Chicago's Geriatric Care Manager Center of Excellence – Since 1991 • senior home care servicesChicago's Geriatric Care Manager Center of Excellence

Long COVID’s Long List of Symptoms
The COVID pandemic is not yet done with us in the United States, and the story certainly is different...
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February 7, 2023
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Looking Out for Your Older Parent 24/7
There will come a time for everyone with an aging parent that the question will arise, “Is it still...
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July 11, 2022
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When Being in Demand Isn’t Healthy
If you’re a musician, you want to be busy, because gigs represent a better living. If you’re an actor...
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May 17, 2022
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Making Your Holidays Happy Again
Yes, “holidays” is a plural word here. Please allow me to digress on this plurality and simply point out...
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November 16, 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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Can I Have A Hug?
I doubt there is anyone who does not have something that they have not been able to do during...
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March 4, 2021
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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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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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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...
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May 19, 2020
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Mittens Before the Frost
I was asked today about the “mitten test.” It was one of our colleagues who had remembered something I...
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September 18, 2018
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In the Caregiver's Words

Recent Client Praise

As geriatric care consultants, we always tell our clients that caregivers and the loved ones for whom they care can both work on and benefit from working toward healthier brains. We are what we exercise. Okay, we have all heard that we are what we eat, but there is a growing body of medical literature that points to exercise for seniors as being a critical element in maintaining a healthy and vibrant brain as well. We all see that the aging process takes an inevitable toll on most parts of the body, but mental decline is not inevitable. Now, the brain is not a muscle, but as with the biceps or triceps and the rest of the muscles in the body, the brain actually does shrink a bit with the cumulative effect of birthdays. But your brain does not have to lose its edge if you keep flooding it with oxygen rich blood such as comes from aerobic exercise. Increased blood flow is not a car wash for the brain; it is a nutritional floodgate that brings oxygen and all the other enriching elements of your blood to feed the brain. And exercise increases the flow. But can exercise really have an impact on staving off decline or enhancing neural health? A researcher named Dr. John Medina of the University of Washington School of Medicine cites data which show that regular exercise reduces the risk of Alzheimer's by fifty percent and the risk of other dementias by as much as sixty percent. It is not just the blood flow, but when the blood flow to the brain increases sufficiently, it triggers the release of brain food called "brain-derived neurotropic factor." This particular chemical stimulates the growth of new neurons in the part of the brain involved in memory, decision-making, planning and learning. It also helps repair damaged cells in the brain. The good news is that you do not have to be an Olympian to get the benefit of exercise to your brain. Anything you can do that increases your heart rate for some relatively modest amount of time will make for your healthier brain. If you can devote just thirty minutes a day five days a week to walking aggressively or whatever aerobic effort you prefer you will get the brain benefit. Remember all the usual cautions of warming up and cooling down with your exercise. When it comes to exercise for seniors, there are alternatives to brisk walks like swimming, machine assists like elliptical machines or bikes for those with knee or joint issues and more. Make it a priority for your daily schedule. And the real bonus is that while you are getting the brain benefit, you also may be able to drop some weight which will be great for your heart and your ego. Charlotte Bishop is a Geriatric Care Manager and founder of Creative Care Management, certified professionals who are advocates, resources, geriatric care consultants and friends to older adults and their families in metropolitan Chicago. Please email your questions to info@creativecaremanagement.com.
We’ve heard of Spring Training for those who follow baseball teams like the CUBS or the SOX, and we all know that it is easier to get out and about once the weather moderates as it does in Spring. But this season, it is more like coming out of a yearlong hibernation. So, what can you encourage your older loved one to do to emerge from their quarantine and into better condition than when they entered the safety of quarantine more than a year ago? Exercise* is not work…it’s a workout, so it’s important to find something you like. I find it is also important to have a workout buddy and to have two people’s motivation instead of just your own. Here are some suggestions for your older loved one…or for you:
1. Swimming - is the ultimate no impact activity and also aerobic. You can mix it up with water aerobics or even water sports if you can get a team together.
2. Yoga – is another of those activities that encourages strength training as well as a bonus in the form of mental and physical relaxation. I would add that it gets your loved one’s nimble back by getting groups of muscles working together in new ways.
3. Machine exercise – comes in a number of types depending on your older loved one’s appetite for work. It can be a bicycle without a risk of a fall, a rowing machine without the risk of capsizing or any number of takes on walking or jogging.
4. Weight or resistance training – weight-training should be done with a trainer or at least a spotter. Resistance training using elastic bands of a variety of tensions is so basic your older loved one can throw their “training equipment” in a suitcase for travel.
5. Walking – starts when infants take their first step, but so many older adults lapse into sedentary habits. Sitting, experts say, is the new smoking; it kills. So set a goal with your older loved one; 10,000 steps a day is the recommended minimum, and there are apps for a phone that make it easy to keep track.
6. “Other” – there are countless ways to stay in motion. Some combine elements in more than one of the above or some are simply organized into dance or other motion classes that make the buddy system a great way to find enjoyment as well as support for anyone who understands the value of staying in motion.
I started out by talking about how you can be the motivator to your older loved one’s activities. Well, you can also be the role model. Encourage them to go to the pool with you, work on a machine with you or just walk somewhere with you. You’ll find that they are very motivated by the offer of time with you, and the rest takes care of you both. *Check with your older loved one’s physician before starting any new exercise regimen. 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.
This week I asked Gregory Peebles to talk about the topic of ridesharing from the vantage point of his experience. 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. An Associate Care Manager, Gregory has been a part of my team for over a decade. – Charlotte Ask any teenager in the US, and they’ll tell you when a person becomes a functional adult. The legal driving age in our country is 16, and the license signals independence, freedom, and increased responsibility, including driving to and from a new job. Conversely, it seems also that when it’s time to “give up the keys” we finally start to come face-to-face with the reality that our time as a sovereign individual is finite. Becoming a “rider” instead of a “driver” signals dependence, limited options, and isolation. Getting out of the driver’s seat doesn’t mean all the fun is over, though. The US is just a culture of drivers, and when we lose that one identity, if we don’t substitute another healthy vision of ourselves, we experience unnecessary loss and grief. For example, aging adults stop driving for all kinds of reasons. Because it’s a big conversation, at CCM, we have tended to focus on the cognitive decline aspect, but loss of night vision, reduced hearing, and prescription side effects are still among the top reasons that seniors become “riders.” That means that there are plenty of folks with a lot of life left who may be sitting at home trying to fill the day with meaning when they could be in the world connecting. Caregiver schedules are already often stretched to breaking, so asking for a ride from a caregiver to go to something “fun” is much less likely than securing the ride to a medical appointment. Ridesharing services continue to cover more ground, and in our Chicagoland area, Lyft and Über are the most visible brands offering service. Here are 5 things you should know as you consider ridesharing for your older loved one:
1. It’s safe. – While safety comes down to the specifics of the driver, vehicle, and driving environment, of the two main rideshare choices, Lyft “vets” drivers and vehicles most strenuously. Problems with either service provider however are statistically very low.
2. You don’t have to have a smart phone to benefit from ride sharing. – If you have a technology-loving senior in your care, that’s awesome, but many seniors balk at the idea of a smartphone. So how could they benefit from a service that requires the technology? Your smartphone. You can set the pickup and destination in the app.
3. You keep some control. – There’s a map to follow, so if you’re a worrier, there’s visual evidence of where the car is coming from, when it picks up your loved one, and when they have arrived at their destination. You can keep doing what you need to do while staying connected.
4. It’s usually cheaper than a cab. – Depending on the time of day and how in-demand drivers are (rush hours tend to trigger “surge pricing”), the cost can be as little as $8 for a significant distance. A line share (like a carpool) can bring that price down even to $5.
5. Client assistance is common. – Though it’s not in the contract, drivers are used to helping passengers with luggage or other inconveniences. Your loved one needing a little extra help probably won’t be a problem. However, if you’re truly worried about it, GoGo Grandparent (https://gogograndparent.com) is prepared to help more than Lyft or Über might be. They also make deliveries and will schedule a pick-up, where most rideshares are more spontaneous.
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.
The Boomers are aging, and that means the percentage of adults 65 years of age an older has now surpassed 13% of the population and growing. It also means that the number of older adults who suffer from physical, financial or mental abuse along with neglect is rising with this tide. But there is a second level of elder abuse that will also be rising, and it provides the added insult to the injury of abuse of those older adults less able to care for themselves. The second level is comprised of those who see abuse and don't report it as well as those who receive the reports of abuse but fail to act. In research conducted by the National Center on Elder Abuse, 45% of patients in nursing homes report being abused in some fashion and 95% report being neglected or seeing another resident suffer from neglect. Yet, we do not see this prevalence in any of the other "official" statistics, because it is either not reported or not acted upon. If you are a caregiver to an older loved one, you can do something about it. 1. If you see something, say something. I am borrowing this one from the TSA, but it works here also. Regardless of the age of the older adult whom you know, if you suspect active abuse or passive neglect, report it to a health care provider, social worker or law enforcement professional. These are what are termed "mandatory reporters" who must file, but sometimes they do not. Medical providers may not wish to be seen as violating the confidence of a patient, but that is patently wrong. Keeping silent only allows the perpetuation of this predatory behavior. 2. You do not have to see it to ask about it. Especially neglect may be incredibly subtle, and the abused victim may be hesitant to report a caregiver or even a spouse who is abusive for fear of reprisals. But inquiries have become part of the standard procedure for a lot of health care providers these days. I recall being a bit taken aback when on a doctor's office visit my older parent was taken out of my earshot by the provider and queried about whether she felt safe at home. That provider was doing her job. 3. Make sure there is action. Reporting abuse or neglect is the first step, but the professional to whom the report is made needs to act on the information. This is where it can get a bit murky, especially if this report is about a nursing home facility or chain that carries weight in political circles. The state of California has passed what has come to be known as the Elder Abuse Act which is intended to counter the potential obstacles to protection that political clout can create. Closer to home, the state of Illinois last year passed a law prohibiting anyone with a history of violence against older adults from holding a job in a position of care for an elder. Legislative changes are certainly important steps, but it also comes back to my rule about the village. It takes a village to support a senior just as it takes a village to raise a child. It is part of everyone's job description. 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.
Did you have a great Thanksgiving Holiday or do you find yourself totally exhausted from all the preparations and clean-up and dreading (at least) four more weeks of the same? If you can see something of your experience in that description then you may be a caregiver who has not followed my "prime directive" for caregivers: You will always take better care of others if you are taking care of the caregiver first! I have said it somewhat differently on numerous occasions, but those charged with taking care of an older loved one along with everyone else in their orbit also need to care for themselves. Don't burn the proverbial candle at both ends.

So you agree in concept. It seems easy to say, but how does a caregiver start taking better care of her or himself? Here are three simple guides that you may find helpful in getting through the rest of the holidays. I think you actually will find that you better enjoy the opportunities for family and friends when you are in better shape yourself.

1.    Delegate! Recognize that when ten people (or more) gather at your house to dine for the holidays that there will be a lot of food to prepare. Don't go it alone. Request the two vegetable dishes from two of the guests, the rolls from another and the dessert from someone else. You may reserve the special dish that only you do for yourself, but share the opportunity to prepare the feast. And keep sharing after the meal. Those who cannot cook will clean! If you find yourself alone in the kitchen with a sink full of dishes after dinner, you did not delegate.

2.    Designate! Set up a schedule with "rest stops" for your days leading up to and including the day of the event. Set aside time for yourself just as you would set aside a break from a long drive in order to get out of the car and stretch your legs. Get out of the house for a nice walk in the crisp air or sneak away to your room with a magazine or book.

3.    Disengage! Don't compare yourself to anyone else. It is easy to set the bar way too high by thinking that "if mom or dad could do all of the work," then so should you. And that goes for recipes also. Be prepared to enjoy the meal in which everyone has a hand in preparing. In fact, it may even taste a bit better if you did not prepare all of the meal. (Refer to rule #1 above.)

      Enjoy the rest of our holiday season, and remember to take care of the caregiver.

      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.
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.