Episode 14: Respite Care: Taking Breaks Without Guilt

You cannot pour from an empty cup. If you're caregiving right now—whether it's hands-on daily care or coordinating placement—you're probably running on fumes.

In this episode, Senior Placement Advocate and caregiver Stella Herrera Williams talks about why taking breaks isn't selfish. It's survival. And how respite care isn't a luxury—it's a necessity for your health and your family's wellbeing.

What We Cover:

🎙️ The Caregiver Crisis – Why burnout is a health emergency, not a personal failure. Caregiver studies show increased rates of high blood pressure, heart disease, depression, and anxiety—sometimes even death that precedes their parent's.

🎙️ What Respite Care Actually Is – The different types of respite available and what they cost in Central Texas:• In-home respite: $20-30/hour• Adult day programs: $50-150/day• Facility respite stays: $100-200/night

🎙️ The Guilt Conversation – How to move past the voice in your head that says you should handle it all alone. Stella's honest talk about why that voice is a liar.

🎙️ Stella's Story – What she learned caring for her father while starting her business, and how using respite care for her mother's care changed everything.

🎙️ How to Find Respite in Your Area – Practical steps: networking, checking insurance, contacting AACOG (Area Agency on Aging of the Central Texas Council of Governments), hiring in-home care, exploring adult day programs, and trying facility respite.

Key Takeaways:✓ Your parent doesn't want you sacrificing your health✓ Taking respite care is responsibility, not abandonment✓ Some respite is better than no respite✓ Start small and build up✓ Resources exist—often subsidized

Your Action This Week:Find ONE respite option in your area. Call them. Ask about availability and cost. You don't have to commit yet—just gather information. Permission granted to take care of yourself.

Central Texas Resources Mentioned:

• AACOG (Area Agency on Aging of the Central Texas Council of Governments)
• Local Meals on Wheels
• Senior centers by county

About Stella:Stella Herrera Williams is a Senior Placement Advocate and founder of Williams Senior Transition Services, a veteran-owned business serving Central Texas families (Travis, Williamson, Hays, and Bastrop counties). She provides bilingual English/Spanish senior living placement services 24/7 at no cost to families.

She's also a military veteran, primary caregiver for her mother with dementia, and parent to her son Jaden. She draws from personal experience navigating senior care decisions for both parents.

Work with Stella:📍 stellawilliamstx.com (24/7, bilingual, no cost to families)📍 tourseniorliving.org

Next Episode: Episode 15 – How to Choose the Right Facility

Listen & Subscribe: Wherever you get podcasts

#RespiteCare #CaregiversDeserveRest #SeniorCare #CaregiverBurnout #CentralTexas #AustinTX #SeniorLiving #CaregiversMatter #MentalHealthMatters #FamilyCaregiver #SeniorPlacement #MemoryCare #AssistedLiving #NavigatingSeniorCareWithStella

Senior care isn't cheap—and it's also not optional. In this episode, Stella breaks down the real costs of senior care in Central Texas, the financial mistakes that families make most often, and a practical framework for budgeting and finding actual value in care decisions.

Learn what assisted living, memory care, and skilled nursing actually cost, how to plan financially for 5-10 years of care, and what to look for beyond just the price tag. Stella also shares her personal experience managing her mother's care at home—what it costs, what it demands, and why quality is about presence, not just facilities.

Whether you're planning ahead or navigating care decisions right now, this episode gives you the numbers and the tools to make decisions that work for YOUR family without panic.

Topics covered:

• Real costs of senior care in Austin, Travis, Williamson, Hays, and Bastrop counties
• Three major financial mistakes families make
• How to budget for senior care
• Understanding Medicare and Medicaid for long-term care planning
• Finding value vs. just finding cheap
• The hidden costs of home care
• Financial planning framework for 5-10 year care timelines

Navigating Senior Care with Stella is for families making senior living decisions in Central Texas.

Bilingual (English/Spanish).

24/7 support.

Visit: stellawilliamstx.com | tourseniorliving.org

Tags/Keywords: senior care, financial planning, elder care, assisted living, memory care, skilled nursing, caregiving, Austin, Central Texas, podcast, health care planning, long-term care, family caregiving

Legal documents aren't just boring paperwork—they're yoursuperpower as a caregiver. In this episode, I'm walking through the documentsyou actually need, why I didn't have all of them (and neither do my siblings),and what happens when you're missing the critical ones.

We cover:

✅ Power of Attorney (Medical & Financial)

✅ Living Will & Advance Directives

✅ Will & Trust

✅ HIPAA Authorization (the often-forgotten game-changer)

✅ Beneficiary Designations

Plus: My personal story about having parents who got theirdocs right, but realizing my own family hasn't done ours yet—and why that's awake-up call.

This is Season 1, Episode 12 of Navigating Senior Care withStella. Perfect for caregivers, adult children managing aging parents, andanyone who wants to get their house in order BEFORE crisis hits.

Listen now, then take action. Your future self will thankyou.

**🎙️ New episodes weekly on senior care, memorycare, family caregiving, and navigating the systems.**

**📍 Williams Senior Transition Services**

24/7 Available | Bilingual (English & Spanish)

Central Texas: Austin, Travis, Williamson, Hays, Bastropcounties

🌐 stellawilliamstx.com

🌐 tourseniorliving.org

#SeniorCare #LegalDocuments #Caregiving #MemoryCare#PowerOfAttorney #LivingWill #FamilyPlanning #tourseniorlivingAustin #tourseniorliving #TSL #Wsts

Navigating Senior Care with Stella - Episode 11

NAVIGATING MEDICARE & MEDICAID FOR SENIOR CAREConfused about Medicare and Medicaid? You're not alone - and this confusion costs Austin families thousands of dollars every year.In this episode, I break down the difference between these two programs in plain English - no jargon, no government-speak. Just what you actually need to know when caring for a loved one in the Austin metro area.WHAT YOU'LL LEARN:- The critical difference between Medicare and Medicaid- Why Medicare does NOT cover long-term assisted living or memory care- What Texas Medicaid actually covers in Austin (and what it doesn't)- The 5-year lookback period that catches families off guard- Real costs of senior care in the Austin area- How to qualify for Texas Medicaid- Costly mistakes I see Austin families make every week- Action steps you can take TODAY- Local Austin resources that can helpEPISODE HIGHLIGHTS:I share a heartbreaking story about a Round Rock family who thought Medicare would cover 100 days of care - and what actually happened. Plus, my own experience navigating Medicare coverage for my mom's dementia care right here in Austin.Whether you're planning ahead or facing an immediate need, this episode could save your family tens of thousands of dollars.

CONNECT WITH STELLA:📞 Call or Text: 737-389-2130📧 Email: stella@stellawilliamstx.com🌐 Website: stellawilliamstx.com🏡 Search Facilities: tourseniorliving.org

Serving the Greater Austin Metro Area including Round Rock, Cedar Park, Georgetown, Pflugerville, Kyle, Buda, and San Marcos.

Most Austin families have NO idea residential care homes exist - small, family-style environments offering exceptional care at lower costs than traditional facilities. In this episode, Stella Williams breaks down everything you need to know about these hidden gems: what they are, who thrives in them, real costs in Austin (spoiler: you could save $12K-36K per year!), red flags to watch for, and how to find quality homes.

You'll hear real stories of Austin families who found the PERFECT fit in residential care homes, plus insider tips on Veterans Aid & Attendance benefits that could provide up to $2,229/month toward care costs.

✅ Better staff-to-resident ratios (1:4-6 vs 1:15-20)✅ $1,000-$3,000 LESS per month than traditional facilities✅ More personalized, attentive care✅ Home-like environment (not institutional!)

In this episode, I'm breaking down:🔹 What residential care homes actually ARE🔹 Who thrives in them (and who doesn't)🔹 Real costs in Austin for 2025🔹 Red flags to watch for🔹 How to find quality homes🔹 Veterans benefits that could cover UP TO $2,229/month!

Whether you're exploring options for a loved one or just want to know what's available, this episode will open your eyes to a senior care option most people never hear about!

Hosted by: Stella Williams, Senior Placement Advocate
Contact: 737-389-2130 | stella@stellawilliamstx.com
Resources: tourseniorliving.org | stellawilliamstx.com

What happens when you're caring for a parent with dementia at home while raising a teenager? In this deeply personal episode, Senior Advocate Stella Williams shares her raw, honest journey of being caught in the sandwich generation.

When Stella's mom was battling cancer and declining with dementia, 14-year-old Jaden watched his childhood shift as their home transformed into a care facility. This isn't a story about facility placement - it's about the reality of at-home care while parenting, the guilt cycle that nearly broke her, and the lessons learned from living in both worlds simultaneously.

In This Episode:

• What the sandwich generation really means (beyond the definition)
• The three types of pressure: time, financial, and emotional
• How at-home caregiving changes family dynamics
• The turning point that made Stella rethink everything
• Daily strategies that actually work (not just theory)
• A powerful message to kids growing up in caregiver households

Key Takeaways:✓ You can honor both generations without losing yourself✓ Quality presence beats quantity presence every time✓ Teaching kids about family responsibility is a gift, not a burden

Whether you're currently sandwiched between generations, planning ahead, or supporting someone who is, this episode gives permission to feel it all while providing practical strategies to survive and thrive.

Resources Mentioned:Williams Senior Transition ServicesWebsite: tourseniorliving.orgPhone: 737-389-2130Email: stella@stellawilliamstx.com

Connect with Stella:Austin-based Senior Advocate helping families navigate care transitions with compassion and expertise.

#sandwhichGeneration, #athomecare, #caregiving, #agingparents, #guiltandcaregiving, #caregiverburnoutprevention, #wstservices, #tourseniorliving, #tslaustin, #caringforagingparentswhileraisingkids

Episode 8 of our Austin Senior Living Series!

EPISODE 8: Memory Care Explained - When Assisted Living Isn’t Enough

Today we’re breaking down memory care - what it is, how it’s different from assisted living, and when your loved one needs this level of specialized dementia care.

In this episode, I cover:

• What memory care actually provides (and how it’s different from assisted living)

• 8 signs it’s time for memory care instead of home care or assisted living

• Real examples from families I work with - including my own mom’s symptoms

• What to look for when touring memory care communities in Austin

• Staff ratios, security features, and behavioral management approaches

• The emotional side of this decision

• Cost ranges in Austin ($5,000-$8,000/month)

• Red flags to watch out for

•How to know if you’re ready to make this move

Raw, honest, and practical - for families navigating one of caregiving’s hardest decisions.

Key Topics: - Memory care definition and features - Secured environments for wandering - Specialized dementia staff training - Signs it’s time for memory care - Safety issues (stove incidents, nighttime wandering) - Sundowning and paranoia - What to look for on tours - Emotional aspects of placement

Resources: - TSL Tour Senior Living: tourseniorliving.org
- Stella’s Direct Line: 737-389-2130

Williams Senior Transition Services

stellawilliamstx.com

Link to Austin Memory Care Community Guide

Checklist for Signs its time for memory care

#memorycare #dementia #alzheimers #Austinmemorycare #tourseniorliving #tslaustin #wstservices #navigatingseniorcarewithstella

⚠️ CONTENT WARNING: This episode discusses end-of-life care, hospice, and personal loss. If you're grieving or this feels too raw, it's okay to skip this one and come back when you're ready.

Stella shares her dad's lung cancer journey - from home care to ICU to a hospital comfort care room where he passed on February 5, 2020. As his medical power of attorney, she discusses the crushing guilt of not being able to bring him home, what skilled nursing and hospice care provide, and how to know when facility care becomes necessary.

IN THIS EPISODE YOU'LL LEARN:

- The difference between skilled nursing facilities and nursing homes

- When medical needs require 24-hour nursing care

- What hospice actually is (and the myths we need to clear up)

- How hospital comfort care rooms work

- Critical questions to ask when evaluating skilled nursing facilities

- What being a medical power of attorney really means in crisis

- How to advocate for your loved one even when they're in a facility

Part professional guidance, part personal story - for families and POAs facing impossible decisions.

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📞 NEED HELP? CALL STELLA:

Williams Senior Transition Services

737-389-2130 (Bilingual - English/Spanish)

Available 24/7 for crisis consultations

FREE consultations

🌐 WEBSITES:

stellawilliamstx.com - Learn about our services

tourseniorliving.org - Browse Austin senior living communities with photos & virtual tours

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HELPFUL RESOURCES:

- Medicare skilled nursing coverage information

- Hospice eligibility requirements

- Austin area hospice providers

- How to evaluate skilled nursing facilities

- Understanding your role as medical POA

- Family caregiver support groups for grief

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ABOUT STELLA:

Stella Herrera Williams is a Senior Advocate and founder of Williams Senior Transition Services in Austin, Texas. After serving as medical power of attorney for both of her parents, she became a advocate helping families navigate the hardest decisions of their lives. In three years, she has assisted families through senior placement, hospice decisions, and end-of-life care.

NEXT EPISODE: Memory Care Explained - When Specialized Dementia Support is Needed

#SkilledNursing #HospiceCare #EndOfLifeCare #SeniorCare #AustinTX #MedicalPOA #CaregiverSupport #SeniorAdvocate #PowerOfAttorney #SeniorPlacement #TSLAUSTIN #TSL #WSTServices #stellaherrerawilliams