You've done the hard work—legal documents, finances, respite care plans. Now comes the biggest decision: choosing the right facility for your parent.

In this episode, I walk you through my exact professional process. The same framework I use every day as a Senior Placement Advocate. This is the roadmap that has helped hundreds of Central Texas families find the right fit.

What you'll learn:

• How to assess your parent's ACTUAL needs (not what you think they need)
• The 5 care levels and which one fits your situation
• How to research communities systematically and check regulatory records
• What to look for on facility tours (the questions that matter)
• Red flags you absolutely cannot ignore
• How to make the decision without second-guessing yourself
• A real-world example of comparing options and choosing what's right

This episode covers the exact process I use professionally. Whether you're exploring facilities, considering home-based care, or somewhere in between, this framework will help you make a confident decision based on your parent's actual needs—not fear, not convenience, not pressure.

Your parent deserves the right fit. Your family deserves the peace of mind that comes from making a thoughtful, informed choice. This episode gives you the tools to do both.

Resources mentioned:

• Texas Health and Human Services (regulatory records)
• Area Agency on Aging
• Professional care assessments

Ready to explore options? I'm here to help. Williams Senior Transition Services. 24/7 support.stellawilliamstx.com | tourseniorliving.org

Episode 14: Respite Care: Taking Breaks Without Guilt

You cannot pour from an empty cup. If you're caregiving right now—whether it's hands-on daily care or coordinating placement—you're probably running on fumes.

In this episode, Senior Placement Advocate and caregiver Stella Herrera Williams talks about why taking breaks isn't selfish. It's survival. And how respite care isn't a luxury—it's a necessity for your health and your family's wellbeing.

What We Cover:

🎙️ The Caregiver Crisis – Why burnout is a health emergency, not a personal failure. Caregiver studies show increased rates of high blood pressure, heart disease, depression, and anxiety—sometimes even death that precedes their parent's.

🎙️ What Respite Care Actually Is – The different types of respite available and what they cost in Central Texas:• In-home respite: $20-30/hour• Adult day programs: $50-150/day• Facility respite stays: $100-200/night

🎙️ The Guilt Conversation – How to move past the voice in your head that says you should handle it all alone. Stella's honest talk about why that voice is a liar.

🎙️ Stella's Story – What she learned caring for her father while starting her business, and how using respite care for her mother's care changed everything.

🎙️ How to Find Respite in Your Area – Practical steps: networking, checking insurance, contacting AACOG (Area Agency on Aging of the Central Texas Council of Governments), hiring in-home care, exploring adult day programs, and trying facility respite.

Key Takeaways:✓ Your parent doesn't want you sacrificing your health✓ Taking respite care is responsibility, not abandonment✓ Some respite is better than no respite✓ Start small and build up✓ Resources exist—often subsidized

Your Action This Week:Find ONE respite option in your area. Call them. Ask about availability and cost. You don't have to commit yet—just gather information. Permission granted to take care of yourself.

Central Texas Resources Mentioned:

• AACOG (Area Agency on Aging of the Central Texas Council of Governments)
• Local Meals on Wheels
• Senior centers by county

About Stella:Stella Herrera Williams is a Senior Placement Advocate and founder of Williams Senior Transition Services, a veteran-owned business serving Central Texas families (Travis, Williamson, Hays, and Bastrop counties). She provides bilingual English/Spanish senior living placement services 24/7 at no cost to families.

She's also a military veteran, primary caregiver for her mother with dementia, and parent to her son Jaden. She draws from personal experience navigating senior care decisions for both parents.

Work with Stella:📍 stellawilliamstx.com (24/7, bilingual, no cost to families)📍 tourseniorliving.org

Next Episode: Episode 15 – How to Choose the Right Facility

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#RespiteCare #CaregiversDeserveRest #SeniorCare #CaregiverBurnout #CentralTexas #AustinTX #SeniorLiving #CaregiversMatter #MentalHealthMatters #FamilyCaregiver #SeniorPlacement #MemoryCare #AssistedLiving #NavigatingSeniorCareWithStella

Senior care isn't cheap—and it's also not optional. In this episode, Stella breaks down the real costs of senior care in Central Texas, the financial mistakes that families make most often, and a practical framework for budgeting and finding actual value in care decisions.

Learn what assisted living, memory care, and skilled nursing actually cost, how to plan financially for 5-10 years of care, and what to look for beyond just the price tag. Stella also shares her personal experience managing her mother's care at home—what it costs, what it demands, and why quality is about presence, not just facilities.

Whether you're planning ahead or navigating care decisions right now, this episode gives you the numbers and the tools to make decisions that work for YOUR family without panic.

Topics covered:

• Real costs of senior care in Austin, Travis, Williamson, Hays, and Bastrop counties
• Three major financial mistakes families make
• How to budget for senior care
• Understanding Medicare and Medicaid for long-term care planning
• Finding value vs. just finding cheap
• The hidden costs of home care
• Financial planning framework for 5-10 year care timelines

Navigating Senior Care with Stella is for families making senior living decisions in Central Texas.

Bilingual (English/Spanish).

24/7 support.

Visit: stellawilliamstx.com | tourseniorliving.org

Tags/Keywords: senior care, financial planning, elder care, assisted living, memory care, skilled nursing, caregiving, Austin, Central Texas, podcast, health care planning, long-term care, family caregiving