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

Would You Want to Know?
National Geographic has a new documentary series, Limitless with Chris Hemsworth, starring, of course, Chris Hemsworth of Disney’s Marvel...
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November 29, 2022
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Saying “No” May be the Right Answer
Saying “yes” when someone asks you to do something can be like eating candy. It feels right or good...
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November 15, 2022
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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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What’s Scarier than Halloween?
The short answer to this question is cybersecurity breeches. First, how do you know if that spam in your...
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October 18, 2022
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What’s COVID Going as for Halloween?
It’s been a year and a half since the COVID19 vaccines came on line to address the pandemic when...
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October 11, 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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Become a Dementia Detective by “Talking the Talk”
Today we have a guest Post from Christina Padilla, a speech-language pathologist and Certified Dementia Practitioner living and working...
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September 27, 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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In the Caregiver's Words

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In the meantime, we invite you to download the below featured FREE white paper - offering both personal and professional advice for those who care for the elderly or people with special needs. Make sure to come back and visit us for more great FREE resources.

A Caregiver's Guide Toward a Healthier Senior HeartHeart complications and disease are common issues that older loved ones face. Discover easy and practical ways to give you or the senior in your orbit a healthier heart.Download
What human organ weighs about half a pound and pumps about 2.4 liters per minute and is indispensable to the body's circulatory system? It is not the organ I have pictured here; it's your kidneys. And the older we become, the more important it is to take care of this "other" pumping organ. Not to mention March is National Kidney Month. So what can you do to promote the healthiest kidneys possible? The following are recommendations from the American Kidney Fund help us to understand how to take care of our other vascular organ. 1. Less Salt and Fat Intake. Steer clear of processed and fast foods. When cooking, don't add salt to give flavor; add new herbs. Eat fresh fruits and vegetables. 2. Stay Physically Active. Exercise helps to flush the system as well as relieve stress which in turn lowers blood pressure. High blood pressure is as hard on the kidneys as it is on the heart. 3. Maintain a Healthy Weight. Speak with your health care provider about your target weight. Added mass around the middle is the worst place to put your excess. IF your weight is stressing your heart, it also stresses your kidneys. 4. Manage Your Cholesterol. Watch what you eat so that your overall cholesterol will be under 200, your "bad cholesterol" (LDL) is less than 100 and your "good cholesterol" (HDL) is over 40. 5. Take Medicines as Instructed. Talk with your provider to be sure they know everything you take, even over the counter medication. And just because you don't feel your blood pressure does not mean you can ignore your medicine. 6. Reduce Alcohol Consumption. The limits are different for men versus women, but stay to two drinks if you are a guy and less if you are a woman. 7. Don't Smoke. That goes for chewing tobacco as well, because any amount of tobacco use elevates your blood pressure. Tobacco use also is a risk factor for certain types of kidney disease. 8. Limit Your Sugar. If you are a diabetic, sugar makes your blood sticky and begins to shut down the micro-vascular system within the kidneys. Even if you are not diabetic, too much sugar intake will either make your kidneys work harder or add to fat deposits. 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.
I don’t know how many of us would like to live full-time in Disney World, but most of us have some very fond memories of maybe the early days with the Mickey Mouse Club or a trip to one of their theme parks. But there is something new from the Imagineers of Disney, and it’s a senior residence designed for those 55 and older. The first of these “Storyliving Communities” is being built in California where they are preparing a community that in their terms “is a little more magical.” This is not a pitch for this megacorporation’s next big way to engage the market with a bit of fantasy. It’s my way of saying that as your older loved ones approach retirement and move into it, encourage them to “reimagine” the next phase of their lives. If you go to your search engine and type in “how to retire,” you will get a ton of advice on how to save, what are the financial vehicles and how much is considered enough to last…and of course, some tips on planning for long term care, etc. But what about how to get to retirement and then find a life that can be fulfilling? Allow me to offer some suggestions for those nearing retirement to anticipate as well as for those already retired to perhaps do some rethinking and tweaking of their plans. Consider:
1. Mind your diet so that you preserve your health and your quality of life.
2. Plan and then refine a daily plan that keeps you busy – at your pace.
3. It’s not a light switch…you can ease into retirement gradually.
4. Exercise your mind as well as your body.
  1. Mind: take on a language, join a book club, embrace puzzles.
  2. Body: your personal record may be behind you, but set goals.
5. Make new friends, join a club, volunteer for a good cause.
6. Get to know your health care provider better…before an emergency.
7. There are two ways to stop working – screaming or smiling.
  1. Don’t obsess…get professional help to let go, if need be.
  2. Keep your work friends…they’re still friends with whom you can share.
8. Don’t make a bucket list…make a pamper yourself list.
9. As we all look at relaxing travel restrictions…relax your own restrictions and get away.
10. Invest in your community – lots of needs can reward your effort with lots of thanks.
It’s really easy to get caught up in what we can’t do as we once did, but don’t fall into that trap. If you need an excuse to do more walking, get a dog who will take you farther and show their appreciation in return. Try some new recipes, plant some new flora, see a new part of the world…and learn just enough of their language to immerse. Charlotte Bishop is a Caregiver Coach, an Aging Life Care Advisor, 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. She also is the co-author of How Do I Know You? A Caregiver’s Lifesaver for Dealing with Dementia.
You have heard about how “brain teasers” or other “brain games” like crossword puzzles are helpful in keeping a brain healthy, and they are. Working an older person’s body – and for that matter the body of a person of any age – also improves cognitive function. I did say “any age.” Getting into better physical shape to also be in better mental shape works for caregivers and for their older care receivers. If you are a caregiver to an older loved one, you may want to encourage their physical – and mental – fitness by example. Researchers have studied individuals across the age spectrum to measure this association between physical fitness and mental fitness. What they consistently find is that even small changes in physical fitness can improve cognitive function at the same time the individuals improve their strength and muscular conditioning. The mental component where they see the difference is the executive function, the part of the brain responsible for focus, adaptive behavior and sorting short and long term memory. The area in the brain where much of this happens is the hippocampus, an area that sadly shrinks with age starting in later adulthood. As the hippocampus goes through this natural regression, the individual’s memory becomes increasingly impaired and they may also become at risk for dementia. Hippocampus atrophy is considered inevitable as a person ages, but research has demonstrated that aerobic exercise can regrow the hippocampus by adding the proteins that aid in the growth of new brain cells. Now, the scientists are not saying that if you go out for a brisk walk or jog today that you will be smarter tomorrow…at least not measurably so. What they have found, however, is that people who consistently embrace even a modest exercise program for as little as a year can make a measureable difference in their cognitive fitness. Can this reverse the effects of dementia? Unfortunately, in cases where amyloid beta plaque already has begun to form, there can be no reversal. But there is every indication that a consistent exercise program can slow the progression of a dementia, and this is all that is promised by any of the medications currently available from your physician. So, just as you would not wait until you are ill to begin exercising to get fit, you should not wait until there are significant signs of cognitive decline to start an exercise program. The other takeaway from this growing body of research is that the “fitness message” is for caregivers every bit as much as it is for the older loved ones for whom they care. It is never too early to take steps to care for the brain, and the more steps the better. 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.
Thanksgiving along with all the end of year holidays are great times when all the adult children of older parents get together to have the kids send time with the grandparents. It may also be the time when the adult children who may not live in their childhood communities or may just live in another suburb get their first real chance in a while to check in on mom or dad. As caregivers we may come with something of a "to do" list, and for some of us, it is a chance to sit with our parents to take stock of just how they are doing. In this first of two postings on the "holiday wellness check," I am going to offer some suggested items to have on your checklist as ways to make sure home is still as safe for your older loved ones as it can be. In the second, I will offer some mental and physical wellness suggestions to have on hand for your holiday trip. A home wellness checklist is mostly about preventing falls. Each year about one in three 65+ year olds will fall and half of those over 80 years old will take a tumble. Here is a short checklist to help protect your loved one:
- Front Door/Back Door - If your older loved one has developed more of a shuffle from what used to be a brisk stride, take a close look at the steps leading into the house. At the very least make sure the step[s have non-skid strips or other surfaces for sure footing, and also make sure they are well lit at night by considering installing motion sensors that trigger them in low light situations.
- Halls/Floors - At the very least get rid of an scatter rugs and replace them with nonskid mats or rugs. Look for heavily worn carpeting as another risk for falls. After sundown check for how well the edges and corners of halls are illuminated as older vision has greater difficulty gauging surfaces in low light or twilight. Handrails on halls and stairs are a plus!
- Kitchens - Even for older adults who may not use assistive devices like canes, walkers or wheelchairs, it is harder to reach those high shelves or stoop low enough to load a conventional dishwasher. If the kitchen is ready for an updating anyway, these can be useful upgrades.
- Baths - Grip bars and bath tubs than are easier to get in and out are great preventive improvements. The combination of the potentially slippery and hard surfaces of a bathroom conspire to make this room a real accident waiting to happen.
- Accessible Switches - With older finger joints, the old switches can be harder to manage and you may consider rocker switches for wall switches. All switches should be about 16"-40" off the floor. For the bedroom make sure that a light switch is within easy reach of the bed so that your older loved one is not trying to get out of bed in the dark at night.
- Declutter - Beware of the fall hazards that accumulations of newspapers, magazines or books can represent. Also important will be the lamps or other appliances whose cords may clutter walkways.
Now that you have gone through the checklist, you and your older loved one will have a happier holiday and a safer new year!
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