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

You may not have been following the news in China this past week, but China has enacted what may be the first law governing caregiving to older adults. In a law called the "Protection of the Rights and Interests of Elderly People" enacted this month caregivers are called to task. The law states "Family members living apart from the elderly should visit or send greetings to the elderly persons." This is not what I would consider a very enforceable statute, but it is a sober statement about what caregivers and their older loved ones around the world are increasingly seeing with regards to geriatric care management. AARP and a group called the National Alliance for Caregiving (NAC) have been surveying caregivers since 1997 and an analysis across the years show some interesting trends:
1. the average age of caregivers has been steadily increasing from 46 years old in 1997 to now 50 years;
2. the percentage of caregivers who are women still outnumber men, but the numbers have declined from 73% women in 1997 to the most recent figure of 67% women (this has been generally consistent across caregivers of all ages)
3. the average percentage of older recipients of care is growing - 24% of recipients 85 years of age and older to now 30% being that old or older;
4. the proportion of caregivers who also hold a day job has been quite consistent during the years of these surveys (from roughly three in four to four in five caregivers employed);
5. across all ages of caregivers there is an increasing incidence of leaves of absence from their jobs reported by caregivers
6. "burden of care" measured in hours of caregiving as well as actual activities was measured only in the most recent survey, but it was the older caregivers reporting the greatest burdens;
7. as a counterpoint to this "burden," the older caregivers also were those most likely to use outside services to help in the caring (older caregivers also were less likely to report help from friends);
Getting back to our China example, the law does say "should." But it just may be that the authorities were seeing some of the same trends as we see here in the United States. And this survey’s report pretty much squares with what I see as a geriatric care manager; older caregivers taking care of older friends or spouses shoulder a larger burden, and it ultimately takes its toll on the caregiver. If you know an older caregiver, help them to find resources to take some of the load off; remember also that a large portion of that "load" may be guilt about not going it alone...so be supportive. Charlotte Bishop is a Geriatric Care Manager and founder of Creative Care Management, certified geriatric care management professionals who are geriatric advocates, resources, counselors and friends to older adults and their families in metropolitan Chicago. Please email your questions to ccbishop@creativecasemanagement.com.
Chicago Home Care Service Experts
When looking for Home Care service in Chicago area for an elderly loved one, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed and vulnerable. That is where Creative Care Management comes in. We work with you to completely understand your elder loved one’s needs and then manage the process of selecting and placing your loved one with the right kind of care from a reliable and trustworthy provider.
Finding the Right In-Home Care
Our four step process allows us to guide you from our first meeting to the continued monitoring of your loved one’s in-home care, by developing a thorough Home Care Management plan that is unique to your specific caregiving needs.
Step One: Meeting and Assessment
Everything starts with a meeting. By establishing a personal connection during our initial meeting, we aim to fully understand your concerns. We conduct an assessment of the physical, mental and social health of your loved one to determine the ideal type of elder care service at the moment.
Step Two: Creating a Home Care Plan
Based on our assessment, we work with you to collectively develop a Home Care Management plan that covers everything from the type of care provider required to preparing for changes that may occur in the future.
Step Three: Setting the Plan in Action
When we recommend a care provider, we only offer the best. We hold our providers to the highest standards in regard to responsiveness to a client’s needs, consistent quality of service and level of training and certification required of the provider’s employees. We provide recommendations for a wide range of in-home care options including, but not limited to:

Home companion

LPN (licensed practical nurse)/LVN (licensed vocational nurse)/ CNA (certified nurse’s assistant)

Live-in caregiver

Step Four: Overseeing The Plan
As in-home care is an ongoing process, the Home Care Management plan includes our continued involvement and oversight in the care of your loved one. When conditions and needs change, we will be there to help with any necessary adjustments to the plan. If you are concerned for a loved one, but feel overwhelmed tackling caregiving on your own, our geriatric care services are exactly what you need to lift that weight from your shoulders. Contact us today for a free initial consultation.
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Recent Client Praise

As I look to the close of November which has been National Alzheimer’s Awareness month, I thought it would be helpful to allow someone who was diagnosed with has Alzheimer’s to give this devastating disease a voice. Richard Taylor, Ph.D., a psychologist from Houston, Texas, died in 2015 from cancer, but he also died with dementia. Early in the progression of his condition, he committed to writing about his experience so that others with a loved one who has dementia might gain some personal understanding of what dementia is like. When he was seven years into his diagnosis, at age 65, Richard Taylor wrote Alzheimer’s from the Inside Out, and he followed this with a monthly newsletter on the subject. The following is an excerpt from an edition of his newsletter in 2011: “I am Richard, an individual living with the symptoms of dementia, probably (maybe) of the Alzheimer's type. This is my monthly newsletter for February, the month of my birth (Chicago, Illinois/Jackson Park Hospital 4:30 PM), at least that is what my Mom told me. This really isn't a newsletter; it's more like a report of what's happened to me in the past 30 or so days. It is sort of like my book, Alzheimer's From the Inside Out, except this newsletter is free and without charge (at least for now). It will soon be published in five languages - the newsletter that is. Through it, I have made and maintained friends with kindred spirits all over the world. We all share more than a failing memory and slipping cognitive skills. We all want to know as much about what we "have" as possible. We all want to understand the research that is going on. We all to a greater or less degree are hoping for a cure - whatever the hell that means to each of us- within our lifetime, affordable to our families, with side effects that are significantly less than the symptoms of dementia with which we now live, and oh, by the way, could it reverse at least some of the more intrusive symptoms of this or that form of dementia. I have spent a lot of time this month thinking and writing about this. I am not a researcher; I am not a physician or a pharmacist. I am just, Richard, a tall guy with a beard who is living with the more and more intrusive and more insoluble symptoms of dementia with which I have to cope if I want to live a purpose full, joy filled, love filled, and complete life. Most times this is much harder than I want it to be. It's not fair, it's not right, it just is. So I most times try to cheerfully embrace today, live in it as fully as I can by myself, and live in it more fully as a result of the enabling support of my family and those who love/like me. Welcome to my inner and outer world more and more defined by dementia, probably (maybe) of the Alzheimer's type.” 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.
This week I asked Gregory Peebles to talk about the topic of ridesharing from the vantage point of his experience. Gregory is both a Certified Senior Advisor (CSA) and Certified Dementia Practitioner (CDP) whose work focuses on helping aging adults and folks with limited independence by providing resources and support to help them discover and lead their best life. An Associate Care Manager, Gregory has been a part of my team for over a decade. – Charlotte Ask any teenager in the US, and they’ll tell you when a person becomes a functional adult. The legal driving age in our country is 16, and the license signals independence, freedom, and increased responsibility, including driving to and from a new job. Conversely, it seems also that when it’s time to “give up the keys” we finally start to come face-to-face with the reality that our time as a sovereign individual is finite. Becoming a “rider” instead of a “driver” signals dependence, limited options, and isolation. Getting out of the driver’s seat doesn’t mean all the fun is over, though. The US is just a culture of drivers, and when we lose that one identity, if we don’t substitute another healthy vision of ourselves, we experience unnecessary loss and grief. For example, aging adults stop driving for all kinds of reasons. Because it’s a big conversation, at CCM, we have tended to focus on the cognitive decline aspect, but loss of night vision, reduced hearing, and prescription side effects are still among the top reasons that seniors become “riders.” That means that there are plenty of folks with a lot of life left who may be sitting at home trying to fill the day with meaning when they could be in the world connecting. Caregiver schedules are already often stretched to breaking, so asking for a ride from a caregiver to go to something “fun” is much less likely than securing the ride to a medical appointment. Ridesharing services continue to cover more ground, and in our Chicagoland area, Lyft and Über are the most visible brands offering service. Here are 5 things you should know as you consider ridesharing for your older loved one:

It’s safe. – While safety comes down to the specifics of the driver, vehicle, and driving environment, of the two main rideshare choices, Lyft “vets” drivers and vehicles most strenuously. Problems with either service provider however are statistically very low.

You don’t have to have a smart phone to benefit from ride sharing. – If you have a technology-loving senior in your care, that’s awesome, but many seniors balk at the idea of a smartphone. So how could they benefit from a service that requires the technology? Your smartphone. You can set the pickup and destination in the app.

You keep some control. – There’s a map to follow, so if you’re a worrier, there’s visual evidence of where the car is coming from, when it picks up your loved one, and when they have arrived at their destination. You can keep doing what you need to do while staying connected.

It’s usually cheaper than a cab. – Depending on the time of day and how in-demand drivers are (rush hours tend to trigger “surge pricing”), the cost can be as little as $8 for a significant distance. A line share (like a carpool) can bring that price down even to $5.

Client assistance is common. – Though it’s not in the contract, drivers are used to helping passengers with luggage or other inconveniences. Your loved one needing a little extra help probably won’t be a problem. However, if you’re truly worried about it, GoGo Grandparent (https://gogograndparent.com) is prepared to help more than Lyft or Über might be. They also make deliveries and will schedule a pick-up, where most rideshares are more spontaneous.

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.

In the past two postings I have been talking about the warning signs of caregiver burnout as well as what caregivers can do to care for themselves. At the center of a lot of what can be done for the caregiver is a very simple philosophy:   “Don’t try to do it all alone.” As a Geriatric Care Manager, this is where I often get the call. The caregiver or someone close to the caregiver needs somebody to help make decisions, take over some of the workload, stand up for an elder or other individual with special needs or counsel the caregiver on self-care.

There are other resources that can provide decision-making support, take on some of the caregiving responsibilities, advocate for an elder or caregiver and offer professional counsel on just coping with the responsibilities of caregiving. There are services to help caregivers in most communities, and the cost is often based on ability to pay. Look to programs such as adult day care centers, home health aides, home-delivered meals, respite care, transportation services, and skilled nursing.

Some steps you can take include:

-Find the local Area Agency on Aging. It may go by other names, but a Google search or even government or yellow pages search can give you some options. Check the Illinois AAA .

-If the elder or special needs individual is a Vet, the Veterans Administration is source of a good many support services,some of which are free to a veteran. For a map of service locations, go to VA MAP .

-There are other “affiliation groups” that can offer a range of support services. This can include the Elks, the Moose Lodge, Masonic Lodge and more. We should not overlook what religious denominations also can do along these lines. It may only be telephonic check-ups or meals or companionship, but it can be just the support or respite a caregiver needs.

-Transportation may be challenge for the elder in which case your state or local Area Agency on Aging can again be a resource.

-Just having a reliable agency to call on your elder who is relatively independent can also give piece of mind to a caregiver, and the Area Agency on Aging also offers pre-scheduled calling to homebound elders that can take some of the check-in responsibilities from the caregiver.

-Many local hospitals or long term care facilities offer day care for older adults. Because they already are equipped to meet the special needs of older adults, they often extend day services to area clients at a nominal charge.

Charlotte Bishop is a Geriatric Care Manager and founder of Creative Case Management, certified professionals who are geriatric advocates, resources, counselors and friends to older adults and their families throughout metropolitan Chicago. Please email your questions to Charlotte Bishop.,geriatric care manager Chicago, geriatric care Chicago

Copyright ©2011

We are what we eat. We have all heard that countless times, but to get down to the details, our heart also is what we eat, and it is a really important organ to feed well. I am going to share with you the top ten foods that the Cleveland Clinic and the American Dietetic Association say will promote heart health. We do not have to be confined to these ten. At the end of the list, I will give you a link to an even bigger list of foods as well as other menu suggestions that will treat your heart and your palate well.

Salmon - As a meat, salmon is quite lean, but it also is rich in Omega-3 fatty acids which are really cardio-protective. You can make it even healthier by broiling it.

Flaxseed (ground) - Also is full of Omega-3 fatty acids. It also has a lot of natural fiber which will be great for your heart as well as GI. It also contains phytoestrogens which help women to ward off breast cancer and osteoporosis.

Oatmeal - Because we cannot get enough Omega-3 fatty acids, oatmeal is high on the list. In addition, it contains the important minerals magnesium, potassium, folate, niacin and calcium. The soluble fiber also is good for your GI.

Black or Kidney Beans - These legumes bring important quantities of B-complex vitamins, niacin, folate, magnesium and calcium. They, too offer more omega-3 fatty acids and soluble fiber.

Almonds - They make the list, because they also add omega-3 fatty acids, magnesium and fiber. To these, almonds also offer vitamin E, heart-favorable mono- and polyunsaturated fats and phytosterols, which help to block cholesterol absorption.

Walnuts - They are right up there with almonds with omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin E, magnesium, fiber, heart-favorable mono- and polyunsaturated fats and phytosterols. To these they add folate.

Red wine - Catechins and reservatrol (flavonoids) are antioxidants that not only take free radicals and metallic ions out of circulation, but they also enhance our moods - no, the alcohol does not get all the credit.

Tuna - This fish does one better than salmon by adding to the Omega-3 fatty acids doses of folate and niacin.

Tofu - Made from soy bean curd, tofu offer good quantities of niacin, folate, calcium, magnesium and potassium.

Brown rice - In addition to the fiber, we also receive b-complex vitamins, niacin and magnesium from this grain.

            These are the top ten; for the rest of the list along with recipes, go to WebMD.

Charlotte Bishop is a Geriatric Care Manager and founder of Creative Case 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 ccbishop@creativecasemanagement.com.

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A caregiver to an older loved one or other person with special needs takes care of everything, right? A caregiver is the one who gets the call in the middle of the work day and in the middle of a night's sleep. A caregiver is the one who has the answers when everyone else in the family is asking. A caregiver is the person that everyone in the family - most especially the care receiver - knows they can count on. Everyone one except one, that is. It has been my experience that caregivers in the families with whom I work typically do not do a great job of taking care of themselves - the caregiver. So, be it resolved that if you are that caregiver - starting in 2015 you will take better care of the caregiver! But where do you start? Start with taking ten minutes for yourself on January 1. You may already know what you would do with ten "extra minutes" in your day, but if you don't, we have a page on our site called For the Caregiver. Consider it to be the caregiver's second opinion. A lot of what we offer on that series of tabs is about how to better leverage your time, how to get the whole family involved or how to take care of you. One of my favorite parts is in the Tips section: make time each day to do something that delights, relieves or distracts you. Try the ten minute timeout for you the first day of this new year. The second stage of this new year's resolution is to increase the time you give yourself each day...by as little as a minute. And don't think about this adding up to more than six hours by the end of the year. Work through the first couple months, and you will now be up to about an hour for yourself - which is still a modest self-indulgence. And continue to focus on yourself during these hour+ respites from the rigors of caregiving. And be prepared for the inevitable question that may come from your care receiver or someone else in your orbit. It may even evoke some guilt when you are asked why you are taking time away from caring for your care receiver, or why you are leaving them in the care of someone else whose time you are using to get your break. You will find your own way to say it, but work with this: "I can take better care of you if I take better care of me." It is very important to remember that these moments away from caregiving are not selfish; these moments are self-preserving! So, with your resolution resolutely in hand, prepare to put the "Happy" back in your New Year. Happy New Year. 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.

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We have probably all used some expression about being "only as old as you feel" or know someone who is "young at heart" or my favorite that "you do have to grow older, but you do not have to grow up." Well you get where I am going. It is a medical fact that chronological age is not a truly accurate assessment of how well a person really is. If you are a caregiver for an older loved one, you may at times would like to know how well they really are, not just how well they may be cared for by their provider. Some researchers in Norway have come up with a way to calculate a person's fitness age, and this may be one that caregivers and older adults may both want to know. Fitness experts for a long time have known that one of the best ways to measure fitness is to measure an athlete's peak oxygen intake. To do that they run that athlete to their maximum exertion and then measure their VO2 max, or how effectively the body is delivering oxygen to the cells. In many big clinical studies, this has proved to be a pretty good predictor of how long a person may be expected to live. Well, not too many of us have access to the apparatus to measure our peak oxygen intake, so these Norwegian researchers found a reasonable alternative for estimating how old a person's health is using some measures that we all can record. First, the researchers measured the real peak oxygen intake of nearly 5,000 people whose ages ranged from 20 years old to 90. They also took a lot of other measurements and ultimately found that five really basic measurements do a very reliable job of predicting the fitness that peak oxygen intake measured. The five include:
- gender
- calendar age
- waist measurement
- resting pulse; and
- frequency and intensity of regular exercise.
For that last item, they have a brief check list for you to approximate the rigor of your weekly fitness routine, and for resting pulse, just find a quiet place and count your pulse for 30 seconds and then multiply times two. To let their algorithm tell you what your or your older loved one's fitness age is, just go to http://www.ntnu.edu/cerg/vo2max and plug in the numbers. No one can control their gender or their birthdays, but the exercise part and the waistline part are controllable. So, this is a way not only to find your "real age," but also to take years off that number. Good luck on that and Happy Birthdays.
As geriatric care consultants, we always tell our clients that caregivers and the loved ones for whom they care can both work on and benefit from working toward healthier brains. We are what we exercise. Okay, we have all heard that we are what we eat, but there is a growing body of medical literature that points to exercise for seniors as being a critical element in maintaining a healthy and vibrant brain as well. We all see that the aging process takes an inevitable toll on most parts of the body, but mental decline is not inevitable. Now, the brain is not a muscle, but as with the biceps or triceps and the rest of the muscles in the body, the brain actually does shrink a bit with the cumulative effect of birthdays. But your brain does not have to lose its edge if you keep flooding it with oxygen rich blood such as comes from aerobic exercise. Increased blood flow is not a car wash for the brain; it is a nutritional floodgate that brings oxygen and all the other enriching elements of your blood to feed the brain. And exercise increases the flow. But can exercise really have an impact on staving off decline or enhancing neural health? A researcher named Dr. John Medina of the University of Washington School of Medicine cites data which show that regular exercise reduces the risk of Alzheimer's by fifty percent and the risk of other dementias by as much as sixty percent. It is not just the blood flow, but when the blood flow to the brain increases sufficiently, it triggers the release of brain food called "brain-derived neurotropic factor." This particular chemical stimulates the growth of new neurons in the part of the brain involved in memory, decision-making, planning and learning. It also helps repair damaged cells in the brain. The good news is that you do not have to be an Olympian to get the benefit of exercise to your brain. Anything you can do that increases your heart rate for some relatively modest amount of time will make for your healthier brain. If you can devote just thirty minutes a day five days a week to walking aggressively or whatever aerobic effort you prefer you will get the brain benefit. Remember all the usual cautions of warming up and cooling down with your exercise. When it comes to exercise for seniors, there are alternatives to brisk walks like swimming, machine assists like elliptical machines or bikes for those with knee or joint issues and more. Make it a priority for your daily schedule. And the real bonus is that while you are getting the brain benefit, you also may be able to drop some weight which will be great for your heart and your ego. Charlotte Bishop is a Geriatric Care Manager and founder of Creative Care Management, certified professionals who are advocates, resources, geriatric care consultants and friends to older adults and their families in metropolitan Chicago. Please email your questions to info@creativecaremanagement.com.
As you prepare for the big holiday feast and potentially the big snowfall that may come your way, we at Creative Care Management wanted to take time out to wish you happy holidays, good health, and an encouraging start to the New Year. This past month we’ve explored all the setbacks that might prevent maximum holiday cheer for the caregiver and how to overcome them. However, I cannot stress enough that the best way to overcome all of these obstacles is to remind yourself what these times are all about. It’s okay to be nostalgic about the past and allow yourself to feel what might be sadness and loss. But try to focus as much as you can on the present. Enjoy the time you have with your family and friends. Laugh, smile, and give yourself credit for making it as far as you have this year. Take time for yourself as needed – to breathe, to reflect, to remain centered.

If you know someone who is also a caregiver, here are some gifts you can give them in order to make their holidays easier.

Someone to listen. The best relief for a caregiver might be just having someone there to listen to their frustrations .

Support. The holidays can be more of a hectic time for caregivers. If you’re visiting a caregiver, offering to help around the house or taking care of some of the tasks on the caregiver’s plate might be an excellent present.

“Thank you.” Sometimes caregivers aren’t able to hear or see how much of an impact all of their hard work makes in tangible ways. Letting the caregiver know that their work is appreciated and that they’re doing so much good for their loved one may brighten up their holiday. It will serve as encouragement to keep going well into the New Year.

All of this said, whether you’re a caregiver or friend of a caregiver - take care of yourself and allow yourself a moment to rest during this joyous time.

Charlotte Bishop is a Geriatric Care Manager and founder of Creative Case 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 ccbishop@creativecasemanagement.com.
If you are a caregiver to an older loved one, chances are that you know if they are type 1 or type 2 diabetics. Type 1 individuals have been diagnosed with insulin-dependent diabetes where the pancreas no longer functions. Type 2 have been diagnosed with diabetes and been prescribed diet, exercise, oral medications or insulin to manage their blood sugar levels. But there is another number that you need to know that will help you to identify another category, the pre-diabetic. Nearly 11 million adults over age 65 in American are either diabetic or pre-diabetic; that is more than one in four 65+ year olds. Being undiagnosed can be a bigger deal than the diagnosed type, because the pre-diabetic is not managing their glucose levels. And if they are not managing their blood sugar levels, they are at risk for cardiovascular issues, loss of limbs owing to poor circulation, kidney disease or failure and blindness. If you are a caregiver to an older adult who is not diagnosed with diabetes, don't be complacent. Use this short checklist to see if real medical attention might be in order. For the following questions, give yourself a "1" if you can answer yes or "0" if you answer no:
1. Is your loved one age 40 or older__;
2. Is your loved one age 50 or older__; or
3. Is your loved one age 60 or older__...answer yes or no to each of the age questions.
4. Is your loved one a male__
5. Does your loved one have a family history of diabetes__
6. Is your loved one overweight__;
7. Is your loved one obese__;
8. Is your loved on extremely obese__...answer yes or no to each of these.
Now, subtract 1 if you answer yes to this:
1. Is your loved one physically active?__
Do the math. If your total is 4 or more, your older loved one is at risk for undiagnosed or pre-diabetes. If the score is 5 or greater, your older loved one is at a high risk for full-blown diabetes. Your first step should be to clarify your ratings by going to the American Diabetes Association web site with a somewhat more detailed checklist to confirm what these few questions are highlighting for your older loved one: http://www.diabetes.org/are-you-at-risk/diabetes-risk-test/ Next, if your numbers tell the same story I strongly encourage you to get your older loved one to a health care provider to be properly tested. If their diabetes is confirmed, your loved one's provider will prescribe an appropriate regimen that likely will include, diet, exercise and perhaps oral medication. But also help your loved one to begin a serious rethinking of their "health style." If you look at the list of questions, no one can control their age, gender or family history. But the sum total of the "worst case" for each of these will not in the absence of other factors put your loved one in a risk category. But if one or both of their weight or their exercise routine are not in place, they will be at risk. As your loved one reviews his or her health style and they speak with their provider about appropriate steps to rectify their situation, you may also see an added benefit. They may ask you to come along to work out with them or to also share in a dietary shift toward healthy. So, the benefit is there for you, the caregiver, and for your care receiver. 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.