The Let's Get Comfy Podcast
Hosted by Founder and CEO of Comfort Measures Consulting LLC, Norman Harris. The Official Healthcare Edutainment station. Empowering listeners with the knowledge and resources to age comfortably. The podcast platform will uniquely provide laughter, peace, joy, resources and most of all COMFORT. Fostering professional partnerships and engaging the audience by providing them access to a REAL family-like conversation. That gives them the REAL reasons. Connects them to REAL reliable resources. To get REAL results. For REAL Comfort! Through interviews with C-suite healthcare leaders, experts, caregivers, founders, authors, educators, and thought leaders who are doing incredible work for older adults, family caregivers, and the healthcare community.
The Let's Get Comfy Podcast
Enhancing Life at Home: Tailored Solutions for Aging Adults with Jennifer Trevino OTR/L, CAPS, ECHM
Discover how to significantly reduce the risk of falls and enhance the quality of life for older adults in our latest episode with Jennifer Trevino, an accomplished occupational therapist and founder of Functionality for Life. Jennifer brings over two decades of expertise to the table, sharing invaluable insights into proactive healthcare measures and the profound impact that home safety modifications can have. From her transition from traditional healthcare settings to establishing her own company, this episode is packed with practical advice and personal stories that underscore the importance of early interventions and personalized care.
Jennifer’s journey from aspiring doctor to passionate occupational therapist is nothing short of inspirational. We take a closer look at her impressive credentials, including her certifications as an Occupational Therapist Registered and Licensed (OTRL), a Certified Aging in Place Specialist (CAPS), and holding an Executive Certification in Home Modifications (ECHM). Join us as Jennifer recounts her experiences from Chicago to Florida, providing a heartfelt narrative about how her faith, family, and volunteer work led her to a fulfilling career in occupational therapy. Listen to her personal anecdotes about her first job in a Chinese restaurant and her academic path that shaped her professional life.
We also dive into essential caregiver resources, innovative home safety solutions, and the critical issue of fall prevention. Jennifer offers valuable tips on how to tailor home modifications to individual needs, recognize signs of caregiver stress, and access helpful organizations like the Area Agency on Aging and Meals on Wheels. With a dash of humor, we explore creative home safety ideas and share light-hearted moments that give you a well-rounded experience. Don’t miss out on this engaging conversation filled with expert advice, personal insights, and practical solutions to enhance the safety and well-being of older adults.
I see people after things happen, and so to me it was really important to try and get ahead of some of the issues that are preventable, like falls. Yes, that's huge. People don't know what they don't know. You get put in a situation. All of a sudden you get a call Mom's in the hospital, dad's in the hospital. What do you do? You go through this quick stay, in a sense because they're on.
Speaker 2:At Comfort Measures Consulting, we're here to help you navigate the complexity of healthcare. If you're caring for a loved one as a caregiver, you don't have resources, you don't know what questions to ask. You need to have options right. Give Comfort Measures a call. Give us a chance. First consultation is free. Speak with me, Comfort Measures Consultant 850-879-2182. You can also visit our website at wwwcomfort, where we empower listeners with the knowledge and information to age comfortably Home peace, joy, love, but, most of all, comfort.
Speaker 2:I'm your host and sole proprietor of the let's Get Comfy podcast, Norman Harris, and today we have an amazing guest that's going to provide wonderful expertise and insight for you all today is going to provide wonderful expertise and insight for you all today. She's the owner of Functionality for Life, which offers in-home outpatient therapy services, home safety and modification consultation services and dementia consultation services for caregivers. Her organization was established to improve the safety and quality of life of older adults. To improve the safety and quality of life of older adults. After working for over 20 years as an occupational therapist in various traditional settings and seeing the gaps in health care, this wonderful guest understands the importance of staying in one's own home to benefit their overall health. This realization motivated her to broaden her expertise into in-home therapy, home modification and dementia care. By specializing in those areas, she offers and tailor solutions to the daily challenges faced by clients and caregivers right in the comfort of their own home. I present to you the wonderful Ms Jennifer Trevino. Thank you, ma'am.
Speaker 1:Thank you for having me. I appreciate it.
Speaker 2:Yes, ma'am, so glad that you could join the show today. Thank you. Today, let's Get Comfy podcast was started to offer information and resources from individuals like yourself to assist family members, and one thing that I'm a part of an organization I'm a part of is organization I'm a part of is Falls Free Florida.
Speaker 1:Very good.
Speaker 2:Yes, ma'am so. And with focus on assisting individuals from falls in their home, aging in place Correct. So with Falls Free Florida, I learned a ton of information in just the impact of just one fall Correct, Absolutely. So I do educations at assisted living facilities, skilled nursing facilities, and I've been preaching that message of all it takes is one fall.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and I think people don't realize the impact one fall can have. Yes, and so the sooner we can get in there and do things for people, the better quality of life people can have.
Speaker 2:Yes, ma'am. So if you'll just discuss your dedication and passion to healthcare and how it influenced you to launch your own company, Absolutely.
Speaker 1:I've been like you said. I've been doing occupational therapy for over 20 years and through that, working in multiple different settings, I see people after things happen, and so to me it was really important to try and get ahead of some of the issues that are preventable, like falls, you know, seeing people with broken hips, having to have hip replacements, knee replacements all those types of things can be really traumatic, and so every little bit that we can get ahead of those types of things is where I was trying to make more impact. So that's how I kind of got into the home safety components. And then, as far as the outpatient mobile, it was more or less transitioning from clients that have home health and are unable to still get out to the clinic but still need therapy or they need further training in the home, because occupational therapy works on the occupations of everyday life.
Speaker 1:And so the best place to work on those types of things is really in your home setting, where you're performing the majority of occupations.
Speaker 2:Yes, yes, totally agreeable. So when I put out your episode right, I'm going to launch it with all of your wonderful accomplishments.
Speaker 1:Thank, you, so I wanted you to review with our audience here these abbreviations.
Speaker 2:So O-T-R-L, then there's CAPS, yes, then there's E-C-H-M, correct Right. So instead of me explaining it and doing my research, I said you know what I'm going to have her explain it on the show?
Speaker 1:Absolutely.
Speaker 2:Wonderful accomplishments, by the way, thank you.
Speaker 1:Otrl is the occupational therapist registered and licensed. Okay, okay. And then the caps is additional training, that is, the certification for aging in place, oh, okay, specialist. A yes, ma'am caps, and then the E-C-H-M is the Executive Certification in Home Modifications. So a little bit of training in aging in place, a little bit of training in home modifications and the occupational therapy base.
Speaker 2:So that's where all that comes in. That's why she's a specialist and good at what she does. Yeah, so we're going to transition here just to go into the life of Ms Jennifer Trevino.
Speaker 1:So if you just let the audience know where are you from, I am originally from Chicago, so I've been down here in Florida for about 16 years, now 16 years.
Speaker 2:Which one do you like best, chicago or Florida?
Speaker 1:Right now it depends what I'm looking for, so absolutely weather-wise Florida 100%.
Speaker 2:Even when it's hot, even when it's brutal.
Speaker 1:I'll still take the heat over the snow any day, really okay okay, what about food other? Things food, absolutely. I was just gonna say I totally miss chicago, really. Yes, so we go back as a family every year and it's basically like a foodie tour what's?
Speaker 2:oh, I was about to say what are you? Something like the most common place you guys make sure to hit when you go back to chicago chinatown.
Speaker 1:I mean it winds up being a little bit of ethnic yeah running. So we get our Mexican food, our Chinese food, pizza, deep dish pizza, because that's something you never get down here.
Speaker 2:Wow.
Speaker 1:Just a little bit of everything running around Italian subs, all the things Tampa Bay area.
Speaker 2:We have to do better, man, I know we have to do better, especially in the Pasco County area. We need some good food options. I like crepes.
Speaker 1:Yeah, they come and bring some new options, you know but like everything up here in the past, we can.
Speaker 2:We have to drive to you know um tampa, downtown tampa areas to find good food. So that's a 40 minute drive, correct? So you end up deciding to just cook at home yes, that was one thing that I learned moving here.
Speaker 1:I was like? Is it worth going out because the majority of places are like chains?
Speaker 2:yes, for sure not that good. So, um, who had the strongest impact on just shaping your life?
Speaker 1:you would say honestly, I would say my faith has gotten me through the majority of everything. So god, first and foremost, and then after that family. For sure, my family has a huge impact on my life.
Speaker 2:Okay, oh, all right. Family, family Siblings.
Speaker 1:Actually more of my aunts and grandparents.
Speaker 2:That's good.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:That's good. It takes a village, they say, to raise.
Speaker 1:It does.
Speaker 2:What kind of student were you just in school?
Speaker 1:I was a nerd. Really I was a nerd, really. I was very I loved school. I was excited to go to school and I wanted to do well in school, really.
Speaker 2:So let me see how was I in school. I did good in school because I knew I was gonna have consequences if I didn't. Oh, okay yeah, yeah, yeah yeah, I would say as far as a student for me me, if I would have had a plan already after college where I could just go right into the workforce, own a family, I probably would have did that Okay.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I didn't like school.
Speaker 2:No, I just did it and I had made good grades, yeah, everything, I just did it good because I had to. Okay, yeah, my parents didn't play. Yeah, my parents didn't play, yeah, yeah. So first job in high school, did you have a job in high school.
Speaker 1:Yes, I worked many jobs in high school. My first job was actually at a Chinese food restaurant, Really. So my friend got me the job and I was able to just answer the phones, take orders, show the orders, be a server, be a waitress, do all the things.
Speaker 2:So that was the first place you stated too, when you said, uh, as far as visiting going, to food restaurants in Chicago.
Speaker 1:Well, so you like Asian cuisine Chinese.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so, um, uh. For me my first job was, let's see, working the concession stand at our local recreation department. Oh nice, I think I was the best. I ran that concession stand.
Speaker 1:I got 16.
Speaker 2:I did that.
Speaker 1:I made the best hot dogs.
Speaker 2:Yes, I knew how to boil them and I used to add a little salt in my water when I boiled them A little cayenne. I already knew about that at 16. And I love my hot dogs too, and I put extra toppings on it too, okay, yeah, so uh, what college did you attend?
Speaker 1:I went to the university of illinois at chicago okay, illinois, chicago, that's the fighting the line line no, fighting line is in urbana.
Speaker 2:Yeah, okay, the one in chicago is flames flames good, okay, uh, did you know your future plans at this time, like, did you already have a perspective, like from high school transitioning to college? What you wanted to do, I?
Speaker 1:kind of did. I wanted to be a doctor originally, and when I got into school and started doing more volunteering, I actually started veering more towards therapy. So I started looking at physical therapy and the more I volunteered, the more I realized that I really liked occupational therapy.
Speaker 2:Okay, why yeah?
Speaker 1:We were doing all the things. It wasn't just the exercise component, it was the taking, the body, you know, and how does it function in the space. So, really, you know, how are you getting in and out of a car, how are you functioning in the home space? All those things and I thought it was really neat to put all those components together to take people from the hospital environment into the community and home and really just do well from there, be healthy in their own space.
Speaker 2:Got it Okay. Do you have any funny story from whether it's college or high school? Just one.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:That just encompasses who Jennifer is.
Speaker 1:I don't know. Like I said, I was kind of a nerd so I don't have a ton of funny stories. But there was one time we did a group project and so we wanted to figure out okay, how are we going to get everybody's attention? So we at the time ER was a really popular show.
Speaker 2:Yeah, okay, you remember that. Yes, yes, I do. Yes, I never watched it, though.
Speaker 1:So yes.
Speaker 2:I never watched, but I remember seeing like the commercials and all that yeah.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so we kind of made a little spoof on it and we made it OTR because we were all occupational therapists and we just kind of played up the characters and dramatized everything and over-exaggerated all the things. Okay, and just took like an OT spin on it.
Speaker 2:Right, right spin on it, but everybody in the class and the teachers were just laughing because it was kind of silly. Yeah, do you have still any? Stay close, close connected with any friends from college?
Speaker 1:yeah, we actually just had our 25th again my age 25th anniversary this past weekend really that's really good.
Speaker 2:I think that's one thing. I feel that, um, like as far as college, because with me I was in when I moved back home to tallahassee I went to florida a&m university. I was graduating from yeah but I was so focused on like just finances, so I was working and going to school yep so like a lot of people as a fam, you alumni like they're really die hard like rattlers, butattlers but not me, Because my fault, I didn't enjoy really any like on-campus festivities like that. Yeah, but yeah, that's a good story.
Speaker 1:That's the same.
Speaker 2:But no, that's because I did. I played around too much early on so by the time I got to Family View, you know I needed to focus on, you know doing the right things at the time. So but yeah, thank you for sharing. I like to ask those questions because it really sort of goes into like who you are, what built you, and it goes and let the audience know, like you know more of you as a person. So, and I want to further deep dive into that Absolutely, and just the version I call this part of the show, the versions of Jennifer. So if you just describe to the audience just you as a sibling, how would you say?
Speaker 1:As a sibling. I am a middle child, so I have an older brother and a younger brother and I think, probably because I was the only girl, I kind of ran the show a little bit more Really. Yeah, I had good brothers. Okay, yeah, I had good brothers Okay, that's good they let me kind of boss them around, that's good though. But now things have changed. I'd say it's a lot more, even these days, but we definitely support each other.
Speaker 2:That's really good. What's the age difference Do you have? That yes, my older brother is four years younger than me, so we're kind of spread out, but we're still really close, still good. Still, you ain't live in the area at all. No, we all live in different states.
Speaker 1:California and chicago? Okay, all right. And as a daughter, how would you say? You? I would say I'm probably the closest to my parents, probably because I'm the girl, um, but I call them every day, check on them, do what I can. Being out of state it's a little bit harder, but but I check on them every day, I call it their daily. Well, check yes, you're right and check to see if there's anything I can do from afar. So sometimes I'm their computer tech support, other times I'm just, you know, checking to make sure everything's okay, good, good, as a friend. As a friend, I would say that I am Always there, no judgments, always there, just to be there as a support.
Speaker 2:And likewise make a call Absolutely Come over.
Speaker 1:Show up anytime, doesn't matter, I'm always here for them.
Speaker 2:That's really good and just your overall impact on your community.
Speaker 1:I would say just being a good neighbor really in the community, stepping out wherever necessary, always being approachable to people, saying hi to people in the community, making sure people feel welcome.
Speaker 2:Wow, so you're a part of your HOA.
Speaker 1:I am Really.
Speaker 2:I'm not oh man, I got to do better huh. Really, when do you all meet? When your HOA meets, they meet too much for me.
Speaker 1:It depends which meeting.
Speaker 2:Yeah, depends which meeting, because there's several different. Yeah, that's fine man. No, I can't do all the meeting like that. Yeah, but uh, they do a great job and thank you if you're listening in my community. Uh, please don't take this to heart, but I appreciate you more.
Speaker 1:Appreciate you and mom yes, as a mom, um, I have three children, two boys and one girl, and I would say I'm dedicated. No, not quite the same age as myself, but similar three years and almost six years. Okay yeah, so I mean just being present for them. They've always been my top priority and so doing whatever they need.
Speaker 2:That's really good. So thank you for sharing that, of course. So what's your mission and purpose with Functionality for Life?
Speaker 1:My mission as a company is really just to be the best at serving people and helping them to really find solutions to their everyday problems, so making sure that they're able to function optimally Right, and the purpose is definitely really trying to enhance their quality of life.
Speaker 2:There you go and their health issues and if you can review your services.
Speaker 1:So I do occupational therapy, but not just traditional in the hospital or anything in the home. And again, like I said earlier, it's a continuation. So as far as if they're discharged from home health or they just need some therapy but are unable to get to the clinic, I come to them in the home and then I also do the home safety, home modifications, consultation, so I see them again in the home trying to make sure that their space functions for them optimally, so that they're able to stay safe and purposeful.
Speaker 1:And then I work with the caregivers as well to make sure that they're not feeling overwhelmed, that they're able to manage things at home.
Speaker 2:That's a very great aspect. You mentioned about thinking of the caregiver. It's great that your organization provides something like that, because I think a lot of times and I'm learning just working in the hospital's realm the focus a lot of time is on the patient, which is understandable, but the journey is actually walk with the caregivers.
Speaker 2:Sometimes the caregivers can be a daughter, it can be a son or just someone close a spouse and they've gone through this process seven years, eight years, a long, that's a long time, you know, to have. You know, and not use the term burden, but just to have that additional piece that changes your life. You know, and then you're watching someone you love, you know, make transformation transitions as well. So, um, what are some of the right tools a person can have, um, to make their day easier, you would say, just as far as home modification and home safety in their home?
Speaker 1:I think it's very personal, so really depends on the person and their situation. There is no right tool, necessarily, but just things that are going to. If you're looking at them from a physical aspect, a cognitive aspect, sensory aspect, for somebody it might be that they may need a grab bar in their bathroom to help study themselves. From the cognitive component, I mean something like an Alexa device can help you make your life a little bit easier. If you're running around looking to jot something down, need a piece of paper and pen. By the time you get there you may forget it, versus just saying alexa put this to the reminder, you know yep um, or sensory, you know I may.
Speaker 1:I might be something simple, like anything to calm you, a quiet space in your home, something soft or something you know, weighted or whatnot. That would help you that's really good.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's really good it just depends on the person and their needs right, so you make sure you provide solutions catered to the person's preferences and their need. That's really good.
Speaker 1:Yeah, looking at the whole person Right?
Speaker 2:Yes, what are some signs that a caregiver is overwhelmed? I know we just mentioned about being thoughtful and including the caregiver in the training piece. What are some of the signs that you've seen?
Speaker 1:I think when you feel like you're putting your needs on the back burner more than not, you're more than overwhelmed. At that point, I see people definitely being not necessarily burnt out but stressed out, because it's a lot to take care of yourself and your loved one 24 hours a day, seven days a week, even if it's just for a few hours at a time. We all carry a lot of roles. We're like you said, we're spouses, we're children, we're parents, we're working our jobs. We're doing so many things and trying to help somebody else. That's a lot to take on, and so are there tools? Are there ways that you can manage better? Yes, but we don't know that. You don't know what we don't know.
Speaker 2:Right.
Speaker 1:So it's one of those things it's always good to reach out to try and find if there's any help. If there's, whether it's you know services in the community or solutions within your own space, those are the things you need to know, cause it can make a huge difference in that caregiver.
Speaker 2:Very much so. And offering resources I that caregiver very, very much so. And offering resources. I think a lot of times this is just my personal opinion. The resources that are available that are sort of free, yes, uh they.
Speaker 1:They don't get any marketing push no, you have to go and find out.
Speaker 2:I'm constantly learning about those, all the time just going out and talking to people, you're like, wow, these things exist.
Speaker 1:Why don't people know about? This you have to go out and just keep talking to people. The more people you talk to, the more you learn.
Speaker 2:Exactly what's one of you would say one of your go-to like resources, just that you advise caregivers to reach out to.
Speaker 1:You know, it really depends on the person and what their needs are, obviously. But Area Agency on on aging is a good one um over in this community. Meals on wheels is a really good community um agency. There's uh different ones online um findhelporg is a good one.
Speaker 1:Yeah, you can just put in what you're looking for and they populate a whole bunch of things that are, you know, findhelporg. It's a really good service, so there's lots of different resources. But again, you kind of just have to start talking to people and seeing what people know and pick their brains and you'll just keep bumping into one thing after another. Usually.
Speaker 2:Right, and do you have a partnership with the area agency on aging?
Speaker 1:I do, I do.
Speaker 2:I am actually one of their trainers for a couple of their classes, and then I also a preferred uh vendor for occupational therapy if you just shed light on just uh the area on aging, like uh the agency, on just your partnership with them, but also just the resources, and have you, if you have any experience, to share how they've assisted families yeah, well, like I said, I'm one of the um teachers for their classes, and so they offer a falls prevention, which is called a matter of balance class, and then they also offer one for caregivers for clients with dementia.
Speaker 1:So that's the savvy caregiver training. So, I trained for both of those and I think it's just again, like we said, the awareness of things that are available. They don't have a ton of people signing up, but there's a huge need in the community and it's free.
Speaker 2:And it's free.
Speaker 1:And so if you're willing to sacrifice a little bit of time for a short period whether it's six weeks or eight weeks I think it's definitely beneficial and, as far as services, they're a resource like FindHelp. So, you can call them. They have the hotline. You don't even have to leave your home. You call them and they will tell you what services would apply to you, based on whether it's finances or services needed, and so sometimes it's just referring to other resources.
Speaker 1:It may not be within the agency, but just knowing that somebody is able to kind of help guide you a little bit more, it's worth people reaching out and touching.
Speaker 2:Very much, very much so, very much. So I learned about was it 211?
Speaker 1:That's a good one too, I saw it Wow. Yeah, there's a lot of resources you just don't even realize.
Speaker 2:I don't even realize. You just give a call and they provide resources based on just where you live. Live that's local to you, right? So those are all resources that we were advocating for caregivers and aging, the aging community to actually utilize. Please do so. You can look them up on Google. So anytime that you're laying in bed why you typically on Twitter or Tik TOK or Facebook or whatever you lie some time, you know, do some productive. Look up those uh uh resources, right, it can help you, and you can help out a family member I love one by just providing the insight, uh, so I challenge you to do that. 10 minutes on something that's productive, yeah, yeah, all right. So we're going to, we're going to. I want to go back, though, to how we met and why you gave me an opportunity, you know, to join the show. You know, once again, open arms. You didn't hesitate, so I just want to know why on camera too.
Speaker 1:Well, we actually met on LinkedIn. Yes, which?
Speaker 2:is pretty cool. Linkedin, I tell people all the time. I meet a lot of professionals in healthcare. They don't have a LinkedIn page. I don't know why you don't link this professional platform. It actually was my social media. For many years I didn't even have Facebook or my brothers and sisters used to say man, you lame.
Speaker 1:I didn't have.
Speaker 2:Facebook. I didn't have Instagram or anything, but I had LinkedIn because I was about business, you know. But now you know, I'm expanding, of course, with the brand and just the organization. So you can't have a business without social media, but LinkedIn is a wonderful tool.
Speaker 1:It is a good tool. Yeah, no, no worries. I mean, like I said, that's how we met, so I think it's just getting that opportunity to see that we worked in the same field. And again, like I said, the more you get out and talk, the more you learn about other things that are in the community, how we can help each other, serve the people, and so it's that you know servant heart that you have as well that led us to say how can we help each other and really, you know, just kind of talk and learn to spread the information about our services.
Speaker 2:Right, right, yeah, thank you. Thank you for giving me the chance.
Speaker 1:Absolutely, and you didn't hesitate with getting a date down.
Speaker 2:You're actually more, you know, responsive. Responsive as far as back and forth that I was.
Speaker 2:So I apologize, I'm learning, I'm learning so, but I appreciate that and it's good to see someone like yourself that are doing something so impactful, because I've seen, as a former skilled nursing administrator operating that role, how a patient will go into the hospital due to a fall right and end up in a skilled nursing facility, whether it's for just short-term rehab or due to a long-term, you know sort of issue because of a fall. Yeah, and their families are in a position where they don't have, they don't know what resources they have right.
Speaker 2:They don't know what things that they could have done to even prevent it before. For one, but two is like, what resources do we have to reach out to to assist us with mom transitioning back home? Yes, right, some facilities like if you don't offer, or if you don't if a family don't ask hey, can we have a therapist go out to do a home assessment? Because some skilled nurses in my facilities, my therapy team, they would go into the home and do a home inspection. But if a lot of times the families don't know to ask that, you don't get that service. So I just think that it's wonderful what you do.
Speaker 1:It's that awareness component that's huge. People don't know what they don't know. You get put in a situation all of a sudden you're you know. You get a call mom's in the hospital, dad's in the hospital, what do you do? You go through this quick, you know, stay in a sense, because they're only able to treat you for so long. You need to go somewhere after that. If they were functioning on their own at home before that, where do they go now? They still need help. So there's so many questions, so many things they need to be thinking about and they don't know who to turn to. They're given some resources, but there's still so many more because there's that continuum of care beyond just that transition home. How do they stay functional past that in their own space? And when it's too questionable, then they do look at facilities because they can provide the services that they can't have at home, necessarily without funding or whatnot.
Speaker 2:So yep, you're 100, correct. So, um, these questions, the last set of questions I'm going to ask you is I titled it Laugh and Learn, okay, right? So it's going to be a weird type of question, but I want that response.
Speaker 1:All right.
Speaker 2:All right, All right. So first, the question I have for you during this segment is if you could invent one gadget or gadget for home safety, what would it be or what would it look like? What would it assist with?
Speaker 1:Just your innovation type of you know, I thought about what would be a good invention and they already have something similar. People wear this little waist belt thing, okay, and if they fall, it pops out. No, but I wanted to make it like a bubble for the whole person. Oh so if they're falling, it'll protect them from breaking anything right right so you're talking about the little band where it pops out like the hip protectors.
Speaker 2:Yeah, because hips and heads are the top two, correct?
Speaker 1:so if it could be like a bubble around the person, so this way they wouldn't hurt themselves. Wow, that's what I'd like to be cool, very cool. I don't think anybody won't wear bubble, but no, no, I don't know anybody will wear bubble butts.
Speaker 2:No, no, I don't know if they would have to do like another band, like wear another band.
Speaker 1:I know it pops up around and it pops up like that. I know Crazy right.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so what's one of the funniest misunderstandings you've encountered in explaining in-home outpatient therapy?
Speaker 1:I think because it's a mouthful. People don't even know what it means, so I don't know if it's funny. I think it's just really more an explanation of where it fits and why it's necessary than anything else. Because, OT, occupational therapy is just usually misunderstood. People aren't looking for jobs in their older age.
Speaker 2:Oh yeah, they don't want occupational therapy. Teach me how to find a job, exactly, yeah, exactly. What's one of the weirdest uh items you've seen? Used uh for like either physical therapy in the home or occupational therapy um.
Speaker 1:You know, people have used multiple different things. Necessity is the mother of invention and so. I actually learned from a client. They had a walker behind their toilet and I was like, why would you put that over by the toilet? What's going on there?
Speaker 1:and I realized they used it to help themselves push up from the toilet oh kind of like a toilet safety frame, and so I mean it was the free version of of putting what they had to use, so it's actually really helpful okay, uh, and if you can, uh, if you were, if you had to explain occupational therapy, um to a child as a cartoon, what would you?
Speaker 2:how would you explain that?
Speaker 1:that is a tough one um yes, I would say, a good cartoon would probably be dora the explorer dora the explorer, why you? Remember during dora, so they would pull out backpack, exactly, they'd call him backpack. Backpack would come out and several different choices would populate right, different tools, and I think ot tends to provide a lot of tools yes and so we're that backpack with little solutions I like that. So that's how I think it would be one way to explain it that's a good one.
Speaker 2:yeah, yes, all right. So for the audience, um, you indicate that you are one of the service and solutions you provide. Is, uh, dementia Correct, if you can sort of just review the services for that?
Speaker 1:For dementia care. I actually am a skills care provider, so it's a specific evidence-based program that works with the caregivers for clients with dementia and we pretty much work through their readiness, trying to figure out what their problems are. What are some solutions, how are they implementing that and kind of working through so that they feel more empowered in order to, you know, continue to work with their loved one and make sure that they're able to problem solve, as problems keep arising, unfortunately.
Speaker 2:All right. So if your home safety consultation, so if you can go through that process, if you're doing a home safety sort of consultation for a family member, yeah, okay.
Speaker 1:So normally I would learn a little bit about what are their issues as far as their health concerns beforehand, and then when I go meet them at the home, we kind of just do a walk around in the space. In the space, and I like to have people show me how to do things, because sometimes how we think we do things versus how we actually move in our space can be completely different. Like, do you push yourself to get up? Do you grab onto something? How do you move in your space? Those are the things that I'm really looking at and analyzing in order to make sure that we can find the right fit for you, and placement of things really matters in how we move.
Speaker 1:Now do you sort of curate or make your solutions to match, like if you have a patient that may be having a cognitive decline still, in the home how would you sort of make sure your services fit a patient of such that's something that I definitely look at when I do the home safety assessments making sure that we're fitting the person not just for now right, but thinking about in the future, even if it's not just cognitive.
Speaker 1:there's a lot of progressive healthcare, you know health issues um, like Parkinson's or other other diseases that continue to, unfortunately, change the abilities of the person over time. So we want to make sure that we're not just putting something that fits for right now, but we want to think about how are they going to look in another year from now, another five years from now, and what are we putting in their space so that they're able to function for the entire duration as much as possible on their own?
Speaker 2:Right, right. So if someone out in the audience, if they had a concern, as you just sort of indicated, what would you advise them to do Like, as far as reaching you, how would they do so and what would be your steps to sort of assisting them?
Speaker 1:Absolutely. I mean, I'm always available for questions. So I think the easiest way is just to reach out by phone or go on my website functionalityforlifecom and make sure that you can contact me. I will call you back. We can go over some. You know what are your questions and how can I help you best, and sometimes it may just be helping them, you know refer them to different services If I'm not the right fit. I want to make sure that they have whatever they need.
Speaker 2:So if, let's say, a caregiver gave you a call like uh, you said hey, my name is Susan. I saw you on let's get comfy podcast Cause I watch every episode and uh, and I want to just see if you could just come and help my, my dad he just having multiple falls at home. And if you could just come, I just want your help. How would you go about help assisting a patient like that?
Speaker 1:Well, first and foremost, if they're having medical issues, insurance may cover it. So I want to check to see if they have what insurance they have, if it would be possible to you know, get that covered, contact the doctor, figure out what is actually going on medically, what are all the conditions, and then, from there, you know, talk to the family and say you know what are your biggest concerns, and then go and do the home assessment.
Speaker 2:Home assessment. Okay yeah, so far as your services, you can be covered. Yes, okay yeah.
Speaker 1:I'm a Medicare provider All right and so if there is a medical necessity for therapy, it definitely would still be covered.
Speaker 2:Right, right, that's really good. That's really good options covered on the Medicare. Yeah, right, right, that's really good, that's really good options covered on the Medicare. And what's some unexpected, I guess, things that you encounter, or a family can encounter, that they don't even consider right when they're looking at home assessments, or some things that you point out that they missed right there in front of them.
Speaker 1:I think honestly, a lot of the time it's the obvious how we're moving in our space. We do things out of routine, out of habits, it's just whatever's comfortable for us. But there may be an easier way to do something and it's a subtle change. So, like I said, I really, kind of occupational therapists, are expert at task analysis and so we go through and kind of have you function. Just, you know, I'll ask somebody, from the time that you wake up to the time that you go to bed, tell me a little bit about your day, and let's move around your house as if you were just getting ready in the morning, getting yourself ready for a meal, doing those types of things.
Speaker 1:And so it might be placement of something in your space, you know, making sure that you're not having to reach for something way up high or way down low, that you might fall and lose your balance doing that. It could be, you know, just making something a little bit easier, having sensor lights instead of having to walk over to the switch and find it in the dark. You know you might, just the light may just come on. So it's just little things that you can do in your space and how you move, making sure that you're doing things safely. So, again, we just do things out of the way that we do things. We don't think about it, but sometimes, when our health is an issue, if there's an easier solution I mean just simply moving to the edge of the chair to help yourself stand up can make a heavy burden a light burden, and so, as a caregiver or as a client, there's little solutions that are out there, and so why not ask somebody who, who does that every day?
Speaker 2:I actually learned that process too, about like the way you sit in the chair. A mom with knee surgery, absolutely so, just just foot placement all those things like that impacts the way you just stand up, right, right.
Speaker 2:So in a preventive from a preventative perspective, yes, if you could just give a message to sort of individuals that are middle aged, right, that may have parents that are aging, and just for them to sort of say, hey, mom, dad, I watched the show or I saw Ms Trevino and you know what I think, have you guys ever heard of doing a thought about doing a home assessment? Like, just speak to that audience there, just to say hey you know, let's be proactive instead of something happening and then we doing this.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I think the easiest thing to do is to be proactive, because a lot of the time when we're reactive, it's major changes Right. Not only are you having to deal with your health change, you're trying to mentally you know grasp what's going on in life and how everything has changed, Whereas if you're proactive, you're trying to just make things easier for yourself. Yes, you're trying to just make things easier for yourself. The costs are usually much less if you're ahead of the game because you can do it slowly, as opposed to major changes in your own space. You know you don't have to do an entire bathroom renovation necessarily, but maybe you're starting to put items in place like the grab bar that's a towel bar already, so that you don't have the fall you know I mean subtle changes.
Speaker 1:So anything that you can do, I mean I do it myself in my own home, especially when I'm thinking as far as recommendations for clients. I know that it's good because I use it in my own space. There we go, when I walk into my office, the lights just go on. I already have the sensor lights, so it's little changes that you can do ahead of time that will keep you functioning as optimal as possible for as long as possible.
Speaker 2:Right, right and and again the impact of, or just have you here on the show. But the reason why I wanted to place emphasis on a segment like this on the show as well is because falls none injury related falls right and injury related falls are the highest healthcare costs for aging adults.
Speaker 1:For sure.
Speaker 2:So, as far as insurance billing, Medicare is the highest cost for emergency visits for insurance providers. Falls related to falls.
Speaker 1:Because they're repeated sometimes. Once you have that first fall, then unfortunately other smaller falls tend to occur, or there's smaller falls beforehand that they're not reporting and they don't want people to know they're concerned that then things will change for them if they tell someone when in reality. If they ask for a little bit of help because they know those changes are occurring, they could prevent the bigger fall exactly, yeah, a lot of parents out there.
Speaker 2:Be transparent with your kids. Yeah, you know you're aging, I know you probably don't want to worry them or bother them, but if you're listening, you have your children for a reason, right? Yeah, uh, they're concerned about you so a lot. I heard a family member one time. They said, yeah, mom had a fall. But uh, you know, she didn't tell me she had it over a year ago. Yeah, her first fall. She didn't say because she didn't, she didn't think nothing. She had it over a year ago. Yeah, her first fall. She didn't say cause she didn't, she didn't think nothing of it. It was nothing big deal. But now, uh, nine months later, 10 months later, she's falling. She's had three falls in the last two months.
Speaker 1:Yeah, right, start accumulating, start accumulating because you tend to build up a fear of falling as well. So you may move differently in your space. Your confidence changes, and how you move really affects if you're going to fall or not. I mean, falls are preventable, but we don't think anything of it. We're embarrassed, we don't want to tell our family, we don't want to tell our doctor what are they going to do, and so we tend to hide those things until it becomes so problematic that you have to go to the hospital.
Speaker 2:Right, right, exactly, and with your piece that you offer is occupational therapy as well as physical therapy. It's one thing I was speaking to my dad about. That is I say we tend to spend money on things easily that really don't impact right Our life and our livelihood more readily. We quickly do that. If it's something for your boat, you want a fishing pole, you'd be willing to spend money on those things New shoes, clothes but if you're getting older, aging and you want to get therapy, then that's a cause I don't want to pay for no therapy. I don't need no therapy, I'm good right now. That's preventative measures. A lot of people don't think about that. They haven't worked out. They've really been to a gym and exercising 20 to 30 years Long time. It's so hard. At 60 years old you haven't worked out continuously for 30 years.
Speaker 1:The idea is daunting. Exactly, yeah, but at the same token, when your health is I mean even just having a cold, your health you realize it's priceless. Yes, and you'll do anything after the fact when things are compromised versus beforehand.
Speaker 1:Yes. So again, knowing that your health is priceless, where do you prioritize? Where your money goes and taking care of yourself. We have a hard time with the whole caregiver bit. We put others before ourselves, yes, but our health is so important to be able to help others, to be there for others. If we're not doing well, our other people aren't doing well, right? Yep, so we want to prioritize and spend a little bit on ourselves on ourselves.
Speaker 2:Yes, and that's another piece of you. Say that like preventative. Yeah, uh, doing it ahead of time. Yeah, even now with my kids they hate it I do, uh what I call immune shots okay yeah, they hate those non-negotiable yeah I do immune shot, like at least once a week, like so it's like lemon, the apple cider vinegar, cinnamon, yeah, uh, what else I do? Uh, lime in there and we do the like the shots, and they hate it.
Speaker 1:But yeah, you want to build up their house.
Speaker 2:Build up. Yes, ma'am, for sure. So, um, so now, uh, I have a segment here, so you have it's called. That's my Answer, okay, right, so this is going to be a few funny questions. You have five seconds to answer it, okay, all right.
Speaker 1:If you had to watch boxing or MMA, which one would you watch? Boxing, I don't understand MMA enough. You don't. Okay, I know more about boxing.
Speaker 2:All right. What's your biggest regret in life?
Speaker 1:Just one being afraid being afraid yeah, not taking chances on myself, not believing in myself enough sooner. Yeah, definitely, I should have stepped up sooner all right, that's a good one.
Speaker 2:Um, let's say, uh, okay, so here's a good one. Uh, would you like to? Would you rather rather miss a shower for a month?
Speaker 1:Ooh.
Speaker 2:Right Terrible or Miss a shower for a month or not have income for a month.
Speaker 1:Oh goodness, Both of those are really important.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's what I'm saying, yeah.
Speaker 1:I don't know that I can go without a shower for a month.
Speaker 2:A month a whole month.
Speaker 1:That's pretty gross, that one. Hopefully I I don't know that I can go without a shower for a month, A month a whole month, that's pretty gross.
Speaker 2:Hopefully I've saved enough so I can live off of my wedding and not have to give up showering. Okay, all right, all right. So what's something that pisses you off Just because you seem very nice?
Speaker 1:and sweet, but I just want what bores you. Lying.
Speaker 2:Lying.
Speaker 1:Yeah, really Lying um lying lying. Yeah, really lying 100. And I mean it's not just necessarily the little lies, but the bigger lies if we're not truthful, whether it's good or bad, regardless of the outcome. I always tell people I like to have the hard conversations. You know, if you're not honest with yourself or others, it'll show somewhere. So you might as well just be honest up front and let's deal with the issue little less all right uh favorite, uh song favorite song?
Speaker 1:that's a good question. I don't really have a favorite song. There's a lot of songs that I like, um which one do you find yourself singing? Right now I've been listening a lot to something called be all right yeah, you sing a little bit for us, or? Oh, here I prefer three little birds three little birds.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I don't know how to go. Can you sing it?
Speaker 1:oh, no, no sing only in the car, only in the car, okay.
Speaker 2:Um, if you could uh go on a date with uh one individual, who would it be? And they pay for everything.
Speaker 1:A good question. Um, hmm well, I think I would obviously go with god first. God to figure out. Yeah, help me. But people wise, let's see.
Speaker 2:Yeah, you gotta choose about what is the artist talk to.
Speaker 1:I would like to talk to oprah oprah yeah okay yeah that's a good one.
Speaker 2:um, are you going on a date for, uh, information purposes? Yeah, yeah, I wouldn't say that at all. I wouldn't say that at all. Uh, do you have a favorite rap song? I do not, no, no, okay. Do you know cardi b or beyonce? Do you know either one? Yes, who? Those? Which artist would you choose? Beyonce, beyonce, okay, let's see, and I'll wrap it up If you could eat or choose one food or dish that you had to eat every single day, what would it be?
Speaker 1:Goodness, I don't like the same thing over and over and over again. Just one, I guess a pasta, because I could do different sauces or things.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's one, so there's a little bit of creation still. You make good decisions. I can see that, yes. And the last one is if you could snoop through one person's private life, who would that person be and not get caught?
Speaker 1:I don't really want to snoop in anybody's life, honestly no celebrity, no anyone, nobody not really really you're not a nosy person, I am not.
Speaker 1:You mind your own business. I do, because that's one thing I've learned. Regardless of who you are or what you've done or where you've been in life, life tends to be full circle and we all kind of wind up in the same boat as we age. We're very similar in so many different ways. So all those little things that shape us into being who we are, we still kind of come back to similar occupations, similar, you know, just different, different things going on in life. We're all going through problems, we're all going through issues.
Speaker 1:What we show people you know may not be the reality a lot of the time. So snooping around and trying to figure all that stuff out honestly keep the drama to the curb. I don't like that.
Speaker 2:Well, I can think of a lot of reality more than anything else. That's really good. That's a good point of view. You make me feel so bad. I have like a list of people Probably Chris Brown Okay, let's see. Cardi B I want to snoop through her life. Okay, let's see DeSantis Governor DeSantis, I want to snoop through his life. Donald Trump Okay, let's see.
Speaker 1:Barack.
Speaker 2:Obama, let's see. See, that's like five. I just named a lot of them.
Speaker 1:Jamie Foxx why do you want to snoop?
Speaker 2:that's my question to you just to see what they do every day. That's all, I think everybody's real people.
Speaker 1:at the end of the day. You know what I mean, and I think you're going to see them doing a lot of the same things you and I do, probably so, but and it's not as exciting as you think.
Speaker 2:Really. Yeah, I don't know. I think money can make a little bit more excitement.
Speaker 1:A little bit more. I have family that has been in different positions of influence.
Speaker 2:And I think in reality, everybody just wants to be regular, regular, be regular.
Speaker 1:You don't want the security or the publicity or all that other stuff around you all the time, you just want to be yourself so I didn't get to get out of my immature ways.
Speaker 2:That's just immature, it's just curiosity. It's curiosity, right? Okay, um, but I think I ended there. Oh no, I have to ask you this one. Okay, I have, because it's sunday. So I have to ask you. So if you, if on today, on Sunday, if you had to take five shots, okay. Or would you do three long islands on a Sunday too?
Speaker 1:On a Sunday. I probably do five shots, get it done. I'm not a big drinker, let's just be done with it.
Speaker 2:Well, this final note for the audience just tell them about just what you, what they're going to get when they give a call to you.
Speaker 1:I think when you call me, you get me. I'm very honest and transparent about whatever it is. I'm really here to serve and be available in whatever way possible as far as the health aspect. So people have called me for many different things and I always just try to be a resource. If it's not something that I can help you with, I definitely want to try and help you in whatever way to guide you in the direction that you may need. So I think that's what you get and as far as whether it's services I can help with, absolutely I'm available for that.
Speaker 2:Thank you, yeah, thank you. Well, comfortly listeners. We had a great episode with Ms Trevino here. I thank her for her expertise and the knowledge that she shared A little even on the personal side as well. So so glad to have her on the show. Thank you and tune in to our next episode. Thank you for joining us.
Speaker 1:Thank you so much.
Speaker 2:Yes.
