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

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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A House is Not a Home (Part 3)
At CCM, home and safety are as important to us as to you, so it’s no surprise that it’s...
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June 18, 2017
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A House is not a Home (Unless You’re There)
At CCM, home and safety are as important to us as to you, so it’s no surprise that it’s...
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June 5, 2017
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In the Caregiver's Words

Recent Client Praise

In the past two postings I have been talking about the warning signs of caregiver burnout as well as what caregivers can do to care for themselves. At the center of a lot of what can be done for the caregiver is a very simple philosophy: “Don’t try to do it all alone.” As a Geriatric Care Manager, this is where I often get the call. The caregiver or someone close to the caregiver needs somebody to help make decisions, take over some of the workload, stand up for an elder or other individual with special needs or counsel the caregiver on self-care.

There are other resources that can provide decision-making support, take on some of the caregiving responsibilities, advocate for an elder or caregiver and offer professional counsel on just coping with the responsibilities of caregiving. There are services to help caregivers in most communities, and the cost is often based on ability to pay. Look to programs such as adult day care centers, home health aides, home-delivered meals, respite care, transportation services, and skilled nursing.

Some steps you can take include:

-Find the local Area Agency on Aging. It may go by other names, but a Google search or even government or yellow pages search can give you some options. Check the Illinois AAA .

-If the elder or special needs individual is a Vet, the Veterans Administration is source of a good many support services,some of which are free to a veteran. For a map of service locations, go to VA MAP .

-There are other “affiliation groups” that can offer a range of support services. This can include the Elks, the Moose Lodge, Masonic Lodge and more. We should not overlook what religious denominations also can do along these lines. It may only be telephonic check-ups or meals or companionship, but it can be just the support or respite a caregiver needs.

-Transportation may be challenge for the elder in which case your state or local Area Agency on Aging can again be a resource.

-Just having a reliable agency to call on your elder who is relatively independent can also give piece of mind to a caregiver, and the Area Agency on Aging also offers pre-scheduled calling to homebound elders that can take some of the check-in responsibilities from the caregiver.

-Many local hospitals or long term care facilities offer day care for older adults. Because they already are equipped to meet the special needs of older adults, they often extend day services to area clients at a nominal charge.

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.,geriatric care manager Chicago, geriatric care Chicago

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According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) adverse drug reactions or overmedication result in more than 700,000 hospitalizations a year. And many of these could be avoided by following advice offered by the American Geriatrics Society. The AGS’s Foundation for Health in Aging offers advice for all of us who care for older parents or adults in our orbits. Here is a summary of the six major recommendations.
1. Ask before taking OTC drugs: Never assume that just because you can buy a medication in a drug store without a prescription that it will be harmless. Most of these drugs started out as prescription meds. Ask the doctor or pharmacist if an OTC drug is a risk by itself or in combination with a prescription your elder may already be taking.
2. Make/update your List: A lot of medical offices are very good about asking patients on every visit what medications they are taking and keeping it in their records. With every visit the provider needs to add new medications so that everyone is aware of what your elder is taking.
3. Question your provider: When you or your elder receive a new prescription ask questions about when to take the drug, with or without food, what to do if a dose is missed, is it available in generic form and what are the common side effects?
4. Read the labels and follow them: There is a fine print insert of patient instructions that comes with every prescription. Don’t be intimidated by the scientific jargon; look for the indications and usage section as well as the adverse events sections. And then take them as directed – don’t add a dose for better effect or stop just because you feel better.
5. Report any ill effects: There is a saying in geriatric circles that every symptom in an older adult should be considered a side effect of a drug until proven otherwise. Especially if there is sudden difficulty breathing or swallowing, light-headedness or irregular heart beat. If you cannot reach your loved one’s provider call 911.
6. Review your medications with your provider: At least once a year you should talk with your elder’s provider about the medications, the doses and any changes you may have noticed. And do not leave out vitamins, supplements or herbals.
For more information go to the American Geriatrics Society web site as well as refer to a list of drugs that have known side effects or other issues. This is called the Beers List .

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 Charlotte Bishop
This is not going to be a course in economics, but quite often caregivers of family members get more focused on how much respite care casts instead of on how much everyone benefits. Talking about costs first, there are three kinds of costs for respite care: dollars you pay, dollars someone else pays and what you can get for free. Starting with the dollars you pay, give careful consideration to the level of care you need for the older adult for whom you may be the caregiver. If the adult in your charge needs help with a whole range of activities of daily living such as eating or toileting, then there will be a higher hourly rate in order to get qualified respite care. If, you are closer to the other end of the continuum and mom or dad can get around quite well, but need to be watched so that they do not wander, then you may be able to save significant dollars by simply engaging the services of an aid or similarly-trained individual. Getting respite care for free? First, don't forget to consider other members of your own family. Even a brother or sister who has a day job can offer respite care in off hours or on weekends. Get to know other caregivers in your own circle of friends so that you can get some respite when one of them is willing to watch your mom or dad along with their own and vice versa. It is good for everyone when your respite becomes their chance to socialize. Check out resources for Chicago senior services, local community colleges or even high schools for students who either need to generate hours for community service or need hours toward course requirements in social work or other helping profession. And consider the following resources that may subsidize respite care:
Most important, don't forget the benefits of respite care. The most important of which is you will do a better job caring for someone else when you care for yourself.
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. Learn more about What We Do and how we can help you support your loved one.
The beginning of a new year is certainly a time for resolutions, but it also can be a time to take stock of the "big picture" if you are a caregiver to an older loved one. Your older loved one may be "doing well." But the following are brief descriptions with links to postings of their own on some of the dimensions you should track along with resources you may find helpful if you are family member or caregiver to an older adult.

8 Tips to Prevent Senior Home Fires. The question of how an older parent is doing physically is as much about their residence as it is about their personal health and well-being. Last year I devoted some time to talking about how to make an older adult's home safe from fires.

3 Tips to Avoid Scams Targeting Seniors. In the past I also have devoted some time to talking about the inevitable predators who may look to scam older adults and how to be financially vigilant on behalf of your loved one.

Making the Most of Medical Face Time. Caregivers are not expected to diagnose or prescribe unless they are a health care professional. But as caregivers, I have talked about ways to make productive use of medical face time to get answers to important questions about your loved one's health.

3 Elder Care Suggestions for Depression. And of course, health and well-being are not simply how well a person's body is functioning. It also is about their mental health. Rates of depression escalate as individuals age and they face losses and physical decline, and a caregiver should take note of how mom or dad may be doing psychologically.

Independent Living for Your Parents. While for some, being active is about physically getting out and about, being socially active can be every bit as important for aging parents or other loved ones. Caregivers may benefit from a two-part series I had posted last year about considerations in independent living.

Watch For Signs of Elder Abuse. Caregivers along with all the family members also need to be advocates on behalf of older adults who can be victims of physical, psychological or financial abuse. Here are some tips.

What is a Geriatric Care Manager? Finally, I had started this blog about two and a half years ago talking about what a geriatric care manager (GCM) is. Please check out that first post as it talks about GCMs as elder advocates and care coordinators, or as I like to describe the profession: "GCMs are the Option-Makers for the Decision-Makers."

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.
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Choose the Senior Home Health Service That's Right For You

Home Health
Home Health involves licensed medical professionals (often nurses or physicians) trained in providing aid to those who need health monitoring and assistance. This service is ideal for those who have recently been hospitalized, are in need of rehabilitation or medication assessment, or have suffered a decline in physical mobility.

Home Care
Home care provides services for those who need help with ADL (Activities of Daily Living) tasks. For instance: transportation to doctor’s appointments, grocery shopping, house cleaning, and other every day needs. This service is ideal for a family caregiver who needs someone they can trust to take care of their mom or dad while they are away. It is also helpful to those who need short-term assistance after a hospital stay or during physical rehabilitation.
Thanksgiving is just days away, and if you are like a lot of folks, you may have shifted from going to the grandparents' house for Thanksgiving Dinner to now being the host for the annual feast. And if you are like a lot of parents, you have learned along the way how to prepare meals for your children's challenging palates. You may not have recognized that there also are some unique challenges to please an older adult's appetite as well.

It is important to recognize a couple of aspects of seniors that may not be obvious. First, senior metabolisms work a good deal slower than yours and a good bit differently from any teenagers at the table. Second, their sense of smell and taste are not as acute as they were when they were younger, so you may want to adjust your dishes accordingly. But let's start at the top.
1. Especially if your senior guests are on any medications for high blood pressure, be very sparing with your use of salt as the added water retention will raise their blood pressure. Other dinner guests who do not have the same concerns can add salt to any of the items on your menu.
2. To compensate for less salt as well as a senior's reduced sense of smell, be creative with your use of spices. There is a veritable bounty of options available to use that will not make food too spicy while at the same time getting the chef rave reviews.
3. If any of the seniors at your table wear dentures, you will want to have foods that will be easy to chew and swallow. Don't believe all the TV ads that show delighted seniors eating corn on the cob with their dentures. Be careful that the dishes are moist as well, because seniors whose taste buds don't get as stimulated may not be salivating quite as much as the rest at the table either.
4. Tied back to their diminished appetites, be mindful of serving entrees that will pack a lot of nutritional value and calories. If you are worried that your recipes are not up to the "senior challenge," there is a lot of food help on the AARP ( http://www.aarp.org/food/ ) web site. Check it out.
As you put the finishing touches on your final dinner plans, it may also be helpful to just ask if your loved ones have a favorite dish they would like to have for Thanksgiving, and also find out about any new likes or dislikes. But most of all, remember that it is about giving thanks and enjoying the company of family and friends. Don't forget to have a Happy Thanksgiving.

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.