eldercare
Dental Advocate: Shelbey Arevalo, BCPA
Shelbey Arevalo is a Board Certified Patient Advocate (BCPA) with more than 16 years of experience in the dental and healthcare industry. As an Umbra advocate, she supports clients and families who feel overwhelmed, confused, or unsure about their dental care, insurance, or treatment options. Shelbey is one of the few advocates in the country…
Read MoreQuestions to Ask a Long Term Care Facility
What Questions Should You Ask a Long-Term Care Facility? Choosing an assisted living community, nursing home, or memory care facility is one of the most important decisions a family will make. The brochures all look beautiful. The tours all highlight the best features. But how do you really know if a place will provide good…
Read MoreMeet Kim Cornish, LPN
Kim Cornish, LPN, is a licensed practical nurse and patient advocate with Umbra Health Advocacy. Over 18 years, she has worked across clinical, telehealth, and community health settings, including case management, chronic care coordination, behavioral health, and quality assurance. That breadth gives Kim a clear view of how the healthcare system works, and how to…
Read MoreWhen is it time for Memory Care?
Few decisions weigh on families more than recognizing when a loved one with dementia needs more care than home can provide. That often means moving to memory care. We talked with Lori Maloney, a long-term care expert and Umbra Health Advocate, about how families can recognize when memory care is needed and what to expect…
Read MorePatient Advocate Profile: Meet Yvette Lyles
Yvette Lyles is a patient advocate and senior care consultant with Umbra Health Advocacy. She brings a blended background in healthcare advocacy and a deep dedication to supporting older adults, their caregivers, and families. Yvette Lyles’s story “My work is rooted in personal experience. I became an advocate long before I made it my profession.…
Read MoreSenior Loneliness Is a Health Crisis
This Mental Health Awareness Month, Let’s Treat It Like One. May is Mental Health Awareness Month. It’s a good time to talk about something many older adults are quietly struggling with: senior loneliness. Loneliness might sound like just a feeling. It’s actually a serious health risk for seniors. It can hurt the brain, the heart,…
Read MoreState-by-State Long-Term Care Costs
A Reference Guide for Families Planning Senior Care Understanding Long-Term Care Costs Long-term care costs vary dramatically by state and care setting. Use this guide to understand what families in your area typically pay for different levels of care. Remember: these are averages. Actual costs depend on the specific facility, location within the state, level…
Read MoreReal Help for Caregivers: Guide to state and federal programs
If you are a caregiver for your mom, dad, spouse or elderly loved one you are probably exhausted. You love your mom (or dad, or spouse). You want to take care of them. But it is a lot of work and you are drained and approaching burn out. Maybe you have kids or a job…
Read MorePatient Advocate Profile: Victoria de la Cruz, BSHA
Victoria de la Cruz is a patient advocate with more than 25 years of healthcare experience spanning clinical care, healthcare administration, and senior care coordination. As an Umbra advocate, she helps individuals and families of all ages navigate care transitions, coordinate services across providers, and make complex healthcare decisions with clarity and support. Victoria began…
Read MoreHow Do I Get Paid to Take Care of Mom?
Are you caring for an aging parent while also working full time, raising kids and running your own household? Perhaps you have wondered “how can I get paid to take care of mom, dad, or an elderly loved one?” You are not alone. More than 53 million Americans provide unpaid care for a family member.…
Read More