Planning Beats Crisis Management

From Walks with Mom · 24:48

Show by Kimberly

This week on Walks with Mom, the roles flip and Karren takes the host chair, because this conversation is for her generation: adult children, spouses, family caregivers, and anyone wondering when it is time to bring a little extra support into the home. Her guest is Kris Keller, Kimberly's good friend and business partner, and together they own Amada Senior Care.So what is in home care? Kris explains it is a whole range of support, from a companion who takes you to the doctor or visits with you, all the way to help with toileting, showering, and meal preparation when hands no longer have the strength to open jars. At Amada the minimum is four hours a day and 12 hours a week, because consistency matters: clients get comfortable with their caregiver, and caregivers can count on steady hours.Kimberly and Karren's biggest encouragement is to be proactive rather than reactive. When families start with minimal care early, people actually stay independent longer. They have clients who have had just a little help for five, six, even seven years and are still in their own homes. A caregiver can clear expired food from the refrigerator, cook fresh nutritious meals, encourage walks, and handle the tasks that have become exhausting, like changing the sheets on the bed. To help families picture what a caregiver can take off their plate, Kimberly and Karren created a caregiver guide, the same tool that let Karren hand off tasks and feel like she had a normal life again. Find it in the show notes.There is also the question of who you hire. Arizona does not regulate in home care, so anyone can open a mom and pop operation with no license, no background checks, and no team behind them. Amada caregivers are background checked W-2 employees with oversight and liability protection, and if a caregiver cannot make a shift, the office staff, who are all caregivers themselves, step in. One even ran out to help a client who could not get up on a day he had no service scheduled. Their advice is to ask the diligent questions. Are the caregivers W-2 or 1099? Are background checks done? Is there training and support behind them?Then the question their office hears all the time: what is the difference between home care and home health? Home care is not medical. Think of it as assisted living brought to you: companionship, transportation, grocery shopping, laundry, meal prep, and help getting dressed. Home health is a skilled therapist, like a physical or occupational therapist, usually covered by Medicare, there for a short time and only for that purpose. Home care is private pay, and that is where long term care insurance comes in. Kimberly and Karren estimate that about 1.5 million people 80 and older have a policy, often one they paid into through an employer and forgot. Amada's senior care advisors will review a policy, help initiate the claim, and even fill out the claim paperwork, because approvals hinge on the activities of daily living like bathing, toileting, and transferring, and the paperwork has to say so. Their message: do not save it for a rainy day. It is raining. Use it now.Kris leaves listeners with this: hire a vetted agency, especially in Arizona, and start before the crisis, because planning and preparation are so much easier than crisis management.About the guest: Kris Keller of Amada Senior Care in the Phoenix East Valley joins for a real and engaging conversation centered on the power of partnerships. What began over 11 years ago as an unexpected step into senior care has evolved into a successful, debt free business rooted in trust, shared values, and a passion for helping families navigate aging.Walks with Mom is sponsored by Amada Senior Care Phoenix, enriching lives one family at a time. Learn more at AmadaPhoenix.com.Connect with KrisKris Keller, Amada Senior Care Phoenix East ValleyAmadaPhoenix.comSubscribe to Walks with Mom for more honest conversations that help families prepare, plan, and navigate aging with clarity and connection.https://walkswithmompodcast.com/Come with us as we explore what it means to navigate these years with our aging loved ones.So grab a cup of coffee—or maybe a glass of wine—subscribe, invite your friends or family, and join us for Walks with Mom.https://youtube.com/@walkswithmomSpecial thanks to our Sponsor Amada Senior Care Phoenix and the East Valley serving families and seniors in Phoenix, Scottsdale, Chandler, Mesa, and the surrounding East Valley area. Accredited VA Provider (NPI # 1558048199) and Trusted resource for Long-Term Care Insurance ClaimsCompassionate, personalized in-home senior care starts here – contact Amada Senior Care Phoenix and the East Valley today by phone at (480)999-5250 or visit us online to get started and give your loved one the support, dignity, and independence they deserve.www.amadaphoenix.com

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