Alzheimer's Awareness with Morgan Vance

Show Notes: In this episode of More Living with Jim Brogan, host Jim Brogan welcomes Morgan Vance from the Pat Summitt Foundation to discuss Coach Pat Summitt's enduring legacy and the foundation's mission to fight Alzheimer's disease. They cover early warning signs, misconceptions about dementia, the importance of early diagnosis, and brain-healthy lifestyle choices. Morgan highlights the caregiver crisis and introduces Pat's Game Plan, a resource reaching over 500,000 people nationwide. Jim also addresses retirement planning challenges, emphasizing longevity risk and inflation. Listeners are encouraged to visit patsummitt.org and broganfinancial.com for resources. Automatically Transcribed With Podsqueeze Jim Brogan 00:00:03 You're tuned into more Living with Jim Brogan, broadcast live from the Brogan Financial studios at Newstalk 987, where old fashioned values, expert knowledge and genuine understanding come together to give you the retirement straight talk you deserve. Jim's a former National Advisor of the year recipient and a financial educator, and he's here today to talk about how you can live out the best years of your life. Jim and the Brogan financial team have been helping retirees and retirees across the southeast for over 20 years in their pursuit of financial independence. You can reach them during the week at 865862 6800. So sit back, relax and get ready to learn because more living with Jim Brogan starts now. Jim Brogan 00:00:47 Hello, East Tennessee, welcome to More Living with Jim Brogan. Where we help you live the very best years of your life with purpose, confidence and clarity. Today we're joined by very special guests, Morgan Vance from the Summit Foundation. We'll discuss the incredible legacy of Coach Summitt, the foundation's mission to fight Alzheimer's disease, and how their work continues to impact families and communities across Tennessee and beyond. Jim Brogan 00:01:17 So, Morgan, it's great to have you back with us. Good morning. Morgan Vance 00:01:21 Good morning. Thank you so much for having me. Jim Brogan 00:01:25 Absolutely. Tell us a little bit, Morgan. it's been a while since we've had you on the show. Tell us a little bit about your background and how you came to the Pass Summitt Foundation. Morgan Vance 00:01:36 Yes. well, I took a very windy road. My background was in fundraising, and so I spent several years in pediatric health care, working with corporate partners and family foundations, and then landed at UT Athletics. I'm still working in the fundraising world and but working with donors and an opportunity came up to move to the Pat Summitt Foundation. And it was the perfect blend of, you know, my background with athletics, but also in the healthcare setting. healthcare is is one of the areas where I think you can see the impact, like, truly see the impact of your dollars and your philanthropic giving, and so have the opportunity to come over in August of 2021. Morgan Vance 00:02:27 And it I have absolutely loved every second of it. Jim Brogan 00:02:33 Well, of course, many of our listeners, you know, we all know about Pat Summitt is legendary basketball coach. Talk to us a little bit about the deep leadership legacy that she left behind that went really beyond sports. Morgan Vance 00:02:47 Oh, absolutely. So she was, I think, one of the greatest leaders of our time. she recognized that she had for years to change someone's life. I mean, truly changed their life. Make sure they got a college degree. Help them learn what it meant to be a good leader. Not just on the on the court, but off the court as well. How to be successful in life? you know, at the end of her life, the thing that she was most proud of was that every player that played for her at the University of Tennessee received their their college degree. They graduated and she just everything that she did. She I think she saw that she had an opportunity to make a difference. She could use her platform, to change lives and open doors. Morgan Vance 00:03:41 And it's the same thing that she did when she was faced with this diagnosis. She did not retreat. She did not just simply retire, she said, I mean, almost immediately, I have this disease. I'm going to face it head on, but then I'm going to use my platform to make a difference for those who are also battling it. Jim Brogan 00:04:04 And I would even say, Morgan, that that really her legacy extended the opportunity for her diagnosis with everything that she did for women and, and the leaders that she helped bring up, with her, with her mentorship. She was diagnosed publicly in 2011, I believe it was. And it did kind of affect the national conversation. Talk to us a little bit about, in your view, why that that moment in time was so significant, both medically, nationally, but also culturally? Morgan Vance 00:04:40 Yes. So, I'll tell you a story that I was told. So, Pat received her diagnosis, and then she went to the Mayo Clinic and, to get a second opinion. Morgan Vance 00:04:52 And when she was there, she walked into the room and there were several doctors and nurses, and they started applauding. And, she thought, well, some of the people with her thought, oh, they're applauding because it's Pat. I mean, Pat Summitt just walked into the room and afterwards she, the woman that was accompanying her, said, we found out she wasn't applauding. They weren't applauding because she was Coach Summit. They were applauding because they were so proud of her for standing up and putting a face to the disease. that, you know, this disease can be very isolating. So a lot of times when people receive the diagnosis, they start retreating because, you know, when you think about the stress of a public setting, what if they don't remember someone's name? What if they can't track the conversation? What if they get lost? And so they naturally try to pull back, and Coach Summitt did quite the opposite. She received the diagnosis. She had a public press conference and publicly stated, I have this and we're going to fight it. Morgan Vance 00:06:04 And then she continued to coach. She did not, you know, step out of the spotlight. She did not step back. She did not retreat. She she continued to live her life. And I think culturally that was a huge shift. Jim Brogan 00:06:22 Now the Pat Summitt Foundation carries enormous emotional weight, both in Tennessee and really beyond all over the country. So how do you balance honoring Coach Summit's legacy while also evolving the organization for today's challenges? Morgan Vance 00:06:40 Yes. I think for us, it's it's having to remember that Alzheimer's disease is not just a Tennessee disease. We have over 7 million Americans nationwide that are that have been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. We have almost, I think, 13 million caregivers providing full time unpaid care for their for those loved ones. And so that's first and foremost, recognizing that there's there are so many people that are battling this disease. Pat's goal or her hope with this, with founding the Foundation was that we would that one day no family would have to hear that their loved one had been diagnosed. Morgan Vance 00:07:23 And she wanted to make sure that we we took care of the patient and we got them the best care possible, because we also took care of the caregivers and the stress and the impact of providing care for a loved one with Alzheimer's disease. Those things are also universal. It's not just things that are are folks in Tennessee are dealing with and experiencing. It's it's those 13 million Americans nationwide. And so we, you know, Pat. yes. She was. She was the Lady Vols basketball coach that she impacted. So more than just the Lady Vols program. She impacted so much more than just women's basketball. She impacted athletics as a whole. And how you lead and how you coached these young people. And and that's it's that mentality, that mindset that we have to keep it the foundation that we are part of a bigger picture. Jim Brogan 00:08:18 Morgan are there leadership principles from Pat Summitt that that specifically still shape the foundation's work and decision making every day? Morgan Vance 00:08:28 I think all of them do. you know, some days I think more than others. Morgan Vance 00:08:34 but for us, I think the one that shapes me the most is, you know, leading this foundation. I think the one that that really shapes me is, Take responsibility. Take full responsibility. Pat gave us a charge. She gave us her marching orders. And now it is up to us to get it done. but just Pat's mindset as a whole, you know, all all of her leadership principles are so important. And and I think actually, I spoke to a group not too long ago, and I was trying to pick out just one to highlight for this group, and I couldn't because they are all so important. And they, they really all to all together. you need them to be a great leader and to make a difference. And, it's just her mindset that we have an opportunity. We have a platform, we have the ability to make the difference. And now that we need to. So every day our goal is to to advance the fight just a little bit further. Jim Brogan 00:09:38 Well, I know you've seen firsthand how people still respond emotionally to pat story, you know, 20,000 to 20, 11, 15 years ago. I imagine that her embracing the Alzheimer's back then, it would resonate just as deeply with families facing Alzheimer's today. Is that right? Morgan Vance 00:10:00 Yes, absolutely. Jim Brogan 00:10:01 Yeah. That's fantastic. Her legacy. Tell you what. We're going to get to our first break. We come back. We want to really kind of dive into understanding Alzheimer's and brain health. Well, are there things that we can be doing to stay healthier to prevent for with prevention. What's the latest with Alzheimer's research. So stay with us. We're visiting with Morgan Vance, with the Pat Summitt Foundation here on Moore living with Jim Brogan only on Newstalk 987. Rocky. Jim Brogan 00:10:30 Welcome back to Newstalk 98. Seven's Brogan Financial Studios or Jim Brogan is coming to you live with important news and advice to help you achieve your dream retirement. Get ready to learn and live. Here's your host, Jim Brogan. Jim Brogan 00:10:46 Welcome back to More Living Here on Newstalk 987 Wookey I'm Jim Brogan, we're visiting with Morgan Vance. Jim Brogan 00:10:53 She is with the Pat Summitt Foundation. And I think there's still a lot of misconceptions, Morgan, about Alzheimer's to you from from what you see, what are the biggest misconceptions that you still encounter today? Multiple Speakers 00:11:08 Yeah, I think. Morgan Vance 00:11:10 For the families that have experienced it, they understand exactly what it is and how it impacts someone's life. For those who've maybe just heard the disease, I think the biggest misconception is they think, well, okay, so they're going to forget my name or they're going to, you know, forget their memories or, what they maybe had for breakfast yesterday. And, it is so much bigger than that. Jim Brogan 00:11:40 How do you think it's changed over the last year in terms of the conversation around Alzheimer's, with all the research and all the things we've learned. Multiple Speakers 00:11:49 Yeah, I. Morgan Vance 00:11:50 Think in the last, several years, I think we're we're starting at the conversations are happening a little bit more mainstream. so we're starting to realize that or I think the public is starting to realize that it's not just, oh, they got lost. Morgan Vance 00:12:09 There's more conversations around how it fully impacts someone once they've been diagnosed. I think there have been a lot more conversations and more understanding about how it impacts the caregivers and the family unit as a whole. And I think that is very important because when we can start recognizing the impact, then we can start doing something to hopefully change it and make it better to make a difference. And I think there's Definitely with, I was I was just going to say I think there's also been changes to in conversations around diagnosis and, and access, and I think that's equally as important. Jim Brogan 00:12:56 Yeah. And the impact on caregivers is, is is a tremendous. And and we're going to dive into that to kind of along those lines. What are some early warning signs, Morgan, that families should pay attention to that often get overlooked or dismissed? Multiple Speakers 00:13:13 Yeah. Morgan Vance 00:13:14 So there's normal signs of aging and then there's not normal signs of aging. So, you know, big changes in what would have been typical decisions. So for a lot of families, financial decisions are what clues? The clues a man is, you know, mom's never had problem paying her bills. Morgan Vance 00:13:33 But now I came to visit and she has four past due notices on her kitchen counter or, you know, dad never would have made this decision to try to sell this property, but now he's saying it just big, you know, financial decisions that are kind of out of the norm. and, and then we've had a physician say before, and I think this is a great way to explain that it's not oh, I can't find my keys. It's I have these things in my hand and I don't know what I'm supposed to do with them. it can be things. Simple things like repeating themselves, you know, over and over and over again the same thing, or asking the same question over and over again. At the end of the day, you know your loved one. And so you want to look for those signs that you know. Multiple Speakers 00:14:25 That. Morgan Vance 00:14:26 They're not quite themselves. Jim Brogan 00:14:31 You know, there are different types of dementia. I know Morgan, my dad suffered from vascular Dementia, which is basically caused by a series of mini strokes over a long period of time. Jim Brogan 00:14:44 does the Pat Summitt Foundation get involved with all types of dementia? Does it focus exclusively on Alzheimer's? I would imagine sometimes you have people come into the clinic and they get maybe re diagnosed. Can you touch on that a little bit? Morgan Vance 00:14:59 Yeah. So, today there are over 100 different forms and causes of dementia. but the most common form is Alzheimer's disease. we the Pat Summitt clinic, and we are a separate entity, but we have a phenomenal relationship with them. That was a dream of Pat's. To see that in Knoxville to the Pat Summitt clinic does not treat only Alzheimer's disease. They treat all forms of dementia. and to your point, yes, vascular dementia is a form of dementia. and that can be from, you know, strokes, damaged blood vessels, heart conditions so that we don't just treat or focus on Alzheimer's disease. Jim Brogan 00:15:47 With everything all the research over the last ten years in particular, there's been more and more discussion about both prevention and lifestyle factors. Morgan, what is the latest research suggest about protecting our long term brain health? Morgan Vance 00:16:03 Yes. Morgan Vance 00:16:03 So I would say that has been a huge shift, even in the five years that I have been, in this in this work. There's a huge shift from, okay, how do we treat and cure to okay, how do we prevent, how do we preserve cognitive health. And so you've seen this, this kind of trend or more conversations around overall brain health and brain health education. I think the simplest rule of thumb for people to, to keep in mind is what's good for your heart is good for your brain. So if you follow a heart healthy diet, you're going to help your cognitive health. If you are active, let's say 30 minutes. of of physical activity, of, you know, whether that be vigorous walk or like run or Pilates, you know, 30 minutes a day, you're going to reduce your risk of vascular dementia. About 30 to 40% is what some studies suggest. So what's good for your heart is good for your brain. And then you think about all the other things. Morgan Vance 00:17:03 Sleep very important. That's what helps our brain kind of rest and clean out the bad, the quote unquote bad toxins. to sleep, making sure you, you're getting adequate and deep sleep every night. Your diet is very important. Your stress is very important. Managing stress is very important. And then specifically for Alzheimer's disease, that socialization piece is very important as well, making sure that you are staying engaged and active, whether that be going to a book club or going to church or taking part in a small group. You know, staying active is very important and socially engaged. Jim Brogan 00:17:48 We know a lot of medical things. Early diagnosis is so important. Morgan. Yeah, touch a little bit on with Alzheimer's, the importance of early diagnosis and not only medically but emotionally and financially for families. Morgan Vance 00:18:04 Absolutely. So, so for medically, so, early diagnosis. So we've had some huge, just advancements over the last few years and that we have some new medications that can now be used in some with someone who has been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease or dementia, but those are really researching into clinical trials that happen. Morgan Vance 00:18:30 They really should. They are the most Effective when used for a patient who has been diagnosed early. For how they work. so that's key. You know, you're opening yourself up to more treatment options. and opportunities when with an early diagnosis, but then financially and and really just from an overall like the health and wellness of your family, an early diagnosis, it really then allows you, I think, the opportunity to have more open conversations and better dialogue. So oftentimes when I hear from a caregiver that, well, my mom was finally diagnosed, we've worried about it for a while, but now I just I'm not sure we know what to do. You know, she's really worried about talking about, you know, these financial plans or her estate or that. And and now we're just we're we're trying to figure out where she's going to live. They they almost feel overwhelmed. and so I think, And unfortunately, I don't have the research to back it up, but I this is what my personal belief is after, you know, just being around and getting to talk to so many people. Morgan Vance 00:19:42 When we have an earlier diagnosis, we're able to to hopefully better have some conversations and have a little bit more time to adjust to accept the diagnosis and then do some early intervention. So. Okay. Do we need to look at a diet change. Do we need to look at a lifestyle change. Do we can we can intervene earlier and then hopefully have the conversations that will help our families plan better for the future. And we're hopefully at a spot where we we can really partake of those conversations. Jim Brogan 00:20:16 That's Morgan Vance. She's with the Pat Summitt Foundation this morning. We're talking to her on here on Newstalk 987. let's dive into the caregiver really caregiver crisis? I would almost say, It's very overlooked, I think in many, in many aspects, the burden that's carried by caregivers. What are you hearing most often from spouses, from adult children and from families? Morgan Vance 00:20:42 Yeah, it's I would I agree with you. It's so overlooked and it is almost a crisis. you know, research over the last several years have shown the impact, the mental, physical, emotional impact that being a full time caregiver for a loved one has, on the individual. Morgan Vance 00:21:01 So they're 30 to 40% more likely to experience anxiety and depression. they are 70% more likely to report that they will not follow up on health care concerns of their own. So depending on the age of the individual, that can create a crisis. we are seeing more caregivers in the sandwich generation. So there are young people that have, you know, they're raising young families, but now they're also caring for, a parent as well. So they're dual caregivers. And we're seeing the impact on them financially. so it just it is almost I agree, it is almost a crisis. And I think what I hear the most is that people aren't quite sure what to do. You know, what are even just from a planning standpoint or just making sure they they know what to expect. they don't often know where to go to get that information. I think that I hear a lot about just the emotion managing the emotional toll. And so we see it a lot more. We see it quite a bit, I think, with spouses. Morgan Vance 00:22:09 you know, they they have a lot of guilt associated with, leaving their loved one, you know, finding respite care or when it gets to the point where they need to put them in a memory care facility or a skilled nursing facility. There's a lot of guilt associated with that. The emotional toll and the burden that takes. It's just it is a it's, Our caregivers are struggling. Jim Brogan 00:22:35 Well, and as you mentioned, I think a lot of times, and we see it in some of the data we've looked at caring for a loved one. Sometimes they, you know, you're not protecting your own mental and physical health. And I think that's important not only for the spouse but but but for the kids too. Can you just expand on that a little bit? Morgan Vance 00:22:55 Absolutely. So I mean, think, you can't provide the best care if you yourself, yourself are not doing well? so it does have an impact. And, you know, I think especially as our parents age, we as we as kids kind of sometimes struggle with, well, how do we step in? You know, if mom and dad are here, dad's primary caregiver for mom. Morgan Vance 00:23:18 What is my role as the child? How can I step in and say, absolutely not. This is what we need to do. And I think that that's just a difficult spot to be in. It does impact. and it's our hope is that the Pat Foundation can help, provide some resources and some information that can just help them, even if it's have a conversation with their family. and, and kind of ease the burden and ease that stress. That's our hope. Jim Brogan 00:23:51 We're visiting with Morgan Vance. She's with the Pat Summitt Foundation. When we come back, we're going to dive into, research the future. Hope that we can have. What's the latest with medical advances? we'll also have our dollars and cents segment. retirement has changed completely over the last generation. How can you be planning for as many as 25 to 30 or more years without a paycheck? So stay with us. This is Moore living with Jim Brogan here on news 987. Cokie. Jim Brogan 00:24:22 Welcome back to Newstalk 98. Seven's Brogan Financial Studios or Jim Brogan is coming to you live with important news and advice to help you achieve your dream retirement. Jim Brogan 00:24:31 Get ready to learn and live. Here's your host, Jim Brogan. Jim Brogan 00:24:39 Thanks for tuning in. This is more living with Jim Brogan where it's all about living the best years of your life, your way. We're with you every Saturday, 9 to 10 a.m. and again from 3 to 4 p.m. you can also catch us online Brogan financial.com. If you click on radio, you can download. You can stream. last several years worth of shows and they're cataloged by topic. you can also catch our podcasts at Spotify and Apple Podcasts. More living with Jim Brogan. So check us out there. also, we have a wealth of resources we provide online at Brogan financial.com. If you click on resources, you can download our guides. You can sign up for our newsletter. and you know, my goal with all of that, with this program and with our website and everything we do, is to help you make informed and prudent decisions that can positively impact the quality of your life. Today we're visiting with Morgan Vance. Jim Brogan 00:25:36 She's with the Pat Summitt Foundation. However, before we get back to Morgan, it is time for dollars and cents. Multiple Speakers 00:25:43 What? To be sure, you are getting the most out of your retirement. For all the years of your retirement, that's the primary goal of Moore living with Jim Brogan and our dollars and cents segment, where we provide you with an important financial tip that will help positively impact the quality of your life and retirement. And now, here's Jim with this week's dollars and cents tip. Jim Brogan 00:26:10 Retirement has changed dramatically over the last 30 or 40 years. We now have to plan for as many as 25 or 30 years, or even more without a paycheck. You know, previous generations often retired, and they knew they needed a plan for 10 or 15 years. And when I teach classes through the University of Tennessee and at Palace State for Adult Education, and usually I've got people in the room that are getting near retirement or retired. they they typically feel your typical 65 year old today still often thinks, if I can get to 85, 20 years, the reality is it's going to be closer to 30 years for the average married couple. Jim Brogan 00:26:55 And 25% of married couples age 65 will see one spouse live to 98. So over 30 years and you've got to replace a paycheck for all of those years. And I know you may say, well, Jim, I'm not going to spend as much money. My discretionary spending will go down. And that is true. It will slow down gradually over time. But towards the end of life, you're going to have a lot higher medical expenses. You still have to pay for basic necessities. And I think when we look at today's inflationary environment, we understand that very, very, very well. So, you know, longevity risk is really the primary risk that drives all the risks that we face financially in retirement. And we have to have a plan to fight those risks. So, you know, we're talking about if you're living longer and you're living into your 90s, late 80s or 90s, healthcare costs become more of a factor. It inflation costs become an even bigger factor. So it's retirement planning is no longer about reaching a number. Jim Brogan 00:28:02 It's about sustaining a lifestyle. How are you going to structure your investments? You don't retire on on assets. You retire on income. How are you going to provide income? And so here's the two biggest tips I want to leave you with today for facing this reality. One do not underestimate the the the impact of inflation. Inflation is the silent killer of retirement income. I like to call it the cholesterol. Of retirement income. It doesn't it? It doesn't happen all at once. We don't see the same impact we see with stock market declines. But it sneaks up on us. And in ten years, you wake up and you're like, where's the income? And with people living longer and longer lives, this is an even bigger issue. Okay. But so fighting inflation means you've got to have your investments grow at a pace, especially early in retirement, that can that can outpace inflation. You've got to have some of your assets that can outpace inflation after tax, because you've got to pay for things in ten and 15 and 20 and maybe even 30 years now. Jim Brogan 00:29:15 So that's the first part. The second part though is, is you need to have stability of income in the short term. We don't want to depend on current stock market conditions to provide current income because markets go up, markets go down. They're choppy, they're volatile. They're unpredictable. And the last thing we want to do with wealth management is we don't want to be selling off investments when they're sharply down because we need income. But yet those risk investments give us the greatest opportunity to fight inflation long term. So we've got to have more predictable, dependable things to draw from in the short term for income. And then we gotta have some growth long term measure the risk in your portfolio. Is it an acceptable amount of risk? Would stock market volatility affect your ability to retire on your terms? Or if we had a a tough five years at the start of retirement, do you have a plan to deal with that potential risk. All of these things are critically important. With a good plan in place, I think you can address this and be and plan for a 25 to 30 plus years of retirement income. Multiple Speakers 00:30:28 That's our dollars and cents segment for this week. You can find this week's dollars and cents segment and others by visiting Brogan Financial. Jim Brogan 00:30:42 And as I say, do go to Brogan financial.com. Check us out. We've got classes coming up this fall. Both the Palace happy state through their adult education. we've got two part two that are comprehensive. We've also also got a tax planning class one night just on income taxes, classes on our Brogan financial comm. Click on classes. You can find out more information about our schedule this fall. Today we're visiting with Morgan Vance and we're talking about Alzheimer's research. And as you said, the Pat Summitt Clinic. Morgan is really about all kinds of dementia. And you mentioned there are 100. You mentioned 100. I mentioned vascular dementia. You said 100 different kinds. So all of these things are very, very important. before we talk about where we're headed moving forward and the different research and, and, and hope for the future, talk a little bit about the role. Jim Brogan 00:31:38 What does the role what role does community play in helping families navigate Alzheimer's? And how can people step up even if they aren't directly affected themselves? Morgan Vance 00:31:50 Community is so important. especially we live in an area that's, I think, a big mix of rural versus urban. You know, so we find that in rural communities there is less access to specialized care and some of these specialized resources, and there's a higher tendency to age in place, meaning they're not. When they get to a certain point, they're not moving to a memory care facility. They're not moving to a skilled nursing facility. They're staying home. Maybe they're moving in with a loved one, but they're staying home. They're aging in place. And so with that comes additional needs. And that's where communities step forward. That's where your community where you need the support. So if you know of someone who their family is, is dealing with Alzheimer's disease or another form of dementia, being willing to to say, hey, why don't I come sit with your loved one while you go run to the grocery store? Or, hey, do you want me to pick up that grocery order for you? just just finding ways to come and interact, to provide support, some respite, you know, just to meet them where they are, provide them with some socialization and making sure that their needs are met and that they're being taken care of. Morgan Vance 00:33:13 It is so necessary. Jim Brogan 00:33:15 Yeah. And it kind of goes back. One thing that reminds me of Morgan is, you know, as we prepare for and transition into retirement in general, keeping social structures in place and keeping routine in place, because the reality is a lot of the social structures that we have in our life, a lot of them are work based and creating social structure outside of work, creating routine in those first couple of years of retirement to get you into routine and continue to have social structure. I mean, to me, that seems critically important to then be able to support ourselves, to have structures in place to support us down the line with with things like what we're talking about. Morgan Vance 00:33:59 Absolutely, yes. So I mean, if you're specifically talking about those in retirement age, okay, so we retire instead of saying, I'm just going to sit at home. I'm going to, you know, relax. Why don't you find maybe you enjoy gardening? Join a gardening club or find a walking group? Or maybe now is the time to finally learn how to play mahjong. Morgan Vance 00:34:22 That's a big one right now. But just finding. Multiple Speakers 00:34:25 That's the big one, isn't it? I guess you engaged? Morgan Vance 00:34:28 Yes, I know I'm starting to feel a lot of pressure that I need to learn how to play mahjong. I see it everywhere. But being able to to find a way to get engaged. And we see a lot, especially in our area. Our faith based communities are really good about getting engaged and that's where we see a lot of support. You know, we'll we did some grant work with an institution in Kentucky, and they kept trying to provide these really great, you know, health care clinics. And no one would come. They did it at a community center or, you know, pop up here and there and no one would come. But the moment they started partnering with faith based institutions, with churches. That was where our our that's where people were comfortable. Those were the groups that they that they went through life with. And that was where we were able to be able to provide some of the services and things that we were looking to provide. Morgan Vance 00:35:24 And so, getting plugged in, staying active, staying engaged, especially as you move towards retirement is so important. Jim Brogan 00:35:34 Yeah, I think the fact that faith based organizations, churches so critically important, not only to, to have the social network, but then also to to have an underlying faith. But all that stuff's very, very critically important. But I, I can't stress enough when people transition into retirement, the need to create routine in their weekly schedule and create social, support and networks. real quickly before we get to our last break. Morgan, I'm sure you've seen stories of extraordinary resilience. Is there a particular story that has stayed with you personally? Morgan Vance 00:36:17 Oh, goodness. Jim Brogan 00:36:20 I don't want to put you on the spot here. Morgan Vance 00:36:23 I know, I know. not not necessarily one in particular, but I will say, just the more I interact with caregivers, I think all of them are extraordinary. just the ways in which they step up, the amount of, you know, people that that we interact with that they had, you know, grandma living with them. Morgan Vance 00:36:50 And then as a young person who had that experience, you know, they're 20, 30 years old and they are bound and determined to partner with us to make a difference in this disease. They didn't, They didn't let this disease crush them. I just I think all of our caregivers are extraordinary and so resilient. Jim Brogan 00:37:14 And I just want to make a note. You said earlier, you know, providing respite to the primary caregiver. You know, that's a way that we can all step up, and help those that we know and love, that are not the primary caregivers, because I know when the when the when the healthy at home spouse is the primary caregiver, oftentimes that at home spouse is the first bout that that healthy spouse oftentimes is the first one to pass away. And it's because of the tremendous. Mental, mental. Multiple Speakers 00:37:53 Anguish. Jim Brogan 00:37:55 are we online? Can you still hear me? I lost contact. Multiple Speakers 00:37:58 There. I can hear you. Jim Brogan 00:37:59 Okay. My apologies, Morgan, but it's the, But. Jim Brogan 00:38:03 yeah, because of the mental and physical anguish that it can cause to the caregiver. So I think that's a way we can all step up and provide more support for people we love. We're going to get to our last break. We come back. We're going to talk about research, hope for the future, where things headed with Alzheimer's, how can we get involved in supporting this very, very important cause? Stay with us. This is more living with Jim Brogan here on Newstalk 987 Wookey. Jim Brogan 00:38:30 Welcome back to Newstalk 98. Seven's Brogan Financial Studios or Jim Brogan is coming to you live with important news and advice to help you achieve your dream retirement. Get ready to learn and live. Here's your host, Jim Brogan. Multiple Speakers 00:38:47 Thanks for tuning in this week. Jim Brogan 00:38:48 Living here on. Multiple Speakers 00:38:49 News. Jim Brogan 00:38:50 Seven, we're visiting with Morgan Vance. She's with the Pat Summitt Foundation. We're talking about all timers awareness and Morgan. from your perspective, where are you seeing the most hope in terms of recent treatments and research breakthroughs? Morgan Vance 00:39:07 I would definitely say, you know, the trend is, in research is is towards preventative health. Morgan Vance 00:39:15 And and that's where personally I think I'm most excited. because I think we're starting now to have the conversations and fully understand that the things that we do as teenagers and as young people in our 20s and 30s impact our cognitive health and cognitive functioning later in life. And so the attention on diets here lately, I'm very excited about understanding the impact of technology and screens. I personally am very excited about the conversations that are happening in the research world right now. Jim Brogan 00:39:55 Morgan, what are we learning about diet and how it affect Alzheimer's? Morgan Vance 00:40:01 Yeah. So I think the big one is when we look at sugars and sweets and artificial sweeteners and, I call them, you know, rabbit trails. There are so many different things that impact our overall brain health. And we could go down all the different rabbit rabbit trails. However, again, it goes back to what's good for our heart is good for our brain. It's so connected. so all of these, all of these, you know, artificial sweeteners, if they're not great for your heart, then they're not great for your brain health. Morgan Vance 00:40:39 the elimination of of dyes and artificial dyes. I am very excited about, because that's, you know, important for cognitive health, but it's also really important if you have neurotypical children and, and in adults. So it's all, I think, very connected. But it's this whole when we think of brain health, it's its whole body health, really the things that are that we are doing that impact our heart, that impact our movement, our muscles, our joints, those do impact our brain health as well. Jim Brogan 00:41:16 What initiatives or programs is the Summit Foundation most excited about right now? Morgan Vance 00:41:22 Yeah. So, I'm so proud of the work of the foundation and where we're headed and what we're doing. you know, we have Pat's Game Plan, which is a caregiver resource that we launched in June of 2024. To date, it's reached well over half a million people across the country. And connecting our caregivers to resources that will help them walk through this journey. So I'm really proud of that. from that, we're doing a lot of different work in terms of outreach. Morgan Vance 00:41:55 we're having a lot of great conversations right now about improving access. I think that's one, you know, people here, I think a lot of times about the waitlist with, neurology services and, you know, if we if we're doing a referral to a specialty practice, a specialty neurology clinic, I think there's a lot of conversations across the country right now. People are realizing that there's wait times are very long. but and so we're having conversations now that I'm really excited about how do we improve access? How do we get those wait times down? How can the Pat Summit Foundation be, helpful? And and how can we be innovative? So I'm just so excited about the work that we're doing, the conversations we're having and where we're headed. Jim Brogan 00:42:44 Morgan, we just have about a minute left. If someone listening today wants to make a meaningful impact, it could be through advocacy, it could be volunteering. It could be through through through philanthropy. Where should they start and how can they find out more about Pat Summitt organization? Multiple Speakers 00:42:57 Yes. Morgan Vance 00:42:58 So I would say start by visiting our website. Pat summitt.org and summit is two M's and two T's. So start there. Learn a little bit more about who we are, what we're doing. If you feel inclined to make a gift, there's a way to do that via our website. all of our contact information for our team is on the website as well. So someone can can find my email address. They are more than welcome to reach out to myself or someone else. But I would say, just just go start with the website and then reach out. Jim Brogan 00:43:31 Absolutely. real quickly now, this is not an easy answer to answer quickly, but I'm going to still put you on the spot. What do you think Pat Summitt today would want people to understand most about courage and facing adversity? Morgan Vance 00:43:43 I think she would say don't back down. her, her mantra that she used his left foot, right foot breeze, to put one foot in front of the other. keep going. Jim Brogan 00:43:56 I think that's a great word. Jim Brogan 00:43:58 That's Morgan Banshees with the Pat Summitt Foundation. Morgan, thank you so much. Time for taking time out of your busy schedule. Morgan Vance 00:44:04 Oh, thank you so much for having me. Jim Brogan 00:44:06 Check out more at Pat summit.org. Again that's Pat summit two M's two T's dot org. Today we've discussed health because greater health provides for more living. So you can live the best years of your life your way. Thanks to Wayne engineering the show thanks to Mary Caroline helping produce the show. Thank you for tuning in. This is more living with Jim Brogan. Have a great week. As you listen to Newstalk 987 w Cokie. Multiple Speakers 00:44:30 The views expressed by Jim Brogan and his guests are not that of Cumulus Media. Any discussion of financial, legal and tax planning strategies is not intended to be individualized advice and is general in nature. Always consult with your advisor for advice specific to your needs. This program's content does not represent a recommendation of any particular security strategy or investment by Jim Brogan or Brogan Financial incorporate.