Dancing with Memory: Person-Centered Dementia Care
Episode 3 - Gordon Haas explores modern, person-centered approaches to dementia care with Corey Bliss, Senior Care Director at Renewal Memory Partners. Corey explains how Renewal tailors in-home support for each unique client, the matching process between care partners and families, and the importance of caregiver education and community resources. She illustrates how music and movement can unlock emotional memory, shares her transition from professional dancer to dementia care leader, and gives concrete cost ranges for urban home care plus practical advice on long-term care insurance and flexible scheduling. The conversation closes with a candid personal story about securing her mother’s finances, and contact details for listeners needing support.
GUEST INFORMATION:
Corey Bliss of Renewal Memory Partners
Corey Bliss is Senior Care Director at Renewal Memory Partners, an organization redefining what compassionate person centered memory care looks like in New York City and Chicago. Corey's background is as unique as it is inspiring. She began her career as a dancer and later found her calling helping individuals and families navigate cognitive change with dignity, creativity and joy.
CHAPTERS:
00:00 ·The Dementia Reality Check & Why Planning Matters
01:10 · Meet Corey Bliss, Renewal Memory Partners
01:23 · Person-Centered Memory Care Explained
04:23 · Who Calls For Help & Typical Family Entry Points
06:42 · Matching Process - How care partners are chosen
09:47 · Aging in Place and Evolving Needs
11:06 · Caregiver Education, Resources, and Family Dynamics
17:11 · Music & Movement - Reaching Emotional Memory Through Dance
19:54 · Corey’s Path from Dancer to Dementia Care
24:14 · Stories of Tailored Matches that Work
27:04 · Cost of Care in Cities, Private Hire vs. Agency Pricing
31:24 · Long-term Care Insurance and Budgeting Strategies
36:12 · Corey’s Story - Selling the Family Home to Secure Care
37:23 · Closing. How to Reach Corey and Renewal Memory Partners
38:13 · Legal & Financial Disclosures
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TRANSCRIPT:
Gordon Haas (00:00)
A recent study cited by the National Institute of Health found that after age 55, roughly 4 in 10 Americans will develop some sort of dementia in their lifetime. And because of that, the vast majority of us will at some point have a parent, spouse, or loved one facing dementia, which means difficult financial and emotional decisions are not the exception anymore. They're becoming the norm.
Today I'm joined by Corey Bliss, Senior Care Director at Renewal Memory Partners, an organization redefining what compassionate person centered memory care looks like in New York City and beyond. Corey's background is as unique as it is inspiring. She began her career as a dancer and later found her calling helping individuals and families navigate cognitive change with dignity, creativity and joy.
We'll talk about when family should start planning for care, what it really costs to age and place in New York city and how music and movement can reach parts of the mind that memory sometimes forgets. Corey, welcome to Gen-Relational Wealth.
Corey Bliss (01:10)
Thank you so much for having me. Great to be here.
Gordon Haas (01:12)
My pleasure. And I'm excited to get into the conversation today and I guess a good place to start would be if you could just give us a little overview of Renewal Memory Partners.
Corey Bliss (01:23)
Sure, absolutely. So Renewal is a licensed home care agency and we specialize in complex dementia care. We serve New York City and Chicago and a number of things I think set us apart.And that we are really proud to do things differently, I think, than a lot of other organizations that are in this space.
We take the "partner" as part of our name very seriously. We truly do partner with our families to create tailored solutions for their loved one. And we can support them through the entire spectrum of dementia care. So from the moment that families might notice something is starting to change to really truly through end of life. So anything from a couple of visits a week to 24 -7 care and quite literally everything in between. We focus on getting to know each of our clients. When you said person centered, that absolutely is true. It really starts with getting to know our clients, who they are, who they've been, what's important to them, what are their values, what are their own goals for their support.
And we take that and we match them with care partners. That's our term for our companions and our home health aides. It's like an umbrella term that we use. But we really thoughtfully match our clients with care partners who share in those values and interests and hobbies. Somebody that our clients can really actually relate to and enjoy spending time with and look forward to seeing.
We've seen time and time again that when we find the right match, a lot of the issues and fears that the family might have in embarking on home care, which is a huge hurdle, kind of melt away. And we really partner with our families and supporting them as well, because dementia, course, does not only affect the person living with the disease. In a lot of ways, it can affect the family and those who love and care about them even more.
So we have an integrated team of dementia experts. We collaborate to problem solve and find the right solution for the family now and also as things change. We have a nurse practitioner, a psychologist, social workers, gerontologists. All of us bring different perspectives and different types of expertise to the table to, again, support the family really holistically. Every member of our team is a certified dementia practitioner.
So we really do bring a deep expertise and commitment to the work to support our families.
Gordon Haas (04:02)
That's wonderful. So it sounds like it is very comprehensive and unique to each individual situation, which must be a challenge to onboard different clients. And I'm sure it's different in every situation, but just as a whole, are you usually working first with the patient themselves at early stages, with a spouse, with a child?
Corey Bliss (04:23)
So usually the person calling us is a family member. It's very often a spouse or an adult child or maybe another family member. We have a lot of solo agers that maybe don't have children. So maybe it's a niece or nephew or cousin calling. Very often people are coming to us because something has changed, right? Or maybe they've known somebody has been getting a little bit forgetful or they're not really keeping things as organized as they used to. But they call us because for the first time, mom left to go to the pharmacy down the street and she was gone for two hours, right? Like something like that. There is usually some kind of an inciting event that will lead someone to call us. Or a lot of times people's executive functioning can start to fail a lot sooner than families realize it. Like bill paying,that kind of daily financial management or handling your affairs, keeping a schedule. You know, they might start to notice that mom is missing her doctor's appointments or there's a missed bill or God forbid the lights get shut off, something like that.
I like to say that with our support, it's one size fits one. You may have heard that if you've met one person with dementia, you've met exactly one person with dementia.
There's a lot of commonalities, there's a lot of things that really cut through in terms of the symptoms and the progression, but every person's experience is completely unique. every family we speak with has such a unique situation that it's kind of like a fun problem to solve, you know - kind of like a puzzle. And I get to use my creative side and bring that into the mix to really figure out how can we really innovate and find solutions and find success where maybe others may not have. A lot of times families come to us because what they have in place either isn't sufficient or it's just not working.
And we can usually find a way in with clients who are extraordinarily resistant to support or that have really complicated needs. So that's something that we're very, very proud to do. But yes, in general, we don't really talk to the client too much because very often, you know, they may not know that anything is wrong, right? It's the family that's noticing something's happening and the family is really going through it. Then we get to meet the client eventually. yeah, we're talking to the family and really partnering with them.
Gordon Haas (06:42)
Yeah.
So in a case like that, you can break it down then, if you're having a conversation with a loved one, whether it's an adult child or a spouse or another family member, is it just a conversation that you have about them and to try to match their personalities and their likes and dislikes to try to match it? Or is that a team decision? How does that work?
Corey Bliss (07:09)
Great questions. Usually I am the one that initially is speaking with families or if it's another member of my team that speaks with them, I am always having a touch point with every single person who reaches out for support. So it starts with a conversation where, you know, I try to learn as much as I can about the family, about their loved one in advance. And then at the initial nursing assessment, that's an in-person home visit that we do offer free of charge, that's where we really get to know the client, right? We see them in their element. Really, it's a friendly conversation about who they are and what's important to them. And we take all of that information we've learned from these initial conversations and at that assessment, and we bring that back to the client services team. And then we put our heads together and we talk to our care partners and figure out who we think would be a good match. And then we propose those matches to the family. So the family is in control every single step of the way. So it's our job to kind of collaborate and say like, well, this person might be a good fit, or maybe we'll talk to that care partner and we realize they're not quite the right match, but we will again, do a lot of work behind the scenes to propose really strong candidates to the family. And then the family gets to vet the care partner. A lot of families choose to interview the person over Zoom first, or they may maybe meet them for coffee or something. And if the family feels like, yes, this is a great fit for my husband or my mom, then we would do an in-person introduction with the client and the care partner. And if that goes well,that's when we say, okay, now you can sign some papers. Now we're going to get started with care and all of that. So we're taking every measure possible to ensure that we've got a good match before we're making anybody jump through any administrative hoops. Yeah, but it's very much collaboration. Yes, a lot. Yes.
Gordon Haas (09:05)
Mm-hmm. Yeah. That's great. And obviously, there's a lot of moving parts. Mm-hmm. There's lot of moving parts in there.
Then, obviously, it's important as well that the care partners fit in well with the family members as well or anyone in the household. So I guess it's a complex formula.
Of course. And as far as aging in place, are most of the people bringing in care at certain stages of the disease, like early on when they start forgetting things, need to help with cooking and so forth and so on, and then at some point they're transitioning to some other type of solution or are you usually with them for, you know, the extent of the disease?
Corey Bliss (09:47)
Also varies. But we have had clients that we've worked with for a decade. Truly what we did start out with just, you know, a couple of visits, helping them, you know, with practical things around the house or making sure that they are, you know, re engaging with the world, like going to museums or concerts or cultural events, things like that. And then as you know, unfortunately, dementia progresses in one direction and one direction only. So as time goes on, we can adapt and evolve the support. Expand the care when someone does start to need more hands-on physical help, things like getting dressed or hygiene, all of that. And then we do have families that come to us later on too, where they maybe had been working with another agency or they've had other types of care in place and were coming in a little bit later and diving in with a fuller schedule of care. But we have a number of families that we've worked with from the very, very beginning. And then, you know, we've seen things all the way through until the end, which is a really, it's an honor to be able to do that and walk alongside those families for such a long time. We really get very close with our clients and families. You know, whenever anyone passes, it really does affect all of us.
Gordon Haas (11:06)
Of course. Yeah. And one of the things that usually hits people hard when it comes to diseases like this is, know, it's the first time that many family members are dealing with a situation like this and all of a sudden their loved one is becoming forgetful. Do you also work as far as educating the people around the patient on what to expect and various activities?
Corey Bliss (11:19)
Mm-hmm.
Uh-huh.
Mm-hmm.
Absolutely, I think that's one of the things that really sets us apart. Again, I'm a dementia caregiver myself. My mom has vascular dementia. My father passed last year from Alzheimer's and my grandmother also passed from different type of dementia when I was younger. So I know intimately how difficult this journey is and we really do support our families because there's no roadmap for this. There is no textbook that tells you what to expect. And we know that. We really do talk with our families. We coach them. We counsel them. And we don't charge extra for that, right? That's all baked into our rate is that extra support and guidance and education that we provide. And we also make sure that families know about what's going on in the city, right? There are tons of events and support groups and webinars. Like there are a lot of resources out there. People just don't know where to look. We actually, have started a dementia resource directory that we offer for free to anyone in the community that would benefit from it. We have hard copies as well as PDFs and that's a compilation of nonprofit programs and services across New York City for people living with dementia and their loved ones. So everything from, you know, like the Met Museum has dementia friendly programming to social day programs, to medical clinics, to support groups, you name it. That directory really is like a bible really for people to navigate. And then in addition, we also are very, very fortunate to have Dasha Kipper on our team. She is our Director of Caregiver Support.
She's also the author of “Travelers to Unimaginable Lands”, which is a book of case studies that looks at the psychological effects of caregiving on the caregiver, of someone with dementia. Dasha is a psychologist and social worker. And, you know, she, again, she's written this incredibly insightful book. But In her role here at Renewal, she does a ton of community education events for both professionals and family caregivers. And she also has special one-on-one sessions with every single spouse or adult child that comes to us looking for support. And she'll work with them every step of the way as well.
We are really well versed in complicated family dynamics and complex dementia and complex family dynamics that come along with it. If it's an adult child calling on behalf of their parent, both parents are still alive, a lot of times there's friction between what the adult children may see as a problem and then the healthy parent doesn't recognize the need, right? So that's one example where there can be kind of a difference of opinion. If it's the spouse calling, like a husband calling on behalf of the wife, that can be, maybe there's a little less friction there, but they're very often, there's still a lot of denial, right? Or maybe they're finally calling because their kids have been badgering them about it and all of that. But, you know, the dynamics are different because the relationships are different.
It's very different when you're living in that reality day to day versus, you know, an adult child that does not live at home, then maybe they live in another state, or even if they live around the corner, they're not living it day to day. My mom and I walked completely different journeys with my dad. My mom kind of went through hell being my dad's full-time caregiver. And I'm here as the adult child. I do this for a living. I support families with dementia. And a lot of my advice to my mom fell on deaf ears. She just was not in a place to hear it or adopt it. She was just in such a state of constant stress that she couldn't see the forest for the trees. And it broke my heart, honestly, to see the difficulty that she was having navigating that with my dad. Whereas my relationship with my father, like it was difficult. I would often tell people, my dad's chilling. My dad's all things considered. Yes, he has Alzheimer's, but he's okay. My mom was the bigger problem. That was the more fraught relationship that I had was with her. So the family dynamics are...
Gordon (15:45)
Hmm.
Corey Bliss (15:48)
very, very complicated. then if you've got multiple siblings that are not on the same page, that's really tough. When the caregiving responsibilities are not shared equally, where there's one sibling that's shouldering all of the burden and then there's another sibling that's checked out, that's a whole nother thing that we do support them with.
The best scenarios are when everyone is on the same page, but that doesn't always happen. So.
Gordon (16:13)
Mm-hmm.
That's great, great insight into what it's really like, not just on paper and dealing with multiple personalities and different people with different dynamics and family dynamics. It's
Corey Bliss (16:23)
Yep.
Gordon (16:24)
Boy, that's great.
Corey Bliss (16:25)
So we're really able to help caregivers deal with their own, you deal with a lot of living grief with dementia. It's sort of just this never ending, series of losses in a way. that there's so, so many things to unpack and that journey for the caregiver is as individual as the disease is for their loved one. And we understand that and we, you know, really make sure to hold their hand and give them permission to kind of let go in a way or, know, whatever that looks like. It really is very individual.
Gordon Haas (17:00)
Yeah, and as you mentioned, I'm sure that's just a huge comfort knowing because sometimes when people think about these kinds of services, they're thinking that someone is just a babysitter, just sitting around watching TV. But the fact that their family member who is starting to become more forgetful is still engaged in life and cultural activities, that's just a huge.
Corey Bliss (17:11)
Right. Mm-hmm.
Yes.
Gordon Haas (17:24)
relief as far as a quality of life.
And just a quick disclosure here that that Corey and I met originally because my mother-in-law has Alzheimer's and we used Renewal for the early stages and for quite a few years for the middle stages as well and everything that Corey is mentioning, they walk the walk. They really did engage her.
Corey Bliss (17:48)
Thank you.
Gordon Haas (17:51)
in a lot of different activities in New York City. And it really kept her in great spirits. And you matched her up with caregivers that really kept her engaged and interested. And she, I had mentioned before to Corey that she loved dancing her whole life and even along her journey as her Memory starts to fade. And she can't remember things that you said to her a minute ago. If you turn on some music, some Tito Puente, she would just start dancing.
Corey Bliss (17:53)
Mm-hmm.
Mm-hmm.
Mm-hmm.
yep.
Gordon Haas (18:18)
And the care partners would lean into that and take her dancing and really engage. So I want to thank you personally for that.
Corey Bliss (18:28)
Thank you.
That means a lot. Our clients are incredible people who have lived incredible lives. And I think one of our goals is to get them back to themselves as much as possible and to get their loved ones back to themselves too, right? It's very easy to kind of get.
Gordon Haas (18:44)
Mm-hmm.
Corey Bliss (18:46)
lost in the shuffle and kind of go down a rabbit hole of, know, this is sort of becomes all consuming and, you know, it's really important to find those moments of joy. And that's what we really try to bring and help remind people that that is possible. There still can be moments of joy and happiness and real, real life to live still, and music and dance, you know, I,I love that your mother-in-law danced and I would dance a little with her and I would visit occasionally. Music is one of the kind of one of the oldest emotional memory centers that we retain, especially from someone's formative years, right? When they were in their 20’s or in their teens, that can really transport you back to another time and place. And movement, when you add dance into the mix, it's an even more fantastic exercise for your brain, right? It's like if you take music by itself is great, movement is great, know, walking, exercising, but when you combine the two and you're dancing to music, the benefits for someone's brain are compounded. It's pretty remarkable. You're working all parts of your brain at once.
Gordon Haas (19:54)
And that's that's a great transition because I have read that you have a background in dancing, that you studied dancing and you were a professional dancer for a while. So I'd to hear a little bit more about that and your journey transitioning from that to where you are today.
Corey Bliss (20:03)
I sure was.
So yes, I've been a dancer my entire life. I say once a dancer, always a dancer. I majored in dance in college. And then when one of my first jobs out of school was working in an arts program for adults with severe disabilities. And that really spoke to me because when I was dancing even at my hometown studio, the woman who ran it was very, very community oriented and really believed in volunteering and giving back and being of service. So from the time I was, you know, six or seven years old, I was dancing in nursing homes, in senior centers, in domestic violence shelters, you name it. We danced everywhere and just bringing joy and happiness to folks. And that was just, that was expected. It was not an optional thing that we were volunteering and
Gordon Haas (20:47)
Hmm.
Corey Bliss (20:58)
And that was my community service. Like all my community service hours as a kid were dancing, which is kind of, it was wonderful for me. But it really instilled this deep sense of altruism and showed me the power that the arts and creativity could bring to people's lives. And I, that really runs deep with me.
So in my first job after college, I found this arts program that was supporting people with severe disabilities. And I said, you know, this is a great way to reach people that otherwise would not have the opportunity to create art. Everyone on the team was a professional artist. So not a therapist. Certainly what we were doing was therapeutic, but we were not art therapists, right? The goal of therapy is goal oriented, but what we were doing was truly art for art sake. I worked one-on-one with clients to assist them in creating original works of choreography and creative movement. Some could carry on conversations, others were completely nonverbal. So I had to learn each of their communication styles, whether that might have just been raising or lowering of their eyebrows and asking yes, no questions. I did that work for 10 years and I think it will probably always be the most rewarding and fulfilling work I've ever done. And it showed me that there is a way to communicate, there is a way to reach everyone and everyone has the capacity to create and leave a mark.
And everyone should have that chance, right? And have that dignity and that independence and the ability to just create. And then I was doing the reverse commute from Brooklyn to Somerset County, New Jersey and it was like two hours each day. A lot. Yes. But again, that's how much I loved the work.
Gordon Haas (22:40)
A lot of patience, yeah.
Corey Bliss (22:47)
Right? But there came a time where I needed to kind of refocus and recenter my life back in the City. And I transitioned to working for a boutique dance fitness company. I did that for a couple of years and then COVID happened. During my time working for the fitness company, I always had felt a pull that I wanted to get back to working in the nonprofit space or in mission driven work. And I said, you know what, I need to do something different. The rest was kind of serendipity. I saw a job posting on Indeed for a Partnerships Director role, which is essentially like external relations for Renewal Memory Partners.
I applied and I think my interview with the CEO was supposed to be half an hour, went for over an hour. We just kind of clicked and I started in September, 2020 and never looked back. I transitioned from a partnerships role to focusing on leading client services about three years ago. And then I was promoted and I now lead Renewal's New York office.
Gordon Haas (23:30)
Hmm.
Corey Bliss (23:47)
So I do still do a lot of external relations work and I also have a hand in operations, but my true heart and soul is in client services and helping our families. And I pride myself on knowing exactly what's going on with all of them.
Gordon Haas (24:01)
You found your calling. I would love to hear if you have any other surprising stories of transformation from the various families that you've worked with on how the good relational care can, can really make a difference in memory care.
Corey Bliss (24:14)
Yeah, I think, you know, it's hard for families to stay or imagine in the abstract what a really good match could actually do. And what could actually mean for their loved one. Once there was someone that was a geriatric social worker in the height of the AIDS crisis. And she lived in New York for 50 years. She started to develop some memory issues in huge denial. And of course, being a geriatric social worker herself, you know, would not be, she was not really keen on having any help, nor was she keen on admitting that there was anything wrong with her. But she loved to tell her stories, right? She's again, lived in the same neighborhood for 50 years. She could tell you what every storefront was going back four or five businesses. And
Gordon Haas (24:50)
Mm-hmm.
Corey Bliss (25:04)
She had this great kind of living oral history, so she was matched with a podcaster, somebody that loved to have conversations just like this one. And she didn't view it as help. It was just somebody coming in to talk to her and hear her stories. But at the same time, it's eyes on the situation, right? It's somebody that's keeping an eye on her, making sure that the family knows what's going on, making sure that she stays safe. And that made a huge difference. It's all in how you frame the support. You know, if it's an artist, maybe their care partner is a studio assistant. If they're a writer, maybe it's an editorial assistant who's there to help them with their memoir. It doesn't have to be, here is your senior sitter and here is your companion. Maybe there's someone from a city program that is supporting intergenerational learning.
Right? That's a good one. That's one that's worked really well. And we're just matching older adults with people from younger generations that want to learn from them. And there's a huge benefit to intergenerational learning. There have been studies about that. So it's genuine, right? It's a genuine alternative framing of the support in a way that someone will accept. It has to make sense with their own biography though. We're not going to match an artist.
Gordon Haas (25:58)
Yeah.
Mm-hmm.
Corey Bliss (26:22)
with somebody who was a businessman and they were focused on spreadsheets and everything all day and they have no interest in the arts. That's not gonna work for them, But maybe they need an executive assistant, perhaps. So.
Gordon Haas (26:30)
Yeah. Yeah.
And again, he just, I'm imagining it from the perspective of the family that is speaking with you about bringing, bringing your team in. It's just a lot more comfortable to, to know that that conversation is going to be a little bit easier. You're helping to facilitate that. It's not just like you're providing a service and then the adult kids or the spouse has to break the hard news on their own. You're working as a team. So that's wonderful. Now, since this is a,
Corey Bliss (26:48)
Yep, exactly.
Exactly, Yup, they are not in this one.
Gordon Haas (26:59)
Yeah, I was just going to transition a little bit since we are touching on finance a little bit. This is a financial podcast and we do financial planning. In retirement, this is a big one, right? Whether it's a family member again or an individual, a lot of people are going to face some sort of dementia at some point in their life. It's expensive because I know that Medicare doesn't cover all of it. It may cover some of it as far as medications, but it doesn't necessarily cover care.
Corey Bliss (27:04)
Mm-hmm.
It doesn't
at all.
Gordon Haas (27:30)
Yeah, so from the perspective of cost, can you give us a range on what the cost for this sort of care tells?
Corey Bliss (27:36)
Mm-hmm. Sure.
So it depends on if you are hiring privately. Bringing in caregivers on your own or working with an agency. In general, agencies are priced a bit higher because there is overhead. So for private hires, you're looking right now about $30 to $35 an hour for a good caregiver if you're hiring privately and paying them yourself. Or for, I will say a reputable agency right now in the city is closer to $40. Renewal's rates start at $45 per hour, but we're baking in a ton of support and services to that rate. Like most things in this world, you get what you pay for. And that is extraordinarily true in the home care space. If you're talking to an agency and their rates are lower than you've heard or you know if it sounds too good to be true, the caliber of the care is not going to be what you need.
Gordon Haas (28:34)
I assume are New York rates. also have a division in Chicago. Are they pretty similar in various parts of the country, at least urban areas?
Corey Bliss (28:39)
Yeah, the urban areas are about the same. I would say in New Jersey, I know the rates are a little bit lower, like maybe let's say $25 to $35, and maybe topping out at $40. So urban areas are going to be more expensive. But a lot of times though, even in suburban areas, because there is such a dearth of caregivers available, sometimes that can drive prices higher too, just because there's unfortunately a scarcity, especially when you get into rural areas.
Gordon Haas (29:07)
And do you work specifically in New York City or do you also work in New Jersey and some of the suburbs?
Corey Bliss (29:13)
Unfortunately, we're only in the five boroughs and southern Westchester. I just know a bit about New Jersey from my own family experience. But our rates in Chicago are the same. It starts at $45, but we are intentionally flexible with our rates, which is another thing that we do a bit differently than other agencies. Again, our driving principle is what is the right one type tailored solution for this family. A lot of agencies have really high minimums, like 16 or 20 hours a week. And if you don't want to schedule that, that's the end of the conversation. That just doesn't make sense to us, Like if somebody needs support, and especially with dementia, you're dealing with people that are really resistant or in denial. Like 16 hours is too much. Like it's too much too soon. I like to say starting low and slow, like cooking good scrambled eggs is usually a good recipe for success. So if we start with just one two-hour visit a week, and that's our pinky toe in the door to be able to expand care. And God forbid, if there was a medical crisis or something, that's fine by us. So that is something that we do do differently. And the way we work around that is our rates per hour are higher if you want fewer hours per week. So if you, again, if you're looking for 16 hours or more, our rates would start at $45 to $55. If you're looking at less than 16 hours a week, it's $55 to $65. More per hour, but it's a win-win. The care partner is earning a higher rate as an incentive to take on fewer hours and the client's paying less out of pocket. 55 times eight is less than 45 times 16.
Gordon Haas (30:57)
Yeah, yeah, that makes perfect sense. And it's wonderful that you can start off slowly too, just to make sure that everybody is comfortable in the situation, including the care partner, that everybody is a good match. Then unfortunately, like you mentioned, moving forward in the large majority of dementia cases, going to be a need. So it's wonderful that you provide that service without too much pain upfront. As far as the way that people usually pay, obviously a lot of it has to be out of pocket from savings or from family members.
Corey Bliss (31:07)
Exactly.
Mm-hmm. Yeah.
Yes.
Gordon Haas (31:24)
If someone is fortunate enough to have a long-term care insurance, does that cover these services?
Corey Bliss (31:29)
Mm-hmm.
Yes, it does. We work with all long-term care insurance providers, as do other agencies as well. but the care coverage really depends on the policy. Some policies do not cover care at home unless someone needs support with what are called activities of daily living or ADLs, meaning like they need help, like hands-on help with getting dressed or bathing or grooming, things like that.
Other policies will cover what's companion care if there is a cognitive diagnosis. So we work with our families, we hold their hands with that whole process too, with the claims process helping them decipher what their policies actually cover because even within one insurance provider, the policy terms vary pretty widely.
Some policies are also time limited, where you start the claim and the benefit only lasts for three years. So some families will choose to put off initiating a claim until their loved one does need a higher level of care. But again, that's another way that we really partner with them to figure out what's going to make the most sense and the best use of their resources. And another way that the flexible scheduling that we offer helps is it helps people take control of their budget.
If all somebody can afford is a few hours a week and that is enough, that respite can in and of itself be a huge, huge weight and peace of mind for the family, then that's a way that we can also serve a broader cross-section of individuals because it is expensive.
Gordon Haas (32:54)
Yeah, absolutely. And again, all these various aspects of how you work with clients and client families to educate and to hold their hand, certainly is a premium over people having to do all this research on their own and just feeling like they're completely alone. So it's a great service.
Corey Bliss (33:07)
Yep. Exactly.
Yes, no, thank you. And then again, that's one of the reasons why, you know, our rates are a bit maybe higher than our competitors, but it is very well grounded and backed up with everything that we are doing to go above and beyond to make sure that the families are supported.
Gordon Haas (33:27)
Wonderful. Well, as you know, this is a podcast on finance and on money. the reason I started it was because I always found the psychology behind money. Kind of, we're talking about a little psychology in this podcast episode as well, but how things are passed down, whether that's knowledge about health, about caring for family members, or about money, about wealth. So I'm always curious how our guests
Corey Bliss (33:33)
Mm-hmm.
Gordon Haas (33:52)
grew up and what your parents talked to you about money, how you learned about money, how they spoke to you and taught you about handling money. What was that like growing up and what kind of lessons did you glean from that?
Corey Bliss (34:06)
That's an interesting question.
Gordon Haas (34:08)
Or not. Sometimes that's the answer, right? I didn't learn.
Corey Bliss (34:10)
Did not learn.
Yes. Unfortunately, my parents did not really manage their finances well. And I did not really get a very good financial education from them. I say that with love, but it's the truth. They did not plan very well for the future. And I will say that has been
Gordon Haas (34:28)
Mm-hmm, sure.
Corey Bliss (34:35)
That was quite a rude awakening for me when I'm 40. So when around the time I was 30, was like, oh, this is not good. I didn't know what I didn't know, which was not great. But my parents taught me basic fiscal. I'm not on a disaster financially. But I think I would say I am behind some of my peers and where I would like to be with my own financial and wealth planning. So I've had to make up for lost time.
But we just went through the process of selling my childhood home that my mother had lived in since 1971. And we had to sell the home. Unfortunately, it was untenable because my mother had no reserve finances. The selling that home was the only way that I could, cause she's only 78, that I could guarantee that she had financial stability and safety and security for what I hope is several more very good years. So that was a very tough reality to face.
Gordon Haas (35:35)
Mm-hmm.
Corey Bliss (35:41)
It's given her, you know, despite the significant mortgage that she still had to pay off. I mean, this is what I'm talking about. She has 55 years and still had a hefty mortgage, but she still now has a nest egg that will allow us to, you know, that she's taken care of, doesn't have to worry about money anymore. It's not going to last forever. I need to be a good steward of that nest egg, but she's okay now.
But it was really rough. again, it was a decision I wish we didn't have to make. And I had to keep telling her that. Like I said, I wish we didn't have to do this. We love the house. I wish I could have bought it. I could not afford that. But I think, you do the best with the hand you've been dealt. Yeah.
Gordon Haas (36:12)
Sure.
Mm-hmm.
Absolutely. And it sounds like you've taken care of, you've been there to support both your father and your mother with financial decisions. And it sounds like you've gained quite a financial education along the way too. So, I mean, the fact that she was able to tap into the house, sounds like it was some sort of comfort. So that's great.
Corey Bliss (36:33)
Yes, Baptism by fire. Thank you, yeah. It was, it was a long journey, but I am proud of myself. I don't often say that, but I am proud of myself and what I was able to make happen for my mom. She moved to a senior living community just up the road. So I think we really did the absolute best we could with a not so great situation.
Gordon Haas (36:58)
Well, absolutely. Well, thank you so much. This has been such an enjoyable conversation to hear from you, Corey, and to hear about Renewal Memory Partners and to just learn a little bit more about that journey should any of our listeners be involved in a case like this where they have to find these solutions. Just knowing a little bit more about what to expect is just a huge comfort. So I greatly thank you for joining us today.
Corey Bliss (37:23)
Sure, no, it was my pleasure and if anyone needs support, there is help out there. There are resources and I'm happy to be a sounding board for anyone that would need it, even if it's just a conversation, I'm happy to do that. I give my time freely and willingly for that.
Gordon Haas (37:34)
Perfect. What is the best way to reach you?
Corey Bliss (37:43)
My direct number is 212-498-9407. You can text me, call me, send a carrier pigeon. My email address is my first initial C, my last name Bliss: cbliss@renewalmemory.org.
So again, I welcome any and all questions that folks may have. Again, even if it's just to figure out like, what do I do now?
Gordon Haas (37:51)
Yeah. Perfect. Thank you again, Corey.
Corey Bliss (38:10)
Thank you. This is great. Thanks so much, Gordon.
Disclosures (38:13)
Gordon Haas is a financial planner with and offers securities and investment advisory services through LPL enterprise, a registered investment advisor member FINRA / S.I.P.C., and an affiliate of LPL financial. LPLE and LPL financial are not affiliated with GenRelational wealth. The opinions voiced in this podcast are for general information only and are not intended to provide specific advice or recommendations for any individual.
To determine which strategies or investments may be suitable for you, consult the appropriate qualified professional prior to making a decision. Corey Bliss and Renewal Memory Partners are not affiliated with or endorsed by LPL Financial or GenRelational Wealth. Individual tax and legal matters should be discussed with your tax or legal professional. Prudential advisors and GenRelational Wealth are not registered as a broker-dealer or investment advisor.
There is no assurance that the techniques and strategies discussed are suitable for all investors or will yield positive outcomes. The purchase of certain securities may be required to affect some of the strategies. Investing involves risks, including possible loss of principle.