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

Negative Thinking Causes What?
What could be worse than a COVID pandemic? How about the uptick in depression and anxiety that mental health...
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July 7, 2020
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Distance Caregiving Through a Wall
I’ve written numerous times about distance caregiving, and one of the observations I have offered is that distance is...
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May 19, 2020
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Listen to an Astronaut about COVID-19
A small percentage of us may be coping with symptoms of COVID-19 or we know someone who is, but...
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March 24, 2020
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Trusted Voices on COVID-19
The news cycle calls the COVID-19 crisis a rapidly developing story. It unfortunately also has been one with a...
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March 17, 2020
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One is Number One Threat to Seniors
We’ve all had times when we desperately need our own space…time to ourselves, just ourselves. And it’s good to...
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March 10, 2020
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Helping Your Older Loved One – AND You – Avoid COVID19
All of us here know how to prepare for a blizzard, people in the South know how to prepare...
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March 3, 2020
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Part 2: Five Important Tips for Caregiving and Self-Care
In my last post, I gave you some tips on distance caregiving that arguably could be called the 30,000...
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February 18, 2020
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Tips for Distance Caregiving: Up Close and Personal at a Distance
If you think being a caregiver to an older loved one is hard–with all the trips to help them...
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February 4, 2020
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There is an ‘I’ in Caregiver: 5 Tips to Avoid Burnout
We all have heard of coaches exhorting their players to work together by saying “there is no ‘I’ in...
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September 25, 2018
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Singing is a Breath of Fresh Air for Caregivers
Associate Care Manager Gregory is a Certified Senior Advisor (CSA) and Certified Dementia Practitioner (CDP) whose work focuses on...
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February 12, 2018
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In the Caregiver's Words

Recent Client Praise

This is the third in a series of posts on dementia in advance of the release of my new book, How Do I Know You? A Caregiver’s Lifesaver for Dealing with Dementia. It will be released through Family Solutions Press of Los Angeles and available from Amazon the week of July 17. We will keep you up to date on details. Who are the experts on dementia? There are some incredibly useful on-line resources that families with an older loved one suffering from dementia can turn. We offer a lot of wide-ranging resources in our book, but here are the links on a couple of the more outstanding among them. Consider these national resources available to support the individuals who may need help when dementia rears its head. In these and other resources, there also are local or regional chapters that can be that personal touch that makes such a difference.: 1. Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia Caregiver Center 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 as a 24-hour telephone hotline. http://www.alz.org/care/alzheimers-dementia-support-help.asp 2. Aging Care offers answers and support from those caregivers who also are facing the challenges of caring for a loved one with Alzheimer's or Dementia. The site allows you to “ask your questions and get helpful answers from caregivers, and memory care experts.” They also offer a free guide, "Life as an Alzheimer's Caregiver". The guide draws upon the experiences of elder care experts, caregivers to those with AD and patients themselves https://www.agingcare.com/Alzheimers-Dementia/Questions-1 In my book, we cover what we know about dementia, what can be done to stave off the effects of dementia and most importantly what caregivers can do for their loved ones with dementia and for themselves. We also offer a lot of resources, amny of them accessible on-line. 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.
We are fortunate to have a new contribution from a good friend and colleague, Julie Northcutt of Caregiverlist.com. Julie offers a caution in this contribution about the scams that seek to prey on older adults, so please give her warning a read...

“Holidays are a magical time, but unfortunately they are also a time when law enforcement sees a spike in online and telemarketing fraud, especially directed against the elderly. According to the Federal Trade Commission, nearly 25 million Americans are victims of consumer fraud each year. Senior citizens continue to be a rapidly increasing segment of the population. Why are seniors especially vulnerable? Seniors are seen as easy marks with “nest eggs” that make them attractive to con artists. According to the F.B.I., “people who grew up in the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s were generally raised to be polite and trusting. Con artists exploit these traits, knowing that it is difficult or impossible for these individuals to say "no" or just hang up the telephone.” In addition, because the elderly are sometimes socially isolated, the elder will stay on the line just to converse with another human being.

“Silver Surfers” are the fastest growing group of Americans using computers, recent studies have shown, using email as an essential way to keep in touch with loved ones. This makes them especially vulnerable to illegitimate “charity” organizations looking for donations, lottery scams and bogus product offers. Elderly victims are less likely to report the fraud because they don’t know who to report to or they are embarrassed to admit they have been scammed. One of the more popular schemes this season is the “grandparent scam.” In this scenario, someone calls a senior and poses as their grandchild or a friend of the grandchild. The caller claims that the grandchild has been in an accident or is in trouble and needs the grandparent to wire them money. The grandparent is also urged not to tell anyone. Once the money is sent, it is unlikely it can ever be recovered.

What is a senior to do if they suspect fraud? Seniors are urged not to reply to any emails offering “free” medical equipment, miracle cures, or lottery prizes that require up-front payment for processing. Never give out sensitive information over email or phone, including social security numbers and bank information. Verify charity information before donating. In the case of the “grandparent scam,” seniors are urged to call their grandchildren to see if they are really in trouble. Everyone is vulnerable to deceptions during the holiday season. None more so, it seems, then our senior population. If you or a loved one has been the victim of a scam or fraud, report it to your local Department on Aging. You may help prevent others from becoming victims as well.”

Julie Northcutt is founder and president of Caregiverlist.com. We encourage you to visit her website.

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.
Perhaps you have now had the chance to once again be together with family and older loved ones for the holidays or maybe the visit is still on your calendar? If so, you may have noticed or soon will notice that some things are not quite the same, and the changes may be subtle. You may notice that your older loved one's reaction time behind the wheel is more than a bit slow or tentative. You may see evidence that your loved one is more than just "behind on housekeeping;" there may be signs that taking care of home is just more than they are up to. Or you may notice that they have some difficulty standing after sitting for a time or that there is a shuffle to their walk. What can you do? Driving. Talking about giving up the car keys may be premature, but the per mile rates of auto accidents escalates rapidly after about age 70. So, you have to ask yourself if you would prefer to have this hard talk before or after a collision. Then, you need to ask how you would want to be approached if you were the questionable driver. Ask them about how safe they feel on the road with "drivers these days." And do not hesitate to reach out to your loved one's primary care provider as someone who may be able to speak with more authority. Housekeeping 101. This one is more than keeping tidy in the kitchen. If you have done a surreptitious check on the quality and quantity of food your older loved one has in the pantry or refrigerator, you may have found limited quantities as well as staples beyond their expiration dates or making their way to a science experiment. This may be as simple as getting a shopper for your mom or dad, and you can offer to help them find someone to help with the "heavy lifting." Another "heavy" may be in the housecleaning category. No one really relishes pulling out the refrigerator to vacuum or to get under the bed to chase out the dust bunnies. Getting your loved one to agree to help with the heavy lifting on this front may be a nice step toward getting more help as needs change. Fall Risks. Housekeeping may help in beginning to eliminate some of the fall risks your older loved one may face at home. Every year about one in three adults over age 65 have a fall, fortunately not all of them serious. But look for worn carpeting whose frayed edges are a trip risk, particularly on stairs. Scatter rugs also are a big risk as are cords for electrical devices that may be blocking walkways. These may be easy suggestions to make, but you may also wish to bring in a professional like a geriatric care manager who can walk through a veritable checklist on what to look for along with many of the easy fixes. With all of these facets of "home improvement," it is important to remember that you do not have to go it alone in the conversations with mom or dad. You may enlist the support of your siblings so that the whole family is trying to lend a hand, particularly if you collectively have a history of working together around the house. Barring that, you also can raise these subjects in a less threatening way, such as in the kitchen while helping with serving or preparing the next family meal...just one on one. Or if it is the older father, a walk around the yard or block may be an easier venue for a conversation. People tend to talk easier if the talking accompanies a task. There is always that family friend of your older loved one who has been like the extra aunt or uncle who can help facilitate a conversation. And here again, talk with a geriatric care manager about your concerns and how best to bring them up to an older loved one. It does take a village. 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.
This week is National Women’s Health Week. The reason I mention “caregiving” in the title to this posting can probably be summed up in one word: Stress. If we were all together in a room, I would see a lot of heads nodding, because those women who are caregivers know what kind of stress this is…but you may not all be accepting that it is also costing your health to be that stressed caregiver. One woman with whom I spoke some time ago said it best when she remarked that she didn’t think twice about canceling her own physician appointment in order to accommodate a medical appointment for her father for whom she was a caregiver. There are more than 65 million caregivers in America today, and two out of three of them are women. But that is not all. The majority of these caregivers are married and have full-time jobs. And 37% have a child or grandchild under 18 years of age living with them. No surprise that caregivers’ health care costs are significantly higher, because caregivers are sicker. And they don’t practice good wellness habits. Caregivers smoke more, drink more alcohol and get fewer preventive screenings. Ditto that “good wellness habits” thing. There is not a quick fix to this health risk that women caregivers seem to uniquely have. There is no one size fits all, but there are some steps that all women – not just the caregivers – should take:
1. Find what makes you happy and go there…frequently.
2. Schedule a wellness visit with your primary care physician - now.
3. Ask about what preventive screenings or vaccines you should have on your calendar.
4. Get active…walk more and farther, and do it five days a week.
5. Eat healthy…which is not to say you cannot still have your guilty pleasures, but you do need good sources of protein and lots of greenery in your diet.
6. Get enough quality sleep…most experts talk about eight hours a night.
7. If you smoke, quit; if you text and drive, quit; if you drink, monitor your alcohol consumption.
8. Find what makes you happy and go there…frequently. I have repeated this for a reason.
And I probably need to add that you should starting working on this list now, because procrastinating on your health is not an option. 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.
Once every 67 seconds. Every 67 seconds someone in the United States develops Alzheimer's Disease, and among the adults over age 65 in the U.S. about one in nine have the condition. That is about five million older adults, one in ten of whom will die from this disease each year. There are about three caregivers for every one of the older adults with Alzheimer's Disease, and they provide about 17.7 billion uncompensated hours of care each year. But there is help for those with Alzheimer's and their caregivers. As a professional geriatric care manager, I am certified and a member in good standing of the National Association of Professional Geriatric Care Managers. Earlier this month they did what they are calling an "InstaPoll" of those of us who are members. The results from the poll of we care managers, it turns out, offers some very practical advice from those of us who work with clients with this condition every day. The feedback from the nearly 300 NAPGCM members who responded to the poll distill down into six recommendations for caregivers:
1. The most common recommendation revolves around the fact that dementia develops in stages, and that is important that a caregiver be attuned to the capabilities that a person with AD will retain versus lose so that communication is appropriate.
2. Test for a response to such communications as reminiscing. If the care receiver responds positively to talking about the past and long term memories, it can be very positive and affirming to break out the scrap books and memory boxes.
3. To guard against social isolation, try to keep up the old routines and engagements as your care receiver enjoyed before. With less social engagement comes the risk for depression and even further isolation.
4. For those of you who may have raised children, the game of "Mommy and daddy always come back" was important at a young age. It will be that way also with some AD patients for whom an absent caregiver is just gone. Reassurance is key.
5. Don't rush with change, especially the disruption of moving to a new residence. While it is important that an AD patient be secure from wandering, it also is important they be given time to adjust to the concept and an upheaval of house and home.
6. Where there is loss, especially that of a spouse, it is important that a care giver monitor the AD patient for signs that the stress is overwhelming. Their capacity for processing grief will be compromised by the Alzheimer's.
If you would like more information on NAPGCM's InstaPoll or on professional care manager advice as well as a care manager locator, just go to our association's web site: http://www.caremanager.org . 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@cr eativecaremanagement.com.
Physical exercise, mental gymnastics or medication: which one has the most beneficial impact on improving or delaying the onset of what medical professionals call “mild cognitive impairment?” First, to clarify, mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is a middle ground between the normal decline of our brain function and the dementias that I have talked about in previous posts. You might even refer to it as “pre-dementia,” except that MCI does not always or inevitably lead to dementia. The rate of cognitive decline increases with age with just fewer than seven percent of adults age 60 to 64 showing signs of mild cognitive impairment. By age 80 – 84 the rate of MCI exceeds 25%. And MCI progresses to dementia in about 15% of patients 65 or older. It is true that the FDA has approved a few medications for their ability to slow the progression of cognitive decline, and you have seen some of them advertised on television. And there are “brain games” available for people who want to keep their faculties sharp…even doing crossword puzzles or just reading have been shown to be of some help in slowing the inevitable mental decline associated with birthdays. Yet, neither of these can measurably improve cognitive function. The American Academy of Neurology has released new guidelines that encourage regular, physical exercise as a way to not just improve overall health, but to also improve memory and slow decline of cognitive processing. They see little value in pharmacologic treatments, and they admit that cognitive training can improve a patient’s score on cognitive measures. Engaging in physical exercise like walking or biking or swimming as little as twice a week actually can improve cognitive function. The new guidelines, as endorsed by the Alzheimer’s Association, are based on research over a six month period that demonstrated that physical exercise just twice a week can significantly improve memory. There are no long term studies yet, but researchers are extending their work, to date, to see if they can actually hold on to that improvement longer. It looks as if we can add one more condition to the list of ailments that can be reversed by diet or exercise. (Do a search in the toolbar for “exercise” and see all the good that can come from working up a little sweat.) 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.