Meghan Henry on getting help to plan & pay for elder care
The beautiful memory-care facility across the street from Renna's kid's school was $15,000 a month, and that did not include the full-time memory care her mom would need. That's the number that makes the math feel impossible. But the thing that actually changed everything for Renna wasn't a number — it was finding someone to help her make a plan, instead of trying to grit through it alone.In this episode of New Dimes Radio, cofounders Kristen Brillantes and Renna Al-Yassini sit down with Meghan Henry, a registered nurse and regional manager at National Care Advisors, to walk through how first-gen families actually plan and pay for elder care. Meghan is the person families call to find out what their parents really qualify for — Medi-Cal, Medicare, waiver programs, housing — and how to turn an overwhelming crisis into a plan everyone can follow.Renna shares her own scramble (her mom's Alzheimer's diagnosis landing alongside two kids starting private school, a disaster-remodel house in year three, and a dad declining in his 80s), how NCA slowed it all down, and the reframe she can't stop repeating: "We pay for all of these benefits. You have already paid for it... these are benefits we are entitled to."They get into:why Medicare does NOT cover long-term care and why Medi-Cal is the one payer that doeswhy marriage alone doesn't give you access, and the power of attorney, will & trust to get in place before a crisisthe "invisible pot of money" guilt that keeps first-gen families from claiming what's actually theirshow to start the conversation with aging parents, Renna's "alpha daughter" spreadsheet energy, met with Meghan's co-design reframewhat estate recovery, the look-back period, spend-down & in vivo inheritance really mean for your familyand why planning ahead gives you options instead of ultimatumsThis is the permission slip. It's the reminder that these are benefits you and your parents already paid into for a lifetime, that you're allowed to ask for help before you break yourself, and that you don't have to navigate a broken system alone.ABOUT MEGHAN Meghan Henry is a Regional Manager at National Care Advisors, where she leads and supports a team of nurse consultants across California. She provides guidance on navigating the complexities of federal and state programs, including Medi-Cal, Medicare, Social Security, Regional Center services, waiver programs, behavioral health resources, and housing supports. With more than 15 years of experience as a registered nurse, Meghan brings extensive experience in case management, benefits advocacy, care coordination, and supporting older adults and individuals with complex care needs. Meghan holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Management from the University of Phoenix and a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Oregon Health & Science University School of Nursing. She is licensed as a registered nurse in California and Oregon, holds a California Public Health Nurse certification, and is a Certified Case Manager.LINKS + RESOURCESNational Care Advisors — nationwide family care & benefits navigation Elder Care Dime Lab — Join a 4-week Dime Lab to get your elder care plan builtABOUT NEW DIMES RADIO This episode of New Dimes Radio was produced by 8 of Stones LLC. Executive Produced by Kristen Brillantes and Renna Al-Yassini. This episode was mixed and sound-designed by Creative Kubo.New Dimes Radio is the podcast for progressive first-generation breadwinners — the ones building wealth without a roadmap, holding down their politics and their portfolios at the same time. Hosted by Kristen Brillantes, Berna Anat, and Renna Al-Yassini, with brilliant guests who've figured out how to do this in ways the wealth industry doesn't talk about.New Dimes Radio is for education and information only. It’s not individualized legal, tax, financial, or medical advice, and benefit rules and figures change often. Talk to a qualified professional about your family’s specific situation before making decisions.🌐 Website | 📷 Instagram | 🎵 TikTok | 🔗 LinkedIn | ✉️ Substack
(00:00) - "These are benefits we're entitled to"
(00:53) - Welcome + meet Meghan Henry of National Care Advisors
(03:06) - Renna's story: it's never just one crisis
(04:34) - The $15K-a-month shock — per parent
(05:06) - "Grit it out" vs. actually asking for help
(06:39) - How she found NCA (and had no will or POA)
(08:16) - You've already paid for this — you're entitled
(09:46) - Skip probate: get the will and trust done first
(14:00) - Medicare won't pay for long-term care — Medi-Cal does
(15:54) - A broken system and the sandwich generation
(19:30) - Medi-Cal's shifting asset test
(22:17) - The first call and what it costs
(27:24) - Middle income, share of cost, and estate recovery
(33:40) - Gathering the info and letting parents co-design
(39:20) - Choices, dignity, and not being forced
(44:24) - Hourly help: IHSS, advocacy, and case management
(49:11) - Spend-down, referrals, and sequencing with the pros
(51:36) - You don't have to do it alone — where to find NCA
