As part of a lifestyle and aging series, we’re working with renowned photographer Terry Lorant to showcase inspirational leaders in the industry. Each month, we’ll feature one or a few inspirational member(s) of the Amazing Care Network community who is using his or her voice to empower others in the collective aging experience — and read, in their own words, what the Amazing Care Network’s efforts mean to them.

This month, we’re proud to feature Lynda Dybdal-Fadale, UM Nurse Administrator, University Health Alliance (UHA).

Lynda: Howard brought Cora to one of our town hall meetings and she explained about the Amazing Care Network and about the different services that were offered. By opening and putting money into an account, you could use it down the line if you needed respite or other services. It was extra money to pay for services not covered by insurance. It is taken out of your account automatically each month.. What really impressed me was that it could be used to help others. One of our UHA associates, has a son who developed a very rare form of cancer. Howard suggested to us that we could use our Amazing Care money to help this family with health care costs. I thought that was an amazing thing that I could do. Not only could I use it for my family, but you can also help out others with this account. So that’s what appealed to me.

There’s a local ACN chapter, and I’ve been going to those meetings. It’s mostly a network of Kaiser retirees. It’s a really good group, and we talk about things that will happen to us as we age. I’m one of the few members that hasn’t retired yet. We went to the senior expo together. We have different speakers at the teas. We had Hospice come in and talk to us about their services. There’s a tea tomorrow and someone will talk to us about how to take care of other family members, what’s the proper way to move someone when you’re a caregiver for others. We’ve also talked about decluttering, because so many of us have a Lot of stuff! So as we think about what’s going to happen to us in later years, if we have to move, or downsize, or if/when our life changes, how can we start decluttering now to prepare for the future.

I’ve met a lot of wonderful people through this network who are retired, or who are retirement age. We are trying to grow old gracefully together. That’s what it’s meant to me. It’s a great concept.

Q: When you hear the notion of “aging gracefully together”, what do you visualize, what does that idea mean to you?

Lynda: I think it’s keeping active and healthy and to do whatever you can do move into old age…as it gets closer and closer, I think it’s just living your life to the utmost, having a healthier life style and getting what you can out of life. I think that’s what we all want to do, we want to stay healthy and active, so, if you do have a fall, it’s not your total undoing. Building up strength, upper body strength, so you can keep moving. I’ve seen people lose that and become immobile. Like my mother in law who is 93 now. She was born and raised here. Her great grandfather was the first vet here in the Islands and took care of King Kalakaua’s horses. Her mother used to live in Kailua , and she took a horse and buggy every week over the hill (Old Pali Highway) to “Normal School” because they didn’t want her speaking pidgin, so that’s how she learned proper English. She was very active up until about 5 years ago when she had knee surgery and now she doesn’t get around much because of issues with her knees, and she’s a big risk for falls. She’s confined pretty much to a wheel chair, and she needs 24/7 caregivers. And at this point, the question becomes, should she be in a nursing home? Does she have the independence she wants? She’s starting to say things like “I’ve lived to long”…. It’s a reminder as to what is quality of life as you age.
We have to stay as active as we can to remain independent as long as possible.

Sometimes it’s not until something really catastrophic happens to you, that you even begin to think why should I be saving in a 401K? Why should I be putting away for my retirement which is eons away? The stark realization for me came when my husband died (I was only 36 at the time) and I had to think about how was I going to take care of my children, or what would happen to them if something happened to me? Until something like that happens, you don’t think of your own mortality. What’s going to happen next, and what do I have to do to insure that things are taken care of? I have a young woman in my department…I hired her right out of nursing school. And she took care of her grandfather who had Parkinson’s. Now, she wants to go on and do Parkinson’s research. She’s thinking about saving and making a plan to make that happen. But, unless it happens to you directly, you don’t think about these things.

I think there’s such a wide potential for Amazing Care, and I think it might start to spread through company plans. All anybody knows about now is long term care insurance, and that seems so nebulous to people for the most part. And even with that, it’s difficult to actually pay for things…we found out about that with my mother in law. You may have it, but it’s so difficult to use it, and it takes several months to kick in. So frustrating. But with Amazing Care, you can use your money right away, when you need it. There are no barriers. You don’t have to wait, or go through a company. If you need it, it’s there…a separate savings account that you have, with complete control.

Join ACN! Learn more HERE. If you’re an ACN Member and would like to be featured, please contact amazingcarenetwork@gmail.com.