Aging Well the Joyspan Way with Dr. Kerry Burnight

Medical alert devices help older adults keep living at home by connecting them to help during the hours when family and caregivers can’t be there. Laura Aiello, Vice President of Business Development at LifeStation, joins host Tiffany Robinson to explain how these devices work, how to choose one that fits daily life, and what family and professional caregivers can do to help a loved one or client enjoy greater independence with the help of a little technology. What you’ll learn in this episode How medical alert devices support aging in place longer What happens after a medical alert device is activated, including when a call goes to a nurse triage line instead of emergency services What Medicaid covers in most states, and how some Medicare Advantage plans offer coverage as well How to raise the topic with a parent through casual conversation over time Additional resources: Laura Aiello: Connect with Laura on LinkedIn and follow her work in medical alert technology and aging in place. LifeStation: Learn about LifeStation's in-home and mobile medical alert devices, fall detection, and monitoring services. Featured Guest Laura Aiello is Vice President of Business Development at LifeStation, a provider of medical alert monitoring and telehealth services. She has spent more than a decade in the medical alert industry, working with health plans, hospitals, and healthcare providers to help older adults live safely and independently at home. Laura is also a family caregiver for her father-in-law, and that experience shapes how she works with members and their families. Stay Connected! Like what you heard? Subscribe to ComForConnections on your favorite podcast platform, and explore more caregiver resources from ComForCare. About the Host Tiffany Robinson is a passionate advocate for caregiver education. As the host of ComForConnections, she brings warmth, insight, and a deep understanding of the caregiving experience to every episode.

AI-generated scam calls and deepfake videos are making it harder for families to know what's real, but taking a parent's phone away can isolate them from the routines that bring fulfillment and meaning to their daily life.  Larz May, founder of the digital wellness nonprofit #HalfTheStory, joins host Tiffany Robinson to discuss how families can recognize AI-driven scams, set up safeguards that protect the whole family, and use technology to keep aging parents and grandparents connected to the communities and resources that matter most. What you’ll learn in this episode How AI is changing the scale and believability of scams targeting older adults, including deepfake calls impersonating family members How to establish a family verification system that catches fraud attempts before money changes hands Why restricting a parent's device access can backfire, and how to set devices up for safe use instead How to start a conversation about a parent's digital accounts and what should happen to them after they pass Additional resources: #HalfTheStory — Larz May's nonprofit focused on digital wellness LastPass — An encrypted password storage platform for family account access OmniWatch — A fraud monitoring and alerts platform  Suno — AI app for recording voice and music Opal — Screen-time app framed around productivity Ginko — Larz's tool helping parents navigate kids' screen time and online safety Featured Guest Larz May is the founder of #HalfTheStory, a nonprofit focused on helping people build healthier relationships with technology. Her work started with young people, and she brings that same lens to families supporting aging parents and grandparents. Several of the elders in her own life, including her grandparents, have shaped how she thinks about technology's role in caregiving, from using shared playlists to spark memories to setting up fraud alerts. Her focus is on helping older adults use technology safely while staying connected to family and community. Stay Connected! Like what you heard? Subscribe to ComForConnections on your favorite podcast platform, and explore more caregiver resources from ComForCare. About the Host Tiffany Robinson is a passionate advocate for caregiver education. As the host of ComForConnections, she brings warmth, insight, and a deep understanding of the caregiving experience to every episode.

While most families measure successful outcomes purely in years, gerontologist Dr. Kerry Burnight offers a refreshing perspective on a recent episode of ComForCare. Joining host Tiffany Robinson, she reveals why overall quality of life is a far better benchmark for aging well and provides practical, research-backed strategies that families and professional caregivers can use to foster joy and fulfillment, even during caregiving's most demanding moments. What you’ll learn in this episode The difference between living longer, living healthier, and living well Why a decline mindset can shape aging outcomes without anyone noticing it's happening How the joyspan framework applies to a new diagnosis or a move out of a longtime home How professional caregivers can help older adults live independently for longer What helps counter isolation for family caregivers specifically Additional resources: Dr. Kerry Burnight - UChicago – Background on Dr. Kerry's academic and clinical career.  Joyspan by Dr. Kerry Burnight, Ph.D – Publisher page for Dr. Kerry's book, with details on where to buy it and what it covers. Dr. Kerry Burnight on Instagram — As @the_gerentologist on Instagram, Dr. Kerry shares ongoing content related to her joyspan philosophy and aging well. Featured Guest Dr. Kerry Burnight is a nationally-recognized gerontologist and the New York Times bestselling author of Joyspan: The Art and Science of Thriving in Life's Second Half. She spent nearly two decades teaching geriatric medicine at UC Irvine and co-founded the nation's first Elder Abuse Forensic Center. Her work focuses on the science of quality of life in aging. Joyspan has since been published in 22 languages. Stay Connected! Like what you heard? Subscribe to ComForConnections on your favorite podcast platform, and explore more caregiver resources from ComForCare. About the Host Tiffany Robinson is a passionate advocate for caregiver education. As the host of ComForConnections, she brings warmth, insight, and a deep understanding of the caregiving experience to every episode.

When a family member starts to struggle, the signs can be easy to explain away. But there's a difference between the kind of forgetting that comes with a busy life and the kind that signals something more.  Knowing that difference matters. In this episode of ComForConnections, host Tiffany Robison sits down with Dr. Reza Hosseini Ghomi, MD, MSE, a neuropsychiatrist and biomedical engineer with specialized training in neurodegenerative disorders including Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and frontotemporal dementia. Dr. Hosseini Ghomi has spent his career building tools to bring expert dementia care to more patients, including those in rural and underserved communities. Together, they walk through what families and caregivers actually need to know, from the earliest signs of cognitive change to what daily life with dementia can look like when the right support is in place. What you’ll learn in this episode The difference between normal age-related memory change and early signs of dementia  Health conditions that can worsen cognitive symptoms, including sleep apnea, high blood pressure, and certain common medications What the diagnostic process looks like, and why a formal diagnosis unlocks treatment options and caregiver support families may not know are available Where dementia care technology is delivering real results  How to navigate difficult conversations about safety and independence, from driving to daily routines What a good day looks like for someone living with dementia at home Additional resources: Brain Minded MD — Dr. Hosseini Ghomi's educational content on brain health and cognitive longevity Frontier Psychiatry — Dr. Hosseini Ghomi's telepsychiatry practice serving rural and underserved communities MedFlow — Co-founded by Dr. Hosseini Ghomi, focused on value-based care delivery OpenHI — Co-founded by Dr. Hosseini Ghomi, an open-source platform for healthcare organization management Featured Guest Dr. Reza Hosseini Ghomi, MD, MSE is a neuropsychiatrist and biomedical engineer whose clinical work centers on neurodegenerative disorders including Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and frontotemporal dementia. He is the founder of Frontier Psychiatry, a telepsychiatry practice serving rural and underserved communities across Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, and Alaska, and co-founder of MedFlow, a platform focused on value-based care delivery. His research and technology work spans digital cognitive testing, EHR automation, and voice-based biomarkers for early dementia detection. He came to medicine after a career in naval systems engineering and a personal experience with cancer at 22, an experience that continues to shape how he thinks about building care systems that are both clinically rigorous and practically accessible. Stay Connected! Like what you heard? Subscribe to ComForConnections on your favorite podcast platform, and explore more caregiver resources from ComForCare. About the Host Tiffany Robinson is a passionate advocate for caregiver education. As the host of ComForConnections, she brings warmth, insight, and a deep understanding of the caregiving experience to every episode.

Every day, 10,000 people in the United States turn 65. The care system wasn't built for those numbers — and the hospitals, trained staff, and facilities needed to keep up simply don't exist yet. For families trying to find care for a parent right now, the shortage is immediate and concrete. In this episode of ComForConnections, host Tiffany Robison talks with Christopher Kunney, Managing Partner and Digital Transformation Strategist at IOTech Consulting, LLC, about what's driving the strain on the care system and what it means for the people dealing with it day to day. With nearly two decades working with care organizations on technology strategy, Kunney brings the big-picture view. As someone who has faced serious illness himself and helped his family through end-of-life decisions, he grounds his insights in real-world experience. What you’ll learn in this episode Why rural communities are getting hit first and hardest as the population ages, and what that means for access to care How AI and passive monitoring tools are being used to track chronic conditions, flag health changes, and get ahead of crises like falls before they happen What technology can offer older adults dealing with isolation and depression, and where it falls short Why the first question families should ask isn't "should we use this technology" but "what problem are we trying to solve" How care professionals can help families sort through their options before a crisis is driving the decision Why having conversations about quality of life and end-of-life wishes before a crisis matters   Additional resources: Straight Outta Health IT — Christopher’s podcast offers an unfiltered dialogue of healthcare leaders and influencers covering a wide variety of issues affecting healthcare & the health tech industry.  IOTech Consulting — Christopher's consulting firm, which advises healthcare organizations on technology strategy, system implementation, and digital transformation. Ask Me Your MD — A telemedicine service that connects patients directly with licensed physicians via live chat, without an appointment or insurance required. Featured Guest Christopher Kunney is Managing Partner and Digital Transformation Strategist at IOTech Consulting, LLC, where he advises healthcare organizations on technology strategy, AI adoption, and the operational challenges of delivering care in a rapidly changing environment. He has served as a strategic advisor and fractional leader across the healthcare sector for nearly two decades. About the Host Tiffany Robinson is a passionate advocate for caregiver education. As the host of ComForConnections, she brings warmth, insight, and a deep understanding of the caregiving experience to every episode.  

By the third week of the month, many older adults are already making impossible choices. Rent or groceries. Medication or a balanced meal. Approximately 12.6 million seniors in the United States experience food insecurity, and the cost rarely stops at hunger. In this milestone 50th episode of ComForConnections, host Tiffany Robison welcomes back Dr. Joan Salge Blake, Clinical Professor of Nutrition at Boston University, host of the Spot On! podcast, and one of the most recognized voices in nutrition today. This return visit focuses on one of the most underreported challenges in senior care: food insecurity. Together, they dig into what food insecurity actually looks like for older adults receiving care, what it does to the body over time, and what caregivers and families can do about it right now. What you’ll learn in this episode Why food insecurity in older adults often goes unrecognized and unreported The difference between food insecurity and hunger, and why it matters in a care setting How inadequate nutrition compounds chronic conditions, muscle loss, and mental health Why professional caregivers are often better positioned than family to raise nutrition concerns Community programs and federal resources that can fill the gaps in a senior's food budget Practical strategies for stretching the grocery dollar: canned and frozen staples, loss leaders, coupons, and batch cooking Affordable protein sources that support senior health on a fixed income The USDA's MyPlate for Older Adults as a simple meal planning visual Additional resources: Spot On! Podcast – Dr. Salge Blake’s podcast, making evidence-based nutrition accessible and actionable. Administration for Community Living — Nutrition and Aging Resource – Includes a 10-question nutrition screening tool caregivers can use to identify risk. USDA FoodKeeper App – A reference tool for food storage and safety timelines. The Krazy Coupon Lady – A resource Dr. Salge Blake recommends for finding grocery deals and digital coupons. Featured Guest Dr. Joan Salge Blake is a Clinical Professor of Nutrition at Boston University and host of the Spot On! podcast, where she makes evidence-based nutrition advice accessible to everyday audiences. A sought-after speaker, media personality, and author, Dr. Salge Blake brings more than 40 years of experience to conversations about food, health, and how people eat in the real world. Stay Connected! Like what you heard? Subscribe to ComForConnections on your favorite podcast platform, and explore more caregiver resources from ComForCare. About the Host Tiffany Robinson is a passionate advocate for caregiver education. As the host of ComForConnections, she brings warmth, insight, and a deep understanding of the caregiving experience to every episode.

For many families, the conversation about staying home as a parent ages is long overdue, and often harder than expected. In this episode, host Tiffany Robinson talks with occupational therapist and aging in place specialist Esther Kane about what it actually takes to make staying home safe, sustainable, and financially realistic. What you’ll learn in this episode Why seniors resist help, and what families tend to get wrong about it The home safety assessment: what it is, who does it, and why it comes first The rooms and habits that create the most risk, and the fixes that don't require a renovation Funding options most families haven't considered, including what reverse mortgages actually look like today Why the tools that support independence (like grab bars and walkers) are exactly that: tools   Additional resources: Senior Safety Advice — Esther Kane's resource hub for seniors and family caregivers Aging in Place Directory — A directory of professionals and services supporting aging in place DementiaWise™ Training Program — ComForCare's dementia care education resource for families and professional caregivers Caregiver resources from ComForCare Featured Guest Esther C. Kane is an occupational therapist, Certified Aging in Place Specialist (CAPS), and Certified Dementia Specialist (CDS) with decades of experience assessing home safety and supporting older adults living independently. She is the founder of Senior Safety Advice, a practical resource for seniors and family caregivers navigating aging in place decisions, and the creator of the Aging in Place Directory, which connects families with qualified local professionals. Esther's work is grounded in her clinical background in geriatric rehabilitation and shaped by a consistent focus on helping families make informed, confident decisions. About the Host Tiffany Robinson is a passionate advocate for caregiver education. As the host of ComForConnections, she brings warmth, insight, and a deep understanding of the caregiving experience to every episode.  

When families receive a dementia diagnosis, they’re often handed life-changing news with little direction. The decisions that follow — bringing help into the home, touring senior living communities, evaluating technology — carry emotional weight and long-term impact. In this episode of ComForConnections, Tiffany Robinson is joined by Carrie Aalberts, also known as Dementia Darling. With a background in gerontology and years of experience supporting caregivers, Carrie shares how professional dementia care providers can help families interpret what quality care truly looks like and avoid crisis-driven decisions. What you’ll learn in this episode Why early guidance prevents crisis-mode decision making What families often overlook at the beginning of the dementia journey Red flags and green flags when touring dementia care communities How professional caregivers can validate and support families emotionally The role of AgeTech and how technology enhances, rather than replaces, human care How to move beyond the “tragedy narrative” and recognize moments of joy Additional resources: Dementia Darling – Dementia education, caregiver resources, and supportive guidance for families navigating dementia care decisions. Understanding the Different Stages of Alzheimer’s and Dementia Care Needs – A ComForCare guide to recognizing progression and planning appropriate care. Featured Guest Carrie Aalberts is a dementia educator and founder of Dementia Darling, an education platform dedicated to supporting families and professional caregivers navigating dementia care. With a background in gerontology and more than 15 years of experience in the aging and dementia care space, Carrie provides practical guidance, caregiver education, and decision-making support. Her work focuses on helping families recognize quality dementia care, understand training standards, and build confidence during high-stakes care transitions. Stay Connected! Like what you heard? Subscribe to ComForConnections on your favorite podcast platform, and explore more caregiver resources from ComForCare. About the Host Tiffany Robinson is a passionate advocate for caregiver education. As the host of ComForConnections, she brings warmth, insight, and a deep understanding of the caregiving experience to every episode.    

Caregiving often spans both professional and personal life, leaving little space to recover before the next demand appears. For working caregivers, burnout can creep in quietly, becoming normalized, minimized, and missed until the cost becomes unavoidable. In this episode of ComForConnections, Tiffany Robinson is joined by Elizabeth Miller, founder of Happy Healthy Caregiver, to explore what caregiver burnout really looks like, why it affects working caregivers so deeply, and how small, realistic shifts can help protect energy over the long term. Together, they unpack the emotional labor caregivers carry and the systems that make sustainable caregiving possible. What you’ll learn in this episode Why burnout is so common among working and professional caregivers Early warning signs caregivers often overlook or normalize How emotional labor shows up differently at work and at home Why traditional self-care advice rarely works for caregivers What realistic, sustainable self-care actually looks like How asking for help and setting boundaries supports long-term caregiving Additional resources: Happy Healthy Caregiver - Education, tools, and support for working family caregivers focused on burnout prevention and sustainable caregiving. Happy Healthy Caregiver Podcast - Conversations with caregivers and experts sharing real-world strategies for navigating caregiving without losing yourself. Happy Healthy Caregiver Weekly Newsletter - Sign up to receive weekly encouragement, practical insights, and caregiver-friendly self-care ideas. Just for You: A Daily Self-Care Journal - A guided journal designed to help caregivers reflect, reset, and prioritize their own wellbeing. Featured Guest Elizabeth Miller is the founder of Happy Healthy Caregiver and a nationally recognized advocate for caregiver burnout prevention. A former corporate professional and sandwich-generation caregiver, Elizabeth supports working caregivers through education, speaking, and practical tools that help protect energy, health, and identity across long caregiving seasons. About the Host Tiffany Robinson is a passionate advocate for caregiver education. As the host of ComForConnections, she brings warmth, insight, and a deep understanding of the caregiving experience to every episode.

Strong caregiving depends on strong relationships. In this episode, psychologists Dr. Julie Mayer and Dr. Barry Jacobs share practical guidance for creating healthy, collaborative partnerships between families and professional caregivers, helping everyone feel supported and aligned in their loved one's care. What you’ll learn in this episode Why guilt is so common for family caregivers and how to work through it How to gradually introduce professional care to create smoother transitions Communication habits that build trust between families and caregivers Why empathy is essential for preventing conflict and improving teamwork How agencies can support caregivers with training and consistency Approaches to self-care that help both family and professional caregivers sustain their wellbeing Additional resources: The AARP Caregiver Answer Book – Julie and Barry's comprehensive guide to caregiving, communication, and emotional resilience  Understanding the Different Stages of Alzheimer’s and Dementia Care Needs – A helpful overview for anticipating changing care requirements  Episode 36: How to Talk with Aging Parents Who Won’t Receive Help Graciously – In an earlier episode of ComForConnections, Barry addresses how to care for a parent who doesn’t want your care. Featured Guests Dr. Julie Mayer Dr. Julie Mayer is a clinical psychologist with decades of experience supporting family systems, caregiver wellbeing, and lifespan challenges. Her work focuses on helping families navigate the emotional landscape of caregiving with empathy, communication, and resilience. Dr. Barry Jacobs Dr. Barry Jacobs is a clinical psychologist and nationally recognized expert on family caregiving, chronic illness, and care partnerships. His work emphasizes the central role of relationships and shared understanding in delivering meaningful, coordinated care. Stay Connected! Like what you heard? Subscribe to ComForConnections on your favorite podcast platform, and explore more caregiver resources from ComForCare. About the Host Tiffany Robinson is a passionate advocate for caregiver education. As the host of ComForConnections, she brings warmth, insight, and a deep understanding of the caregiving experience to every episode.