How to Find the Best Living Community for Your Older Loved Ones

July 31, 2023
Hosted by Ron Roel

[Download MP3] [itunes] [Bookmark Episode]

Guest Information

Episode Description

For more than 30 years, Adam Flattau successfully rose up the ranks of Corporate America to become the Eastern Regional Director of digital advertising and marketing for a leading commercial real estate information company. Then something happened. He found himself as the primary caregiver for his uncle Walter, who was released from the hospital into a rehab facility and Adam needed to find the best living option for his uncle. Later he had to go through similar processes with his mom and father-in-law, and each time Adam wished he had help in navigating these confusing, daunting tasks. This led to an unexpected—but extraordinarily rewarding—shift to a new career: ensuring that other families did not have to go through this process alone. In today’s episode, Adam, now a Certified Senior Advisor and owner of the Senior Care Authority franchise on Long Island, will talk about his mission guiding families through the challenging task of finding the best living and care solutions for their elderly loved ones, whether that means independent living, assisted living communities, memory care, or skilled nursing facilities. Adam, also a Certified Dementia Practitioner, will describe how he has worked with over 500 families to get the answers and information they need so they can make educated decisions and establish well-thought-out plans that help their loved ones thrive—safely, and with dignity. Now, when Adam is asked what he loves most about his work, he doesn’t hesitate. “Easy,” he says. “I love helping families, giving back to my community, and sleeping well at night.”

45 Forward

Monday at 12 Noon Pacific Time on VoiceAmerica Variety Channel

Thanks to advances in medicine and health, most of us are just at half-life when we reach our mid-40s, with many potentially productive years ahead. But there’s no road map to prepare us for this period. That’s where 45 Forward comes in.

My show provides you with strategies to shift the traditional waiting-for-retirement model to a journey of compelling life chapters. Each show tackles an aspect of health, finance, family and friends, housing, work and personal pursuits as part of an integrated plan. Experts discuss topics like revitalizing relationships, creating mini-retirements, managing the maze of technology, finding your next homestead and caring for aging parents.

The show instills confidence, and hopefully some comfort, amid the stresses permeating today’s society. Fear of the future is not knowing how to prepare for it. 45 Forward does not proffer prefabricated answers, but helps you shape your life amid the daily anxieties of our time.

Ron Roel

I’m a veteran journalist who spent a wide-ranging career covering business, politics and social issues, the last two decades focusing on the blend of diverse life skills I call successful aging.

I have written extensively on aging topics, spoken at conferences, radio and TV shows, and launched several entrepreneurial ventures, discovering along the way that the path to aging well also requires an unexpected entrepreneurial vision. I spent 20 years as a writer and editor at Long Island’s daily newspaper, Newsday, helping to found Act 2, a weekly section for 50-plus readers. I created Roelresources.com, a website offering practical advice and inspirational essays for people ages 40 and above. I have been a volunteer and consultant to AARP Long Island, writing articles, advocating for seniors, and developing action plans for the AARP Age-Friendly Communities initiative.

I am active in programs and organizations that support seniors, such as the National Aging In Place Council and the Senior Umbrella Network. I have developed a special expertise in family caregiving, as one of four brothers who took care of their mother for almost 25 years. I regularly collaborate with many professionals who provide services and support for older Americans, and I am completing a book for caregivers on Long Island, “The Caregiving Navigator/How to Plan, What to do, and Where to Turn When Caring for you Aging Loved Ones. And Yourself,” scheduled for publication in early 2021.

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