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

Independent Living for Your Parents – Part 1
The discussion about whether home is still the right or safe place for an aging parent should start with...
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October 11, 2012
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Senior Care in Action: 18 Tips for Preventing Indoor Falls
When you consider the place a typical senior calls home, it has not changed a lot since it was...
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October 4, 2012
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Senior Care in Action: 6 Tips for Preventing Outdoor Falls
It has been a long time since we all first saw the television ad for “Help I’ve fallen and...
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October 1, 2012
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Advice from the Perspective of 100
This marks the 100th posting on our blog since its inception October, 2010, and it gave me pause to stop and...
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April 16, 2012
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In the Caregiver's Words

Recent Client Praise

Deciding on whether to move and then deciding which senior residential option is best can be stressful for a senior and a caregiver, and then comes the move. It is not as easy as packing a son or daughter off to college, because relocating an older adult is really about packing up the possessions of a lifetime. Moving day and its run-up can be challenging with all there is to organize and coordinate, but fortunately there actually are experts trained in helping to make the move smoother and less stressful. These professionals know that the move and its associated packing is more than just moving furniture.

As a geriatric care manager I am not only called on to help facilitate good choices of a facility, but also to lend a hand or an ear in my role as resource, counselor, advocate, and local friend throughout a move. There also is the National Association of Senior Move Managers (NASMM); check out their web site. NASMM (pronounced NAS-em) is – in their words - a not-for-profit, professional association of organizations dedicated to assisting older adults and families with the physical and emotional demands of later life living including downsizing, relocating, or modifying their homes.

They offer some helpful advice to elders considering a move along with their caregivers. For instance, they suggest considering an option that focuses on the older adult simply “aging in place” rather than moving to a new physical environment. In either case, a change to a downsized living environment can be in order, and they assist in developing a space design.

When you as a caregiver alone or with the assistance of a senior mover help an elder in this transition think about what you will do or contract for:
- Arranging for the profitable disposal of unwanted items through auction, estate sale, buy-out, consignment, donation, or a combination of the these
- Interviewing, scheduling and overseeing movers
- Arranging shipments and storage
- Supervising and overseeing of professional packing
- Unpacking and setting up the new home
- Coordinating cleaning, waste removal, shopping, senior escort
- Assisting with selection of a realtor and helping prepare the home to be sold.
As you look to possible help from the outside or what you will do as a caregiver, it is important to remember that it is not just about moving things - it is about relocating memories. One caregiver I know recounts the story of helping his mother transition to an independent living community and the entire day it took to empty and organize just one closet. The explanation was simple. Every file and every box had a story, and having someone available to share the stories, putting some to rest and packing others carefully for the move required time.

So, while some may think of moving day as a lot of heavy lifting, it really is more about helping to preserve a biography and to share a history of place and life. Make sure you plan enough time for transitioning all the memories.

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.

Copyright ©2011
Remember Thanksgiving just a year ago? It was that family gathering when you prepared the turkey and someone brought a vegetable and someone else brought dessert and someone else brought cranberry sauce. But mostly it was the people coming together for family time, and the majority would be perhaps college students heading home for the break, but this year’s college-age kids are the majority of the 100,000+ new coronavirus cases each day. They may be filled with expectation and family happiness, but they also may be asymptomatic or pre-symptomatic So, if your family includes an older generation of particularly vulnerable adults, please know that in a recent analysis of COVID surveillance strategies at 1400 U.S. colleges two-thirds either were not testing or only testing symptomatic students for COVID. On top of it all, we are technically entering the traditional flu season. Infectious disease specialists recommend a four step to protect the vulnerable within your extended family this holiday:
1. Students self-quarantine eight days before schedule departure for home. Revert to all on-line learning, wear a mask, socially distance, and wash hands frequently.
2. Test before travel. Experts recommend a molecular test for viral RNA test; have your student ask for student as for an approved nuclear acid amplification test (NAAT). IF results are positive, cancel the trip this year.
3. If safe to travel, have your student mask-up at all times, and be sure they carry an alcohol-based hand sanitizer. Add some sanitizer wipes to disinfect all surfaces with which they will come in contact.
4. You’re not out of the woods yet. While at home, all who have not been living in a “pod” (self-quarantining) at home need to be vigilant about social distancing. And all guests who plan to join you should follow the above three steps also…okay, they may not need to do the on-line learning part. And no buffet style services, no hugs and kisses (sadly), and have lots of hand washing while preparing and consuming meals.
5. I add a fifth step to encourage some optimism. Keep a focus on safety now and also keep a clear focus on next year with the hope that we will all get through this. Just this week, Pfizer announced 90% success with its two injection vaccine.
Maybe it’s morbid to remind ourselves that the early pilgrims also had their viral scourges: yellow fever, small pox, the plague and more. They had no hand sanitizer and no vaccines. We have a lot more going for us this Thanksgiving if we just follow the steps. Have a great holiday, and start with making it a safe holiday. 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.
We are into the season of giving, but for some dishonest scammers, it is a season for taking. Older adults are targeted more often because they answer their home phones, they have more cash available and the services scammers purportedly offer are more often the services older adults may want. Older adults may be more trusting as well. So, if you are a caregiver to an older loved one, here are some of the scams you should alert your loved one to and be on the lookout yourself: • Great Investments - If there is one thing that older adults fear more than losing their mental faculties, it likely is running out of money. They may have made solid investments in safe securities, but they may be easy prey for someone calling to let them in "on a limited time offer." It may not be huge investment, but it promises a hefty return. Just remember, if it seems too good to be true, it most often is. • Cheaper Medications - With the changes of the Affordable Care Act, older adults will have the chance to save more money on their expensive prescriptions, but the allure of cheaper meds offshore is still present on the internet. Make sure that the pharmacies making the offer are legitimate - and many are - but ask for substantial verification before ordering scrips; your loved one's primary care physician may be of help. • Fake Charities - This is another one where you want to verify the legitimacy of the cause. Especially on the heels of the tornado disasters recently, there may be callers posing as agents to get money to victims of disasters. Verify! The IRS posts lists of tax exempt charities on its web site, and there is another great site called Charity Navigator (http://www.charitynavigator.org/). • Pleas for Help - What grandparent does not have a soft spot for their grandchildren? Scammers can call older adults with just enough information to appear as one of the grandchildren in some kind of trouble that requires an immediate cash transfer. Caution your older loved one not to respond to calls from "their favorite grandchild" that offer no identifying name. Verify! • Bad Checks - If your older loved one is selling anything on-line, beware of the scammer who just happens to have a cashier's check that is for an amount much greater than the purchase price. They will ask if the excess can be wired to them along with transfer of the item. This is the part where the original check turns out to be bogus, so your loved one is out the sale item and the cash difference. All of these are just some of the examples that have played out in holidays past, but be prepared for the next new scam. And know that it will be too good to be true. 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.
About one in ten American adults, or approximately 44 million people who provide unpaid care to another adult, are caregivers to a loved one. Some of that care is episodic, some of it is around the clock and the rest is at all the points in between. The Family Caregiver Alliance estimates that this work force of volunteers provides about 80 percent of the long term geriatric care management in America today. So, the vast majority of Americans who are receiving long term care support are doing so with the help of a family member or friend. But these 44 million people are not an "industry," so the result is one potential crisis at a time while all of these volunteers cope with the stresses of finding time in their days and the resources to care for a loved one. Unlike the professionals in long term care facilities, the family or friends who volunteer for caregiving typically do not have the professional education or experience on which to draw. Here are nine strategies that will help make for a successful effort for all concerned:
1. Start with normal. If the caregiver has not been in the loved one's inner circle, it will be important to establish a baseline of "this is what mom is like/needs."
2. Get a complete physical. This is a medical way to understand where you are starting and what care or treatment is appropriate.
3. Be informed. Once you have the baseline and any diagnoses learn as much as you can about the conditions, their prognoses and treatments.
4. Make a plan. This should cover the activities of daily living and more: hygiene, housekeeping, medical care, emotional support and ongoing supervision.
5. Revise and evolve. A plan is not a static set of instructions like a recipe; it is a work in progress that you will revisit regularly as conditions change.
6. Talk to an attorney. You need to be aware of a loved one's financial resources as well as any legal paperwork in place or needed.
7. Elder-proof the home. An older adult as well as an aging household can pose a safety hazard; search this blog for key words like safe home, safety, etc.
8. It takes a village. You are one of 44 million caregivers, and you will benefit from the group support and understanding that will come from talking to others.
9. Care for the caregiver. You deserve caring every bit as much as your older loved one, and you cannot care for another if you neglect yourself.
For more information and resources, I strongly recommend the Family Caregiver Alliance website, or do a keyword search of our blog here using the word "caregiver." Charlotte Bishop is a Geriatric Care Manager and founder of Creative Care Management, certified elder care management 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.
Everybody forgets something! There is a heightened awareness - even fear - of Alzheimer's or other forms of dementia especially as we all advance in years, but simple forgetfulness does not inevitably lead to a dementia. And if you are a caregiver, the older adult in your orbit may be very self-conscious or worried at having misplaced the car keys. Or maybe it is blanking on a favorite author or the name of a friend that they happen upon on the store. No one of these events means that dementia of any sort is encroaching on their faculties, but sometimes it is not enough to reassure an older adult that it is not what they fear. It can be helpful, however, to take specific actions that are known to help keep one's brain healthy and sharp.

            Let me share five helpful tips from a well-regarded neurologist named Dr. Majid Fotuhi. You may have seen him on Dr. Oz, if you follow the program. Some say Dr. Fotuhi's advice can even prevent Alzheimer's; you be the judge. At the very least, these steps can help to strengthen the brain of virtually anyone who puts in the effort.

1.    Cross-Train: Anyone who exercises routinely knows that it is important to trade off the activities of your work out; they call it cross-training. Try changing which hand you use to comb your hair or take a different route to the store or use a soup spoon with your non-dominant hand. It is not easy, but it challenges your brain to learn something new, and as the brain adjusts to this shift it rises to the challenge by using areas of the brain that may have been under-utilized before.

2.    Relax: Stress is not just bad for your cardiovascular system; it is harmful to the brain because it releases a stress hormone called cortisol. So, several times each day, go to a quiet, darkened room and practice deep, slow breathing. Change out of clothing that may be restrictive and remove your shoes to signal your brain you are serious about relaxing. Do this for seven minutes.

3.    Mnemonicize Something: Okay, so the real word is simply "mnemonic. Challenge your brain to remember five spices from a recipe by making a word out them: Salt, Pepper, Oregano, Tarragon, Sage. See how long you can make the word or use the first letters to make a silly sentence.

4.    Increase Blood Flow: If your doctor says you are sufficiently healthy, walk up and down the stairs a few times, do ten push-ups, or do twenty sit-ups. All of these will raise your heart rate and increase blood flow to the brain, and that will grow new brain cells.

5.      Infuse DHA: There is a nutritional supplement called docosahexaenoic acid which is an omega-3 fatty acid which just happens to make up a large part of your brain matter. You can get it from fish that come from colder sea water, and it also can be purchased in your drug store or health food store. It has been shown to promote a healthier, even younger brain.

If you want to learn more about any of this, Please check out Dr. Oz's web site.

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.
As we age, our bodies give us feedback we’re not used to. Activities that never required a second thought suddenly take some planning. Sometimes it’s hard to know if a new pain or sensation is something that we should worry about, or just a natural part of the aging process. We’ve compiled a list for you. If you or someone you love experiences any symptoms on this list, take them seriously and consult a physician immediately.
1. Confusion/Speech Difficulty. Call 911. These two symptoms are the most common manifestations of stroke. As the difficulty recovering from stroke depends heavily on the speed of attention to the event, it is wise to take this very seriously. Other reasons to suspect stroke include numbness, weakness, paralysis on one side of the body, or further difficulty with balance.
2. Vision Issues. Blurry, double vision? This is also a potential warning of stroke. Additionally, if you experience pain in your eyes, you should seek urgent treatment.
3. Chest Pain. This is a big one. If you have pain that lasts longer than a minute or two, it’s no time to wait. Treating a cardio event in the early stages is key.
4. Shortness of Breath. Any sudden difficulty catching your breath for longer than a few seconds should be your cue to get to the emergency room.
5. Stomach Pain. If it’s sudden, intense, and lasts longer than 30 minutes, a visit to urgent care is called for. Unresolved pain needs dealt with, and abdominal pain could need special attention. Don’t take the risk.
6. High Fever. If an adult has a fever that has reached 104 degrees, they need to be seen by a physician. The same is true for a newborn (up to 3 months) with a fever that reaches 100.4F. Excessive fevers need to be brought down. Let the professionals help.
7. Unusual Vomiting. When abdominal pain is unrelieved after vomiting, or if there is blood in the vomit, the situation needs caution and monitoring. If the unusual vomiting is accompanied by a high fever and lasts more than a few hours, children should be seen immediately. Adults should be seen if the episode lasts longer than a day.
8. Seizures. If seizures are part of your medical history, follow your doctor’s orders for managing; however, if seizures increase in occurrence, this is call to revisit your care plan. A first-time seizure requires immediate attention, as does a seizure experienced by anyone who lives with diabetes, or who is pregnant.
9. Head Injury. Take even a head bump seriously if you have a lingering headache. Head injuries can cause seizure, difficulty with speech, and confusion. Loss of sensation, strength, and coordination are also key indicators that any issues with head injury should be taken seriously.
If your symptom is something not listed above, be seen sooner than later. Aging happens differently to everyone, and health is high priority. Finally, trust your instincts. If something feels “off”, check it out. You’re right that it probably is nothing, but it’s much better to know than to worry. 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.

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Posts tagged with ‘elder care’

Independent Living for Your Parents – Part 1

Senior Care in Action: 18 Tips for Preventing Indoor Falls

Senior Care in Action: 6 Tips for Preventing Outdoor Falls

Advice from the Perspective of 100

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