Home Care Charlotte NC

9 Easy Ways to Prevent Falls at Home

2011-01-31T04:23:00.000-08:00

While slipping on ice outdoors is a definite health hazard, fall prevention for the elderly starts right inside your own home. Correcting these common hazards will go a long way toward preventing falls.

By Wyatt Myers
Medically reviewed by Pat F. Bass III, MD, MPH

Whether it’s slippery floors, rickety stairs, or electrical cords on the floor, some of the most common causes of falls are actually in your own home, where you might have a false sense of security. That’s why fall prevention starts with creating a living space that’s safe.

Luckily, this doesn’t have to involve major home changes or a complete house remodel. You can make your home a safer place designed for fall prevention in the elderly with just a few basic changes.

Senior care experts offer the following advice for preventing falls at home:

Clean up clutter. The easiest method for preventing falls is to keep your home clean and tidy. Remove all clutter, such as stacks of old newspapers and magazines, especially from hallways and staircases.
Repair or remove tripping hazards. Sometimes, home fixtures can contribute to falls, which in turn lead to back pain and other injuries. Examine every room and hallway, looking for items such as loose carpet, slippery throw rugs, or wood floorboards that stick up. Then repair, remove, or replace those items for more effective fall prevention.
Install grab bars and hand rails. These safety devices are the keys to going up and down stairs, getting on and off the toilet, and in and out of the bathtub without injuring yourself. Gary Kaplan, DO, founder and medical director of the Kaplan Center for Integrative Medicine in McLean, Va., suggests installing grab bars by toilets and bathtubs and handrails in stairways and hallways for fall prevention in the elderly. Have a handyman or family member help with this, if needed.

Continue reading http://www.everydayhealth.com/longevity/future-planning/prevent-falls-at-home.aspx?xid=nl_EverydayHealthHealthyAging_20110131

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Aspirin May Cut Cancer Deaths, But Caution Urged

2010-12-08T08:39:00.000-08:00

Lung, prostate and colon cancers were among those studied
by: Maria Cheng | from: Associated Press Online | December 7, 2010

LONDON, Dec. 7, 2010 (AP Online delivered by Newstex) -- A new report from British scientists suggests that long-term, low-dose aspirin use may modestly reduce the risk of dying of certain cancers, though experts warn the study isn't strong enough to recommend healthy people start taking a pill that can cause bleeding and other problems.

In a new observational analysis published online Tuesday in the medical journal Lancet, Peter Rothwell of the University of Oxford and colleagues looked at eight studies that included more than 25,000 patients and cut the risk of death from certain cancers by 20 percent. Continue reading: http://www.aarp.org/health/conditions-treatments/news-12-2010/aspirin_may_cut_cancer_deaths_but_caution_urged.html?intcmp=dso-hp-ns

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The Miracle of Aging

2010-11-08T10:12:00.000-08:00

As children, we couldn't wait to get older. We embraced every second, even rounding up to 7 1/2 years old instead of just 7. As we made our way past the 20s, however, there was a shift—we clung on to the lower numbers, pining away for that last 30 as we headed into our 40s, 50s or 60s. But growing older doesn't have to be a bad thing—and it's up to us to change our perception!

"I want you to begin to believe that 50 and beyond will literally be the most miraculous—and I do mean miracles occurring in your life," Oprah says.

In her book The Age of Miracles: Embracing the New Midlife, author and lecturer Marianne Williamson tells women how to shift the way they think about aging. "It's changing if we allow it to change," Marianne says. Continue reading http://www.oprah.com/spirit/The-Miracle-of-Aging
The Oprah Winfrey Show | March 14, 2008

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A Senior Moment: When do you become 'old' ?

2010-10-18T12:16:00.000-07:00

By LESLIE HOWARD
Posted: 10/16/2010 01:17:37 AM PDT

A lively exchange in the "Tell It to the E-R" column caught my attention. An E-R article had referred to a 67-year-old as "elderly," and several Tell It callers took exception.
Quipped one, "I am an active 83-year-old woman and I was amused by your reference to a 68-year-old as an elderly man. Heck, I've got underwear older than that." Another responder complained that the preferred term was "senior," not "elderly." A third announced that "Elderly is (and always will be) someone 20 years older than me."
The federal government may use 65 as the qualifying age for Medicare or Social Security, but in day-to-day life, "senior" does not have a clear-cut definition. An invitation to join AARP, the Association for the Advancement of Retired Persons, shocks many 50-year-olds. Others are pleased to take advantage of senior discounts and specially priced menus for ages 55 and older at restaurants such as Denny's, Jack's and Kalico Kitchen. At 60, some see a movie at the Pageant Theatre for a special price or take classes through Osher Lifelong Learning Institute or Elder College at Chico State University. Continue readinghttp://www.chicoer.com/ci_16355320?source=rss

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Telemedicine for Elderly Depression

2010-10-04T18:46:00.000-07:00

By Rick Nauert PhD Senior News Editor
Reviewed by John M. Grohol, Psy.D. on October 4, 2010

Telemedicine for Elderly DepressionDepression is common among elderly homebound individuals. Unfortunately, treatment for the condition is usually inadequate, if any.

Beyond the decline in mental health, depression can exacerbate medical conditions and may influence mortality.

To address this issue, researchers at Rhode Island Hospital and other organizations have developed a telemedicine-based depression care protocol in home health care. Continue readinghttp://psychcentral.com/news/2010/10/04/telemedicine-for-elderly-depression/19119.html

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Why Older People Are Forgetful

2010-09-20T13:27:00.000-07:00

Brain Tissue Changes May Play a Role in Forgetfulness, Researchers Say

By Bill Hendrick
WebMD Health News

Reviewed by Laura J. Martin, MD

Sept. 15, 2010 -- Abnormal brain tissue changes called brain lesions may be more at fault than previously thought in forgetfulness in older people, new research shows.

Scientists at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago say the same brain lesions that are associated with dementia in old age may be responsible for mild memory loss.

The researchers studied 350 Catholic nuns, priests, and brothers who were given memory tests annually for up to 13 years, and after death, had their brains examined for lesions.

The study found that memory decline tended to be gradual before speeding up in the last four or five years of life.

Researchers say they found that strokes as well as protein accumulations called tangles and Lewy bodies seemed to be related to memory loss in older people. Continue readinghttp://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=119773#

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Helping the Elderly Avoid Falls

2010-09-10T16:34:00.000-07:00

Why do we always think it is a medical problem when the elderly fall. This is a great article that gives insight on the health of the elderly when there is a fall. There is a lot of good information we can all use in the article.

Verlia Caldwell, Pres.
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Study on Risk Factors for Indoor and Outdoor Falls May Help Tailor Fall-Prevention Strategies

By Katrina Woznicki
WebMD Health News Reviewed by Laura J. Martin, MD

Sept. 8, 2010 -- The risk factors for indoor and outdoor falls among the elderly differ, and not all falls indicate poor health, a study shows.

Researchers found that risk factors for indoor falls include being a woman and having an inactive lifestyle. Risk factors for outdoor falls include being a man and being more physically active.

The study is published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.

Falls among the elderly are common, with as many as 40% of people age 65 and older falling each year. Falls can lead to serious injuries, such as a fractured hip or concussion. Continue reading http://www.webmd.com/healthy-aging/news/20100908/helping-the-elderly-avoid-falls?ecd=wnl_day_090910

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When Should Family Members Be Concerned About Elderly Drivers

2010-09-05T18:33:00.000-07:00

Published September 03, 2010 by:
Dawn Hawkins

As people grow older, things change with their body and their mind. There may come a time that you should be concerned about an elderly person in your family driving. This isn't so with every

senior citizen and so should be taken case by case rather than a mass removal of driving privileges for older Americans. There are some dangers associated with senior citizens driving in many cases though. Deciding whether to take steps to get a senior in your family off the road, you should consider some things very carefully.

When families should be concerned about elderly drivers: Continue readinghttp://www.associatedcontent.com/article/5747488/when_should_family_members_be_concerned.html?cat=12

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Is Your Doctor Ordering Needless Tests?

2010-08-24T12:51:00.000-07:00

One new study suggests most doctors practice defensive medicine to protect against lawsuits
by: Tauren Dyson | from: AARP Bulletin | August 24, 2010

A new study looked at just that question and found that most physicians believe their peers do indeed order needless medical tests and procedures.

Why all the tests? Researchers at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York found that 91 percent of 1,231 physicians surveyed said doctors order excessive tests for patients to protect themselves against malpractice suits, says Tara Bishop, M.D., coauthor of the study. The findings of the study were published in the June 28 issueof the Archives of Internal Medicine. And Bishop says they suggest one reason it is so hard to rein in the costs of health care.

“It’s really hard to quantify how much this problem costs the American health care system,” Bishop says. “One of the estimates is that it’s $60 billion a year, some argue that it is actually more than that.”

She noted that the potential threat of a malpractice lawsuit was a constant concern for the doctors she surveyed. According to the study, more than two malpractice claims are paid for every 100 physicians.

The study bolsters earlier research by the American Medical Association that found a sharp increase in the cost of potentially unnecessary cancer testing among Medicare patients between 1999 and 2006.http://www.aarp.org/health/doctors-hospitals/info-08-2010/health_discovery_is_your_doctor_ordering_needless_tests.html

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Losing your vision doesn't mean you have to put away the trowel

2010-08-19T06:12:00.000-07:00

By Healthy Aging Admin Published 04/1/2009 Mental Wellness Unrated
Reward Your Senses by Gardening...even if you are visually impaired
Gardening for people who are blind or have low vision can be challenging, but it can also be satisfying. VisionAWARE.org is a free, not-for-profit online resource that can help them keep their gardens growing.
For the millions of Americans who have problems seeing, the idea of planting and tending to a garden may seem unrewarding. But losing your vision doesn't mean you have to put away the trowel. Maureen Duffy, M.S. CVRT and Editorial Director of VisionAWARE.org, explains that "gardens don't only have to be planted for their visual beauty ... they can be just as pleasing to the other senses, especially the sense of smell."

Duffy suggests choosing plants for more than just their appearance. Roses, lilacs, lavender, and gardenias are all excellent options for their aromatic qualities. Plants like mint and geraniums can be selected for their tactual assets.

VisionAWARE.org offers all sorts of gardening tips for people with vision loss including:

-- Planting in raised beds to help create solid boundaries
-- Using tools with brightly colored handles for easy spotting
-- Calling attention to garden stakes by securing old tennis balls to the tops
-- Marking newly planted areas with large print signs, decorative garden art or landscaping rocks

It is the goal of VisionAWARE.org that every web user, regardless of visual, auditory, or other physical impairment, has access to all information on the site. At VisionAWARE, you can learn how to adapt your computer to make it more accessible, including screen magnification, specialized browsers, and screen reading software.

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Antiaging protein also boosts learning and memory

2010-08-05T09:07:00.000-07:00

Research in mice suggests additional role for sirtuins By Tina Hesman Saey Web edition : Monday, July 12th, 2010 Text Size
Aging and wisdom are supposed to go together, but it turns out that a molecule that prevents one may actually play a role in the other.

Researchers have discovered a new role for the famous antiaging protein SIRT1. It not only fends off aging, but also aids in learning and memory, a new study published online July 11 in Nature shows.

Sirtuins, a family of proteins that includes SIRT1, help to regulate gene activity and have been implicated in governing metabolism and many of the biological processes that lead to aging. In the new study, Li-Huei Tsai, a neuroscientist and Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator at MIT, finds that SIRT1 also plays a critical role in protecting learning and memory, at least in mice.

Tsai and her colleagues had an inkling that SIRT1 might play some role in the brain from earlier experiments showing that resveratrol, an activator of sirtuins, could help neurons survive a mouse version of Alzheimer’s disease. Resveratrol also improved the animals’ ability to learn and remember. Since resveratrol can act on all seven of the sirtuins found in mammals and also affects other biological processes (SN Online: 6/28/10), the researchers didn’t know what role, if any, SIRT1 played in the process.

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The Anti-Cancer Diet: Foods to Fight Cancer

2010-07-25T14:43:00.000-07:00

Protect yourself from cancer by adding these anti-cancer foods to your diet.
By Eric Metcalf
Medically reviewed by Cynthia Haines, MD

An anti-cancer diet is an important strategy you can use to reduce your risk of cancer. The American Cancer Society recommends, for example, that you eat at least five servings of fruits and vegetables daily and eat the right amount of food to stay at a healthy weight. In addition, researchers are finding that certain foods may be particularly useful in protecting you from cancer. Make room in your diet for the following foods and drinks to fight cancer.

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Active Lifestyles for People With Urinary Incontinence

2010-07-12T12:32:00.000-07:00

Urinary incontinence shouldn't keep you from activities you love. Learning bladder control and other techniques for preventing urine leakage can help calm your worries.

By Katherine Lee
Medically reviewed by Lindsey Marcellin, MD, MPH

Living with urinary incontinence, whether caused by an overactive bladder or compromised bladder control, can cause people to shy away from their favorite pastimes out of fear that they’ll have an accident. However, there are ways to handle your fears, lower your risk of involuntary urine leakage, and stay socially active.

Dealing With Emotional Effects of Urinary Incontinence

Urinary incontinence can leave patients feeling a range of emotions, including embarrassment, distress, and helplessness. They may feel isolated and unable to participate in social activities.

One of the most effective ways to deal with emotions related to a condition is to see a doctor for an accurate diagnosis and treatment. However, many people with urinary incontinence ignore warning signs or postpone visiting their doctor. On average, people wait seven years before seeking help.

Continue reading http://www.everydayhealth.com/health-report/urinary-incontinence/active-lifestyles-with-urinary-incontinence.aspx

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Osteoporosis Awareness

2010-06-24T19:15:00.000-07:00

Help Slow Bone Loss as You Age

Making a few easy lifestyle changes can help protect against bone loss as you get older. Find out about osteopenia, the first stage of bone loss, and how to keep your bones strong to lower your chances of developing more-serious osteoporosis. Avoiding carbonated drinks and engaging in weight-bearing exercises such as weight training and walking are two simple lifestyle changes that can help prevent osteoporosis. Learn how to slow bone loss. Continue reading at everyday health

Everyday Health

Verlia Caldwell, Pres.

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Stress of Caregiving Hurts Boomers’ Health, Jobs

2010-06-10T15:15:00.000-07:00

‘Triple-decker-sandwich generation’ seeing higher rate of depression than earlier generation
By Cindy Chan
Epoch Times Staff

Related articles: World > North America

OTTAWA—Between caring for elderly parents, raising children, and looking after their own busy lives, baby boomers have a higher rate of depression than the previous generation, says an expert.

Dr. Richard Earle, managing director at the Canadian Institute of Stress, describes the world’s boomers as a “triple-decker-sandwich generation,” a term generally referring to those born during the approximately two-decades of strong employment and economic growth in the post-World War II era.

“What we’re noticing at the Canadian Institute of Stress and throughout the research literature is a significant rise in mood disorders, including depression, in that baby boomer age group, which is 46 to 64,” said Dr. Earle.

In Canada, about 10 percent of baby boomers are still raising children while looking after—or just beginning to look after—elderly parents, he said.

“Then it’s not just a sandwich generation—it’s a triple-decker sandwich because they’re looking after husband or wife and job and the rest of it.”

Research shows that as many as 4 in 10 boomers are experiencing an unusually high level of stress, which can lead to depression, Dr. Earle said.

About 32 percent say they’ve had to cancel travel plans, 34 percent have dropped personal hobbies and interests, and well over 70 percent say the balancing act is interfering with their ability to fulfill responsibilities at work.

There are emotional impacts as well—a feeling of not being able to find pleasure from things they used to enjoy, Dr. Earle explained, “and within that, not being able to concentrate, to focus on what they’re doing, making decisions, and certainly sleep disturbance.”

In Canada, boomers are defined as those born between 1947 and 1966. They number more than 8 million and make up about a quarter of the population.

Statistics on American boomers, those born between 1946 and 1964, are almost identical, except that the United States has about 80 million baby boomers and they are reporting slightly higher impact on their jobs than Canadians due to stress from home, Dr. Earle said.

He noted that baby boomer issues and the increase in the rate of depression are much the same worldwide, including in such diverse places as Japan, the Middle East, Argentina, Saudi Arabia, India, Spain, and the United Kingdom.

Everywhere, “the core of the problem is very similar”—juggling the demands of caring for parents and children are causing stress.

In particular, Japan has an extremely low birthrate and a significantly older average age than almost any other country, Dr. Earle said. “You have fewer younger people to take care of more older people.” Japan has also been dealing with the boomer depression issue longer than other countries.

As the first wave of boomers turns 65, their needs have been prompting services and research interest in every area from health and lifestyle to leisure and travel, from art and technology to financial services, and economic planning.

A recent study by the U.S.-based Hartford Financial Services Group, a major provider of employee-assistance programs, found that more than 80 percent of boomers report feeling moderate to high levels of stress from providing care or support to children, spouses, and/or parents.

Moreover, 46.6 percent said they felt worried about how caregiving is impacting their job, with 68 percent saying they missed work or left work early due to caregiving duties in the last six months.

University of Waterloo and Royal Bank of Canada launched a retirement research center last month, noted as the first collaborative approach of its kind between academic researchers and the financial services industry aimed at providing solutions and advice to boomers for retirement planning and living.

At last week’s 2010 Congress of the Humanities and Social Sciences held at Montreal’s Concordia University, University of Montreal professor Jacques Légaré presented a paper showing that aging boomers will have to either pay for their own care or find support from sources outside their immediate family circle.

Professor Légaré said that about 70 percent of elderly care currently comes from spouses or children. However, today’s boomers have fewer children to care for them. In addition, the rise in divorce, common-law unions, and blended families means that many boomers may not have a partner to rely on within a stable relationship as they age.

Meanwhile, average life expectancies are rising, putting further demands on society and boomers to create new support systems for tomorrow’s seniors.

The Canadian Institute of Stress is a charitable organization founded 30 years ago by Hungarian-Canadian Dr. Hans Selye, known as “the father of the stress field,” who published the world’s first scientific paper to identify and define stress in 1936.

The institute tracks trends in research literature and provides education to the public, health care professionals, and workplaces in Canada, and other countries on earlier detection of stress problems and methods for controlling stress.

“There are so many things that catch our attention, quite challenging, disturbing things happening in this world,” said Dr. Earle. “[But] the world will work out well to the extent that we look after ourselves and our families in a more informed way.”

He recommends that baby boomers “get refocused back on one’s own family situation and basically on ourselves—not in a selfish way, but in a self-maintaining way.” Continue reading at

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Caffeine May Slow Alzheimer's Disease and Other Dementias, Restore Cognitive Function, According to New Evidence

2010-06-02T09:37:00.000-07:00

ScienceDaily (May 18, 2010) — Although caffeine is the most widely consumed psychoactive drug worldwide, its potential beneficial effect for maintenance of proper brain functioning has only recently begun to be adequately appreciated. Substantial evidence from epidemiological studies and fundamental research in animal models suggests that caffeine may be protective against the cognitive decline seen in dementia and Alzheimer's disease (AD).

of Alzheimer's Disease, "Therapeutic Opportunities for Caffeine in Alzheimer's Disease and Other Neurodegenerative Diseases," sheds new light on this topic and presents key findings.
Guest editors Alexandre de Mendonça, Institute of Molecular Medicine and Faculty of Medicine, University of Lisbon, Portugal, and Rodrigo A. Cunha, Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology of Coimbra and Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, Portugal, have assembled a group of international experts to explore the effects of caffeine on the brain. The resulting collection of original studies conveys multiple perspectives on topics ranging from molecular targets of caffeine, neurophysiological modifications and adaptations, to the potential mechanisms underlying the behavioral and neuroprotective actions of caffeine in distinct brain pathologies.

"Epidemiological studies first revealed an inverse association between the chronic consumption of caffeine and the incidence of Parkinson's disease," according to Mendonça and Cunha. "This was paralleled by animal studies of Parkinson's disease showing that caffeine prevented motor deficits as well as neurodegeneration "Later a few epidemiological studies showed that the consumption of moderate amounts of caffeine was inversely associated with the cognitive decline associated with aging as well as the incidence of Alzheimer's disease. Again, this was paralleled by animal studies showing that chronic caffeine administration prevented memory deterioration and neurodegeneration in animal models of aging and of Alzheimer's disease."
Key findings presented in "Therapeutic Opportunities for Caffeine in Alzheimer's Disease and Other Neurodegenerative Diseases":

Multiple beneficial effects of caffeine to normalize brain
"Epidemiological studies first revealed an inverse association between the chronic consumption of caffeine and the incidence of Parkinson's disease," according to Mendonça and Cunha. "This was paralleled by animal studies of Parkinson's disease showing that caffeine prevented motor deficits as well as neurodegeneration "Later a few epidemiological studies showed that the consumption of moderate amounts of caffeine was inversely associated with the cognitive decline associated with aging as well as the incidence of Alzheimer's disease. Again, this was paralleled by animal studies showing that chronic caffeine administration prevented memory deterioration and neurodegeneration in animal models of aging and of Alzheimer's disease."
Key findings presented in "Therapeutic Opportunities for Caffeine in Alzheimer's Disease and Other Neurodegenerative Diseases":

Multiple beneficial effects of caffeine to normalize brain function and prevent its degeneration
Caffeine's neuroprotective profile and its ability to reduce amyloid-beta production
Caffeine as a candidate disease-modifying agent for Alzheimer's disease
Positive impact of caffeine on cognition and memory performance
Identification of adenosine A2A receptors as the main target for neuroprotection afforded by caffeine consumption
Confirmation of data through valuable meta-analyses presented
Epidemiological studies corroborated by meta-analysis suggesting that caffeine may be protective against Parkinson's disease
Several methodological issues must be solved before advancing to decisive clinical trials
Mendonça and Cunha also observe that "the daily follow-up of patients with AD has taught us that improvement of daily living may be a more significant indicator of amelioration than slight improvements in objective measures of memory performance. One of the most prevalent complications of AD is depression of mood, and the recent observations that caffeine might be a mood normalizer are of particular interest."
The supplement was funded by the Associação Industrial e Comercial do Café, while leaving full scientific independence to all contributors. The entire issue has been made available on a no-fee basis at http://iospress.metapress.com/content/t13614762731/.

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Is ageing a disease?

2010-05-20T05:43:00.000-07:00

BY KATE KELLAND, HEALTH AND SCIENCE CORRESPONDENT, REUTERS MAY 19, 2010

It's clear that the simple fact of growing older - chronological ageing - is relentless and unstoppable. But experts studying the science of ageing say it's time for a fresh look at the biological process.

LONDON -- Is ageing a disease?

It's clear that the simple fact of growing older - chronological ageing - is relentless and unstoppable. But experts studying the science of ageing say it's time for a fresh look at the biological process - one which recognises it as a condition that can be manipulated, treated and delayed.

Taking this new approach would turn the search for drugs to fight age-related diseases on its head, they say, and could speed the path to market of drugs that treat multiple illnesses like diabetes, heart disease and Alzheimer's at the same time.

"If ageing is seen as a disease, it changes how we respond to it. For example, it becomes the duty of doctors to treat it," say something as general as ageing.

"Because ageing is not viewed as a disease, the whole process of

bringing drugs to market can't be applied to drugs that treat ageing. This creates a disincentive to pharmaceutical companies to develop drugs to treat it," said Gems.

The ability of humans to live longer and longer lives is being demonstrated in abundance across the world.

Average life expectancies extended by as much as 30 years in developed countries during the 20th century and experts expect the same or more to happen again in this century.

A study published last year by Danish researchers estimated that more than half of all babies born in wealthy nations since the year 2000 will live to see their 100th birthdays.

"THERE'S ONE THING WE'RE ALL MISSING"

But with greater age comes a heavier burden of age-related disease.

Cases of dementia and Alzheimer's, incurable brain-wasting conditions, are expected to almost double every 20 years to around 66 million in 2030 and over 115 million in 2050.

Diabetes, heart disease and cancer, and the cost of coping with them in ageing populations, are also set to rise dramatically in coming decades in rich and poor countries alike.

Nir Barzilai of the Albert Einstein College of Medicine at Yeshiva University in New York, says one way of trying to face down this enormous burden of disease is to look at the biggest risk factor common to all of them - ageing.

"There's one thing everybody is missing," he said. "Ageing is common for all of these diseases - and yet we're not investigating the common mechanism for all of them. We are just looking at the specific diseases."

To try to reverse that, Barzilai and many other scientists around the world are studying the genes of the very old and starting to find the genetic mechanisms, or pathways, that help them beat off the dementias, cancers, heart diseases and other age-related illnesses that bring down others who die younger.

By finding the genes thought to help determine longevity, scientists think they may be able to mimic their action to not only extend life span, but, crucially, extend health span.

It is ... looking increasingly likely that pharmacological manipulation of these ... pathways could form the basis of new preventative medicines for diseases ageing, and ageing itself," said Andrew Dillin of the Salk Institute in California and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute.

Gems says institutional and ideological barriers are standing in the way - and a major one is the longstanding traditional view that ageing is not a disease, but a natural, benign process that should not be interfered with.

CHANGING ATTITUDES?

All three experts say, however, that the ground is shifting in their direction.

There is now a "groundswell" of specialists in ageing, says Dillin, who are lobbying the world's biggest drug regulator, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, to consider redefining ageing as a disease in its own right.

Major scientific research bodies like the U.S. National Institutes of Health and the Medical Research Council in Britain are also under pressure to put more emphasis - and funding - into studying how ageing increases disease risk.

For biogerontologis‰s, as scientists who study the biology of ageing are known, the struggle is to convince people that their goal in unpicking the science behind ageing is no longer life, but healthier life.

"The whole reason that we study the ageing process is not actually to make people live a lot longer, it's to get people to have a more healthy lifespan," said Dillin.

He sees it as a matter of re-educating the public and health authorities to see biological ageing in a new light.

"When we are in the public arena we tell people we're working on the ageing process, the first thing they think is that we want to make a a 100-year-old person live to be 250 - and that's actually the furthest from the truth," he said.

"What I want is for a 60-year-old person who is predisposed to have Alzheimer's to be able to delay that, live to be 80, and get to know their grandchildren."

© Copyright (c) Reuters

Verlia Caldwell, Pres.

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Moms in the middle: 'Sandwich Generation' mothers manage life on overload

2010-05-10T06:28:00.000-07:00

BY DEBBIE SWARTZ •DSWARTZ@GANNETT.COM • MAY 8, 2010, 8:35 PM

While they've always been known for making boo-boos better with a kiss, tucking tired children into their beds at night and staying up until the wee hours to bake cupcakes for a party at school, many mothers are finding themselves with another labor of love; caring for their ill or elderly mothers.

For moms like Roxanne St. Ives of Port Crane, taking care of her two children, Thomas, 14, and Penny 12, along with her mother Lucille, is a conscious choice to keep her family together.

"I know she's not being watched by a stranger," St. Ives said. "Plus, she gets to watch the children grow."

Kathee Shaff of Lansing, Joan Mandell of Elmira and dozens of other women across Central New York and the Southern Tier have made similar decisions.

Known as the Sandwich Generation, more and more individuals -- nearly 20 million according to published statistics -- are finding themselves taking care of their children as well as their parents.

The requirements for the job of taking care of ones' children and their ailing mother can be daunting: Superb time management and listening skills, basic first aid training -- and in some cases nursing training -- the ability to feed hungry bellies, administer medication, help with homework, chauffer to appointments, and somehow try find time for their own needs. Continue reading athttp://www.pressconnects.com/article/20100508/NEWS01/5080388/1112/NEWS01/Moms-in-the-middle-Sandwich-Generation-mothers-manage-life-on-overload

Verlia Caldwell, Pres.

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A Graying Population, a Graying Work Force

2010-04-24T17:47:00.000-07:00

Mary-Lou O’Neill, 73, has been helping Grace Jackson, 101, for four years. “It’s developed into a friendship,” Ms. Jackson said.

By JOHN LELAND
Published: April 24, 2010

PROVIDENCE, R.I. — One recent morning Antonia Antonaccio, a home care aide, got a call to help an elderly couple whose regular aide could not make it. The regular aide, who is 68 years old, had thrown out her back.
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Antonia Antonaccio, 73, provides home care for Carmine Spino, 89, and his wife, Mary, 88.

Ms. Antonaccio said she empathized. Sometimes her legs hurt from going up and down stairs. “But it’s nothing I pay attention to,” she said. “I don’t have the time.”

Ms. Antonaccio is 73.

In an aging population, the elderly are increasingly being taken care of by the elderly. Professional caregivers — almost all of them women — are one of the fastest-growing segments of the American work force, and also one of the grayest.

A recent study by PHI National, a nonprofit organization that advocates on behalf of caregivers, found that in 2008, 28 percent of home care aides were over age 55, compared with 18 percent of women in the overall work force.

The organization projects that from 2008 to 2018, the number of direct care workers, which includes those in nursing homes, will grow to 4.3 million from 3.2 million. The percentage of older caregivers is projected to grow to 30 percent from 22 percent.

The average caregiver in Rhode Island from Home Instead Senior Care, the private agency that employs Ms. Antonaccio, is about 60, said Valerie Topp, chief operating officer for the state franchise. Younger aides often do not work out, Ms. Topp said, adding that clients frequently ask that the agency not send over someone too young.

“The older ones came to us after being family caregivers, so they understood the stresses that families were under,” Ms. Topp said. “They came with respect for age. They didn’t see age as a disability.”

Carmine Spino, 89, and his wife, Mary, 88, who are hoping to live out their lives without moving to a nursing home, are two of Ms. Antonaccio’s clients. She often shares stories about growing up in Italy during World War II; Mr. Spino served in the war — a common ground. They know the same music, share the same cultural reference points.

And as Mrs. Spino, who was always quiet, has become more withdrawn with the onset of dementia, Mr. Spino relies on their caregivers for conversation.

“We talk about our experiences,” he said of Ms. Antonaccio. “I don’t look at her as a stranger.”

Caregivers often nurse their own aches and pains, or manage their medications, as they tend to those of their clients, said Dorie Seavey, director of policy research for PHI National. Clients who have to be lifted may not be suited to some older workers, she said.

Linnette Hutchinson, 71, of Tucson, said she often had the same complaints as her clients. “Your eyes are going, and the aches and pains,” she said. “Your back, your legs, your teeth. The aging process sets in.” Ms. Hutchinson has had spinal surgery but still works four hours a day.

For Mara Torres-Rullan, 74, also of Tucson, the big challenge is pain. She started work as a caregiver in 1987 after a divorce; in recent years she has cut her hours because of arthritis.

“My last lady, I had to put pantyhose on her,” Ms. Torres-Rullan said. “I thought my back was going to break in half.”

She continues to work because she needs the money, but she refuses any clients who want vacuuming done because the work is too painful.

In Plymouth, Mass., Judy Brueggeman, 68, felt increasingly fatigued last year and had a stress test on her heart. “After three to five seconds on the treadmill, the doctor shut it off and told me to lie down and be quiet,” she said. She had triple bypass surgery in September.

But even so, she is now back on the job, putting in 12-hour weeks. “This is perfect for me,” she said. “I love my clients, and I love my work.” In some ways, Ms. Brueggeman said, the work has gotten easier because she is better at it than when she started, in 1991. “I learned a lot from my clients, especially not to talk too much,” she said. “They want to do the talking.”

But the industry does not have career paths for workers as they get older, putting a strain on them to continue with the most physically demanding aspects of the job, Ms. Seavey said. “If you look at older women as an asset, to train younger workers, they can be valuable,” she said. Ms. Antonaccio worked in the jewelry industry for 40 years before retiring, then went to work as a caregiver after her husband’s death, drawn by the flexible hours. She did not need health benefits because she was eligible for Medicare. She did need a sense of purpose.

“At 65, I felt my life was ending,” she said. “I took care of my mother, then my mother-in-law, then my husband, then I went into this. And I don’t have any intention to stop.”

Home Instead pays her roughly half the $19.25 an hour it charges clients in Rhode Island.

Her age, she said, makes her more sympathetic to the needs of her clients.

“They need someone to understand them,” she said. “When I first came, Carmine was in the hospital” — Mr. Spino was having respiratory problems — “and Mary was scared. She didn’t understand what was going on. She woke up and her husband wasn’t there. She wanted to call him every five minutes. I had to say he needs his sleep.”

Grace Jackson, who is 101, said she never wanted a helper at home and resented Mary-Lou O’Neill, 73, when she arrived four years ago at Ms. Jackson’s daughters’ insistence. But as their relationship has grown, “It’s developed into a friendship,” Ms. Jackson said, adding that friends who had younger aides were often offended by their manners or language.

Ms. O’Neill worked as a nurse until she was 66, then found herself restless in retirement. Now, she is one of the large number of Americans in their 70s who are still active and robust, without physical pain or limitations. She works only for Ms. Jackson.

“She’s a role model to me,” Ms. O’Neill said. “When she has physical problems, she doesn’t complain.”

Ms. Jackson said she appreciated having a companion with a wealth of life experiences. Last spring, after hip surgery, she complained in the rehabilitation center that she wanted to die.

“‘O.K.,” Ms. O’Neill told her, “if you want to die, get better and die at home.”

Ms. Jackson got better. From a younger aide, Ms. Jackson said, she would not have accepted such a challenge.

“Not that I don’t get along well with younger people,” she said. “But I’m not always pleased, I don’t like the way they talk. Maybe that’s what keeps you alive — not accepting everything.”

Verlia Caldwell, Pres.

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Cataracts, Presbyopia, and More: Aging and Eyesight

2010-04-13T11:01:00.000-07:00

Aging doesn't just affect your joints and skin. Your vision is also at risk. Here's what you need to know about cataracts, presbyopia, glaucoma, and age-related macular degeneration.

By Katherine Lee
Medically reviewed by Lindsey Marcellin, MD, MPH

It’s an inevitable fact of life: Your eyes change as you get older. For one thing, your risk of eye diseases such as macular degeneration increases with age. And, as those in their forties can tell you, reading and seeing things up close becomes a problem because of a condition called presbyopia.

Here’s an overview of how your eyes change with age and what you can do to help your eyes stay healthy.

Aging: How Vision Is Affected

Presbyopia is the most common effect of age on vision. “As we age, the lens of the eye becomes less flexible,” says James Salz, a clinical professor of ophthalmology at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles and a spokesperson for the American Academy of Ophthalmologists. When the eye lens becomes more rigid, people have trouble focusing on close objects.

The following are some other ways in which aging can affect vision:

Lighting. As our eyes age, we need more light to see well, especially when we read or do other close-range tasks.
Glare. Age-related changes to the lens cause light entering the eye to be scattered instead of focused mostly on the retina — the light-sensing layer of cells at the back of the eye — producing glare and adding to vision problems.
Colors. The lenses in your eyes can become discolored — for example, by cataracts — making it more difficult to distinguish colors.
Tear production. The tear glands in the eyes make fewer tears with age, leading to dry, irritated eyes, particularly among postmenopausal women.

Vision Problems in Older Eyes

Age also increases your risk for eye diseases. In people age 40 and over, age-related macular degeneration (AMD), glaucoma, and cataracts are the most common eye problems.

Age-related macular degeneration. Macular degeneration, which affects the part of the retina crucial for sharp and clear vision, is the leading cause of blindness in Caucasian people over age 65.
Glaucoma. Glaucoma is actually a group of eye diseases that affect pressure inside the eye. Increased pressure affects the optic nerve, which carries images to the brain. People over age 60 are at increased risk for glaucoma.
Cataracts. A cataract is a clouding of the eye, commonly caused by aging. In age-related cataracts, the center of the lens gradually becomes hard and cloudy; it eventually becomes difficult for a person to see things at a distance and even to distinguish colors.

Symptoms and Warning Signs

Some age-related eye diseases, such as glaucoma and age-related macular degeneration, may cause few or no symptoms until the disease is at an advanced stage. For this reason, it’s important to see a doctor if you notice any of the following symptoms:

Double vision in one eye, a possible symptom of cataracts
Reduced ability to see at night, a possible symptom of cataracts
Colors appearing faded or tinted with yellow, a possible symptom of cataracts
Sensitivity to light or glare, a possible symptom of cataracts
Distorted vision that makes straight lines look blurred or results in a blind spot appearing in the center of your vision, a possible symptom of macular degeneration
Blurry vision, a symptom of a number of potential eye problems, such as cataracts, glaucoma, macular degeneration, and, in diabetics, a condition known as diabetic retinopathy
Any fluctuations in vision, a possible sign of a systemic disorder such as diabetes or high blood pressure
Appearance of floaters or flashes; occasional floaters are normal, but if you see a noticeable increase in floaters, especially if accompanied by flashes of light, you could be at risk for retinal detachment, which requires immediate treatment to prevent blindness
Eye pain, a possible symptom of glaucoma

Caring for Aging Eyes

Annual eye exams for anyone age 65 and older are essential for preventing and getting early treatment for eye diseases.

Also, the following tips can help you protect aging eyes:

Take supplements with lutein, which can help reduce the risk of chronic eye disorders
Always wear sunglasses outdoors to help prevent cataracts and macular degeneration
Eat a nutritious diet that includes dark, leafy green vegetables and orange foods such as carrots, which contain lutein

While presbyopia and increased risk for macular degeneration and other eye conditions are an inevitable part of aging, you can take steps — no matter what your age — to ensure that your eyes stay healthy.

Last Updated: 01/20/2010
This section created and produced exclusively by the editorial staff of EverydayHealth.com. © 2010 EverydayHealth.com; all rights reserved.

Verlia Caldwell, Pres.

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Sense of Home Important Is in Residential Care for the Elderly

2010-04-05T11:26:00.000-07:00

ScienceDaily (Apr. 4, 2010) — Many elderly people in residential care feel insecure during relocation or renovation work -- but there are ways of handling the situation. Those who manage to create a sense of home where they live are in a better position to cope with the stresses that go with change, reveals a thesis from the Sahlgrenska Academy.

Going into residential care means that elderly people have to adapt to an environment that differs in many ways to what they are used to.
"A sense of belonging where you live is important for your sense of self and identity, which, in turn, strengthens a person's ability to deal with the changes that impaired function and institutionalisation can bring," says Hanna Falk, nurse and doctoral student at the Institute of Health and Care Sciences.
The thesis also examines how the elderly define the concept of "a sense of home," and found that it covers far more than just a pleasant physical environment.

"There are other factors that come into play, for example that the elderly furnish their rooms exactly as they did when they lived at home, or that they make new friends who contribute to a greater sense of home," says Falk, stating that actual attachment to the institution is vital if it is to be viewed as home.
She also found that renovations designed to help create a more home-like and supportive environment in residential care have little impact on how the elderly perceive the atmosphere. Furthermore, relocation and renovations -- and the problems that they bring -- can negatively affect the quality of life and wellbeing of the elderly.

"The vulnerability of the elderly in connection with changes to their environment must be given greater consideration in the context of extensive renovations than is currently the case in the care of the elderly," says Falk. "There's still plenty of work to be done, for example the development of action plans to handle relocations and renovations so that the elderly and the staff are in the best possible position to cope with the situation."

Verlia Caldwell, Pres.

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Men and Women Respond Differently to Stress

2010-03-24T05:54:00.000-07:00

ScienceDaily (Mar. 23, 2010) — Age and gender play a major role in how people respond to stress, according to a new study on 20-to-64-year-olds. Published in the journal Psychophysiology, the investigation was led by scientists from the Université de Montréal and the Montreal Heart Institute in collaboration with colleagues from the Université du Québec à Montréal and McGill University.

"Our findings suggest that women who are more defensive are at increased cardiovascular risk, whereas low defensiveness appears to damage the health of older men," says Bianca D'Antono, a professor at the Université de Montréal Department of Psychiatry and a Montreal Heart Institute researcher.
Defensiveness is a trait characterized by avoidance, denial or repression of information perceived as threatening. In women, a strong defensive reaction to judgment from others or a threat to self-esteem will result in high blood pressure and heart rate. Contrarily, older men with low defensive reactions have a higher cardiovascular rates.

The study was conducted on 81 healthy working men and 118 women. According to Dr. Jean-Claude Tardif a Université de Montréal professor and Montreal Heart Institute researcher, the physiological response to stress in women and older men is linked to this desire of maintaining self-esteem and securing social bonds.

"The sense of belonging is a basic human need," says D'Antono. "Our findings suggest that socialization is innate and that belonging to a group contributed to the survival of our ancestors. Today, it is possible that most people view social exclusion as a threat to their existence. A strong defensive reaction is useful to maintain one's self-esteem faced with this potential threat."

As part of the experiment, participants completed four tasks of varying stress levels. The first task involved reading a neutral text on Antarctica's geography before a person of the same sex. The second and third tasks involved role-playing in which participants followed a script where they were sometimes agreeable and sometimes aggressive. The final task involved a non-scripted debate on abortion.

Heart rate and blood pressure were measured during each of these tasks as was the level of cortisol in saliva. Results showed that women and older men had elevated cardiovascular, autonomic and endocrine responses to stress -- all potentially damaging to their health. The research team cautions, however, that more studies are needed to evaluate the long-term effects of defensiveness and its association to stress response patterns in disease development.
This study was supported by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and the Fonds de la recherche en santé du Québec.
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Story Source:
Adapted from materials provided by University of Montreal.

Verlia Caldwell, Pres.

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Cat Care: Pets for Senior Citizens by the American Animal Hospital Association

2010-03-19T10:30:00.000-07:00

You've probably noticed that when you pet a soft, warm cat or play fetch with a dog whose tail won't stop wagging, you relax and your heart feels a little warmer.

Scientists have noticed the same thing, and they've started to explore the complex way animals affect human emotions and physiology. The resulting studies have shown that owning and handling animals significantly benefits health, and not just for the young. In fact, pets may help elderly owners live longer, healthier, and more enjoyable lives.

A study published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society in May of 1999 demonstrated that independently living seniors that have pets tend to have better physical health and mental wellbeing than those that don't. They're more active, cope better with stress, and have better overall health. A 1997 study showed that elderly pet owners had significantly lower blood pressure overall than their contemporaries without pets. In fact, an experimental residential home for the elderly called the Eden Alternative, which is filled with over 100 birds, dogs, and cats and has an outside environment with rabbits and chickens, has experienced a 15 percent lower mortality rate than traditional nursing homes over the past five years.

How do they do it?
There are a number of explanations for exactly how pets accomplish all these health benefits. First of all, pets need walking, feeding, grooming, fresh water, and fresh kitty litter, and they encourage lots of playing and petting. All of these activities require some action from owners. Even if it's just getting up to let a dog out a few times a day or brushing a cat, any activity can benefit the cardiovascular system and help keep joints limber and flexible. Consistently performing this kind of minor exercise can keep pet owners able to carry out the normal activities of daily living. Pets may also aid seniors simply by providing some physical contact. Studies have shown that when people pet animals, their blood pressure, heart rate, and temperature decrease.

Many benefits of pet ownership are less tangible, though. Pets are an excellent source of companionship, for example. They can act as a support system for older people who don't have any family or close friends nearby to act as a support system. The JAGS study showed that people with pets were better able to remain emotionally stable during crises than those without. Pets can also work as a buffer against social isolation. Often the elderly have trouble leaving home, so they don't have a chance to see many people. Pets give them a chance to interact. This can help combat depression, one of the most common medical problems facing seniors today. The responsibility of caring for an animal may also give the elderly a sense of purpose, a reason to get up in the morning. Pets also help seniors stick to regular routines of getting up in the morning, buying groceries, and going outside, which help motivate them to eat and sleep regularly and well.

Pets in residence
Many nursing homes have taken this information to heart. For years, organizations like Pets on Wheels and Therapy Dogs International have been bringing thoroughly vaccinated, groomed, and behavior-tested animals into hospitals, hospices, and assisted living homes to give seniors a chance to pet and play with them. The residents get to have some therapeutic physical contact and a fun activity to break up their day. More recently, some resident homes have even begun letting animals live in the home full time. The Stanton Health Center in Stanton, Nebraska, a residential nursing home, has had dogs for its Alzheimer wing and now has an aviary and cats that live in the center's common area.

"The animals help patients keep their mind off their problems," says Jean S. Uehl, the center's director of nurses. "The love the patients get from the animals is unconditional." One particular stroke patient was withdrawn and rarely smiled, until she began to play with the resident cat. The patient and the cat became closely bonded to each other, and when the cat had kittens, "they became like the patient's babies," according to Uehl. The kittens played and slept on a tray on the resident's wheelchair and slept in a chair near her bed whenever they could. The kittens brought the resident out of her shell and she began to talk and smile. "The kittens in particular get all the residents' attention," says Uehl. "Everyone always wants to know where they're at and what they're doing." When there are kittens in the building, a number of residents stay busy all day, following them, playing with them, and keeping an eye on them.

Finding that furry friend
If there are older people in your life that you think might benefit from having a pet at home, be sure to talk to them before you pick one out. Make sure that they want the responsibility of a new pet, as well as the noise and the messes that may come along with it. Talk to them about whether they feel capable of feeding, watering, grooming, exercising, and cleaning up after an animal. If they decide they're willing to accept that responsibility, take your elderly friend or family member out with you to the humane society or the breeder to pick out a new furry friend. They may fall in love with a dog or cat that might never have caught your eye.

Finally, before you encourage an older person to adopt a pet, consider whether you could take care of the animal if its owner is no longer able. Often, if seniors reach the point where they have to leave their homes and move into assisted-living facilities, they also have to give up their pets. The number of nursing homes and other types of housing for the elderly that will accept animals is growing, but the vast majority still don't allow pets. Seniors can plan ahead and find a pet-friendly nursing facility, just in case they need to use it someday. They may also want to consider planning for their pet in their estate.

Pets and the elderly have a lot to give to each other. Research and experience has shown that animals and older people can share their time and affection, and ultimately, full and happy lives. Though pets can't replace human relationships for seniors, they can certainly augment them, and they can fill an older person's life with years of constant, unconditional love.

Verlia Caldwell, Pres.

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Long Distance Caring

2010-03-11T16:18:00.000-08:00

by Emily Carton

It is not uncommon for families to be separated by great distances. But what happens when one or both parents reach a stage in their lives where they appear to be frail and vulnerable? What can you do to keep from living with an enormous amount of guilt and worry or feeling that to help means sacrificing your own life?

This article will offer a few suggestions as starting points for gaining control of the situation.

Begin by having a thorough assessment of your parent's situation. You need to make sure that what you hear long distance from your parent and about your parent matches the reality of the situation. Everyone has different perceptions about how one should live and when one's safety is at risk. A dirty or cluttered house may not mean a parent can no longer live by himself, only that he needs help in caring for his home. It may mean he is willing to live with lower standards in order to remain at home. If you are uncertain about the situation and potential risks, consider an assessment by an outside professional who can offer a more objective evaluation.

A careful evaluation means taking a close look at the physical, emotional, and social well being of the older person to determine what her needs are. For example: Is your parent able to prepare her own meals? Does she still have friends and a social life? Are her medical needs being met? Is she managing her own medication. How safe is her living situation? Is she still able to manage finances? What is her state of health? What long term plans need to be made?
Once you understand the issues, a care plan can be put in place. Are there people or agencies available to him that can provide him with home delivered meals? Are there senior centers where he can go? Does he have an informal network of people, who can look in on him or telephone him? Does he have funds to pay for services he might need? Is there a friend or a professional who could be an emergency contact? Is relocating to a different environment the best option for him?

Clearly, there may be a great deal of emotional turmoil, guilt, and concern in regards to an aging parent. It is important to remember that if your parent is still able to articulate what she wants, and a physician determines she still has the capacity to make her own decisions, then it is her decision as to where and how she lives. Just as a parent needs to let go of adult children to live their own lives, a child needs to give his parent space as well. Unless your parent wishes to move or receive more assistance, she has every right to refuse, even if family and friends think she is making a mistake. All you can do is insure that she is making an informed decision and share your concern with her.

If you feel that your parent is not capable of making an informed decision, then contact his physician for an assessment of his cognitive abilities. This poses different questions about safety and the ability to care for oneself. Yet, even in cases of dementia, there still might be resources available to help keep your parent at home. To do this, engage a geriatric social worker to assist you in making up a care plan and obtaining the necessary resources. If this is not possible due to a parent's extreme incapacity or limited resources, a social worker can also help you to either relocate him to a safer environment or assist in relocation to a facility closer to you.

Without fully assessing your parent's situation no one can offer specific options. Find a professional who can fully evaluate the situation and provide a series of options for your parent. Prior to your next visit to your parent, you may wish to locate a physician if your parent does not already have an ongoing relationship with one. You can also contact a social service agency or a private care manager to meet with you and your parent. If there are legal matters you may need an attorney. By trying to locate services prior to your next visit, you will save yourself days of searching and waiting for appointments.

There are no simple answers or solutions. Each person's situation is different. Each child has a different relationship with her parent, and this may also determine the level of your involvement. You need to think about your parent's needs and your own needs as well. You cannot force services upon a parent who is capable of making decisions and willing to live with some level of risk in order to remain at home. However, if your parent is no longer capable, then you need to act. Even if you notice only a small decline, it is not too early to know what resources are available and who might be able to help. You don't need to do it all yourself. Elicit the help of family members and friends, and, if appropriate, find a professional who knows the resources and can help you through the maze of decision making. You do not have to face this alone.

Verlia Caldwell, Pres.

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Elderly patients who survive ICU stay have high rate of death in following years

2010-03-02T14:50:00.000-08:00

March 2, 2010

An analysis of Medicare data indicates that elderly patients who are hospitalized in an intensive care unit (ICU) and survive to be discharged from the hospital have a high rate of death in the following three years, and that, in particular, patients who receive mechanical ventilation have a substantially increased rate of death compared with both hospital and general population controls in the first several months after hospital discharge, according to a study in the March 3 issue of JAMA.

Although there has been a decrease over time in the risk of in-hospital death for patients who receive intensive care in the United States, little is known about subsequent outcomes for those discharged alive. "Patients older than 65 years now make up more than half of all ICU admissions," the authors write. "Information is needed to understand the patterns of mortality, morbidity, and health care resource use in the months and years that follow critical illness to allow for better targeting of follow-up care."

Hannah Wunsch, M.D., M.Sc., of Columbia University Medical Center and NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia, New York, and colleagues examined the 3-year outcomes and health care resource use of ICU survivors, and identified subgroups of patients and periods in which patients are at highest risk of death, using a 5 percent sample of Medicare beneficiaries older than 65 years. A random half of all patients were selected who received intensive care and survived to hospital discharge in 2003 with 3-year follow-up through 2006. From the other half of the sample, 2 matched control groups were generated: hospitalized patients who survived to discharge (hospital controls) and the general population (general controls), individually matched on age, sex, race, and whether they had surgery (for hospital controls).
In the data analyzed for the study, 35,308 ICU patients survived to hospital discharge. The ICU survivors had a higher 3-year mortality (39.5 percent) than hospital controls (34.5 percent) and general controls (14.9 percent). The ICU survivors who did not receive mechanical ventilation had minimal increased risk compared with hospital controls (3-year mortality, 38.3 percent vs. 34.6 percent).
"However, mortality for those who received mechanical ventilation was substantially higher than for the corresponding hospital controls (3-year mortality: 57.6 percent vs. 32.8 percent, respectively). This difference was primarily due to mortality during the first 2 quarters following hospital discharge (6-month mortality: 30.1 percent for ICU survivors vs. 9.6 percent for hospital controls)," the authors write.
Discharge to a skilled care facility for ICU survivors (33.0 percent) and hospital controls (26.4 percent) also was associated with high 6-month mortality (24.1 percent for ICU survivors and hospital controls discharged to a skilled care facility vs. 7.5 percent for ICU survivors and hospital controls discharged home).
"The magnitude of the postdischarge use of skilled care facilities for both ICU survivors and hospital controls and the high long-term mortality for all of these patients call into question whether discharge to skilled care facilities is merely a marker for higher severity of illness with appropriate delivery of care. These patients could have been discharged prematurely from acute care hospitals, and needed a higher level of care than they received. It also is possible that these patients could have had better outcomes if discharged home, but were not able to be sent there due to lack of sufficient support from family or friends to act as caregivers. These findings highlight the need for a much more detailed understanding of the long-term care needs of these patients," the authors conclude.
More information: JAMA. 2010;303[9]:849-856.
Provided by JAMA and Archives Journals (news : web)

Verlia Caldwell, Pres.

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Vision problems linked to higher dementia risk

2010-02-24T15:16:00.000-08:00

By Amy Norton

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Elderly adults with poor vision, particularly untreated vision problems, may have a higher risk of developing dementia than those with better vision, a new study suggests.

Researchers found that among 625 older Americans with initially normal cognition, those who said they had poor vision even with corrective lenses were more likely to develop dementia over the next 8.5 years.

During the study period, 168 participants developed Alzheimer's disease or other forms of dementia. Of those men and women, less than 10 percent had rated their vision as "excellent" at the start of the study. That compared with almost 31 percent of participants who maintained normal brain function over the study period.

On the other hand, about one-quarter of the study participants who went on to develop dementia had rated their vision as "fair" or "poor" at the outset, versus 11 percent of those whose memory and thinking remained intact.

When the researchers looked at the effects of treatment, they found that the highest odds of dementia were among people with poor vision left untreated. The risk was lower when they received some form of eye care.

The findings, published in the American Journal of Epidemiology, do not prove that vision problems contribute to dementia -- or that eye care can help slow cognitive decline.

But they do suggest that could be the case, according to lead researcher Dr. Mary A.M. Rogers, a research assistant professor of internal medicine at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.

It has long been known that there is an association between dementia and vision disorders, Rogers noted in an interview with Reuters Health. But in practice those problems are often detected and treated after a dementia diagnosis.

The current findings, Rogers said, show that vision problems may precede a dementia diagnosis by years.

It's not clear why eye disorders and poor vision would contribute to dementia. One possibility, Rogers explained, is the fact that limited vision could keep older adults from being active -- whether it's getting out and walking, reading, doing crosswords or socializing. All of those things, she noted, have been linked to a decreased risk of dementia in older adults.

The findings are based on 625 older U.S. adults who were part of a larger health study begun in 1992.

Overall, Rogers' team found, study participants who reported "very good" or "excellent" vision were 63 percent less likely to develop dementia over the next 8.5 years than those with poor vision.

The researchers then looked at the combined effects of vision problems with or without treatment on the risk of Alzheimer's disease specifically. Compared with people who had good vision and at least one visit to an ophthalmologist during the study period, those with poor vision and no visits were more than nine times as likely to be diagnosed with Alzheimer's.

By comparison, among study participants who had poor vision and at least one ophthalmologist visit, the risk of Alzheimer's was not significantly increased.

Similarly, men and women with poor vision who had received no eye procedures, such as cataract removal, had a five-fold increase in the risk of Alzheimer's. That risk was elevated by 2.5 times among people with poor vision who had received such procedures.

According to Rogers, the findings imply that older adults with vision problems should seek treatment -- if for no other reason than to improve their sight.

"If you have poor vision, don't sit on it. Go and see your doctor," she said. It's best, Rogers added, to see an ophthalmologist, a medical doctor who can diagnose the range of problems common in elderly adults, such as cataract, glaucoma, macular degeneration and diabetes-related retinopathy.

More studies are needed to replicate the current findings and determine whether vision problems are an actual risk factor for dementia, according to Rogers. With the number of people with Alzheimer's disease increasing, she said, it is becoming even more important to "take a look at the things we can do to either delay or prevent dementia."

SOURCE: American Journal of Epidemiology, online February 11, 2010.

Verlia Caldwell, Pres.

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Love Is (Not) All You Need

2010-02-09T18:19:00.000-08:00

by Mary A. Fischer, March & April 2010

To provide for loved ones who need long-term care, too many older Americans are resorting to extreme measures. It doesn't have to be this way

In 2004 Roberta H. and her husband, Alex, both 64, were living a contented life in a small town in western Massachusetts. Married for 39 years, with two grown sons, they had saved for years and were looking forward to traveling in a year or two, once they retired from their respective jobs—Alex was a college English professor, and Roberta was director of communications for a consortium of local colleges.

Then disaster struck. Alex was diagnosed with early-stage dementia and took early retirement from his job. Determined to care for her husband at home, Roberta paid a variety of people—at a cost of about $1,000 a month—to take him for walks, drive him to the YMCA, and prepare his lunch. She filled in the gaps by telephoning him several times a day.

As his dementia worsened, though, Alex needed full-time care, so Roberta found an adult-daycare center that could take care of him while she worked. For 18 months Roberta dropped off Alex in the mornings and picked him up after work, a routine that worked well until he had a medical emergency—painful urine retention—that landed him in the hospital. Medicare paid for Alex's stay, but after three days the hospital released him, even though he could barely walk. "It was such a stressful time," says Roberta, "and I had no time to figure out where Alex should go to get the therapy he needed."

"I felt terribly guilty about getting a divorce, but I felt I had no choice."

A flurry of phone calls later, she found a skilled nursing home that didn't have a waiting list, but there was a catch: Medicare would cover a total of only 100 days of skilled care and rehab. After the coverage ended, Roberta began drawing on the couple's savings, paying the nursing home $7,500 a month, plus miscellaneous expenses. Eight months and $75,000 later, the stock market crashed and cut the value of the couple's savings in half.

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"I was so scared," Roberta recalls. "Not only was my husband disappearing, but our savings were, too. All I could think was, if something happened to me, there'd be nothing left and I'd be out on the street." At the urging of a financial counselor, she made an appointment with a respected elder-law attorney in the area. When he laid out her options, only one—divorce—allowed her to get care for her husband and hang on to their remaining savings. By divorcing Alex, the love of her life, he would become indigent, thus becoming eligible for Medicaid.

"I felt terribly depressed and guilty," says Roberta, "but I felt I had no choice." She received the final divorce papers on August 15, 2008, the day before the couple's 44th wedding anniversary.

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Offering Care for the Caregiver

2010-01-27T20:29:00.000-08:00

By PAULINE W. CHEN, M.D.
Published: January 21, 2010

The man was nearing 90, losing his sight and showing signs of early dementia. After examining his abdomen, I fumbled trying to help him get his shirt and pants back on. After an awkward few seconds, the patient’s middle-aged son sprang forward from his seat near the door and began working through the buttons, zipper and belt with a practiced deftness.

“Daddy,” he murmured softly as his fingers nimbly pushed each pearly button through its hole, “you can usually do this yourself, can’t you?” He continued cajoling his father, as he cinched the old man’s belt and patted the haphazard pleating that appeared around his waistline. “You can even feed yourself if I help get your food on the spoon, can’t you?”

My patient nodded absentmindedly, smiling at the fluorescent lights on the ceiling and tapping his fingers against his drooping mouth.

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I felt as if I had just witnessed a scene that played itself over and over again every morning.

Later outside the exam room, the son pulled me aside. I noticed the dark circles around his eyes. “You’re tired, aren’t you?” I asked him.

The man’s dark eyes began to fill with tears. I immediately, reflexively almost, started apologizing for not being able to do more for his father. But he stopped me.

“No, no,” he said, wiping the tears away with the back of his hand. “It’s not that. It’s not that at all.” He paused and looked toward his father, still lying on the table in the room and smiling at the lights. “It’s just that no doctor has ever asked me if I was tired.”

In truth, I probably would have never done so either except that a few years ago, I too had spent time caring for a frail loved one.

For all our assertions about the importance of caring in what we do, doctors as a profession have been slow to recognize family members and loved ones who care for patients at home. These “family caregivers” do work that is complex, physically challenging and critical to a patient’s overall well-being, like dressing wounds, dispensing medication, and feeding, bathing and dressing those who can no longer do so themselves.

Many of these caregiving tasks were once the purview of doctors and nurses, a central component of the “caring professions.” But over the past century, as these duties increasingly fell to individuals with little or no training, doctors and even some nurses began to confer less importance, and status, to the work of caregiving.

It comes as no surprise, then, that physicians now rarely, if ever, learn about what a family caregiver or health care aide must do unless they are faced with caring for their own loved ones. We doctors don’t know or aren’t always fully aware of what it takes to care for a patient after we leave the room.

In other words, for the 37 million people attending to the health care needs of a relative, partner, friend or neighbor, our best care goes only so far.

“If you look at the amount of time devoted to actual caregiving, the physician contributes a very modest amount,” said Dr. Arthur Kleinman, a professor of medical anthropology and psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and now a family caregiver himself.

“We’ve had outstanding diagnoses and very careful attention to defining the problem,” Dr. Kleinman said, referring to his own experience. “But once the problem is defined and the limited pharmacological interventions prescribed, there has been neither interest nor knowledge about the rest of the aftercare, even in the most simple parts like finding a home health aide or getting a needs assessment by a social worker.”

But our profession’s indifference may hopefully soon be a thing of the past.

This month, the American College of Physicians, the country’s leading professional organization of internal medicine physicians, issued its first position paper on working with caregivers. Endorsed by almost a dozen other professional medical organizations, the paper, published in The Journal of General Internal Medicine, highlights the challenges that can arise from the complex interaction among patient, doctor and caregiver and offers guidelines for providing the best care.

Using a framework of broad principles, like the need to respect and maintain a primary focus on the patient’s rights, dignity and values, the paper explores specific issues that are likely to arise in a given patient-doctor-caregiver relationship. How, for example, should physicians approach long-distance family caregivers? What should they consider when working with the caregiver of a terminal patient? How can they best support the caregiver who is convinced that he or she can never do “enough”?

“Normally everyone is always focused on the patient, patient autonomy and the patient’s wishes in terms of the ethical standpoint,” said Dr. Virginia L. Hood, chairwoman of the Ethics, Professionalism and Human Rights Committee of the American College of Physicians and one of the paper’s authors. “But family caregivers are an important part of the health care team, too. We need to value these caregivers better, think about their needs and consider how they are central to the patient’s care, not just someone who happens to be pushing the wheelchair.”

Of particular importance is understanding how the work of caregiving can also give rise to a new set of medical issues: those of the caregiver.

Caregiving duties place tremendous stresses on an individual, and not all of those stressors are simply physical and emotional. “Some of these 37-going-on-40 million family caregivers have had to give up their own jobs in order to care for the patients,” Dr. Hood said. “That means they aren’t going to be able to put aside money for their retirement. Who is going to take care of them and their medical problems in the future?”

Caring for more people can be difficult for physicians who are already stretched and not reimbursed for additional time spent with patients. “This tension regarding time and reimbursement has to be resolved,” Dr. Hood said. But, she added, “if the physician needs to spend more time with patients and their caregivers in order to make things better for the patients, then it has to be done; it’s all about the patient.”

And perhaps, it is also about how we define care, whether that care is provided by family members and loved ones, or by doctors and other clinicians.

“There is a moral task of caregiving, and that involves just being there, being with that person and being committed,” said Dr. Kleinman, of Harvard Medical School. “When there is nothing that can be done, we have to be able to say, ’Look, I’m with you in this experience. Right through to the end of it.’ ”

Join the discussion on the Well blog.

Psychology and Aging

2010-01-15T12:28:00.000-08:00

People 65 years of age and older are the fastest growing segment of the U.S. population. An increasing number of older adults are immigrants or members of ethnic or racial minority groups. More than 5 million older adults were below the poverty level or classified as “near poor” in 2001.
Most older adults enjoy good mental health. However, it is anticipated that the number of older adults with mental and behavioral health prob- lems will almost quadruple, from 4 million in 1970 to 15 million in 2030. Mental health disorders, including anxiety and depression, adversely affect physical health and ability to function, especially in older adults. Some late-life problems that can result in depression and anxiety include coping with physical health problems, caring for a spouse with dementia or a physical disability, grieving the death of loved ones, and managing conflict with family members.
Psychology and Aging
Addressing Mental Health Needs of Older Adults...Continue to read http://www.apa.org/pi/aging/resources/guides/aging.pdf

Verlia Caldwell, Pres.

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How to Train the Aging Brain

2010-01-07T11:20:00.000-08:00

By BARBARA STRAUCH
Published: December 29, 2009

I LOVE reading history, and the shelves in my living room are lined with fat, fact-filled books. There’s “The Hemingses of Monticello,” about the family of Thomas Jefferson’s slave mistress; there’s “House of Cards,” about the fall of Bear Stearns; there’s “Titan,” about John D. Rockefeller Sr.

The problem is, as much as I’ve enjoyed these books, I don’t really remember reading any of them. Certainly I know the main points. But didn’t I, after underlining all those interesting parts, retain anything else? It’s maddening and, sorry to say, not all that unusual for a brain at middle age: I don’t just forget whole books, but movies I just saw, breakfasts I just ate, and the names, oh, the names are awful. Who are you?

Brains in middle age, which, with increased life spans, now stretches from the 40s to late 60s, also get more easily distracted. Start boiling water for pasta, go answer the doorbell and — whoosh — all thoughts of boiling water disappear. Indeed, aging brains, even in the middle years, fall into what’s called the default mode, during which the mind wanders off and begin daydreaming.

Given all this, the question arises, can an old brain learn, and then remember what it learns? Put another way, is this a brain that should be in school?

As it happens, yes. While it’s tempting to focus on the flaws in older brains, that inducement overlooks how capable they’ve become. Over the past several years, scientists have looked deeper into how brains age and confirmed that they continue to develop through and beyond middle age.

Many longheld views, including the one that 40 percent of brain cells are lost, have been overturned. What is stuffed into your head may not have vanished but has simply been squirreled away in the folds of your neurons.

One explanation for how this occurs comes from Deborah M. Burke, a professor of psychology at Pomona College in California. Dr. Burke has done research on “tots,” those tip-of-the-tongue times when you know something but can’t quite call it to mind. Dr. Burke’s research shows that such incidents increase in part because neural connections, which receive, process and transmit information, can weaken with disuse or age.

But she also finds that if you are primed with sounds that are close to those you’re trying to remember — say someone talks about cherry pits as you try to recall Brad Pitt’s name — suddenly the lost name will pop into mind. The similarity in sounds can jump-start a limp brain connection. (It also sometimes works to silently run through the alphabet until landing on the first letter of the wayward word.)

This association often happens automatically, and goes unnoticed. Not long ago I started reading “The Prize,” a history of the oil business. When I got to the part about Rockefeller’s early days as an oil refinery owner, I realized, hey, I already know this from having read “Titan.” The material was still in my head; it just needed a little prodding to emerge.

Recently, researchers have found even more positive news. The brain, as it traverses middle age, gets better at recognizing the central idea, the big picture. If kept in good shape, the brain can continue to build pathways that help its owner recognize patterns and, as a consequence, see significance and even solutions much faster than a young person can.

The trick is finding ways to keep brain connections in good condition and to grow more of them.

“The brain is plastic and continues to change, not in getting bigger but allowing for greater complexity and deeper understanding,” says Kathleen Taylor, a professor at St. Mary’s College of California, who has studied ways to teach adults effectively. “As adults we may not always learn quite as fast, but we are set up for this next developmental step.”

Educators say that, for adults, one way to nudge neurons in the right direction is to challenge the very assumptions they have worked so hard to accumulate while young. With a brain already full of well-connected pathways, adult learners should “jiggle their synapses a bit” by confronting thoughts that are contrary to their own, says Dr. Taylor, who is 66.

Teaching new facts should not be the focus of adult education, she says. Instead, continued brain development and a richer form of learning may require that you “bump up against people and ideas” that are different. In a history class, that might mean reading multiple viewpoints, and then prying open brain networks by reflecting on how what was learned has changed your view of the world.

“There’s a place for information,” Dr. Taylor says. “We need to know stuff. But we need to move beyond that and challenge our perception of the world. If you always hang around with those you agree with and read things that agree with what you already know, you’re not going to wrestle with your established brain connections.”

Such stretching is exactly what scientists say best keeps a brain in tune: get out of the comfort zone to push and nourish your brain. Do anything from learning a foreign language to taking a different route to work.

“As adults we have these well-trodden paths in our synapses,” Dr. Taylor says. “We have to crack the cognitive egg and scramble it up. And if you learn something this way, when you think of it again you’ll have an overlay of complexity you didn’t have before — and help your brain keep developing as well.”

Jack Mezirow, a professor emeritus at Columbia Teachers College, has proposed that adults learn best if presented with what he calls a “disorienting dilemma,” or something that “helps you critically reflect on the assumptions you’ve acquired.”

Dr. Mezirow developed this concept 30 years ago after he studied women who had gone back to school. The women took this bold step only after having many conversations that helped them “challenge their own ingrained perceptions of that time when women could not do what men could do.”

Such new discovery, Dr. Mezirow says, is the “essential thing in adult learning.”

“As adults we have all those brain pathways built up, and we need to look at our insights critically,” he says. “This is the best way for adults to learn. And if we do it, we can remain sharp.”

And so I wonder, was my cognitive egg scrambled by reading that book on Thomas Jefferson? Did I, by exploring the flaws in a man I admire, create a suitably disorienting dilemma? Have I, as a result, shaken up and fed a brain cell or two?

And perhaps it doesn’t matter that I can’t, at times, recall the given name of the slave with whom Jefferson had all those children. After all, I can Google a simple name.

Sally.

Barbara Strauch is The Times’s health editor; her book “The Secret Life of the Grown-Up Brain” will be published in April.

Verlia Caldwell, Pres.

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Older workers get help in a tough job market

2010-01-02T18:44:00.000-08:00

Baylie Evans

Dec. 27, 2009 (McClatchy-Tribune Regional News delivered by Newstex) -- CHEYENNE -- Searching for a job is hard for anyone, particularly in an economy like this one. But for senior workers, it can be even harder.

Many are entering the workforce for the first time because they find a need for additional income. Others are re-entering after retirement.

One of the biggest obstacles that older workers face when entering the workforce is a lack of computer knowledge, said Amy Reyes, the employment and training coordinator for the local Experience Works program.

Experience Works is a national, non-profit organization aimed at helping workers aged 55 and older find, keep and train for work.

The local Experience Works program recently received additional federal grant money from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to help teach computer skills to older workers.

"You can't even apply anywhere nowadays without having some knowledge of computers," she said.

So Experience Works helps train workers in computer skills while giving them work to do and a salary. And they have room for more in the program.

Nationwide, unemployment numbers for people 55 and older have gone up 54 percent since November of 2008, according to a news release from the national Experience Works program.

And nationally, "the number of older workers who are seeking assistance from Experience Works has increased an average of 33 percent over last year," said Cheryl Kulm, Wyoming state director for Experience Works in the release.

The local office is seeing increased traffic as well. That office used to get about one or two phone calls a day from people interested in the program, Reyes said. Now, it's up to four or five calls a day.

And even the demographics are changing locally. Where the office used to serve mostly people older than 60, now most are 55-58.

Despite their possible lack of training, older workers are a valuable and overlooked group of workers, Reyes said

For Mary Abraham, the program helped her get back on her feet after her husband passed away last May. She lost all of his income when he died and had to return to work.

She had been retired for more than two years when she decided to go back to work. And she had held just one job for many years before that.

She hadn't interviewed for a job in about 15 years, she said, and things had changed.

"They just kind of looked at my gray hair and said 'We don't want you,'" she said.

The problem wasn't that she had never worked before or didn't have office experience.

"It never dawned on me that I wouldn't get a job," she said.

She has been in the Experience Works program for about five months now. And after a year, the expectation is that she will have reliable, fulltime employment.

For questions about the program or to get involved, call the local office at 634-7417.

Verlia Caldwell, Pres.

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Keeping an eye on the elderly

2009-12-25T18:14:00.000-08:00

Thursday, December 24, 2009 3:04 AM

MAIN STORY

* Best holiday gift: Check up on your elderly parents

Children can observe their elderly parents during the holidays for signs of dementia and other health issues that need to be addressed. Here are a few places to start:

• The kitchen. Is there enough food? Is it fresh? Is food that needs refrigeration in the refrigerator?

• The home. Is it at least fairly clean? Brightly lighted? Are blinds pulled all day?

• The mail. Are bills getting paid? Is mail being opened?

• Friends and neighbors. Do they have concerns about your parents?

• Health. Are there marked changes in mobility, speech, weight, memory?

• Driving. Can they drive safely?

• Conversations. Do they engage with others? Can they hear what others say?

• Clothing. Is it clean? Do they get dressed every day? Are they bathing regularly?

Sources: Golden Guidance, Barbara McVicker

Verlia Caldwell, Pres.

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Studies Shows Elderly Blacks Are More Likely To Skip Their Medication Than Whites And Maybe At Risk For Other Medication-Related Problems

2009-12-15T12:24:00.000-08:00

Older adults experience a number of medication-related problems, including under treatment, suboptimal drugs, suboptimal dosing, and non-adherence, which can have negative effects on their quality of life. Now new research1, from the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill shows that blacks have more medication-related problems than whites, and non-adherence to medical regimens is a particular issue for this group. Dr. Mary Roth and colleagues' study of the racial disparities in the quality of medication use appears this week in the Journal of General Internal Medicine², published by Springer.

Older adults are likely to have a number of co-existing chronic diseases, visit more than one doctor, and use multiple drugs, which puts them at greater risk of developing medication-related problems. As a consequence, their health status and quality of life can be compromised. For the first time, Dr. Roth and her team's paper looks at the overall quality of medication use in individuals rather than focusing on certain medication-related problems or diseases. Their work also assesses the effect of race on the overall quality of medication use, another new dimension.

A total of 200 (100 white and 100 black) adults 60 years of age and older were recruited through the Department of Aging and two senior housing complexes in North Carolina. They were interviewed three times in their own homes, once at the start of the study, after six months and a year. Roth and colleagues measured quality of medication use in two ways: a clinical pharmacist's judgment and using Assessing Care of Vulnerable Elders quality indicators. This paper presents findings from the pharmacist assessment of quality only.

The researchers found that, on the whole, whites used more medications than blacks, had a greater number of chronic medical conditions and used more physicians. Nearly a third of blacks (28 percent) could not purchase their medication due to cost compared with only 12 percent of whites. Whites (58 percent) were more likely to have adequate health literacy skills than blacks (29 percent).

Each participant had at least one medication-related problem. The most common problems for both whites and blacks were under treatment (83 percent vs. 87 percent), suboptimal drug use (59 percent vs. 66 percent), suboptimal dosing (48 percent vs. 56 percent) and non-adherence (42 percent vs. 68 percent). The difference between whites and blacks was particularly noteworthy for non-adherence to medications, with smaller differences noted for inadequate medication monitoring. Interestingly, although blacks were prescribed fewer medications than whites, they had significantly more problems than whites. The authors note that this study supports previous findings that elderly blacks have higher rates of nonadherence to medications than whites, but beyond this, suggests that medication-related problems, in general, are prevalent and persist in both races.

The authors conclude: "Strategies to better measure the quality of medication use in older adults are needed, and efforts to improve the quality of medication use in older adults must account for potential differences in both the number and types of problems affecting whites and blacks."

Funding was provided by the National Institutes of Health, National Institute on Aging (Principal Investigator (MTR): Research and Career Development Award). The study was also supported by an American College of Clinical Pharmacy (ACCP) Frontiers Fund Research and Career Development Award.

References
1. Roth MT et al (2009). Racial disparities in the quality of medication use in older adults: baseline findings from a longitudinal study. Journal of General Internal Medicine. DOI 10.1007/s11606-009-1180-9
2. The Journal of General Internal Medicine is the official journal of the Society of General Internal Medicine.

Source: Ami Finkelthal
New York University

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Seniors May Need Help Overcoming Holiday Blues

2009-12-07T16:41:00.000-08:00

HealthDay

Sat Nov 28, 11:47 pm ET

SATURDAY, Nov. 28 (HealthDay News) -- For many seniors, the holiday season can trigger melancholy as they think about lost loved ones, struggle with health issues or worry about money problems, according to the American Geriatrics Society.

To help overcome the seasonal blues, the AGS Foundation for Health in Aging offers the following advice:

* Get out and socialize or invite family and friends over. Those who find it hard to get around should ask relatives and others for help traveling to parties and events.
* Volunteering can help improve mood. Contact the United Way or call local schools or religious organizations to ask about opportunities nearby.
* Don't drink too much alcohol because it can actually lower your spirits.
* Accept the fact that many people feel blue during the holidays and there is nothing wrong with not being "merry."
* Talking to someone about your feelings may help you understand the reasons why you feel sad.
* Watch for warning signs of depression. While holiday blues are temporary and mild, depression is more serious. Signs of depression include: persistent sadness; lack of interest; frequent crying; changes in appetite, weight or sleep; constant feelings of fatigue, restlessness, worthlessness, or guilt; suicidal thoughts.
* If you're depressed, contact your health-care provider. Depression is treatable.

The AGS Foundation for Health in Aging also offers tips for people with older loved ones who experience sadness during the holidays:

* Invite them out and to gatherings. Remember to take into account their needs, such as transportation or special diets.
* Lend a hand by offering to help with shopping and preparations for get-togethers in their homes.
* Encourage them to talk about their feelings. Acknowledge their sadness, including a sense of loss if family or friends have died or moved away.
* Suggest your loved one talk with a health-care provider. Many older people don't realize when they're depressed. Let your loved one know depression is a medical illness and there's no shame in having it.

More information

Mental Health America has more about holiday depression and stress.

Verlia Caldwell, Pres.

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Elder care added to UAB medical school curriculum

2009-11-30T16:42:00.000-08:00

November 27, 2009 By The Associated Press JEFF HANSEN (The Birmingham News)
Quick Summary

Growing older population causes UAB to add elder care to medical school curriculum

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) — With a ballooning population of older people, the UAB School of Medicine is changing its curriculum to ensure every medical student learns about caring for the elderly.

Historically, the University of Alabama at Birmingham and other medical schools have failed to give broad training in geriatrics, the area of medicine that focuses on diagnosing and treating diseases and problems particular to older people.

UAB has now joined 39 other medical schools to correct that, with the help of $80 million of funding from the Donald Reynolds Foundation. Reynolds was a media tycoon who built a fortune in newspapers, radio, television and outdoor advertising.

UAB got its $2 million, four-year grant last year and is spending it to improve education for its 875 medical students, as well as for 350 residents and numerous faculty and community physicians.

"There has been a huge gap in geriatrics training," said Dr. Christine Ritchie, director of palliative and supportive care in the UAB Division of Gerontology, Geriatrics and Palliative Care, and director of the new program.

Some parts of the new Alabama Reynolds Program for Care of the Complex Older Adult are under way.

Internal medicine residents are now required to spend one month in geriatrics training in settings that include acute hospital care for the elderly, a long-term care facility, outpatient clinics and home care visits.

Medical students have started a senior mentoring program in which older people from the community talk to the students. Other parts of the program will be added over the next two years.

Ritchie and others are systematically working to increase geriatric education in all four years of the medical school curriculum.

They are also developing interactive, online training modules with 10 different virtual patients. In one, an older man and his adult daughter come to see the doctor, with the daughter explaining that her dad has become very withdrawn. The modules will be tested in collaboration with the University of South Carolina, the University of Arizona, Emory University and Vanderbilt University.

Ritchie and other physicians are also developing special geriatrics training for residents in internal medicine, family medicine, emergency medicine and pediatrics.

"Why pediatrics?" said Ritchie. "What we're seeing is multigenerational caregivers, where a grandparent is the caregiver."

She has one simulation in which a young child comes in after overdosing on his grandmother's blood pressure medicine. "The pediatrician has to figure out what's going on with the grandparents - what do you have to be aware of when you have an older caregiver?" Ritchie said.

Geriatrics presents some special problems.

One great danger that older patients face is transitions, when they move from one care setting, say a hospital, to another, such as home or a nursing home.

"It's very hazardous for patients, because balls get dropped," said Ritchie.

One study in the New England Journal of Medicine this year found that 30 percent of Medicare patients who had been hospitalized for a medical condition were readmitted to the hospital within 60 days. The cost of those potentially preventable hospitalizations may be as high as $12 billion a year.

To avoid transition problems, doctors have to make sure medications are managed properly during the change, that a follow-up outpatient appointment has been set, and that patients and caregivers know the "red flags" of their illnesses that require quick attention. Patients and families also have to be able to take charge of the health care plan.

Older patients can face multiple chronic conditions.

Dr. John Burton, a geriatrics expert at Johns Hopkins University, has said the average adult has two to three chronic medical conditions by age 75, and some have as many as 10 or 12 conditions. And he has said that just as doctors do not treat a child and a middle-aged adult the same way, there are remarkable differences in the medical treatment of a 50-year-old and an 85-year-old.

Geriatric doctors also have to understand the patient's family system and the culture they come from.

"People's caregiver support is highly variable," Ritchie said. "In the past it was sort of 'don't ask, don't tell.'"

This improved training at UAB comes at a point when people 85 and older are the fastest-growing group in the United States. It also comes just as the baby boomer generation starts to reach Medicare age. The demand for geriatric care will only increase.

Dr. Mustafa Ahmed, an internal medicine resident who went through medical school in England, will finish his UAB geriatrics rotation next week. Ahmed said he was surprised by the lack of geriatrics training in America - especially since so many of the patients that internists see are older.

"In England, there is a heavy emphasis on geriatrics training," he said. "It's essential for our training."

Ritchie believes the UAB changes will improve the quality of medical care that patients and families receive.

"I hope it means that the future care of them or their loved one is more clued in to the various complex issues that surround the care of older adults," she said.

Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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Sources: Senate weighs long-term care program

2009-11-17T19:37:00.000-08:00

By RICARDO ALONSO-ZALDIVAR, Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Senate health care legislation expected this week is likely to include a new long-term care insurance program to help the elderly and the disabled avoid going into nursing homes, Democratic officials say.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., is expected to incorporate the voluntary program in legislation to be unveiled as early as Wednesday, said the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because a final decision has not been made.

Known as the Community Living Assistance Services and Supports Act, or CLASS Act, the program was a top priority for the late Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, D-Mass. It would begin to close a gap in the social safety net that's received little attention in the health care debate.

Fiscal conservatives and government economists have questioned whether the program would be financially sustainable over the long run, and insurance companies are lobbying to strip it from the health care bill.

Nonetheless, the House included the program in its health care legislation, with the approval of the Obama administration. In the Senate, the Health Committee bill had included it, but the Finance Committee omitted it. The approach Reid is considering in a combined bill would address the objections of fiscal conservatives by stipulating that premiums from the program could not be counted in offsetting the cost of the broader health care bill. Reid's office had no comment on Tuesday.

The cost of nursing homes averages $70,000 a year, and a home care attendant runs about $29 an hour. Medicare only covers temporary nursing home stays. Middle-class households have to exhaust their savings before an elder can qualify for nursing home coverage through Medicaid. Continue readinghttp://www.ksdk.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=189903

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Home Health Care for Your Elderly Parents

2009-11-11T13:07:00.000-08:00

When a nursing home doesn't feel like the right move, home health care can be a good option. Here's how to make your decision

By Beth Piskora

Your mother doesn't see as well as she used to, and sometimes has trouble walking. You wonder if it's a good idea for her to stay alone in that house, or if there is a better option for her. But you just can't stomach the idea of putting mom in a nursing home.

You're not alone.

According to the National Academy on Aging Society, there are 8.5 million people over age 70 in America with limitations in walking, dressing, bathing, shopping, paying bills, and preparing meals. This number will increase dramatically in the future, perhaps to 21 million in the next quarter century, according to estimates. In addition, the National Association of Home Care & Hospice Care reports the number of home-care agencies has increased to 17,700 in what has become a $53.4 billion industry. Readhttp://www.businessweek.com/investor/content/sep2008/pi20080910_761489.htm

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The Anti-Aging Diet

2009-11-05T15:30:00.000-08:00

Can what you eat help you age gracefully?
By Kathleen M. Zelman, MPH
WebMD Weight Loss Clinic-Feature
Reviewed by Louise Chang, MD

It seems we're all trying to find the "magic bullet" that delays the natural aging process. Put an antiaging label on most any product, and it flies off the shelves.

Yet if you're trying to look your best without going under the knife, a secret ingredient might be right under your nose. Some experts say one answer to aging gracefully can be found in the grocery store -- in fruits, vegetables, green tea, and a host of other healthful foods that are rich in antioxidants and other potentially age-deterring compounds.
What Is Aging?

Of course, the signs of aging include not only wrinkles, but also memory loss, decreased brain function, and an increasing risk for chronic diseases such as heart disease, osteoporosis, and cancer. Healthy aging is also defined as living a longer, healthier life. And many studies have documented the link between a healthy diet and prevention of age-related or chronic diseases.

Adopting a healthy lifestyle that includes regular physical activity, adequate rest, avoiding tobacco, and a diet full of healthy foods and beverages can be the best defense against aging.

"Dietary choices are critical to delay the onset of aging and age-related diseases, and the sooner you start, the greater the benefit," says Susan Moores, RD, a spokesman for the American Dietetic Association.
Antioxidants and Inflammation

Some foods and beverages contain powerful substances called phytonutrients that some believe are capable of unlocking the key to longevity. Phytonutrients, which are members of the antioxidant family, gobble up "free radicals" -- oxygen molecules that play a role in the onset of illnesses such as heart disease, cancer, osteoporosis, and Alzheimer's disease. Read morehttp://www.webmd.com/healthy-aging/guide/anti-aging-diet

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2009-11-04T16:59:00.000-08:00

Make a Smilebox greeting

Limited Mobility of Another Sort

2009-10-29T12:10:00.000-07:00

By Paula Span

In theory, the continuing care retirement community, or C.C.R.C., makes great sense: build different types of senior housing on a single campus, or even in a single building, so that as residents need more care, they can transfer within the facility — from independent living apartments to assisted living units to a nursing home — instead of being uprooted from familiar surroundings. More than a half-million older Americans find this an attractive idea and have moved into such a retirement community.

Yet ever since reporting a few years ago in an assisted living facility in Bethesda, Md., and hearing about a resident who pushed the wrong elevator button and then screamed in horror when the doors opened onto the nursing home floor, I have wondered how these transitions work in practice.

Tetyana Shippee, a research associate at the Center on Aging and the Life Course at Purdue University, chose an unorthodox way to learn more. Ms. Shippee, then 21, moved into a C.C.R.C. in a Midwestern town and, for two years, observed, ate with, got to know and interviewed its residents.

Ms. Shippee’s findings, recently published in The Gerontologist, show how elusive the aging-in-place ideal remains, even in a facility expressly set up to foster it.

People liked their independent living apartments just fine, Ms. Shippee discovered, but were often reluctant to move to assisted living when their health and mobility declined. “There was a certain level of stigma involved,” she said. It was not that the assisted living units and nursing home, with their separate dining room, were particularly far away; they were just a seven-minute walk from the independent living apartments. “Mostly,” she explained, “there are social boundaries.”

In Ms. Shippee’s facility, where introductory tours often bypassed the assisted living/nursing wing altogether, the health and vigor required for independent living had become an important source of status. To leave an independent living apartment meant not only losing one’s home and social network, but also a part of one’s identity. Friendships often did not survive the move; visits became more like duties or favors than part of reciprocal relationships. Small wonder, then, that Ms. Shippee observed anger, stress and a keen sense of loss when residents were faced with moving.

It is possibly different in other facilities. At least, said Steve Maag of the American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging, a C.C.R.C. allows for the possibility of continuing social connections, so much harder to maintain across geographic distances. Mr. Maag pointed out, too, that C.C.R.C.’s were adapting to these unexpected social wrinkles, adding home care programs to accommodate residents who did not want to move.

But wasn’t the ability to move within the facility — with the assurance that as one needed more help one could remain socially connected — the whole point of selecting a continuing care community?

The prospect of an involuntary move led Sally Herriot, who cherished her cozy independent-living apartment in Palo Alto, Calif., to make a federal case of the issue — literally. Mrs. Herriot already employed private aides and had agreed to increase their hours, but in 2006, when C.C.R.C. administrators told her she would have to move into assisted living anyway, she filed suit in federal court and charged that forcing her to move was a violation of the Fair Housing Act. “It amounted to a loss of control, a lack of privacy and dignity,” her son Robert Herriot said.

A judge sympathized but ruled that state law permitted the C.C.R.C. to make such decisions. Mrs. Herriot, represented by AARP lawyers and by Relman & Dane, a civil rights firm in Washington, has appealed the verdict; meanwhile, Mrs. Herriot, 91 and very frail, remains in her apartment with her helpers.

Could C.C.R.C.’s improve the situation by promoting more interaction, with less physical and social separatism, among residents who require different levels of care?

“Independent living residents don’t like that,” Ms. Shippee pointed out. “They view themselves as healthy and active. If you try to integrate them with people in wheelchairs who have problems, they will object.”

In the dining room, she added, “they want to feel like they’re in a nice restaurant, conversing with friends; they don’t want to be faced with those in declining health.”

Mr. Herriot has heard of residents who have gone so far as to conceal their health problems, fearing that they will be the next ones moved.

So much for theory. Most C.C.R.C. residents who are told to move will comply, but having to leave a home is disruptive and distressing, it seems, whether you are moving 7 minutes or 70 miles away.

Paula Span is the author of “When the Time Comes: Families With Aging Parents Share Their Struggles and Solutions.”

Verlia Caldwell, Pres.

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The Power of Prevention

2009-10-20T14:22:00.000-07:00

The most effective way of lowering healthcare costs starts with each of us managing our own health. Preventive steps like these can help Americans avoid chronic diseases:

* Eating well.
* Vaccinations.
* Wellness visits.

Some chronic diseases and their complications can be prevented. In fact, a nonprofit health advocacy group, Trust for America’s Health, issued a report in July 2008 which studied the impact of community health programs for physical activity, healthy eating, and smoking cessation. The study found that within 2 years, these programs can reduce levels of diabetes and blood pressure by 5% and, within 10 to 20 years, some forms of cancer. It also found that states could save up to $9.90 per $1 invested in prevention programs, resulting in millions of dollars over just a few years.4

Continue reading http://www.forahealthieramerica.com/ts/prevention.html

References:

1. Thorpe K., et al., “Trends: The Impact of Obesity on Rising Healthcare Costs,” Health Affairs, web exclusive, October 20, 2004.
2. Weight–control Information Network. Statistics Related to Overweight and Obesity. Bethesda, MD: Weight-control Information Network, 2007. Available at http://win.niddk.nih.gov/statistics/index.htm. Accessed May 18, 2007.
3. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Fact Sheet: Health Effects of Cigarette Smoking. Atlanta: CDC, 2007. Available at http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/Factsheets/health_effects.htm. Accessed May 18, 2007.
4. American Heart Association, 2008
5. CDC. National Vital Statistics Reports: Deaths: Final Costs for 2000. Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics; 2002.
6. NCHS “Number of Deaths from 113 selected causes by age: US 2005”
7. US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta, JAMA 2003;290:1884-1890.

Verlia Caldwell, Pres.

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Domestic Violence Linked to Clinical Illness

2009-10-14T14:18:00.000-07:00

By Rick Nauert PhD Senior News Editor
Reviewed by John M. Grohol, Psy.D. on October 13, 2009

Domestic Violence Linked to Clinical IllnessNew research discovers a physically abusive relationship influences health in a far wider spectrum than initially believed.

In addition to mental trauma and musculoskeletal injuries, women abused by intimate partners suffer higher rates of a wide variety of doctor-diagnosed medical maladies compared to women who were never abused.

In the study of more than 3,000 women, researchers discovered many health problems not commonly associated with violence, such as abdominal pain, chest pain, headaches, acid reflux, urinary tract infections, and menstrual disorders.

“Roughly half of the diagnoses we examined were more common in abused women than in other women,” said Amy Bonomi, lead author of the study and associate professor of human development and family science at Ohio State University.

“Abuse is associated with much more than cuts and bruises.”

Compared with never-abused women, victims had an almost six-fold increase in clinically identified substance abuse, a more than three-fold increase in receiving a depression diagnosis, a three-fold increase in sexually transmitted diseases and a two-fold increase in lacerations.

Bonomi led the study, co-authored with researchers from the Group Health Research Institute and the University of Washington in Seattle, and published in the Oct. 12, 2009 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine.

Their research examined data from 3,568 randomly selected women patients at Group Health Cooperative, a health system in the Pacific Northwest. All women in the study consented to giving researchers confidential access to their medical records.

Women in the study were surveyed by telephone about whether they experienced any physical, sexual or psychological abuse from intimate partners, including husbands and boyfriends, within the past year.

Researchers then checked their medical records from the past year to see the diagnoses they had received from doctors in primary, specialty and emergency care settings.

The researchers then compared the diagnoses of the 242 abused women with the remaining women who had never been abused.

While other research has found a link between intimate partner violence and health, this is among the first major studies that has not relied on self-reports by women about their health status.

“We were able to go to the medical records and find out what abuse victims had been formally diagnosed with in the past year,” Bonomi said.

“These women are not just saying they are depressed or have cuts and bruises,” she stressed. “They are going to the doctor and having their problems diagnosed.”

In addition, the study improves on past work because it includes a random sample of women enrolled in the health plan, and not just women who were already seeking some kind of health services.

Bonomi noted that many of the doctors involved in treating these women probably didn’t know of their abuse history.

“For most women, abuse likely never enters into the conversation with their doctors,” she said.

The results suggest that physicians should use a “targeted screening” approach with their female patients to determine if they are being abused.

Any women who come to the doctor with complaints of depression, substance abuse, sexually transmitted disease, or cuts and bruises should be interviewed about the possibility of abuse.

“Many women may not volunteer that they are in abusive relationships, so health care providers should be suspicious if their female patients have any of these diagnoses and symptoms that occur much more often among abuse victims,” she said.

Bonomi said these results may be conservative, and that many abused women may suffer even higher rates of some health problems than the study suggests. That’s because the participants in this study all had health insurance, and research shows that women who are not consistently insured have higher rates of intimate partner violence and may have worse health overall.

Source: Ohio State University

Verlia Caldwell, Pres.

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Prepare to Care

2009-10-13T13:59:00.000-07:00

A planning guide for families

Source: AARP.org

Today, 44 million households are providing care for an adult over the age of 50—and that number is expected to double over the next 25 years. If you have not yet begun to discuss a caregiving plan with your family, it’s not too late. It doesn’t matter who starts the conversation. What really matters is that every family has the opportunity to talk about and create a caregiving plan for their loved ones based on the needs and wishes of those who will be receiving the care.

Each of the following five steps in PDF format (requires free Adobe Reader) includes information on how to get started, questions to ask and where to find basic resources. Don’t be discouraged if you can’t answer every question or fill in every blank.

The important thing is to start the conversation in a way that works for you and your family:

Step 1: Prepare to Talk
Step 2: Form Your Team
Step 3: Gather and Organize Information
Step 4: Make a Plan
Step 5: Take Action

Readhttp://www.aarp.org/makeadifference/gettinghelp/articles/prepare_to_care.html

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Ten Tips for Prescription Safety

2009-10-06T08:17:00.000-07:00

According to the Institute of Medicine, at least 1.5 million preventable adverse-drug reactions occur in the United States each year," notes Virginia E. White, Pharm. D., FCSHP, senior vice president and chief clinical officer of Health Net Pharmaceutical Services, the pharmacy benefit management subsidiary of Health Net, Inc. She adds, "Seniors need to be particularly careful, as they take more medication than any other age group. In fact, a study reported in the July 2008 edition of the Annals of Pharmacotherapy found that one out of every 10 elderly individuals is admitted to the hospital due to an adverse-drug reaction."

Ten tips

"While medications are obviously designed to help rather than harm you," White explains, "serious complications -- even death -- can result if certain precautions aren't taken." To help avoid such complications, White suggests taking the following steps:

Make a list. Write down the names of all medications -- both prescription and OTC -- as well as vitamins, dietary supplements or herbal remedies, that you're currently taking. Be sure to additionally note dosage levels. Bring this list to all doctor appointments. In case of an emergency, keep a copy of the list in your wallet; one also should be given to a family member or friend.

Talk before taking. Add OTC products to your medication schedule only after talking to your physician or pharmacist. Many OTC medications -- including cold remedies, pain relievers, sleep aids, antacids, and even mineral supplements -- can cause adverse reactions or interact negatively with prescription medications.

Don't wait! Notify your doctor immediately of any adverse symptoms -- stomach upset, diarrhea, difficulty urinating, constipation, forgetfulness, skin irritation, dizziness -- that you experience, especially after starting any new medication.

Read carefully. Make sure you know each medication's purpose, dosage, recommended time to take, requirements relative to food, and preferred storage method. Also be aware of potential side effects and what to do if they occur.

Use reminder systems. If you're taking multiple medications, use of a reminder system -- such as a daily pillbox, calendar, or wall chart -- is recommended.

Take only as needed. Some medications are designed to address specific symptoms and are only for short-term use; consequently, if symptoms persist, notify your health care provider promptly.

Tell all. Make sure that your primary care physician is aware of all medications that have been prescribed by other providers, such as specialists; similarly, inform all providers regarding medications prescribed by your primary care doctor.

Limit pharmacies. Try to fill as many prescriptions as possible at the same pharmacy or chain; limiting the number of pharmacies reduces the potential for prescription mishaps.

Make sure they know. If you're admitted to a hospital or nursing facility, or if you're receiving treatment in an emergency room, make sure that attending health professionals know your medical history and medication schedule. Also, request a full explanation, preferably in writing, of any change made to your medications.

Beware of "drowsy" medications. Some medications cause drowsiness, and drowsiness can result in injury. Examples of such medications include: Atarax; Benadryl; Darvocet-N; Darvon; Doxepin; Fiorcet; Fiorinal; Flexeril; Robaxin; Soma and Valium. If you take any of these medications or their generic equivalent, ask your physician if there are safer alternatives.

Store safely, toss safely

"While proper consumption of prescription and other medications tops the safety-priority list, attention also should be paid to proper storage and disposal of medications," says White. Toward that end, she recommends:

Store medications in a cool, dry spot free of humidity; unless a bathroom is well ventilated, it should not serve as a storage space, and that includes medicine cabinets.

Place medications in a childproofed cabinet or drawer if youngsters live in the home.

Keep your medications on a separate shelf or in a separate drawer from those of other family members.

Secure bottle lids tightly and keep medications in their original containers.

Remove cotton from inside pill bottles; it can absorb moisture and adversely affect medication.

Mix unused, unneeded or expired medications with undesirable substances such as used coffee grounds or kitty litter, then put in sealed bags and throw in trash.

Do not flush prescription medications down the toilet unless the label instructions indicate it is safe to do so.

Take advantage of community pharmaceutical disposal programs or community solid-waste programs.

Source: aarp.org

Explore http://www.SCPharmacist.net for Prescription Savings tips, links to Patient Assistance Programs, and valued health care information

Verlia Caldwell, Pres.

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A Gathering Place for Readers

2009-10-02T13:09:00.000-07:00

By The New York Times

The Times has launched an online meeting place, called Health Care Conversations, for readers who want to join the national discussion about health care. Three topic areas may be of particular interest to New Old Age regulars: nursing home and end-of-life care, Medicare and the elderly and drug costs. Jump into the fray and, as ever, be sure to let us know your thoughts.

Verlia Caldwell, Pres.

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Democrats Trying to Sell Health Plan to Seniors

2009-09-24T16:33:00.000-07:00

By ALAN FRAM
Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The White House and Democrats are laboring to attract skeptical seniors to their drive to reshape the nation's health care system, leading some to press the behemoth but reluctant AARP to be more aggressive about backing them.

Polls show people age 65 and up - the only age group that preferred Republican presidential candidate John McCain last November - have also had the most negative views about President Barack Obama's attempt to overhaul health care. Among that age group, six in 10 disapprove of the job Obama is doing on health care and about the same number oppose the plans being considered in Congress, according to an Associated Press-GfK poll earlier this month. Continue reading at http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_HEALTH_CARE_SENIORS?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

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Grandparent's Day

2009-09-09T14:05:00.000-07:00

Mecklenburg County Department of Social Services Family Caregiver Support Program Celebrates the 3rd Annual “Celebration of Grandparents’ Day”

Saturday, September 12, 2009
11:00 am to 2:00 pm
(Registration starts at 10:30 am)
Event hosted by: Shamrock Senior Center
Location:
Shamrock Senior Center
3925 Willard Farrow Drive
Charlotte, NC 28215
The center is located at the corner of Shamrock Drive and Willard Farrow Drive near the Asbury Nursing Home

Continue reading at http://www.charmeck.org/Departments/Just1Call/ENG/CareGiver+Support/Grandparents+Day.htm

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Verlia Caldwell, Pres.

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Importance of Keeping a Personal Medical Record

2009-08-24T19:19:00.000-07:00

Everyone should maintain their own personal medical record. You should gather the information yourself. It helps you to be more pro-active, and more engaged in your health. Your information maybe the only information, or there maybe serious medical conditions, or allergies. There should be a record of what prescriptions you are taking. It is not true that medical records are true, or readily available.

People move, change jobs, insurance, and have been treated by many doctors. You should have lab results, names and phone numbers of doctors who have treated you, and information about other family members.

Have your information in one place, and accessible. It could be in a notebook, folder, computer. The future holds better automatic systems for information.

Verlia Caldwell, Pres.
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Healthy Aging

2009-08-17T18:03:00.000-07:00

HEALTHY AGING: “The Psychology of Confidence” by Thomas J. Schumacher, Psy.D., R-CSW

Let’s face it -- most people wish to speak to their partner, spouse, family, friends, colleagues and accounts with an air of confidence. They believe that if they project confidence, they will project credibility and the people in their life will heed their recommendations and advice … both at home and in the market place. Similarly, they believe that if they speak without an air of confidence, then people will be suspicious of them and will withdraw. They believe that not appearing confident is tantamount to inviting attack and criticism. Who would want to be in a relationship with someone, or do business with someone who does not comport himself or herself with a posture of ultimate confidence in what they say?

As a result, many people work hard to craft an image of confidence. They develop their speech patterns, appearance, clothing and manner to suggest that they know what they are doing. Any doubts or uncertainty must be banished if the person is to succeed. Key: Unfortunately, many people are far better at projecting confidence than in being confident. They suppress their private doubts out of fear and embarrassment. Most cannot admit their doubts to their loved ones and/or business associates. Many cannot admit their doubts to themselves.

Read Dr. Schumacher’s complete article at http://www.ec-online.net/Knowledge/Articles/confidence.html

Verlia Caldwell, President
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Social Activity Keeps Elders Young, Agile

2009-08-10T12:50:00.000-07:00

MONDAY, June 22 (HealthDay News) -- Older people who don't socialize much might be increasing their risk for declining motor function and hastening their death, researchers from Rush University Medical Center report.

On the positive side, sociable seniors who keep active physically and mentally tend to stave off the decline in physical ability often associated with aging, the scientists added.

"A broader range of activities in elders, including physical, social and cognitive activities, may slow the rate of age-related decline," said lead researcher Dr. Aron S. Buchman, an associate professor in the department of neurological sciences.

"Less frequent participation in social activity was associated with a more rapid rate of motor decline," he added.MONDAY, June 22 (HealthDay News) -- Older people who don't socialize much might be increasing their risk for declining motor function and hastening their death, researchers from Rush University Medical Center report.

On the positive side, sociable seniors who keep active physically and mentally tend to stave off the decline in physical ability often associated with aging, the scientists added. Continue readinghttp://businessweek.com/lifestyle/content/healthday/628297.html

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http://www.facebook.com/pages/Charlotte-NC/I-Care-For-You-Home-Care-LLC/82169019227?ref=ts
http://www.linkedin.com/in/liacald4773

How to Determine if Your Senior Parent Can Stay at Home

2009-08-04T13:31:00.000-07:00

by Marlo Sollitto, Editor

To determine if an elderly person can safely continue living at home, take a good look at the present housing situation, financial resources, health status and medical needs. Braun says some topics of the assessment should include:

* Medication
Are medications expired? Are they spread out in different rooms, with no apparent structure or routine?
* Meal preparation
Can they cook for themselves? Are they able to safely operate appliances? Do they remember to turn appliances off when finished cooking?
* Safety
Is the home equipped with grab bars, emergency response systems and other tools to ensure safety? Do they have a plan in place to contact help in case of an emergency?
* Personal hygiene
Can they bathe themselves, groom adequately and launder clothes?
* Transportation
Are they driving? Should they be driving? Do they have alternate means of transportation?
* Socialization
Are they isolated from others most of the time? Do they have friends? Are they going to church? Are they depressed? Are there signs of alcohol abuse?
* Home management
Are they paying their bills on time? Are there stacks of papers and unpaid bills laying around? Is the house in general disarray? Is the house relatively clean?

Print an Assessment Checklist

Having been involved in many of these assessments, Braun says, “It’s a delicate situation – it’s a role reversal between adult child and parent, and it typically is not welcomed by the elderly person.”

Verlia Caldwell, Pres.
www.icareforyouhomecare.com
(800) 383-0520

National Senior's Day

2009-07-31T15:24:00.000-07:00

National Senior's Day is August 21. We should recognize and show our appreciation for the value and contribution of seniors.

Seniors around the world will be honored for all of their achievements throughout life, and for all they continue to accomplish today. We should take our hats off for them. Make sure they are safe by placing them in good neighborhoods where they can live a long life.

Take time out of your schedule to spend some time with a senior in your life on August 21. Take a senior out to dinner, or volunteer at a senior facility. I am sure there will be plenty of activities, senior specials, and bargains in Charlotte. They are well deserved.

Verlia Caldwell, Pres.
I Care For You Home Care, LLC
www.icareforyouhomecare.com
(800)383-0520

Doctor And Nursing Shortage Could Undermine HeathCare Reform

2009-07-27T14:03:00.000-07:00

Main Category: Primary Care / General Practice
Also Included In: Nursing / Midwifery; Health Insurance / Medical Insurance
Article Date: 24 Jul 2009 - 3:00 PDT

A shortage of doctors and nurses could damage health care reform. Analysis finds that more incentives are needed for primary care doctors and that most medical graduates choose better paid specialties. Meanwhile, a nurse temp agency forms in Texas to address the shortages there.

Reuters reports: "A growing shortage of primary care doctors could place a major burden on the U.S. healthcare system if President Barack Obama succeeds in extending medical insurance to millions of Americans who currently lack it. As healthcare legislation works its way through the U.S. Congress, most of the focus has turned to how to finance a reform that could cost $1 trillion in the next 10 years and aims to cover most of the 46 million uninsured Americans. Less attention has been paid to what might happen if millions of new patients join a healthcare system that is unprepared and unequipped to handle the load. The United States already has a shortage of between 5,000 and 13,000 primary care doctors, according to the Robert Graham Center. Add millions of previously uninsured people and the shortfall will balloon to as many as 50,000 doctors. "http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/158694.php

Verlia Caldwell, Pres.
www.icareforyouhomecare.com
(800)383-0520

A new drug approved for drug related-Osteoporosis

2009-07-24T13:41:00.000-07:00

Health News

Forteo Approved for Drug-Related Osteoporosis

7/24/2009
Print E-mail

FRIDAY, July 24 (HealthDay News) -- Eli Lilly's Forteo (teriparatide injection) has received expanded approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat osteoporosis associated with long-term use of glucocorticoid medication, the company said Thursday.

Glucocorticoid therapy is commonly prescribed for inflammatory conditions including rheumatoid arthritis and obstructive lung disease. These drugs are among the most common causes of secondary osteoporosis, which increases users' risk of bone fracture, Lilly said in a news release. continue reading http://www.everydayhealth.com/publicsite/news/view.aspx?id=629360

Verlia Caldwell, MA
www.icareforyouhomecare.com
(800)383-0520

For Elderly Investors, Instant Experts Abound

2009-07-21T13:31:00.000-07:00

Elderly clients thought they had every reason to trust Michael DelMonico as a financial counselor. After all, the Massachusetts insurance agent had become a certified senior adviser in 2002, a credential he made sure to advertise on fliers sent to retirees. continue reading http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/08/business/08advisor.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=elderly%20articles&st=cse

Verlia Caldwell
www.icareforyouhomecare.com
(800)383-0520

QuestionsTo Ask About Arthritis

2009-07-17T07:03:00.000-07:00

Questions to Ask Your Doctor About Arthritis

Get the most out of your visit to the doctor.
By Jen Laskey

Medically reviewed by Ed Zimney, MD, and Rosalyn Carson-DeWitt, MD

Print Email

While your doctor usually asks the questions during an exam, you can respectfully and proactively take charge, too. In fact, asking the right questions can make a big difference in the way you manage your arthritis. Your health is important both to you and to your doctor, so don't hesitate to inquire about any consideration you feel is relevant to your condition, whether it's a question about your diagnosis, something regarding your arthritis medication, curiosity about complementary or alternative therapies for arthritis, or concern about your emotional health, your financial health, or any other lifestyle issue. continue reading http://www.everydayhealth.com/arthritis/arthritis-questions-to-ask-your-doctor.aspx?xid=nl_EverydayHealthHealthyAging_20090717

Verlia Caldwell, MA
www.icareforyouhomecare.com
(800)383-0520

Yes, we do. Even at our age.

2009-07-13T18:32:00.000-07:00

By NANCY PRICE FREEDMAN

Published: July 10, 2009

I SAT on the examining table in my urologist’s office and tried to cover myself with the ridiculous blue paper gown that has become the standard patient uniform in our throwaway society. Surely this wasn’t designed with an adult in mind.

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Enlarge This Image

Christopher Silas Neal

E-mail: modernlove@nytimes.com

“Put it on with the opening in the front,” the nurse mumbled, probably for the 20th time that day, as she raced out of the room.

Or did she say to put the opening in the back? Either way, it was never going to cover my thighs. I hugged the two halves of the gown together as I waited for the doctor.

The urologist, who most likely saw a similar scene in every examining room, ignored my open-in-the-front gown and began to ask about my symptoms. When did I first notice the problem? Do I need to get up more than two times a night?

Donate A Family In Need For A Financial Makeover.

2009-07-06T16:48:00.000-07:00

Gradient Gives Back Community Outreach Program

Our Gradient Gives Back Community Outreach Program awards financial makeovers to deserving families during one of the most challenging economic environments. We are helping struggling families get back on their feet and stay there!

The highly philanthropic Bill Rancic - first season winner of Donald Trump’s “The Apprentice” and star of A&E’s current show “We Mean Business” - joins us as our national spokesperson in the search for families in immediate financial need.

Selected families will receive a comprehensive financial makeover utilizing Gradient financial resources, our highly skilled financial team, third-party affiliates and our partnering financial services professionals. Together we will rebuild lives, but we need your applications.

Apply now or nominate a deserving family in your community. Families throughout the country will be selected based on their heartfelt stories and their immediate financial need.

It takes just one person to change the world!

The Comprehensive Financial Makeover Includes:

FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE

Gradient Financial Group will provide financial assistance!

Provide up to six months of mortgage/lease payments
Assist with utility companies, car loan companies, and other applicable debt
Determine available government money and grants
Procure donations and charitable contributions

FINANCIAL ANALYSIS & TAX PLANNING

Nick Stovall, CPA, MBA – Gradient Financial Group, Chief Financial Officer

Provide a review and analysis of the following:
- Past two years’ taxes
- Current income, expenses, interest rates, debt and more
File 2009 and 2010 taxes

FINANCIAL PLANNING

Wayne Schmidt, CFA, MBA - Gradient Investments, Chief Investments Officer

Provide comprehensive financial planning services

Current asset analysis
Risk tolerance assessment
Create retirement objectives

Oversee plan implementation

CAREER COUNSELING GUIDANCE

Tami Lucius – Gradient Financial Group, Chief Operating Officer

Provide career coaching and counseling services

Interview training
Technical training

Assess current skill level and marketability
Provide professional resume

The lives of families across the country will forever be changed through our Gradient Gives Back Community Outreach Program.

Application Submission Period:

April 1, 2009 - December 31, 2009

Senior Center Will Close Without Funding

2009-07-02T13:50:00.000-07:00

Senior center will close without funding
11:51 AM EDT on Thursday, July 2, 2009
By NewsChannel 36 Staff
E-mail Us: NEWS@WCNC.com

CORNELIUS, N.C. -- The North Mecklenburg Senior Center in Cornelius will be forced to close in 90 days if the center doesn't raise enough money to offset funding cut by the United Way.

A drop in donations forced the United Way to cut 30 percent of their funding to the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Senior Centers. That's about $66,000. continue reading http://www.wcnc.com/news/topstories/stories/wcnc-070209-mw-senior_center_funding.a3b6d.html

Coping With the Stress of Being A Caregiver

2009-06-30T12:19:00.000-07:00

Caregiver: Stressed Out? Advice to Help You Cope

Sometimes, the pressure of caring for someone who is elderly or who has a chronic illness can lead to stress and a condition called "caregiver burnout." To prevent this, it's essential to know how to manage your stress.

What Is Stress?

Stress is a reaction to changes that require you to adjust or respond. Our bodies are designed to feel stress and react to it. Not always a bad thing, stress keeps us alert and ready to escape danger.

It's not always possible to avoid change or the situations that can cause stress; as a result, you can begin to feel overwhelmed and unable to cope. When it persists, stress can affect the body's immune system, leading to illness. The key to coping with stress is to identify the causes of stress in your life, then learn healthy ways to deal with them. It's important to remember that stress comes from how you respond to stressful events. Therefore, you have some control over stress and how it affects you.

What Causes Stress?

Stress can be caused by anything that requires you to adjust to a change in your environment. Your body reacts to these changes with physical, mental, and emotional responses. We all have our own ways of coping with change, so the causes of stress can be different for each person. Becoming a caregiver is a common source of stress for many people.

When you are not sure of the exact cause of your stress, it may be helpful to know the warning signs. Once you can identify these signs, you can learn how your body responds. Then you can take appropriate steps to reduce the stress.

What Are the Warning Signs of Stress?

Your body sends out physical, emotional, and behavioral warning signs of stress. continue reading at http://www.webmd.com/healthy-aging/caregiving-insights/handle-stress

Who Is Taking Care of the Caregiver

2009-06-26T14:08:00.001-07:00

The caregiver have a family of her own to care for. We call this the sandwich generation. Where is the balance? She/He is working a full-time job, caring for her/his elderly parents, and caring for her/his own growing children. Trying to juggle all of these responsibilities come with a cost. Who cares for the caregiver?
As a caregiver, you have to remember to take care of yourself. God forbid if the caregiver is ill. This can happen if you don't take care of yourself. You should make sure you eat right. Do not miss any meals. Eat healthy foods. Try to stay away from fast foods, junk foods, and processed foods. If you eat unhealthy, it can raise your stress level.
Call on friends and family members to help you. Take some time out for yourself. This should not be a burden for only you. If you don't have family members, or friends to relieve you, call for respite care.
Have you ever considered using a home care agency. There is affordable home care available to relieve you of some of the daily activities of living. A few hours a day is better than nothing. A caregiver could assist with bathing, cooking, cleaning, laundry, errands, and companionship. This could give you some quality time to spend with your family.
Being the caregiver of an aging loved one is not easy, but by putting yourself first and using others to help you will keep you healthier.

Verlia Caldwell, President
www.icareforyouhomecare.com
(800) 383-0520

World's 65 and Older to Triple by 2050

2009-06-23T15:57:00.000-07:00

WASHINGTON - The world's 65-and-older population will triple by mid-century to 1 in 6 people, leaving the U.S. and other nations struggling to support the elderly.

The number of senior citizens has already jumped 23 percent since 2000 to 516 million, according to census estimates released on Tuesday. That's more than double the growth rate for the general population.

The world's population has been graying for many years due to declining births and medical advances that have extended life spans. As the fastest-growing age group, seniors now comprise just under 8 percent of the world's 6.8 billion people. But demographers warn the biggest shift is yet to come. They cite a coming wave of retirements from baby boomers and China's Red Guard generation that will shrink pensions and add to rising health care costs. continue reading at http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/31507341/ns/health-aging/

I Care For You Home Care LLC Newsletter

2009-06-17T19:04:00.000-07:00

Our monthly newsletter for the month of June is ready online at http://www.merchantcircle.com/merchant/newsletter/detail?id=50014. Please sign up for our newsletter. We are always trying to deliver some interesting articles, and coupons to save you money.

Verlia Caldwell, President
http://icareforyouhomecare.com/

Private Duty Home Care Is Booming

2009-06-17T18:49:00.000-07:00

Due to the increase of nursing home negligence, the elderly are hesitant to leave their homes. They prefer to stay in their homes. Non-medical home care services are increasing due to this change. A recent economic outlook survey released by the National Private Duty Association discovered that over 70% expect an increase in revenues from 2008 to 2009, while another 12% that their revenue will remain steady.........read more at http://blog.privatedutytoday.com/2009/06/private-duty-home-care-is-booming.html

Verlia Caldwell, President
www.icareforyouhomecare.com

Power Marketing Super Conference

2009-06-09T14:01:00.001-07:00

From the Desk of Valerie VanBooven RN BSN,

Hey everyone, I said I'd never do this....I usually speak at OTHER people's events, but I've been convinced that this year is probably one of the most important years ever to reach out to as many elder care and senior service providers as possible to show them NEW ways to market their businesses.

Marketing budgets are tight tight tight, and we are facing an uphill economic battle for the rest of 2009. All of that being said, there are TONS of ways to market on a shoestring budget that will absolutely blow the competition out of the water.

Here's the scoop:

Sept 30 and Oct 1, 2009 I am letting 50 people, yep ONLY 50 people into my inner circle for 2-days of non-stop education on power marketing techniques BOTH online and offline.

(UPDATE: June 3 at 2pm Central- After sending out only one email, only 38 spots left. We WILL SELL OUT)

Our Power Marketing SuperConference will be workshop style, getting down to the nitty gritty, no fluff, no puffery, only stuff that works.

This is about MAKING THE PHONE RING IN YOUR OFFICE.

That's it.

In 24 hours I will show you every technique and strategy that works RIGHT NOW, TODAY. (Not yesterday's old hat stuff).

Here's a general run down of topics I KNOW you want to learn more about:

Top strategies for networking that bring in referrals fast.
Who your referral source should REALLY be in your local area.
Strategies that give people every reason to believe that you are the only expert they should be doing business with.
Online Social Media Marketing A-Z. (We could spend a whole day on this alone!)
Prospect/ Lead Follow Up BluePrint A-Z
Collateral materials that every office should have to hand out (hint: not a brochure)
How to attract crowds at senior fairs/seminars fast, effective, and inexpensively.
Seminar success strategies- fill the room every time.
Lots of time for Q/A with Valerie VanBooven- anything you want to ask.
Possible round table discussion with successful business owners and new business owners- what works and what doesn't work in their areas.
Learn how to use video to your advantage!

Cost? Surprisingly cheap of course.

The lowest fee we could justify to cover our costs for location and materials was $249.

Then we decided we could do better for EARLY BIRD ENROLLMENT.

So right now the price is $179. Until August 1. Then the price goes UP!!
Click HERE to REGISTER!

That's per person, the whole conference, all materials included. Refunds available until August 30, 2009 only minus a $25 processing fee. After August 30, NO REFUNDS, NO EXCEPTIONS.

You are- of course- responsible for your own travel and hotel stay.

We will provide continental breakfast both mornings, the rest of your meals are on your own.

Here are the details:

Location: Ameristar Resort Spa and Conference Center, St. Charles, Missouri
- Ameristar Casino Resort Spa's all new hotel features 397 spacious suites measuring over 650 square feet. Each of these spectacular rooms feature free wireless high speed internet, 3 plasma screen TV's, an automated mini-bar, his and hers granite top sinks, a separate shower and tub, and a marble entryway. Indoor & Outdoor Pool, Wi-Fi, Breakfast, & Fitness Room.
  
  Handicapped accessible
  Motorcoach parking is available
  #1 Ameristar Blvd.
  St. Charles, MO 63301
  636-949-7777
  www.ameristar.com
Negotiated Room Rate (very limited in availability) is $159 per night. This hotel maintains a 98% occupancy, so reserve your rooms NOW.
The discount code for the room rate is Long Term Care Experts.
There are 7 places to eat onsite, plenty of choices for meals.

There is also a list of hotels that might be cheaper in the surrounding area HERE.
- You will need a rental car or taxi if you stay off-site. Believe me.
- The area around the hotel is considered "Old St. Charles" and there are lots of places to shop/antiques/tours/history/bed and breakfasts. Learn more here.

Dates/Times: Wednesday, September 30, 2009 - Thursday, October 1, 2009
- Start Times: Wednesday: 8-10am Continental Breakfast, 9-10am Registration, 10am Conference Begins, 5pm Conference Ends.
- Start Times: Thursday: 8am Continental Breakfast, 9am Conference Begins, 12noon Conference Ends. Check Out.

Power Marketing Super Conference

2009-06-09T14:01:00.000-07:00

Top strategies for networking that bring in referrals fast.
Who your referral source should REALLY be in your local area.
Strategies that give people every reason to believe that you are the only expert they should be doing business with.
Online Social Media Marketing A-Z. (We could spend a whole day on this alone!)
Prospect/ Lead Follow Up BluePrint A-Z
Collateral materials that every office should have to hand out (hint: not a brochure)
How to attract crowds at senior fairs/seminars fast, effective, and inexpensively.
Seminar success strategies- fill the room every time.
Lots of time for Q/A with Valerie VanBooven- anything you want to ask.
Possible round table discussion with successful business owners and new business owners- what works and what doesn't work in their areas.
Learn how to use video to your advantage!

Here are the details:

Location: Ameristar Resort Spa and Conference Center, St. Charles, Missouri
- Ameristar Casino Resort Spa's all new hotel features 397 spacious suites measuring over 650 square feet. Each of these spectacular rooms feature free wireless high speed internet, 3 plasma screen TV's, an automated mini-bar, his and hers granite top sinks, a separate shower and tub, and a marble entryway. Indoor & Outdoor Pool, Wi-Fi, Breakfast, & Fitness Room.
  
  Handicapped accessible
  Motorcoach parking is available
  #1 Ameristar Blvd.
  St. Charles, MO 63301
  636-949-7777
  www.ameristar.com
Negotiated Room Rate (very limited in availability) is $159 per night. This hotel maintains a 98% occupancy, so reserve your rooms NOW.
The discount code for the room rate is Long Term Care Experts.
There are 7 places to eat onsite, plenty of choices for meals.

There is also a list of hotels that might be cheaper in the surrounding area HERE.
- You will need a rental car or taxi if you stay off-site. Believe me.
- The area around the hotel is considered "Old St. Charles" and there are lots of places to shop/antiques/tours/history/bed and breakfasts. Learn more here.

Dates/Times: Wednesday, September 30, 2009 - Thursday, October 1, 2009
- Start Times: Wednesday: 8-10am Continental Breakfast, 9-10am Registration, 10am Conference Begins, 5pm Conference Ends.
- Start Times: Thursday: 8am Continental Breakfast, 9am Conference Begins, 12noon Conference Ends. Check Out.

Sedatives Increase Suicide Risk Among Elderly

2009-06-04T16:18:00.000-07:00

THURSDAY, June 4 (HealthDay News) --Sedatives greatly increase the risk of suicide in the elderly, Swedish researchers say. In their study, hypnotic medication also was linked with a greater likelihood of suicides in older people. "Sedative treatment was associated with an almost 14-fold increase of suicide risk in the crude analysis and remained an independent risk factor for suicide even after adjustment for the presence of mental disorders," wrote Anders Carlsten, of Gothenburg University. "Having a current prescription for a hypnotic was associated with a fourfold increase in suicide risk in the adjusted model." The drugs may increase suicide risk in the elderly by triggering aggressive or impulsive behavior, or by providing the means to take an overdose, the researchers said. It's also possible that sedatives may merely be markers for other factors related to suicide, such as sleep disturbance, lack of a social network, interpersonal problems, alcohol abuse and physical disability. "Persons with these problems might be more likely to seek health care and perhaps more likely to receive prescriptions for psychotropic drugs. However, given the extremely high prescription rates for these drugs, a careful evaluation of the suicide risk should always precede prescribing a sedative or hypnotic to an elderly individual," Carlsten said. The study appears in the current issue of BMC Geriatrics. More information The U.S. National Institute of Mental Health has more about older adults and suicide.
Copyright © 2009 ScoutNews, LLC. All rights reserved.

Seniors On The Web

2009-05-21T13:05:00.001-07:00

What is actually old these days? Senior citizen no longer mean old. Seniors are much fitter now compared to when they were younger. They are traveling around the countryside in RV's enjoying their many years of labor. Retirement from work does not mean retirement from life.

Senior does not mean retirement from work either. There are many people in their late 60's who are still working. By being healthy, they are able to remain in the workforce.

Many seniors are comfortable with the web now. They have embraced the web, and many even shop on the web. The days are gone when the web used to be a place strictly for the young.

Verlia Caldwell, Pres.
www.icareforyouhomecare.com

Just 1 Call In Charlotte, N.C.

2009-05-14T14:19:00.000-07:00

There are over 100,000 seniors and adults with disabilities living in Charlotte, N.C. The Charlotte Mecklenburg Aging Coalition sponsored an Aging Issues Report that revealed over one-third of the seniors polled did not know where to turn for information about services.

Citizens, especially seniors do without senior services when they are not aware of their existence. Needs that are simple may become urgent, and even critical because information and assistance is not easily available. It has been a problem providing comprehensive Information services to states throughout the U.S. and Canada for years.

Just call the one stop, high-tech, high-touch information and assistance service in Mecklenburg County (Charlotte), North Carolina. This is a service of Mecklenburg County government and was designed by a diverse team of professionals, consumers, and other key stakeholders, both in the public and private, for-profit and not for profit sectors.

Just call used input from seniors, outline strategies to eliminate the barriers to obtaining and effectively using information. Just Call does not use an automated telephone answering system. There are no complicated push-button menus or transfers from one operator to another that often confuse and frustrate senior callers.

Just Call operators are answered by trained and experienced social workers that have the ability to effectively communicate and listen not only to what is said by caller, but what is not said, knowing when and how to delve into deeper, often difficult issues.

The social worker who answers the call is most often the only person the customers will have to speak to in order to have the confronting problems addressed, whatever these problems maybe. The social worker can do comprehensive screening and assessments by need, either over the phone or in the customer’s house.

Just Call’s social workers do a great deal more than disbursing phone numbers of service providers. To achieve the highest level of customer service, the social workers practice what J1C calls “cloning the loop.” The social workers will engage in three-way calls to assure that an effective connection is made between the caller and provider, and that accurate information is received and understood by all parties involved.

Just 1 Call can help customers access a variety of services in Charlotte Mecklenburg such as:

• Transportation and housing.
• Health care services and products.
• Financial bid.
• Leisure and social activities.
• Legal services.

Just 1 Call is totally confidential, free of charge and easy to use.

Just 1 Call has solid partnership with businesses, agencies, and organizations throughout Mecklenburg County. They are the first information and assistance provider in the region to include for-profit providers in their database.

Just 1 Call recognizes the vast cultural diversity in Mecklenburg County and can deliver the same quality service to callers in more than 140 languages. Just 1 Call also recognizes individual’s preferences regarding methods of communication.

Just 1 Call has an easy-to-read “interactive web site, which allows Internet users to access the entire Just 1 Call provider database as well as the “hottest” information on the Community Bulletin Board. Service providers can apply for inclusion or change current data in the Just 1 Call database via the web.

Just 1 Call is very successful. It has been recognized both nationally and internationally as a model of a community-based information and assistance program.
Just 1 Call has been reviewed in the state of N.C., Texas, New York, Mississippi, and Maryland.
Locally, one customer has called Just 1 Call “the best use of my tax money I have ever seen.” Another commented, “When I use Just Call, I never feel rushed, and I get the help I need. No problem is ever too big or too small for Just 1 Call.”

Just 1 Call can be contacted at (704) 432-1111 in the Charlotte Mecklenburg area, or toll-free at (877) 889-0323. You can visit Just 1 Call on the Internet at www.just1call.org.

Verlia Caldwell, Pres.
www.icareforyouhomecare.com

Ref: Alan Geltman, Just1Call Project Coordinator

Why Choose I Care For You Home Care L.L.C. In Charlotte, N.C.

2009-05-09T15:44:00.000-07:00

1. Caregivers screened and credentialed in accordance with industry standards.

2. Total care coordination between the client, family caregiver, and agency.

3. Client to caregiver matching service ensuring compatibility.

4. Friendly, and supportive caregivers, and staff.

5. Regular client visits by management ensuring customer satisfaction.

6. 24-hour accessibility.

7. Flexible schedules.

Verlia Caldwell, MA

www.icareforyouhomecare.com

www.linkedin.com/pub/dir/verlia/caldwell

www.facebook.com/people/Verlia-Caldwell/1501174872

www.twitter.com

When Is A Senior Too Old To Drive

2009-05-08T11:00:00.000-07:00

Americans are living longer than ever before. This is due to healthier lifestyles, increased exercise, greater awareness about nutrition, and more advanced medications to either control or delay the onset of old age. So, when do they become to old to drive?

Aging slows down your physical, and neurological mobility. Simple everyday tasks, once easy to perform become more daunting. We are robbed of our independence. Driving is one of the last frontiers of freedom we have. This makes it hard for an adult child to tell a parent, or love one that they shouldn't drive anymore because their ability is impaired, and they are a danger to themselves, and others. Expect them to put up a fight.

You should watch for a change in a parent's driving ability, such as, driving slower, poor reaction time to lights, and signs, more timid about faster drivers, reluctant to drive on the freeway. This is a good time to ask how he/she has been feeling lately.

Look for any unusual complaints like more tired than usual, not seeing as well, hearing seems impaired, etc.. Pay attention to his/her behavior around the house. It could be a case of over medication. When was the last time he/she had a checkup. They won't admit to physical ailments. This is when we have to take charge. We should rule out medical causes first for the change in driving habits. If it is not a medical problem, it is old age slowing down the senses. It could be their sight, hearing, or just a slowing reaction time.

Offer to drive to the grocery store, or movies with them. Observe their diriving skills to see if anything is different. Are they driving in a manner that could cause an accident, or put them in harm's way. If a difference is noticed in their driving ability, contact the family and call a meeting to discuss your findings.

If you find a parent is too dangerous on the road, develop a plan on how to address the findings. Develop a plan that works best for your situation. Be as caring as possible. When you offer your observations, don't sound accusatory. This is their freedom being taken away, so it won't be easy. Put yourself in their shoes. They will be angry, and rebellious. Do not hold it against them. Tell them you are doing this because you love them, and want them to be safe.

Taking away a parent's driving privilege is a difficult thing to do, so you may not succeed. If your parent has always been independent, the last thing he/she want is to depend on you or anyone else for help. It is vital that you have a plan in place that will be easy, and simple to follow. Make sure it does not interfere with their usual routine.

Our responsibility is to make sure that safe driving habits are not only practiced by our children, but by our aging parents as well. Take good care of them, and treat them with the same dignity, and respect that you would want for yourself when you are their age. It is never as far away as we think.

Verlia Caldwell

President/Owner

www.icareforyouhomecare.com

When Elderly Parents Will Not Accept Help

2009-05-05T16:41:00.000-07:00

There are no easy answers when a parent will no longer accept in-home caregivers. Here are some things you can do. Call a family meeting (without your parents). Sit down with everyone involved in parental care and talk about your options. If you have no family involved, sit with a good friend, your pastor, therapist, or someone you can trust so you can talk it out. This normally takes place when that last line has been crossed, and care at home is no longer an option. Do not get into a battle with your parent. Be prepared to stand firm on the fact that home care is no longer an option. You could say, " Dad we have tried this, but it doesn't work and the only other option we have left is to try assisted living. If your parent becomes furious, and try to manipulate you, listen to what he has to say. He deserves this respect. Your job as his adult child is to make sure your parent has the proper care, rather than only provide the care yourself.

Conduct an interview with the caregiver agency out of the home. You want to be able to discuss with the caregiver the challenges your parent will bring forward. You will want to discuss the qualifications and assurances that they have many experienced caregivers. You do not want them sending you an inexperienced caregiver that they do not know well to your parent. Make sure a manager will be visiting regularly. This manager will need to get to know your parent as well.

Once the caregiver is hired, you should spend some time with the caregiver without your parent. During this time you should discuss the challenges and ways to redirect or manage tantrums and unreasonable demands. When you find a trustworthy, reliable caregiver who is willing to hang in there, do whatever you can to make her feel honored and appreciated.

You will need to understand that if your parent is of sound mind, you will not be able to force him to accept help at home. He maybe unable to cook, bathe, or take care of his home for himself. But if he is able to understand the possible consequences of his choices, then you cannot force him to do what he doesn't want to do. You cannot do anything to prevent the consequences of the choices he make. If your parent have dementia, or some other cognitive disability, you will have to find alternative living because in home care will not work.

Never move into the home of a demanding, unreasonable parent who want you to be his only caregiver. Do not bring a demanding, unreasonable parent into your home. These arrangements always have serious long-term regrets.

Home Care Costs

2009-04-30T17:04:00.000-07:00

How can a family afford home care costs? Besides digging into a love one's assets, or your adult children assets, there are alternative sources of funding, and financial support that can keep a senior at home. The alternative sources are available, if not always easy to identify. There is long- term care insurance, and government programs if the right conditions are met. Every possible source of funding and free assistance should be investigated. Call all of the agencies, and government departments at the same time, because waiting for decisions can take time. Contact your volunteer caregiving programs, churches, and other faith community organizations.

The Penn's

2009-04-24T17:17:00.000-07:00

The Penn's have ended their contract with I Care For You Home Care, LLC. We helped Mr. Penn with his wife. She had several strokes, and needed assistance taking care of herself. This was a very rewarding experience for me. I worked 21 hours with her. She was a very courteous, polite woman. She would always talk about her family. I hired an employee to work 24 hours. Her name was Melodie. She was a good match. We worked good together. Mr. Penn loved having Melodie at the house. She was a hard worker. I wish I could have paid her more. She kept the house spotless, and she cared about the Penn's. They no longer could afford our services, so the contract was ended. It was a rewarding experience for me. I am glad I had the opportunity to work with the Penn's.

2009-02-05T16:54:00.000-08:00

The business is prospering. This is a rewarding business. I feel so good when I can help a client receive the best care we have to offer. I wish I had opened this business earlier. I enjoy helping people in need. This is my purpose in life. I feel so good going to work everyday. I love my job.

Mrs. V.

2009-02-05T16:48:00.000-08:00

Missing Jazmine

2008-10-10T18:53:00.000-07:00

I haven't posted in a month because I have been so busy promoting and marketing my business. I went to a Charlotte Chamber of Commerce meeting, and met a lot of interesting business owners. Owning your business is so rewarding. It is a lot of hard work. I know it will pay off in the end. I can see the benefits. I have a vision of a successful business. I haven't seen my granddaughter in 3 weeks. She normally visits me every 2 weeks. I really miss her. I talked to her today. She is in a lot of activities at her school. She is a very outgoing young lady. She was 9 years old on Oct. 1. We will probably celebrate when she visits us next week. Well, I will continue working on my business. Later.

Lia

Marketing the business

2008-09-09T18:39:00.000-07:00

I met a young lady by the name of Shelby at my sister's hair salon. She is in the process of starting her own business. She asked me to help her get started. She is also completing her Masters in Marketing. I told her I would help her if she help me with marketing my company. She agreed, and we have been meeting ever since. She made a marketing plan up for me. We are going to complete the plan this week. She really is a lifesaver. I have no experience in marketing. I am so excited, because I know this will help me obtain more business. My husband is going to take a physical fitness test tomorrow. I hope he passes. This will help him to get a job with law enforcement. He have 10 years experience in law enforcement. He just need to master the test. I know he will. My husband is good at what he do. Well, good night until tomorrow. God Bless Everyone.

Jazmine's First Week of School

2008-09-06T12:24:00.000-07:00

Missing Jazmine

2008-08-17T13:41:00.000-07:00

Jazmine has returned home after spending the summer with us. We had so much fun this summer. We took her swimming, cookouts, parks, Disney World, and to museums. We had so much fun. She spent a lot of time playing with Max (Shar Pei). They became good friends. I will get to see her every two weeks. She is such a blessing to our family. My business is coming along. I received a contract for some work. I thank the Lord everyday for everything. He is so good to me, and my family. Thank you Jesus. We enjoyed our first Carolina Panther's game on Aug. 9. It was a lot of fun, because we won. Life is good. Well, Peace until later.

A GREAT WEEKEND

2008-07-21T17:22:00.000-07:00

My friend Deb showed us a lot of beautiful homes this weekend. It is so good to dream. We looked at million dollar homes. Maybe one day we will be in one of the homes. My grand daughter helped me to make a couple of cakes this weekend. She really enjoyed cooking with me. It was a great experience for her. We went swimming today. It was a hot day. We had so much fun.

Picnic at My Brother's House

2008-07-16T17:46:00.000-07:00

My brother invited us to a picnic at his house. It was a nice beautiful day for a picnic. He lives in a rural area. The air was fresh, and clean. He cooked fish on the grill, beans, and potatoes. It was so good. We stayed a couple of hours. His poodle was running all over the place. This dog was jumping on everyone, and everything. I guess this breed is very active. We didn't take Max with us because it was too hot. He hate the heat. I am glad we did not take him, because he would not do well with the poodle. When we returned home, Max was so glad to see us. He was ready to go outside and do his thing. We missed him too. He is doing very good at staying home for a short time. My business is not prospering. Business is slow. I opened for business in February. I know the economy have a lot to do with my business prospering, but I am going to hang it there. I have invested our own money in this business. I love being in business for myself. There is nothing like having your own.

Sir Maxwell

2008-07-15T08:12:00.000-07:00

Max is the new addition to our family. He is 8 weeks old. Max has been living with us 4 days now. We love him. He is so loving. I love animals. Max is a Chinese Shar Pei with a lot of wrinkles. We cannot get enough of Max.

Trip to Disney

2008-07-15T07:17:00.000-07:00

We went to Disney World for three days. We stayed at the Music Resort at Disney World. My grand daughter Jazmine went with us. She is 8 years old. We were able to visit all the disney resorts. I enjoyed Epcot the most because of all the different countries. My favorite country is Japan. We ate at the Japanese restaurant on site. The food was excellent. We tried to go to Disney World every year when we lived in Florida. We had so much fun. I cannot wait to return to Disney World. Jazmine loves Disney World. It is one place you can go, and get revived again. It is a great place to relieve stress.

2008-05-08T10:52:00.000-07:00

I am feeling a lot better today. I guess you can say this is great therapy. It is another beautiful day in NC.. I work from home. Today, I am contacting clients, and mass mailing from home. We moved from Florida in January. I miss my house in Florida. We will be selling the house next month. The people in NC are courteous. They are mean, and aggressive in Florida. I guess it is the sun. NC is beautiful this time of year. My grandchildren live in NC, and Atlanta. I have 5 grands. I will spend some time with the grands in NC next weekend. They live one hour from me. I see them every 2 weeks. Gotta go finish working.

Family

2008-05-07T18:56:00.000-07:00

I thought your family was supposed to be there during the good, and bad times. What happened to my family. My immediate family is always taking from me. They are so jealous of me and my husband. We have worked hard to get what we have. My family is never in my corner. They only want, want, and want from us. We left Charlotte with nonthing, but our suitcases, and the clothes on our back. We left on a Greyhound bus. My husband was in the military. We have traveled all over the world. We have done well. I was employed as an Instructor while he was on sea duty. We have returned to Charlotte, and we have our own business. They don't expect us to be a success, but it is doing okay. They are never happy for us. It really hurts. Sometimes, I wonder where I got this family from. I am ready to dismiss my family. I don't need this misery. Well, I feel a lot better, since I got this off of my chest

Verl