Chicago's Geriatric Care Manager Center of Excellence – Since 1991 • senior servicesChicago's Geriatric Care Manager Center of Excellence - Since 1991 | Page 2

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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Burn Calories to Reduce Dementia Risk
We most often think about exercise as a way to work off the calories that we may have consumed,...
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August 30, 2022
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Food Fight
When you hear the word cancer a lot can come to mind such as “cancer survivor,” “living with cancer,”...
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August 23, 2022
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The Will To Do the Right Thing
This whole idea to write up a legal document to give surviving loved ones clarity about how to take...
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August 9, 2022
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Before or After the Fall
I came across an informative piece in the Washington Post about a week ago, and it brought to light...
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July 26, 2022
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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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What You Can and Cannot Change About Dementia
Let me start with the short answer to a question we raised in the email announcement of today’s post. ...
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June 21, 2022
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A Good Habit Missing for Most Older Adults
Even among those older adults who dodged COVID, “gymnesia” may be a lingering effect. Please let me explain… What...
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May 24, 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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HDL Graduates from “Good” to Better
You may have had the conversation with your physician about your cholesterol levels during your annual physical; there are...
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April 26, 2022
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In the Caregiver's Words

Recent Client Praise

Chicago Home Care Service Experts
When looking for Home Care service in Chicago area for an elderly loved one, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed and vulnerable. That is where Creative Care Management comes in. We work with you to completely understand your elder loved one’s needs and then manage the process of selecting and placing your loved one with the right kind of care from a reliable and trustworthy provider.
Finding the Right In-Home Care
Our four step process allows us to guide you from our first meeting to the continued monitoring of your loved one’s in-home care, by developing a thorough Home Care Management plan that is unique to your specific caregiving needs.
Step One: Meeting and Assessment
Everything starts with a meeting. By establishing a personal connection during our initial meeting, we aim to fully understand your concerns. We conduct an assessment of the physical, mental and social health of your loved one to determine the ideal type of elder care service at the moment.
Step Two: Creating a Home Care Plan
Based on our assessment, we work with you to collectively develop a Home Care Management plan that covers everything from the type of care provider required to preparing for changes that may occur in the future.
Step Three: Setting the Plan in Action
When we recommend a care provider, we only offer the best. We hold our providers to the highest standards in regard to responsiveness to a client’s needs, consistent quality of service and level of training and certification required of the provider’s employees. We provide recommendations for a wide range of in-home care options including, but not limited to:

Home companion

LPN (licensed practical nurse)/LVN (licensed vocational nurse)/ CNA (certified nurse’s assistant)

Live-in caregiver

Step Four: Overseeing The Plan
As in-home care is an ongoing process, the Home Care Management plan includes our continued involvement and oversight in the care of your loved one. When conditions and needs change, we will be there to help with any necessary adjustments to the plan. If you are concerned for a loved one, but feel overwhelmed tackling caregiving on your own, our geriatric care services are exactly what you need to lift that weight from your shoulders. Contact us today for a free initial consultation.
Get a FREE Consultation with a Certified Care Manager
CALL: 855-455-5118 x512 or just fill out the form.

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Recent Client Praise

One of every three adults over age 65 will have a fall this year. This rate increases to one half of adults over age 80 who will fall during the year, some of them multiple times. On top of this, half of all falls occur in an older adult's home. With these alarming rates, it may come as no real surprise to those of you who may be caregivers to an older loved one that falls affect more older adults than heart attacks and strokes combined. As a geriatric care manager, I commonly get the call from a caregiver to an older loved one who has had one of these falls. And the fall often has resulted in serious injury, most often a fractured hip. One thing caregivers may not know is that unintentional falls result in death of the older adult in nearly 22,000 cases each year. We are not talking about just a bump or a bruise, and even more sobering is the simple fact that most falls are preventable. And, if not preventable, early intervention can make a huge difference in your older loved one's safe recovery from the fall. Here are some tips you can employ to help your older loved one be safer from falls:

Exercise. Yes, it is that simple. I have talked in other postings about "use it or lose it." It is not news that older adults tend to lose muscle mass as they age, and with this loss there is a proportional diminution of strength and endurance. There also is a loss in balance and coordination. Encourage your older loved one to take part in an organized exercise plan, perhaps with a fitness instructor who can teach safe exercise to improve balance. Research has shown that this can reduce fall risk by as much as 20% to 50%. And yoga or TaiChi can be a wonderful way to improve balance by strengthening and enhancing muscle coordination.

Home Safety. Do a search of my Blog for other postings devoted to "home safety" and you will see a lot more detail than I will give here. But safety at home starts with clearing floor surfaces of scatter rugs, worn carpets or electrical cords in trafficked areas. Go through your older loved one's home at night and look for dark or shadowy areas that may be fall risks. And be sure that a light is within easy reach of your loved one's bed so that getting up at night in the dark does not result in a fall. And be sure to have sturdy handrails in stairways as well as long hallways. Bathroom grip bars are also important as most falls in the home happen in that porcelain minefield we call the bath.

All of the Above. The most successful fall prevention efforts incorporate steps toward a safer home environment along with a more fit older loved one. To these I would also add a healthy diet high in protein and complex carbohydrates to help fuel the musculature that will prevent a fall. Although the evidence is not entirely clear yet, there is good reason to believe that vitamin D supplements also can be important as they help to maintain bone density and strength as well. Not sure how to implement these steps? If you are a caregiver to an older loved one, speak with their provider about appropriate exercise or a nutritionist about their diet. And reach out to a geriatric care manager about a home safety inspection. You may find that your older loved one may be much more willing to listen to an expert outside the family that to their son or daughter. We are here to help. 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.

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:

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Free White Paper: How to Avoid Bad Medicine

Many are unaware of the massive scope of the pharmaceutical market and all the ways in which seniors are taking more and more unnecessary drugs because of it. We discuss how caregivers can look out for signs that their loved one’s medication is over prescribed. We also discuss other warning signs people should look out for when buying prescription or over-the-counter drugs.

Inside "Caregiver Advice about Bad Medicine"

Learn about polypharmacy and how to protect elder loved ones from it.

Discover the potential danger of some over the counter drugs

Dive into many of the ways in which some drugs do not cooperate well with food.

Get a FREE Consultation! Call 855-455-5118 x512
Contact us with any question. Receive our FREE white paper: "Caregiver Advice about Bad Medicine."

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For caregivers to older loved ones in northern climates, winter is more than just a warning about dressing for the cold. Especially with the recent round of record cold temperatures across two-thirds of the nation, here are some recommendations for assuring that your older loved one will be safe throughout the rest of this season. It is the Ice. It is not just the cold that can be a threat to your older loved one's safety, it is the slippery surfaces that accompany p[lunging temperatures. With about 1.6 million Americans visiting the ER because of a fall each year, it is important to prepare your loved one for treacherous walkways. Encourage your loved one to think of going outdoors as an athletic event; wear shoes that are appropriate for the conditions and do some stretching before heading out. Skin Protection. Older skin is both thinner and drier which means that an older person will bruise or cut more easily. They also may be more prone to nosebleeds. All of this encourages keeping indoor humidity a bit higher in order to have skin as prepared as possible for the assault of the cold, dry outdoor air. And boost your older loved one's inner humidity by encouraging more aggressive hydration with fluids. Prepare for Outages. Encourage your older loved one to stock up on staples should outdoor conditions get in the way of the weekly run to the store. And should the power go out or the pipes freeze, have them stockpile a few gallons of extra water - just in case. Flashlights with extra batteries along with candles and blankets are also essential back-up, and have a system in place for regular wellness calls by phone as well as from willing neighbors throughout the season. Keep Warm. This may seem obvious, but remember than an older adult's sense of feeling is diminished with age or because of chronic conditions like arthritis, diabetes or just poor circulation. Keeping the thermostat at or above 68 degrees F is a good marker, but still be listening in your wellness calls for any sign of cognitive difficulties like slurred speech which could be signs of hypothermia. Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). The long nights and short days of winter can take their toll on anyone, but age has its own way of exacerbating depression. Encourage your older loved one to get out and socialize and be alert to the glum noises of SAD in your regular wellness checks. All of these general warning signs also should be a reason to reach out to neighbors or programs that can call on an older loved one. Meals on Wheels, for instance, is only partly about food; it also is a way to keep isolated people from becoming even more disengaged. And this may not be just about your older loved one if you are a distance caregiver; check around your own community to see where you can be that neighbor who checks on someone whose day will be just a bit warmer for your reaching out. Take heart - Spring is only a bit more than two months away! 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.
If you’re like me, you have been following too much news on the pandemic, but hopefully you also have been following the good news of the new vaccines being released. Yet, national polls show that more than 40% of Americans claim they will not take a vaccine when it becomes available, evidently a carryover of years of false science from anti-vaxxers and maybe a present mistrust of government. So, how effective can a vaccine be if only about 60% of Americans will accept the cure? Well, scientists say that until we can vaccinate 70% to 90% of the population (and this can be combined with those who have had COVID-19 and recovered), we won’t have herd immunity. Let me start with my title of this week’s post and remind everyone that the vaccine only works if you take it. Second, let me give you the breakdown on how these rather unique vaccines will work. But first, please allow me to take an historical detour to the first scientifically-proven vaccine and Dr. Edward Jenner, considered by many to be the father of modern immunology. This is also where the drawing here originates. Edward Jenner lived in the late 18^th century when smallpox was a viral killer. There had long been rumors in Jenner’s time that milk maids contracted something called cowpox from their occupation, but that they were subsequently immune to the feared smallpox. Long story short, Dr. Jenner proved that to be the case, and cowpox vaccination as a prophylaxis against smallpox ultimately became the standard of care. Flash forward to here and now, and we have some new vaccines that make use of the messenger RNA which facilitates the replication of COVID-19, but is not the virus itself. Scientists can wrap each piece of mRNA into a nano particle of lipid (natural fat) and inject it into a patient. The lipid melts away, and the patient’s immune system sniffs out some alien messengers (the mRNA) which triggers the body’s alarm system to its immune system. Immune system rallies and attacks all cells with that mRNA code and sends more of its responding troops to their ready position throughout the body. If anything tied to COVID-19 sets foot in the human territory the responding cells are ready and in force. Boom. Immunity. This should be one of those films we used to get in school about why we are supposed to wash our hands during flu season. Or some of you can recall polio vaccines and how polio has been nearly eradicated through the ongoing work of Rotary International and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation’s efforts. Rotary has this disease down to only Afghanistan and Pakistan, and sadly efforts have been sidetracked by the current viral plague called COVID-19. Yet, the volunteers with Rotary and allied organizations have been so relentless that we have very nearly eradicated polio in the world. You have to believe in something during this unprecedented time; choose to believe in the science. 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.
Gregory Peebles is a Certified Senior Advisor (CSA), Certified Dementia Practitioner (CDP), and trained Medicare Counselor, whose work focuses on helping aging adults and folks with limited independence by navigating resources and support to help them discover and lead their best life. Gregory has been a key member of the CCM team for over a decade. – Charlotte This is the final installment in a three-part series to help clear up some common misconceptions about Medicare that are more important for Caregivers than your older loved ones. We started our series with the structure of Medicare [link], and moved last week to surprising omissions of coverage [link], chief among which is long-term or “custodial” care. When folks discover that Medicare does not cover residence in a Skilled Nursing Facility (used to be called a “nursing home”), it can be startling. And if they are waiting until they need this residential care, it is too late to prepare. Managing the options available requires a little planning, though, and the sooner it starts, the more effective it can be. Several insurance companies provide long-term care packages, and some options are even provided through employers and may be available to you now —provided you know what to ask for. Individual policies are also available, but, if initiated later in life, premiums can be quite high. These premiums also potentially increase with age, and this can make the option less viable for some. Important to consider, too, in your planning, is that income typically goes down with age, and the premiums must continue to be paid so long as the beneficiary is receiving care. This means that the earlier you invest in long-term care, the more likely it is to be affordable for as long as you need it. Important services covered by long-term insurance usually include:

SNF, or “nursing home” stays;

Assisted Living;

Adult Day Care Services;

Home Care; and

Home Modification.

As none of these services is covered by Original Medicare, the benefit of having a long-term care policy is clear. In fact, home care and home modification services increase the amount of time adults can age-in-place, which is the preferred option for most. So, wherever you are in your journey, consider putting methods in place that bolster the existing benefits of Medicare and increase your options for quality of life while maintaining your hard-earned savings. It is never too early to plan! 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.

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I have again asked our vice president for senior services, Steve Steiber, Ph.D. to share a guest posting about some new research which studies what predicts cognitive decline. Steve has more than two decades experience in pharmaceutical and medical device consulting prior to joining CCM about ten years ago. He reports: "Keep you r friends close, but your enemies even closer," is advice that has most often been attributed to Sun Tzu, a Chinese military strategist of 6th and 5th century China. Maybe this is good advice for military matters, but researchers are finding increasing evidence that it is poor advice for mental matters. In fact having stressful friends as early as middle age is a statistical predictor of cognitive decline in later years. Scientists at University College London report that negative interactions with others - which they characterize as "unpleasant social exchanges" - lead to declines in cognitive test scores over the ten-year period of their study. They actually measured the cognitive profiles of nearly 6,000 British civil servants over this period, and those with more negative social relationships reported even more rapid decline in their mental capabilities. Those in the top third of "negative associations" aged cognitively as much as a year more than those in the bottom third. The differences, while small, were statistically significant. In parallel research recently reported by physicians at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, it is not just the "crabbiness" of others that can precipitate cognitive decline. These physicians were looking for leading indicators of Alzheimer's Disease in more than 2400 patients in 34 Alzheimer's Disease centers between 2005 and 2013. They tested patients for their functional capacity, general depression, a host of other neuropsychiatric conditions and dementia. The patients all started out "cognitively normal" on all these scales at the outset of the study. They found that irritability, depression and disturbances in nighttime sleep patterns preceded mental decline in these patients. But it got even more granular than that. It was like following a road map with first, irritability, depression, and nighttime behavioral changes; these were followed by anxiety, appetite changes, agitation, and apathy. Last came elation and motor disturbances which were followed by hallucinations, delusions, and disinihibition. Rather startling. What do we take away from these findings? First, we should not make any sweeping generalizations without more research to corroborate what these researchers have found. But at the very least, it suggests that if you have a loved one who is middle age or older, be aware of the people whose company they keep. It is not mentally healthy to immerse oneself or your loved one in the company of irritating people. (Maybe that is good advice for us all, regardless.) The second research suggests that we perhaps can seek professional help earlier with symptoms that may precede forgetfulness or other cognitive decline. The list is here. Take seriously the signs of melancholy or poor sleep patterns or changes in mood or appetite. And if a loved one shows consistent signs of irritability, it may be more than their impatience. At the most general, think of these bodies of research to be not unlike the research we have always seen about diet and exercise along with not smoking. The research here, however, is not about physical health; it is mental health we can safeguard with better vigilance. 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.
If you or an older loved one are at that age in the magical transition – otherwise known as 65 years old – you’re likely seeing a veritable flood of information directed at you. There is a lot to process if you or your loved one qualify for Medicare, and it would take a great deal more than one posting to convey all that you “need to know” as well as the trove of “nice to know” information. So, I’ll give you some general categories of Medicare-relevant steps and links to the details that can help you and/or your loved one make decisions.
1. New to Medicare – If you or your loved one are soon going to be turning 65, there are a lot of decisions ahead of you. It starts with what seems simple, because Medicare calls them Part A, Part B, Part C and Part D. Part A is about hospital coverage. Part B is about doctor and outpatient services, and it requires that you do some homework like identifying if all your providers “accept Medicare.” Part C is labeled Medicare Advantage and it begins to get a bit more complicated, because this is the place where private insurers play, and you may find it critical to rely on a dependable agent or insurance broker to sort out the real value. Part D is also the domain of private insurers, but the coverage is for prescription drugs, and you’ll want to do a detailed analysis of the amount of coverage for the prescriptions you currently have or what your provider can help with identifying on the horizon…especially insulin or cardiac or cancer or chronic disease medications. Click here.
2. Already Signed Up – It seems like it should be a breeze once you’ve already signed up for Medicare, but there are a lot more steps to getting what you deserve from your coverage. It starts with your visit to your Primary Care Provider, but also includes getting your account fully online, getting a trustworthy family member or friend designated as a contact, incorporate your health plans into your life, your travel and more. And make note of what has worked for you since you’ve been with Medicare and what you’d like to add in the future during open enrollments and more. Click here.
3. Open Enrollment – The easy part of Open Enrollment is putting the dates on your calendar. This year’s open enrollment window is between October 15 and December 7, 2022. And then it requires more homework, especially if you are losing coverage from an employer. The easier parts are Part A and Part B which don’t need to be changed. Part D may see changes in drug prices which may encourage a closer look at alternatives that may offer your prescriptions at better prices. Part C – The Medicare Advantage piece – also involves private insurers who may have changed the doctors or hospitals their plans since you first enrolled. And if you’ve had your drug coverage through Part D, you’ll want to give another look at what prescription drugs are covered and how well. Click here.
As with all homework assignments, it is important to start early, because there may be more than you think to be processed. Please check out the links I’ve shared here and find a reliable insurance agent whom you can trust to help you spend the money frugally and wisely. Charlotte Bishop is an Aging Life Care Advisor, Geriatric Care Manager and founder of, 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.
“[Charlotte has] been down this road before and will know just the right questions to ask.”
A satisfied client
Excess weight is not healthy and obesity definitely is not healthy, right? When it comes to your older parent or loved one, the answer is a bit more ambiguous. Picture you have been going to the physician with your older mother for a number of years, and mom has been “robust,” BMI 29, but not what would strictly be termed obese. (BMI, or body mass index, is calculated from a person’s height and their weight, and technically 30 or higher is considered obese.) This year, however, mom’s BMI is up to 30, yet she has not gained a pound. So, by the book she is “obese?” Not necessarily…this is part of what is termed the “obesity paradox.” As a person grows older, there is a tendency to lose muscle mass, and it can get replaced by body fat. There is also a tendency to lose height while maintaining a stable weight as in the case with “mom” above. As people age, they may accumulate more “protective weight,” weight that can be a reserve against unintentional weight loss. Among the young obesity is associated with adverse health impact in the form of risk of hypertension, diabetes, heart disease, certain cancers and a negative effect on most organs of the body…and reduced life expectancy. Yet, some older people who are patently obese have dodged these ill effects. These are also part of the “obesity paradox.” The fact is that a lot of their younger cohorts may already have succumbed to disease before they got so old, not unlike the octogenarian who has smoked a pack of cigarettes a day and continues to smoke without any seeming impact on their health. So, should mom lose weight? If it is all weight around the mid-section, weight loss is called for. Appreciate that any weight loss regimen is likely to result in loss of muscle as well as fat and therefore deconditioning. The rule is that weight loss in the 5 to 10 percent of body weight range tends to have positive effects. Also, weight loss that owes to real life style changes such as diet and exercise are positive. This kind of program should also include sufficient intake of protein to be safe. The American College of Sports Medicine also recommends exercise at least twice a week. This exercise should include strengthening exercise and resistance training. They identify what some call “muscle confusion” training which simply means changing up the regimen frequently to encourage a more nimble and flexible gait, balance and core strength. It is also helpful to involve your older loved one’s primary care physician to assure that their medications do not introduce issues of balance or body hydration. But beware of the physician who cautions against exercise for a “person of this age.” Don’t let them discount mom because of birthdays. Get a second opinion. And remember that it ultimately is about quality of life…and a healthy weight. 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.
You don’t have to be a meteorologist to know that winter can be particularly challenging for older adults in the upper Midwest. So, I am not going to talk about slipping on ice or hypothermia; I think most of us and our older loved ones get those. I am going to talk about four of the more subtle and insidious hazards of a protracted cold spell.
1. Winter Depression: Isolation is bad for the soul…or more medically speaking, the mind. Being trapped inside their house or apartment, older individuals may be protecting themselves form frostbite, but they also may be setting themselves up for depression. If you have an older loved one who lives alone…or even if it is a couple…make a wellness check to bring a bit of cheer to them. Social engagement is one of the best remedies for winter blues.
2. Power Outages: When the power goes out in the summer, it may mean we have to eat the ice cream before it melts. But in the winter a power outage can mean frostbite can be happening under their own roofs, not just outside. Make sure your older loved one has flashlights and back-up batteries, warm blankets and a battery-powered radio. The CDC has a longer checklist.
3. Dietary Variety: Help your older loved one not just have enough food, but have enough variety to get ample quantities of vitamin D. That includes milk and cheeses, seafood, leafy vegetables and fresh fruits. You do not have to be a culinary wizard; it is the variety and freshness that count.
4. Carbon Monoxide: For homes with gas fireplaces or furnaces that vent from the side of the house. Be aware of leaks in the apparatus inside the house as well as blocked exhaust ports that may become blocked by snow. Check on the carbon monoxide detectors in the hour to see that they are working and have back-up batteries for those as well.
And between trips to visit your older loved ones, please give them a call as well. All of this will help take the chill as well as some of the bleak off their winter. 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.