What does it take to help aging adults keep their independence, and to make sure the veterans among them get the care they’ve earned?
In this episode of Operation Mission Possible, Joseph VanFonda, USMC SgtMaj (Ret.) and CEO of Disabled Veterans National Foundation (DVNF), speaks with Candice “Candy” Kanyainen, owner of Rolling Meadows, an independent living home in Covington, Michigan, and past District 15 President of the VFW Auxiliary.
Candy shares how her mother ran the property as adult foster care for nearly 40 years, and how she restructured it into an independent living home 17 years ago. Set on a working family farm in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, the home serves residents from their twenties to their eighties, including five veterans from across the branches of service, whom Candy helps with rides, VA appointments, benefits, and daily support.
The conversation explores the difference between independent and assisted living, the importance of dignity and purpose as people age, and the financial realities of running an income-based home, from rising heating costs to century-old plumbing. Throughout, Candy returns to a simple truth about what her residents value most: food and mail.
During the episode, DVNF awards $12,000 in support toward a full renovation of the home’s shared bathroom, ensuring a safer, more comfortable space for the veterans and residents who live there.
#DVNF #RollingMeadows #Veterans #AssistedLiving #Podcast #OperationMissionPossible
