MMAP SMP Director Rati Sijiye trys out the podcasting experience and interviews podcast host Kitty Glomski for an episode of Let's Talk About Aging specially produced for the Statewide Conference.
MMAP SMP Director Rati Sijiye trys out the podcasting experience and interviews podcast host Kitty Glomski for an episode of Let's Talk About Aging specially produced for the Statewide Conference.
Good morning. This is Kitty Glomski and my co host,
Rati Sijiye:Rati Sijiye. Good morning, everyone.
Kitty Glomski:Good morning. In another episode of Let's Talk About Aging. Rati go ahead. Take the reins today.
Rati Sijiye:All right. Thank you for having me as a cohost this morning. Kitty, you are a partner for MMAP and your agency or AAA is partnered in three of the programs that we are holding through MMAP, and this is with regards to Medicare. You have been very brave to host a podcast covering Medicare topics. Very interesting area. Tell us, how did you come about that idea?
Kitty Glomski:A little over a year ago, we had opportunity to apply for a Senior Medicare Patrol grant a small amount of money and it helped to buy the equipment and the databases to actually do a podcast. Podcasting is one of those tools that we have to get information out to beneficiaries. I saw that as a form of media that no one had used in northeast Michigan, and I wanted to do a podcast. I just knew that was important. I spoke with one of my coworkers. Brooke Mainville. Brooke does the evidence based disease prevention programs and I saw the need to cover Medicare topics along with scams and fraud and then Brooke could also talk about the services and programs of the AAA, which is the Area Agency on Aging.
Rati Sijiye:Now you mentioned that you were talking in terms of covering Medicare, and the evidence based program. So we're very encouraged and proud of the podcasts that you do and the different topics that you cover. So now what I want to know based on what you just shared is, because the target population is Medicare have you found this approach to be a useful tool to reach this population?
Kitty Glomski:We're working on that and of course, listenership and marketing is one of the big areas that I continue to work with. It's one thing that I can gauge because as people listen, we do get statistics. I find that new to Medicare people, if we promote podcast through the local commissions and councils on aging, we catch the people that are brand new to Medicare and let them know we exist, then they do listen to the podcasts. And the podcasts are very helpful with giving out information, especially about scams. We have several scams that have popped up again and it's a good way to let folks know that we are here to help people sort through that stuff.
Rati Sijiye:You also mentioned at the beginning that it was funding from the Senior Medicare Patrol that was instrumental in starting this project but I also know that you are a partner for the other programs as well that come in through MMAP and so, I am wondering, Kitty, how do you select your panelists for your podcast?
Kitty Glomski:A lot of times it's the opportunities that I have. A person that may be talking to me in a meeting, or it may be something that I hear about that I haven't touched on before. It may be in current news. It may be brought by beneficiary, especially if it's a scam. It may be a counselor that brings that topic. And at first, I had counselors that were kind of shy about talking, but when they figure out that it's just a conversation, it's like talking on a telephone. It's pretty easy to do and as the host of the podcast, I just have to make sure that I get all the information and that it's clear and that we've covered the topic. So my job is a little bit different than just a conversation. But the topics kind of present themselves and that's exciting.
Rati Sijiye:That is exciting. Yes. So when you are surrounded with other people who do the same work, who love the same work that you do, the conversations are free flowing. And I'm sure those ideas just keep flowing unintentionally.
Kitty Glomski:Yes, you're correct. Yes.
Rati Sijiye:So then this takes me to the best practice this approach. We know that any time we best practice or evidence-based practices involved, it's not minor work. It takes hard work, it takes dedication, and it takes consistency. So my next question is, how time consuming is it to edit the content after a podcast?
Kitty Glomski:Yes, that's the bigger part. Actually, it's usually about 5 hours per podcast and podcasts can range from 15 minutes to I think the longest one I've done is about 25. The worst one that I did was editing out space so that it made complete sentences and complete ideas and I actually edited out half the podcast. So, it just depends. They can go quickly or they can take more time. I can do one podcast a month for our topic area with a Medicare topic, Medicare, Medicaid, or Senior Medicare Patrol, and one to cover services or educational topics that are available through the Area Agency on Aging.
Rati Sijiye:We are grateful for what you are doing. Obviously, there's a lot of people that are benefiting from it. What have been the challenges and how have you dealt with them?
Kitty Glomski:Well, the big thing is arranging with speakers to get the podcast done. And I have an editing program that allows me to edit, not by sound bites, but by words, and that is so useful and helpful. I'm not having to listen to every single thing and edit that way. I can look at the content and it's just like editing a Word document, then you can listen to it and tweak it.
Rati Sijiye:Now I am interested to know about what challenges that you have had that have come your way as a result of doing this podcast.
Kitty Glomski:Editing is a big commitment and editing is where we really make everyone as professional sounding as possible. I take out everything that's repeats, laughs, giggles to make it sound smooth and that everybody knows what they're talking about. And so I get tongue tied at times. And so I always tell people in the conversation that if you have an idea. And you stop and then you repeat the idea. That's the best of all possible worlds, because I can take out the glitch. Sometimes people are shy about talking on a podcast, but I try to tell them it's like talking on the telephone. I guide you through as a host and just like you're doing now with me and I try to cover all the bases, all the pertinent areas that we need to cover. Other challenges, I think that in the beginning, it was finding the software. What was going to handle this? Because a lot of what's being done you're using software that they would use in radio. And it can be pretty intimidating. So it was coming up with the idea, educating myself about what is available and how could I easily produce a podcast by myself. And I wanted a co host someone else to handle the topics with the Area Agency on Aging. If you can delegate it, you are better off. Once I found the software and got through the first podcast, then it's just a matter of making it a regular part of your routine and getting things recorded. You can have recordings, and you can be working on two or three of them, and then you post as you need to. So it's planning the schedule after that. But it was helpful to have the grant, because we got the professional microphones and headsets and that kind of thing. It makes at least my end of things sound pretty good.
Rati Sijiye:We are grateful that the SMP and the SHIP program get to benefit from your willingness to explore, to think outside the box and your willingness to engage in some self development and hence the programs that you're leading and that your agency are benefiting as well and the beneficiaries ultimately. Kitty, there's also that side of the conversation, which is what were the lessons learned from engaging in this podcast?
Kitty Glomski:Definitely that it's worthwhile. This is a form of media, just like newspapers, radio, television. This is media. So big, huge lesson is that you need to think of it in that way, and you need to promote it in that way. The biggest obstacle for me right now is the marketing end of things. We have baby boomers that are retiring. It seems like it's an either or either they have used computers and they are comfortable with them. Or they don't. And so the lesson for me here is that I'm not trying to make somebody use something they're not comfortable with using, but I am trying to catch the people that do. And so that's how I look at growing my audience is with the folks out there that do use technology. They do have a cell phone for example. They can with a little help, maybe learn to use a QR code by using their camera and hovering it over this little box called a QR code. That gets you right to the website so you can select a topic. I also look at keeping the podcasts short. These are not the big long podcasts that you subscribe to. These are short little informational topics that people can learn more about Medicare, Medicaid and Senior Medicare Patrol and what the AAA does. The Area Agency on Aging has all kinds of programs. If you know who we are, what we do and what we offer, you can hear about it in the podcast. It's a form of media that has not been explored by very many, and I'm happy to do it. I never dreamed I'd be a podcaster.
Rati Sijiye:That is that is good news Kitty. I'm just while you're talking and I'm just thinking, oh most of the funders would like to see their partners providing the type of services that are responsive to the times and responsive to changes. And we know we were not happy with COVID, but COVID also did open many other doors of communication that I'm sure now we have more Beneficiaries that are using cell phones or computers than we had before COVID, simply because it required that kind of connection and you with the podcast have managed to respond to that need and to that you could still reach more beneficiaries than you would have before. To someone who is listening and they are hearing this, what would you be your advice to them?
Kitty Glomski:Doing a podcast, you don't need to have the fancy stuff, but it sounds better. You can have a computer with the ability just to record and you can do a podcast. I love doing my editing during my lunch and listening to the podcast recordings. You don't have to do the editing that I do, but it really makes it sound so much better if you do. If you do a little bit daily, and that's really where your time management comes in. I look at the editing to get it out of the way so that I can do what I like to do and that's talk with people and design the next topic on the podcast. It's an exciting thing to see them posted and live, and that people do listen to what you're doing. It's amazing. Some of the topics that I kind of pulled out of a hat were the people that I work with in the Medicare network and I'm thinking offhand about the Veterans Administration. I had a gentleman who actually took training to be a MMAP counselor and I kind of held that over his head and said, you owe me, so let's do a podcast. His has been some of the most popular podcasts. People want to know about Medicare and veterans services. So if you can dream it, you can do it.
Rati Sijiye:If you can dream it, you can do it. So Kitty, let's keep dreaming. So what are your next steps? Do you see the podcast evolving? Are there any ideas up in the back burner for this project?
Kitty Glomski:I always have a topic. As you know, Medicare keeps adding and changing and twisting and there are also new scams in the area. There's always something to talk about. And there are always more people that don't know what's available. When I think about how insurance companies are trying to capture clientele that they're not allowed to do that kind of marketing 1st of all, and that if our beneficiaries have any sort of question, they can call our network and what's really cool is that we have a statewide 800 number, and I give it out freely. It's 800 803 7174, and you can talk to a MMAP counselor, a Medicare Medicaid Assistance Program counselor, and we're unbiased. We can give you straight information. We can assist you with what your needs are and what your questions are. That's what we want people to know in a nutshell. So, if we're doing a Medicare topic or the Area Agency on Aging, if you need help, you call us. If you're not sure, you can call us. We're a safe place to ask questions. You can call us.
Rati Sijiye:That sounds great. What I like about your podcast as well is, you're talking about giving out the number and that is a statewide number, which routes people to their region based on their zip codes. Your podcast really are reaching more than just your region because they are online right in the web. that's almost as though you are actually reaching out to the rest of the state, really.
Kitty Glomski:So I love that too. I love that. I think we're the only podcast in Michigan right now, aren't we? I believe so. I would hope that other regions would also tap into us. And as you know, I love talking to people in the network, people at our state office, and if folks learn about us, they're going to know that there's more people to support them when they have questions or needs. Being on the, the internet is a big plus. And like I said, it's a new form of media and we have fun doing it and it's worthwhile.
Rati Sijiye:Thank you very much for taking the opportunity to inform us about everything that has gone on in the background and the journey that you have taken with the podcast. The information is very valuable to all of us, and I like the extension that you just made to all the other regional coordinators who may be interested in doing a podcast with you and your willingness to share the skills that you have. So thank you very much.
Kitty Glomski:You're welcome, Rati. And so until next time with Let's Talk About Aging, this is Uratile Sijie and this is Kitty Glomski and we thank you for listening.
Carla:Let's Talk About Aging is a production of the Region 9 Area Agency on Aging, 2569 US 23 South, Alpena, Michigan 4 9 7 0 7. This Podcast was supported, in part, by grant number 90MPPG0039 from the US Administration for Community Living, Department of Health and Human Services, Washington, DC. Podcast music provided by Groove Music, selection titled"Modern Logo," created by Vadym Kuznietsov and can be found at https://elements.envato.com/modern-logo-ZVHFBJ6