do that.   Jenny Nihill: Great. So when participants are enrolled in your program, can you tell me what they can expect to get out of the program?   Cynthia Margiotta: A great deal of joy. That is what I hear from people. Yesterday I took on a new client who was suffering with pretty high depression. She's just getting through the denial stage that people have of her husband's dementia where, I don't know. I don't understand fully why, but it's very common for people to say “oh mom you're going crazy, dad's fine,” “Why is she crazy and he's not having problems?” It's very common and so when I went to visit with her, I spent about an hour explaining a little bit about his disease, his kind of dementia to him. I'm also a longtime volunteer with the Alzheimer's Association so having that knowledge has helped being able to explain that particular dementia. Helping her understand the difference between what she felt. She believes that she's guilty for his dementia and explaining the difference between guilt and regret. I think when we were done a few hours later she was so much happier. She's OK, that's not her fault. That she's not going crazy. And I liked seeing that in people. I like helping people. This is what really enthralled me about the program. Moving people toward more joy. Just because you're over 60 doesn't mean you have to sit on the couch all day.   Melissa Marts: And Cynthia, as you bring up that story and talk about that personal experience that you had with this woman. I think we haven't talked about it yet, where does PEARLS happen? When you are meeting with these folks, where are you actually meeting with them?   Jenny Nihill: Yeah, especially during COVID now because we are still doing a lot of social distancing, with the elderly being a vulnerable population.   Cynthia Margiotta: They are. Oh yes. I do offer to meet with them over the phone if they would prefer. My preference is to go to their home and be there for them. I see and experience things that you wouldn't if you meet in the office. I love to always talk about experiences without names. There is one client I have worked with where she was going blind and deaf at the same time, and her husband. Let me explain how it is. She would sit in the chair and had one chair facing her to talk to her. Her husband would sit in a couch behind her. And I would not have known that if I had not gone to that home. What I suggested to her husband is, go to one of the ARC Thrift Shops and buy a chair so that you have a chair where you can sit where she can hear you when you're talking to her. That's important in a relationship, but if they had met me in an office, I would have never known that.   Jenny Nihill: Right, so when you go meet them, how long are you there for? And how long does this program last? Is it a few sessions, is it just continuous as needed?   Cynthia Margiotta: Actually, the visits are rather long because I try to talk to them about what's on their mind, what are their needs. It's not where I set up a goal for them. They tell me what they need help with. Those depend on you know, a little goal of like figuring out how to I don't know, toast. Using the toaster is easy you know. Where figuring out the difference between depression and anxiety's a little bit more time consuming. And so they tend to vary in time and length per session, usually somewhere around an hour and a half, and then the period in months we started out with this weekly. Then we go every other week or so. Then about once a month, and then about a phone call every now and again kind of thing. And so slowly over a period of many, many, many months we see them and talk to them less frequently.   Melissa Marts: And can I jump in again?   Cynthia Margiotta: Yeah. Oh please.   Melissa Marts: I'm just kind of curious how you see PEARLS being different than kind of a psychotherapy appointment and how, how is this a different approach for older adults? And along with that maybe answering the question of how it's paid for too?   Cynthia Margiotta: People here don't know, but my husband is a psychologist and so I, and I had nothing wrong with psychology. What I see is a psychologist is there to hear and listen and reflect back. My job is to discuss with them, and to find what it is that they want to work on and help them, so we start from today. What's going on today. And how can we change those problems into goals and meet those goals? Our funding comes through the Old Age Act, which is part of the Area Agency on Aging, and so we do have a grant through them and we are so appreciative because I love being able to go to people's homes and say I'm not gonna charge you for these services. So I can see people who have like no money, or have nothing to spend. And yes, we do take donations don't get me wrong, but you know. It's nice to be able to see somebody who says “I, I don't have money to pay you.” It means a lot to me.   Melissa Marts: I know, and I'm glad that we have that opportunity to do that because oftentimes with counseling people have to somehow come up with money to pay for a counselor, and this is a resource that people can access for free. But again, Cynthia's point about taking donations, you know the funds are limited. It's not an unlimited budget, and so for people who can pay it forward when they have appointments with Cynthia and be able to you know, make a donation so that the program can go a little bit further maybe for the next person and other folks down the line is, is really appreciated of course.   Cynthia Margiotta: Absolutely. I so appreciate that and send thank you notes to folks in hopes that they will keep us in mind in their future.   Melissa Marts: Great.   Jenny Nihill: You mentioned earlier that PEARLS here in Colorado Springs is under a larger program of PEARLS. What level is that at, and then where did you see the need arise in El Paso County to start the PEARLS program here?   Cynthia Margiotta: Where did I see the need? You got three days to talk? No, there are so many folks that believe that once you're about 60 or so, you should be happy with what I call “glued to the couch.” Where there's no life. There's no interests. That you look out the window and wish, and you can't do things. I'll use myself as an example. I do suffer with depression. And there are times, my friends all know that I'm a “plantaholic,” if you've ever heard of one of those. I am a plantaholic. I love plants. I've got more than a hundred at home, in the house. Some are taller than I am. That's crazy, but I bring that up because there are days I know I need to water my plants. I have a few that say, “water me now or I'm going to die tomorrow.”   Jenny Nihill: Those are the ones at my house.   Cynthia Margiotta: Yes, bring them over. I'll babysit. But in any case, there are times when I can look right at that plant and I can't get off the couch.  I cannot get off the couch to go water them and that's depression. And that's a lot of the folks we work with that can't get off the couch. I see my job as, what gives me more joy than anything is when I see them get up off that couch, when want to go do things. When they talk to me and they say I wanna go to the senior center.  I want to go volunteer at Area Agency. I want to do things. That gives me a lot of joy.   Melissa Marts: And I'll add a little bit to how the need kind of came to be in our region around behavioral health. You know we, a couple of years ago realized that there were lots of conversations happening at the governmental level around behavioral health and suicide, but no one was talking about it from an older adult perspective. Even our county health plan didn't have a chapter to address older adults and behavioral health. It was really focused completely on people who were under the age of 60, and of course especially adolescents, which we know there was a significant need in that area, but yet we also discovered there is a significant need for older adults, and that the suicide rate for older adults is considerably high.  It might not be a blatant overdose or a blatant suicide, but what it is it's an accidental overdose of medications that people, as Cynthia refers to sitting on the couch and depressed, and they decide to take their own life with the medications that they have. The reality was we have many folks in our area that are alone, isolated, sad, depressed, anxious. We have two programs in our area that were able to provide behavioral health at the time when Cynthia started PEARLS, and they had waitlists. And so people couldn't even get help if they wanted it. And many folks were not comfortable calling Aspen Point at the time. Now it's called Diversus, but Aspen Pointe is kind of the emergency call for behavioral health relief and people didn't want to call that. Especially older adults who are just sitting on the couch and feel like “well my life is over anyway and why should I call and ask for help.” At the Area Agency on Aging, we really wanted to see an additional resource around behavioral health and in the two years that we've been working on this we have seen exponential growth in funding, resources, support, conversations around the needs of older adults who would like to get extra support to feel better about their lives. PEARLS is a nice addition to a more clinical model approach. This is a home-based, much more personal and as Cynthia says, just really getting down and talking about goals. What do you want to do and how can we get there? It's a great addition to our community.   Cynthia Margiotta: Pre covid statistically the population of folks over 60 who were depressed, it was somewhere around 20%. And that's people who acknowledged it. Most folks we find who are depressed say this is just the way it has to be so they don't acknowledge it. We find a lot of them instead of saying they're depressed they say, “we're anxious.” The medication that people take for depression is the same medication they take for anxiety. So even then sometimes doctors don't even mention to them “well I think you're depressed. Here's something for your anxiety.” And again, grin and bear it. It's that population, grin and bear it.   Jenny Nihill: PEARLS sounds like a great program with lots of benefits for our senior population. How can they reach out to you to participate in this program?   Cynthia Margiotta: They can reach out to me, or the family can reach out to me by calling very easily. They can call my phone number. My phone number is 719-459-2017. They can look on the internet. Our website is PEARLSprogram.net. And they can call Area Agency on Aging, talk to people there and say, “hey I need to get a hold of the people at PEARLS.” Family, they can tell family and have family call me. I do prefer to call them because folks who are depressed tend to not get off the couch.   Melissa Marts: So, Cynthia, again, thanks for sharing about how people can get in touch with the PEARLS program. That's good information to know. Is there anything that we didn't ask you? Maybe another story you want to share or something else that we forgot to ask.   Cynthia Margiotta: Well, thank you for asking. I want to thank you Melissa. You're the one who introduced me to PEARLS. When you first told me about it, it was like love at first sight. I'd been doing something very similar to this for many, many years where going to people's homes and visiting with them and trying to encourage them. And to have a formal program that really helps me to do what I see as a better job has been wonderful and I hope that we can spread the PEARLS program throughout Colorado and get more of the Area Agencies on Aging to be involved with PEARLS. And I'll do everything I can to help them do that.   Melissa Marts: Well, I know you will and I appreciate you saying thanks to me. You know the funny story is is that when I was looking for more behavioral health resources in the community and I heard about PEARLS and I knew that Cynthia had a bachelor's in social work and I knew the work that you had been doing, and in my mind, I was kind of hoping that maybe she would be interested. When we did talk about it, I was just kind of throwing it out there, hoping. So yes, you did jump in with both feet and I'm glad that you did. So thank you for that because it is a needed resource when people, again, I can't emphasize enough how unique the model is to be kind of more on a personal level even during COVID right now. That can be a challenge, but that more personal touch where you do go into people's homes and you can kind of see what's going on and be in the real space with them is a good addition to the resources that are here already, and one that we really needed. So any other pieces before we turn this back over to Jenny and alright?   Cynthia Margiotta: I'll probably think of something tomorrow morning at 2 a.m.   Melissa Marts: That's right.   Jenny Nihill: Well, I'd like to thank you for joining us today on Aging With Altitude, a Studio 809 podcast. Aging With Altitude is hosted by the Pikes Peak Area Agency on Aging. For more information on all things aging, we can be found online at www.ppacg.org or by phone at 719-471-2096.      

Terry Cassidy, Occupational Therapist and owner of Health Partners specializes in the evaluation and support for older drivers.  The week of December 7 is Older Driver's Awareness week and an ideal time to learn more about safe and comfortable drivers to take into their senior years.  To see more about the week's activities visit https://www.aota.org/Conference-Events/Older-Driver-Safety-Awareness-Week.aspx Aging with Altitude is recorded in the Pikes Peak region with a focus on topics of aging interest across the country.  We talk about both the everyday and novel needs and approaches to age with altitude whether you're in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida or Leadville, Colorado.  The Pikes Peak Area Agency on Aging is the producer.  Learn more at Pikes Peak Area Agency on Aging.   Transcript:   This is Studio 809.   Cynthia Margiotta: Hello everyone. This is Area Agency on Aging, Aging with Altitude Podcast. Welcome to all of you. This is where we provide answers, assistance, and advocacy for our elders. Thank you for joining us today. Our topic today is Older Driver Safety Awareness Week that's coming up in a couple of days, yes?   Terri Cassidy: Starting December 7th.   Cynthia Margiotta: So let's get that in our heads. I'm your host, Cynthia Margiotta. I'm a geriatric social worker and a volunteer with the Pikes Peak Area Council of Governments Area Agency on Aging. That's a mouthful. And CEO of a program called PEARLS Program of Colorado. With me today is Terri Cassidy. Thank you for being here today, Terri. Thank you. She's got all these wonderful letters after her name so I'm gonna just tell you what they are. The first one is OTD. What is that?   Terri Cassidy: Doctorate in Occupational Therapy.   Cynthia Margiotta: And then the second one is OTR/L.   Terri Cassidy: And that's just licensed and registered occupational therapist in the state of Colorado.   Cynthia Margiotta: There's no “just.”   Terri Cassidy: No just. Cynthia Margiotta: No just. And the third one is CDRS.   Terri Cassidy: Certified Driver Rehabilitation Specialist.   Cynthia Margiotta: And that's a mouthful girlfriend. I like the letters. OK, she's here to talk to us today about Older Driver Safety Awareness Week. Terri has her doctorate in occupational therapy and is a certified driver rehab specialist, as she mentioned. As the owner of Health Promotion Partners, she empowers people to take positive action toward their health and well-being. She and her team provide driver evaluations and home evaluations to help older adults stay independent and connected with our community. Wonderful, wonderful. So let's get started with some of the questions. I have a million of them. What is Older Driver Safety Awareness Week?   Terri Cassidy: Yes. Well, thank you, Cynthia. I'm excited to be able to be here and talk about this topic. Older Driver Safety Awareness Week has such a long title, partially because it's trying to explain what it is. It was started through the American Occupational Therapy Association really to have a set time to raise awareness to this topic. Just safety of older drivers really in a way that's non-threatening. That's really just about a topic that people don't like to talk about, maybe. So trying to bring some attention from different sectors. So starting with AOTA, but there's a lot going on even statewide with the Colorado Department of Transportation, nationally with AARP and other partners to promote this week. It's always the first full week of December so this year is December 7th through the 11th to encourage people to think about and talk about older driver safety.   Cynthia Margiotta: That's a very important thing. There's so many out there and it would be helpful, yes?   Terri Cassidy: Yes.   Cynthia Margiotta: So what do you do as a driver rehab specialist? Terri Cassidy: So in my role as a driver rehab specialist, I do driving evaluations and driver training. As an occupational therapist is really the background that I bring to this driving perspective. So particular to older drivers, I might see somebody when there is some concern or question either by the family, sometimes by the physician, sometimes by the client themselves. Am I still doing well with driving? Is this still something I should be doing? And so we do see clients and we do an evaluation here in the clinic and then also out on the road to give people feedback about maybe how age related changes are or are not affecting their driving. For some people that's just giving them a really good baseline of this is what's going on now so that if there's concerns in the future, they could come back.   Cynthia Margiotta: And this office is so easy to get to. You're just off of Filmore and on Beacon which is not far from I-25 in Colorado Springs.   Terri Cassidy: Yes. I'm glad that you were able to get here today.   Cynthia Margiotta: Yeah, me too.   Terri Cassidy: Something I like a lot about this space is our, we have a very accessible parking lot so it's a good place for a driving program.   Cynthia Margiotta: I even parked in it. Not so straight in the line.   Terri Cassidy: Oh I didn't look at your car.     Cynthia Margiotta: Don't look, don't look, don't look. I backed into a parking spot. What are some trends related to older drivers?   Terri Cassidy: Well, I would say just for starters that when we're talking for me, talking about driving evaluations, or even in general, for older driver safety. To me it's not so much about age. I'm really looking at function overall. So for anybody that we're talking about driving with, I don't see that you know, a certain age means yes or no in terms of driving or anything like that. Like we're really looking at physical skills, visual skills, cognitive skills is what makes up a lot of that. And older drivers tend to be more safe drivers. They tend to have less risky driving behaviors, tend to drive less at night, less overall miles. However, the data does show that over the age of 75, the fatality rate for individuals over 75 increases quite a bit compared to drivers of any other age. Except new drivers kind of mirrors that. So the concern becomes, you know, are there just changes that are happening that are affecting ability to drive and there is also an issue of frailty adding to the increased fatality rates. So somebody who's 80 who's involved in a crash is more likely to have more injuries, potentially life threatening injuries than a 40 year old person involved in that same crash. So there's a couple of factors going on there, but I think overall older drivers have good driving habits, safe driving habits. We just want to find ways to keep them safe.   Cynthia Margiotta: That makes a lot of sense to me. How do we, you know, what's the biggest barrier to having discussions with folks about older drivers? Those barriers that, you know, I'm fearful of losing my driver's license. She's going to take my driver's license away.   Terri Cassidy: You said it. I mean that's basically. You know, it's a type of topic, and like I said in the beginning, people don't always like to talk about this subject. Once you bring it up, so when I'm out talking to people, it doesn't matter the population of people I'm talking to, everybody has a personal story about a relative, a family member, a friend where driving was iffy or where that person successfully decided on their own to stop driving. It's a type of thing that everybody can relate to, but it's touchy. Because, I think the biggest reason that it goes so far into our own identity and our independence of being able to drive. So if your child comes to you and says, “I have some concerns, dad, about your driving.” I think it can be hard to not take, get defensive around that discussion. So I would say the barrier is almost this stigma around removing driving, or stopping driving and really, what I would love to see is that our focus, or our value is on being engaged in the community, continuing to do things that are important to you. If you're the driver or the passenger, it's ok. You know, how can we just keep people involved in what they're doing. But sometimes we get really stuck on the who's in the driver's seat.   Cynthia Margiotta: Yes, yes. I have known multiple women who haven't driven in 20 or 30 years because the husband, or even sometimes the wife, has to be the driver. You take their driver's license away and it's almost, and I can't, you know, it's for people, I guess for women to understand because it's generally men who are very sensitive about losing their driver's license. The closest I can think of to coming to that is you take away a woman's home, her ability to care for her home. Because the generation we're talking about, you know, women's homes were their jobs. And you take that away from them, maybe they would understand a little better about their husband's feeling about losing their driver's license. Am I off?   Terri Cassidy: Yeah, I appreciate that because I think it does go back to the person's role. And so, you know, in your example, talking about the husband as the primary driver, that's his role. And when we're talking about changing that it's a big deal. So yeah, no, that's a good analogy of taking, shifting, or changing that person's role there.   Cynthia Margiotta: We don't like losing our roles.   Terri Cassidy: It's true. It's true and I think any ways we can help redefine our roles as we age, but hold on to, kind of figure out what the most important piece of that is, but on the surface it's a discussion people tend to shy away from.   Cynthia Margiotta: Yeah. Oh yeah. What are some good ways to make sure you're a safe driver?   Terri Cassidy: So, yes. There's a great quote. I think it's a Dave Barry quote that says, “Everybody feels they're an above average driver.” Something along those lines. Everybody thinks they're a safe driver. It's just kind of our mentality. But things change in our bodies as we age and so sometimes it's worth having those things checked up. In terms of being a safe driver, it's not just important for your own self-perception. I felt safe during that drive, but doing kind of just routine medical visits. That's going to affect your safety as a driver. Vision is a huge one, so getting an eye exam, talking to your eye doc about driving. Certainly, just medical routines, typical health examinations, things like that. There are some self-assessments of driving that are available online. I know both triple A and the AARP have those on their websites that people could fine. They're just asking you questions about your driving. I feel like when it comes to family members, a good question is do you feel comfortable having your children in the car with your loved one. You know, so I think sometimes if you're the older adult who's interested in being like, how am I doing? How's my driving going? Asking people who have driven with you. Just being, opening up to that feedback a little bit of do you feel comfortable driving. Usually, it comes the other way. Usually comes after the fact where people are saying, they're finding out about it for another reason.   Cynthia Margiotta: So what you're saying really, I guess I can equate that to people who have not had glasses. And they get their very first pair of glasses. And they look out the car window. I've heard this story from lots of people. And they say oh my gosh. I can see the leaves on the trees.   Terri Cassidy: Right. I've had that experience, yes.   Cynthia Margiotta: Right. It's a shock because an older driver thinks they're being safe, being careful, but maybe they're driving, maybe they're weaving a little bit. Or they aren't using their blinker in time. You know, a hundred things, right. So that's what I can equate it to that might help listeners to hear gee yeah, I remember when I first got glasses.   Terri Cassidy: Yeah, and that idea of oftentimes things change slowly so we don't notice the change. Vision is a great example of that. Of your vision, and something we see a lot is trouble with contrast. So a lot of people maybe their night vision isn't as good anymore, but they don't notice it because they've just gotten used to it slowly over time. And that's where I do feel an outside, objective opinion or evaluation can be really helpful.   Cynthia Margiotta: Yes, that way we can't blame the kids. We can't blame the doctor. We can blame that lovely lady, Terri.   Terri Cassidy: Yes! Absolutely.   Cynthia Margiotta: It's all her fault. OK. So driving concerns about an older family member have long been considered a family issue. Shouldn't this topic just be addressed by family members?   Terri Cassidy: Yeah, and that kind of gets back to the barriers question and I feel like that has in the past been a big, just part of our culture of, in a different time. Let's say where people say “Oh, Mr. So and So is not safe behind the wheel. We know what his car looks like and we just try to avoid it” for example.   Cynthia Margiotta: Yes, yes. I remember that person.   Terri Cassidy: But our world has changed and sped up and there's, there's too many cars on the road to keep track of which ones to stay away from. And I think that, you know the research that's been done in terms of focus groups, talking to older adults about who do you, who would you want to bring up problems with driving, or concerns that could potentially could affect your driving. The answer has tended to be spouse. Although for a certain percentage the answer is definitely not spouse, so that's kind of a tricky one. The other person that ranks high is the doctor. So a lot of individuals feel like my doctor will tell me if I'm not safe enough to drive.   Cynthia Margiotta: Whoa, yeah. Wait a minute.   Terri Cassidy: It doesn't necessarily happen that way.   Cynthia Margiotta: Yeah.   Terri Cassidy: But I think that's a perception of, you know, they're looking at my health. They're going to look at these decisions with me. And that's where, you know, a lot of my education is to the medical community. Say hey people are looking to you for making these decisions, here's some suggestions on some ways that we can do this together.   Cynthia Margiotta: How could a doctor do that? I don't understand how they could. Seriously I don't because I'm thinking of my doctor visits, um, my doctor doesn't ask about my vision, doesn't ask about my reflexes and maybe that's down the road a little bit. Maybe they will, you know, but I have been with many, many people over the years in their doctor's visits and I can't recollect a single one doing an eye exam or even checking those kinds of questions.   Terri Cassidy: Yeah, it's really interesting because I think of like from my sphere of being in the medical world, we think of somebody's had a stroke. It should be their doctor that talks to them about, finding out if they're safe to drive before they go back to driving. So maybe the medical professional in the sense of an acute injury or illness, so this person had a fall, had an injury. But when you say it like you're saying it, it does seem like a big leap to ask the doctors to then be talking about driving. And so I think there's potential there. Like I think there's definitely room for that discussion. And I have, even in town, spoken with some of the doctor's offices who've said “oh, yeah, maybe that's something we should add to our general questions.” You know with the Medicare health, the physical, yearly physical there's questions about just about everything else. You know, in terms of emotional state, and alcohol use and all of these different things, but there isn't something specific to driving. So I think it would be really interesting. There has been some research around primary care physicians and how they could be, just tapping in and asking some of these questions and mostly what they came down to was that it was too much to ask a doctor's office to perform a screening or some kind of test related to driving. They really found though, just having the physician's office ask the question: “How's driving going for you?” Like just even that would be a huge improvement over what we have going on right now. And I love the idea of normalizing that conversation so that you're asked that every year. And so you're not defensive when somebody asks you. It's just an honest conversation of I've started to notice that sometimes I think I'm pressing the break and I'm actually pressing the gas. And that can relate back to sensation and that could be something the doctor could help you manage.   Cynthia Margiotta: Right, so it would lead into so much more information for the doctor. So what kind of solutions are there for someone who has an injury and is having trouble with driving?   Terri Cassidy: So I mentioned some medical diagnosis. So I mentioned a stroke and for example there are a variety of things that a driving rehab specialist can do with a client to help them get back to driving after something like a stroke. Some of that is going to be in an OT clinic so that might be part of outpatient therapy before somebody comes to see me. Really focusing on reaction time and multitasking and some of these pieces, these higher judgement pieces that we use all the time when we drive and we don't really think about it. To me the other answer that though has to do with adaptive equipment. So for example, if someone's had a stroke, and they, let's say they can't use the left side of their body. They can still do gas and break with their right foot, but they usually would have done their turn signal with their left hand. So there's some equipment we can put in the vehicle to make it safer for that person to steer with one hand, to access their turn signal and to keep their attention on the road through that whole time. Or another example would be somebody who has an amputation. We do training for use with hand controls, so you don't need to use your feet at all for accessing gas and break and steering. So there are some really great ways to keep people driving safely even after there have been some injury or illness changes.   Cynthia Margiotta: Yeah. Wonderful. And are those expensive? Are those expensive adaptive types of equipment?   Terri Cassidy: You know, expensive is a good question because it's all relative. So for someone to get equipment, you know, hand controls can be about $2000. There's also training involved with that. Evaluation involved with that. That could be another thousand dollars. To me, when you're looking at that amount versus not driving, you know, so I think the expensive part is hard to answer. It depends on everybody's particular situation. Driving a vehicle, owning a vehicle is expensive. Paying for insurance is expensive, you know. So it's all of these pieces, yeah. It needs to be weighed for each person's situation.   Cynthia Margiotta: Right, right, but it's out there. And it's great. And you have those contacts.   Terri Cassidy: Yes.   Cynthia Margiotta: And so people going through your program, if they discover they need some adaptive equipment, you could put them in touch with the correct person.   Terri Cassidy: Yes, yes. We can help with that whole process.   Cynthia Margiotta: That's great. That's great. So what should I do if I'm concerned about a family member's driving?   Terri Cassidy: And this I'm going to go back to the idea of start the conversation. You know, so often people are concerned, but they're, don't want to mention it. And I feel like a lot of times just coming from a place of concern, and not necessarily making any decisions, but just saying that I noticed that, you know, whatever it is. Give concrete examples if possible. But just first, bring up the topic. Say I'm a little bit concerned about this, what do you think? Maybe next time when we go to your doctor, we see what your doctor thinks. Because a lot of timed that is how it comes to the doctor's attention is family members bringing up at the doctor's appointment, which I think is appropriate and it helps kind of have more people give input to a decision. Because there's all kinds of personal things that come up in these family discussions so getting more and more toward objectivity, I think is really helpful in those discussions as well, but I would say having that discussion, having an open mind. There are some great tools online to be done proactively. There's like a driving contract that someone would sign with their children and the children saying things that I'm worried about with your driving. I'm going to let you know and also give you every opportunity to fix it, or to prove me wrong basically. And the older adult saying I agree to this process. I'm probably not explaining it great, but there are some driving agreements that can be a nice thing to do before there is anything going on that you're worried about.   Cynthia Margiotta: Nice, nice. Do you also have them here in the office?   Terri Cassidy: I have access to them. They are mostly online. So yeah. I can give you guys that info.   Cynthia Margiotta: That would be good for folks. You know, who've come to your program and visit with them as well. Maybe there's no problem now, you've done the plenty, no problem, but here's something you and mom can talk about and come to conclusions what works for you in your family.     Terri Cassidy: And that's a great point because the majority of people that we see, do pretty well. So I don't want to make it seem like send them to Terri and that'll be the end of their driving. I would say 80% we see, the recommendation is to continue driving. Maybe with some equipment. Maybe with some restrictions. Maybe just with some training. But we are always talking about the fact that we as a society are living longer, and it will become more and more common for us to outlive our ability to drive. So, it's going to happen to all of us. And so the more we can be prepared and be thinking about these things, the easier it'll be.   Cynthia Margiotta: Absolutely, good for you. So you know, there's a big problem with losing your driver's license and I think that's probably a national issue. I really don't know but losing connectivity with the things outside of our home is a fear. So, if someone needs to stop driving, how can they stay engaged with their community?   Terri Cassidy: And that's a great, a great topic. A great piece of this and really a great question to be asking because that, like I was saying earlier, that's really the key. So a lot of times, you know, if it's somebody we're seeing here we will try to facilitate that process. There are some really good tools online as well for family discussions of like write down where you go on a weekly basis and then have some input into the best ways to get there. So sometimes, a lot of times the family members are willing and able to help with a ride to the hair dresser, the ride to the doctor where maybe they want to be there anyway as an extra set of ears. There's a lot of community rides in terms of neighbors going to church anyway and it's easy to bring you. So some of that is done best kind of with family discussions and kind of circles of support. There's also ride services that are available. There's quite a few things available in Colorado Springs. So services such as Silver Key, such as Envida. There's things through, I think Fountain Valley Senior Center does transportation. There's a variety of transportation alternatives and it's just really helpful to learn more about those because there are different requirements for different ones although we're seeing more collaboration which is encouraging to me. So as different transportation providers collaborate, it cuts down your wait time because the next bus coming by can pick you up and take you on the way. So there's some good things happening in our community that way. Other options that are maybe less familiar, but can be really helpful are these ride sharing services like Uber and Lyft because a lot of things I hear, people want their transportation on demand. They don't want to have to schedule two weeks ahead for a ride somewhere. And it works for a doctor's appointment, but maybe not for some other things. There's a great service called Go Go Grandparent and it's essentially like a concierge service for Uber and Lyft. So you don't have to have a smart phone. You can call from a landline. I could call and arrange a ride for my mom. It's still going to be an Uber driver that comes and picks her up, but the communication and the payment piece of that is, doesn't all have to be done through an app. So that can be a good bridge.   Cynthia Margiotta: And that's Go Go Grandparent?   Terri Cassidy: Yeah, yeah.   Cynthia Margiotta: I like it.   Terri Cassidy: Yeah, and it's nationwide. It's growing which is cool. So that's a good one to check out. The other thing I'll say around this is, I think it's really helpful to learn about some of these services before you need it and that's always a really difficult thing. For example, we might see somebody here for a driving evaluation and the recommendation is that they drive to their familiar locations within five miles of home, but the once a year doctor's appointment on the other side of town, let's start finding some alternatives for that. So maybe they figure out Silver Key and use Silver Key for that ride. Just bits and pieces so I don't feel like you have to be completely giving up your car to start exploring some of these other options.   Cynthia Margiotta: Right. I mean just listening to you I can think of, you know, maybe you have a friend who's still driving. You can set up your doctor appointment to match their doctor appointment or be right there if they're willing and take them to lunch.   Terri Cassidy: Yes, and I think that's a thing a lot of people don't want to be a burden, of course. And I think some of that is a shift in how we think about things, and there's things you could do for them. Take them to lunch, bake them cookies, you know, there's things you could do reciprocally that you both feel good.   Cynthia Margiotta: So December 7th is around the corner. The beginning of the week. Can you tell us just a little bit about the different themes for Older Driver Safety Awareness?   Terri Cassidy: Yes, so each day has a different theme. I'm just going to kind of read through them here. There will be more information available online as well. So Monday the theme is “Anticipating Changes That Can Affect Driving.” And that kind of relates back to some of the changes that we're saying could happen slowly that you don't really notice. Tuesday is “Family Conversations,” which as we've alluded to here can be a really, a huge topic. Wednesday is “Screening and Evaluations with an Occupational Therapist.” And some of that could happen at an outpatient clinic, not always a full driving program. For example, in town there are a couple of occupational therapists who will do kind of a screening to give you some information there. Thursday, “Interventions that Empower Drivers and Families.” So really around adaptive equipment and what types of things can help somebody stay safer longer. And then Friday, “Staying Engaged in the Community with or Without a Car.” So these topics are really put out there with the hopes that other people will pick them up and start talking about them. So I think there will be a lot on social media during that week, but kind of related to each theme each day.   Cynthia Margiotta: Right. Wonderful. So how can someone stay or get in touch with you through Health Promotion Partners? Phone numbers, email?   Terri Cassidy: Sure. Phone always works great so Terri Cassidy, Health Promotion Partners. My number is 719-231-6657. Our website is HealthPromotionPartners.com. And then email, it's Terri@healthpromotionpartners.com. And I'm happy to talk to anybody even if it's just questions and wondering about their specific situation. Happy to take those calls.   Cynthia Margiotta: Wonderful, and thank you so much for your time, Terri. This has been very enlightening. I appreciate it.   Terri Cassidy: Thank you. It's been a pleasure.   Cynthia Margiotta: So that's the show. And thanks to all of you for being with us today. Until next time, take good care of yourself and your loved ones.   Terri Cassidy: Thank you, Cynthia.   Hi, this is Dave Gardner. I just want to make sure you know that during these unusual times peakradar.com/virtual brings local arts and entertainment right into your home. From local music to gallery tours, to classes in dance, yoga, writing, and more. Our community is still creative and invites you to join in at peakradar.com/virtual          

Older adults have continued to receive much needed services and many new ones during COVID19, with the help of Area Agencies on Aging.  These agencies were started in the late 1960's as part of the Older Americans Act.  Over the years, thanks to advocacy, more funding has come available to add services like counseling, vision support and much more to a program that originally focused on food and transportation.  During COVID19, even more support has been provided by these agencies and their community partners.  Mr. Jody Barker, Director of the Pikes Peak Area Agency on Aging shares many of the ways this region stepped up. Aging with Altitude is recorded in the Pikes Peak region with a focus on topics of aging interest across the country.  We talk about both the everyday and novel needs and approaches to age with altitude whether you're in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida or Leadville, Colorado.  The Pikes Peak Area Agency on Aging is the producer.  Learn more at Pikes Peak Area Agency on Aging.     Transcript: Cynthia: This is Aging with Altitude, welcome to all. This podcast is brought to you by the Pikes Peak Area Council of Government's Agency on Aging. We strive to provide answers, assistance, and advocacy for our elders. Thank you for joining us today. Our topic today is COVID-19 Now. I am your host, Cynthia Margiotta, a geriatric social worker and volunteer with the Pikes Peak Area Council of Government's Area Agency on Aging. With me today is Jody Barker.   Jody Barker: Thank you, Cynthia.   Cynthia: Thank you for coming. A little bit about Jody... Jody is the director of the Pikes Peak Area Agency on Aging, which serves three counties: El Paso County, Park County, and Teller County in Colorado. He has served in many roles in his twenty-two-plus years in senior service organizations in Colorado. Among those roles have been editor of the Life After 50 newspaper, the director of operations for a home care agency, Central Colorado Regional Director of the Alzheimer's Association, and director of the Colorado Springs Senior Center. Jody's greatest joy is matching services with seniors and their families or enabling staff and services to do so. Jody has served on various boards and commissions over the years and currently is on the Colorado Commission on Aging, appointed by Governor Hickenlooper. I'm impressed!   Jody Barker: Thank you, Cynthia.   Cynthia: Well, thank you, Jody! I have known you through several of those organizations, all are so great.   Q: So, let's get started with our first question about COVID if you don't mind? Jody, how are you at the Area Agency on Aging? How are you still meeting the needs of our community?   Jody Barker:   A: Well thank you, Cynthia, it is a pleasure to be with you today. When the governor's order began in early March, we knew that we would have to continue operating even if we had to close our doors. March 17th, St Patrick's Day, as a matter of fact, we packed up what we needed to serve our community. That included telephones and paperwork and our computers and we began to work remotely. So, even a sense March, even with our doors closed to the physical building, we are still 100% operational. We have even added services that I'd like to share with you later. The exciting thing is that our staff has taken this as a really exciting challenge. We continue to answer all phone calls, we're reaching out to our clients, we're reaching out to past clients, we are reaching out to our community to continue to serve them every day.   Cynthia: It's amazing how much you're doing and I can't wait to talk about that. As the emergency orders have changed we are seeing changing guidelines. As of today which is June 3rd, 2020, in case you're listening to this a little bit further down the road, we are at the Safer at Home stage or in the Vast Great Outdoors.   Q: What does that mean?   Jody Barker:   A: There's a lot of interesting thoughts around the changes in the orders that have been provided by Governor Polis. Originally, as you know, we were in a Stay-at-Home order. It was necessary for all involved to really flatten that curve. This way, we could really understand more about the disease and how it was affecting our community. Of course, because covid affects upper respiratory issues, it has been very challenging for older adults, especially those with underlying health conditions. The Stay-at-Home order was crucial, to begin with. As those in leadership, especially those in the healthcare field, began to understand more about the disease in early May they changed the order to Safer-at-Home. This allowed us to have a little more movement, like maybe going to the grocery stores or getting out and about to pick up a restaurant order instead of sitting in a restaurant to eat. That was was crucial.   Now, with this most recent phase, The Vast Great Outdoors, it simply is an encouragement for people who are able to enjoy the outdoors. Here we are now, on the very front end of summer and this week has been more like summer than June! It feels more like July and August kind of weather. It is very hot! The great thing about this new phase is that it is an encouragement to people who are able to get out and go to their local parks with appropriate social distancing or maybe go for a walk in their neighborhood. There was concern earlier on about even just stepping outside your home. Now, people are encouraged to open those windows and get some fresh air and to lessen the social isolation that was so important early on. Now, we want to encourage people who can, to get out there. There are actually a couple of exciting changes with our providers who are helping to promote the new orders that we will touch on.   Cynthia: It is so important to get some fresh air and to get a little exercise, even if it's just walking around the block to take take the dog for a walk. I mean, I have a neighbor who takes his wheelchair and he goes and walks his dog. I think it's important to do that!   Jody Barker: Even in my neighborhood here in town when we are able to get out for a walk, we see so many people out walking their dogs or going to the park. It is people of all ages, you know? So it's really exciting to see people moving about! It's an interesting change from the last two months but when we think about what it truly means for older adults, it's crucial. This is because the older Americans Act, which is a major source of our funding to the AAA, was written in 1965 to reduce social isolation. That is the primary directive around our funding and our programming. Imagine what that's had to look like in the last two months with the Stay-at-Home and even the Safer-at-Home safer orders in place. People we have served in a variety of areas, whether that's senior center programs, transportation to doctor visits, transportations to church or classes at the Senior Center, lunches at the Senior Center, all of those had to change on a dime. All of that was intended to help protect the safety, health, and well-being of older adults, as well as the rest of the community. But, it's probably been most difficult on our older population because someone who lives at home, to begin with, and maybe looks forward to that three to five days lunchtime with their friends at the Senior Center, suddenly are being asked to stay at home. That can be extremely challenging to their health and mental well-being.   Cynthia: Yeah, absolutely! We could talk about that for hours, gotta get out gotta be involved as much as a person is able.   Jody Barker: Exactly! An interesting comment came to me a few weeks ago from one of our volunteers who said she was talking with some neighbors. One of her neighbors, who is an older adult, said, "you know, I feel useless because I'm used to volunteering and now, I'm not allowed to. I feel useless." And so, one of the things that our advisory committee is working on is actually not only volunteering for seniors but involving those seniors in that volunteer project. This is to give people a purpose and to give people activities and things to look forward to. I know what will touch on it here in a little bit, but there's so much going on to not just serve the seniors but incorporate the seniors into the process. We're all working on this together.   Cynthia: In a sense, that's serving them.   Jody Barker: Absolutely!   Cynthia: You know you've known me for a while and I'm a big advocate of volunteerism. I think it's a very important part of being part of the community. I think, you know, if you can when you retire don't go sit on a chair! It drives me crazy! If you can, go out and volunteer. If you can't go anywhere, find a way to volunteer from home. People can write notes or they can make phone calls. I can talk about it for hours...   Jody Barker: I think what we have to remember is that there are opportunities for outreach, not just to our older population but for those older adults to participate in that process. Maybe there's an assisted living or retirement community or a skilled nursing facility in your neighborhood. Call those places and say "I'd like to write someone a letter." You have no idea how much of a positive impact that person can make.   Because maybe you live at home but you might have three or four rooms to move about in. But someone right now, during this time, who lives in assisted living or a skilled nursing facility is being asked to stay in their room. Their meals are delivered to them, their activities are brought to them in the hallway, and they are being asked not to leave their room due to social distancing.   So even just taking the time to write a note to an older adult who lives in a community near you could make a world of difference. You don't have to ask permission, you don't have to be part of a larger group, to do that. You can pick up the phone, you can write that letter on your own, and it will be such a positive impact on the staff and on the residents.   Cynthia: Just the thought of me being in a room for a month... I'm an extrovert and I would have no hair because I pulled it all out. I absolutely think those are wonderful things we can do. I mean, we can even write a note to our neighbor. It doesn't have to be an official volunteer program.   Q: So tell me, what are some of the service delivery changes and supports that have been implemented that you have found interesting or effective or both?   Jody Barker:   A: That's a great question! As you might imagine, as we started hearing more about this virus and as it began to grow, even at the end of February, before we closed our physical building, before the Stay-at-Home orders came from the governor, some of our providers were already beginning to make plans and make changes to their service delivery. For example, one service provider who many of you will know is Silver Key Senior Services. They are the primary meal site provider for El Paso County. So, when you think of meal sites, you're thinking of Colorado Springs Senior Center, Fountain Valley Senior Center, and the Mountain Mennonite Church in Palmer Lake. Those places receive meals from Silver Key Senior Service's kitchens. They're hot and fresh meals that get delivered to people who come into a congregate site. These people meet up with their friends. They might come early for a class or stay late for a concert. That is their time to get together. As you might imagine, as soon as that Stay-at-Home order came into place in mid-March, that service had to stop.   So, what did Silver Key do? Silver Key immediately implemented appropriate social distancing. They increased their home-delivered meals. They increased their pantry of delivered meals instead of people coming in via transportation on a Silver Key bus, going to the pantry to do their own shopping, and then get back on the bus to go home. Silver Key tried to reduce that contact in their pantry. The pantry is big until you start putting 15 people with shopping carts in there. You know, it can get very crowded. It is shoulder to shoulder sometimes. To avoid this, what they started doing is packing up those pantry boxes and delivering those to their regular pantry clients.   That was one thing that they did, another thing that they did is they converted those congregate meal sites into what are called grab and go sites. For example, every Monday at the Colorado Springs Senior Center, the Silver Key Senior Services blue meal truck shows up. Instead of daily pickup, they prepare multiple meals and flash freeze them. This way, clients have all five meals for the week. Clients also have the opportunity to pick up fresh produce, dairy products, and things like that depending on what silver Key has on hand or what has been donated.   The Senior Center, normally provides classes such as educational classes, moving for better balance, tai chi, and more. Those are the kind of programs that we fund with the Older Americans Act and Older Colorado Act dollars that we administer. For obvious reasons, they had to close as they were not allowed to do congregate-type programs like those physical classes. So what they did was they started making calls of reassurance. The YMCA and the Colorado Springs Senior Center host over 16,000 members who are over 60 years of age. So, staff and volunteers began picking up the phone and calling in to check on their constituents. In addition to this, they created what they call a phone buddy program. Silver Key would invite someone to the program and have that person tell a little bit about themselves. They would then collect a little bit of information from an older adult who is interested. They then paired volunteers with participating older adults. So, think of it almost like a pen pal program, but by phone. The Senior Center has begun to host those pairings of phone buddies. Instead of Senior Center staff making those calls out daily, weekly, twice a week, those phone buddies can now be a lifeline to one another. All they have to do is pick up the phone to check in with each other, talk about common interests, and that kind of thing.   Silver Key is also providing some meals to people who do not have access to the Senior Center to pick up their own meals. They're delivering those meals on a case-by-case basis. The Fountain Valley Senior Center, as you know, is one of those congregate meal sites. They have now become and one of the Silver Key grab and go sites. Under the front of the building, they have set up a drive-through system. People line up in their cars and they can pick up the meal, they can pick up information, they can check-in and see how they're doing. One of the exciting things that I heard about, as it relates to Fountain Valley Senior Center, was that the city of Fountain did not layoff their staff, but sent a great many of them home to work remotely. This is because they did not have the same functions during that early stay-at-home process. Someone from the city government contacted the Fountain Valley Senior Center director, Jolene Hausman, and said what can we do? How can we help at this time? And they began with 20 city employees making those calls of reassurance. These employees were making over 100 calls a day. At first, it was only going to be a couple of weeks. Now, it is becoming an ongoing project because the seniors love it and staff from the city love it. Now, Jolene is talking about when things slow down, she would like to have a barbecue so the city employees can meet their phone buddy. The Senior Center is actually been talking about putting on something when it's safe to do so. So that those phone buddies can meet one another.   It's just been really neat to see those programs, even some of the smaller programs like Teller County Senior Coalition, based out of Woodland Park. This group has provided fresh fruits, vegetables, and even restaurant meals to their clients. This way clients are getting choices and variety, not just the same box of food every week. There is just a lot of neat things going on.   Unfortunately, some of our providers were limited. Providers who were contracted with us to provide certain services like transportation, suddenly found themselves not allowed to provide their service. So, they reached out in other ways like helping with telehealth or counseling services to make sure that people's needs are being met.   The irony in all of this is that it's changing almost daily, and definitely weekly, as our providers determine what needs must be met. Providers are determining what the outreach needs to look like as they plan for the future. Right now, we don't know what congregate programs are going to look like for the next few months or the long term. However, I would encourage people to take a look at the Colorado Springs Senior Center website at epymcappymca.org.   On the website, they can find the Colorado Springs Senior Center. They have already begun art classes using the online zoom system. So, zoom, if you're not familiar, is really more of a teleconferencing system where you can log in and see each other if you have a smartphone or a computer at home. Using the camera on your computer or smartphone, you can see one another and you can see your teacher. They began art classes using that online platform last week and they had something like 16 or 20 people from all over join that class. So, they are going to be doing a variety of both free and fee-based classes as they begin to look at what serving the community needs to look like with these new circumstances.   Cynthia:   Q: These are some mighty changes, yes?   Jody Barker:   A: Yes! These changes are distinctly different than what we traditionally thought of about senior services. I'm really excited that so many of our providers are looking at how they can continue to serve the needs of our community in a new way.   We have about half a dozen services that we provide directly out of our offices by our staff. These services include family caregiver support services. We are also going to be doing our own support groups via zoom and by electronic media. The exciting thing about this is that it means we can provide services to those who are caring for older adult family members, spouse, or parent. Instead of just the caregiver coming to a support group, he or she can invite family members from across the nation to join the caregiver in that support group. We now have the electronic technology in place to be able to do that. So, real silver linings are coming out of the challenges that we've faced due to COVID-19.   Cynthia: Yeah! You know national support groups would be an asset ongoing.   Jody Barker: Absolutely!   Cynthia:   Q: I like that idea! Will there be issue-specific support groups, or will they be more generalized?   Jody Barker:   A: I believe they're going to start somewhat general to begin with, but there is discussion around some more specific topics. So, if someone has a specific challenge or need in a certain area that person will be able to sign up for that specific support group. To expand on that, you know the Colorado Chapter of the Alzheimer's Association is also doing something very similar. It may be nationwide, but they're beginning to do a lot more online support groups for that very reason. Again, it's one of those silver linings that has come out of the changes that we are having to make as we do our best to meet the needs of our constituents. Even though we can't be face to face, we're taking advantage of technology to meet those needs.   So, even internally, where we would normally have a Medicare class here in the office, right now everything is converted to the webinar. We were able to have more of those classes and are able to partner with other agencies in town so that we can make sure we get the word out. Because these classes are done by webinars, we don't have to worry about partner space and social distancing. It gives the people a lot more flexibility in getting the resources that they need, as well.   Cynthia: I take the Medicare 101 class almost every year and I'll tell you I don't know how Roma does that! There seems to be a different rule every year with Medicare, so I think those would be great classes!   Jody Barker: Absolutely, absolutely! You know, if our listeners are interested in getting more information about those classes, they can go directly to our website at PPACG.org and click on the aging banner. That will take them to a variety of pieces of information where they can sign up for those webinars. If you're not sure about that, you can also call us directly at 719-47120964712096. That phone number is manned during regular office hours and it is very likely that you would need to leave a detailed message with your contact information and name so that someone will get back to you. Our staff is fully operational.   Cynthia: And for those of you who don't have a paper with you, we're going to repeat all of these wonderful sites at the end. Jody is watching me take notes here so that I get them right, which won't happen so you'll have to correct me.   Q: Next question, what thoughts and discussions have come up around serving different populations such as rural areas, different ethnicities, lower-income, and, of course, our seniors?   Jody Barker:   A: As you might imagine, the Area Agency on Aging primarily focuses on our population who is 60 years and over. That's who the Older Americans Act was written specifically to provide services to. Most of the conversations we have are around that. However, we do partner with several other agencies like the Independent Center, the Resource Exchange, and others like that which provide services to adults with disabilities. So sometimes there's some crossover in information. So, if someone's not sure who best to call, always feel free to call us at that main number (4712096) and we will help guide you. You know, we will ask a few questions and determine if that is a service that would come from us, or if it's a service that might come from one of our providers, or if we should be referring you to a partnering agency. It's always good to have that phone number in mind. That's the primary phone number here at the office and it will also lead you to our senior information assistance network staff.   As you may know, we also have a yellow book that we just got printed! COVID did not stop us, it delayed us a little bit. Really, COVID didn't stop us. Those are now being delivered. Even if you're used to coming to the office to pick those up, you can still do that! We were the generous recipients of two newspaper-style boxes that are located at our parking lot. So you can drive right up and pick up both our yellow book and our Adult Medicaid and VA Guidebook. We still have those available, even though we might not be here in the office. I wanted to make sure we talked about that.   Conversations around serving other parts of our population can really be a challenge. You know, zoom and Skype and similar platforms like that, as it relates to technology, not all of our seniors have those capabilities. That can sometimes be a challenge. Despite the state budget shortfalls that we're expecting, there is still discussion about how to bring broadband to our rural areas. That discussion has not stopped. So, for those of you might who live in a more rural area and don't have access to the Internet, know that you're not forgotten. That still continues to be a high priority for many of our legislators. With that being said, we're just looking at greater opportunities to work with partners. As you may know, even though AAA serves primarily three counties, that's our region (region four) for the state of Colorado. Our S.H.I.P that's our State Health Insurance Program, counselors actually serve more counties than that. So we typically work with partners in those outer regions anyway. This extends all the way down to the New Mexico border, to make sure that we're reaching those populations. Right now, it's a continued and ongoing conversation. I can't really say that we've figured out how best to do it, but it's certainly important for us to make sure that we're remembering those populations as we're figuring out how best to reach those areas. A couple of opportunities that we're exploring is greater reach into eastern El Paso County, for example. So some of our providers, including Invida who run a bus service, have reopened their rural area bus services. So if you live in the Calhan area, that bus service has restarted. Or if you live in the southeastern portion, along Hwy 94, Invida has restarted that route as well. There's increased outreach and increased opportunities to get engaged. Now we're just looking at all those opportunities to see what that's going to look like in the future.   Cynthia: Good for you. You got to keep working!   Jody Barker: We have not stopped. Like I said, even from the day that we had to physically close our doors, we continue as a staff. Our providers out in the region continue to serve. As I said, some of that is changed. The service delivery might look a little different but know that we're all still working on this making sure that our seniors and their families have the services that they need or know that they have access to services.   Cynthia: I'm sure some of these changes are going to be ongoing.   Jody Barker: That the expectation, yes! Because we don't really expect to have traditional congregate programs for some time yet. Now, even as we're speaking here on June 3rd, this afternoon there's going to be a presentation by the governor's office around what the next phase of opening may look like. It is intended to be specifically focused around senior services. Right now, a lot of those recommendations are coming to us as things to consider. The requirements are really following the guidelines of the health departments in particular regions around the State.   Cynthia:   Q: Do you know where people can listen to that? Will it be on TV?   Jody Barker:   A: This is very last minute, we were just alerted to this about an hour before we began this conversation. So I don't know where it will be if it will be recorded, if it's going to be a press conference, or if it's going to be just service delivery information. I don't know yet but as we know more we will certainly update our website. You can also go to the El Paso County Health Department website to keep track of things like that, as well.   Cynthia:   Q: What has the collaborations and leadership looked like across Colorado?   Jody Barker:   A: That's really been exciting to be part of in this time. Despite the challenges in the State of Colorado's State Unit on Aging, which is a division of the Colorado of Department of Human Services, has been extremely helpful. I'm also part of an organization that includes all of the AAA directors around the state. So collaborating between the State Unit on Aging and the Area Agency on Aging has been really exciting to be part of right now. There's a lot of discussions, there's a lot of questions, there's a lot of idea sharing, and that collaboration has been really positive. We've also included the in those conversations service providers so that they can hear and ask questions directly of our state office as well. It's been very positive right now. There has been a lot of flexibility in how we're able to use not just our regular funding but some of the emergency funding that we're starting to see come into our area.   Cynthia:   Q: Then what does planning look like going forward? Where can people get information and resources?   Jody Barker:   A: As part of the Governor's discussion this afternoon, we expect to hear some recommendations and potential guidance around what reopening phases might look like. It's going to take some time though, so we don't really know. We would ask people to be patient around that because there are a lot of unknowns that we are all dealing with. Even just two weeks ago our messaging was very different than it is today because things are changing so often. I would encourage people to go to or call, the El Paso County Health Department if they have questions. They can also contact their direct service providers if they are already a client of Silver Key, Invida, or Fountain Valley Senior Center. Those providers are getting the same information that we are. Of course, they can always contact us here through our main phone number: 4712096 that we talked about. As I said, that's our senior information and assistance hotline. Typically, you can leave a message anytime, twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. Our operating hours are typically from about 9:00 am to 4:00 pm. We try to get back to you just as soon as we can or forward your voicemail to the appropriate staff member who will call back. There are two areas right there. We're trying to continue to keep our information as up-to-date as possible.   Cynthia: You know family members that are out of the area, I just want to add 719-471-2096. You can call about services for mom and dad! Yeah, you are very welcome to do that.   Q: My last question here, is well second to last, but some of us would like to continue getting updates on COVID?   Jody Barker: Specifically, around COVID-19, there's a lot of information out there online, on the news, on TV, and on the radios. Sometimes it's a little challenging to really understand what's real. Yes, that's a good way to put it, what's real? I would encourage people to follow up with the county health department in their area, whether that's here in our area, El Paso County Health Department. Teller County has its health Department. Park County has its own Health Department. I would encourage them to find a way, whether by website, phone calls, or regular media information, to get connected so that they can get that direct source of information about what's most crucial for their area. As you might imagine, around the State every County typically has a Health Department. Their rules and requirements might be a little bit different and their expectations and recommendations might be a little different from County to County. I would encourage people to get connected with their specific county. Don't look at information from a neighboring state, don't look at information necessarily even from a neighboring county, it could be very different. Find the one in your area and stay connected. That way, you can get the most accurate information anytime. For us here in El Paso County, as I said, it's just simply ElPasoCountyHealth.org.   Cynthia: I think that would be a better place to find things then, I don't want to insult Facebook, but Facebook. Some folks might hear it from the wrong person and they would put that on Facebook and it may or may not be true.   Jody Barker: Correct, the El Paso County Health Department has medical professionals who are specialists in disease control, population information, and what's going to be best for our area. That's really where I would recommend people get directed for that very specific disease information.   Cynthia: Every area is a little different.   Q: Now, let's talk a little bit about the new programs and the providers that you have started here over at the Area Agency on Aging?   Jody Barker:   A: Sure! As I mentioned earlier, we have about a half dozen programs that we provide out of the Area Agency on Aging that include our senior information and assistance program that we've referenced. It also includes our family caregiver support center, that's where we do some of our support groups and caregiver support, just like it sounds. We also do this senior insurance and assistance program that's our S.H.I.P. program. We also are the region's ombudsman office and the ombudsman, if you're not familiar with that terminology, is simply an advocate for older adults. In our case, the ombudsman specifically advocates for those who live in long-term care facilities like assisted livings and skilled nursing facilities. So our ombudsman serves in that area as well. We also, through some of our funding, are able to provide homemaker and personal care services. Those are our primary services internally.   Now, our partnering with agencies that we contract with might be some of those like we've mentioned, such as Silver Key Senior Services. A lot of people think of Silver Key as meals-on-wheels, the congregate meal programs, and transportation, but they do so much more! We're very proud to partner with them. Some of the other services that they do, like case management and so on so. We also have providers who provide additional homemaker services or respite care for those family caregivers. For example, we partner with Colorado Legal Aid, which provides legal services free for folks. We also provide some services around visually impaired services, dental and dentures, mental health screening and counseling, caregiver counseling, home safety renovations. As you might imagine, more people are staying at home. Actually, we've seen an increase in requests for grab bars, railings, and that kind of thing. So we're proud to contract with several other providers like that. We are also able to provide nutritional counseling and education. So, if someone wants to receive nutrition education, they can simply pick up the phone and call their primary provider like Silver Key, in our area, or the Teller Senior Coalition. We will get you routed, but you can call Silver Key directly. We received that education and then those health and exercise classes we talked about that are provided at the senior centers and other congregant programs. Again, some of those have changed. You know how that works has just had to change because of COVID-19. There's a lot of exciting ways that our providers have reached out to make those changes to continue to reach their constituents and clients in making sure that social isolation is reduced as much as possible.   Cynthia: There's a lot more going on in this office than the few employees that are sitting in the building when that was possible.   Jody: Exactly and even for us, even though we have our regular programs, because of COVID-19 we also started doing what we call "calls of reassurance". Some of our providers do that as part of their programs, but we started doing that as well. As you might imagine, someone who may have come in in February to have questions answered around Medicare, suddenly find themselves without transportation and unable to go grocery shopping. You know, we're asking them to stay at home or be safe at home, and maybe they don't have access to those some of those services. So we took it upon ourselves to begin working backward through our contacts and making sure that clients that we had served, for whatever reason in the past, know that they can call us for questions. They can use us for referral services to get referred to other services throughout the community and ultimately just to be reassured that they know that they can call us at any time. As you might imagine, our providers have seen an uptick in those who signed up for services because folks are trying to stay safe and healthy. If that means receiving a few meals a week versus going to the grocery store than those people are reaching out for those services. So it's been really exciting not just working with our staff here as we've made those changes, but also working with our providers who are juggling and making those changes and adding to those services.   Cynthia: Making those changes! It's a great idea. I'm just going to repeat some of the different things that were brought up if you have paper and pencil. One is if you're interested in the yellow book, there's a website where you can also look and see the website. So for those of you who are family out of the area, you might look at that website is ppacg.org yellowbook. Or, you can call the phone number to talk to someone and you might need to leave a phone number and message but that phone number is 719-471-2096. You can get that information along with the Medicaid Veterans Benefits Book. You can stop by here, at our office, and pick up yellow books as well as the Medicaid book. They have a little kiosk outside. The location is not really a difficult location to understand. We are located about two blocks north of Colorado Ave on Chestnut, and you go through these big gates which are open during the day, I don't know at night. During the day, you can just drive through and you'll find it in there. That's where the offices are as well. Whenever it opens, you can always come to visit during that time. Another one that Jody mentioned was the YMCA ppymca.org. They're doing online and zoom art classes and other classes as well.   Jody Barker: They're going to be doing some exercise classes, art classes, as well as some presentations.   Cynthia: That is so great.   Q: Then, are there others that you wanted to bring up that I missed?   Jody Barker:   A: Sure, yeah! As you might imagine, all of our providers are listed on our website. The easiest way like, like Cynthia mentioned, is just going directly to ppacg.org and clicking on the aging button. That really gets you into the Area Agency on Aging portion of the website where you could find an electronic copy of the yellow book, an electronic copy of the Medicaid program, and an electronic copy of the VA benefits guidebook. You can also find listings of our service providers. There some that are local that will provide the largest percentage of our programs and organizations like Silver Key. You can also just go to silverkey.org or you can call them directly. If you're calling locally, the number is 719-884-2300. They will route you to the appropriate department, depending on the service you need. If you're calling for a family member and you're out of state or out of the area just remember the 719 area code. Again, that phone number is 884-2300. You're always welcome to call us here. As I said, leave a detailed message, your name, and telephone number, and we'll get back to you as soon as possible. We will ask a few questions and we're happy to get you referred to the right services. You can save yourself a lot of time. Sometimes it can be challenging to go through the amount of information that's available to us so we're going to help you with that. Give us a call directly and we would love to do that on your behalf and get you pointed in the right direction.   Cynthia: Wonderful, thank you so much. I appreciate your time here with me Jody. That's the show and thanks to all for being with us today! Take good care of yourself.  

The resilient second-halfer through wisdom and personal stories is prepared and empowered for the second half of life.  Tom Rasmussen, Income Protection Specialist with Clear Solutions, shares his proven insights about how to thrive through life happenings.  This two part podcast explores first what makes a good life and second how to financially build resiliency. Aging with Altitude is recorded in the Pikes Peak region with a focus on topics of aging interest across the country.  We talk about both the everyday and novel needs and approaches to age with altitude whether you're in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida or Leadville, Colorado.  The Pikes Peak Area Agency on Aging is the producer.  Learn more at Pikes Peak Area Agency on Aging.   Transcript: You're listening to Studio 809. This is what community sounds like.    Cynthia Margiotta:   This is Aging with Altitude, welcome to all! Brought to you by the Pikes Peak Area Council of Governments Area Agency on Aging. We strive to provide answers, assistance, and advocacy to our elders. Thank you for joining us today. Our topic today is Life Happens. What is your plan? I'm your host, Cynthia Margiotta, a geriatric social worker and volunteer with Pikes Peak Area Council of Governments Area Agency on Aging. With me today is Tom Rasmussen, Rasmussen, Rasmussen, I will never get your name right. He is an income protection specialist with Clear Solutions Insurance Services. Tom is an income protection and longevity health planning specialist advising on life, disability, extended care, and health care planning. Tom has helped thousands of people with income protection planning across the country. He was a national broker to hundreds of agents across the country, and as a received top awards for management and production. He's published articles for industry magazines and local papers as well been interviewed on radio several times now a podcast regarding senior issues and the importance of planning. He's a member of the nonprofit Long Term Care Forum Panel of Colorado, advising state legislators and industry experts on long term care planning issues in the state of Colorado. He holds the designation of CLTC, which classifies him as a certified long term care specialist. Tom is currently doing educational workshops and seminars on income protection throughout Colorado. He's the co-host of the streaming TV show New Horizons, Living Life to the Fullest, which illustrates how resilient and empowering the second half of life can be. Tom contributed to Kevin Gussman's Amazon bestseller Retire with Freedom and Confidence, and released his own book called Are you Protecting your Greatest Asset in December of 2018? You've done a lot, haven't you?    Tom Rasmussen:  Well, I like to keep busy.      Cynthia Margiotta:  Yes!    Tom Rasmussen:  Don't we all?    Cynthia Margiotta:  Don't we all? Yes. So let's get started with some of our questions. First off, what is meant by "second halfers"?    Tom Rasmussen:  Well, that's a great question, and appreciate you allow me to be on the show here. So, "second halfers"...you know, there's a term that has been used for a number of years called seniors. And I've never liked that labeling, because it identifies that certain segment of society as being maybe has no value. I mean, that, you know, we're in a society that let's face it, our particular culture doesn't really cherish seniors. And I decided to coin a new phrase of " second halfers", because it doesn't identify somebody by what you would consider their age. And so, if I said senior to somebody, what age do you define that by? Sixty-five or older would generally be the response? If I say "second halfer"? You mean 45, 48? Sure, why not? It just it's a way to break down this the perceptions of society that you know, seniors are not ready to put out to pasture.    Cynthia Margiotta:   Alright, I like your term, by the way, I think it's a really useful thing. I think we should switch it up a little, huh? You did something like that. So what is resiliency?    Tom Rasmussen:  Resiliency is an interesting word because when I do workshops, I always ask the audience, are they resilient? And it's interesting, the puzzled look you get from people. And so I have to go a little bit further and I ask, have you ever made it through a challenge, whatever that challenge may be? Oh, yeah, yeah, for sure I have. Well, the dictionary defines resiliency as recovering strength and I always have to point out that resiliency is achieved by pushing through a challenging situation. So, resiliency is something that we probably have all experienced in our lives. But I don't know if we have identify it as such, when we actually achieve it.    Cynthia Margiotta:  Yeah, well, it's hard to be resilient. I think that that's a good term to use. I don't think that's used very often in our society.    Tom Rasmussen:  Well, for resiliency was easy than everybody be doing it.     Cynthia Margiotta:  I mean, it's not used that word, you know, either you did it or you didn't do it. Not that you became more resilient in and learned from it.    Tom Rasmussen:  Well, it's words are powerful. And I tried to take a very strong look at the words I use to identify either meanings beyond what people perceive certain things to be, or change the perception of what people think, like seniors to "second halfers".    Cynthia Margiotta:  So, what is empowerment?     Tom Rasmussen:  Well, I use those two words together, because sometimes people identify them as being the same thing. And they're really not, you know, where I stated the dictionary basically defines resiliency as recovering strength. Empowerment is defined as to give power to. So even though they're not the same thing, they're very much connected. Because when somebody pushes through a challenging situation, and is resilient, by doing so they empower themselves. And so that's where the connection comes from. And so that's why I like to use those two words. Because it really came about when I was writing my book, it dawned on me after I was about three quarters away of writing it that after thirty some odd years of doing what I do, nobody actually looked at putting a planning strategy together as empowerment. And I had to ask myself, and other people as well, why do we not think of that as empowerment? And so we had to define what was empowerment? Well, empowerment is anything that gives you the ability to be resilient. And so empowerment, on one hand, can come from resiliency or you can empower yourself to provide you more resiliency.    Cynthia Margiotta:  So they are wrapped up in each other very strongly. And they, like a circle, they come and they go. The circle can go clockwise, as well as counterclockwise.    Tom Rasmussen:  I mean, from the standpoint of putting together strategies that help what I call "life happens events", what's more empowering, to have a funding plan in place to help you push through those "life happens events", like a disability, an extended care situation, and unexpected death. You know, that should be a more prideful ability to say, look what I did, then to push it away, don't talk about it, and then not have it at all, and then have those things come into your life. And then is that the thing that could have created the resiliency to get through that? And because of that you didn't you achieve resiliency?    Cynthia Margiotta:  Hey, smart to be prepared?    Tom Rasmussen:  Well, we'd like to think so. Yeah, I wish everybody would take that a little more seriously.     Cynthia Margiotta:  So they definitely relate to each other. Absolutely. Yes. So what does this have to do with the second half of life then?    Tom Rasmussen:  Well, with having thirty-plus years, working with, you know, the "second halfers" that I have, there's things that we have to understand that as we go through our seasoned years, so to speak. Then, can we better position ourselves back to the preparedness and planning to be able to be more empowered to get every moment to its fullest capacity? You know, that's that's how it relates. I mean, there's several different things that I always attribute to when I give workshops and seminars and regards to how do you achieve empowerment and resiliency. And there's four things that I always talk about. So it's decluttering, telling your story, doing the paperwork, and have a funding plan.    Cynthia Margiotta:  Is that are part two? Is that the question for our part two? I don't want to ask that yet. So don't let don't get there yet. Oh, good. What are some of the things one can do to bring about resiliency, and empowerment to the second half of their lives?    Tom Rasmussen:  Well, like I mentioned decluttering, let's talk about that. So decluttering is a very interesting thing because who we as maybe a human nature, we like to keep things, collect things, gather things, for whatever reason. And I don't know about you, but through my life when I've had either four situations or by design, or I decluttered my life, it was very freeing. I use an expression many times that, do we own things or do things own us, you know, the more things we have, it takes a lot more of our time to maintain those things, whether it's time or financially contributed to the maintaining those things. So decluttering is one of those things that as we go into our second half of life, the more we declutter, it's two things, it's less for us to worry about as we get closer to our end result, which let's face it, we're all gonna pass away someday. And it doesn't leave that burden to our loved ones, to figure out what the heck they do with all your stuff. And a lot of times, we have this assumption that they want our stuff. And if we don't have that dialogue, we don't know if they want it or not. And so I've always said this, the decluttering can take away from the experience of embracing the whole passing of a loved one, because they can't fully be in that embracing of that passing and that cycle of life because they're stressed out about what to do with the stuff.    Cynthia Margiotta:  Stuff is a pain in the back!    Tom Rasmussen:  And declutter, it's part physical, material. But it's also emotional.  Cynthia Margiotta:  Okay. Okay.    Tom Rasmussen:  Have we decluttered the emotional regrets that we might have, because of relationships because of things that were said one way or the other? You know, that's part of decluttering, too.    Cynthia Margiotta:  It's important to do that maybe, for our mental health. You make me think, Tom,    Tom Rasmussen:  I've always said that. If we know, the two certainties in life, that we're going to age and we're going to pass away someday. Then, if we can, as mentally as we can think through this, especially as we come being in our second half of life, as opposed to doing how do we define a good life lived? Is that how much stuff we have? Or how many moments and impactful events that we had with other people as well as to ourselves?    Cynthia Margiotta:  For me, I'd say it'd be the people. Think of how many people have been positively affected by my life?    Tom Rasmussen:  Well, if we don't actually ask that question of ourselves, how do we ever know what that means to us personally, before we can go forward, and have that good life left.    Cynthia Margiotta:   Right. Good questions. You're throwing questions back at me, Tom. I'm supposed to be interviewing you!    Tom Rasmussen:  Yeah. Okay.     Cynthia Margiotta:  So how does telling your story bring about empowerment?     Tom Rasmussen:  Well, I've found that we're not capturing our life stories, as much as we probably should. And I'll give them my own personal story with that. My mother did a lot of genealogy had many different records, and she had boxes and boxes of photographs when she passed. Well, I inherited those. But what I didn't realize is none of those photographs had any information on them. So I had no idea who these people were. And so it got me to think that if we're able to pass on the wisdom that we have learned in our second half a life, how can we pass that on, if we don't record it in some nature, whether it's written, whether it's video, whether it's just, you know, audio? If we don't tell our story, it's lost when we're gone. And even to our own children, because our own children only know us from the time that birth was given to them going forward. They've really don't know who we were prior to that unless we had those conversations. If they don't know it, how can they pass it on to our grandkids and great grandkids?    Cynthia Margiotta:  Right. Information is important to share within families. Yeah, my mother had, I ended up with all her photos, and everything had initials, which is better than you got, I will say. But, you know, one of those many pictures was marked CJ. And it was lots of pictures of CJ. Who's CJ? Well, CJ was my mother, Claudia Jones.    Tom Rasmussen:  Oh!    Cynthia Margiotta:  When she married my father, she became Claudia Cleaver. So who was CJ? So those pictures, you know? It took a little, I guess, hard guesswork to figure out that those younger pictures have that 10-to 15-year-old were actually my mom.        Tom Rasmussen:  You know, it's not only telling our story so we don't lose ourselves once we're gone, and that can be passed on to generations and generations. But there's a real important thing that has to be, I'd say it has to be earned. I don't know if everybody agrees with that. It's called wisdom. Are we passing wisdom on to our generations that will precede us? Because if we can help them understand, as they get to a point where they can learn, maybe they don't have to go through those failures and mistakes to learn that wisdom. If we can pass it on, prior to them having to learn that on their own.    Cynthia Margiotta:  But, the young people don't want to hear mom and dad's wisdoms.    Tom Rasmussen:  You know, it's funny. Maybe you had the same scenario that I did. But I've heard this from people and I and I have actually experienced this. It's amazing how smart my parents became the older that I got.    Cynthia Margiotta:  Right? Yeah, my mom suddenly got a brain. And I was like, wow, who knew?    Tom Rasmussen:  You know, they couldn't turn on the TV but boy, we can't mistake wisdom for, I guess, intellect. You know, there's a lot of smart people that I've met through my life, but I wouldn't say that we're really wise. So there's a difference between intellect and wisdom, wisdom is learned. And life will continue to give us these lessons to learn the you know, and if we don't, we'll repeat them. But the only way that we gain wisdom is acknowledging how we get past that lesson, resiliency. Empowerment comes from the knowledge of understanding of I shouldn't do that again.    Cynthia Margiotta:  Learn from my past mistakes. What is that saying? You know, something about doing it over and over again?      Tom Rasmussen:  Einstein said the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, expecting a different result.    Cynthia Margiotta:  There you go. That's the exact saying! It was Einstein, huh? Yeah, he should be my hero. So how does doing the paperwork bring about empowerment?    Tom Rasmussen:  Well, that kind of goes back to the decluttering. If we've decluttered the things in our lives and we've told our story, then we have the documents in place to help our loved ones know what to do with our passing. Or, if we just become incapacitated or incompetent. You know, they have to step in and take over our lives. How do they know what to do? Do they know who to contact, you know, so advanced directives, a will, or a trust, who is my insurance agent, my banker, my attorney? If we don't put this in some form of writing, whoever is supposed to fill in for us can go to and have those contacts, as well as have the authorization through, you know, the proper forms, to be able to make those decisions like the power of attorneys and, and those kinds of things. Then again, we're putting that burden and that stress on our loved ones when it wasn't necessary because we didn't want to get around to that.     Cynthia Margiotta:  I think it's so important to do that. Get those papers in order, have them all, you know, somewhere. Tell the people that are involved in those papers where they are and how to get to them. You want your power of attorney to know what's going on, what your expectations are, what your needs are, what your wishes are. And if you don't do that, they're lost.    Tom Rasmussen:  Even getting down to the details of who you want to step in for your financial matters, that might not be the same person you want to step in for your health issues. You might want to separate those two.         Cynthia Margiotta:  I think that's brilliant, separate them. In most cases, it's very important. When I became my mother's medical power of attorney was very good. I did not want her financial powers of attorney. And so my sister kept those and she was in charge of the money. And I was in charge or, no offense, but in charge of the body. And I think it worked out well for us in our family. But what if you only have one kid, you know?    Tom Rasmussen:  There are other ways to have, you know, people that can fill in those roles, like fiduciaries. You know, there's there's different ways that you can have people fulfill those roles.  I hate to say it, but I've seen situations where the individual who had the purse strings was also making the medical recommendations. And because they knew if they spent money on the medical, that they would reduce their inheritance. So that played a role in their decision making.    Cynthia Margiotta:  Right? And that's where some of the problems start, right? You know, between the two people. Then when you're only at one, okay, so you have you just shared the one if one person's in charge of both. If you have two people, you can sometimes have the problem. It's sort of the opposite where the medical wants to do one thing like, oh, let's say mom needs a new hip, we got to get her a new hip, we've got to pay for that. Let's do that. And then the financial power of attorney says, "no, I don't want to spend that money".    Tom Rasmussen:  That's not what that's about. It's putting the proper paperwork in place so you're the one that dictates who has that power. Because if it's health related, and it's established properly within the documents, that says, "all my assets are to be used for my health and welfare until such than the financial person has to follow through with that". But it's based on the legal aspects of how that's written and put into place.    Cynthia Margiotta:  And that's why you need paperwork.     Tom Rasmussen:  So ultimately, we have the power to define how we want that to work. So maybe we don't want to have these last miracle efforts. And just you know, and that goes back to the advanced directive, right? You want to know what it ultimately comes back to? Is having what I call the kitchen table chat, the conversation. And that's where all of this is lost. Because I talked about the two certainties of life earlier, when we talked about, well, let me just throw out there. When I do workshops, I ask what are the two certainties of life?    Cynthia Margiotta:  Birth and death?    Tom Rasmussen:  That's not what people answer. They answer death and taxes. And so you're absolutely right. But I knew you knew that. But I always go, "no, you're only half right". Taxes were not always a certainty of life. It's become that. But aging and death are certainties of life. And so then to follow up with that, when do we start aging? At birth? And so could you honestly say, when do we start dying? At birth? They're tied together. So these are two certainties in life that we can't dispute. Then, how come we can't talk about these issues? How come we don't have conversations with our loved ones, and talk about the cycle of life? So we can honestly address these issues, because we want to bury our head in the sand and pretend that we're never going to age, and we're probably never going to die. Until we do.    Cynthia Margiotta:  In our household, my poor kids grew up talking about death, dying, hospice, more than we talked about them ever getting married, which probably shouldn't have been that way. But...    Tom Rasmussen:  But they are prepared for it, arent they?     Cynthia Margiotta:  I think they are more so than people their age as a general rule, I don't know.    Tom Rasmussen:  As prepared for it as anyone can be. You know, we always think, oh,  I'm ready. And you know, the emotional aspect can never be realized until we're in that that space. But we still have to have the conversation.    Cynthia Margiotta:  I'm sixty-three years old, and I'm starting to see more and more of the people, because I work in the aging industry, like yourself, more and more people that are my age, that do work in this industry, coming to see that it's almost aging is coming home. And they're starting to see it in themselves. And I don't wish them ill, don't get me wrong. But I like being able to see that they're identifying more with the older people that they are working with. They are feeling those pains too.    Tom Rasmussen:  Well, it's an interesting situation, because there's been a few books written on the progression of life. And I talked about second halfers, the first phase of life is is kind of been presented as the doing. It's when we get our careers, it's when we get married, we have kids. So when people say to you tell me about yourself, "well, I'm a father, I'm this, I'm that". Well, that's not who you are, that's what you do. But somewhere along the line, most of us, not everyone, transitions into the being. We no longer are the doing, we start getting closer to our inner being. And that's I think, what's we're talking about, the acceptance of life.    Cynthia Margiotta:  Who am I?    Tom Rasmussen:  Who am I? And what do I want. And that's I think that's all part of the wisdom aspect too.    Cynthia Margiotta:  But do some people think that when they talk about themselves in that way or think of themselves that way? Do they think that they're being selfish?    Tom Rasmussen:  I don't think so.     Cynthia Margiotta:  Okay. It was a question.    Tom Rasmussen:  I think it's a revelation. You know, if we don't know ourselves, then how can we know anything else? I mean, that's a whole different subject. And maybe we can do another time on that. But that's the being. That's when you get down to the nitty gritty of who am I really?    Cynthia Margiotta:   Yeah, I've volunteered at several different places, as you know. And I could probably walk through those places and tell you the people who are in that stage.    Tom Rasmussen:  But I said, not everybody gets there.    Cynthia Margiotta:  And not everybody gets there. And I think, being aware of themselves so intimately. Is that a good way, being aware of who they are as themselves, as opposed to what they do? I think really changes how they project themselves. And it's quite beautiful, actually.    Tom Rasmussen:  It is.    Cynthia Margiotta:  I like that.    Tom Rasmussen:  It's almost a rebirth.    Cynthia Margiotta:  So our last question, before we break. Then we'll do our second half another day. So what does a funding plan bring to resiliency?    Tom Rasmussen:  Well, that's a great question. And I've been told on a few occasions that this is where I bring in the buzzkill of any kind of great emotional interconnected discussion that's going on. Because when I call it  "the buzzkill" I always bring in the reality of the financial, that touches everything in life. And so I kind of touched on a little earlier, all these things we're talking about. aging, passing away, maybe we have health health issues, maybe we don't maybe we need caregiving, what have you. There is a financial side to that. And too many times, because we don't address our funding plans of when those might happen, we can't be resilient. And we basically turn a medical crisis into a financial crisis. So that's the last thing that I like to emphasize, when we're talking about empowerment. It goes back to again, when I was writing my book is what strategies have we put in place to empower our loved ones and ourselves with funding plans to help us through these "life happens events".    Cynthia Margiotta:  We need to make plans and be prepared as much as we can.    Tom Rasmussen:  Well, you know, in my book, I wrote about the three approaches that I've seen through my thirty some odd years of doing business. And those three approaches, what I find. people's biggest decisions in life are either they tell an elaborate story about how it's all gonna play, or they make an excuse, or they actually have a plan. And I will tell you of all the years I've been doing this, not one time have I not seen a plan be a story and excuse every single time. But we still want to tell the stories. And we still want to make excuses.    Cynthia Margiotta:  My friend's husband, no names, but his plan is to die in bed. And he wants his wife to leave him there. That's his plan.     Tom Rasmussen:  No, that's his story.    Cynthia Margiotta:  That's his story!    Tom Rasmussen:  That's not a plan, thats a story.     Cynthia Margiotta:  That's his story. And it's like, don't worry, you don't have to do that. You know, so I get that. So, we're gonna break here, and we're gonna have a second half. And that second half of our podcast, really the main question will be, so don't answer this, what are the four options for Life Happens Events? So we'll come back and do that, I guess in about two weeks. With that we're gonna close. That's our show. And thank you to all of you for being with us today. And until next time, take good care of yourself. Tom, thank you so much for being here with us today.    Tom Rasmussen:  Thank you so much.