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Raising 'Rents (as in paRents)

Raising 'Rents (as in paRents) podcast show will give you everything you need to take care of your aging parents or an aging adult. It will inspire, educate and support through stories and experiences shared by those who have cared for an aging adult or is one themself!
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Raising 'Rents (paRents) Podcast

Nov 9, 2019

Host Zack Demopoulos recently attended a ComForCare national conference and had the opportunity to speak with quite a few owners and operators  of ComForCare home care agencies from all over this continent.  He shares some great tips from these passionate providers that come from their experience of hiring many caregivers in these series.

 In this episode he interviews Renee Henriques, owner and operator of ComForCare in Toronto Canada.

 This show is sponsored by ComForCare, a national home care provider that will help you live your best life possible.

In previous Episode 26 and Episode 27   Zack discussed hiring home care to help you care for a family loved one so that they can continue to live at home independently and safely.  Home Care is Day 17 of the 30 Day Preparation Plan to care for an aging adult.  

Renee shares personal experience with caring for her father.

 

Zack:  That’s Renee Henriques.  She owns and operates a ComForCare home care agency in Toronto.  We are going to hear more from Renee in this final episode, episdoe 33, of the series Hiring a caregiver to help you care for your family loved one. 

 

Zack:  I asked Renee how did she know she was cut out for homecare?

 

Renee:  I have nursing background and have been through the home care experience twice.  There was no private home at the time and she could’ve used it and someone to have coached her along. 

Zack:  Let’s go back to the story about Renee’s father.  I asked her what did she learn from that experience. 

Renee:   Shares the story about how she handled her father who was confused wandering outside knocking on the doors of his neighbors.  She had to tell him that he had to move and that it was temporary.  She did it out of desperation.

 

Zack:  He was happier in the last five years of his life than he ever was.  That is a powerful story and brave of Renee to have made that decision and be honest enough to share that with us.  But you ask…what does that have to do with home care?  Who runs a home care agency is just as important as hiring that right caregiver.  With Renee at the helm of her home care operation and with all that personal raw experience,  you will get genuine and appropriate guidance that will steer you in the right direction of your caregiving journey.


Renee:   When I meet a family in the beginning of their caregiving journey, they usually do not know where to go and do not understand the system and since I have worked in the healthcare system for a long time I can add that value.  I know the person to sign up for assessment for Canada’s offering of free home care.  Alzheimer Society has great resources.

 

Zack:  What makes Renee unique is that she offers resources I do not usually hear from others or may not be top of mind, resources that are very valuable for you the caregiver. 

 

Renee:  I offer various caregiver support chat rooms that anyone can access regardless of where you are from.

 

Zack asks her why is this so important?


Renee:  This can help calm a caregiver down.  Better decision making.  It helps in situations where some people may not want care and there are ways to work through that.

 

Zack:  You see, hiring a caregiver is more than just placing someone in your home.  A good agency should be able to help you, like Renee is suggesting here, with things like dealing with mom or dad who may be very resistant to having a stranger in their house.  Speaking of a caregiver coming to your house, I asked Renee what should a family expect from an agency as far as what they should be providing in way of a qualified and skilled caregiver?


Renee:  Caregivers should be bonded, insured.  Agency should be credible in terms of required documentation.  Ongoing education for caregivers.  Ways for the family to get what they need like a schedule and is someone on call 24 hours a day.

 

Zack:  Renee is obviously very experienced.  I wanted to take advantage of that and asked her to share with us some unique tips that caregivers should consider when caring a family loved one who may be confused or has dementia. 


Renee:  One tip is when having a conversation with someone who is confused and they may not want to do what you want them to do is to buy some time.  Help them make that decision by making that time short for them.  Another tip is to avoid phrases such as “remember when”.  Third tip is be aware that they can read your moods.  If you are frustrated they will get frustrated.

 

This was Episode 33 and our final episode in the 5 part series of talking about hiring a caregiver to help you care for a family loved one.  

 

Thank you for listening to the Raising ‘Rents podcast. If you have any questions or feedback, please go to our website www.raisingrents.com and click on the “Contact” tab.  Let us know about any topics you want covered.  You can also find the show notes and references to anything we talked about.  Until we talk again, remember that our parents raised us, the least we can do is help raise them. Talk to you later.

 

References:


Renee Henriques

ComForCare Toronto Canada

205-2 College St., Toronto, M5G 1K3, Canada

Email: 

Toronto-Central@ComForcare.ca

Phone: 416-966-2100

Fax: 

866-298-1289

 

Sources used in this episode:

Intro/outro music: Arthaiz

Other music:   bensound-betterdays drama credit bensound

  • Daughter Anastasia Demopoulos does the opening voice over

Website created and managed by Philip Golden

Nov 9, 2019

Host Zack Demopoulos recently attended a ComForCare national conference and had the opportunity to speak with quite a few owners and operators  of ComForCare home care agencies from all over this continent.  He shares some great tips from these passionate providers that come from their experience of hiring many caregivers in these series.

 In this episode he interviews Devon Williams, owner and operator of ComForCare in Danbury Connecticut.   

 This show is sponsored by ComForCare, a national home care provider that will help you live your best life possible.

In previous Episode 26 and Episode 27   Zack discussed hiring home care to help you care for a family loved one so that they can continue to live at home independently and safely.  Home Care is Day 17 of the 30 Day Preparation Plan to care for an aging adult.  

Devon shares that he initially didn’t have the appreciation for what families struggle through.

 

Devon shares how he got into homecare.

 

De`Zack—I don’t know about you but I am asking myself how does an Electrical Engineer all of a sudden become a home care provider.  I asked him that. He said he met with someone he respected and received their feedback that led him to make this important decision.

 

Devon shares that that someone sat down with him and told why he thought he would be a great home care provider.  It takes being  

 

Zack-how did you get more confident about what you do?

Devon-share that his eye opening experiences shaped his passion and confidence as a home care provider.

 

Zack-I asked Devon what makes him different from other home care providers.

Devon shares thorugh 10 years of experience he has become an information center.

 

Zack:  One thing Devon does that is very important is that he encourages you to meet with him before you make any decisions.

 

Devon advocates meeting in a sofa visit or a free consultation.

 

Zack:  What should a family be looking for?

Devon:  Clear communication and honest.

Zack:  What should a family do when they are caring for someone who is showing some cognitive impairment.

Devon:  Family members should seek professional advice from agencies and doctors.  Do not battle with them.  Refrain from using terms like “remember” or “dementia”  or “sundowning”.  Don’t be in denial.  Accept what is going on. 

 

This was Episode 32. Join us for Part 5, the final episode in this series talking about hiring a caregiver to help you care for a family loved one.  

 

Thank you for listening to the Raising ‘Rents podcast. If you have any questions or feedback, please go to our website www.raisingrents.com and click on the “Contact” tab.  Let us know about any topics you want covered.  You can also find the show notes and references to anything we talked about.  Until we talk again, remember that our parents raised us, the least we can do is help raise them. Talk to you later.

 

References:


Devon Williams

ComForCare Danbury CT

Phone: (203) 702-1181

Fax: (203) 702-4458

Address:

155 Main Street
Suite 201
Danbury, CT 06810

 

FACEBOOK

 

Sources used in this episode:

Intro/outro music: Arthaiz

Other music:   bensound-acousticbreeze bensound credit e7

Daughter Anastasia Demopoulos does the opening voice over

  • Website created and managed by Philip Golden
Nov 5, 2019

 

Host Zack Demopoulos recently attended a ComForCare national conference and had the opportunity to speak with quite a few owners and operators  of ComForCare home care agencies from all over this continent. He shares some great tips from these passionate providers that come from their experience of hiring many caregivers in these series.

 In this episode he interviews Alois and Wilbert Smith who own and operate a ComForCare home care agency in Saginaw Michigan.  

 This show is sponsored by ComForCare, a national home care provider that will help you live your best life possible. 

In previous Episode 26 and Episode 27   Zack discussed hiring home care to help you care for a family loved one so that they can continue to live at home independently and safely.  Home Care is Day 17 of the 30 Day Preparation Plan to care for an aging adult.   

Alois begins talking about how important honesty and trust is when hiring a caregiver and an agency.  

 

Integrity and trust are not the only values and experiences Alois and Wilbert bring into their agency. They have real experiences caring for many family members of their own.  Caregivers who have experience caring for their own family tend to be some of the best caregivers and home care providers I have come across. These experiences inspired Alois and Wilbert to start their own home care agency.  

 

Wilbert and Alois did not know about the home care industry and Alois found out through a SBA career coaching session when they conducted a personal background evaluation, they found they were a good match for this industry.  They have helped care for two grandfathers, three great grandmothers, and three grandmothers.  

Alois talks about Wilbert's mother who had end stage Alzheimers compounded with a UTI and then hospitalized and placed in a rehab refusing to eat and drink.

 

Fortunately Wilbert's mother had a directive which guided her children on how to handle situations like this.  

 

Alois share that a directive was in place that legally gave the children directions on how to handle decision on her behalf in case she couldn’t.  

 

Zack asks  Alois were there any signs that she saw back then or now after the fact that might help caregivers look for?  Alois shares how Wilbur’s mom was a meticulous recordkeeper used a notebook on a monthly basis and a calendar on a daily basis to keep records.

 

Zack asks Wilbert how does he think family members can find home care providers like them, people with family experience, but also care a lot about what they do. Wilbert suggests that you meet with a home care agency in person and you can determine if they really care by the way they communicate with you and take in what you are sharing with them.  

 

Wilbert says that eye to eye is the best way to interview a home care agency and caregiver, not over the phone.

 

Wibert says that the best question to start off an “eye to eye” conversation is “What do you do?”.  Are they meticulous about hiring caregivers, do they have a process that they expose the caregiver to make sure they meet their standards, they have a resemblance of integrity that though they are not there watching them, they are going to do the right thing.

 

Wilbert advises in order to avoid a crisis, be observant in the (care recipient’s) environment and look for things as simple as trip hazards to prevent falls.  

 

Alois:  Being observant is critical.  We could have intervened earlier with Wilbur’s mom if we had seen how about her notebook taking had gotten.

 

Wilbert:  You need to have another family member with you because they may see something you missed.

 

This was Episode 31. Join us as we continue the series for the next episode where we continue talking about hiring a caregiver to help you care for a family loved one.  

 

Thank you for listening to the Raising ‘Rents podcast. If you have any questions or feedback, please go to our website www.raisingrents.com and click on the “Contact” tab.  Let us know about any topics you want covered. You can also find the show notes and references to anything we talked about. Until we talk again, remember that our parents raised us, the least we can do is help raise them. Talk to you later.

 

References:


Alois and Wilbert Smith

ComForCare Great Lakes Bay Region, Michigan

Phone: (989) 752-5501

Fax: (989) 752-5503

Address:

515 North Washington Avenue

#404

Saginaw, MI 48607

 

FACEBOOK


Sources used in this episode:

Intro/outro music: Arthaiz

Other music:   bensound-pianomoment WARM CREDIT BENSOUND

  • Daughter Anastasia Demopoulos does the opening voice over
  • Website created and managed by Philip Golden



Aug 14, 2018

Day 16 of the 30 Day Preparation Plan To Care For An Aging Adult:   Senior Scams 

Zack shares a personal story of a scammer calling his cell phone.

 Scammers are getting more and more creative.  Easy targets are people with cell phones (because they always pick up) and your aging parent who are at home and answer the good old fashion land line.

 Latest scam is about the new Medicare issued card—something every older adult may fall for. 

 This is Day 16 of the 30 day preparation plan to care for an aging parent and the topic is senior scams.  If you have not had a chance to listen to days 1-15, please go to season 1 http://raisingparentspodcast.com/page/7/ and check out those episodes.  We also talk about the 9 beginner steps in raising your parent in season 1.  

 2.7 million reports of fraud and identity theft were reported in 2017 according to FTC  Federal Trade Commission costing victims a total of $328 million.  Those are the reported ones. That doesn’t count the attempts. Senior citizens are targeted more frequently than any other age group according to the NJ Division of Consumer Affairs.

 A very popular scam is during tax season—“This is the IRS calling”.  

Here are the top 10 scams of late (National Council on Aging - NCOA):  https://bit.ly/1MVdQKR

 

  1. Health Care/Medicare/Health Insurance
  2. Counterfeit Prescription Drugs
  3. Funeral & Cemetery Scams
  4. Fraudulent Anti-Aging Products
  5. Telemarketing
  6. Internet Fraud
  7. Investment Schemes
  8. Homeowner/Reverse Mortgage
  9. Sweepstakes & Lottery Scams
  10. The Grandparent Scam

 

Some others not mentioned by these folks are the one about a scammer calling as a utility company telling the victim that they are past due and need to pay now before cutting off the power.

  Then there is the one posing as the NJ Motor Vehicle Department telling you your driver license has been suspended and that a payment is needed to get your license back.  

 There is also the ones that give out a customer service rep for big names like Amazon and you google search the number and it takes you to a fake webpage that makes you think it really is Amazon and it will ask you for your information.  

 The latest one should also get your attention.  It’s about the new Medicare card and since about 44 million Americans are enrolled in Medicare that is a pretty big target group to go after.   

 Medicare will not call you.  They just don’t.  Everything will be sent written in the old fashion snail mail style.  So never never talk to anyone on the phone if they say they are Medicare.  By the way the IRS does not make phone calls either.  They use snail mail too.  

 https://www.cms.gov/Medicare/New-Medicare-Card/index.html

If you haven’t seen a Medicare card ask to see your parent’s.  If they haven’t received their new ones yet and you are looking at the old one, you will see the problem right away.  Their social security number is on it.  Medicare has always advised that you carry your card.  This has been one of the biggest causes of identity thefts known for a long time.   We all misplace our purses and wallets, especially as someone ages.  And of course they are stolen as well.  And scammers used to ask Medicare beneficiaries to read the number off the card over the phone.  Today you probably notice that the social security number is hidden practically on everything.  At the very most you will see xxx-xx- and the last four digits.  This makes it tougher for bad people to steal your identity.  

 So the CMS  or the Center For Medicare and Medicaid Services has wanted to change this for quite some time but it was going to be very expensive to do so and they did not have the funding.  Luckily they found some cash and started changing the cards as of April 2018.  It is going to be a gradual process since there are so many folks who have a Medicare card.  They plan to take one year to do this.   But they are mailing them out automatically free of charge starting in one geographic area and moving to another.  When they receive their new card, they are being asked to destroy the old one.  Just make sure your parent does not destroy their social security card or health or drug plan cards.  Just the old Medicare card with the Social Security number on it.

 

Other things to know:  

  • You will receive your new Medicare card any time from April 2018 until the end of April 2019.
  • You can use your new card as soon as you receive it. There is no activation required.
  • To ensure you receive your new Medicare card, create or log into your account at ssa.gov (“my social security account”) to make sure your address is up to date.
  • Additional resources from https://www.medicare.gov/

Here are some of the things scammers will do--tell your parent there is a fee for the new card and ask them for their credit card or banking information to pay for it.  Or they will call and ask to validate their information including credit card and banking information before they send out the card or give them a refund for the old one.  The will tell them they cannot use the card until they activate it and they need to give them some information first to do that. 

 

The problem is that many older adults will get embarrassed if they have been scammed and won’t tell anyone.  Or they will not know where to turn to tell someone they have been scammed.

 

After hearing so much about the new card, and relying heavily on your Medicare benefits, you can be easily convinced that your Medicare may be at jeapordy if you do not do what the caller says.  With healthcare costs so high no one wants their Medicare in jeapordy and you may fall for it.  

 

How do they protect themselves from fraud?
Tell them not not share your new Medicare card or MBI with anyone. Keep your card in a safe place and do not carry it in your purse or wallet unless you need it that day. Only give your MBI to people you trust and who legitimately need it such as doctors, pharmacists and health care providers.

So this is worth repeating….Scammers may call to ask you to pay an activation fee for the new card.  The card does not need to be activated and there is no fee!

Scammers may call to ask you to update or confirm your address or Social Security Number. That is not necessary.  The card is good to go once it is sent to you.

Never give your Social Security number or address to anyone over the phone!

Never send money or give personal information in response to an unsolicited request.

 

If you suspect something you can Search online for phone numbers or company names and put “scam” with it to see the latest.  Most seniors are not aware of the latest scams.

Best thing to do is to Report anything suspicious to the FTC:  1-877-382-4357.

You can also sign up for scam alerts:         https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/features/scam-alerts

 

Now that mom or dad know how to use a cell phone and can text, scammers are hitting them up too.

 

It’s not necessarily that someone is fooled or not so smart.  As you get older, you may get in a vulnerable moment where you are wishing it was true...how great it would be to get some extra money to have a little more retirement money or leave something for your family—so the sweepstakes check is tempting.  Or even how they may not want to bother you again for something and they try to handle this alone….like activating their Medicare card.  Hey mom and dad...bother me!  That is not a problem at all….but getting scammed is.  

 

Please give me some feedback on what you think of the show so far or topics you may want to hear about in the future.  http://raisingparentspodcast.com/contact/

 

 

And remember, our parents raised us.  The least we can do is to help raise them.  Talk to you later.

Sources used in this series:

Aug 6, 2018

Host Zack Demopoulos prepares to kick off Season 2 of Raising ‘Rents but before he does he shares a bonus episode on the transition of care for a family loved one who has been hospitalized and is being discharged. This one is a personal story about Zack’s Mom.  It is the first time he is sharing on a personal note and plans to do more in the future.

Show Notes:

Sibling dynamics--Zack has to work with his brother to care for their mother who has been hospitalized with a contagious virus that has weakened her and heart problem called supraventriculartachycardia.  His brother lives in North Carolina near their mother and along with his wife is the primary caregiver.  Zack lives in New Jersey and is a long distance caregiver.

Cost of caring, especially as a long distance caregiver-- Zack walks through what it takes to leave New Jersey on short notice to help his brother care for their mother.

Challenges of your mother telling you she wants to go home from the hospital and there is no clear plan yet.

Hospital case manager--very important you meet with them early and have them help you start planning for your family member’s hospital discharge.

Doctor says his mother can go home but with a plan that includes 24/7 care which Zack knew would not fly with his mom.

Zack reviews options with his mother which include going home with 24/7 care which she did not want nor can a family member help her with or go to a subacute rehab facility which she immediately rejects because she considered that to be a nursing home.

He convinces her to agree to go to a subacute rehab facility.  Case manager gives Zack a list of recommended facilities.  He is not familiar with any of them being from out of town.  He reaches out to his home care provider peer and friend in Charlotte  ComForCare Charlotte NC and received recommendations, two of them being on the list.  Zack also asked the doctor who replied that she did not know anything about them but if it was her mother, she would go to each facility in person and check them out and make a decision from there.

 Zack’s brother wants their mother to go to a rehab facility by his work so if need be he can run over briefly and see her.  It was mostly about location than anything else.  Zack instead tries to use factors such as how good the Physical Therapy is, is subacute separated from long term care (nursing home), how many aides are there per number of patients, and if a private room is available that is paid for by Medicare.  Sibling dynamics once again come into play here.

 

After selecting a subacute facility, Zack is ready to take his mom there.  Very important that you get the discharge plan documents from the Director of Nursing or Case Manager so that you can share it with the facility.  Discharge plan has special instructions and lists medications, some of them could be new since her hospital admission.

Thank you for listening to the Raising ‘Rents podcast.  This was Episode 25.  If you have any questions or feedback, please go to our website www.raisingrents.com and click on the “Contact” tab.  You can also find the show notes and references to anything we talked about.  Until we talk again, remember that our parents raised us, the least we can do is help raise them. Talk to you later. 

Sources used in this series:

  •  Intro/outro music: Arthaiz
  • Other music used on this episode: Bensound:  “ Better Days”
  • Daughter Anastasia Demopoulos does the opening voice over
  • Website created and managed by Philip Golden
  • Sponsor: ComForCare Fairfield NJ  https://comforcare.com/new-jersey/fairfield

 

Oct 19, 2017

Host Zack Demopoulos launches his 30 day preparation plan to care for an aging adult. In Day 12, Zack talks about how staying active as you age will keep go far in keeping you healthy.

Oct 16, 2017

Host Zack Demopoulos launches his 30 day preparation plan to care for an aging adult. In Day 10, Zack does a high level overview of Medicare and how important it is to understand it for yourself and your parents in managing health care costs.    

Oct 12, 2017

Host Zack Demopoulos launches his 30 day preparation plan to care for an aging adult. In Day 8, Zack talks about how important it is to stay on top of your parents eye health and some of the things to look for as they age. 

Oct 11, 2017

Host Zack Demopoulos launches his 30 day preparation plan to care for an aging adult. In Day 7, Zack talks about how many doctors an aging adult may have and what are the best ways to help your parent manage them and benefit most from them.

Oct 10, 2017

Host Zack Demopoulos launches his 30 day preparation plan to care for an aging adult. In Day 6, he talks about medication management, the risks of not complying, the polypharmacy issues, and the problems that can occur if medication is not managed correctly.

Oct 6, 2017

Host Zack Demopoulos launches his 30 day preparation plan to care for an aging adult.  In Day 3, Zack finishes up the three critical parts to Y.O.U as the caregiver.  He discusses the importance of understanding your parents’ needs, the “U” in Y.O.U.    “Y” stands for “Your Well Being” covered in Day 1.  “O” is Overall financial situation—yours and your parents which he covered on Day 2.  In this episode Zack talks about the importance of knowing and respecting your parents’ wishes and needs while walking the thin line of making sure they are living safely as they age and have prepared for the long term.  He reviews the 9 Beginner Steps To Raising Parents as well.

Oct 4, 2017

Host Zack Demopoulos launches his 30 Day Preparation Plan to Care For an Aging Adult. In Day 1, it is all about Y.O.U. as the caregiver.  “Y” stands for “Your Well Being” and Zack shares how important it is to ensure your physical, mental, emotional and social well being are in a good place so that you can be the best caregiver possible.

Aug 16, 2017

Host Zack Demopoulos continues his discussion with Wendy Sabin,  MSW, LCSW (check out Episode 007 for Part 1: http://bit.ly/2sSpTIz) about how to hire a GCM (Geriatric Care Manager), resources they can help you with caring for your aging parents, Wendy's dog Sophie who is training for pet animal therapy and how important this therapy.  Zack also does a review of the ALCA (Aging Life Care Association) as in its members and its purpose.   This show is dedicated to pet therapy animals—stick around until the end of the show to learn why.

Jun 16, 2017

Host Zack Demopoulos invites Wendy Sabin,  MSW, LCSW to talk about what a GCM or Geriatric Care Manager is, the change to the name ALCA or Aging Life Care Adviser, why you would call one, what they do for you, and how she balances her professional caregiving and personal caregiving which you'll be surprised to hear.  She also answers a listener's question on how to handle an aging parent who is reluctant to move out of state to be near an adult child who can care for them.

Apr 19, 2017
  • Host Zack Demopoulos invites Barbara Davey as a guest to discuss what is a CCRC, IL, AL, SNU, SA and MC--all long term care options that one day an aging parent or adult may need.  Barbara is a Community Relations Director for a Continuing Care Retirement Community (CCRC).
Mar 28, 2017

The discussion on The 9 Beginner Steps To Raising Parents is concluded with the introduction of Step 9 "Be There".  Stories and tips are shared about how important being there for the aging adult you are caring for as well as being there with them.   Zack Demopoulos is your host and has guests provide insights.  Guests include ComForCare employee Cheryl Wilson and her mother Anne Smith, Client Helen Mintz, Paula Muller of Sociavi.  This show is dedicated to wife Phyllis and some fun awkward bloopers are shared at the end.. 

Mar 21, 2017

Step 7 "Be Fun" and Step 8 "Be Loving" are introduced as the next Beginner Steps To Raising Parents or an Aging Adult.  Stories and tips are shared about how important having fun is for the person you are caring for as well as yourself.  Fun includes laughter and music.  It is also important to show your love for the person you are caring. Resources are shared to help you prepare in caring for an aging adult.  Zack Demopoulos is your host and has guests provide insights.  Guests include wife Phyllis and Eugene "Gene" Foret.   This show is dedicated to Chuck Berry who passed away on March 18th, 2017. 

Mar 14, 2017

Step 5 "Be Compassionate" and Step 6 "Be Respectful" are introduced as the next Beginner Steps To Raising Parents or an Aging Adult.  Stories and tips are shared about how important compassion is when caring for someone and to be careful of compassion fatigue; and the importance of being respectful in helping someone with their decisions as they age. Resources are shared to help you prepare in caring for an aging adult.  Zack Demopoulos is your host and has guests provide insights.  Guests include wife Phyllis, a professional caregiver, and a current client who is an aging adult herself.  This show is dedicated to James F. Ward, a former client.  

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