Chicago's Geriatric Care Manager Center of Excellence – Since 1991 | Chicago's Geriatric Care Manager Center of Excellence

Medicare Doesn’t Cover WHAT?!
Gregory Peebles is a Certified Senior Advisor (CSA), Certified Dementia Practitioner (CDP) and trained Medicare Counselor, whose work focuses...
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June 18, 2018
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Do You Sea a Hero in Yourself?
Associate Care Manager Gregory is a Certified Senior Advisor (CSA) and Certified Dementia Practitioner (CDP) whose work focuses on...
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June 4, 2018
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What May Flowers Bring
April showers are supposed to bring May flowers, but what does May bring? It brings Mental Health Awareness Month…among...
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May 28, 2018
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Five Tips for Winter Because It’s Not Spring Yet
There is a lot of advice that goes around for older loved ones in our orbits when we see...
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January 16, 2018
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Is This Normal?
As we age, our bodies give us feedback we’re not used to. Activities that never required a second thought...
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October 23, 2017
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Insta-Gram: It’s a Date!
Associate Care Manager Gregory Peebles returns with a series on the Internet and aging. Gregory is both a Certified...
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September 23, 2017
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Insta-Gram Part 2: The Internet and Aging Adults
Associate Care Manager Gregory Peebles returns with a series on the Internet and aging. Gregory is both a Certified...
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September 4, 2017
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What to Look for When Your Loved One Needs You But Can’t Ask
Associate Care Manager Gregory Peebles returns with a talk about hidden signals of aging that need our attention. Gregory...
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July 31, 2017
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A House is Not a Home (Part 3)
At CCM, home and safety are as important to us as to you, so it’s no surprise that it’s...
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June 18, 2017
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A House is Not a Home (Part 2)
At CCM, home and safety are as important to us as to you, so it’s no surprise that it’s...
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June 12, 2017
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In the Caregiver's Words

Recent Client Praise

We have all heard that pride goes before a fall. It turns out that feeling down often precedes falling down as well…at least for older adults. For a number of years, there has been a well-founded suspicion among health care providers that some drugs are just bad for a person’s balance. It’s a noteworthy side effect. And, of course, add those medicinal imbalances to an older physical frame, and some unfortunate accidents can happen. Most notably, it is the fall that results in a hip fracture and the difficult recovery that represents to an older loved one. Researchers in Sweden have found that the chances of a hip fracture are about three times greater among 65+ year old patients on antidepressants versus those not on these medications. Closer examination over the period preceding diagnosis through actually receiving a prescription, however, revealed something that came as a bit of a surprise to doctors. The period before a patient actually begins taking a prescription for their depression actually has an even higher risk of a fall, so it evidently is not all about what just the medication can do to the patient. In the 16 to 30 day window while a patient is depressed, but before they are taking a medicine for it, they are nearly six times more likely to have a fall than non-depressed patients. The month preceding that was the second highest risk…about four times that of non-depressed patients. What encouraged this research in the first place was the noteworthy presence of depression in hip fracture patients in hospital and recovery. While getting through the hip fracture and rehab, physicians in Sweden had noticed the relatively high prevalence of depression. This was not entirely uncommon for an older, sometimes frail or isolated population, but as they dug deeper they found that depression may have actually been a contributing factor to the fall. Also important in predicting fall risks was age. The older the patient, the higher the risk. Men also were at greater risk for a fall than women. The researchers also note that there likely are multiple factors at work for any given person, but depression should be a red flag nonetheless. If you have an older loved one, you should be sensitive to changes in mood…as a healthy approach all by itself. Now, you know it is also a way to look out for their fall risk. Please pass on the attached diagram about safe walking…and also encourage anyone who has more than their share of seasonal blues to see a professional. That office visit may be the step that keeps them on their feet. Charlotte Bishop is an Aging Life Care Advisor, Geriatric Care Manager and founder of Creative Care Management, certified professionals who are geriatric advocates, resources, counselors and friends to older adults and their families in metropolitan Chicago. She also is the co-author of How Do I Know You? A Caregiver’s Lifesaver for Dealing with Dementia.
It used to be that people feared public speaking more than dying, but with the increasing prevalence of a number dementia, it seems that people more fear losing their faculties than fear losing their lives. But while prevalent, dementia is not inevitable, and there are steps we all can take - at any age - to stave off cognitive decline. Here are five. 1. Go fishing - You probably have heard or read that fish oil is healthy for your brain, and a number of studies have supported that notion. The antioxidative omega-3 fatty acids in fish oil seem to be an aid to later life brain health. Researchers have quantified this beneficial effect in clinical studies comparing people who consume omega-3 with those who do not, so eat fish. 2. Sound sleep - The estimates of sleep apnea's prevalence range from 25 to 40+ million adults in the United States alone. The most common and obvious product of this nightly disturbance of sleep is the excessive daytime sleepiness that results, a sleepiness that over time not only reduces quality of life, but if unchecked, it also impairs memory as well as general motor coordination, ability to concentrate and a number of other facets of cognitive function. So if you know someone who has sleep apnea, get help. 3. Sleep aids - A good night's sleep is precious, but using a prescription sleep aid may be a mixed blessing. There is evidence that some of the prescription solutions for sleeplessness cause selective amnesia or even hallucinations or sleep activity. People on some of these agents have reportedly engaged in sleep driving, making telephone calls or even preparing and eating food with no recall of the events. The cure for sleeplessness can be worse than the condition. 4. Night caps - It is true that alcohol can make one drowsy, but it does not enhance the quality of sleep. Researchers have shown that alcohol disrupts the formation of memories in the brain. It may not be dementia, strictly speaking, but recurring memory lapses can make day to day functioning a bit shaky. 5. Single Tasking - Multi-tasking may be the hallmark of the 21st century, but far from making us more productive, it actually hinders cognitive productivity. One researcher refers to this as the :dementia of distraction," the kind where you walk into a room while checking your phone for a text, but then forget why you entered the room. This dementia knows no age requirements, because teenagers can be as prone to the distraction of multi-tasking as older adults. As you may imagine, the list could actually go on and on, but the dos and don'ts of this short review highlight what to embrace and what to avoid to enhance cognitive function at almost any age, but particularly as one ages. Can one avoid dementia entirely? Probably not, as there is some research pointing to a genetic component to conditions like Alzheimer's Disease, but following these basic guidelines can preserve brain function to the fullest extent possible. So sleep well, eat healthy and stay focused. Charlotte Bishop is a Geriatric Care Manager and founder of Creative Care Management, certified professionals who are geriatric advocates, resources, counselors and friends to older adults and their families in metropolitan Chicago. Please email your questions to info@creativecaremanagement.com.
If you are a caregiver to an older adult, you may have noticed some of the changes in their bodies, like the wasting of their muscle mass. They may have lost some upper body strength, some of their former endurance in their legs and some of the spring in their step. Muscle cells simply begin to break down over time, but older adults who work out can preserve a much greater percentage of their strength and muscle performance than those who do not exercise. Well, your brain and nervous system run pretty much the same path as the muscle systems as a person ages. The neurons which comprise the nervous system also tend to atrophy, and some nervous pathways just don't work like they did in a younger body. But a person may maintain their mental agility by mentally working out just as physical ability can be preserved and enhanced by hitting the gym. Research shows that older adults who remain socially engaged do better mentally over time than more isolated individuals. Those who read or work crossword puzzles also do better than people who simply watch television or other less-engaging mental activities. There are, of course, factors that cannot be controlled by just more aggressively working out one's mind. Alzheimer's disease and some other forms of dementia will simply intervene and wreck havoc with one's faculties. Other hormonal shifts or chronic diseases also can be the culprits which rob a person of their intellectual capabilities. A person develops hypothyroidism during their career, for instance, is at risk for a whole host of unfortunate side effects if they do not maintain their balance with thyroid supplements. One of those side effects is dementia-like symptoms. Unchecked infections, particularly those of the urinary tract also can cause sudden onset of delirium, so it is important to track the big picture and to also look for other sides of such an infection such as frequent or painful urination. Also, the ability to intellectually process or aberrant behavior can be caused by out of control diabetes. Circulatory or lung issues may starve the brain of much-needed oxygen, manifesting itself in odd behavior or confusion. Mini-strokes - sometimes referred to as transient ischemic attacks or TIAs - also can manifest themselves as confused mental processing or language difficulties. And poor nutrition may impede the healthy function of an older person's brain and nervous system. So, if you are a caregiver, here are some useful steps that I as a geriatric care manager recommend you take to monitor your older loved one's mental health:
- be aware of how much real exercise your older loved one gets routinely;
- be alert to signs of isolation, social disengagement or depression;
- note regularly how well your loved one eats at family meals and how well stocked their pantry and refrigerator are; and
- notice how quickly any given change develops - chances are that the more quickly symptoms show themselves, the less likely the condition is to be dementia.
Remember, getting older is inevitable, but deteriorating is not. Keep a sharp eye for how sharp your older loved one is. Charlotte Bishop is a Geriatric Care Manager and founder of Creative Care Management, certified professionals who are geriatric advocates, resources, counselors and friends to older adults and their families in metropolitan Chicago. Please email your questions to info@creativecaremanagement.com.
Count slowly from one to sixty-seven…one thousand one, one thousand two, one thousand three… By the time you reach 67, one more person in the United States will have been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease. In fact, one in three Americans will die with Alzheimer’s Disease. I have talked in the past about new diagnostic breakthroughs and some pharmacological and nutritional and other ways to modestly stave off the progression of this disease, but the fact is that there is no cure for Alzheimer’s. Alzheimer’s remains the only disease in the top ten causes of death in the United States that cannot be prevented, cured or slowed. But from the perspective of geriatric care management, it is not just the patient with the disease that requires help; it is their families and other caregivers in their orbits. To that end, I would like to share a brief overview of some of the resources available to support all the individuals who need help when this disease strikes:
1. Alzheimer’s Disease Alzheimer’s and Dementia Caregiver Center (http://www.alz.org/care/alzheimers-dementia-support-help.asp ) is an arm of the Association that has done the most to help patients with the disease as well. The Center provides training and other resources to caregivers as well las a 24-hour telephone hotline.
2. Family Caregiver Alliance(https://www.caregiver.org/national-center-caregiving) offers families resources at the local, state and national level. Not all locales may be covered, but their information and other resources at the national level can be a real asset to families.
3. Rosalynn Carter Institute for Caregiving (http://www.rosalynncarter.org) offers training and education going beyond basic pamphlets. They do peer-reviewed literature searches across a host of related topics as well as sponsorship of researcher into interventions that work.
4. Eldercare Locator (http://www.eldercare.gov/eldercare.NET/Public/index.aspx ) is funded by the U.S. government and provides a unique matrix resource approach to resources nation-wide. From their web site one can search a range of service types by zip code to find specific services in your own locale.
And, of course, the Aging Life Care Association (https://www.aginglifecare.org) helps visitors to their web site with a Care Finder down to the specific zip code level. If you reflect back on other public health challenges where cures ultimately have been found, they all started with building from the grass roots a support system that not only supported the patients and their families, but also the march to a cure. It takes a village. Charlotte Bishop is an Aging Life Care Professional and a Geriatric Care Manager and founder of Creative Care Management, certified professionals who are geriatric advocates, resources, counselors and friends to older adults and their families in metropolitan Chicago. Please email your questions to info@creativecaremanagement.com.
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