EP# 146 - Transformative In-Home Care and Embracing Senior Life with Susan Nimnuan

Discover the transformative power of in-home care as we sit down with Susan Nimnuan , Vice President of Bright Star Care, who shares her inspiring journey from radiology to redefining the way we support our aging population. Susan brings to light the deeply personal experiences that have shaped her approach to compassionate service — experiences that resonate with anyone concerned about the well-being of their loved ones as they grow older. Prepare to have your understanding of home care broadened and the common myths dispelled as we delve into the importance of crafting personalized care plans and the role of family in these life-changing decisions.

Navigating the later years of life can often feel like uncharted waters, but with the right preparation, it doesn't have to. This episode is a treasure trove of insights on how to proactively integrate healthcare into your retirement planning, avoiding the all-too-common reactive approach to health crises. We also discuss the enticing trend of seniors embracing life aboard cruise ships and offer practical advice for those considering this unique lifestyle. Whether you're planning for yourself or assisting a loved one, tune in for valuable resources and guidance that illuminate the path to a secure and fulfilling future, tailored to every individual's needs and preferences.

Brightstar Care
Susan Nimnuan
2545 Northbrooke Plaza Dr
Naples, FL 34119
239-992-4779
susan.nimnuan@brightstarcare.com
WEBSITE

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:00

This is the Good Neighbor Podcast, the place where local businesses and neighbors come together. Here's your host, cabo, jim Schaller.

Speaker 2: 0:11

Welcome Good Neighbors, episode number 146 of the Good Neighbor Podcast Estero. Today we have Good Neighbor Susan Nimnuan from Bright Star Care. Welcome.

Speaker 3: 0:22

Hi, thank you.

Speaker 2: 0:24

Yes, pleasure to get to know you and learn a little bit more about what you do over at Bright Star Care. So let's not cause further delay, let's just jump right in. Why don't you share a little bit about what you do?

Speaker 3: 0:36

All right, so I am the vice president here at Bright Star Care. I have been here just over 11 years and Bright Star Care is a private duty home care agency providing a full spectrum of services to those living throughout Lee and Collier County. So we provide companion care, personal care and skilled services, which include skilled nursing, physical and occupational therapies, all in the home setting.

Speaker 2: 1:04

That is great. A lot of people like to, and prefer to, stay at home nowadays too. They sure do so let's back up your story a little bit. How did you get involved in this industry?

Speaker 3: 1:17

Interesting. So I'm actually from Michigan and I moved down here in 2012 and I was looking to get into the hospitals down here in Michigan. I had worked in radiology and I was looking to kind of find the same type of work here and I discovered it was a little different how it worked down here in South Florida. So I had stumbled upon a job post for a home care agency and I took the interview and I thought it would be a great stepping stone to get into the health care community down here. I thought that it was very interesting the concept of home care. It was unfamiliar to me at the time and I really enjoyed the people.

Speaker 3: 2:01

I was lucky enough to be offered a position and started working. I was pretty upfront that it would be a stepping stone position for me. You know, I thought maybe I would be here a year and, you know, grew to love. It grew with the company, was given wonderful opportunities to really learn about the industry and what we do and worked my way up to office manager, director of operations, and I've been the vice president now for three and a half years.

Speaker 2: 2:31

Wow, congrats. That's quite the journey there. So we've all had speaking of journeys. I guess we've all had some type of challenge or obstacle. It sounds like it was a challenging course for you, but is there something that you can look back at now? That's maybe helped define who you are today?

Speaker 3: 2:49

Oh, that's a great question, I think, for me. What I really would say is a challenge that's helped define me today is, I would really say, for us it was the COVID pandemic. Right at the time when the pandemic started, home care was really growing nationwide. Already People were looking more to the services that you can get in the home and it was such a booming time for us. And then with the pandemic that really, you know, catapulted us. You know, a lot of people saw facilities locking down, shutting down, restricting visitation, but in the home you didn't have those types of things.

Speaker 3: 3:32

So, facing that and then facing some of the challenges our industry had during that time which was our industry was excluded from any sort of government requirement or assistance or anything like that but public facing, you know, everybody thought that we were included. So testing, vaccination, things of that nature. So it was a very interesting time, you know, to overcome some of those obstacles and I think it really gave me an opportunity to dive more into what my passion is, which is education and awareness and advocacy for the senior population, for aging, and just that journey in general, the pandemic complexities to it. I really found that I just want to help seniors, think about the aging journey, really understand all the options that are out there and make the best decision for them. So I think that's really where I'm at today and where I put a lot of my focus and I think a lot of it came out of that time.

Speaker 2: 4:43

Absolutely, and there's a lot that has changed over the years. Since then as well, too, do you see anything trending in the industry? Now? That may be because of that.

Speaker 3: 4:55

I do see a lot of people are exploring what they can have in the home, setting more than ever before. You know, the home is not for everybody and a facility is not for everybody. I think that when people are thinking about their aging journey and where they want to, you know, call home. You know that could be with family, that could be at their own home, that could be in a senior living community. Some people are doing it on cruise ships nowadays. I think the trend that I'm seeing is that people are starting to realize that there's more options out there and they are starting to take the time to explore and truly understand what's best for them, which makes me so happy, because that's all I really want is for people to age the way that they want and to understand that there's no one decision that fits for everybody, and you should be working with a team of care providers that support and embrace your aging dream and how you want to accomplish that.

Speaker 2: 6:04

And that's it's important to have that conversation, not just with people like yourself, but with your family, you know, because they're going to be involved and they're going to be involved in some of that caretaking as well too. Do you see any or I guess I should ask are there any myths or maybe misconceptions surrounding what you do that we could clear up for our listeners?

Speaker 3: 6:25

Oh my gosh. Yes, the list is so long. I would say there's two that always stand out to me. One is people think, oh, home care, you just take mom or dad, you know, to the grocery store. Oh, home care, you just take mom or dad, you know, to the grocery store. It's so much more than that In the home setting, you know, of course we can transportation, we can help you run your errands light housekeeping, meal preparation but we can assist you with anything, whether that's your personal care, med reminders, making you good meals, providing safety while you're, you know, taking a shower Some people are, you know.

Speaker 3: 7:04

They think, oh, I don't want someone in the bathroom, that's fine, Maybe you're safe enough to shower on your own, but, you know, getting out, you know you need a hand. We can have a caregiver, you know, nearby and then able to assist at the end and intact your, you know, keep your dignity intact and, you know, be there for safety. I think people think when they bring in home care, it's like, oh, I'm getting a total bath, someone's totally dressing me, and there's such a wide range of how you assist someone in the home and the sooner that you bring in care, the better that is. There's a lot of studies right now going on about informal caregivers. So an informal caregiver is an unpaid caregiver. So a family, a spouse, a relative, a neighbor, and oftentimes these people that are in these caregiving positions are developing chronic illness and in some instances, a pretty high percentage, are passing away before the person that they're actually caring for because of self-neglect, physical neglect, mental neglect. You know you're doing all these things and there's a lot of things to it. So I think people you know getting rid of the misconception that we're just here to either take you to the grocery store or do everything. There's a big gray area in between that can impact your life in a positive way, keep you safer, happier, healthier and prolong your quality of life, while giving you the ability to still be, you know, the adult daughter or the wife and intact those familial relationships, versus becoming a caregiver. And you know resentment and different things do build.

Speaker 3: 9:03

The other big misconception that I see is people don't know the difference between home care and home health. So we are home care, which is we're private duty home care, so long term care, insurance pays for our services, private pay, there's different benefits, the VA has benefits, all of that. And then there's Medicare, which is home health, and Medicare does not provide custodial services, which is what Medicare labels what we do under the personal care. So Medicare is something that's short term care. So Medicare is something that's short term. They're going to come out for a certification period, maybe 60 days, and provide whatever their. Their goal at admission is to have a discharge plan for you. They're not a long term problem solver.

Speaker 3: 9:52

So there are two very different things and I would love for you know, physicians especially to understand that. You know Medicare home health has a great need and it's a wonderful service and it provides what it's needed in that arena. But if physicians could understand the benefit of home care, of what we do we're there short term, we're there long-term. Were there with what the client needs and we can really help keep clients safer, help them manage their meds with our nursing services. We can provide continued therapy after Medicare discharges. So I think just having people understand that they are two different things and Medicare doesn't cover what we do and what we do is very valuable.

Speaker 2: 10:44

Absolutely so. On a side note, you mentioned you were from Michigan. What brought you to Southwest Florida?

Speaker 3: 10:54

Well, I guess, technically I was born and raised in Fort Lauderdale and my dad's job had us move to Maryland and then eventually Michigan. I always say I'm from Michigan because I was there the longest. I was there 17 years and I always wanted to move back to Florida. I had initially wanted to move to Fort Lauderdale, being that that's where I was born and raised, I guess for the early parts of my life, and then it's just too crazy over there. So my mom and dad were building a home here in Naples. So I came down here with them and said, well, if you're going to retire here, eventually I was 29 at the time and I thought, well, let me bite the bullet, I'll move down there now. I I knew I would be down here a couple of years by myself before they retired and, um, I figured that was better to do it then. Then you know, find love or something and get stuck in Michigan, and then my parents retire in paradise and I'm stuck in the snow.

Speaker 2: 11:56

I'm with you. I was born in Midwest, so I understand that totally. I'm like we love it down here. It's like we love to visit back up there, but we don't want to live up there full time. So so what do you enjoy? I know you probably don't have a lot of free time, but what do you enjoy doing outside of work?

Speaker 3: 12:12

Um, what do I love doing outside of work? I love spending time with my husband, um, and we have two dogs, ralph and Riley, so anything that we can do with them. We're pretty big cruisers, so I love cruising and my biggest hobby right now is that a friend of mine, bruce, we are launching our own podcast.

Speaker 2: 12:34

Very nice, congrats so thank you.

Speaker 3: 12:37

We're. We've been working on that for about six months, and a lot of work goes into it, as you know, so we're very excited and I think that'll be a great. It'll take a lot of our time and be some great stuff for us to do this summer, so I'm really looking forward to that.

Speaker 2: 12:58

Absolutely. You'll be great. You guys will be awesome at that. So so is there one thing that you wish. Maybe our listeners knew about what you do that maybe they're not aware of.

Speaker 3: 13:10

Um, I wish that listeners would you know. Um, I guess it comes back to kind of the idea of you know the podcast that we're starting. So I had this idea about a year and a half ago, which is when we meet with people and we think about our future. Everyone talks about retirement and it's always centered around finances. You know this is what you need to retire, so have a 401k or an IRA or whatever. But no one talks about the healthcare component and that aspect of aging, whether people think that it won't happen or they're in denial, or they just think Medicare will take care of it or whatever. But I wish that people would change their thinking from a retirement plan to a life plan. Retirement and financial planning is a huge part of it and you can't do one without the other. But having a plan in place is going to set you ahead of everything.

Speaker 3: 14:24

I see people every day that are making decisions in crisis mode. So you know they don't have the conversation until dad calls them at 10 pm and says mom fell, or you wake up in the middle of the night and your spouse fell, um, different things like that they're. They're dealing with this in a crisis and now they have. Their loved one has fallen and is hurt. Maybe there's surgery, maybe there's, you know, therapy after, and now it's. What do we live is? Are we safe in our home? Are we that? And all of this is at once. But if you can be proactive and start to explore those options, working with someone like Bruce and touring facilities in the area to really understand you know what is the difference between independent and assisted and a memory unit, and then what's the difference between the variety of facilities that are out there Meet home care agencies. You know I'm obviously biased. I think Bright Star Care is the best, but I also believe that there's other great companies in the community that offer services and I want people to meet with companies and interview them and find that fit. That's right for them, and if they can start to incorporate that into a plan or a life plan, then when something does go wrong, there is that fall or there is that emergency. They've already vetted people, they've already done the research, they've already put the time in and and they have those connections and I think it makes a stressful time a lot easier for them and I have seen a lot of people make a decision in a crisis and they regret the decision.

Speaker 3: 16:18

I have a friend who you know tells me all the time I wish I knew home care existed. When I moved to where I'm at I wouldn't be here and you know he's very happy where he is and his wife has excellent care, but he misses his lanai and barbecuing and having a cigar. And he made that decision in a crisis and he didn't even know home care existed. So I just wish people like I know that talking about aging or growing old might not be the you know, the hot fun topic you want to have over margaritas with your friends, but you know I do want to pull away a little of that stigma, make it an okay conversation to have and have people embrace that a little earlier, incorporate it into their plan and figure out that they can afford how they want to age and what does that look like, and you know.

Speaker 2: 17:18

Yeah, it's awesome, it's great advice and very important advice. You know it's a think about it before it happens scenario, because then you're not, you're not making the best decision under a crisis mode and you know you don't have all the options either.

Speaker 3: 17:34

You're not and it's funny, We've been, you know, researching a lot of stuff and you know cruise ships just keep popping up as, keep popping up, as people are looking into all these cruise ships and, oh, they think it's easy and you have, you know, a room attendant and dinner every night. And I say, look, I love cruising and I would absolutely, you know, love to live on a cruise ship. But aging on a cruise ship is quite different. There's, you know, not, the medical facilities and if something happens, like you're being, you know, coast guarded back to the States, like, so it sounds fun and it sounds, you know, exciting, but you know, people really need to understand the flip side of that too. But it's an interesting trend that's really growing, this aging on a cruise ship.

Speaker 2: 18:25

Absolutely Technology. All things are possible nowadays.

Speaker 3: 18:29

Anything is possible? Yes, so how would our?

Speaker 2: 18:32

listeners go about getting a hold of you if they had questions or a loved one that needs some help.

Speaker 3: 18:38

Absolutely so. You can call us anytime. We're available 24-7 with one of our office team members. Our phone number is 239-992-4779. And then you can find us on our website or all social media platforms at Bright Star Care of Naples and Fort Myers.

Speaker 2: 19:00

Very good, Susan. It's been a pleasure getting to know you. Thank you for being such a good neighbor and I hope to see you out in the neighborhood soon.

Speaker 3: 19:08

Thank you so much.

Speaker 1: 19:10

Thank you for listening to the Good Neighbor Podcast, Estero. To nominate your favorite local businesses to be featured on the show, go to gnpestero. com. That's gnpasterocom. That's gnpestero. com. Or call 239-296-2621.