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Your Older Loved One’s Greatest Health Risk?
As our loved ones grow older, we probably are more acutely protective of their health and well-being, especially if...
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September 14, 2021
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Nursing Homes Still a Risk for COVID-19?
It has been a tough pandemic for everyone, but it has been especially difficult for residents of nursing homes...
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August 31, 2021
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Your Flight to Nowhere is Boarding
You have probably put off a vacation or most any travel for more than a year with the threat...
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August 10, 2021
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The Side Effects Physicians Don’t Talk About
You all have heard about the side effects of FDA-approved medications that make their sales pitches on your television. ...
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June 29, 2021
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Breaking News for Alzheimer’s … part 1
The big splash on the medical news this past week gratifyingly was not COVID-19, but instead an approval of...
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June 15, 2021
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If You’reOnly as Old as You Feel?
We’ve all been asked a question like “How are you feeling?” And we probably didn’t take but a moment...
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May 25, 2021
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To B or Not to B12?
I have written a lot about dementia over the years as well as other issues that can mimic the...
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May 11, 2021
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Three Milion More Victims…
We see the numbers on a daily basis. How many have died from COVID, to date, we all probably...
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April 27, 2021
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Everything to Lose
Not a day goes by that the sun does not linger a bit longer, that the landscape gets a...
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April 20, 2021
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Not Just Spring…
We’ve heard of Spring Training for those who follow baseball teams like the CUBS or the SOX, and we...
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April 13, 2021
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In the Caregiver's Words

Recent Client Praise

In my last posting, I gave a checklist of the preventive health touchstones for men over age 65, and you will see some fairly predictable parallels to women's health as they hit 65 as well. But take note of the differences if you are a caregiver to an older woman. I am going to start Bone Health - all women need to have their bone density tested even before age 65, and it is largely because of the hormonal changes that are associated with aging. the bone density test is called a DEXA scan, and if you are a caregiver to an older woman, you should approach her doctor about having it done as well as ask about what amount of calcium supplement will be a helpful part of her daily intake. Again, exercise will be important as well. Breast Health - there are risk factors that every woman ought to know, but on average, a mammogram every year or other year depending on their risk factors. All women of any age should learn self-exams as part of their monthly ritual as well. Pelvic Health - once a woman stops ovulating, and 65 is well beyond that, PAP smears are no longer part of the annual routine unless they have had a positive test result at some point along the way. The rule is that three negative tests within the past decade makes for a safe future but check with the physician. Blood Pressure - women should have their blood pressure documented annually as with men. With diabetes or heart disease, this maybe more frequent. If blood pressure is above 135/80 blood sugar levels should be tested regularly. Oral Hygiene - as with men an annual cleaning and exam is a must. Again, oral health tracks with heart health, so twice a year has more benefit that just a great smile. Cholesterol Levels - if cholesterol has been within normal ranges, a check about every three to five years is adequate. With heart disease or diabetes, this should be more frequent. Colon Health - up to age 75 a "virtual colonoscopy" every five years. A stool test every year, a sigmoidoscopy every five years and a colonoscopy every 10 years without a history of family colon issues or cancer. Eye Health - again, a vision exam is recommended every two years as a screen for glaucoma and visual acuity. If the older patient has diabetes, more frequent testing. Immunizations - as with older men, keeping current with all immunizations is important. For pneumococcal vaccines, every five years; flu shots annually. And the shingles vaccine if she has had chicken pox when younger. A tetanus booster every ten years is recommended, and talk to the primary care provider about anything else. Everything else - as with men annual exams are a time to weigh in, record height and test hearing. And women as much as men are prone to depression as they age. A physician can offer an assessment as well as a consult on all medications and any possible interactions . 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.
Associate Care Manager Gregory Peebles returns with a series on the Internet and aging. 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. Gregory has been a part of CCM, Inc. for over a decade. – Charlotte We think of the Internet as a place that caters to young people. While this is mostly true, it remains so only because that’s the way our culture trends--not because virtual reality becomes suddenly indecipherable to those of us who have crossed the threshold of middle age (or older). As we mentioned in this topic’s introductory post, recent data tell us that at least two-thirds of Americans 65+ have a reason to be online. So what are they doing? Where are they? Let’s take a quick look.
1. Email. This is still top of the game for our older community. In fact, the older a person is, the more likely they are to view email as a way of sharing information. This is the way the Silent Generation prefers to use the Internet: by staying in touch, more casually even than by using the telephone.
2. Shopping. Silver is where the gold is. Online marketers have figured out that aging adults spend more money online than any of their generational counterparts, and that the same people are more than twice as likely to spend on products that report improved quality of life, and vendors are taking note. Amazon recently developed the 50+ Active and Healthy Living Store, and its initial success will doubtless inspire more, similar online shops from already successful providers.
3. Socializing. Seniors are on Facebook, too! (And at a growing rate … a little more than half of folks surveyed; other social platforms don’t register anything close to these numbers.) Facebook has become the virtual town square to many Americans. More and more folks get some version of news media from the social giant. Facebook, which integrates new, non-social features, seems to be positioning itself to become The Only Internet Anyone Needs.
4. Dating. Online dating has taken a swift upturn in the last few years, and adults 60+ are the most rapidly growing group in the pool. While services like SeniorMatch are geared specifically to those looking for love later in life, Match.com reports 4.5 million active users in the demographic!
Now that we know where they are and what they’re doing, we can start to address issues of safety. Next week we’ll be talking about the security dangers that our older loved ones can face on-line. 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 and Amazon Best Selling author of a new guide for caregivers to older adults with dementia: How Do I Know You: A Caregiver’s Lifesaver for Dealing with Dementia
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.
Family life crises don’t make appointments; they just show up. For most people that means tackling a crisis with no experience and no plan. (Hope is not a plan!) So, if you are one of the estimated 109 million Americans who have an older loved one in your orbit, what do you need to do to make a Plan? Here is my “short list” of the documents you need to have and be able to put your hands on… sometimes with no notice: • Medical Release – the document you need so your loved one’s medical providers to speak with you about your loved one’s health status, medications and prognosis. • Power of Attorney (POA) for Finance - a legally binding document that gives a person (referred to as the “agent” or “attorney in fact” permission or power to act on behalf of an individual in matters of property or finance. • Power of Attorney (POA) for Healthcare - a legally binding document that gives a person power to act on behalf of an individual in matters of medical treatment. The “power” typically is in force when it is deemed the person in question can no longer act for themselves or if they are not conscious. • Practitioner Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment (POLST) – a document (varies state by state) that specifies in advance what measures an individual wishes to have in the event they cannot expressly grant permission themselves. These orders typically revolve around life-saving measures; they are sometimes referred to as advanced directives and are placed in a patient’s medical files. • Health and Life Insurance Policies – the health policy will help everyone involved understand what is covered and which physicians and other providers are available to your older loved one. The Life insurance policy should be in a safe place so that it can be readily accessed should that become necessary. • Estate Plan – is (potentially) a wide-ranging document that let’s everyone know how any real estate or other holdings are titled and what the “plan” is for when a will is executed. • Trust documents – help to identify how one’s estate is to be transmitted to beneficiaries. Trust names need to be consistent with life insurance, will and holdings in order to be in effect. • Last Will and Testament – the legal document by which a person expresses his or her wishes of how property is to be distributed at death, and names one or more persons, the executor, to manage the estate until its final distribution. • The Grab and Go – This is a list that typically is sealed in a plastic bag. It includes medical insurance documentation, a list of allergies, a list of medications, primary care physician contact details and in case of emergency (ICE) contact information. Please email (info@creativecaremanagement.com) me with any questions on any of these…as well as how to take the next steps which is your plan. Do yourself a favor…don’t wait for a crisis. 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.
You already know that depression is far more common among older adults than among younger people. But everyone is at risk for what we used to call "cabin fever" or the winter blues, and it is real. If you or someone you know goes through a period of feeling down after winter has over-stayed its welcome - but recover in the spring - it may be seasonal affective disorder (SAD). If you are a caregiver to an older person who seems to be out of sorts this time of year, there is help.

Most experts suggest that SAD is a simply result of too little natural sunlight, but the symptoms may vary. Common signs of SAD include:

1.    sleeping longer, yet still feeling tired during the day

2.    eating or craving more, especially for foods high in carbohydrates

3.    weight gain due to increased food consumption

4.    less enthusiasm for what used to be a significant interest or activity

5.    generally bad temper or crabbiness

The good news is that the symptoms are not just an inevitable part of the season. Those who suffer from the condition are not resigned to simply wait until spring. There is some consensus that the best treatment is to offer what is most lacking in winter - light. Special lights that offer the broadest spectrum can help. Experts suggest that the light be available early in the day either by sitting in front of what they call "bright lights" or by slowly turning up a light in the morning to simulate an earlier rising sun.

Some people who suffer from the condition find that talk therapy similarly used in treating depression can help to limit the effects of SAD. Exercise is a way to release endorphins and also help re-energize one's body. If you are a caregiver to an older adult suffering from SAD, however, be sure that a doctor approves of any new exercise regimen.

Some suggest that anti-depressants can be a help for more serious cases of SAD, but it is important to stick with the medication once started. Some people may begin to feel better, and sensing that their condition is remedied may go off their medication. This only serves to allow the SAD to settle back in.

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.
One of the big challenges of the holidays can be all the hype about "over the river and through the woods..." along with all the mandatory "holiday cheer." If that is the way reality works, why is it that when you visit Grandmother or Grandfather, they appear more blue than merry? Depression during the holidays is very real, but it also is different from "clinical depression." And when you visit your older loved ones, you may see the signs of holiday depression. So, what will you be walking into and what can you do about it? What is holiday depression? First, of all, there are a lot of expectations for "jolly holidays" that simply do not square with reality, and we can thank the popular press as well as Hollywood for some of that. But there is more. Holidays are times when we all come together to celebrate family. For older adults, some of those people who used to be such important parts of the family celebration may now have died. So instead of holiday cheer, there is a real sense of holiday loss. This is all the more acute for the "firsts." The first holiday without mom or dad is really poignant just as the first anniversary of their passing or the first of their birthdays without their being present can really bring a person up short. A holidays this year also will be framed by all the holidays that have preceded this one and all the people that were part of the earlier celebrations. Christmas or Hanukkah or Kwanza have been defined by the people who were present then, but absent now. Some do's and don'ts. If you have an older loved one who seems to be feeling the seasonal blues, encourage them to be socially involved where they can. Do not let them fuel the depression by being isolated as well. Also, pay attention as we move through and beyond the holidays If the blues last months instead of weeks, the depression may be clinical. Clinical depression should be addressed by a professional who can help a person get back to a better path. And an important "don't" - don't tell the -person they should not be depressed or tell them to simply "snap out of it." The blue feelings they have are valid, and people do not choose to be depressed. Ask if there is anything you as a caregiver can do to help. Talking can help to get some of the sadness out. And getting back to that potential for social isolation, offer to take an older loved one who is depressed out. They may enjoy some "shopping therapy," or the preparations in the kitchen or other venues where people are gathering to prepare for or to celebrate the holidays. Simple physical activity can be part of the catharsis to help combat the holiday blues. So, celebrate the past, but let go. Encourage your older loved ones also to engage in helping others, in giving to others. The reaching out will do much for helping them to feel integrated as well as offer a sense of validation of self. 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.