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

No Vaccine for the Other Plague
You’re fortunate that you haven’t contracted COVID, and you may even have received your first dose of a vaccine,...
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February 16, 2021
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What Tony Bennett Can Teach Us
Tony Bennet has arguably been one of those “one in a million” kind of musical talents, but sadly he...
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February 9, 2021
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Scamming as a Superspreader
We have all seen the advertisements for the on-line services that will help you find your ancestry by taking...
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February 2, 2021
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Until the Vaccine?
We have all been following the news on vaccine rollouts, and frankly you may have been as disappointed as...
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January 26, 2021
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Too Good to Be True
With over 300 clinical trials on vaccines for COVID19, it perhaps is not a surprise that at least two...
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December 1, 2020
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The Other Global Health Crisis
Wearing a face mask is the new front line of defense against the spread of the war on COVID-19,...
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November 17, 2020
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One More Sign of COVID?
I have written about Alzheimer’s disease…a lot, its warning signs and caregiving probably more than any other topic. Even...
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October 6, 2020
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None of the Above…
While everyone is awaiting the next vaccine to prevent COVID-19 or help in the treatment of the condition among...
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September 29, 2020
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COVID’s Other Deadly Toll
During this pandemic, over 13,000 more Alzheimer’s and other dementia patients have died than expected from these cognitive disorders,...
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September 22, 2020
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Hold Your Friends Close and Stangers Closer
Miss your friends, your older loved ones and those summer get togethers in the backyard? We can get together...
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August 11, 2020
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In the Caregiver's Words

Recent Client Praise

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Everybody eventually learns to accommodate the “empty nest” that inevitably follows the busy days of child-rearing and child-launching. And then – maybe after a rather substantial wait – there is, once again, the prospect of more little ones in the house. This time, however, they are grandchildren, and as much as everyone who raises kids knows how not to drop a baby, the world has changed. It translates into a new kind of child-proofing different from a generation ago. This is advice for seniors who may be hosts to little ones for the first time in a lot of years.

1.    First, it is important to start with an open mind. It is too easy to slip into a mindset of “what was good enough for my kids,” but times have changed and so has safety. So, some of the old toys may still be considered safe, but the old car seat, play pen or infant swing may not be just outdated; they may be dangerous. Defer to the new mom and dad for advice on what will still work and what needs to be replaced by the next new thing. This approach is also politically helpful in empowering the new mom and dad.

2.    Remember also that when you raised your own children, you may not have had any of the chronic conditions you now have. And you also would not have the medications associated with those conditions, so develop a plan to store medications safely and out of reach of kids. While you may not want the nuisance of those safety bottles, you really need to be certain that medications that will be attractive nuisances to little ones on the prowl are locked up. This is especially true if one of the older grandparents uses the “day of the week” pill reminders that often are stored in the kitchen as a reminder for prescription schedules.

3.    For an add layer of safety, go to the source. The Consumer Product Safety Commission has a twelve-step approach to fully kid-proofing your home, and a number of their recommendations like smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors which are great safety measures for everyone. They have a downloadable two page brochure to walk you through the steps (click here for brochure).

4.    This last one is making the grandparents house safe from what the toddlers or young children will bring with them. Falls among seniors are often caused by the unexpected, and there is nothing so unexpected as the little dolls, cars or a myriad of other items that you will buy for the kids or that they will bring with them. Make it a habit of picking up after play time, because you may not see the little hazard on the floor…especially after sunset.

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. Read more about Our Story and Charlotte's mission.
One of every three adults over age 65 will have a fall this year. This rate increases to one half of adults over age 80 who will fall during the year, some of them multiple times. On top of this, half of all falls occur in an older adult's home. With these alarming rates, it may come as no real surprise to those of you who may be caregivers to an older loved one that falls affect more older adults than heart attacks and strokes combined. As a geriatric care manager, I commonly get the call from a caregiver to an older loved one who has had one of these falls. And the fall often has resulted in serious injury, most often a fractured hip. One thing caregivers may not know is that unintentional falls result in death of the older adult in nearly 22,000 cases each year. We are not talking about just a bump or a bruise, and even more sobering is the simple fact that most falls are preventable. And, if not preventable, early intervention can make a huge difference in your older loved one's safe recovery from the fall. Here are some tips you can employ to help your older loved one be safer from falls:
1. Exercise. Yes, it is that simple. I have talked in other postings about "use it or lose it." It is not news that older adults tend to lose muscle mass as they age, and with this loss there is a proportional diminution of strength and endurance. There also is a loss in balance and coordination. Encourage your older loved one to take part in an organized exercise plan, perhaps with a fitness instructor who can teach safe exercise to improve balance. Research has shown that this can reduce fall risk by as much as 20% to 50%. And yoga or TaiChi can be a wonderful way to improve balance by strengthening and enhancing muscle coordination.
2. Home Safety. Do a search of my Blog for other postings devoted to "home safety" and you will see a lot more detail than I will give here. But safety at home starts with clearing floor surfaces of scatter rugs, worn carpets or electrical cords in trafficked areas. Go through your older loved one's home at night and look for dark or shadowy areas that may be fall risks. And be sure that a light is within easy reach of your loved one's bed so that getting up at night in the dark does not result in a fall. And be sure to have sturdy handrails in stairways as well as long hallways. Bathroom grip bars are also important as most falls in the home happen in that porcelain minefield we call the bath.
3. All of the Above. The most successful fall prevention efforts incorporate steps toward a safer home environment along with a more fit older loved one. To these I would also add a healthy diet high in protein and complex carbohydrates to help fuel the musculature that will prevent a fall. Although the evidence is not entirely clear yet, there is good reason to believe that vitamin D supplements also can be important as they help to maintain bone density and strength as well. Not sure how to implement these steps? If you are a caregiver to an older loved one, speak with their provider about appropriate exercise or a nutritionist about their diet. And reach out to a geriatric care manager about a home safety inspection. You may find that your older loved one may be much more willing to listen to an expert outside the family that to their son or daughter. We are here to help. 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.
This is the second in my two-part update on what we know about Alzheimer’s disease. There are more than 3,000 registered clinical trials focusing on Alzheimer’s disease with the FDA currently. Yet, there remain only four approved medications (plus one that is a combination of two of these) to slow the progression of the cognitive decline that is the hallmark of Alzheimer’s. the four are Aricept (donepezil), Exelon (rivastigmine), Namenda (memantine) and Razadyne (galantamine); Namzaric combines donepezil and menantine. Notice that I referred to these as treatments to slow the progression of the cognitive decline. There is no cure at present. There are some promising findings bring reported around some naturally-occurring agents that provide what medical professionals call a “neuroprotective capability.” I have talked about some of these in past posts that you can research on our site. One of the studies from abroad suggests that Lithium can have a neuroprotective or preventive role in addressing Alzheimer’s. Another suggests that an herb that grows in California call yerba santa shows some promise as a neuroprotective agent that could be effective against Alzheimer’s disease. A biomarker call the APOE4 gene also is being studied for its role in the development of the amyloid plaque that is the corrosive end result of Alzheimer’s on the human brain. Can scientists learn anything about people who carry this gene that will help to protect others without the natural “immunity?” About one in nine people carry two dominant copies of this gene. Overall, the Alzheimer’s Association still acknowledges that there is no cure and no real known way to prevent the disease. The association, however, promotes specific elements of a “healthy lifestyle” that can help to reduce a person’s risk for cognitive decline:
- Cardiovascular exercise (huff and puff regularly)
- Mental stimulation (use your brain to learn and problem solve)
- Don’t smoke (this one is self-explanatory)
- Eat heart-healthy (there are books on this kind of diet)
- Protect your head (head trauma is dangerous)
- Sleep well (sound sleep and enough hours)
- Social engagement (mental and physical activity should be interactive)
The Alzheimer’s Associations goes one step further by encouraging us all that it is never too late start some new health habits. 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.
We are professionals providing home care and geriatric care services that enrich quality of life.

Our Creativity: We look at you and your family's individual needs to produce the best possible solutions. Those solutions are not always easy to discover, nor are they always straight forward. Our experience in a wide range of care situations allows us to produce options that may not have been otherwise considered.

Our Care: By assessing emotional, physical, and medical necessities, we ensure your loved one is provided a safe, secure environment. Our motivation is seeing your loved one living as independently as possible and families supported with the tools they need to achieve the best living situation.

Our Expert Management: Seeking to lift your load as a caregiver, we help organize appointments and paperwork, oversee and develop thorough care plans, navigate the essentials for all aspects of senior living, and provide the support family caregivers need. We use real experience to help you make informed decisions about health, psychological, legal, economic and social needs.

Whether we’re finding the best way to help mom or dad live with Alzheimer's, or creating the safest in home care environment possible– you can trust us to be a reliable and knowledgeable resource for geriatric care services. We can connect you to the right local care providers/nurses and tailor care plans specifically for you and your family. We also serve as bridges to help a loved one (as well as their family and friends) make life transitions. Click here to learn more about our services.
Creative Case Management is a personal and professional story.

Charlotte Bishop
MS, GCM, CRC, CCM CDMS, LCPC, is president and founder of Creative Care Management. As a certified Geriatric Care Manager (GCM), Charlotte Bishop leads a team of qualified professionals dedicated to providing solutions to difficult care situations. They are seasoned experts in the field of geriatric and senior care, Chicago-based for over two decades, and happy to help you and your family through any care giving needs.

Caregivers...often find themselves stepping into a void. It only becomes clear that an aging parent or dear friend needs help when the dishes pile up in the sink. You find out that they have difficulty getting to the grocery store when they begin to show signs of poor nutrition or the refrigerator is bare. So the caregiver steps up to help where they can, and the list of what needs doing can seem formidable.
— Charlotte Bishop

President and Founder of Creative Care Management
More than seven million Americans are balancing the demands of a full-time job along with caregiving to a family member, typically an older parent. For many, they daily choose between work and family as they try to juggle each job's demands, and what usually has to give it their free time, their time with their own kids or this time with their spouses.

But sometimes even that is not enough to fit everything into the 24 hours of a day, and the working caregiving confronts the tough decision of one job or the other. According to the MetLife Mature Market Institute:
- Almost two-thirds of working caregivers have to make some sort of real adjustment in the demands of their job or their career plans to accommodate their caregiving.
- One out of every three workers will cut back on their hours to make room for caregiving duties like trips to the doctor or actual hands on care for an incapacitated loved one.
- One out of ten have moved from full-time to part-time employment in order to accommodate their caregiving responsibilities.
- One in twenty opted to leave the workforce entirely and nearly as many left their jobs by retiring earlier than they otherwise would have.
If you are one of these workers juggling two responsibilities, here are some tips:
1. Set clear boundaries with your loved one so that calls to work are only in case of emergencies.
2. Divide your day into "work hours," "caregiving hours" and also time for yourself - "my hours."
3. Get some help from outside agencies for the tasks that do not require you to be hands on.
If you are looking to downsize your workload or quit your job, you should:
1. Do your homework by reading the employee manual or talking with human resources about their guidelines or employee assistance programs to accommodate caregiving.
2. Know your rights under law by reading the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) http://www.dol.gov/whd/fmla/
3. Prepare for your conversation for the meeting with your manager before you meet with your ideas for reduced time, flex time, job sharing or other solutions and above all, be honest and open.
4. Recognize that if you love your job that this will be a tough move, and let your employer know how committed you are to your job and the company and that your really do plan to return to the workforce.
For more information on what the MetLife Mature Market Institute can tell you about caregiving in America, go to their web site: https://www.metlife.com/mmi/research/index.html?WT.ac=GN_mmi_research

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 Visit our For The Caregiver page for more information and resources..