The In-Between Years: Aging Parents and the Conversations We Try to Avoid

In this episode, our guest is Mario Racanelli, an insurance agent based in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, who focuses on Medicare and other insurance products in the senior market. Mario often gives back to his industry by supporting others, presenting continuing education classes, and giving advice to fellow agents. This conversation focuses on Mario's experiences with his brother John, who lived with Down syndrome, and his family's caregiving journey. He discusses how his family members stepped up to care for his brother, the toll it took on them, and lessons learned and advice for other families in this scenario.

Gary Reppen shares how long-term care insurance protected both his father and father-in-law from major care costs, covering expensive nursing home and assisted living needs. He highlights buying coverage early, understanding elimination periods, and how families without LTCI often face limited, lower quality care options. 

Hear from LTC specialist Don Strickler about his experience becoming an unplanned caregiver after his wife’s serious injury. Don shares the tough realities of daily caregiving, how the experience changed his view of professional care, and what families should know about long-term care planning and insurance options. 

In this episode, Carolyn Vader shares her experience balancing a full-time career in the insurance industry with caring for her aging mother at home. The conversation explores the emotional, physical, and financial challenges of caregiving, the complexities of accessing support programs, and how evolving long-term care options can help families navigate similar journeys.

Long-Term Care Specialist Richard Rusoff shares the deeply personal story of his father Morton’s battle with Alzheimer’s disease. Richard reflects on his dad's life as a decorated WWII veteran and how his PTSD shaped both his personality and later dementia symptoms. The discussion covers early warning signs, the difficult moments of wandering and aggression, and the emotional complexity of caregiving from a distance. Despite the hardships, a small long-term care policy made a meaningful difference, especially by giving his mother essential respite during the hardest years. Richard goes on to discuss how the long-term care industry has evolved, now focusing more on supporting caregivers.Listen in as Richard discusses the power of early conversations, family unity, and the idea that “something is better than nothing” when it comes to planning for care.

In the first episode of The In-Between Years, Holly Westervelt sits down with Attorney Dale Krause. Dale is an experienced estate planning and elder law attorney, but still faced the issue so many other listeners do—his mom required long-term care without having a plan in place. Listen to Dale detail his experience as he and his siblings navigated his mom's caregiving plan and faced tough decisions like moving cities and selling her home. Dale also provides key insights as an attorney in the estate planning space, including why he believes every family should have a long-term care plan in place and how the future of long-term care needs may shift as Baby Boomers age.

Join us for The In-Between Years! Brought to you by the experts at Krause Agency, this podcast explores the challenges of the caregiving journey. Each episode features  honest, heartfelt stories from caregivers, professionals, and families navigating dementia, elder care, grief, and long-term planning. Together, they explore what we wish we’d talked about sooner, what we’ve learned the hard way, and how we can approach aging with compassion and courage.