Welcome, everybody, to Midday Magazine for this March 28, 2025.
Have your host, James J. Mailoff here.
At 430 today, we're going to welcome in scouting America.
We've got Sam, Amy, and Angel joining us looking forward to that.
Been looking forward to this one.
Our friend Lisa Salter joining us right now, resource specialist with the Aging and Disability
Resource Center of Central Wisconsin.
Lisa, how you doing?
I'm good.
How are you?
Doing well.
Thanks for asking.
Lisa, we always like to shout out our ADRC and all the great work that you guys are doing
in our community and highlight some of the things that you're doing over there.
I thought a great place for us to start is the role of a resource specialist and what
you do and the different things that are a part of your job.
A day in the life of a resource specialist, if you will.
Sure.
Well, a day in the life looks different, which definitely keeps things interesting.
But a really our goal is to provide, as our title suggests, resources to individual needing
help.
Sometimes that might be just simply providing a phone number for a resource that they need.
Other times we meet with individuals in their home and sit down and really look at their
whole situation and what services could benefit them.
You know, Lisa, as you mentioned there that there's a lot of your job, I imagine there's
no reruns in the daily life of what you do there and everything.
In part because there's a lot of, I'm not going to word this the right way, but gray area,
I imagine, where certain things just don't fit this certain box or what have you when
it comes to helping people and getting people those, the work that they need or the assistance
they need.
Absolutely.
Yeah, and a lot of times we have to think outside the box, you know, there's definitely
plenty of resources out there, but sometimes there's just not the right resource for what
people are looking for and we have to get creative as far as how we can best help them.
You guys also provide something called options counseling.
Can we talk about what that is, exact?
Sure.
So that is when we dive a little bit deeper into their situation and oftentimes it's providing
a home visit or a visit at our office and really learning about what all of their needs
are, what they're currently struggling with, what kind of support they may or may not
have, and then from there, you know, taking a look at what resources are available, what
programs might benefit them, and if there are programs that benefit them, then helping
them get enrolled into those.
When it comes to being able to help people, how much does that change, like just the laws
and some of the rules of that change on a consistent basis, I imagine?
Yeah, it does.
We work closely with the state, like Medicaid programs and so we're constantly keeping
up with, you know, those regulations and changes and whatnot.
And, you know, not too, we certainly, every individual is going to bring up a different
sort of set of circumstances, I'm sure, but it's hard to imagine in this day and age
the way things have been the last couple of years, especially, that you're not having
to work extra hard helping people be able to afford things or finding ways to.
Absolutely.
Yes, absolutely.
Have you seen a rise in this or kind of, it's just been pretty consistent?
I would say it's been pretty consistent, but I mean, there's definitely a need out there
that people may not recognize.
There's a huge need for housing and, yeah, just financial support in general.
Lisa, you know, one of the things we talk about a lot here is the jobs that we do that
are title says, and then all the added stuff that we do are part of that.
Everybody out there knows, you know, kind of what we're referring to here, the tasks
that we are assigned to do, and then as we're doing a job, the things that develop and
pop up and become part of our job.
With something like this, I imagine that there's, that's a pretty big list.
It is.
Yes.
Yeah, at least why every day is different because there's, you know, some days we're directly
helping customers and doing those home visits and providing that direct assistance.
Other times we're, you know, promoting our services and helping the community learn
about who we are and what we do.
So yes, it's definitely always changing and something always different.
Lisa, this is your first time joining us and I usually give it, you start out this way,
but if you don't mind, would you tell us a little bit about yourself and a little bit
about how you got into this industry, why you got into this industry?
Sure.
So I am a resource specialist here in our WASA office.
I cover primarily Marathon County, but our ADRC of Central Wisconsin covers Marathon,
Lincoln, Langlaid and Wood County, so we kind of service the entire region.
I've been here in the WASA office going on seven years, I believe, and really just have
always had an interest in helping the elderly kind of started my career in long-term care
and nursing home administration and found my way to the ADRC and have been here ever
since.
Thank you for sharing that, Lisa.
We like to ask that question of new guests to put them on the spot.
No, too, certainly, especially with the industry you're in, any chance we can to create more
empathy and understanding for it, we want to do that.
We appreciate so much you and your staff and the people, the work that you guys are doing
in all of our counties here at the ADRC.
But also, we're always trying to get younger people out there, start that spark in somebody
that wants to get into healthcare or wants to get into this field.
You sharing that kind of stuff really gives people an opportunity to do that, so I appreciate
you doing that.
Thank you, Lisa.
And thank you for the work you're doing.
Thank you.
Some of the options of things that you do over there include some of the stuff we were
talking about before, but also options available in home for in-home care as well as assisted
living options.
It's one of the bigger things that we face as we get older, and so many of us really
want to hang on to our independence as long as we can.
Yes, definitely, and we find that a lot is when we meet with people, their biggest goal
is to stay in their homes for as long as possible, and I mean, truly that is our goal for them
as well by taking a look at how can we make things safer in the home, what programs can
we get in place to make sure that their needs are met.
But the flip side is that we also try to provide them information about what else is out
there, and I think there's a misconception that the only option, once you leave home,
is to go to a nursing home, and that's where you'll stay forever, and truly that's not
the case.
You know, senior apartments, there's assisted living facilities that really are home
like, and you know, it'll never be home, but you know, it's not the typical nursing home
that people sometimes think, so we try to provide, you know, all those different options
and make people comfortable with knowing what's available and knowing, you know, where
they can go when they might need additional help.
I appreciate you bringing this up, and because this is, and Lisa and I, this is the first
time we're talking, and I already find that we have chemistry, Lisa, because you set
me up perfectly, because one thing I wanted to talk about is, is something that we're
going to talk a little later about volunteering in that, but one thing we can all do, whether
you're working directly with the ADRC or not, is really work to rework this narrative
about our nursing homes.
For a long time, it's just been like a comedic or TV show kind of bit about nursing homes,
and in my favorite show in the world is The Simpsons, and they do this all the time, with
Grandpa Simpson and everything, and you know, it can be kind of funny in moments and stuff,
but when you take a beat to think about it, it's this narrative that we've created to
where younger generations grow up thinking that that's what senior homes are like, and
retirement homes are like in that, and that's just not the case.
For any bad apple out there, there are 20, 30 great ones out there, and some amazing
people working in these industries.
This is something that we can all work on as far as that narrative, and the way we look
at these things, because no matter how young you are, we all, father times undefeated, we
all get older, and there is a chance that you may be spending, you know, some of your
latter years in a retirement home, and being, you know, doing your own homework on these
things, and when you're talking to loved ones about this, you're able to be able to help
them in this conversation a little bit more.
We want people to have their independence for as long as possible, but we want you more
than anything to be healthy and enjoy your years.
You've earned it.
If that is in a retirement facility, and that's the best thing for you, you can live
ahead and have a great life in those places, and I think changing that narrative is on
all of us as a society.
Absolutely, and I think we all learn from COVID that, you know, loneliness and isolation
is such a huge issue, and we find that a lot with individuals living in their home is,
you know, they want to do everything they can to stay there, but maybe that means they
can't get out, they can't socialize with friends anymore, they don't see anybody for days
or weeks at a time, and, you know, having that conversation too about, you know, there
are plus sides to being in a community where you have people you can talk with and ask
for support as such a huge component of, you know, being healthy and happy in your older
years.
Fear usually stems from misinformation, or not understanding, and when you can just
sit there and break things down for somebody and explain to them this situation, more times
than not, whether they like or not what you're saying, they're at least not afraid of it.
They least understand it a little bit more.
This is something I care-give from my mom and dad, and this is a conversation that we've
had many times with all three of us, or just even individually with them.
And when it comes to the topic, I know how, you know, strongly independent they are in
everything, and it's one of the things that I've been working with them on is talking
about our local, you know, places, and them understanding a little bit more, hey, these
places are not so bad, and they're all right.
And then you don't have to put up with me, no, I'm joking, but there are so many wonderful
advantages to these things, and one of the strongest ones you hit on right away, and the
idea that you will be around other people in similar situations to you, and, you know,
these organic friendships and conversations that can happen that wouldn't happen if you're
living on your own.
Right, right.
I really cannot implore enough to reach out to the ADRC when it comes to this, because
my mom and dad and I have a fantastic relationship, I love my parents, I don't know how much they
listen to me.
I don't, being honest about it, because I come to it with a little bit of a bias they
may think, or I care about them, so maybe I'm coming at it from this angle or that.
When it comes to somebody like Lisa, she cares, and she's invested, but she's kind of a third
party.
She's able to just give you information and be able to help you make decisions without
any true, like necessarily, you know, opinions or feeling one way or the other, right, Lisa?
Absolutely, yes, and it's important to know that all of our services at the ADRC are
on-biased.
We're not here to sell you anything or convince you to do one thing or the other.
We're truly just here to provide you, you know, what your options are and help you make
the best choice for yourself, whatever that might look like.
All said, we're speaking with Lisa Sattler, a resource specialist with the ADRC of Central
Wisconsin.
Lisa, you know, I've just mucked up this whole interview, I apologize, I do this usually
to begin with.
Am I saying your last name right?
It's Sattler.
It is Sattler, okay, I apologize, thank you for that, thank you.
I appreciate the interview and the time, Lisa, we're going to get to some volunteer opportunities
in a moment.
But I remember talking with the ADRC here in Wisconsin Rapids the last time.
We're really excited about this wasa location.
This is a new location that opened up in recent months, right?
It is, yes, we actually just moved last week or maybe it's been two weeks now.
We are over now at the North Central Healthcare Campus near the wasa airport.
So yes, it's been a great move.
We're surrounded by several different county agencies that are also resources for us and
resources for the community.
So I think it'll be a great fit for us.
One of the fun things about something like this is the advantages that you find right
away.
Then as you're going along here, the things that pop up that you're like, oh, I hadn't
thought of this, but this works out really well.
It also seems like the location is going to be a lot more convenient for seniors and for
people to get in and out of.
I think so, yes, we are much more, I would say, handicapped accessible than we do.
We were previously, so we're also on the bus line if individuals don't have a means
of transportation, it'll be a good fit for them as well.
It's a great note.
We appreciate that.
Lisa, we wanted to wrap up spending some time talking about volunteering and certainly
the main one that we talk about with the ADRC is meals on wheels.
This is one that I've mentioned when I was living out in California I did.
I only had two people on my route, but they were fantastic people.
When I reached out to the ADRC, I was working with Special Olympics at the time and somebody
with Special Olympics encouraged me to check out the ADRC.
I did and found out about meals on wheels.
I told them, I don't have a car.
I take the bus places and everything.
They were like, okay, well, what's your bus line?
We worked it out.
I told them I was acting at the time, so my schedule was crazy.
I didn't think they'd be able to find anything.
No, we found something that worked.
I actually had somebody that I would bring a meal to at seven o'clock at night that
was worked out very well.
There are two individuals that I will never forget that were, actually, I didn't know a lot
of people out in California and these were two individuals that helped me get to know
the area a lot better and also just had some great conversations with it.
I'm trying not to just burst in the laughter thinking about right now.
It's wonderful relationships and the importance of meals on wheels goes farther than words
can really give us.
There are so many layers to it, Lisa.
Yes, there truly is and like you said, volunteering is such a huge component of our meals on
wheels program.
In fact, without volunteers, I don't, we wouldn't have a meals on wheels program, so individuals
that are able to commit even an hour a week or more, you know, the volunteer availability
is very flexible.
But yeah, it's just a great way to get out in the community, meet people that are in need
and so appreciative of the service and yeah, we can be flexible if it's over a lunch hour,
if it's like you said, maybe you kind of out of the box, people meeting a meal later
at night or yeah, we can be creative.
One of the things that's so important about this too, you touched on earlier about isolation
and loneliness, oftentimes these meals can be the opportunity for you to be able to check
in on these individuals as well.
When it comes to the flexibility in working with your schedule and where you are, say this
is an individual that lives in your neighborhood or a block or two over, well, this is Wisconsin
baby.
We know what the weather is like.
We know that things can get canceled sometimes and the ADRC sometimes has to cancel meals
on wheels.
Here is an opportunity for you to be able to still check in on that person, touch base
with them.
Maybe you exchange phone numbers so you can call up and just see how they're doing.
It goes so far and so much, it does so much more good than we could really explain, especially
if you haven't done it before.
It's part of the reason why you just got to do it.
You do it and you'll know exactly what I'm talking about with the importance and how
good it feels because make no mistake about it as good as it is to do and as good as it
feels for the individuals you drop in these meals off, you're going to feel just as good
from it.
You're going to take just as a good feeling from it and you just never know what new
friendships you might make and that.
It's a really great opportunity.
Encourage you wherever you're listening to us in the central Wisconsin area, reach out
to your local ADRC, find out ways that you can be a part of meals on wheels.
And Lisa, is there any other volunteer opportunities we wanted to focus on, especially with the
Warsaw location?
Again, we don't get to talk to you guys very much, we know we got plenty of Warsaw listeners
out there.
Yeah, there are other volunteer opportunities in addition to meals on wheels.
We also rely on volunteers to help package our meals on wheels.
We also have several senior dining sites throughout our region.
So that's typically a location somewhere in our region that individuals can come to for
their meal versus us delivering meals.
So always looking for volunteers in those sites.
We also have different educational programs that we offer and we're always looking for
volunteers to help facilitate those programs.
One of them being a program called Stepping On, so that's a huge component of our volunteer
base.
And then we also have office support and volunteer opportunities throughout our office,
if that's of interest to anybody.
It certainly, and we understand too that everybody out there has unique skill sets in that.
So keep in mind that if there's something that you think would be a good program for
seniors or the ADRC might be interested in, feel free to reach out to them and to younger
people out there.
This is a great opportunity.
It looks great on a college resume.
Looks great on a work resume and also gives you some life experience that very few volunteer
opportunities will give you and encourage you to check that out.
There's so many educational opportunities and information that family care give a resource
fair is coming up on April 7th.
We'll talk more about it as we get closer to it.
There are so many different things going on with the ADRC and opportunities for you to
be involved and for you to find out more.
Lisa, if people would like to reach out to you, they'd like to find out more about the
Warsaw location or some of the resource specialist opportunities they have, how can they reach
you?
Yeah, they can call our main number, which there's all four of our counties and get us basically
call that number and they'll direct you to whatever county you're looking for.
So that phone number is 888-486-9545.
Excellent.
And then we also have our website ADRC-CW.org, which has all of our different programs
and volunteering opportunities as well.
It's a fantastic website.
It's where I go for a lot of my research.
You can go ahead and go there and book market.
It won't be the last time you'll be there.
Go ahead and book market.
ADRC-CW.org.
I encourage you to also follow them on social media.
They do a great job there.
It's a great way to find out what's going on at your local ADRC as well as sharing their
posts on your page.
You just never know who might see them that wouldn't otherwise.
Lisa is a really good to get to know you and to meet you.
And we're looking forward to talking again real soon.
You have yourself a great weekend.
Thank you, you as well.
And we'll be back with more Midday Magazine coming up right here at 97.5 FM.
13.20 a.m. WFHR, we are locally grown radio.