Senior Care Live
Senior Care Live
Senior Care Live: August 1, 2026
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Listen in as host Steve Kuker, President of Senior Care Consulting, visits with David Wiley, President & CEO of Kansas City Hospice and Palliative Care and Dr. Iman Williams Christians, Director of Grief Support and Counseling with KC Hospice. Dr. Iman discusses the many grief support programs provided by Kansas City Hospice and you may be surprised to learn, all are welcome and you do not have to be a patient with KC Hospice to receive the grief support you need. David explains that a good percentage of KC Hospice Solace House grief support programs are 100% philanthropically supported. Individual donors, businesses, volunteers, foundations and other grant partners make this important work possible and helps Kansas City Hospice provide grief support services to more than 1,500 people annually. Don’t forget the upcoming premier fund-raising event of the year “Sunday Night Live” at KC Power and Light October 11th from 5p-8p. Get your tickets at www.KCHospice.org/SNL. All donations help those in need in our community! Steve explains the difference between “assisted living” and “memory care” due to a lot of confusion about these terms in the marketplace. #SeniorCare #SeniorCareLive #SeniorCareConsulting #SeniorLiving #KansasCitySeniorCare #SeniorCarePlacement #SeniorCareAdvisor #Franchise #SeniorCareFranchise #VA
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Are you caring for an aging loved one? Are you a senior searching for answers? Welcome to Senior Care Live, a program dedicated to you providing information, education, and resources for seniors and their caregivers. And now, America's Senior Care Consultant, Steve Kuker.
Speaker 4Hello, and welcome to Senior Care Live. I'm Steve Kuker, your senior care consultant, and I really appreciate you tuning in today. We have a wonderful program on tap with my friend and special guest in studio, Mr. David Wiley. He's the president and CEO of Kansas City Hospice in Palliative Care, and Dr. Iman Williams Christians, Director of Grief Support and Counseling, also with Kansas City Hospice in Palliative Care. And David and Dr. Iman, welcome back to Senior Care Live . Good to be here. Thanks, Steve. So I re again, I really appreciate you being here. And , some folks may be unaware, but Kansas City Hospice in Palliative Care is the area's top provider of grief support services, right along with top quality end-of-life care. And today let's talk about some resources for people who are grieving the loss of a loved one. And Dr. Iman, could you go ahead and just start off by telling the audience what grief is and then what are some of the common responses to grief? Because everyone could be a little bit different in how they react to these things.
SpeakerYes, absolutely they can. So grief is a natural and h,uman response to loss. It's something all of us will experience at some point in our lives, but it looks different for everyone. There is no right way to grieve. Grief often comes after one's life's biggest challenges, changes, the death of someone close to us. That could be a parent, a spouse, a grandparent, a sibling, or a dear friend, or someone who played an important role in our lives. But grief isn't limited to death. We can grieve many types of losses. So the end of a relationship, a serious illness, or even changes in identity or life circumstances. What's important to remember is that grief isn't a problem to fix, but a process to support. That's why having the right resources matters so much. Although grief is a common human experience, it hasn't been widely recognized as a mental health need. And as a result, there's a lack of experience among traditional mental health providers in providing specialized counseling for grief.
Speaker 4And you know what? Grief isn't a problem to fix, it's a process to support. That is so that is succinct. That's it, the nail on the head right there. So , and I remember one time , when you were on the program, it was a while back, , you said , you know you've heard people say, oh, you just need to get over that. Just move on and kind of suck it up. You're like, no, that's the wrong thing to say.
SpeakerYeah, yeah, yeah. Pull yourself up by your bootstraps is not the best strategy.
Speaker 4No, that that's yeah, that's no bueno. So , what are some things people should watch for if they think they or maybe someone they care about needs help coping with grief?
SpeakerAaron Powell So grief can impact every area of a person's life, not just emotionally, but mentally, socially, physically, and spiritually. It may affect cognition, making it hard to concentrate, remember things, or make decisions, and it can leave people feeling like they're losing it. Emotionally, grief can show us sadness, anger, guilt, anxiety, numbness, or even a sense of relief. And also behaviorally, some people may throw themselves into staying busy while others struggle with basic self-care or finding find themselves easily distracted and tearful. Trevor Burrus, Jr.
Speaker 4I'm the throw myself into staying busy camp. Yes, I think. That's one of my crutches, , frankly. So absolutely, yes.
SpeakerSome people need to stay busy. And ,, yes, that is , an appropriate way to cope. , social relationships are another thing. They can shift as some grievers withdraw from others or feel increased tension and support networks. Spiritually, it's common to question your faith or struggle to find meaning or feel a deep sense of loss. And then physically, grief often disrupts sleep and appetite and may lead to headaches, fatigue, and other symptoms of stress. Each of these responses is a natural part of the grieving process.
Speaker 4I lose my appetite. I'm not interested in eating at all, and I need to stay busy. So you're I'm I'm doing some of these things , in the past when I've had some pretty serious grief to deal with. So , so you know, we talk a lot on the show about health care options for people who are aging and maybe managing a chronic illness or facing a serious or maybe even life-threatening health condition in Kansas City Hospice, in addition to being a hospice and palliative care provider, offers an array of grief support services. Can you share more about what services are available for someone experiencing grief or a non-death loss?
SpeakerYes, absolutely. So for , Kansas City Hospice, we have families from our hospice that are eligible for grief support 13 months after the loss because of the Medicare benefit. And that applies to everyone. It doesn't matter if you have Medicare or not. And they can attend , groups or our one-on-one services. We also provide community education and support groups and workshops. And then we have our community grief support, and this is for sudden and unexpected death, which could include , complicated grief, a combination of trauma and loss. And I I would love to mention Solace House Center for Grief and Healing. Solace House was started by two moms who could find services for themselves but not their children, and , that has been open for almost 30 years, and , we facilitate peer support groups, we have family and adult grief camps, and then we have our Solace House Counseling, which is individual and family counseling. So far this year we have completed more than 900 individual counseling sessions, and , it's just an incredible impact on the Kansas City community. So we work with things like prolonged or complicated grief, difficulty with life transitions. We have licensed clinical social workers and counselors , who specialize in trauma training and working with both children and senior adults. We also , provide this , with insurance, Medicare, Medicaid. We also , accept private pay, but as a nonprofit, we really prioritize making sure that we're reducing financial barriers. So we have a sliding scale and we see some people at no cost as well.
Speaker 4Okay, and and this is something just I just hate even bringing it up or even thinking about it, but I remember very clearly that unfortunately a terrible thing happened. There was a a shooting in a school and it traumatizes everyone, adults and the students in the in the school. And I recall watching the news report that Kansas City hospice counselors were on site and there for those kids. And that's so powerful. And that's probably part of the Solace House counseling because you talking to maybe a seventh grader is different than talking to an adult or talking to a second grader. It's just different.
SpeakerYeah, yeah, absolutely. And we love to offer those services and we get those calls unfortunately at least a few times a year.
Speaker 4I hate that it's needed, but I love that you are able to address that. For sure. So you described a lot of terrific resources. Are there some other things you'd like to share with us today?
SpeakerYeah, we have hospice grief support has successfully hosted eight grief support groups already this year, serving almost 90 group participants. Our community groups help connect others who have experienced similar loss and help , gain insights, education, , supporting , Kansas City, and they're supported by Kansas City Hospice Grief Support Specialists. Some of our groups include Navigating Grief, ,, The Grief Journey, which is a great psychoeducational group, men's group, ,, sorting through , for folks who are struggling to , figure out what to do with all their loved ones' things, , nurturing your grief in nature. They'll go out , and do walking groups, and then we have , our spouse and partner lost group, which is probably our most popular group. , in addition, we are , bringing back the cooking for one. This is a wonderful program where , they do recipe sharing and they make a nutritious meal with others who are also grieving. And this is kind of their first chance to really think about , what it is , they're cooking and , grieving that other person they used to cook for. So yes, and , one thing I forgot to mention is we also host our grief camps for families, ,, and we've hosted one already this year, and we have one coming up in the fall.
Speaker 4Excellent, excellent. And again, so you're hitting all my buttons here. So Yeah, good. In our church, you know, we have a men's group and men talk differently around other men. Maybe we open up differently, and maybe there's some different support. And I think it's really important to have that kind of that that opportunity to speak about these difficult things around other guys because maybe we hold things inside a little bit more and maybe I don't know, it's it's just different. And then , the spouse and partner loss, ,, you know, that's , obviously that's huge, and it's a life changer and , that's different than the support for a men's group. And sorting through, you know, I remember my mom still has some of my dad's clothing, but it took her a really long time to kind of scale that down, and that's , that's a huge part of all this as well. If this is catching your attention, please reach out to Kansas City Hospice in Palliative Care for support. 816-363-2600. That number again, 816-363-2600. You can also look online. It is a fantastic website, kchospice.org, kchospice.org. There are all kinds of support groups and different types of support groups available for you. Please reach out and get the help you need. And now the senior care live question of the week. Grief refers to emotions experienced after a loved one dies. Is that statement true or false? The answer coming up next.
Speaker 3You're listening to Senior Care Live on the Senior Care Broadcasting Network. For more information, visit seniorcare live.com. We'll have more with Steve coming up next.
Speaker 1Many people have heard the term hospice, but most don't really understand what it means, or they think it's only meant for the very last days of life. In fact, hospice is about living life as fully as possible for as long as possible, and most families wish they had come to us much sooner. I'm David Wiley, president and CEO of Kansas City Hospice in Palliative Care. Our trusted healthcare professionals are dedicated to serving individuals at home and throughout the community with expert, compassionate care and support, addressing physical, emotional, and spiritual needs surrounding the end of life. Our caregivers focus on comfort and quality of life for our patients and support for family and friends who love and care for them. People you know, care, you trust. That's the Kansas City Hospice difference. For more information about making the right choice in hospice and palliative care for you or a loved one, please visit us at kchospice.org or call 816-363-2600.
Speaker 4Welcome back. You're listening to Senior Care Live on the Senior Care Broadcasting Network. For more information, visit SeniorCareLive.com. All right, back to the Senior Care Live question of the week. Grief refers to emotions experienced after a loved one dies. Is that statement true or false? And the answer is false. The answer is false. And Dr. Iman, why is that statement false?
SpeakerIt is false because while grief is experienced after a person dies, it's also experienced for other losses in life, including those not related to death. While there are emotional symptoms, grief affects all aspects of your life, including cognition, behavior, social interactions, spiritual beliefs, and physical health.
Speaker 4All right. Excellent, excellent. Special guests in studio, David Wiley and Dr. Iman with Kansas City Hospice in Palliative Care. If this is catching your attention, I know it is for quite probably a lot of folks listening to this. Reach out to Kansas City Hospice. Get the help you need. Don't be shy about that. 816-363-2600. 816-363-2600, or online at KCHospice.org. and Dr. Iman, we talked about Grief Camp. What is a grief camp and what does that look like?
SpeakerSo Grief Camp is a supportive and healing space designed specifically for children and families who have experienced the death of a loved one. At its core, it's a place where grieving kids get to be around others who get it. There it's comfort in not having to explain why you're sad or why certain days are harder than others. Camp blends traditional fun like swimming, golf, tree climbing, laser tag with intentional grief support activities like sharing pictures of loved ones. Recently we hosted Camp Aaron with 73 campers, that's 43 children and 30 caregivers or adults, and that is 27 families all together. The campers enjoyed the facilities at Margaritaville Resort and Timber Ridge Adventure Center. Fishing turned out to be a camper favorite this year alongside our sand jar and memory board activities. The impact of camp is best captured in the words of the families who attended. So one parent shared, I don't feel like I'm carrying the heaviest boulder imaginable by myself. Another reflected on the rare gift of undistracted time with their child. She said, Coming this weekend gave a chance for me and my child to have time together without all the outside noise. This is the most she has talked in months. And one of our youngest campers put it simply, describing the sand jar activity. Sand art activity made me feel calm and it made me feel like my loved one was with me. Caregivers learned more about communicating with , and parenting children who are grieving and learn to deal with their own grief and adult-only sessions. The goal is to help kids and families learn to cope with their grief through facilitated support activities and also have fun and be kids with peers who have had similar experiences with loss. We're also excited to share that this September marks the 30th anniversary of Camp Carousel, which we'll also host at Margarita Vill Resorts.
Speaker 4That sounds just phenomenal. And you've shared so much information today. Again, where can listeners go to stay up to date on grief support services that will be provided through Kansas City Hospice this fall and winter?
SpeakerSo one thing I'll mention since last fall, our solace house groups follow a new structure. But actually, before I get to that, you can also always visit us at kchospice.org slash grief for information on other services or call us at 816-363-2600. So back to our solace house groups, we do have a new structure. So it's two four-week group sessions with a two-week break in between. And this has given us flexibility to add additional participants who may have missed the initial assessments or needed some time to decide if group was right for them. There are other resources about grief you can read up on our website, including our journeys newsletter, and a way to sign up to receive more information. I also want to mention National Grief Awareness Day observed annually on August 30th. This date was founded to help people understand the complex emotions of loss, support those who are mourning, and to help break the stigma around talking about grief. And some ways you can observe this date, August 30th, are to send a kind text or call a friend who is going through a hard time, listen, offer a safe space for someone to share their feelings without judgment, take time to acknowledge your own losses and be gentle with yourself. And finally, let me encourage anyone experiencing grief to remember you're not alone. Please reach us at Solace House to speak with someone more. And encourage anyone who is contemplating any type of life crisis to call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988. Talking with other people really can make a difference for you. Just this week, we received some kind words from a family who worked with us. She said, Solace house was there for my family and me after a tragic suicide death of my son at age 15. The group grieving experience was like no other, and it was foundational in my family's ability to grow through our shared trauma.
Speaker 4That is unbelievable. I can't that's unimaginable, but you were there with them and you made a difference in their life. Yeah. And , you I don't know what else can what else can you say about that. , it's unbelievable. Thank you so much for taking , the time to talk with us today and sharing this super helpful information about grief and then how to support someone you know who is grieving a death , or , another type of a loss in their lives. And , now I'd like to , welcome our second guest today, David Wiley. Again, he's the president and CEO of Kansas City Hospice in Palliative Care. And David, in her description, Dr. Iman mentioned Kansas City Hospice Grief Support Programming, and that's available to families whose loved one w receive service from your hospice program as part of the Medicare hospice benefit, and that your community-wide grief support programming is available free of charge to anyone who has experienced a loss, and that includes sudden and unexpected loss. So, how are these extensive services funded? And , are there also other insurance or reimbursement benefits for that or maybe even something else?
Speaker 1You know, Steve, it's a great question. Good to be here today. You know, there's several aspects to this to discuss. So, first of all, hospice grief support, you know, it's part of the deal. When you have a loved one on hospice care and they die on our service, as Dr. mentioned, Dr. Amon mentioned, ,, we help families for 13 months as part of that offering and it's free. A good percentage of our KCH Solace House Center for Grief and Healing grief support programs described are 100% philanthropically supported. For example, ,, our grief sessions that we offer in the spring and in the fall, which support the entire family, are free to the community, and that's , exactly what that comment was just mentioning. In fact, it was a five-star Google review, which is , always a good to get. We also provide support , to , individuals who are not insured using a sliding scale, and typically that ends up being free to participants. And this is mostly , like people folks that have experienced, you know, a sudden or tragic death. , we all see it in the news, we see what's happening to folks, so we're here to support them. We're also fortunate to obtain funding from the Jackson County Children's Fund to support Jackson County children and their families. And finally, we have a great licensed counselor program that that we offer from some of our licensed social workers.
Speaker 4That is fantastic. I have so many more questions for you. Let's pick this up right after the break. Don't go away.
Speaker 3You're listening to Senior Care Live on the Senior Care Broadcasting Network. Have a question? Visit seniorcare live.com. Stick around. We'll have more with Steve coming up next. A recent internet search for nursing homes in Kansas City provided 32 million results. It's daunting to think that there are over 350 senior care communities to choose from in the Kansas City Metro. And on average, you'll spend 50 to 100 hours trying to find a place for your loved one. If this sounds overwhelming, that's because it is. I invite you to reach out to Senior Care Consulting. We've been serving families since 2002. With our premium service, we do most of the work for you. You'll spend just a few hours of your time finding the best place available. And you can trust us to be objective because we don't receive reimbursement from any provider. We work for you. To learn more, call Senior Care Consulting at 913 945 2800. 913 945 2800. A placement service with integrity at SeniorCareConsulting.com.
Speaker 4Welcome back. You're listening to Senior Care Live on the Senior Care Broadcasting Network. For podcasts of the program, visit SeniorCareLive.com or wherever you get your podcasts. And David, before the break, you mentioned , Solace House is supported by licensed social workers.
Speaker 1You know, Steve, ,, it's a fantastic and really impactful program. Our Solace House counseling , program includes , licensed therapists. , they actually accept insurance , as well as Medicare and Medicaid for reimbursement. But for those , without a means to pay, we still are able to help them thanks to our donors. So really, I think when we think about all of our grief services, it's the generosity of individual donors, businesses, volunteers, foundations, and other grant partners who really make this important work possible. All of this community support helps us provide services to more than 1,500 people annually. And I would just conclude that you know our donors and our grant partners have really stepped up to ensure that we've been able to expand our program capacity as the community needs have grown. , and this is something especially, like I said, as the our needs have significantly and grown , in the most recent years.
Speaker 4That is that's absolutely I mean the impact is just amazing. So when you make a donation to Kansas City Hospice, a nonprofit organization, been around for a really long time. You're helping 1,500 people annually j just in this one area. , David, why do you think people choose to give to programs like these?
Speaker 1You know, , like we've talked today, grief is a universally human experience. All of us have or will experience the death of someone close to us at some point in our lives. And making a financial gift in honor of a loved one who's died or in recognition of the impactful grief support services provided to you by a Kansas City Hospice specialist after your own loss can be a very healing experience for people. , it also helps to remember and honor the legacy of a loved one. , it it's empowering , the feeling , to be able to really pay it forward for the care that you received and to ensure , others in the community who need these specialized services are actually able to receive it. And , a great example of the impact that that we've provided as a result of this work, ,, we've had several different people who've given regularly. They've decided to leave an estate or legacy gift in honor of the solace house. And just to be clear, while an estate gift is is impactful and amazing, every dollar helps, and we're so grateful for our donors.
Speaker 4Absolutely, no doubt about that. If someone listening today is interested in becoming a Kansas City Hospice Solace House donor, what's the first step?
Speaker 1You know, to support the Solace House or KC Hospice Grief Support or any of our programs, you can make a secure donation online at kchospice.org forward slash donation. , there's options for either one-time or recurring, whatever people's preference. , for those that are left less comfortable with online donations, they can call and make a donation over the phone by just calling our main office at 816-363-2600. They will connect you with the right person to make that happen. , people can attend our signature fundraising event, which is called Sunday Night Live. It's another powerful way to support families served by Kansas City Hospice throughout the year. And , those are ways that people can help.
Speaker 4All right. So tell us more about , about that that special fundraising event.
Speaker 1Well, you know, Steve, , Sunday Night Live is , it's a lot of fun, and I always enjoy seeing you there. , I'll be there this year as well. It's , it's a can't miss , situation. It is what it is. Awesome. Well, you know, we , welcome individuals and businesses , from throughout the metro area to the KC Live block and Power and Light for Sunday Night Live. And our theme this year is Reflections. , it's gonna be from 5 to 8 on Sunday, October 11th, and you don't have to worry about missing a Chiefs game or cutting out early because it's a bye week. Yay! I know, yay. No conflict there. So yeah. So , anyway, we'll be reflecting on all the ways people around Kansas City show up for Kansas City Hospice, our friends, our team members, people we've lost. We'll reflect on our memories and , our many champions, donors, and supporters, and we'll be celebrating all of them , on October 11th. And you've been there and it you'll , expect, you know, unique, fun-filled evening, , food, drinks, games, raffle prizes, and more. It's , it's a great it's a great night.
Speaker 4You know, and if if you're a foodie, and I know it's not just about food, but I mean that's part of the experience. Sure. There are some amazing and some high-end restaurants that have all sorts of samples out there, and ,, I just kind of graze my way all the way through there. Come hungry because you can sample all this great food. It's just part of the part of the event. It's fantastic.
Speaker 1You know, it's a lot of fun, and ,, you're right. The food experience is part of that. The those restaurants around Power and Light do a great job. If people are interested, they can purchase tickets at kchospice.org forward slash SNL. ,, or you can call our main number again, 816-363-2600. We also have raffle tickets and a silent auction on our website soon. So even if you can't come out to Sunday Night Live with us in October, you can certainly support the families , in Kansas City.
Speaker 4And it's laid out so well, and you can go through and bid on the silent auction options. The huge screen up there, there's a big sound system. So and you've got the video going, and , , it is just it's just fantastic. So , again, reach out to Kansas City Hospice when you make a donation. It stays right here in our community. It serves our community, it may serve your neighbor in their greatest time of need. 816-363-2600. That's the phone number. 816-363-2600, or visit online at kchospice.org. David, you were talking about the different ways to , to make a , a secure online contribution. Now, my mom would prefer to write a check. Can we still go old school? Just mail a check. 100%. Okay, okay, all right, because that would be my mom's it happens all the time, and that's no problem at all. Yeah, yeah. All right, all right, fantastic. So , , David and Dr. Yamon, thanks so much for being here today. Keep up the fantastic work. You almost had me in tears a couple times there. , with just some of just the phenomenal work. , oh my gosh. So , seriously, it just I feel honored every time I have you here , in the in the studio just to share some of this with our with our listening audience. So thank you very much for the work you do.
SpeakerAbsolutely.
Speaker 4You're welcome, Steve.
Speaker 1It's , it's a pleasure to be here and share today. Thank you.
Speaker 4All right, again, thank you so much to David Wiley and Dr. Iman again from Kansas City Hospice in Palliative Care. You want to talk about some fantastic people. These are good, good people. They want to help. And you know, we talked about donating to Kansas City Hospice in Palliative Care a number of times on the program. The signature event for fundraising of the entire year. It and we touched on it a little bit. We'll hope we'll probably talk about next month as well, but it's called Sunday Night Live. It is down at , the Kansas City Power and Light, and it is it is a phenomenal event. It's busy, there are tons of people there. Again, free drinks, ice cream, all this really and we're not talking about your basic food, we're talking about lobster, mac and cheese, and , all kinds of like really good stuff. So , I I'm a little bit of a foodie and I'm super impressed with all of the stuff. So , it's you know, come hungry and , and just have kind of some samples , here and there, have some fun. There's some music. , do the silent auction and , and the raffles. So I love the raffles, and they have some fantastic, fantastic packages that you can buy some raffle tickets on. And they're calling out the numbers. It is absolutely a good time. I mean, hundreds of thousands of dollars are raised on this on this huge, huge night, this big event for Kansas City Hospice in Palliative Care. And as I mentioned before, every dollar, every dollar goes to serving people in our community. It doesn't head out to the coast or some other, you know, wherever, okay? And they're good, they're good organizations where you know maybe they have a more of a national reach. This is local. Kansas City Hospice serves people in our community. When you make a donation, you may not know it, but you may actually indirectly have impacted in a major positive way someone in your extended family, someone in your neighborhood, maybe your next door neighbor, maybe someone you work with. Okay, so it it stays here. And they provide so much care free of charge. They provide so many programs that are way over and above what is , technically required for a hospice and palliative care organization. I just can't say enough good things. You can purchase those tickets for Sunday Night Live, just just give them a call. You can make a donation for the Kansas City Hospice Solace House. You can raise your hand and donate your personal time and talents because there are a lot of folks out there looking for something to do in that next chapter. 816-363-2600 or online at KCHospice.org. I'll have more coming up next.
Speaker 3You're listening to Senior Care Live on the Senior Care Broadcasting Network. To contact Steve or a guest on his show, visit SeniorCareLive.com. We'll have more coming up.
Speaker 4Hello, this is Steve Kuker, President of Senior Care Consulting. I'm so excited to announce that we are expanding nationwide by awarding senior care consulting franchises. We help our clients find the right senior care community, including assisted living, memory care, long-term care, and continuing care retirement communities. We are not another one-of-the-mill free referral service. We're very different. We offer a placement service with integrity. Owning a senior care consulting franchise offers many benefits. Our market is not affected by the economy. Operate from your home office and enjoy work-life balance. Pour your passion into a business you can be proud of. For more information about owning a senior care consulting franchise, call 833-722-3726. 833-722-3726 or visit Senior Care Consulting.com. Have a question? Visit SeniorCareLive.com. All right. So had a couple of calls on this, and people still need a little more clarification. I think I could have explained it a little bit better last week on our 13th anniversary special episode of Senior Care Live. How about that? I'm still I'm still basking in the glow of that , celebration. How about that? So last week I talked about memory care. I do believe, in fact, I'm firmly convinced, it's just a very misused term out in the marketplace. It's kind of used like a level of care. Well, we have assisted living and we have memory care. Well, which part are you in? Well, assisted living. , no, no, they're there. It's not, it's it's memory care. It's very confusing. Again, let me just talk about memory care and assisted living, and just I'll try to make a little better sense of this because it is confusing. I think I could have explained it a little bit better last week. Assisted living is a is a level of care. And when I say a level of care, I mean that is tied to a licensure issued by the state. And the license says what you have to do, what you must do, and how to do it. And it's you are governed and managed by this licensure. In the assisted living level of care, they can help you minimally or fully with all of your primary activities of daily living. So minimally or fully with your bathing, dressing, grooming, and toileting. So those are kind of the big four. They can help with incontinence support to a point. They will manage, order, and distribute your medications. Make sure you get that on time. At this level, at this level, they make all of your meals for you at this point. You don't even have to worry about cooking. They provide snacks, hydration, all three meals throughout the day. Doctors come into the building to see you, essentially. I like to just compare that to just making a house call because that's your home and they'll come into your home and see you for medical purposes, like a primary care physician type of a visit. And there are even some specialists that will come in to the building as well and make a house call. If you want to keep your family physician you've had for the last 20 years or whatever, certainly welcome to do that. They have transportation that will take you to doctor's appointments out of the building to see your physician or maybe a specialist. There is a full slate of activities for meaningful social engagement, super, super important. And so that is the assisted living level of care. You noticed I didn't mention anything that was really , medical in nature. Okay, so it's really more of a social model that helps people, again, with those activities of daily living, a tremendous amount of support. Tremendous amount of support. It just we're just not getting into wound care and urinary catheters and feeding tubes and stuff like that, right? Okay. So that's assisted living. Then I describe memory care as a special type of care for a resident with cognitive impairment. It is no more complicated than that. Memory care is a special type of care for a resident with cognitive impairment. So then the next obvious question is when would you need memory care, quote unquote. So I think the two the two most common issues requiring you to move to the memory care portion of the of the building of that community, ,, number one by a mile, the industry calls this elopement risk. So this person , is or has become an elopement risk. Just think flight risk. So someone who may you know leave the building and put themselves in harm's way. All right, there are two levels of elopement risk. Super, super common would be what is called wandering. So, an example, someone and God bless them, they're not trying to cause trouble, not trying to cause problems, and they're certainly not trying to cause harm to themselves, but they have dementia. They see something going on outside, and they're like, h,, I wonder what's going on. I want to check that out. They're perfectly mobile. They walk outside to check it out, it's a hundred degrees, it's zero degrees, there's traffic everywhere, and they unintentionally place themselves in harm's way. This is a major, major safety issue that has to be managed by the folks at the assisted living community. I mean, they're responsible for keeping this person safe. And so if there's a wandering , , issue or risk that that puts you at risk for an elopement or a flight this flight risk, if you will, okay, you have to be that has to be managed. And in memory care, you have codes on the doors. , so you can leave the area, someone who could remember the code, and God bless these folks, but someone who remembers the code from you know staff or maybe family member enters the code and you can leave the area. You just need to be accompanied for your own safety and security. Now, the much higher level of elopement risk is referred to as exit seeking. So, again, you have dementia, you're confused, you're looking around and you're like, you know, this place is pretty nice. Yeah, it's a nice place, but this isn't my home. This isn't where I live. I'm out of here. Boom. You're heading for the door, you're shaking the door, you're trying the windows, you are getting out because that's not where you're supposed to be, and you're gonna get you're going home. And when you get out of the building, you're gonna walk home. Or maybe I'll catch a cab, or what whatever this person might be thinking. God bless them. So you can't have that. That person needs to be protected, and a big part of memory care is protecting that person from leaving , leaving the safety and security of the memory care neighborhood. And that's why you have codes on the doors. The second most common reason that you may need, quote unquote, the memory care part of the building, which is a special type of care for a resident with cognitive impairment, is becoming easily overstimulated. So you're out in the other part of the building where there might be 50, 60 residents. There are too many people, there's too much noise, too much light. ,, you just you can't filter this out, you can't take it, you start to wind up tight, and then you just blow your top and you become super belligerent, agitated. , it just and it's not it's not working. You need that smaller memory care neighborhood with maybe 15 or 20 residents, so fewer people, less noise, the lights are dialed down, everything's kind of dialed down a little bit just to be kind of just kind of relaxed and keep everyone calm and cool. , and then another one might be just some disruptive behaviors , that would get you a pretty quick ticket to memory care. The person needing memory care at the assisted living level needs help with their bathing, dressing, grooming, toileting, and continent support, medication management. They need their meals fixed for them, ,, et cetera, et cetera. And they have dementia, where they may become an elopement risk, become overstimulated, or have some disruptive behaviors. That's memory care at the assisted living level of care. And hopefully that explains it a little bit better. Again, like to thank my friend David Wiley, my friend Dr. Ramon from Kansas City Hospice and Palliative Care for coming in today. Fantastic program, fantastic program. Thank you very much. I'm Steve Kuker, and I wish you grace and peace. May God bless you and your family on this day and always. Join me next week, right here on Senior Care Live.
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