Chicago's Geriatric Care Manager Center of Excellence – Since 1991 • In Home CaregiverChicago's Geriatric Care Manager Center of Excellence

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,...
Read more
September 22, 2020
0
0
Dementia: We’re Not Post-COVID Yet
If you have a family member or loved one with dementia, this pandemic and its restrictions have been exponentially...
Read more
May 26, 2020
0
0
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...
Read more
May 19, 2020
0
0
Caregiving During COVID: Four Tips for Reengagement
You may recall that I have recommended limiting your news consumption, because it really does add to our stressed...
Read more
May 12, 2020
0
0
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...
Read more
February 4, 2020
0
0
Caregivers and their Medicare?
Yes, you read it right. I am posting this one about what caregivers should know about their Medicare. But...
Read more
September 12, 2013
0
0

In the Caregiver's Words

Recent Client Praise

We’ve heard Doctor Fauci say it many times…that we have to deal with this pandemic on the virus’ terms, not on our own terms. But if you are like me, you get a bit weary of that and you would just like to take control of the challenges you face not feel like a victim of these challenges. I have some good news on that front. For quite a few years we have heard more and more about Alzheimer’s disease and the risk factors, but sometimes it seems the only thing we can do to avoid this cognitive beast is to choose parents with better genes…and yes, I know that is not the way it works. Well, the good news comes from researchers in our own Chicago who are reporting that there are concrete steps all of us can take to lower our risk of succumbing to Alzheimer’s disease…steps we can take even under quarantine. The researchers analyzed the data from the 1,845 people in the Chicago Health and Aging Project (CHAP) and the 920 individuals in the Rush Memory and Aging Project (MAP). They did this by defining five categories of healthy lifestyles that allowed them to score and follow these individuals for about six years:
1. Smoking versus non-smoking
2. Vigorous Exercise 150 minutes or more per week versus less
3. Light to Moderate alcohol consumption versus more
4. Mediterranean – DASH diet (upper 40% of all subjects)
5. Late-life cognitive activities (upper 40% of all subjects).
This was all like on/off switches with a person either qualifying for the activity category or not – smoker versus not, upper forty percent engaged in cognitive activities or not and so on. So the possible scores were anything from ‘0’ to ‘5’. Six years into the study, they found that people reporting two to three activities were 37% less likely to manifest Alzheimer’s than those reporting only one or no activities. Those with 4 or 5 of the healthy activities had a 60% lower risk than the 0 and 1 activity group. So, if you ask me what I will do with whatever remains of our quarantine, I am going to be sticking to the healthy list. Even during a pandemic, a clear focus on being as healthy and active as possible will offer substantial benefits, some we may not even have thought about. 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.
Do you know how kinesiologists refer to walking…at least some of them with whom I have spoken? (These are the folks who specialize in the mechanics of body movement.) They call it “controlled falling,” and we can really appreciate this if we look at toddlers just beginning their first adventures with “walking” upright…it is mostly a series of failed attempts at walking that initially end mostly in falls. Fortunately for toddlers they are built pretty close to the ground, so the falls rarely inflict any real damage. Not so with older adults. June is National Safety Month, which makes it a perfect time to highlight one of the bigger health risks among those 65 years of age and older: falls. And this is a good time to underscore the scope of the risk. Like, one in four older adults has a fall each year, but only about one in two of these are ever reported to their physicians. Yet, over three million of these episodes each year are seriously enough for the individual to end up in the emergency room owing to a resulting head or hip injury. By the way, more than one in four of these ER visits result in a hospital stay owing to a fracture or contusion or worse. If you have an older loved one, don’t wait for the phone call; here are some simple steps you can take to assess your care receiver’s risk as well as help bolster their safety:
- Assess your loved one’s risk for falling using the CDC’s questionnaire;
- Make certain your loved one gets an annual eye exam, and keep their glasses (if needed) are current with their vision;
- If you accompany them to their doctor visit, ask about their feet, posture, leg strength and agility;
- Help assess and address any clutter or other safety issues in your loved one’s “space,” and remember that a lot of this revolves around lighting and ease of access.
This last one has a lot to it. If you would like, we have a home safety checklist that you can use to identify potential trouble spots in your loved one’s house. Just email me at info@creativecaremanagement.com, and I will send you a copy. You may have noticed that I have nearly 600 postings in this blog. Please just type in “home safety” or “fitness” in the search box on the Blog…or any other keywords that are top of mind for you about your loved one’s safety. So, let’s all end this month with a spring into summer, not a fall. 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.
Get Support for Life's Tough Transitions
We understand the difficulty that sometimes come with change, especially when it affects the people we love the most. Whether it is giving up the car keys or moving to an independent living residence, we aim to help make conversations about such transitions easier.

Inside "Guide for Changes and Aging"

Develop ways to stay prepared when the unexpected strikes

Learn some of the best approaches for handling difficult conversations with family

Achieve better independence for you and your loved one
Get the Support You Need Now! Call 847-869-5118 x511
Contact us with any question. Receive our FREE white paper: "A Caregiver's Guide for Changes and Aging." [contact-form-7 id="669" title="Contact form white paper 5"]
Proudly serving the greater Chicago Metropolitan area SINCE 1991! Learn More >>
There are nearly 40 million people in America 65 years of age or older, and that number is expected to increase to more than 70 million by 2030 as more Boomers mature. But as these individuals turn 65 a number of changes can be seen between men and women. In part because men still do not have the same life expectancy, fully 40 percent of women are widows. Older men, however, are much more likely to be married than older women by almost a two to one ratio. Fully 72% of men are married or remarried versus only 42% of women. This leaves 8.1 million women living alone and 3.2 million who are singles.

As a geriatric care manager, you can imagine that the numbers mean that a lot of my clients will be single older adults. It also means that a lot of their caregivers may be a bit challenged with how to help their single loved ones cope with a social environment that is different than the one they grew up in as well different from that of the caregiver.

The first concept a caregiver should approach is that of "quality of life." Older, single loved ones want quality of life just as their younger caregivers do, but it is a different quality of life. If you are a caregiver to an older and single loved one, you might start a conversation with your loved one about that kind of quality of life they want. They may not have put it to words yet, but if you start with the right questions, you will first be able to empathize with their challenges and you second will be able to perhaps help them to find it.

The World Health Organization (WHO) says that quality of life is a person's "perception of their position in life." But their position is culturally defined and is in the context of their personal histories and values. It is about personal goals, expectations, worries and beliefs. It is about how they see their independence and their social or personal relationships. Chances are that your older loved one who may be widowed had a life partner who really understood all that, but you may not as easily grasp when they want to be alone and when they want to be active. Moreover, being active is even subject to differences in interpretation. It is not necessarily about training for a marathon or even going for long walks. It is about being engaged, involved and stimulated.

Now, it gets interesting. As people get older, they may not feel up to what they used to do to be active, activities that you remember your mother or father doing when you were younger. And all of this may be compounded by the losses they have experienced or a real depression. An attentive geriatric care manager or caregiver can listen with an open mind, and doing so will benefit the loved one greatly – just by giving words and ultimately activity to their need for quality of life. And helping your loved one find others of like mind and age in a community setting may be a very positive step forward. But do not be afraid to call upon a professional who can reach your loved one and help translate "where it hurts" to where it helps.

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
Which of the following regarding what we know of dementia are true?
1. Adolescent personality traits predict later onset dementia.
2. Healthy lifestyle is an offset to genetic risk for dementia.
3. Mid-life anxiety is linked to later dementia.
4. The more mental activity, the lower the risk for dementia.
5. All of the above
6. None of the above.
I have written nearly fifty posts on dementia over the years, and I work to give you the latest information possible on the causes of, as well as ways to address, the cognitive thief we call dementia. This post brings a lot of that together in a more comprehensive summary. First, if you answered “5. All of the Above,” you are right…sadly. Let’s take the right answers in order:
1. You doubtless have seen research and through your own experiences that early habits around health are positive predictors of health in later life. Researchers have assessed personality traits of 80,000 youth in 1960, and found that those who rated higher on the “vigor” scale – calmness and maturity – were 7% less likely to be diagnosed with dementia 50 years later in life. Check it out.
1. A healthy lifestyle can offset the risk of developing dementia. Or flipping this around, researchers in Britain found that people who were at high genetic risk for developing dementia were three times more likely to develop dementia 8 years later than those with a more healthy lifestyle. Check it out.
1. Researchers have found that people with mid-life anxiety or even depression are more likely to develop dementia later in life. Researchers are still sorting out if these mental health conditions are simply leading indicators or are early manifestations of what will become dementia later in life. Check it out.
1. You have heard about the link between engaging mental activity and healthier cognition. Researchers have quantified the link: using computers in middle-age offers a 48% lower risk of later cognitive impairment; social engagement translates into a 20% lower risk of MCI; and immersing oneself in crafts reduces MCI risk by 42%. Check it out.
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.
Chicago Nursing Homes Experts
Are you considering moving your elder loved one to a nursing home in Chicago area, but not sure if it would be the right choice and which facility to look at? We can help. Creative Care Management, is a top Chicago geriatric care service, our job is to ensure the best care possible for your loved one, while taking as much off your shoulders as possible.
What is a nursing home?
A nursing home is a skilled nursing facility that provides professional 24 hour care for those who require extensive assistance and monitoring such as short term rehabilitation patients, as well as older adults who require skilled nursing for advanced medical conditions and/or specialized dementia care.
Is nursing home the right choice?
This is one of the most common questions we get asked and the short answer is: it depends. Does your loved one need round-the-clock care? What mental state is he or she in? Answers to these and many other questions help determine if a nursing home is the right fit, given your situation. That is why when we work together, our process always begins with a complete evaluation of your elder loved one’s physical, social and mental state. Then, based on the evaluation and understanding of your budget concerns and any other needs, we create a personal geriatric care plan for your loved one and, if the nursing home is indeed the right choice, we help you review and select the ideal facility. We will also help you handle all of the associated legal matters and paperwork. We know that trying to balance your personal life while ensuring quality care for your loved one is a daunting task and we want to help. So let us take away the stress and help you navigate the process and take care of all the details, that is what we do afterall. Call us or send us an email to schedule a free initial consultation.
Get a FREE Consultation with a Certified Care Manager
CALL: 855-455-5118 x512 or just fill out the form. [contact-form-7 id="311" title="Contact form 1"]

Recent Client Praise

As geriatric care managers, we provide advice, counsel, advocacy and support for older care receivers or other people with special needs of any age. Care managers, however, also provide support to the front line caregivers to these care receivers by adding our CMs eyes and ears when the caregiver cannot be present, our advice based on the experience we have that first time caregivers just cannot have and support for the caregivers themselves.             This last is important, because the person most often neglected by the caregiver is they, themselves. They do not sufficiently care for themselves while they are involved in caregiving. That said, there are different kinds of caregivers, and the care they need will be different. We can make a lot of distinctions about kinds of caregivers, but one important dimension that I see a lot very simply is defined by the relationship to the care receiver. By that I mean, the difference between intra-generational caregiving and intergenerational caregiving. Let me explain.             Intra-generational Caregiving. According to all the surveys I have seen, one of the most common caregiver relationships is that of one spouse caring for the other. But it also can be siblings who care for one another as one falls ill, or it can be friends, cousins, neighbors and more. These intra-generational caregivers could benefit from the greater knowledge of community resources that GCMs have, the correct questions GCMs can ask at a medical appointment, the help GCMs can bring to the caregiving to avoid harm to the caregivers. This last is especially true when both the caregiver and the care receiver are older and frail. I have seen cases in which the caregiver is injured in a fall while trying to attend to their fallen care receiver. Yet, such accidents can be avoided if a care manager is brought in to "leverage" the good intentions of a caregiver. But a caregiver may feel guilty about asking for help when they perceive they should be taking care of everything. The family needs to talk about helping the caregiver.             Intergenerational Caregiving. The other common caregiving relationship is the son or daughter (most often the daughter) who is trying to be the caregiver for mom or dad. This same daughter or son, however, are also responsible for a spouse, or their own children or a job. These are the truly stressed caregivers who would benefit from a trained care manager to attend the medical appointments and to ask the right questions that will get the best care for mom or dad. They also would benefit from a very subtle form of counsel on just how to establish the new ground rules for caregiving. I hear some caregivers say something to the effect that the roles have been reversed, and now mom (or dad) is the child and they are the parent. Wrong! The roles have changed, but they have not reversed. When a child to an older parent steps up to the caregiving role, there need to be some difficult conversations about everyone's expectations and about the older loved one's dignity. A third party like a GCM can be an invaluable arbitrator, not to mention a great resource about all the options in the community that can make caregiving much less stressful and much more rewarding.             As I have said in other postings, just as it may take a village to raise a child, it also takes that same village to care for all our older loved ones!             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.
            I have again asked our vice president for senior services, Steve Steiber, Ph.D. to share a guest posting about a concept that is gaining more attention these days, especially among health care providers caring for older adults. It is all about what time of day is best for your care receiver's medicines. Steve has more than two decades experience in pharmaceutical and medical device consulting prior to joining CCM about 8 years ago. He reports:             If you are a caregiver to an older loved one, you probably have seen all the medications in their cabinets, and part of the label of each of those is a clear statement of how often to take them. Prescription medicines used to have abbreviations like B.I.D., T.I.D., Q.I.D., Q.D. of less commonly Q.O.D. which translate into twice a day, three times a day, four times a day, once a day or once every other day, respectively. Thankfully, prescriptions now say things in plain English so caregivers or the care receivers do not need to know medical shorthand to understand when to take their medications. One element that has been conspicuously absent from the labels, however, has been any mention of when to take the medications, and that is getting a lot of attention in some circles.             Very simply put, your body does have a clock that works pretty much on a 24 hour cycle which is why most people have a typical time to go to bed, a time to rise and fairly regular times for their meals throughout their daily cycle. The new focus, of course, has a name, and this research into when is the best time to take a given medication is called "chronotherapy." The focus of chronotherapy is on optimizing the timing of medications to give the best clinical effect with the fewest side effects.             In very general terms, the best time of day to take a once a day medication most often is at night time. Treatment for certain types of colon cancer, for instance, work better at night because the body's normal cells are resting and less sensitive to the agents while the cancer cells are more vulnerable. And for medications with a drowsiness side effect, why not take them at night to actually benefit from the side effect instead of fighting it. For certain blood pressure medications, it is important to take them at night time so that they are at their best in the morning. That is because when the heart is just starting to "wake-up," there is a spike in body hormones that can stress an unhealthy heart. Cardiac events are much more common early in the day versus any other time of day.             Drugs that are part of a category called "narrow therapeutic index" (NTI) drugs are most effective when taken at the same time every day because their doses typically are measured in micrograms instead of milligrams. Small changes in dosing can make a big difference in effectiveness. For any medications, make sure you also are paying attention to whether it should be taken with or without food. And, of course talk with your physician before you may any changes in your medication schedule.             In the second part of this two-part series, I am going to get into some specifics of certain classes of medications and how to use your clock to maximize their benefits. And just so I say it again, please do not make any changes in your care receiver's medication regimen without first talking to their physicians.             Please let Steve know if you have any questions about drugs, their side effects or the unique medical challenges faced by older adults or others with special needs. Please email to: Steve Steiber. And check next Tuesday for part 2.
I heard a reporter talk about cases of post-traumatic stress disorder growing during this pandemic and quarantine. I admit that I initially scoffed at the idea that our pandemic house arrest could be at all like the front line experiences of a veteran of war, but this week I looked up the definition of PTSD. Without getting overly clinical, PTSD involves:

Mental and emotional stress as a result of psychological shock,

Disturbance of normal sleep patterns, and

Dulled responses to others and the outside world.

As with so many conditions, there are degrees of stress, so I would like you all to take your stress and the stress of others in your orbits seriously and work to dial it back. Stress in the body pushes your sympathetic nervous system to a state of “high alert.” This high alert affects your ability to sleep, your disposition and even your blood pressure. So, take your foot off the pedal with your own calming methods or try one of these that are available online:

The Anxiety Toolkit – provides a range of relaxation techniques in a downloadable app, motivational messages and even a change to “ask an expert” any questions you may have.

UCLA also offers applications with a “mindfulness meditations” application as well as weekly podcasts.

A division of the American Psychological Association, covers a range of apps for stressed or traumatized individuals as well as those simply looking to enhance their own mental and physical wellness.

Twenty Minutes and one second - is all this downloadable audio file takes to work with your breathing to relax you. It is greatly helped by a background sound, so headphones or ear buds are recommended.

Relieving stress is not a one and done, so allow yourself to experiment with what works best for you. We all will get through this with a bit more wellness. 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. 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.
I had the good fortune to speak to a local Rotary chapter this morning. The question they had put to me was simply how does one plan with an older loved one for that moment that no one wants to plan? The answer is simple ... because for any conversation, you just need a place to begin. Here are five tips to BEGIN the work for your older loved one’s (or your own) future... Break the ice. Start the conversation with your older loved one…ask questions about their ideas regarding the ‘What ifs’ of life…ex: if you had to go to a hospital, which one would you like to go to?   Does your doctor have my contact information if there were an emergency? Make a list of what those choices are; include them in a Living Will or POLST “Practitioner Order for Life-Sustaining Treatment”. Make sure that your family and your health care providers are aware of the choices. Evaluate the whole person. Use your powers of observation to assess your loved one’s situation and make notes. Think about what they have told you over time regarding their wishes, finances, housing situation, health. Plan follow up conversations to learn more about what they would want in the event of an emergency. Guard against abuse. Begin to gather legal documents including mortgage information, insurance information, bank account locations, account numbers, etc. Ask about finances, investments. Investigate the possible utility of Powers of Attorney. If there are any gaps or documents such as wills that are out of date or non-existent, get new ones drawn up. You don’t have to have everything perfect, but you will benefit if you start the conversations or the personal reflection needed to begin the process. Inside out. Make a list of you or your loved ones health history, get a medical release so that providers can talk to you about your loved one, consult current physicians and create a list of medications, dosing, etc. Nest. Think about the home as safe from the inside out, not just safe from the outside in...If they are living in the house you grew up in evaluate all the years of wear and tear on the infrastructure: stair railing, worn carpet. Take a look around the home for any obvious safety issues that can be easily addressed: since the majority of falls occur at home scatter rugs, poor lighting, expired food in the fridge, extension cords stretched under rugs or in walkways. Also, expired medication or medications that resemble each other…Safety first. 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.
I have asked our vice president for geriatric care management and senior services, Dr. Steve Steiber, to share a guest posting about the recent Tylenol news. He has nearly two decades experience in pharmaceutical medical device consulting prior to joining CCM about 8 years ago.
By now most of you have heard the latest on the potential for possible deadly skin rashes owing to an allergic reaction to acetaminophen, or Tylenol as the branded medication is called. Before we all suddenly quit using this pain agent, it is important to understand the magnitude of the potential problem. And it all starts with how long Tylenol/acetaminophen has been available here in the United States. Tylenol turns 44 this year following its release to the market in 1969 as an analgesic that was quickly embraced for its ability to turn off the brain pain signals and relieve the consumer with minimal side effects. All drug companies are required by law to report all adverse events that could be associated with their drugs to the FDA. Now, FDA releases information that covers the period from 1969 to 2012 which show three types of significant skin reactions that have resulted in 67 hospitalizations, and twelve of these have resulted in patient deaths. Spokespersons have rightly pointed out that over the 44 year life span of Tylenol, to date, the drug has provided pain relief to millions and millions of people. In fact, it took that many cases of Tylenol use to find this many extreme reactions. To the twelve who died, the drug clearly should not have been used. Tylenol spokespeople maintain that any kind of rash or skin reaction ought to be taken seriously and a person should find an alternative to Tylenol. They conclude, in effect, that the benefits outweigh the costs. Now, the other panic button... Not two years ago, acetaminophen was linked to liver damage when used above certain quantities. FDA subsequently limited the milligrams of acetaminophen per dose to 325 milligrams. But that in itself is not enough. If you are a caregiver to an older loved one, be aware of how many doses within a 24 hour period your loved one is taking; that quantity should not exceed 3,000 milligrams. Sounds like an unbelievably large number, but we need to recognize that acetaminophen is not just a stand alone pain reliever. It also appears in cough and cold medicines, in sleep aids and in other pain medications along with opioids. If one takes two of these every 8 hours, and then takes other medications that may also contain acetaminophen in combination, it becomes very easy to meet or exceed the 3,000 limit. And as I have talked about in other postings, older individuals have less fluid in their tissues and they process foods and chemicals more slowly. So, arguably the total quantity of Tylenol intake ought be monitored more closely than with a younger person. So, let's use the occasion of this most recent panic on acetaminophen to resound the alarm on something we have already known.   Maybe it is a good time to have a conversation with your older loved one and maybe even visit their medicine chest with them. Please let Steve know if you have any questions about geriatric care management, drugs, their side effects or the unique medical challenges faced by older adults or others with special needs. Please email to: ssteiber@creativecaremanagement.com.
Charlotte Bishop is a Geriatric Care Manager and founder of Creative Care Management, certified professionals who are elder care management experts, 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 is 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 Caregivers often have incredibly stressful, non-stop lives. That kind of tension builds up over time and needs an outlet if we want to maintain the health and stability needed to continue to do all that’s asked of us. There’s no shortage of advice columns on ways to combat the stress of caregiving, but my problem with most of those methods is that they almost always seem like another obligation to me, and when my time isn’t being spent in the necessities of caregiving, I want my life to be as fun as it can be. Singing, either by oneself, or with a group, is an incredible pressure release-valve for anyone struggling to cope. Singing for comfort is an act as old as humanity. Mothers sing to calm their children. We “whistle in the dark” when we’re feeling spooked. In times of cultural grief, we come together and lend our voices to the songs that mean the most to us. And it helps. Music helps a lot. It’s one of the easiest things to forget that when times are tough, any situation can be transformed by music into deep feeling, or even into play. A wonderful singer herself, Julie Andrews, as Mary Poppins, provided us all with a “life hack” by reminding us what we knew as children: “In every job that must be done, there is an element of fun. You find the fun, and snap! The job’s a game.” Whistling while we work (as it were) is an incredibly useful trick to help caregivers maintain balance, but some find singing helpful enough that they take it another step and join a church choir, or community, barbershop, or symphonic chorus—whichever type of music best suits them. The benefits of singing by oneself are vast, but when we get together to sing, the benefits get boosted even more! I can think of these major benefits without trying too hard:

Increased oxygenation - You gotta breathe deep to sing. When we’re stressed, deep breathing is one of the first things to go. Singing helps remind our bodies to breathe, re-establishes mood stability, and even releases endorphins.

Physical coordination – Singing is a total body experience, using virtually every muscle group, and the vibrations act as a massage for the whole body. Singing also keeps the body acting as a unified organism.

Decreased isolation – Showing up for a group effort of singing, or offering our singing to others, connects us to our communities and lowers the risk of depression. A sense of belonging has an almost immeasurable psychological health benefit.

Brain Fitness – Besides possibly singing in more languages than English, participating in music helps the brain maintain its plasticity by learning new coordination skills. This staves off cognitive decline and keeps verbal, spatial, and temporal centers in the brain active and connected to each other.

Longevity – Singing promotes overall mental and physical health which in turn increases life expectancy.

If you’re a caregiver, find your tune, or your group, and you will have found something to hold on to through the tough times. 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 .

See all Testimonials »
Proudly serving the greater Chicago Metropolitan area SINCE 1991! Learn More >>