Episodes

Jason Maciejewski, CEO of The Senior Alliance, the area agency on aging serving Western and Southern Wayne County, talks with Congresswoman Debbie Dingell, who has represented the 13th District encompassing much of the service area of The Senior Alliance since 2015. Listen as they discuss what Congresswoman Dingell sees as the most pressing issues impacting aging adults and hear her own story of why these issues are so important to her. The post Inside The Senior Alliance: Congresswoman Debbie ...

Jason Maciejewski, CEO of The Senior Alliance, the area agency on aging serving Western and Southern Wayne County sits down with Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib, who represents Michigan's 13th congressional district, located in Wayne County, to discuss some of the most pressing needs and issues for older adults and people living with a disability in Western Wayne County and downriver. The post Inside The Senior Alliance: Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib (Ep 18) appeared first on The Senior Alliance.

In this episode of "Inside the Senior Alliance," host Jason Maciejewski talks with Kayla Jakel from the Alzheimer's Association of Michigan and Arnie Beresh who is living with early-onset dementia. Listen in to learn more about the work of the Alzheimer's Association, Arnie's story of living with an Alzheimer's diagnosis, and the resources and services available to those who have been recently diagnosed and their care partners. The post Inside The Senior Alliance: Alzheimer’s Association of Mic...

In episode 16 of "Inside the Senior Alliance," host Jason Maciejewski interviews Jodi Burke, Program Specialist II with the National Kidney Foundation of Michigan (NKFM). Jason and Jodi discuss not only the work of the National Kidney Foundation but the services and programs that are offered in a joint partnership between the Senior Alliance and NKFM. Listen in to learn more. The post Inside The Senior Alliance: National Kidney Foundation of Michigan (Ep 16) appeared first on The Senior Allianc...

At The Senior Alliance, advocacy is an important part of the work that we do. In episode 15 of Inside the Senior Alliance, Jason Maciejewski sits down with Emma Olson, the Advocacy and Planning Specialist at the Senior Alliance, to discuss the ins and outs of that work and how community members can get involved. The post Inside The Senior Alliance: Advocacy Overview (Ep 15) appeared first on The Senior Alliance.

In episode 14 of Inside the Senior Alliance, Jason Maciejewski talks with State Representative Laurie Pohutsky about what she and her colleagues in Lansing are doing to ensure protections, resources, and services are available to aging adults. Listen in as they discuss the new bills in our state and current issues in front of the committees that State Representative Pohutsky serves on, among other topics. The post Inside The Senior Alliance: State Representative Laurie Pohutsky (Ep 14) appeared...

Host Jason Maciejewski sits down with Lori Zimmerman, Manager of the Senior Alliance Information and Assistance Program, and Theresa Coleman, Senior Alliance team member, to talk about the Friendly Reassurance Program and why it matters. Listen in to learn more about the incredible difference our phone calls can make in the lives of aging adults and adults with disabilities. The post Inside The Senior Alliance: Friendly Reassurance Call Program (Ep 13) appeared first on The Senior Alliance.

In episode 12 of "Inside the Senior Alliance," Jason Maciejewski talks to Dr. Clare Luz, a gerontologist from Michigan State University and Director of Impart Alliance, to discuss the work of direct care workers and what is needed to help them do their jobs well, especially in the midst of the changes the field is experiencing because of COVID-19. The post Inside The Senior Alliance: Direct Care Workers (Ep 12) appeared first on The Senior Alliance.

In this episode, Jason Maciejewski, Deputy Executive Director of The Senior Alliance, welcomes three guests. The Department Director of Senior Services of Wayne County, Lisa Whitmore Davis, Division Director Joan Siavrakas, and Department Manager Maesha Hadden. They talk about the food services programs for senior citizens of Wayne County, including Meals On Wheels, the Congregate Meal program, the Liquid Nutrition program, and the specialized meals program, Halal Meals, that received national a...

Host Jason Maciejewski is joined in Episode 10 of “Inside the Senior Alliance” by Dr. Denise Brothers, who is Chair of the Senior Alliance’s Advisory Council and a professor at Madonna University. Dr. Brothers explains the role of the Advisory Council and just exactly what it is that they do to advocate for aging adults in Wayne County. The post Inside The Senior Alliance: The Advisory Council (Ep 10) appeared first on The Senior Alliance.

In episode 9, host Jason Maciejewski is joined by Susan Rowe from the Michigan Senior Advocates Council and David LaLumia, the executive director of the Area Agencies on Aging Association, to discuss advocacy, just what is the Michigan Senior Advocates Council (MSAC), and what a person can do if they are interested in joining the efforts of the MSAC. The post Inside The Senior Alliance: Michigan Senior Advocates Council (Ep 9) appeared first on The Senior Alliance.

Michelle Danou of the Michigan Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program shares with Jason about the role of an ombudsman in advocating for those in long-term care facilities, such as a nursing home. She also details the work of an ombudsman when it comes to transitioning people out of a long-term care facility back into their community. The post Inside The Senior Alliance: Long-Term Care Ombudsman (Ep 8) appeared first on The Senior Alliance.

Katherine Zurenko, housing coordinator and nursing facility transition support coordinator, talks with Jason about programs that assist adults in finding new housing or fixing issues with current housing. She also helps adults who are moving out of a nursing facility, whether they need to locate housing or are looking to set up long-term services to assist them in a residential setting. The post Inside The Senior Alliance: Housing Coordination & Transitioning Out of Nursing Facilities (Ep 7) ap...

Lori Zimmerman, manager of the Information & Assistance Program at The Senior Alliance, describes the program’s mission to provide information, referrals, and options to empower individuals to make informed decisions. Information & Assistance specialists field 40-80+ calls per day, or about 1,000 calls a month, linking people to appropriate services. The post Inside The Senior Alliance: Information & Assistance Call Center (Ep 6) appeared first on The Senior Alliance.

Sarah Driscoll, supports coordinator with the MI Choice Waiver Program, and Janet Elliot, a supports coordinator with the Senior Alliance Care Management program, discuss how they help coordinate programs and services to make sure participants receive what they need to keep them safe within their homes. The post Inside The Senior Alliance: What is Supports Coordination? (Ep 5) appeared first on The Senior Alliance.

Gail Wejrowski, waiver program clinical manager, talks about the MI Choice Medicaid Waiver program, which provides services that help eligible adults remain in a home or residential setting. The program provides personalized support and services in the home rather than in a nursing facility. Oftentimes, participants experience a reduction in unplanned medical care and their families experience less caregiver burnout. The program is funded through the Michigan Department of Health and Human Servi...

Gail Wejrowski, waiver program clinical manager, talks about how the MI Choice Waiver Program determines what services a participant receives, how service levels are re-evaluated, time limits, how the Senior Alliance contracts with and monitors caregivers, and what happens when a participant is hospitalized.The MI Choice Waiver Program can also help participants move out of a nursing home and back into a residential setting. The post Inside The Senior Alliance: MI Choice Waiver Program (Part 2)...

Jason is joined by Kari West, Senior Alliance manager of the Medicare and Medicaid Assistance Program (MMAP). Kari describes the program as a free service that educates, counsels, and empowers Michigan’s older adults, individuals living with disabilities, and those who serve them so that they can make informed health benefit decisions. The post Inside The Senior Alliance: Medicare Medicaid Assistance Program (Ep 2) appeared first on The Senior Alliance.

The Senior Alliance acts as a connection point to resources, services, and programs in the community for older adults and their caregivers. We also oversee a network of service providers, in addition to providing programs and services ourselves. Jason Maciejewski, chief advocacy and planning officer of The Senior Alliance, describes how The Senior Alliance came into being and how it operates today. The post Inside The Senior Alliance: What is The Senior Alliance? (Ep 1) appeared first on The Se...