Chicago's Geriatric Care Manager Center of Excellence – Since 1991 • caregiverChicago's Geriatric Care Manager Center of Excellence - Since 1991 | Page 2

Doing Your Homework on Medicare Coverage
If you or an older loved one are at that age in the magical transition – otherwise known as...
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November 8, 2022
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Planning for the Holidays is More than a Menu
The latest news reports suggest only about 10 percent of American Adults have received their seasonal booster for COVID. ...
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October 24, 2022
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Stranger Things: Step up Your Diet with New Options
If I were to ask you what you or an older loved one had for dinner yesterday, the chances...
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October 4, 2022
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Treatments for Alzheimer’s Disease
September is Alzheimer’s Awareness Month, and this is the third of four posts we’ll offer on the subject. I...
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September 20, 2022
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Diagnosing Alzheimer’s Disease
September is Alzheimer’s Awareness Month, and this is the second of four posts we’ll offer on the subject. A...
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September 13, 2022
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Dementia, Distraction, Delirium and Depression
September is Alzheimer’s Awareness Month, so we’re going to be sharing four posts that will help everyone with what...
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September 7, 2022
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Food Fight
When you hear the word cancer a lot can come to mind such as “cancer survivor,” “living with cancer,”...
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August 23, 2022
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The Will To Do the Right Thing
This whole idea to write up a legal document to give surviving loved ones clarity about how to take...
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August 9, 2022
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Before or After the Fall
I came across an informative piece in the Washington Post about a week ago, and it brought to light...
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July 26, 2022
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Why AND Is the Most Important Word
Do you recall the 1991 movie called City Slickers? It was another great role for Billy Crystal, but it...
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July 19, 2022
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In the Caregiver's Words

Recent Client Praise

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This is one of the most emotionally-charged questions I hear when I am called by a family member who is concerned for the well-being of their older parent/s living alone at home. There is a lot of emotional attachment to "home sweet home," "home as castle" and more that has been learned over time. The question of whether home is still the best or safest place for an aging loved one is not just about the physical space. When invited to evaluate a situation, we look at both the individual's capacity to reside in a space and the environment's capacity to accommodate their needs. In this posting I talk about how we help explore the individual's capacity to get around in their home.

If you as a family are unsure about a loved one's ability to safely live independently, you can start with an assessment of how that person handles the basics of what we call activities of daily living (ADLs). Here is a checklist of the six basic categories of ADLs and how you can make an initial assessment yourself:

Hygiene: Do you see signs that they are not bathing, brushing, grooming as regularly as they once did?

Continence: Are there signs of "accidents" that they or their spouse may be trying to hide?

Toileting: Very simply, can they manage the bathroom on their own?

Dressing: Do they have the balance or strength to change in and out of clothes?

Eating: Do they have the dexterity to bring a utensil from the plate to their mouth, cut their own meat, etc.?

Transferring: Can they get from a chair to the bed, from the bed to another location, in and out of a car, etc.?

Take the example of one of my client's; I'll call Rose. Rose was living alone and independently. The first sign she might be having trouble was when she "forgot" to turn off her gas stove (fortunately it was lit); the kids bought her a microwave. When she consistently burned toast, they took away the toaster. It wasn't until she flooded her basement three times by leaving a kitchen sink running that the family accepted that either moving out or 24/7 in-home care would be their only recourses.

If your loved one is having difficulty with any of these, they may still be able to live independently, but some accommodation may be necessary. A GCM can help with an objective assessment of these functions as well as recommendations for accommodations. We are objective, because we don't represent a retirement home, a home health agency, etc. Also, a GCM can help with assessing the more nuanced or complex activities, what are termed instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs). These are more of the cognitive issues that may either be accommodated by outside assistance or be the red flags that home no longer is a safe or secure environment. Examples of these activities can include looking up phone numbers, cooking meals, doing housework, managing medications, etc. Here again a GCM or social worker can help assess if these are insurmountable shortcomings or if outside accommodations can provide the right level of assistance.

Just because a person does not always remember to take their meds or does "not get around" as they once did are not necessarily reasons to move them from their home. Accommodations, particularly those that can be brought to the home, will be in my next blog.

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.
I’ve posted a lot over the years on the factors that affect aging…and aging well so that when you are caregiving you know about what else may be going on with your older loved one. I have talked about diet and lifestyle, hereditary factors and even how to make home better support an older loved who ages in place. And I have shared what works against men to shorten their life span and add to what can affect their health in general as they age. Race is also one of those factors that in and of itself impacts how long and how well a person will live. The American Psychological Association has recently released some invaluable insights into how to address racial disparities in health and well-being … particularly among older people of color, and it could not be more timely. There are more than four million African Americans, and one of them could be your mom, dad or older loved one, friend or neighbor. And some of what negatively impacts their health is simply being African American. The American Psychological Association suggests some steps we all can take as we support or interact with our older African American loved ones:
- Show empathy – this is different from sympathy; empathy requires a lot more listening and being prepared to not “get” where someone is coming from, but to listen just the same;
- Support their spirit – find out what centers the older loved one … nourishes their spirit and you may be amazed at the strength spirituality provides them; again, listen;
- Steer Clear of Triggers – as much as we may all have been disturbed by the present news cycle, this past week’s news coverage will be profoundly distressing for anyone who has “grown up with racism;” again, listen;
- Get informed – appreciate that your own cultural tapestry comes from growing up differently; find forums and information that can help enlighten you about the culture as well as unique health needs or older people of color; again, listen;
- Celebrate and advocate – the more you learn, the more impressed you will be of the African American heroes and leaders who truly embody the concept of “self-made”; again, listen.
Okay, I have used the word listen a great deal here. I would be very interested in what you hear and what you learn. Please send me an email (click here) or call our toll free number (855.455.5118 ext 511) to share your story. And if you want more insight, please click through to the American Psychological Association’s advice as well as additional resources (click here). 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.
What national emergency would be complete without scam artists taking advantage of the vulnerable? Community health experts are telling us that older patients are more vulnerable to the COVID-19 virus than other age cohorts, but older citizens also are the disproportionate targets of a number of new on-line scams. If you have an older loved one, help them to beware of these new scams that are on the rise: We all are aware of “software viruses.” COVID-19 can attack your loved one’s computer, or so some scammers would have people believe. I know it seems ludicrous, but unsuspecting people have been invited to a site where they can download free anti-Corona virus protection for their computers. The victims are invited to download the “free app” which immediately infects their computer and enslaves it as a bot for the scammer’s use.

In another false offer, scammers are offering free subscriptions to Netflix for people trying to maintain their social distance and their sanity. In addition to asking “subscribers” to answer some questions, the offer also asks them to share this premium offer with ten of their friends. This latter is their way to gain even more prey and their personal information for their trap.
For those who are fearful of the contagion near them, there also is a scam that promises to share with them the number of COVID-19 infected people geographically near them…for a fee. It's not some sort of "neighborhood" app. This one is just a hoax to gain access to the prey’s credit card information. In a pandemic with a huge shortage of personal protective equipment, scammers offer an app that not only will ultimately lead the victim to give up their credit card information for the modestly-priced safety gear, but also surrender access to their contacts list. In another scam, individuals are forwarded what appears to be a text message for how they can secure the “stimulus check” that has been promised by the federal government. The threat that they may not receive their check without completing the form frightens victims into compliance. Finally, there is another scam in which victims are accused of breaking quarantine in their locales. And there is a fine associated with this crime, but to maintain quarantine, the accused can simply pay their fines on line…with a credit card, of course. We at CCM want you all to remain safe and follow the rules so that you all will get through this health crisis. We also encourage you to help the more vulnerable on-line users to stay safe from criminals who take advantage of the fears that such a crisis can evoke. Be safe and be healthy. 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.
My mom died on March 9th with dementia. During the 4 years as her caregiver, I really valued your emails. I learned so much from reading them and tips made my life better.
A satisfied client