The Later in Life Planning Show
by Patrick Cawley
The Middle Class faces specific threats in the later years of life. Long-term care expenses will attack and consume your savings. Know your threats and build a shield.
Podcast episodes
Season 1
Aging Together
A grandchild sits with rapt attention listening to his grandfather describe the feeling of World War II anti-aircraft fire hitting the grandfather's plane. A grandmother describes what living during Prohibition was like. Family traditions, where a person lives, and talents the person has make much more sense as the person learns from older family members about the people who came before and what they did with their lives. Meanwhile, the grandchild adds to the safety, functional abilities, and general wellbeing of the grandparent. We are all interdependent. This often takes the form of multigenerational households or family caregiving. This episode examines the factors that will make that interdependence go well and what might derail peaceful coexistence under the same roof.
Emergency Services and Older Adults
While estate planning is the safety net when a person's health declines, there are emergencies that require immediate attention. Making sure that smoke detectors and carbon monoxide alarms are functioning is good preventative planning. But when the alarm sounds, there are steps you can take to make it easier for first responders to help. Fires, floods, and falls happen. In this episode, Jerry Ozog from the Hampden Township Volunteer Fire Company shares the kinds of calls his department goes out on and he offers tips to keep your home safe.
Helping Those Who Don't Want Help
William is having difficulty finding common words when he speaks. His friends have noticed that he cannot follow a conversation. He can't remember people he's known for decades. William's friends and family all want to support William. What if William resists their efforts? Maybe William even resents them for being in cahoots to take over his life. This resistance to help often happens with older adults who lose physical mobility or cognitive function. The problem is even worse when dementia is involved, as the person may be unaware of the impairments that are so obvious to other people. This episode explores the challenges and solutions that go with helping an older adult who does not want help.
Concierge Medicine: A Partnership with Your Doctor
Compared to a generation ago, information and strategies to maximize health and longevity are widely available. Is your primary care physician working those strategies with you? Most primary care practices are driven by accountants and insurance companies for efficiency. But determining the unique needs of each patient really requires more time. Prevention of illness may require tools that are not covered by insurance. The concierge model of primary care aims to build a partnership between the patient and the physician. Dr. Theresa Burick of the Burick Center for Health and Wellness explains how her concierge practice identifies priorities for patients and uses a wider range of tools to achieve greater health and wellness. The health care industry has changed over time. Concierge medicine is growing to get people out of the Sick Care System and into the Health Care System.
Candidate for PA Attorney General: Eugene DePasquale
How you plan for decision-making if you get sick, how your life savings is distributed, how much tax you pay, and how you protect assets are all issues fixed by law. Elected officials gather information and make decisions that impact your life. Understanding who they are as people and how they think about their responsibilities is important to planning in the later years of life. In this episode, the Democratic candidate for Attorney General of Pennsylvania, Eugene DePasquale, explains who he is as a person, what he achieved and learned as a state representative and as Auditor General, and why he is running for Attorney General.