Welcome to Part 2 of our episode on Medical Assistance for Long Term Care in Minnesota. This is a HOT topic and one that deserved some extra time! In this episode, Robyn and Eliesa welcome back Rachel Schromen of Schromen Law, LLC answers more questions and gives practical examples and tips on the strategy and process behind applying for Medical Assistance for Long Term Care. What’s a 5 year look back? What’s a spend down? What are Medical Assistant Divorces and why do they happen? There is so much great information in this episode!

Hot Tip: Spend the money and hire an attorney - it’s worth the investment! We’re not here to sell, we are here to guide you through and hopefully shed some light on a subject that is fraught with financial and emotional loss.

**Please note that we are not offering specific legal advice - Use this advice to ask the questions in your states, with your attorneys.**

Takeaways:

• The benefits of Pre Planning for Long Term Care
• The benefits of hiring an attorney to help - especially to flag for exemptions in MN that get missed a lot.
• Clarifying the terms: 5 year Look Back, Asset Reduction and Spenddown terminology
• The cost of care in America is HIGH right now - we will all need long term planning and the earlier the better because you have options.
• Ongoing MA maintenance
• Some real life examples of a medical assistance spenddown before annual renewals
• Medical Assistance Divorces and why do they happen
• What’s the most frequent question an attorney gets asked by families applying for Medical Assistance for long term care?

Links and Resources:

National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys - a national resource to help connect you with Elder Law Attorneys around the country!

Schromen Law, LLC - Learn more about Rachel’s practice and approach to Estate Planning and Elder Law. We know we’ll be making an appointment!

10 Questions to ask your Estate Planning Attorney - A very cool document provided by Schromen Law, LLC that walks you through questions to ask while calling around for Estate Planning and Elder Law.

Minnesota Application for Medical Assistance for Long Term Care - if you’re interested in a DIY approach. A word of caution - these forms can seem deceivingly simple. We might recommend hiring a pro to help guide you.

Low Income Resources:

Mid Minnesota Legal Aid

LawHelpMN.Org

What happens when the money runs out? For many Americans, Medical Assistance for Long Term Care is an option that feels almost inevitable. But these were supposed to be ‘The Golden Years’, right? And now you’re telling me I have to live off of $120/month? WHAT?!? Where do you begin? There seem to be SO many rules and so much fine print - and what is really provided?

In part one of this two-part episode, Eliesa shares her personal story with the hardships of navigating and applying for Medical Assistance for Long Term Care. We also welcome Rachel Schromen of Schromen Law, LLC to be our expert in talking about the legalities of Medical Assistance for Long Term Care in Minnesota with real tips, real examples and real advice.

**Please note that we are not offering specific legal advice - Use this advice to ask the questions in your states, with your attorneys.**

Takeaways:

• Eliesa’s personal story - why is she so passionate about Medical assistance?
• Lets clarify the terms: Medical Assistance for Long Term Care, Elder Waiver and Cadi Waiver
• What is *actually covered in MN when you’re on Medical Assistance for Long Term Care?
• The benefits of hiring an attorney for the pre-planning and application process.
• Setting Expectations for being on Medical Assistance for Long Term Care

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Rachel Schromen of Schromen Law

01:06 Eliesa’s Personal Story with Medical Assistance

12:38 Why do people go on Medical Assistance and who is it for?

13:56 Medical Assistance vs The Elderly Care Waiver vs the Cadi Waiver

17:42 What are the first steps in applying for Medical Assistance for Long Term Care?

23:55 Navigating county workers and application challenges

34:16 Financial Realities of Medical Assistance and Elderly Waiver

45:39 The importance of early planning

47:02 Outro

Links and Resources:

National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys - a national resource to help connect you with Elder Law Attorneys around the country!

Schromen Law, LLC - Learn more about Rachel’s practice and approach to Estate Planning and Elder Law. We know we’ll be making an appointment!

10 Questions to ask your Estate Planning Attorney - A very cool document provided by Schromen Law, LLC that walks you through questions to ask while calling around for Estate Planning and Elder Law.

Minnesota Application for Medical Assistance for Long Term Care - if you’re interested in a DIY approach. A word of caution - these forms can seem deceivingly simple. We might recommend hiring a pro to help guide you.

Low Income Resources:

Mid Minnesota Legal Aid

LawHelpMN.Org

Description: Alright, who else feels overwhelmed by keeping together the paperwork and passwords alone in The Sandwich Generation? Do we go digital with all of this or keep it analog? Yeah, we are asking ourselves the same questions, too! Season 2 of the podcast premiers with this mini-episode where Robyn Frank and Eliesa Johnson tackle one of our greatest challenges: organization. We discuss a system called ‘The Legacy Binder’ to simplify life admin - the medical, legal, end-of-life-planning, etc. and hopefully this can help us ALL make caregiving a little less stressful and more manageable when all of our shit is in one place. Did we mention how amazing scanner apps are? This episode isn’t deep but it is helpful!

Takeaways:

Creating the “Legacy Binder”: Put together both a physical binder and digital folder with all of these important things! You can create this for both your aging parents and your own family.

Digital Folder: Use a cloud service like Google Drive, Dropbox or iCloud. Make sure to keep things password protected for safe keeping!

Get yourself a Scan App: Scan Ace or Scan is what we use!

Folders can include:

• Personal Information
• Financial Information
• Legal Information
• Medical Information
• Digital Information + Password
• Home Information
• End of Life Wishes

Links and Resources:

Care Out Loud - Use their Conversation Cards,

Caregiving Cheat Sheets + Caregiver Resources - all in one place!

Chapters:

00:00 Document Organization Strategies

01:15 There's so much paperwork: How do we get ourselves organized?

02:47 Analog vs Digital Organization - Or make it a combo!

09:54 Category Tips for Organizing ALL the Info

17:44 Category Tips Continued

22:17 Starting the Conversation with Parents

25:23 Care Out Loud Resource for Caregivers

28:59 Outro

Does it feel like time is fragile with your loved one? We do too. The truth is, none of us know how much or little time we have left with one another. For our Season 1 finale, we don’t just go deep, we go to THERAPY with our friend, Stephanie March. (We highly encourage you to take a read through her popular substack, Pickle.)

Stephanie shares her story - and her personal journey - of saying goodbye to her mother Brigitte, who we all called Oma, who was diagnosed with a terminal illness and given six months to live. This is not an episode of fear or despair, but rather of light, love, the little things - and being brave enough to truly celebrate the time we have! We also touch on leading our children through the loss of a loved one and why we are all a part of ‘The long goodbye’.

Grab your Kleenex and come laugh and cry with us through this episode! It’s a journey you won’t forget!

Takeaways:

Whether we are caregiving for aging parents or facing a terminal illness, how can we celebrate the time we have?

It’s the small things in life that matter the most in the end.

How can we practice staying present and having connection through aging or a terminal diagnosis?

Death merch is a very cool thing.

Death nesting is also a very real part of the process.

Are we all in ‘The Long Goodbye?’

Legacy is about carrying forward the stories and values of those we love.

How do we raise our kids to learn about death and loss when we’re sandwiched?

Continuing the celebration at a memorial - in a fun way.

Links + Resources:

Subscribe to Pickle by Stephanie March on Substack.

Chapters

00:00 Season Finale Intro

02:40 The Story of Brigitte von Haken and her final gift

08:19 Facing Terminal Illness with Grace

13:35 Death Merch

15:50 Carrying out your loved one's wishes - even when they're not your own

16:21 Navigating Death and DNR Conversations

18:38 Honoring a Mother's Legacy

23:01 Celebrating the time we have - What matters most?

31:45 Guiding our children through aging and death when we're in The Sandwich Generation

42:42 The long goodbye to the final goodbye

57:25 Let the Celebration continue - Planning the Memorial in a *cool* way

01:03:20 The After-Party Crash of Death Burnout for Caregivers

01:06:13 Change + Living Life to the fullest - because we are ALL in The Long Goodbye

01:09:50 The Gift of Being Yourself

01:10:23 Rapid Fire Questions with Stephanie March

01:13:05 Cheers to Season 1 and Oma: Simplex Munditiis!

01:13:46 Reflections on the Journey and Future Aspirations

01:14:58 Outro

We can all relate to the chaos of the holiday season and when you’re in The Sandwich Generation, things can feel…extra tricky. You’re packing up the strollers, the walkers and packing diaper bags for both the young and old - ah! Yes! The Holidays! In this episode, hosts Eliesa Johnson and Robyn Frank talk about the hilarious predicaments of the holiday logistics when you’re caregiving, along with generational and religious differences, sentimental holiday traditions and even a visit from Santa! You heard right - Santa. We will also leave you with some tips and tricks that we can all use as we approach this holiday season! Yes - it’s an episode for us all!

Takeaways

• Things feel mighty tricky during the holidays when you’re Sandwiched!
• There are a lot of logistics, diaper bags, walkers and snacks packed for everyone.
• Emotions run high during holiday gatherings.
• The torch has been passed - and now it is our time to carry on or start new traditions.
• Consider hosting your holiday early - when the kids and grandparents' energy levels are the best - or before the sugar crash.
• Outsource that shit! The meal, the shopping, whatever you need to do!
• Happy Holidays - I’m setting boundaries this year!
• All that matters is our time together.
• What would you add to our holiday survival guide?

Chapters

00:00 The Holiday Chaos when you're in The Sandwich Generation

04:22 Robyn's Real Life Hallmark Story of Chrismukkah

08:18 Nostalgia and the Holidays - How did our parents do it all?

10:51 Eliesa's Christmas Tradition: Being Santa and the Elf

11:35 The Santa Legacy

16:47 Passing the Torch: When a new generation leads the Holiday

20:54 HO HO HO! A visit from SANTA!

25:37 Incorporating Parents in Holiday Celebrations

26:24 The Sandwich Generation Holiday Survival Tips!

35:09 Segment: To Laugh or Cry

37:34 Continued: The Sandwich Generation Holiday Survival Tips!

For caregivers who have watched a loved one decline from the terrible diseases, such as Alzheimer’s, Dementia, Cancer; the question is often asked, “Will this happen to me? Is there anything I can do to prevent this?” If you are in The Sandwich Generation, you also know that finding time for self care is hard (See Episode 4: Self Care is a SCAM!). Suddenly we see ourselves shifting - we are setting our vanity aside and health and wellness have become about preserving our bodies and MINDS for aging - and living in the now! In this episode we welcome Rachel Daugherty of BootyandBrains.co who has built something truly remarkable and made the internet buzz about - gasp - brain health! She’s a sandwiched parent who has ushered her own mother through a fraught battle with Alzheimer's - and built us all a resource on both educating and empowering our bodies and minds! Rachel is inspiring hundreds of thousands of people and we are lucky to have her with us today!

Links and Resources:

@bootyandbrains.co - Follow Rachel, her knowledge and hilarity here on her instagram account!

BootyandBrains.co - Sign up for Rachel’s class. A clear guided path to reducing your risk of Alzheimer's by building sustainable daily habits.

Momentous - A Rachel-endorsed brand for Creatine and Fish Oil supplements. (Code B&B for 20% off)

Only 3% of Alzheimer's cases are based exclusively on genetics. See the study here.

Dementia Prevention, Intervention and Care Article - Read all about it here.

Research and Progress from The Alzheimer’s Association

Takeaways

It's not just about working out for vanity’s sake anymore; it's about holistic, long term health.

Caregiving changes our perspective on our own health.

Alzheimer's prevention is largely about lifestyle choices.

Just because Alzheimer’s affected your loved one, doesn’t automatically mean it will happen to you.

We can make small changes - in our diet and movement - that make a big impact on our health overall and play a part in Alzheimer’s prevention.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Rachel Daugherty of BootyandBrains.co

02:03 Rachel's Personal Journey with Caregiving and Alzheimer's

08:14 Building a Business out of grief - and one that impacts everyone

14:34 Our brains, our bodies and the science behind Alzheimer's prevention

29:04 The boring basics of self care that make a BIG difference

31:35 There is hope in Alzheimer's prevention

34:26 How being a caregiver gives you perspective on your own health

39:39 Giving your body 'equipment' for aging

42:05 "My health is bigger than me" - Talking to your kids about brain health and o

Almost everyone knows someone who has Alzheimer’s Disease. For many of us in The Sandwich Generation, this diagnosis was also the moment we became caregivers for our loved ones. But it’s all so confusing - is it Alzheimer’s? Is it Dementia? How do I bring up this conversation with my parents? Am I genetically dispositioned to get this too? WTF!

In this episode, co-hosts Eliesa Johnson and Robyn Frank have an incredibly candid and informative conversation with Dr. Elizabeth Edgerly, Senior Director of Community Programs and Services at the Alzheimer’s Association. Dr. Edgerly shares her personal story of walking alongside her mother with Lewy Body Dementia, along with answering all our questions - and giving HOPE to the future of Alzheimer’s. This episode is for us all - what we can do for Alzheimer's prevention, knowledge about the latest groundbreaking treatments and most importantly - how we, as caregivers, can bring humanity and Person Centered Care to our loved ones!

Takeaways

The difference between Alzheimer’s and Dementia.

Getting the correct diagnosis is crucial for treatment.

What to do when you notice cognitive changes in your parent.

Explaining the early, middle and late stages of Alzheimer’s.

Lifestyle changes can significantly impact brain health and reduce risk.

Genetic factors play a role in Alzheimer's risk, but lifestyle can mitigate this.

Hormonal changes in women may increase Alzheimer's risk and with caregiving, it’s a double whammy.

Support resources are available for caregivers and those diagnosed at ALZ.org.

Links and Resources:

Alzheimer’s Association Website

The 10 Warning Signs of Alzheimer’s Worksheet

My ALZ Journey - a new app brought to you by the Alzheimer's Association that puts all of their resources in one easy place for people who are first diagnosed

The Empowered Caregiver - Support Groups, Local Chapters and Online Community for caregivers to those with Alzheimer’s and Dementia.

24/7 Helpline - Yes, this helpline is still a thing AND a useful tool when you need help directly in the moment! A professional staff can guide you through all of your questions, day or night!

Trial Match - Are you interested in being a part of a clinical research study? See if you qualify and what studies are happening now!

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Dr. Elizabeth Edgerly

25:03 The Comfort of Nostalgia: Peanut M&Ms and Family Bonds

27:27 Preserving Dignity

30:36 Early, Middle and Late Stages of Alzheimer's

35:12 The Importance of Early Diagnosis

38:59 Emerging Treatments and Blood Tests for Alzheimer's

45:54 Understanding Amyloid and Neurofibrillary Tangles

53:47 Hormonal Health and Alzheimer's

01:00:52 Resources for Alzheimer's Caregivers

01:04:02 Real Talk

Downsizing and moving your aging parents is one of the hardest tasks of all time. Or maybe your loved one has already passed and you are tasked with selling a home and going through a lifetime of belongings. It’s. Brutal. Seriously, it’s the definition of overwhelm. Where do you begin? In this episode, we welcome guest Alli Rubin who is a professional moving manager and a true ‘easy button’ when it comes to tackling this enormous task. Alli shares actionable tips on how to approach going through all of the stuff along with a thoughtful conversation about how our objects do hold meaning and the way we can honor the past while finding closure and moving on. It’s a good one, welcome to The Sandwich Generation Pod!

Takeaways

• The difference between a Hoarder and a Saver - we all think our parents are hoarders, but are they really?
• It’s a gift to move your parents while they are still alive - start the conversations and process early!
• Our objects, our things and our stuff hold meaning. They tell stories. Let's honor that while also downsizing and guest Alli Rubin provides actionable tips to dealing with all of the ‘stuff’.
• How to make the new place feel like home.
• How to keep objects for future generations and remember our loved ones.
• The difference between hiring a professional mover vs junk removal - and the realistic costs.
• How our objects can live on and give meaning to others!
• Working with Siblings and creating boundaries and deadlines around the moving process!

Links and Resources

Get in touch with Alli Rubin: allirubin@hotmail.com

**The Following resources are based in Minnesota**

Estate Sales Minnesota

PRISM MPLS - Donate to the Shop for Change Thrift Shop and Marketplace Food Shelf.

SAVERS - Declutter Responsibly.

STEP - Accepts donations for food and clothing.

Bridging - Accepts Furniture, housewares, linens, small appliances, electronics, mirrors, artwork and pictures.

JFCS Hag Sameach Program - provides personalized holiday gifts, ritual items, and household necessities to families and individuals who are in need.

Astound Video - Converting VHS, Photographs, CD's, and Video Tape transfers to digital format.

Chapters
00:00 Introduction to the Podcast and Guests
01:12 Meet Alli Rubin
04:39 When is the right time to call a mover?
14:19 Hoarder vs Saver
19:06 Helping families downsize
30:52 Our objects hold meaning
34:42 The energy our objects hold and passing that along
38:30 The difference between hiring a mover and junk removal
43:15 Estate Sales and Resellers
46:45 Setting Boundaries and Timelines
51:55 Start the moving conversation early, make the calls and plan
56:12 Outro
56:53 Real Talk