Lisa Blaskie's Elder Care Blog, Palm Springs, CA

Elder Care Palm Springs, CA: Talking to Kids About Alzheimers Disease

2011-09-17T18:12:00.000-07:00

Elder Care San Francisco: Talking to Kids About Alzheimers Disease
How to Tell Your Kids About a Grandparent’s Alzheimer’s Disease
What children need to understand about Alzheimer’s
By Paula Spencer Scott

If you have a parent, other family member, or close friend who has Alzheimer’s disease or some other form of dementia, it affects not only you; it has an impact on your children, too. The time Grandma blanked on your son’s name? Those overheard long, worried phone conversations with your family about your aunt?

Kids notice more than we give them credit for. They may not understand exactly what’s wrong, or they might mishear “Alzheimer’s” as “old timer’s” disease, but they deserve being included in the situation in an age-appropriate way.

The following suggestions for filling in your kids come from Joyce Simard, a geriatric consultant in Land O’ Lakes, Florida, who self-published a children’s book called The Magic Tape Recorder: A Story About Growing Up and Growing Down.

You can adapt these suggestions to the age of your children.

Explain Alzheimer’s in ways your children can understand

Alzheimer’s is a big word that may not mean much to kids, and “disease” can sound like something catching (which it isn’t). So simplify: “Grandma has a memory problem.” Or, “George has a disease that is sort of like if you had a tape recorder in your head, but the tape recorder is turned off. When he was younger, the tape recorder was on, so he remembers a lot of things from his past.”

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At ComForcare, we recognize that there are many reasons why a loved one may need elder care. From seniors with Alzheimer’s Disease needing in home care, to caregivers needing respite care, we are here to provide quality and affordable elder care in Palm Springs, CA and the surrounding communities. Call us for information, 760.898.0000

How parents hide dementia in Rancho Mirage, CA

2011-09-13T16:32:00.000-07:00

How parents hide dementia in Rancho Mirage, CA
How parents hide dementia

How parents hide dementia provides excellent tips on what to look for and steps to take by Carolyn Rosenblatt, RN, Attorney, and Mediator for aging related conflicts.

Mon 29 August 2011

Is your mom doing more things for your dad than she used to? She may be covering for his dementia.

But isn’t it normal to become more forgetful as we age? Not according to Carolyn Rosenblatt, RN, Attorney, and Mediator for aging related conflicts. Rosenblatt stresses that problems with memory are signs of underlying medical issues.

So what do you do? You talk to your parents’ doctor and you request a neurological exam when you see signs that there may be a problem. A neurological exam can rule out extraneous factors that can lead to memory loss. These include medications, infections, stroke, dehydration, sleeplessness, depression, etc. Many of these causes of memory loss can be treated.

There is no one test to determine if your parent has Alzheimer’s Disease. Doctors draw conclusions from symptoms, but the process is not precise. For this reason, it is so important to act as soon as you note changes. Rosenblatt offers four proactive steps:

1. Get a thorough check-up from a reliable MD, preferably a neurologist who specializes in aging patients.

2. Locate and update all estate planning documents. (Use my list of essential documents to make sure you don’t miss anything.)

3. Plan ahead for your parents’ possible care needs.

4. Call a family meeting. Begin early to discuss needs and care plans with your parents and siblings.

Finally Rosenblatt reminds us to trust our gut when it comes to identifying health problems in our parents. We must not develop a false sense of security simply because our parent has not received an official diagnosis. Be assertive in advocating for solid information and be proactive in anticipating your parents’ needs.

For lists discussed above go to http://www.barbaramcvicker.com/blog/ for further information.

ComForcare Home Care Sevices helps many families with their eldercare caregiving needs. If you have questions or need help with in home care for your loved one, call us we are a in home care agency providing in home care inPalm Springs & Riverside County, CA and the surrounding area 760.321.2945 or 800.993.2945 to Lisa Marie Blaskie RN, CCM, CSA

Grandparents Day is Sunday, Sept 11th: How to Talk About 9/11 with Your Grandkids in Palm Springs, CA

2011-09-10T09:56:00.000-07:00

Grandparents Day is Sunday, Sept 11th: How to Talk About 9/11 with Your Grandkids
How to Talk About 9/11 with Your Grandkids
by Kristen Sturt

With the tenth anniversary of September 11 approaching, media coverage of the tragedy has been virtually inescapable, even for kids. Many of your grandchildren weren’t around 10 years ago, and may be too young to understand the circumstances or consequences of the attacks. But they will have questions, and it’s important to know how to reply in a way that allows you both to walk away from the conversation feeling satisfied.

Professor of psychiatry and Parents.com contributor Dr. Richard Rende recently addressed the issue. His advice is to raise the subject yourself, before your grandchild does, or before he or she sees something upsetting on the news. In brief, children-directed conversations, Rende writes, it’s crucial to relay accurate facts while remaining sensitive to youngsters’ emotions. While it’s important to educate kids about 9/11, it’s more important they feel safe about their homes and themselves.

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The impetus for a National Grandparents Day originated with Marian McQuade, a housewife in Fayette County, West Virginia. Her primary motivation was to champion the cause of lonely elderly in nursing homes. She also hoped to persuade grandchildren to tap the wisdom and heritage their grandparents could provide. President Jimmy Carter, in 1978, proclaimed that National Grandparents Day would be celebrated every year on the first Sunday after Labor Day.

When is Grandparents Day? In 2011, Grandparents Day falls on Sept. 11th

Source

ComForcare Home Care Sevices helps many families with their eldercare caregiving needs. If you have questions or need help with in home care for your loved one, call us we are a in home care agency providing in home care in Palm Springs, CA, CA and the surrounding area 760.321.2945 or 800.993.2945 to Lisa Marie Blaskie RN, CCM, CSA

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Social Support Activities Lead to Better Quality of Life As One Ages in Palm Springs, CA

2011-09-05T11:43:00.000-07:00

Social Support Activities Lead to Better Quality of Life As One Ages
August 8, 2011

How important is social support as a person ages? This may seem like an easy question to answer. Most people would not choose isolation and loneliness versus spending time with companions. However, can lack of social support really hinder a person’s overall quality of life?

Lack of social support is related to negative impacts on health and well being, especially for older people. Having a variety of positive social supports can contribute to psychological and physical wellness of elderly individuals. Support from others can be important in reducing stress, increasing physical health and defeating psychological problems such as depression and anxiety.

When considering who provides social support for an elderly individual our first thoughts are of family members. While it is true that most support does come from family members, there are many circumstances in which family members cannot be supportive (stress due to responsibilities, illness, death, financial problems, job relocation). In the United States the fastest growing age group of individuals are those 85 years and older. Due to this fact, family supports will inevitable decrease for these older individuals. A need for community-based services is more important now then ever before.

Community-based services can be extremely useful for elderly individuals. Services for older persons can encompass many areas, but one of the most important areas as discussed previously is social support. Support for elderly persons can be found in many places including: senior centers, assisted living facilities, meal delivery, religious affiliations, adult day care centers, etc. These services can provide positive social supports that can help older persons defeat loneliness and isolation. However, social support must encompass more then physical presence or conversation. Studies have shown that social support services should contain quality activities. These activities should promote positive self-awareness.

Self-awareness is key to a person’s overall quality of life and satisfaction. Many leisure social activities can be used to help increase an individual’s self-awareness. Activities for elderly individuals may include reminiscence groups, journal writing, readings of favorite book passages, group exercise, singing groups, etc. Individuals may also feel more self-satisfied if they are part of the planning of social activities that take place.

Two of these community-based service centers that provide quality social support services for elderly individuals are discussed below.

Senior Citizen Centers

Today, there are estimated to be about 15,000 senior centers across the United States. Senior centers act as a focal point for older Americans to receive many aging services. The most common services offered at a senior center include health programs (including Zumba and Yoga), arts/humanities activities, intergenerational programs, employment assistance, community action opportunities, transportation services, volunteer opportunities, education opportunities, financial assistance, senior rights counseling/legal services, travel programs and meal programs. These programs and activities can help promote positive self-awareness.

Lori Beckle describes how participating in her local senior citizens center has given her the independence and life satisfaction she thought was lost when her husband died in 2009. “ I was devastated and so frightened for my future without Ed. He was my only friend and the one I turned to when I felt alone. My daughter invited me to attend our local senior center where a bereavement group was being held for those who had lost a loved one. I met Phyllis during the group and now I have a new friend I call when I become afraid. Phyllis has helped me develop the skills to get through the tough times and focus on my immediate happiness.”

Adult Day Care Centers

According to the National Adult Day Services Association (NADSA), there are currently more than 4,600 adult day care centers nationwide. Adult day care is a program in which activities are provided to promote social support and health services to an older adult during the daytime. Most centers operate Monday through Friday during daytime hours. Social support services at an adult day care can consist of musical entertainment and singing groups, group games such as cards, gentle exercise, discussion groups (books, films, current events), holiday/birthday celebrations and local outings. Not only are these social activities provided, but participants of the program can also develop lasting relationships with staff and other participants. Adult day care centers also provide meals and health services. Adult day care centers differ from other programs for elderly individuals, because they allow the participants to develop and increase self-awareness by encouraging independence.

Amanda describes her experience as a volunteer at her local adult day care center. She stated, “ I was involved in planning the activities for Thursday afternoons. I wasn’t sure what kind of activities my older friends would enjoy so I had them share their favorite activities they participated in when they were my age (23). I soon realized that I was hearing the most fascinating stories of hopping trains, college dances, swimming in the lake, etc We decided Thursday afternoons would be spotlights of each individuals’ lives as a twenty-something. One of the participants told me that Thursdays became a highlight for her week.”

Adult Day Care Centers and Senior Citizen Centers help to provide an elderly individual the opportunity to participate in social support activities. Social support activities found in these programs can be beneficial to a person’s quality of life and overall satisfaction. With a higher self-awareness and quality of life an individual can reduce the risks of mental and physical health problems as they age.

ComForcare case managers are available to talk with you and your family about all of your care needs in San Francisco & surrounding SF Bay area . Call us at 800.993.2945 or 760.898.0000

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There’s an app for that: at your fingertips for your loved one in Palm Springs, CA

2011-08-30T12:45:00.000-07:00

There’s an app for that: peace of mind…your loved one is safe is at your fingertips

Technology is double-edged sword. The creative energy used to design and shape the glass in corrective lenses is the same innovation that harms the human body with processed goods and chemical-laden materials. While the merit and detriments of technology are evident in every new invention, technological benevolence has a new ally in the battle of progress: SeniorWatch Calling.

Today’s seniors live longer than ever. According to the Los Angeles times, U.S. males, life expectancy at birth increased by 5.5 years from 1980 to 2006. For U.S. women, life expectancy at birth increased by about three years during the same time period (1). Scientific innovation and its resulting technology have allowed western society’s citizens to elongate their existence. These added years bring many new challenges as seniors need the right kind of support between their vibrant 60’s and languid 80’s. Enter the aforementioned hero: SeniorWatch Calling.

SeniorWatch Calling, available now in the SF Bay Area, is technology’s answer to the perils of aging in place. The program involves scheduled calls, texts, or emails from a SWC representative who will ensure that the contacted elder is doing alright and the adult children are kept abreast of their mother or father’s status. Likewise, a ADT Personal Response System (PERS) will be installed free to provide additional security. You pay only a low monthly charge.

Every person is unique which is why SeniorWatch Calling is tailored to the specific needs of the individual. Monthly care manager visits and monitored medications add further value to SWC as consistency and comfort are chief priorities. SeniorWatch Calling is the only live person national program monitored by RN’s with trained care managers keeping in contact with the senior. Every measure is taken to preserve the independence of seniors for as long as possible.

The 21st century is hallmarked by many forms of new technology. While civilizations tools and amenities are forever changing, its needs remain largely the same. Safety, human contact, and kindness will always be desired. SeniorWatch Calling seeks to provide these unwavering necessitates to seniors across the nation, employing the best of technology for the betterment of all. Go to www.seniorwatchcalling.com to review the various calling plans available or call Cindy or Lisa at 888.603.2945 with your questions.

SeniorWatch Calling case managers are available to talk with you about all of your concerns to keep your loved one safe & independent in Palm Springs, CA & surrounding Riverside County, CA. Call us at 888.603.2945 . Call today to qualify for a 60 day free trial offer for SeniorWatch Calling!

1) “Life expectancy in U.S. is slowing compared with other countries.” BOOSTER SHOTS: Oddities, musings and news from the health world . Los Angeles Times, 01252011. Web. 15 Aug 2011. .

Senior Safety & Fall Prevention in Palm Desert, CA

2011-08-26T11:15:00.000-07:00

Senior Safety & Fall Prevention in Palm Springs, CA area
Falls are the number one problem for seniors and the primary reason for an elder losing their independence.

Senior Safety & Fall Prevention

Two calls in the same week, one 83 year old man falls from sitting on his bed and reaching for a sock which fell to the floor— breaks his hip. A few days later, an 86 year old woman falls out of her chair in a Rehabilitation Center as sher bends over to pick up a spoon—severely injures her elbow, though thankfully it isn’t fractured. Both go through the pain, inconvenience and possibly long term effects of a simple accident.

What to do? What can be done to help prevent these falls and injuries which can easily happen in one’s home? A very simple and inexpensive solution which can at least limit these types of falls is using a reacher or grabber. These can be purchased at your local pharmacy or medical supply store.

A Reacher or Grabber can be taken with you when shopping. It can be used in any part of the house, like the kitchen or bathroom. It is a simple tool that eliminates a lot of bending over or bending down which is so potentially dangerous to anyone with balance issues. It is a great gift for your loved one and easy enough to use. It doesn’t have the connotation of weakness or illness but is rather a handy tool to help pick things up with or reach for things in a cabinet or closet. We at Boca Home Care Services hope you’ll consider getting this for the senior in your life. A problem avoided is not a problem.

ComForcare RN’s and Case Managers are available to talk with you and your family about all of your care needs. ComForcare furthers is able to offer you an exclusive guarentee that we will provide to you at least three benefits or services that are not available through any other agency. Find out why we bake up that guarentee with $100, ComForcare is in Palm Springs, CA & the surrounding Riverside County area . Call us at 800.993.2945 or 760.898.0000.

Home Care and Treatment for Alzheimer’s Disease in Palm Springs, CA

2011-08-22T11:29:00.000-07:00

Home Care and Treatment for Alzheimer’s Disease

At present, there is no cure for Alzheimer’s disease. Researchers are looking for new treatments and care techniques to alter the course of the disease and improve the quality of life for people suffering with Alzheimer’s disease.

It is important to take ample care of yourself if you have to take care of someone suffering from Alzheimer’s disease because taking care of Alzheimer patients can be quite challenging and overwhelming.

Alzheimer’s steals so much from its victims and their families. Caregivers for Alzheimer’s patients often face a unique level of depression due to the continuously changing behaviors and capabilities of their loved one. Finding anything positive in the process is not easy, but if you look hard enough you can find a few bright spots along the way. Our six-year journey as Alzheimer’s caregivers has yielded some valuable life lessons:

* We’ve been reminded of the importance of making the most of every day. Learn to see today as the best day you’ll ever again have with your loved one. Make new memories of today that will be cherished tomorrow. Plan gatherings of family and friends to take advantage of the time your loved one is still with you.

* Learn to find joy in simple pleasures. It’s amazing how much happiness an Alzheimer’s sufferer can experience from things most of us would never think important. A favorite food, polished nails, a new garment, playing a game, a small child’s visit, a cuddly animal, or an old familiar song can brighten the world for someone with the disease. Focus on some of your loved ones favorite things and provide them with opportunities to enjoy them as often as possible. Include favorite activities, too. Some adaptations may be necessary. If so, do whatever you can to give an opportunity for the person to do the things she’s always enjoyed. One of our friends with Alzheimer’s was an avid golfer. His disease eventually prevented his going to a course to play. However, the assisted living center where he resided had a small putting area where he spent hours every day. The game was different, but the pleasure he gained from golf never left him.

* Photo albums help connect the present with forgotten faces and places of the past. Time spent looking through old family photos helps to strengthen the relationship with your loved one as you remember your common past together. Take new pictures that will become priceless to the family as the Alzheimer’s victim slips further away from you.

* Reminiscing about stories of long ago allows the person with Alzheimer’s to connect with their past, too. Our loved one who suffers from the disease is able to remember most of her childhood, but not the answers to questions she asked moments ago. Enjoying older stories allows her to laugh and provides comfort to her.

* Learn to see the innocence of those with Alzheimer’s disease. Just as young children possess an innocent quality in their actions and conversations, so do those who become childlike again due to their disease. Children can be amusing. Laughing at their behavior is not making fun or ridiculing them. The same is true of Alzheimer’s patients. They, too, can be amusing in the things they do and say. Learning to laugh can help the Alzheimer caregiver survive the ugly side of the disease.

* Take time to make friends with other Alzheimer’s caregivers who are responsible for the care of a family member. The bonds you share because of the disease will form the basis of some wonderful new relationships.

Learning to look for something positive along the journey through Alzheimer’s disease will help any Alzheimer’s caregiver maintain their own sanity and wellbeing while caring for their loved one.

ComForcare case managers are available to talk with you and your family about all of your care need in Plam Springs, CA and the surrounding Riverside County area. Call us at 800.993.2945 or 760.898.0000

Talking with Elderly Parents in Rancho Mirage, CA

2011-06-15T18:59:00.000-07:00

Conversations can be hard with parents especially with their children so inserting a professional or a trusted friend can sometimes be beneficial. Dianna has some good thoughts here…

Written By : Dianna Malkowski

Caring for your elderly parents can be a challenging task. As the body gets older, it falls victim to a number of health problems, which can be difficult for us to cope with. Seniors often become depressed and upset over small things because their bodies are unable to keep up with their minds. Other seniors will have mental health problems, which takes its toll on them and everyone around them. You will need to make some simple modifications to their home and shop for things that you may not have imagined like incontinence pads and enemas.
In order to properly care for your elderly parents, you need to learn how to communicate with them. Here are 5 simple ways you can open the lines of communication and build a strong and healthy relationship with your parents:

Show them respect. Just because you need to come over every morning and get them ready for the day does not mean they are a child. Your parents want you to still look upon them as the parents, not as an infant that needs care. Show them respect by treating them as your equal. You still need to sit down with them and ask them for advice and their opinions. Give them the opportunity to share their opinions instead of making it for them. They need to make their voice heard; even if you think what they have to say is a little odd.

Learn how to listen to your elderly parents. Parents like to be heard by their children, no matter what age they are. You need to respect them by listening to what they have to say. Truly listen to them instead of pretending to listen. When they are talking, give them your complete attention. Sit down with them and let them tell stories for hours and engage in fun conversations. Sometimes listening can be difficult and you may not hear exactly what they said, so you need to follow up with clarification questions. This is a great way to make their life a little easier and to make your care giving time more enjoyable.

Remain calm. Elderly parents may be slipping into the early stages of dementia and sometimes they say things that they don’t mean. Many researchers have found that some elderly people tend to think they can say whatever is on their mind and people cannot combat it because they are “old”. Be mindful of things that your elderly parents may say that are hurtful. Instead of lashing out at them when they say something hurtful, take a deep breath and walk away. If they continue to exhibit this behavior, kindly confront them about it and express your feelings. You may need to talk to their doctor about it because they may have dementia or it could indicate that they have suffered a small stroke.

Have rules and boundaries. As a caregiver you are giving up a large part of your life for your elderly parents. They will recognize this sacrifice and devotion to them so you don’t need to constantly tell them. It is important for you to set some boundaries and rules with your elderly parents to keep your relationship strong and healthy. Let them know that some of their requests are unreasonable and learn how to tell them no. If your elderly parents cause too much stress on other loved ones, try to limit your visit at that person’s home. Keeping it short and sweet may be easier for some of your siblings that do not understand dementia.

Love them. The best way to open up the lines of communication with your parents is to simply love them. Acknowledge when they do things that try to help you out. They may not be able to do things the way you want, but they are trying. Always tell them how much you appreciate them and love having them in their life so they know they are needed.

At CareGiver Partnership we offer knowledge and resources to help those who help others. Caring for the elderly is a rewarding but, often difficult undertaking. Working hand-in-hand with caregivers is our passion. We provide many different items which can be utilized in and out of the home of your patient or loved one.

Please visit: http://www.caregiverpartnership.com for more information.

ComForcare helps many families with their eldercare caregiving needs. If you have questions or need help with home care for your loved one, call us we are a home care agency providing in home care in Rancho Mirage,CA and surrounding area. Call us at 760.321.2945 or 800.993.2945

Living With Cancer in Palm Springs, CA

2011-05-30T14:45:00.000-07:00

Written By : Dr. James Pendergraft
My visit with a Hospice Cancer patient today reminded me of this article. An information article for families caring for a Cancer patient. Lisa Marie Blaskie RN, CCM, CSA

It is the diagnosis that nobody wants to hear. Despite all the advancements the field of medical science has made especially in the treatment and cure of cancer, cancer as a diagnosis is dreaded by all people alike. Cancers are of many kinds and they affect many parts of the body. Some cancers are found predominantly in women while others like prostate cancer are exclusively found in men.

Cancer can be extremely stress inducing. Stress is a state of physical or mental unrest. Stress is the condition when you find things not going your way and worrying and anxiously pondering over the situation again and again adds to the tension. Any illness can lead to stress and also stress can lead to many other illnesses like diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, depression and even cancer.

Cancer has become very much treatable today and there are many individuals who have survived the once fatal disease. Having cancer can cause people to become depressed due to the thoughts of death and mortality which become very active in their subconscious. Depression if not checked can lead to further stress. Another stressful thought caused by cancer is the thought of the mounting medical bills. Chemotherapy and radiation sessions are not inexpensive. Add this to the hospital, medication and doctor’s costs and you have a huge medical bill in front of you. Your medical insurance many not cover all of these expenses and it could all lead to a drain on your finances. Worrying about depleting finances can lead to stress and other negative conditions.

It is important to keep a check on stress because untreated stress can lead to many other health complications. There are ways to tackle the stress which an illness brings on. It is important to stay in a positive frame of mind and in a cheerful demeanor. It is definitely not easy when one is undergoing treatment for a possibly fatal disease but at least that effort should be made. The treatment of cancer or any other life threatening condition becomes faster and quicker when a positive attitude is maintained.

In order to stay in a positive mind frame one can join a cancer group where patients with cancer or cancer survivors meet and speak about their battles or victories. These real life stories can be inspiring and can give one the determination and courage to go through the treatment. Another way to beat the stress is to read awe inspiring books about people who have beat the odds and come out victorious.

Taking the effort to make those little lifestyle changes while undergoing treatment for cancer can make the recovery faster and smoother. You can change your diet and increase the intake of fresh fruits, leafy green vegetables, and mineral and protein rich foods and anti oxidants rich foods like green tea for instance. The body becomes strongest and gains immunity which in turn is good for the treatment of cancer.

No matter what kind of cancer one has acquired, treatment and cure are not impossible if every sincere effort is taken along with constant prayers to God.

ComForcare helps many families with their eldercare caregiving needs. If you have questions or need help with home care for your loved one, call us at 888-243-6201. We are a home care agency providing in home care in Palm Springs, CA and the surrounding area or direct to 760.321.2945 or 800.993.2945 to Lisa Marie Blaskie RN, CCM, CSA

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Downsizing, Organizing, Handicap Remodeling or Relocating in Palm Springs, CA

2011-05-22T09:52:00.000-07:00

When Robert and Anne bought their family home thirty years ago, their plan was to live through retirement in this home. They had furnished their home with refurbished antiques acquired from their many trips together. It was one of their cherished antique coffee tables that Robert tripped over, breaking his hip. Now with his return from the hospital in a wheelchair, the overwhelming task of making their home accessible for Robert’s wheelchair and safe for both of them faced Anne.

Remodeling for wheelchair access, organizing home furnishings and daily living items or downsizing and relocating to a smaller living area are monumental tasks that are many times thrust on senior home owners. Sometimes the need to do this is brought on by injury or age related illness. Home and yard maintenance can become a daunting chore for even the healthiest of seniors, requiring them to make a downsizing decision.

There is a large and growing industry of specialists who understand these challenges of elderly homeowners and are ready and willing to help with remodeling, organizing or the sale of the home and with the move to a new location.

A professional organizer provides skills in making the home safe and manageable. Relocating furniture, removing hazards such as electrical cords, throw rugs, heavy objects on shelves that might fall are some of the ways they make a home more senior friendly. They specialize in helping seniors part with items that clutter or have no valued use, so to make rooms less crowded or to make ready for a move to a smaller living space.

Handicap remodeling services and senior safety services offer help in adding wheelchair ramps and widening doorways. Bathrooms are made more accessible and safe, with hand rails, walk-in bath facilities and easier access to toilets.

If moving to a smaller retirement home or care facility is the best solution there is another senior specialty provider to call on called a Seniors Real Estate Specialist.

The Senior Real Estate Specialist concentrates more on a complete service package for the sale of the property and/or the purchase of a new living arrangement. The specialist also arranges for the services of a relocation specialist or Senior Move Manager to provide a complete, stress-free package for the elderly homeowner.

A move often requires downsizing and getting rid of a tremendous number of acquired possessions. The relocation specialist or Senior Move Manager, as they are often called, will typically provide a turnkey operation that includes assessing and identifying items to keep, arranging for auction or other disposal, cleaning the home, moving the belongings and setting up the new residence. The manager may also work closely with a real estate agent to arrange for the sale of the home and may also be involved in the financial transactions necessary to move into a new living arrangement.

All the help available to seniors may in itself be overwhelming. How do seniors choose the right service provider for their needs? How do they know they will hire someone qualified, responsible and honest? Area Agencies on Aging and State Better Business Bureaus are good resources to check out available service providers.

Family, friends and religious leaders can be valuable resources to seniors in referring service providers and helping to manage the hiring and supervision.

The National Care Planning Council’s website www.longtermcarelink.net provides educational articles and information on eldercare providers throughout the nation.

ComForcare helps many families with their eldercare caregiving needs. If you have questions or need help with home care for your loved one. We are a home care agency providing in home care in Palm Springs, CA,and the surrounding area or direct to 760.321.2945 or 800.993.2945 to Lisa Marie Blaskie

How to Begin Elderly Care in Your Home in Palm Springs, CA

2011-05-05T15:52:00.000-07:00

May 5th, 2011 | Author: lisa More seniors and elderly parents and grandparents are aging in a home environment, some in their own homes, others in the homes of relatives. If you have an elderly person moving in to your home for senior care, make your home ready and senior-friendly. Doing so helps to prevent accidents, create an environment that makes it easier to provide care and access, and offer greater independence and mobility for the elderly.

Step 1
Create a safe environment for your senior loved one. Walk through the house room by room, looking for potential hazards, and fall risks. Fasten carpets and runners securely to the floor so they don’t slip or shift. Rearrange furniture if necessary, so your loved one can get around with her walker or cane without bumping into tables and chairs. Contact a local home care agency that has an RN on staff and in many cases they will provide a free home assessment to help you with this process.

Step 2
Create a fall-proof bathroom. Place non-skid strips or mats in and in front of the bathtub, toilet and sink area. Install grab bars in the tub or shower and beside the toilet. Raised toilet seats may help the elderly access the facilities more independently and provide additional security for those with vision or balance problems. If your loved one has dementia, place electrical appliances in secured areas and cover electrical plates with plugs.

Step 3
Install night-lights in hallways, bedrooms and bathroom so your elderly loved one can go to the bathroom at night unassisted. Make sure lighting fixtures have bright enough bulbs to aid mobility and daily living activities in the living area, kitchen and bedroom and bathroom.

Step 4
Protect your loved one from ordinary objects and appliances if she’s been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s or dementia. Unplug appliances when you’re at work, or remove knobs from gas stoves. Place blenders or toasters in a secured cupboard if possible. Place knives and other cutting utensils in a locked drawer. Remove plastic fruit from the table or counter.

Step 5
Reduce fall risks by placing kitchen objects like dishes or cooking utensils lower than shoulder height for seniors. Remove stepladders or benches from the kitchen. Plastic dishes may be easier for seniors to lift, wash and put away than heavy ceramic or glass dishware.

Step 6
Secure beds and chairs to make sure they won’t roll or slide when your loved one sits down or gets up, especially for those with lower body weakness. Such individuals often “plop” into chairs or onto beds. Make sure Mom has a chair with arms to help her get up and sit down safely. If she uses a nearby bedside table or end table to help her get up or down, make sure it won’t slide or tip over.

Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/355477-how-to-begin-elderly-care-in-your-home/#ixzz1CetklNZR

ComForcare helps many families with their Alzheimer’s caregiving needs. If you have questions or need help with home care for your loved one, call us at 888-243-6201. We are a home care agency providing in home care in Palm Springs, CA and the surrounding area or direct to 760.321.2945 or 800.993.2945 to Lisa Marie Blaskie

Can Too Much Vitamin D Be Hazardous to Your Health? in Palm Springs, CA

2011-05-01T10:23:00.000-07:00

Can Too Much Vitamin D Be Hazardous to Your Health? in Palm Springs, CA
Katherine Hobson addresses an issue with over the counter vitamins (OTC) and how one type has been proven that too much is bad. That is probably ditto to many other OTC vitamins taken in excess. Share with your doctor all medications prescribed or OTC.

By Katherine Hobson
The Institute of Medicine has finally weighed in on the issue of how much vitamin D we should be getting.

As the WSJ’s Melinda Beck reports today, the 600 international units now recommended for most of us is three times the old recommendation of 200 IUs, but it’s a lot less than what some advocates say we need. Low levels of the vitamin have been associated with a host of ills, including heart disease and some cancers, but that’s a far cry from showing that increasing intake will protect against those problems. For our seniors it is even more important to discuss all medications with your physician.

Patsy Brannon, a professor of nutritional sciences at Cornell University and member of the IOM panel that produced the report, tells the WSJ that the group paid attention to possible risks of taking too much of the vitamin. The group raised the upper limit of safe consumption for vitamin D to 4,000 IUs, saying that “the risk for harm begins to increase” after that. (It also found a 2,000 IU safe intake ceiling for calcium, the other nutrient covered by the report.)

So what happens when people take too much vitamin D? At very high levels — above 10,000 IUs a day — there’s a risk of kidney and tissue damage, the report says. In addition, “the lack of data on the safety of higher intakes of vitamin D when used chronically is very concerning,” the report says.

A recent editorial in the American Journal of Epidemiology discussing the issue of anti-cancer claims for various vitamins over the years notes that an analysis of existing research found no association between levels of vitamin D in the blood and several cancers. But it did find that “the risk of pancreatic cancer was doubled for those in the highest quintile of circulating vitamin D levels.” The editorialist, Tim Byers of the University of Colorado Comprehensive Cancer Center and the Colorado School of Public Health, continues:

This observation is disconcerting both because pancreatic cancer is now the fourth leading cause of cancer death in the United States and because the proponents of the vitamin D hypothesis are now arguing that substantially elevating circulating blood concentrations into that range should be a nutritional policy objective for the general population.

Brannon tells the WSJ that the panel also saw a tentative association between death from prostate cancer and other causes in men with high blood levels of the vitamin, though it may not ever be possible to test the validity of those connections. For our elders these high levels can be a significant issue.

But it’s worth noting that when it comes to vitamins, more is not always better. As Byers writes:

We now know that supernutritional levels of vitamins taken as supplements do not emulate the apparent benefits of diets high in foods that contain those vitamins, and we now know that taking vitamins in supernutritional doses can cause serious harm. In short, we have found that the reality of human biology is far more complex than is suggested by our simple ideas.

ComForcare helps many families with their Alzheimer’s caregiving needs. If you have questions or need help with home care for your loved one, call us at 888-243-6201. We are a home care agency providing in home care in Palm Springs, CA and the surrounding area or direct to 760.321.2945 or 800.993.2945 to Lisa Marie Blaskie

Can Too Much Vitamin D Be Hazardous to Your Health? in Rancho Mirage, CA

2011-04-26T20:38:00.000-07:00

Katherine Hobson addresses an issue with over the counter vitamins (OTC) and how one type has been proven that too much is bad. That is probably ditto to many other OTC vitamins taken in excess. Share with your doctor all medications prescribed or OTC.

By Katherine Hobson
The Institute of Medicine has finally weighed in on the issue of how much vitamin D we should be getting.

As the WSJ’s Melinda Beck reports today, the 600 international units now recommended for most of us is three times the old recommendation of 200 IUs, but it’s a lot less than what some advocates say we need. Low levels of the vitamin have been associated with a host of ills, including heart disease and some cancers, but that’s a far cry from showing that increasing intake will protect against those problems. For our seniors it is even more important to discuss all medications with your physician.

Patsy Brannon, a professor of nutritional sciences at Cornell University and member of the IOM panel that produced the report, tells the WSJ that the group paid attention to possible risks of taking too much of the vitamin. The group raised the upper limit of safe consumption for vitamin D to 4,000 IUs, saying that “the risk for harm begins to increase” after that. (It also found a 2,000 IU safe intake ceiling for calcium, the other nutrient covered by the report.)

So what happens when people take too much vitamin D? At very high levels — above 10,000 IUs a day — there’s a risk of kidney and tissue damage, the report says. In addition, “the lack of data on the safety of higher intakes of vitamin D when used chronically is very concerning,” the report says.

A recent editorial in the American Journal of Epidemiology discussing the issue of anti-cancer claims for various vitamins over the years notes that an analysis of existing research found no association between levels of vitamin D in the blood and several cancers. But it did find that “the risk of pancreatic cancer was doubled for those in the highest quintile of circulating vitamin D levels.” The editorialist, Tim Byers of the University of Colorado Comprehensive Cancer Center and the Colorado School of Public Health, continues:

This observation is disconcerting both because pancreatic cancer is now the fourth leading cause of cancer death in the United States and because the proponents of the vitamin D hypothesis are now arguing that substantially elevating circulating blood concentrations into that range should be a nutritional policy objective for the general population.

Brannon tells the WSJ that the panel also saw a tentative association between death from prostate cancer and other causes in men with high blood levels of the vitamin, though it may not ever be possible to test the validity of those connections. For our elders these high levels can be a significant issue.

But it’s worth noting that when it comes to vitamins, more is not always better. As Byers writes:

We now know that supernutritional levels of vitamins taken as supplements do not emulate the apparent benefits of diets high in foods that contain those vitamins, and we now know that taking vitamins in supernutritional doses can cause serious harm. In short, we have found that the reality of human biology is far more complex than is suggested by our simple ideas.

ComForcare helps many families with their Alzheimer's caregiving needs. If you have questions or need help with home care for your loved one, call us at 888-243-6201. We are a home care agency providing in home care in Palm Springs, CA and the surrounding area or direct to 760.321.2945 or 800.993.2945 to Lisa Marie Blaskie

How to sabotage a doctor’s appointment in Palm Desert, CA

2011-04-17T09:47:00.000-07:00

by Diana E. Lee Diana speaks from her experience an experience all to common. These behaviors effect all of us but especially our senior population. None of us really wants to sabotage a doctor’s appointment through our own behavior. But it’s easy to do just that by not paying attention to the factors within our control that affect the quality of our appointments. These are some behaviors to avoid at all costs: 1. Show up late for appointments. It’s an unfortunate fact that sometimes our doctors keep us waiting. But it doesn’t do any good to do the same and be late for our appointments. Keeping them waiting leaves you very little time for an already short appointment and takes away the doctor and staff’s ability to provide good care. Not to mention that it’s completely rude. Make your care a priority and be on time. Usually the elder person does show up on time for appointments. The general population is another story. 2. Come unprepared. Being prepared for your appointment just makes sense. What questions have been on your mind? How have your medications and other treatments been working? Are you experiencing side effects or do you have other concerns? Have you heard about a newer medication or treatment? Being a partner in your own care is key to making the most of your health. Your doctor can only do so much without your cooperation and coming prepared to your appointments is a big part of that. Big problem with the elderly and a lot of the general population. ComForcare and many other agencies like Support At Home in Sacramento do a good job helping our seniors. 3. Don’t tell the staff how your medications or other treatments have changed since your last appointment. If you see other doctors you must assume it is your responsibility to keep the others informed about medication and treatment changes. Some doctors and their staffs are great about keeping everyone on your team in the loop, but this is rare. It’s in your best interest to come to each appointment prepared to help the staff update your file with the latest information. Big problem for seniors their families need to watch this. 4. Don’t ask questions. Asking questions is imperative! Try to come with a list of questions already prepared, but also be ready to ask on the spot questions about new medications or treatments or other issues that occur to you during the appointment. ComForcare has trained staff to assist with this issue. 5. Leave your cell phone ringer on, take calls or text during your appointment. Let’s face it: This behavior is not only distracting to you and your doctor, it’s flat out rude. Why sabotage your relationship with your doctor by being rude? You’re also wasting your limited time with your doctor if you’re not fully presenting and paying attention. If you have an emergency just tell the staff up front. Diana E. Lee is a chronic migraine patient who blogs at Somebody Heal Me. Thank you Diana for your important comments. ComForcare case managers are available to talk with you and your family about all of your care needs, including, proper diets, how to reduce caregiver stress while providing better, affordable care. ComForcare is a full home care agency providing In Home Care in San Francisco CA and the surrounding areas. Call us at 800.993.2945 or 760.321.2945 Bookmark on Delicious Digg this post Recommend on Facebook Share on Linkedin share via Reddit Share with Stumblers Tweet about it Subscribe to the comments on this post Print for later Bookmark in Browser Tell a friend

Improving Health with a Furry Friend in Palm Springs, CA

2011-04-09T09:23:00.000-07:00

Improving Health with a Furry Friend in Palm Springs, CA
Pets are healers. The blind love and affection that animals can bring to their owners is like therapy. They are friends, companions, and a three-ring circus-act all wrapped up in one. Needing to take responsibility for another life brings meaning to one’s own life, and keeps one active and useful.
Years ago my grandmother was grieving for the loss of my grandfather. She went through a year of unbearable loneliness and pain. My father finally got the idea to buy her a dog. That’s when Henry the white Bijon Frise came into the family. Grandma’s spirits immediately lifted with this new companion beside her during life’s difficult times.

Research shows that pets make seniors healthier. Contact with animals can lower blood pressure, increase survival rates in cardiac patients, lower stress levels, reduce bone loss, lower cholesterol, and improve circulation. All of this shows that any furry friend– dog, cat, rabbit, or even a chinchilla– makes for a longer, happier, healthier life in a seniors life.

Commitment to your new friend

Before adopting an animal, understand the commitment that’s necessary. Make sure you have enough time and money available to you.

Ask yourself what kind of a pet you want to adopt. Did you love having a little bird when you were growing up? Are you a dog person or cat person? For those more physically fit, a dog would be a fun choice. Dogs require more physical exercise and play-time. If you’re not as mobile, a cat provides a wonderful lap-buddy with less necessary care-time.

Do you have the energy to train a young pet? If you do not, an older pet is a better option. Older pets are calmer and are usually already house-trained.

How to adopt

There are plenty of programs out there that can help you adopt the right pet. The first place you might want to look is your local animal shelter. There are a number of advantages to this. You can more easily find an older pet, there’s a better selection to choose from, and it’s more economical this way. Adoption fees are very low compared to the price of an animal from a breeder or pet store, and usually include the price of spay or neuter procedures and vaccinations.

Some shelters also have the benefit of programs that waive adoption fees for elder citizens. Ask your local shelter about such programs, and also any needed support or advice for new pet owners. They’re always happy to help.

www.petfinder.com

www.adoptapet.com

www.adoptme.com

ComForcare case managers are available to talk with you and your family about all of your care needs, including, proper diets, how to reduce caregiver stress while providing better, affordable care. ComForcare is a full home care agency providing In Home Care in Palm Springs, CA & Riverside County and the surrounding areas. Call us at 800.993.2945 or 760.321.2945

Transition Of Care What Your Home Care Agency Should Provide in Palm Desert, CA

2011-04-01T18:53:00.000-07:00

Transition Of Care What Your Home Care Agency Should Provide in Palm Desert, CA
Following your post-discharge instructions will help provide the best situation for a successful recovery, with the fewest complications as long as you have qualified home care services. Having a full service agency supervised by RN’s is an integral part of that successful recovery.

According to Dr. Carolyn Clancy of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHQR), millions of patients each year are discharged from the hospital, only to end up being readmitted. Clancy says, “Often it’s because patients and caregivers don’t understand what they need to do to take care of themselves or their loved ones after a hospital stay.” The full service RN supervised in home care plan goes further than just “understanding.” Proper protocols, follow-up supervision help insure a safe & successful recovery.

This “revolving door” is such a major (and costly) problem for our healthcare system that Medicare has stopped paying hospitals for additional costs that result when certain preventable conditions cause patients to end up back in the hospital. Today, much attention is being paid to reducing hospital re-admission.

Things to know about hospital stays today:

Patients are discharged sooner than ever. You may have heard the term “quicker and sicker.” Hospital stays are on the whole much shorter than they used to be. Some patients are discharged to a skilled nursing facility or other care community. Many others return home while they still need help managing their recovery.

“Bed rest” is becoming a thing of the past. Resuming physical activity is now known to promote faster healing. A recent study from the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston showed that hospitalized elderly patients who literally “get back on their feet” while still in the hospital can go home sooner. The stakes are high, says researcher Glenn Ostir: “Do patients rebound and do better, or do they wind up in a downward spiral that leads to increased re-hospitalization?” Immobility decreases the chances of a smooth recovery.

Successful recovery depends on compliance with discharge instructions. But the recovery regimen can be challenging and complex. Patients who are in pain, perhaps taking medications that leave them groggy, are in no shape to understand this information. It is recommended—and in many cases required—that the patient be accompanied upon discharge, and have assistance at home.

It’s important to have a plan. Patients should discuss aftercare with the healthcare provider or hospital discharge planner before they leave—before their treatment, if that’s possible. They should take notes and bring a list of questions. How long is recovery expected to take? What is the best setting for recovery? What are the financial considerations? What kind of care will be needed?

Families may be unavailable or unable to provide the care their loved one needs. Many family members are called upon to serve as caregivers for recovering patients, but they often feel unprepared. They may lack the physical strength and training to perform unaccustomed care tasks. Changing a dressing and helping a loved one to the toilet are out of the comfort zone for many!

The role of home care

In some cases, patients are discharged to a nursing home or other care community for recovery and rehabilitation. But many patients who might have formerly required institutional care can now be treated in the comfortable and familiar surroundings of their own home. Home health care aides or in-home companions may be part of the solution. In-home caregivers support successful recovery by:

Encouraging medication compliance by providing medication reminders, taking the patient to the pharmacy or picking up prescriptions, and reporting any side effects. A full service agency with RN supervision can also provide Medication Management as well as ongoing patient education.

Providing supervision and an extra measure of confidence as the patient resumes the physician’s prescribed activity and exercise plan.

Ensuring that the home is a good recovery environment by performing housekeeping tasks that the patient shouldn’t, being watchful for hazards that might cause the patient to fall, and providing reassuring companionship.

Assisting patient with the activities of daily living, such as dressing, bathing, eating, transferring from bed to chair, and toileting.

Transporting the patient to outpatient follow-up appointments, physical therapy and other outside-the-home activities; and coordinating home visits from physical therapist and other providers.

Supporting family caregivers by providing peace of mind when family have time conflicts with jobs and other responsibilities, live at a distance, or have health needs of their own that make it difficult to provide care.
For more and more patients today, in-home care helps assure successful recovery in the comfort of their own homes.

Learn More

The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality recently released a new resource to help patients prepare for leaving the hospital. Taking Care of Myself: a Guide for When I Leave the Hospital is based on a Boston University Medical Center program whose participants experienced 30% fewer readmissions.

ComForcare case managers are available to talk with you and your family about all of your care needs, including, proper diets, how to reduce caregiver stress while providing better, affordable care. ComForcare is a full home care agency providing In Home Care in the Palm Springs, CA are & surrounding Riverside County Call us at 800.993.2945 or 760.321.2945

Gardening Through the Seasons of Life in Palm Desert, CA

2010-12-30T10:42:00.000-08:00

December 30th, 2010 | Author: lisa

Your first gardening experience as a child can be very exciting. Children establish a great connection to the earth when they’re raised around fruit trees, flowers, fresh-grown tomatoes, and zesty herbs in the yard. This love for gardening continues throughout one’s life, and even becomes stronger as we age.
A garden can be a place of respite and peace in our retirement years. “Grandma’s Garden” is a classic symbol of tranquility, life, and love. Few realize that gardening reaps tremendous benefits for our health.

One of the best is exercise. The medical community is starting to recognize the power of everyday activities and hobbies to provide low-exertion exercise for the body. Moving your muscles and joints, bending down, standing up, carrying, and digging are all important movements for us as we age. Add to that the fresh air and sunshine, and you have a tremendous health-promoting activity.

Building and maintaining a garden takes strength, and for many seniors adjustments need to be made for gardening to be a more accessible past time.

Design or redesign your garden to meet your physical needs. Can you not crouch down? Try hanging pots instead. Can you not handle too much work in the garden each day? Create a very small garden, and use plants and flowers that require less upkeep.

Find tools that are designed to make it easier for you to do your work, like lightweight ones with comfortable handles.

Use some light warm-up exercises before beginning in the garden to ensure that you won’t damage any muscles or joints. Gently roll your neck from side to side, then try rolling your wrists, and bending your knees a few times. Do what feels comfortable, but do not push yourself.

Muscle-toning, Cardio, and Flexibility

Gardening has wonderful benefits for the muscles. When carrying bags of soil, flats of flowers, or tools, make sure that they’re not too heavy for you. Lift things in separate shifts if need be, but carrying the right amount of weight at a time is great for bone density and muscle toning.

Keeping up a garden also requires walking, digging, and planting. All of these actions promote cardiovascular health by slightly elevating the heart rate and deepening the breath. This improves circulation, lung capacity, and overall health. Again, only do as much as feels comfortable and invigorating.

Swatting, kneeling, turning and twisting are great for your joints. When it comes to flexibility, you really need to use it or lose it. While gardening, focus on the subtle movements, and how the various actions are keeping your muscles and joints alive and well.

Gardening can also be great for you emotional health as well as physical health. Relax and take deep breaths while gardening. Admire all the colors and scents, have picnics in your garden, or maybe your first cup of coffee in the morning. There’s no greater fulfillment than admiring the natural beauty around you that has been nurtured by your own hard work.

Home care counselors at ComForcare are available to talk with you and your family about care needs for your loved one, including, how to reduce caregiver stress while providing better, affordable care. ComForcare is a home care agency providing In Home Care in Palm Springs, CA and surrounding Riverside County areas.

Planning for Temporary Home Care After Hospital Stay in Palm Springs

2010-12-27T07:02:00.000-08:00

Planning for Temporary Home Care After the Hospital Stay
By LESLEY ALDERMAN

ANNIE BRUMBAUGH has become a bit of an expert on recuperating at home. Over the last two years, the 65-year-old wardrobe consultant has had two serious operations on her foot, plus a bone graft, each of which left her homebound for weeks at a time. “This is not easy,” said Ms. Brumbaugh, who lives alone in Manhattan. “Most people have no idea what they are in for.”

Even straightforward procedures, like C-sections and hip replacements, can involve longer-than- expected recuperations. Preparing for these requires more than stocking up on novels, DVDs and plenty of frozen entrees (though such supplies certainly are useful).

After a hospitalization, you will need help doing things that you’re unable to do for yourself — even with performing basic tasks like cleaning and dressing. You may need a nurse to change the bandage on a wound or to administer intravenous drugs. You may need equipment, too: a walker, a bath seat or a commode to ensure you don’t injure yourself during recovery.

Equipment and support services will help speed up your recovery, but they also can put a dent in your savings. That’s because most insurers pay for home health care by skilled professionals only during the first, acute part of your recovery. Insurers do not pay for care provided by home care aides, often needed for both short and long recuperations.

Source: New York Times
Continue reading…

Home care counselors at ComForcare are available to talk with you and your family about care needs for your loved one, including, how to reduce caregiver stress while providing better, affordable care. ComForcare is a home care agency providing I n Home Care in Palm Springs CA and surrounding areas.

Keys to Being a Good Grandparent in Palm Springs, CA

2010-12-23T14:49:00.000-08:00

December 23rd, 2010 | Author: lisa
Article from Keith Merrill on how to be a good Grandparent. Interesting article for all of us

Being a grandparent has little in common with parenting. Being a grandparent can also be much more fun. Grand parenting is one of very few examples of having your cake and actually being able to eat it. In most cases, you are afforded the opportunity to love, play with, and spoil a grandchild without having to participate in any of the less enjoyable aspects s of child-rearing. After all, at some point, your grandchild will go home! All of the pleasure without any of the headache
Despite all the advantages, we do owe it to our grandchildren, and our children, to be the best grandparent that we can. As with all life endeavors there is no universal glove that will fit all situations. Different circumstances require different approaches and tactics. However, there are a few simple guidelines that should apply to most cases…

Respect the rules and philosophies of the parents: Maybe your approach to child-rearing is well aligned with those of the parents. Perhaps they are not. Regardless of the degree of alignment, a grandparent should, in all cases, respect the values, rules, and philosophies of the parents as related to the upbringing of their children. The surest way to sour the relationship between parents and grandparents is for the grandparents to overtly (or covertly) circumvent the wishes of the parents. If you find yourself tempted to deviate from boundaries set by the parents, just think back to how upset you would have been if your children’s grandparents had attempted to do the same. This does not mean that you should kowtow to every parental whim, and you certainly have the right to establish simple behavioral rules within your home, but you should strive to adhere to parental wishes in all areas of major significance.

Leave the hard discipline to the parents: As a grandparent you have the firm right to demand respect from your grandchildren. You have the right to expect your grandchildren to obey your commands and to behave appropriately. In those inevitable cases where your grandchildren will attempt to explore or push your boundaries, you should feel free to exercise some degree of discipline. A “time-out” period or the removal of some cherished privilege can be effective responses and deterrents. If a situation becomes unmanageable you should consult with the parents. A collaborative effort (and a united front) between parents and grandparents will go a long way towards finding an appropriate solution. Use of corporal punishment should be left to the discretion of the parents.

Create memory-generating experiences for your grandchildren: This is one of the most cherished and rewarding roles of the grandparent. As adults, most of us have as many fond memories centered around our grandparents as we do our parents. With the majority of the heavy-lifting being done by the parents, you have the luxury of concentrating your energy into creating an environment that will foster happy memories. This does not have to be expensive or consist of extravagant effort. In many cases, the simpler the activity the better it is. Look for things to do that you know the parents simply do not have the time for. Don’t be afraid to let your grandchildren have some down time if they appear to want or need it. Most kids today are involved in a myriad of activities. In some cases they may be over stimulated and exhausted. Allow them the pleasure of simply hanging out if they express a desire to do so.

Be a consistent source of encouragement: Encourage your grandchildren in everything they do. Be an active supporter in their sports and athletic activities. Watch your grandchild’s face light up when they spot you in attendance at one of their activities. Do not hesitate to be a source of constructive criticism is those cases where it is needed. Be an active listener and let them know that their voices are being heard.

You will have favorites: If you have multiple grandchildren, it is highly likely that one or two of them will have a special place in your heart. In some cases, the reasons for that special bond are fairly obvious. In other cases, you may be hard pressed to identify the nature of your feelings. Trying to keep those feelings subdued is one of the most difficult aspects of being a grandparent. Showing overt favoritism to one or two grandchildren can be extremely hurtful to your other grandchildren who, through no fault of their own, may not occupy that special, secret, place within your heart. Do your best to make all your grandchildren feel equally loved and appreciated. In some cases that may be hard work, but it is a vital responsibility of all grandparents.

The caring home care professionals at ComForcare are available to speak with your family about all of your home care needs, including how to reduce caregiver stress while providing affordable, quality care to your loved one. ComForcare is a home care agency providing home care in Palm Springs, CA and surrounding Riverside County areas.

The Perfect Holiday Caregiver in Palm Springs CA

2010-12-17T13:54:00.000-08:00

The Perfect Holiday Caregiver: It’s all a state of mind
December 8, 2010

The holidays are always a wonderful time of year for family gatherings, reflection on what we have and the spirit of giving. The television is packed with specials showing relationships and families coming together for the holidays.

But the holidays can also be a time of stress and sadness for those who are caring for family members that are struggling with health problems, frailty, dementia and loss. Those who care for these individuals may feel overwhelmed, frustrated, depressed or resentful as they watch “perfect” families enjoying the holidays. There are many surveys and documents that show that caregivers are highly susceptible to these feelings. If you are a caregiver, there are measures you can take to avoid this.

First; Remember, that you are not alone.

If you are new to caregiving or have been caring for someone for a very long time, remember that the perfect family on television is not reality for many Americans. You are not the only one with these challenges. A recent study by the National Alliance for Caregiving and AARP found that 44.4 million Americans age 18 or older are providing unpaid care to an adult. In fact according to the survey provided by the National Family Caregivers Association:

* The typical caregiver is a 46-year-old Baby Boomer woman with some college education who works and spends more than 20 hours per week caring for her mother who lives nearby.
* Female caregivers provide more hours of care and provide a higher level of care than male caregivers.
* Almost seven in ten 69%) caregivers say they help one person.
* The average length of caregiving is 4.3 years.
* Many caregivers fulfill multiple roles. Most caregivers are married or living with a partner (62%), and most have worked and managed caregiving responsibilities at the same time (74%).

....continue reading from longtermcarelink.net

The caring home care professionals at ComForcare are available to speak with your family about all of your home care needs, including how to reduce caregiver stress while providing affordable, quality care to your loved one. ComForcare is a home care agency providing home care in Palm Springs CA and surrounding areas.

When Elders Don’t Accept Outside Caregivers in the Home in Palm Springs, CA

2010-12-12T16:33:00.000-08:00

December 12th, 2010 | Author: lisa
Very common and a difficult problem for many family members trying to get help for their loved ones this is a good article by Carol Bradley Bursack.

When my uncle had in-home health care, he liked a couple of the caregivers, he thought one was okay, and barely tolerated two others. I wasn’t always there to witness his behavior, but I’d say that the caregivers he didn’t particularly like were not thrilled with him, either. Yet they did their job.

My neighbor, Joe, had a similar situation. He locked one caregiver out of his home, let another one in but was rude to her, and thoroughly enjoyed one young man because they could discuss golf. Quality of care wasn’t the issue. Joe resented anyone but me helping him, and the only reason he liked the guy was for talking about a shared sport.

Paid caregivers, hired by family members or even elders themselves, go into the elder’s home as nurses, assistants (CNAs) and custodial help (non-medical help such as shopping and light house keeping). Often their best efforts are frustrated by anger and actual abuse dished out by the elder they are there to care for.

I believe some of this abuse comes from fear. The presence of an outsider suggests to the elder that their family can’t (or doesn’t want) to take care of their needs. It also magnifies the extent of the elders’ care needs and makes them feel vulnerable. This fear, plus the denial of their actual need for care, can make them angry. If they are prone to lashing out when angry, then this person who represents the care they wish to deny becomes the target.

add to this the paranoia that is common with many dementias, particularly Alzheimer’s disease, and you have one explosive situation. Recently, on the Agingcare forum, a nurse asked what she should do about a client with Alzheimer’s who thought she, the nurse, was trying to murder her. People were surprised and sympathetic, but unfortunately, this fear is not all that unusual.

Sometimes this paranoia can be side effect of a drug that the person with dementia is taking. I’ve seen this first hand. When my dad went into the hospital for the operation to put in a shunt to remove fluid from behind scar tissue in his brain, he had a nurse named Brad. My dad also went by the name Brad and they bonded over their mutual name as well as many other things. This young male nurse was exceptional. Dad was a humble, caring person and made friends easily.

Then came Dad’s brain operation. Something went wrong and Dad came out of surgery totally demented. The doctor gave him the anti-psychotic drug Haldol. Suddenly, under the influence of Haldol, Dad was terrified of the nurse. Brad was trying to kill Dad when he was in the shower. He was trying to steal Dad’s dentures. If we cared about him, we’d get him out of there. We, his family, were frantic. We knew Brad was doing no such thing, but Dad was terrified of him.

Fortunately, after much begging, pleading and finally demanding, I got the doctor to take Dad off Haldol. After the drug wore off, Brad, the nurse, was once again perceived as he was, a wonderful nurse. If no medication can be blamed for the paranoia, the elder’s basic personality needs to be taken into consideration. We knew Dad, and we knew how he had reacted to the nurse prior to the medication.

Not everyone will have had this head start. The first thing you will most probably witness is the anger and abuse spewing from the elder. The non-family caregiver doesn’t know what to do. Neither does the family

It’s time to play psychologist. Is it only this particular person who upsets your elder? Maybe this person, through no fault of her own, reminds your dad of someone he feared when he was a child. With Alzheimer’s, we have to remember that people are mentally at an age where they are young and vulnerable. If it is only one person that your elder reacts violently to, I’d kindly let the person know that this arrangement, through no fault of her own, won’t work. Explain what is going on.

If she is a seasoned caregiver, she will likely have seen this behavior before. She may not like it, but she will understand. Of course, you will already have talked with the elder and told him repeatedly that you are still the caregiver, but that you need help. You’ve told him that this person is there to help both of you and you are watching over the process. Constant reassurance is necessary. Understanding the elder’s fear and vulnerability is necessary in order for you to cope with this problem.

Trying a new caregiver may be necessary and even helpful. If, however, your elder is abusive to all outside help, I’d talk with a doctor about anti-anxiety medication or other medical therapy. For those of you who are on the receiving end of the abuse, I’d advise you to communicate with the family in a friendly way. Brainstorm about what may be frightening the elder. Try to find ways to interact with the elder in an informal manner.

Find out about hobbies and past work experience. Even your clothing may make a difference. Do you look too “medical?” Work with the family as closely as you can. If you are a medical person, and you think an anti-anxiety medication may help, or other medications may be causing this behavior, speak up. However, if the abuse can’t be stopped, you need to give notice and walk away.

You are in this business to help people. There will be those you can’t help, no matter how good you are. So, quit the position with an appropriate explanation, and look for a position that will fully use your talents. There are many others who need you. The family will then need to search for a different person to help. Let’s hope they find someone who meshes with the elder, and you find an elder with whom you can do your work well.

If you are seeking advice or information about home care and assistance for a loved one, the home care counselors at ComForcare can help! ComForcare is a home care agency providing elder care in Palm Springs CA and surrounding areas.

Keeping Seniors Involved in Social Activities in Palm Springs CA

2010-12-10T13:13:00.000-08:00

How to Keep Seniors Involved in Social Activities
by: Maragret Dennison

Many seniors become introverted due to problems that can easily be resolved. They should be offered social activities that will keep them interested in life and emotionally healthy. One of the things that causes seniors to let social activity pass them by is an inability to hear properly.

They feel embarrassed when they have to keep asking people to repeat themselves, so they often simply pretend they can understand what is said. When this happens more embarrassment awaits them because they will either be required to answer and have no idea what to say, or they will find that they don’t get a joke while others are laughing. They may even become paranoid about laughter, thinking that they are the butt of the joke. So getting hearing aids fitted may be all you need to do to encourage social activity.

Another problem with seniors and going out to social activity is that they have often suffer from a weak bladder. This means that the building they socialize in needs to have good amenities that are close by. Otherwise, they may fear that they won’t make it in time.

Incontinence could be the next step from a weak bladder, but even in this case, it is possible to get pads that will last for an hour or two.

...continue reading from eldercareabcblog.com

If you are seeking advice or information about home care and assistance for a loved one, the home care counselors at ComForcare can help! ComForcare is a home care agency providing elder care in Palm Springs CA and surrounding areas.

The Caregiver Next Door in Palm Springs, CA

2010-12-05T15:57:00.000-08:00

December 5th, 2010 | Author: lisa

We heard a tap at the door and then a voice: “Murray?”

My father rarely troubles to lock his apartment when he’s at home. His friends drift in and out, looking for a card game, checking to make sure he’s up and about, or bearing the latest gossip. Or, in the case of Jo Ann, who walked into the living room juggling several containers, bearing food.

Jo Ann (she’s asked me not to identify her further) lives two floors up from my dad in a N.O.R.C. — a naturally occurring retirement community — in Vineland, N.J. She and her husband Fred, who are both 68, moved in eight years ago. She was operating a deli at the time, and Fred was in construction, so at first they were too busy to pay much attention to the cluster of people in their 80s who gathered in the lobby every afternoon, awaiting the mail.

But then Jo Ann retired, and the folks in the lobby started asking her to sit and chat a bit. She listened as they compared utility bills, shared news of sales at the local ShopRite, bragged about their grandkids. She realized most were widows or widowers whose children lived far away: “I thought, ‘My God, they need help.’ ”

Her first overture to my dad was, “Do you eat soup?” After years at the deli, Jo Ann cooks in quantity, vast pots of vegetable and potato and cream of broccoli soup in winter, piles of macaroni and potato salads in summer. She began leaving plastic containers of food at Dad’s door; now, she leaves them at eight or nine doors.

I live 125 miles away, and I worry some about my father — at 87, he’s fallen a couple of times, though he hasn’t seriously hurt himself — but I don’t worry about malnutrition. Jo Ann is on the case; his freezer is full.

In fact, Jo Ann has quietly launched a one-woman senior service operation. In summer, she goes to U-pick farms, harvests bushels of fresh tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers, and brings the baskets to the lobby; her neighbors descend with bags and take what they like. She ferries people to doctor’s appointments and the ShopRite.

When my dad woke up with intense abdominal pain two years ago (turned out, he needed gallbladder surgery), whom did he call at 5:30 a.m.? Not me, not the paramedics — Jo Ann. He knew she was an early riser, and she’d already driven ailing neighbors to the emergency room several times.

She’s recruited her husband in this campaign, as well. The building employs a handyman, but somehow it was Fred who wound up in Lola’s apartment fixing the kitchen ceiling light.

It occurs to me that there probably are thousands of people like this, unobtrusively supporting tens of thousands of elderly friends and neighbors in ways large and small. Maybe you know someone who plays a similar role; maybe you’re the one dispensing soup and giving rides. A number of the folks in my dad’s building are frail, with failing sight and hearing, walkers and canes. Some are in their 90s now. To have someone close by to call makes an enormous difference.

When I asked Jo Ann what led her to become an unpaid social worker, she mentioned that her father died when she was a teenager and that being with old people was a pleasure for her.

But at root, her motives are simpler. “They need help,” she said of her neighbors. “So if I can do it, I help.”

She and Fred won’t show up on any government or academic survey of caregiving. I doubt they’d even think the phrase applies to them. Yet I personally think she’s keeping a half-dozen people out of assisted living or nursing homes, and the only way I can really say thanks is to send an occasional box of Godiva chocolates (her favorite). And to write this post.

And to be conscious, myself, of the older people around me who could use a hand.

1:06 p.m. Aug. 31| Updated by Paula Span

Let me assure readers who voiced concerns about my father’s well-being that he manages quite independently for now. Though he uses a walker for balance, he still drives, shops, cooks (defrosts, more accurately), manages his finances, volunteers and takes (seated) yoga classes.

I frequently drive the 125 miles to visit and keep a watchful eye on the situation — he’ll be 88 next month; how long can we be this lucky? — but he doesn’t need me to make soup for him. He doesn’t even need Jo Ann, his wonderful friend and neighbor, to make soup, though he appreciates it when she does. I think Jo Ann and Fred help keep a number of old people in their homes, but my dad isn’t dependent on her and I’m not exploiting her.

But I’ve taken to heart your suggestions that there are better ways my sister and I can show gratitude than the occasional box of chocolates. I’ve bought a supermarket gift card to help underwrite her meals-without-wheels efforts and a restaurant gift certificate as a small treat, and I hope Fred and Jo Ann will accept them in the spirit I intend. My thanks to those who pointed out that I should do this regularly; I will.

——————————————————————————–

Paula Span is the author of “When the Time Comes: Families With Aging Parents Share Their Struggles and Solutions.”

ComForcare Home Care Services-Riverside County & Palm Springs, CA & Lisa Marie Blaskie RN, CCM, CSA provides home care & elder care in-home services in the Palm Springs & Moreno Valley area. In addition Lisa is a Case Manager and works with seniors & their families To get help in selecting other care options for an aging loved one call @ 800.993.2945 or 760.321.2945

The Advantages Of Elderly Home Care In Palm Springs CA

2010-12-03T14:07:00.000-08:00

Elderly Home Care – The Advantages
By:Bob Kohut

In many ways we are now experiencing a “perfect storm” which is making elderly home care the only viable choice for taking care of many our seniors. With declining incomes coupled with rising expenses and a rapidly aging population, retirement communities and assisted living centers are being priced beyond the reach of many.

There are many ways to provide elderly home care – from retrofitting the home for safety to hiring professional in-home care givers. As with many things in life there is both an upside and a downside to elderly home care. Let’s first look at the major advantages:

1. Allows seniors to maintain their independence.
2. Fosters a sense of continuity of living.
3. Preserves social networks.

Independence
To many seniors nothing is more important than maintaining their independence. They chafe at any suggestion they may need help taking care of themselves and adamantly refuse to consider any options other than staying where they are. Proper elderly home care lets them hang on to that all important sense of independence. They don’t want to be a bother to their children and living at home lets them feel better about themselves and their situation.

Continuity of Living
Familiarity with their surroundings – from the home itself to the neighborhood parks, stores, and other amenities – actually promotes better mental health and a general sense of well-being. Adapting to a changed environment can be difficult at any stage in life and it is even more of a challenge for seniors.

In addition, there is evidence that allowing seniors to relive pleasant memories of their past is a healthy thing. It is far easier for Mom or Dad or Grandma or Grandpa to engage in pleasant reveries of Christmases past in the rooms where the events actually took place.

Social Network
Many seniors remain engaged with their neighbors and participate in community activities long after their own children have fled the nest. If your seniors love to sit on their front porch and engage in friendly conversation with the neighborhood children as they walk by, losing that sense of social belonging can be a stressful event.

...continue reading from Eldercare ABC Blog

The home care counselors at ComForcare can provide your family with the answers to all of your elder care questions, including how to reduce caregiver stress while providing affordable, professional care to your loved one. ComForcare is a home care agency providing home care in Palm Springs and surrounding areas.

Choices for End-of Life Caregiving in Palm Desert, CA

2010-11-28T19:10:00.000-08:00

November 28th, 2010 | Author: lisa
There are many decisions to be made when imminent death is approaching for a loved one. Questions regarding what type of care, medical assistance and even physical location for their last days confront us.

If care at home has been given, should loved ones be moved to a facility or remain at home? If in a care facility should they be moved home for their last days? Will 24-hour care become necessary and more medical assistance be required?

If you are asking these questions, a Hospice service might be a good solution. Hospice can be provided to a person who has a life-limiting illness wherever that person lives. A nursing facility or long-term care facility can receive visits from hospice personnel in addition to the other care and services provided by the facility.

Hospice care is a special way of caring for a patient who is in the last stages of life. Hospice provides a team of professionals who aid the patient and family caregivers. This could include nurses, social workers, physicians, clergy and aides who all work together to plan and coordinate care, 24 hours a day or as needed.

The Hospice Foundation of America outlines the following services of hospice:

•Hospice is a special concept of care designed to provide comfort and support to patients and their families when a life-limiting illness no longer responds to cure-oriented treatments.
•Hospice care neither prolongs life nor hastens death. Hospice staff and volunteers offer a specialized knowledge of medical care, including pain management.
•The goal of hospice care is to improve the quality of a patient’s last days by offering comfort and dignity.
•Hospice care is provided by a team-oriented group of specially trained professionals, volunteers and family members.
•Hospice addresses all symptoms of a disease, with a special emphasis on controlling a patient’s pain and discomfort.
•Hospice deals with the emotional, social and spiritual impact of the disease on the patient and the patient’s family and friends.
•Hospice offers a variety of bereavement and counseling services to families before and after a patient’s death.
To be eligible for hospice a physician must certify the patient to be terminally ill with a life expectancy of six months or less and treatment for a cure is no longer provided.

The focus for the patient has changed to supportive care and quality of remaining life.
Hospice is paid for by private insurance, Medicare or Medicaid Hospice Benefit or personal funds.

Here are the conditions that apply for Medicare Hospice Benefits:

•You are eligible for Medicare Part A (Hospital Insurance)
•Your doctor and the hospice medical director certify that you’re terminally ill and have 6 months or less to live if your illness runs its normal course.
•You sign a statement choosing hospice care instead of other Medicare-covered benefits to treat your terminal illness.
•You get care from a Medicare-approved hospice program
•You understand that Medicare will still pay for covered benefits for any health problems that aren’t related to your terminal illness. Medicare.gov

Special benefit periods apply to Medicare hospice care and some services do not apply.
Be sure to understand the rules and requirements of Medicare payment before you commit.

Hospice is available to anyone, regardless of age or illness. If Medicare or private insurance is not available, hospice services may be available for low income individuals through grants or charitable donations. Many hospices are non-profit and will provide services to anyone in need.

“Many families or their loved ones’ doctors often wait too long to order hospice. Hospice is a very valuable service and should be ordered at an earlier stage of illness. Many do not consider hospice for Alzheimer’s, degenerative old age or other debilitating illnesses where a person is going downhill fast. They should.

It is unfortunate that many people who died in a hospital emergency room or who received heroic treatments to prolong life in a hospital may have had the alternative of dying at home in familiar surroundings, with family or other loved ones at their side.

When someone is in crisis or appears to be going downhill fast but there really is no hope for recovery, family often call 911 and start a process which can result in great stress and great emotional discomfort. The loved one who is dying ends up in a hospital and may die there or be transferred to a nursing home where death eventually occurs.

When there is no longer hope for prolonging life, especially when this decision is made months in advance, hospice is usually a better alternative to other medical intervention”. National Care Planning Council

The days leading up to the moment of death of a loved one can be rich with meaning and expressions of love. Family and caregivers should allow others to help with the care and daily responsibilities. They need to free themselves from the details of caregiving and instead need to use hospice to allow more time to reminisce, give thanks for a life shared and say goodbye

ComForcare Home Care Services-Palm Springs, CA area& Lisa Marie Blaskie RN, CCM, CSA provides home care & elder care in-home services in the Palm Springs & Moreno Valley area. In addition Lisa is a Case Manager and works with seniors & their families To get help in selecting other care options for an aging loved one call @ 800.993.2945 or 760.321.2945

The Baby Boomer Eldercare Wake-up Call in Palm Springs CA

2010-11-26T12:53:00.000-08:00

Baby Boomers’ Eldercare Wake-up Call

There are approximately 78 million reasons for boomers to jump on the long-term care strategic thinking, planning and executing bandwagon. According to the U.S. Census Bureau report in 2009, boomers were 78 million strong based on the 2006 census.

The staggering number of aging boomers in America serves as a wake-up call to boomers to start planning for our elder care needs. We’re only more than a decade late. How’s that timeline for urgency, my fellow boomers? Our millennial wake-up call is more urgent if any of the following scenarios are sound bytes from your life.

* Long-Term Care (LTC) Insurance: If you are familiar with LTC insurance, you get an “E,” for effort, as my octogenarian mother occasionally said about a few of her former elementary school students who didn’t quite make the grade in reading, writing, or arithmetic. If you have LTC insurance, you’re barely passing with a C-. LTC coverage is a sound baby step, though maybe not for everyone.
* Childbearing Profile: You are single and childless. While having grown children is no guarantee of having at least 1 trustworthy LTC gatekeeper in your golden years, being a parent of an adult child may yield elder care dividends down the road.
* Health: You have been medically diagnosed with at least one chronic medical condition.
* Family Medical History: You have a family history of heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, and certain types of cancer and/or diabetes. As is said in Spanish, “¡Ojo!” (Translation: Keep an eye on that!)
* Relationships in Your Family: Some families can’t wait to get as far away from each other as possible as members age. If your family’s relationships are strained, don’t count on family support in your golden years. Some caregivers could tell you stories about dysfunctional family relationships that erupt in nasty feuds when aging family members need long-term assistive care. Who are your family allies? Do you know? You should. One day in the not too distant future, your daily eldercare may depend on a family member. If that day comes, your primary (family) caregiver should be your elder care advocate.
* Home Upkeep: If you are a homeowner, you know that appliances and various parts of your home eventually will need repairs. Physically, mentally, emotionally, and financially, will you be prepared, and able, to keep up with increasing demands of homeownership as you advance in years?
* Family’s Go-To Contact? Your parents are older and/or starting to show signs of age-related or chronic disease health decline. You volunteered, or, Dad asked you for help with mowing the lawn after his heart attack scare. Your sibling who lives closer to your parents than you do has been calling you to vent about “little things” around your aging parents.
* Sibling(s) Lives Closer to Your Elderly Parents: You’ve long assumed that your sibling was merely venting with those telephone calls about your parents. You never gave the conversations a second thought. Your sibling takes care of helping your parents and lives within 15-minutes of your parents’ home.
* Financially Tangled Elder Web: You feel blindsided when you inadvertently discover that your parents have not paid their (property) taxes for more than a year now. Then, you discover unopened and unpaid bills in your parents’ home. How, and when, did your parents’ financial affairs get so out of hand?
* Your Emotional Roller Coaster: You wonder what you may have missed and decide that the whole mess is your sibling’s fault. You had nothing to do with this. You have no idea what to do, or, where to begin. You have your own life, marriage or divorce, relationship woes, job demands, financial challenges, adult child(ren) who just moved back into your home in a dismal economy, mounting debt, and more drama. You’ll help your parents because no one else in your family seems to care.
* Stress: Your anger mounts. You’re depressed. You stop talking to your sibling(s). You argue with your parents.

You feel so alone.

With 78 million aging boomer cohorts and 65 million caregivers in the U.S., you are part of a supportive community. Recognizing eldercare’s red flags is one way to achieve confidence that propels you to reach out to healthcare and eldercare professionals for help. Involve your parents and siblings in decisions.
You’re not alone. It’s a family affair.

Isabel Fawcett, SPHR
Isabel has been a full-time, stay-at-home caregiver to her 85 year old mother for 2 years, and counting. She is a regular Contributor at ElderCareLink, a blogger and Twitterer. Isabel is an independent human resources consultant and former HR management professional with 20+ years of HR experience, including FMLA, workers’ compensation and the Americans With Disabilities Act. She is a Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) certified and last worked for the Office of the Governor in Texas before her most recent eldercare choice. Isabel also has worked in healthcare as Assistant Director of Volunteers at Beth Israel Medical Center, New York City, and Manager of Staffing and Recruitment, Norwalk Hospital, Connecticut. She has also worked at Marriott International Headquarters in HR. Isabel is fully bilingual in English and Spanish and has been a patient care volunteer for the American Red Cross overseas.

Home care counselors at ComForcare are available to talk with you and your family about care needs for your loved one, including, how to reduce caregiver stress while providing better, affordable care. ComForcare is a home care agency providing In Home Care in Palm Springs and surrounding areas.

Seniors Mental Health & Depression in the Palm Springs, CA Area

2010-11-20T11:24:00.001-08:00

November 20th, 2010 | Author: lisa
S. Wagg writes about depression issues and seniors. A common issue for our elderly.

A majority of men and women from the ages of 55-74 report they are satisfied with their lives and are currently in good health. While periods of depression may occur among seniors, it is important to remember that it is not a normal part of aging.

Depression is the most common mental health concern for older adults, affecting between 15 to 20 percent of older adults living in the community. It is not a normal part of aging. Symptoms such as decreased energy, poor sleep and preoccupation with health problems should be viewed as possible symptoms of a treatable illness and are NOT a result of the aging process.

Treatment for depression works, yet too many people remain undiagnosed and untreated because they don’t recognize the signs and symptoms of depression.

Mental health specialists generally agree on the following definition of major depression:

•Symptoms persist for two weeks or longer
•People either have depressed moods or seem unable to enjoy life.
•Major depression should be considered if four of the following seven criteria are present:
◦A change in sleeping habits (more or less than usual)
◦A change in eating habits or weigh
◦Low energy or fatigue
◦Trouble concentrating
◦Feeling worthless or excessively guilty
◦Marked restlessness or slowed-down movements
◦Thoughts of death or suicide
Depression can be defined as an imbalance of brain chemicals triggered by stress and life events, including biological, psychological and social factors.

Depression is NOT a character or personality flaw.

Many of the signs of depression may also indicate other problems or medical conditions – It is important to consult with a doctor to determine if your symptoms indicate depression or another medical condition.

Depression is often difficult to recognize among the senior population and it tends to be under diagnosed. Living with depression not only prevents older adult from fully enjoying their lives but it puts a strain upon their health, which can lead to other medical concerns. It is also very difficult for their caregivers and places a strain on their health as well.

What we do know is that there is no one cause for depression- every individual is unique in what may cause their depression, and what may trigger a depressive episode. Some possible causes and risk factors include genetics and family history, brain chemistry, personality, major illness, medications & alcohol, and life events. Risk factors for serious depression, particularly in older adults, may include loss and bereavement, lack of social support, isolation, living in poverty, being a caregiver, and abuse.

Having depression could also increase the risk of suicide among older adults, particularly in older males. According to the CDC, seniors account for more than 16% of all suicide deaths. Older adults who are over the age of 60 are far more likely to have a higher risk rate of suicide than younger people. If you feel that a friend or a loved one is suicidal, encourage them to seek out help either from a doctor, friend, crisis centre or, mental health agency.

Some things to keep in mind:

•Keep a positive attitude. Remember that slowing down does not mean you have to come to a complete stop. Chances are you will still be able to do almost all the things you used to; you may just need to take a little more time and learn to pace yourself.
•See your family doctor regularly. He/she can, then, deal with any changes or symptoms that require medical attention.
•Be careful about your medications. As you get older, they may begin to interact differently with other drugs and to affect you differently than before. Make sure your doctor knows about all your medications, even those prescribed by another doctor.
•Take responsibility for your own health. Do not hesitate to ask your doctor questions; some do not offer explanations unless asked.

Depression is a serious disorder that is treatable. In addition, dealing with an individual who is suffering from depression or at risk of suicide can be absolutely overwhelming for a caregiver. Although the caregiver is providing care and assistance to their loved ones they must also look after their own emotional, mental, and physical well-being.

While all of us may feel sad from time to time, sadness is not depression and it is important to remember that depression is not a normal part of aging.

ComForcare Home Care Services-Palm Springs & Riverside County area & Lisa Marie Blaskie RN, CCM, CSA provides home care & elder care in-home services in the Cpachella Valleyarea. In addition Lisa is a Case Manager and works with seniors & their families To get help in selecting other care options for an aging loved one call @ 800.993.2945 or 760.321.2945

Caregiver Spotlight on Work-Life Balance in Palm Springs CA

2010-11-19T13:15:00.000-08:00

November is National Family Caregivers Month and we wanted to share this article about how Caregivers need to remember to take care of themselves as well as the loved one they are supporting. This month, we celebrate ALL of the caregivers who tirelessly work to provide home care for loved ones so that they are comfortable, safe and healthy!

Caregiver Spotlight on Work-Life “Balance”

by Isabel Fawcett, SPHR

There’s no avoiding stress in caregiving, at work or in life. Stress, both “good” and “bad,” will always be a part of our human existence. That’s all the more reason for caregivers to be proactive in managing stress. Shining a spotlight on your work and personal life is one way to identify and better manage stress. Be prepared, though. It requires serious commitment on your part.

Are you still with me?

What is Work-Life Balance?
“Work-life balance” is a misnomer. In real-life, there is no such thing as equal balance - other than maybe on a well-calibrated scale. When humans are involved balance would be perfection. If you’re not a perfectionist, you know that human perfection doesn’t exist.

Although it may sound like an oxymoron, the word “tension” may be the better word choice. “Tension” has multiple definitions, including competing pressures that require learning how to better balance push-and-pull opposing forces. The push-pull tension of work competes with the push-pull tension of caregiving and other forces in each of our lives.

The force is truly with us, so to speak.
“Work-life balance” requires continuous prioritization by individuals, self-examination and seamlessly deriving pleasure or satisfaction in daily living. However you choose to reconcile and (de)value competing elements in your life is entirely within your control.

So much to do, so little time!
Doctors appointments, pharmacy runs, medical supplies, emerging symptoms, caregiver or elder general malaise, Medicare and other insurance tangles, financial spaghetti bowls, family sparring, swirling emotions and more, will run caregivers into the ground if we are not mindful.

Caregivers’ Stress Management Tips
Stress management presumes gaining or re-gaining life control and greater balance.

* Check your blood pressure at least once monthly. Discuss your monthly readings with your physician.
* Schedule medical appointments early mornings or as late in the day as possible. Aavoid needless back and forth between work, home, and medical offices.
* Consider taking pre-approved vacation leave on medical appointment days. Enjoy breakfast or lunch before or after appointments, whether alone, or with your loved one or a friend.
* Treat yourself at day’s end. You’ll feel refreshed at work the following day.
* Consider the most strategic use of Family and Medical Leave (FMLA) based on your own preferences in addition to your elder’s medical needs. Decide whether intermittent (working reduced hours at work) or consecutive FML eases competing elements in your life. If approved by your employer, consecutive FML is a block of leave as allowed under FMLA.
* Leave home earlier than rush hour traffic. Leave work later than rush hour traffic. Take the long way home occasionally.

May the (right) force be with you!

Isabel Fawcett, SPHR
Isabel has been a full-time, stay-at-home caregiver to her 85 year old mother for 2 years, and counting. She is a regular Contributor at ElderCareLink, a blogger and Twitterer. Isabel is an independent human resources consultant and former HR management professional with 20+ years of HR experience, including FMLA, workers’ compensation and the Americans With Disabilities Act. She is a Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) certified and last worked for the Office of the Governor in Texas before her most recent eldercare choice. Isabel also has worked in healthcare as Assistant Director of Volunteers at Beth Israel Medical Center, New York City, and Manager of Staffing and Recruitment, Norwalk Hospital, Connecticut. She has also worked at Marriott International Headquarters in HR. Isabel is fully bilingual in English and Spanish and has been a patient care volunteer for the American Red Cross overseas.

For information about how ComForcare can help you with home care in Palm Springs, please visit or www.palmspringsca.comforcare.com.

Eight Areas of Age-Related Change In Palm Springs, CA, CA

2010-11-13T05:03:00.000-08:00

November 13th, 2010 | Author: lisa
Eight Areas of Age-Related Change

1. Brain: Memory and Alzheimer’s Disease

Many people become anxious about developing memory impairments as they transition into being senior citizens and begin to worry that forgetting details is the first sign of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Confusion and loss of memory were thought to be inevitable parts of aging in the past, but we now know that people can still be able and alert despite aging. Senior citizens and those responsible for providing their elder care should be aware of these changes in memory and work to prevent, identify, and treat them.

Over the past several years, researchers have been looking at a type of cognitive change known as mild cognitive impairment (MCI). This is separate from cognitive changes related to aging and often progresses to AD over some years. Senior citizens with amnestic MCI have a specific memory difficulty and have ongoing problems with memory, but they do not develop other losses seen in AD like confusion, attention problems, and problems with language.

2. Bones and Joints

As we age, our bones and movable joints are subject to wear and tear. The most common conditions among senior citizens in this area of the body are as follows:

Osteoporosis. This is a disease that causes bones mainly in the hips, backbone, and wrists to weaken to the point of breaking easily. As people, especially women, age into their 40s and 50s, bones start to weaken, and the outer shell of the bone gets thinner.

Arthritis. This is not one type of disease; there are many types of arthritis, and each has different symptoms and treatments. In general, arthritis can become a problem in most any joint in the body. Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common type in senior citizens. It begins when cartilage begins to wear away, and at its worst, all the cartilage in a joint is worn away, causing bare bones to painfully rub against each other. Conversely, rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease. People with RA have immune systems that attack the lining of their joints as if it were an injury or disease. It leads to inflammation in the joints, causing pain, swelling, and stiffness for hours.

Consuming enough calcium and vitamin D and including regular weight-bearing exercise in your lifestyle are extremely important in preventing weak bones in senior citizens. Methods of improving quality of life and reducing the symptoms of osteoarthritis include weight loss and exercises in light resistance and flexibility. In rheumatoid arthritis, the most effective treatment is drug therapy to modify the immune system response and decrease joint damage.

3. Eyes and Ears: Eyesight and Hearing Changes with Age

Eyesight usually declines around age 40, and cataracts and macular degeneration may develop around age 60. Hearing weakens with age.

Sight:

Presbyopia. This is a gradual loss of ability to see objects close to you or read small print. This condition is normal in senior citizens, and a usual treatment is simply to get a pair of reading glasses.

Cataracts. These are areas of cloudiness in the lens of the eye that cause loss of sight. Generally, these form slowly without symptoms, and some remain small and do not interfere with vision. Others may grow large or dense, harming vision. Cataract surgery, which is very safe and common, can be very helpful.

Glaucoma. This is a result of fluid inside the eye causing too much pressure. Gradually, this pressure can damage the optic nerve, leading to loss of vision and blindness. Often, senior citizens with glaucoma lack early symptoms of pain or pressure, but annual eye exams that include dilating your pupils can protect you from developing this disease.

Retinal disorders. These disorders are some of the most common causes of blindness in the United States. The most prevalent among senior citizens is age-related macular degeneration (AMD), which affects the area of the retina that provides sharp central vision. Treatment of AMD includes photodynamic therapy, which uses a drug and a strong light to delay the progress of the disorder. Another common retinal disorder is a degenerative disease that affects vision and is called diabetic retinopathy. It is important that senior citizens seek appropriate medical care, maintain a healthy lifestyle, and have frequent follow-ups to help reduce its prevalence.

Two new drugs, ranibizumab (Lucentis) and bevacizumab (Avastin), are now being used to treat neovascular macular degeneration in senior citizens.

Hearing:

Presbycusis. This is slowly progressing hearing loss caused by aging.

Tinnitus. This is a ringing, roaring, or other noise that may come with hearing loss. It may be caused by loud noise, hearing loss, some medicines, and other health problems like allergies or problems in the heart and blood vessels.

4. Digestive and Metabolic

Gastrointestinal problems are more common in senior citizens. Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is when the lower esophageal sphincter (LES) fails to close properly, causing the contents of the stomach to leak back-or reflux-into the esophagus. If this sensation of heartburn happens more than two times per week, it may be considered to be GERD, which can lead to more serious health risks.

Many senior citizens are pre-diabetic, which raises their risk of developing type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and stroke.

5. Urogenital

Incontinence. This is the term for loss of bladder control, from mild leaking to uncontrollable wetting, that is very common in senior citizens. It is not caused by aging alone; factors causing it may be urinary tract infections, vaginal infection or irritation, constipation, or certain medicines. Many cases of incontinence can be controlled or cured with treatment, so it is important to talk to a doctor or another involved in your elder care about this.

Benign prostatic hypertrophy (BPH). The urethra, which passes urine, is surrounded by the prostate gland. Since the prostate gland grows with age, it may begin to squeeze the urethra. Tumors in the prostate may also contribute to this problem. This growth or unrelated infections may cause problems with passing urine. Some men experience this symptom in their 30s or 40s, whereas others do not notice this until a later age.

Prostate cancer. This is the second most common type of cancer in men in the United States. Frequent check-ups are important in identifying and treating this disease.

6. Dental: gingivitis, periodontitis, loss of teeth

Tooth decay can occur regardless of age as long as you have natural teeth. It ruins the enamel that covers and protects the teeth. Plaque forms when you neglect your teeth and bacteria clings to them, forming a sticky, colorless film that can lead to cavities and tooth decay. Another factor in causing tooth decay is gum disease. Using a fluoride toothpaste can help protect your teeth, as it is just as helpful for senior citizens as it is for children.

Gum diseases. These are sometimes called periodontal or gingival diseases, and they are infections that harm the gum and bone holding the teeth in place. If plaque stays on the teeth for too long, it forms tartar, which brushing doesn’t clean and which continues to damage the teeth. When plaque and tartar remain on the teeth, gingivitis is formed. Gingivitis can form areas in which your gums lift away from your teeth, forming easily infected pockets. This is called periodontitis, which, if not properly treated, can ruin the bones, gums, and tissue supporting the teeth. It could even loosen your teeth in time, warranting removal of those teeth.

7. Skin Care for the Elderly

Staying out of the sun is the easiest and least expensive way of avoiding skin damage. Sunlight is the main cause of our changing appearance as we age-including wrinkles, age spots, and dryness. Smoking can also increase the number of visible wrinkles because the chemicals in cigarettes damage elastin proteins in the skin. Skin changes with age; for example, you sweat less as you get older, leading to more dryness. Skin also loses fat, causing it to appear less smooth. Still, senior citizens can take steps to protect themselves from the sun’s harmful effects.

Dry skin. This appears mainly on the lower legs, elbows, and forearms and affects many senior citizens. Skin may feel rough, scaly, and itchy. This could be aggravated by low humidity, which can be worsened by overheating in the winter and air conditioning in the summer. Dryness is also caused by the loss of sweat and oil glands that accompanies aging. Other things that may lead to dry skin are overusing soaps, antiperspirants, perfumes, and hot baths or dehydration, sun exposure, smoking, and stress.

Skin cancer. This is the most common kind of cancer in the United States. Three types of skin cancer are the most prevalent. These include basal cell carcinomas, the most common, which grow slowly and rarely spread; squamous cell carcinomas, which seldom spread but do so more often than basal cell carcinomas; and the most dangerous common skin cancer, melanoma, which can (often fatally) spread to other organs.

Shingles. This affects nerves, causing pain and blisters in senior citizens. It is caused by the same virus that afflicts people with chickenpox. After you recover from chickenpox, the virus remains in some of your nerve cells and, for reasons unknown, can become active again rather than remaining inactive. This regained activity produces shingles.

Senior citizens with shingles feel sick with a rash on their body or face. Shingles targets older people rather than children, and about 20 percent of people who have had chickenpox as children will develop shingles after the age of 50.

8. Functional Abilities

Senior citizens often suffer from injuries caused by falling. This may be caused by other changes, including loss of sight, hearing, muscle strength, coordination, or reflexes. Diabetes, heart disease, or complications with your circulation or nervous system may negatively affect balance, and some medicines can cause dizziness. Any of these could cause a senior citizen to be more prone to falling.

As with most problems experienced by senior citizens, the better you take care of yourself, the less prone you will be to falling. A test called a bone mineral density test can tell you how strong your bones are. If necessary, your doctor can use the results of this test to prescribe medications that will make your bones stronger and less likely to break.

ComForcare Home Care Services-Palm Springs, CA area & Lisa Marie Blaskie RN, CCM, CSA provides home care & elder care in-home services in the Riverside County area. In addition Lisa is a Case Manager and works with seniors & their families To get help in selecting other care options for an aging loved one call @ 800.993.2945

November is National Alzheimer's Disease Awareness Month

2010-11-12T08:55:00.000-08:00

November is Alzheimer's Awareness Month and we wanted to share this important article from alzinfo.org. As we learn more and more about Alzheimer's Disease, getting the information out and sharing early warning signs can help everyone from researchers to caregivers better understand this horrible disease.

Friends and Family May Be Best Detectors of Early Alzheimer's Disease

Family members and friends may be better judges of early Alzheimer’s disease than standard memory tests, a new study reports. The results could help doctors diagnose suspected Alzheimer’s at an earlier stage, when treatment may be more effective and families can better prepare for the changes to come.

The study comes from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, where researchers developed a two-minute questionnaire that asked close friends and family members if they have noticed problems with memory or judgment. The survey asked “yes” or “no” questions about whether they have noticed such signs in loved ones as:

* Bad financial choices or other problems in judgment;
* Less interest in hobbies and other favorite activities;
* Repeating questions, stories or statements;
* Trouble learning how to use a tool or appliance, such as a television remote control or a microwave oven;
* Forgetting the month or year;
* Difficulty handling complicated financial affairs, such as balancing a checkbook;
* Difficulty remembering appointments; and
* Consistent problems with thinking and memory.

Survey results were then correlated with so-called biomarkers, like brain changes on brain scans or blood tests results, that are generally regarded as of Alzheimer’s. The survey proved more accurate than standard word and memory tests like the mini-mental state exam, which doctors perform in their offices to look for early signs of Alzheimer’s.

...continue reading from alzinfo.org

Alzheimer’s home care counselors at ComForcare are available to talk with you and your family about care needs for your loved one, including, how to reduce caregiver stress while providing better, affordable care. ComForcare is a home care agency providing Alzheimer’s Home Care in Palm Springs CA and surrounding areas.

Elder Abuse in the Palm Springs, CA area

2010-11-07T07:24:00.000-08:00

Written By : The Caring Space

Elder abuse refers to any action or inaction that results in harm to a senior citizen or puts the senior at risk of harm. This may be physical, emotional, or sexual abuse. It may involve neglect or desertion of a senior citizen. Or, it may be the misuse or theft of an elderly person’s property or money. A family member or friend may commit elder abuse. It may also be perpetrated by health care providers in the home or in a facility.

Elder abuse is a serious problem in the United States. Every year, there are hundreds of thousands of senior citizens who experience this type of abuse. Legislatures in all 50 states have passed laws preventing the abuse of senior citizens. Although these laws differ, Adult protective services (APS) agencies in each state investigate reports regarding elder abuse.

Types of Elder Abuse

Elder abuse is a general term that refers to any deliberate or negligent act that puts a senior citizen in harms way. It may be committed in various ways, they are listed below:

•Physical abuse
•Sexual abuse
•Psychological or emotional abuse
•Material and financial exploitation
•Neglect
•Self-neglect
•Abandonment
Signs of Elder Abuse

Although a single sign may not necessarily indicate abuse, there are some signs that are highly suggestive of elder abuse. These include:

•Bruises, burns, broken bones, or abrasions
•Withdrawal from normal activities without explanation
•Bruises around the breasts or genital area
•Sudden change in finances
•Unattended medical needs, poor hygiene, or unusual weight loss
•Verbal belittling or threats to the senior
Reporting Elder Abuse

In the case of an emergency, always call 9-1-1. If the elder abuse does not result in medical emergency or pose an immediate threat, one can contact Adult Protective Services (APS). In most cases, APS will conduct an investigation. Services for victims who may need crisis intervention are also available.

If you suspect a senior citizen you know is being abused, get help. If the person is in immediate danger, call 9-1-1. If not, call your state’s APS agency. You will not need to give or your name or provide proof. All reports are kept confidential.

ComForcare Home Care Services-Palm Springs, CA; Lisa Marie Blaskie RN, CCM, CSA provides home care; elder care in-home services in the Riverside County area. In addition Lisa is a Case Manager and works with seniors & their families To get help in selecting other care options for an aging loved one call @ 800.993.2945

Celebrating Family Caregivers in Palm Springs CA

2010-11-05T12:41:00.000-07:00

November is National Family Caregivers Month

Over the next decade approximately 47 million baby boomers in North America are or will be facing the role of caregiver to a parent, relative or elderly friend - an odyssey that will change many of your lives. At the same time countless thousands of seniors face the dilemma of caring for a chronically ill spouse.

A new survey from the National Family Caregivers Association (NFCA) shows that the number of persons who provided care for an elderly, disabled or chronically ill, friend or relative during the past year is more than twice as large as had been previously thought.

Survey results indicate 26.6 percent of the adult population was involved in caregiving during the past 12 months. Based on current census data, that translates to more than 54 million people. Earlier surveys estimated only an approximated 25 million caregivers in the United States.

Based on a random sample of 1,000 adults, the data reveal the sheer number of family caregivers, and by inference, the significant need for caregiving in America. The NFCA survey, conducted this summer, was sponsored by CareThere.com, a new Web site dedicated to supporting family caregivers.

Source: CelebrateLove

Home care counselors at ComForcare are available to talk with you and your family about care needs for your loved one, including, how to reduce caregiver stress while providing better, affordable care. ComForcare is a home care agency providing In Home Care in Palm Springs and surrounding areas.

Alzheimer’s Stage Pattern Development in Palm Springs, CA & Riverside County

2010-10-31T13:01:00.000-07:00

October 31st, 2010 | Author: lisa
This is a good article although I give you caution to his comments on Stage 2. Normal memory lapse IS NOT necessarily Alzheimer’s so be cautious. It can in fact be normal aging. But the information here is still important enough with my caution.

Alzheimer’s Stage Pattern Development
Written By : John Smith

Alzheimer disease could be from mild, moderate, moderately severe and severe Alzheimer’s disease or explained as stages falling in general division of early-stage, mid-stage and late-stage categories. Experts have made a basic framework, stating the development of Alzheimer disease in its stage pattern of development. This framework is based on a system developed by Barry Reisberg, M.D., Clinical Director of the New York University School of Medicine’s Silberstein Aging and Dementia Research Center.
The stage pattern development of Alzheimer disease provides for useful reference for how the disease may unfold and thus helping the family members for future aspect. Though developing of the Alzheimer disease may or may not happen according to the framework, their progress may not be at the same rate as people with Alzheimer disease die an average of four to six years after diagnosis. But Alzheimer disease can have duration varying from three to even prolonging till twenty years before killing the patient.

Stage 1: No impairment

The patient will be normally functioning like any other normal human being. This individual will experience no memory problems and thus the Alzheimer disease will not be evident to health care professional.

Stage 2: Very Mild Cognitive decline

Basically in this stage the person with Alzheimer disease will start having the basic symptoms of very mild cognitive decline like forgetting of glasses, memory lapse or loss especially of names or familiar word and locations. But these symptoms will basically be ignored or be termed as normal age related changes, whereas these are the early signs of Alzheimer disease. These symptoms again will not be evident to medical practitioner and even to family, friends or co workers.

Stage 3: Mild Cognitive decline

This is the stage when people living with the affected person recognize of him having some problem. This is the stage when Alzheimer disease can be diagnosed, yet all individuals suffering are not diagnosed in this stage. In this stage, patient suffers form problems with memory and concentration.

Basic symptoms of this stage are:

•Difficulty in using word or names
•Difficulty in ability to remember new names of person introduced
•Performance issues in social and work settings
•Reading difficulty as passage is little retained.
•Losing and misplacing valuable object
•Problem in planning and organizing
Stage 4: Moderate cognitive decline

A careful examination leads to the confirmation of person being suffering from Alzheimer disease. This is the mild stage of Alzheimer disease. As the patient starts experiencing:

•Forgetting recent events or current occasions, at times they remember and at times they forget.
•Impairment in mental arithmetic
•Difficulty in doing complex task
•Reduced memory of personal history
•Feeling of solitude and isolation as affected individual feel subdued and withdrawn.
Stage 5: Moderate Severe cognitive decline

This is the alarming stage where basically family members should start putting on more attention to the patient. As the patient starts suffering from major gaps in memory and deficits in cognitive function. Assistance with day-to-day activities is now essential. Basically in this stage the individual will:

•During a medical interview will be unable to recall important details like current address, their telephone number which thus is alarming fact that not to leave them to wander alone.
•State of confusion: they express lots of confusion as why they are here, what were they doing and what date it is or even matter of fact what season it is.
•Need help choosing proper clothing for the season or the occasion
•Troubles with mental arithmetic; thus handling financial activity could be strain.
•Though at this stage, it is not as sever as they usually retain important knowledge about themselves like knowing their own name and the names of their spouse or children.
•At this stage they don’t require assistance with eating or using the toilet
Stage 6: Severe cognitive decline

The stage when the individual needs his family support to the maximum, as memory difficulties get severe and personality of the individual may even change and there is extensive need for care of the patient as customary daily activities also become a hassle for the patient.

The individual will have problems and symptoms like:

•Lose most attentiveness of recent experiences and awareness of events as well as of their surroundings
•Recollection of their personal history is imperfect, although generally recall their own name
•At times forgetting the name of their spouse, primary caregiver though can generally distinguish familiar faces from unfamiliar faces
•Need help with dressing properly as they may make errors like putting pajamas over daytime clothes, wearing winter clothes in summer or shoes on wrong feet
•Experience disorder of their normal sleep/waking cycle
•Need help even when going toileting, they may need help with flushing toilet, wiping and disposing of tissue properly.
•Have increasing episodes of urinary or fecal incontinence
•Experience considerable personality changes and showing off behavioral symptoms like suspiciousness and delusions. For example, they tend to believe that their caregiver is an impostor, may even have hallucinations i.e. seeing or hearing things that are not really there; or even suffer from compulsive and repetitive behaviors that can be hand-wringing or tissue shredding
•Tend to go wandering and then become lost not knowing how they came there.

Stage 7: Very severe cognitive decline

This is the late stage of Alzheimer disease, the final in framework when the individual lose most of its abilities and his muscles and nerves starts degenerating and lose of weight is tremendous. This is the stage, where it is better to involve a nurse or put them in health care center, as the people who are living in with patient will feel very sad and their inability to help much will cause them pain.

Individual will:

•Loose ability to respond to environment
•Loose Ability to speak: losing capacity for recognizable speech though word or phrases may be uttered.
•Loose Ability to control movement and reflexes: need help with even the basic activity like eating, and toileting. Loose ability to walk without assistance, as stage deteriorates; ability to sit without support will also go.
•Loose smile: they will have no expression on their face, as they will not able to smile or even uphold their head. Reflexes become abnormal, swallowing impaired and muscles becoming rigid.

ComForcare Home Care Services-Palm Springs, CA & surrounding Riverside County areas & Lisa Marie Blaskie RN, CCM, CSA provides home care & elder care in-home services in the Riverside County area. In addition Lisa is a Case Manager and works with seniors & their families To get help in selecting other care options for an aging loved one call @ 800.993.2945

Creating a Functional and Appealing Senior Space in Palm Springs CA

2010-10-29T13:48:00.000-07:00

Creating a Functional and Appealing Senior Space
By: Alexis Bonari

Most senior spaces, if focused on function over form, start to resemble medical facilities characterized by neutral shades, sparse decoration, and almost no effort to disguise items that remind seniors of their health conditions. While it’s indisputable that seniors need certain pieces of furniture and layouts in their spaces, these elements don’t have to be devoid of style and attractiveness. The following tips for designing successful senior spaces are both practical and sensitive, helping you to make the most of a room or building to satisfy seniors’ needs and desires.

Getting the Functional Elements in Place

* Stairs are an obvious challenge to seniors, so keep everything they need on one level of the home. If you’re preparing to have a senior relative live in your home, you can convert an office or college son or daughter’s bedroom on the first floor into a bedroom for your senior.
* To enhance a senior’s sense of independence, lower countertops for those confined to wheelchairs so they can continue to participate in activities like cooking.
* If possible, create a “wet room” instead of a bathroom for your senior. This means eliminating all curbs and obstacles in the bathroom so that seniors with wheelchairs or other mobility aids can use the shower more easily. A drain in a gently sloping floor can help accomplish this. You might also consider placing slip prevention mats in the shower area.
* Make sure that you have traction strips on any stairs or walkways outside your house so that your senior won’t be confined to the house in bad weather.
* Low storage areas are a must. They should be well above knee level, but still within reach of someone in a wheelchair. Make sure that you have these storage areas in kitchen, bathroom, and bedroom areas.
* Install railings and grab bars. If you have stairs and your senior isn’t wheelchair-bound, some railings on both sides of your stairwell can help increase their mobility from one level to the next. Grab bars should be installed for wheelchair-bound seniors to enable them to pull themselves to a standing position. They should be located near the shower, toilet, and other areas that might warrant standing up.

...continue reading from seniorcaremarketer.com

For information about home care in Palm Springs CA, visit www.palmspringsca.comforcare.com .

Federal Administration on Aging Is On the Phone in Palm Springs CA

2010-10-22T13:42:00.000-07:00

Someone On the Line
By PAULA SPAN
On Friday afternoon, the federal Administration on Aging unveils its new, improved elder care locator. The major change: anyone who dials the toll-free number, (800) 677-1116, from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Eastern time on weekdays should get an actual human on the line, ready to answer questions about government services and refer seniors and caregivers to local agencies that can help.

“My strong personal preference is that the best way to provide consumer assistance is in person — face to face, or on the phone,” said Kathy Greenlee, assistant secretary for aging at the federal Department of Health and Human Services. “Talking to someone about a situation, providing direction — there’s no substitute.”

The locator, intended as the first stop for those seeking services for older people in their counties, began as a phone service in 1991 and a decade later added a popular Web site, www.eldercare.gov. It had live operators until two years ago, when it switched to a recorded routing system.

I tried that system myself recently, asking about transportation services in Cumberland County, N.J., where my father lives. It worked reasonably well — I’ve certainly encountered worse automated systems — but some callers might have given up when the system failed, three times, to understand the city and state I kept enunciating as clearly as possible. I punched in my dad’s ZIP code, and that did the trick. I was connected to a person in Bridgeton, N.J., who told me how my father should apply.

“People didn’t get a live voice,” Ms. Greenlee said of the call system. This might explain why only 177,000 people called last year, while 1.9 million used the Web site. Starting Friday, though, five information specialists and two elder care counselors will handle calls in English and Spanish (a separate “language line” will assist those who speak other languages).

The staff can provide general information on Medicare and Medicaid eligibility and benefits, Social Security, food stamps and food delivery services, transportation, long-term care, caregiver support, protection against elder abuse and more.

...continue reading from newoldage

ComForcare helps many seniors in the Palm Springs area with elder care. Visit www.palmspringsca.comforcare.com for more information

3 Biggest Causes of Back Pain in Palm Springs, CA

2010-10-17T14:12:00.000-07:00

October 17th, 2010 | Author: lisa
Back pain is a common problem not just with seniors but a wide range of our population here are some of the reasons.

3 Biggest Causes of Back Pain
Written By : Dr. Graeme Teague

Lower back pain is both a common and debilitating condition. Statistics say that over 80% of the adult population will suffer from backpain at some stage. Medical data states that backpain is only second to the common cold for doctor’s visits.

Low back pain is now a very common occurrence in your life. So what are the most common causes and can you do something about it?

There are actually 3 common causes of lower back pain. They do not fit the usual stereotypical causes either. It is not injuries; it is not falls, nothing to do with muscle strain or joint sprains. The 3 biggest causes of lower back pain are the activities that allow lower back pain to happen.

And they are as follows…

Gravity – yes the pressure from the sky. Gravity affects your muscles and joints. It creates pressure on joints and allows degeneration of the joint to develop. Gravity is constant every day and adults believe they can fight it and win. But you can’t!

Adults spend the entire day sitting or standing. You only lie down when you go to bed. For the average person, that means 8 hours not fighting gravity, and 16 hours fighting it. So gravity wins and allows you to shrink in height with age, for joints to degenerate, muscles to tire.

How can you fight it – you can’t eliminate gravity but you can stop its’ effects on you.

Warming Up – why is warming up a common cause of lower back pain? It isn’t. Not warming up is. Sure you may warm up for sport and exercise. But do you warm up for gardening, household chores and other daily tasks at your work place? Most likely not.

Most accidents, injuries, lower back pain etc occur because your body is ill-prepared for the work you are about to do. The shock causes the muscles to tighten, for joints to react and low backpain occurs. So you need to warm up for all exercise, whether it is sport related or work or home related. Go for a walk, stretch and limber up before you get stuck into the activity.

Stupidity – no stupid people do not cause low backpain. Your stupid behavior does. Adults are notorious for over doing things. Men especially. We lift too heavier an object, do not take breaks when you should, work too long and too hard.

All these activities lead to the common over-use strains and sprains that lead to lower back pain. Men like to be the macho hero, who can lift the weight of a car. Only to find out tomorrow they can’t lift their own body weight out of bed in the morning. Women are less stupid, but are learning fast to do the same. You spend 8 hours gardening, 3 hours vacuuming, yet you shudder at going to the gym for an hour.

What is the solution? Do not over do it, take regular breaks, warm up for exercises no matter what they are and lie down more often.

Lower back pain is a common event in today’s’ hectic world. All you need to do to eliminate your lower back pain is avoid the bigger causes, learn to correct the muscle and joint imbalances and then you can prevent lower backpain – totally and permanently!

Online back pain adviser Dr Graeme Teague has helped more than 4,000 people worldwide to banish their back pain easily, safely and permanently without expensive therapy, medication, equipment or time-consuming exercises.

ComForcare Home Care Services-Palm Springs & surrounding Riverside County, CA & Lisa Marie Blaskie RN, CCM, CSA provides home care & elder care in-home services in the Riverside County area. In addition Lisa is a Case Manager and works with seniors & their families To get help in selecting other care options for an aging loved one call @ 800.993.2945

In Palm Springs, If Spouse Has Dementia, Your Risk Rises, Too

2010-10-15T14:38:00.000-07:00

If Spouse Has Dementia, Your Risk Rises, Too
By Linda Carroll

Stress of caregiving may be to blame for 6-fold increase, researchers say

Being married to someone with dementia may sharply increase your own risk of developing the condition, a new study shows.

Utah researchers found that seniors had six times the risk of developing dementia if they lived with a spouse who had been diagnosed with the condition, according to the study, which was published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society. And the increased risk was substantially higher for husbands than for wives.

“The good news is that most of the spouses did not develop dementia,” said the study’s lead author, Maria Norton, an associate professor in the department of Family, Consumer and Human Development at Utah State University, in Logan. “But this does alert us to the increased risk for some of them. We need to be taking care of the caregiver and finding ways to maximize the positives of care giving.”

The study followed 1,221 couples for 12 years. All 2,442 study volunteers were at least 65 years old and free of dementia at the outset. By the end of the study, 255 of the seniors had developed dementia, two-thirds of which were Alzheimer’s disease.

Though the study did not explicitly ask whether spouses had taken on the role of caregiver, Norton says it’s safe to assume they did.

...continue reading from msnbc.com

Are you struggling to care for a loved one with Dementia? For information about elder care in Palm Springs, please visit www.palmspringsca.comforcare.com.

7 Exercises for Arthritis in Palm Desert, CA

2010-10-14T12:54:00.000-07:00

7 Exercises for Arthritis in San Francisco, CA
October 14th, 2010 | Author: lisa
You seem to be restless all day and feel terrible pain during nighttime. It seems endless, the cycle of pain and immobility, not having the means to do the things you used to do and the stress and boredom that go with it. When you are tormented by the pain of arthritis, you most likely would long for some rest rather than exercise which seems to be exhausting and painful altogether.

It is a mistaken notion that exercise can further damage your joints. On the other hand, doing moderate exercises have shown significant impact in the overall well-being of patients suffering from arthritis. Patients should of course refrain from doing high-impact exercises as this may aggravate their condition. There are, however, a variety of low-impact or moderate exercises that have shown incredible benefits such as reduction of joint pain and the strengthening of muscles around the affected joint. It has also improved overall health and fitness by creating a healthy self-esteem, reducing depressive symptoms, controlling obesity, improving sleep, and boosting energy.

Top 7 Exercise Plans for Arthritis

•Exercises in the pool
•Yoga
•Pilates
•Callanetics
•Qigong
•Tai Qi
•Walking
Water Therapy

Water therapy or pool exercises are great for people with arthritis. The water’s buoyancy helps relax the affected joints and aids free movement as it does not put too much strain on your joints while you do the exercises. It would be advisable to use warm water as this dilates the blood vessels and helps increase good blood circulation which is recommended for your swollen joints.

Yoga

The practice of yoga originated in India more than 3,000 years ago. This is one of the mind-body integrating movement practices that have spiritual origins. The word yoga is derived from Sanskrit; which means to “yoke,” or unify the three mantras of mind, body, and spirit. This is an alternative to traditional exercise which mainly focuses on bodily strength and endurance. Yoga is a combination of physical movement exercises, spiritual cleansing, and certain lifestyle modifications. It is centered on having the chakras aligned in achieving equilibrium in your holistic frame of well-being.

Pilates

The essential principle of pilates focuses on breathing and body awareness. This program widely promotes spinal health. This can also be customized to fit your need especially if you have swollen and painful joints to begin with. This is done by contracting your muscles without mobilizing your joints.

Callanetics

Callanetics is a non-impact exercise regimen which was developed by Callan Pickney in 1980 that incorporates small yet precise pulses or movements for those who want to shape up as well as improve their arthritic symptoms. It is proven to improve the conditions of people with scoliosis, osteoporosis, arthritis, and Crone’s disease.

Qigong

Qigong is a traditional Chinese medicine treatment like that of acupuncture. Qi means “breath of life” and gong means “achievement”. It supports the notion that good health is derived from a free flowing qi system while diseases could mean that there is blockage in the natural flow. It also includes proper breathing techniques, physical poses, as well as a good focus of intention. The benefits derived from this program include increased mobility of the affected joints, less inflammation or swelling, reduction of pain and tenderness, decreased anxiety, and an overall state of well-being.

Tai Qi

One of the principles of eastern arts is Tai Qi. Same with Qigong, this also integrates the importance of combining both physical and mental exercises to be able to acquire holistic and balanced positive results. This is a low-impact exercise technique which also involves deep breathing as well as visualization exercises coupled with stretching regimen and cardio workout. This has proven to decrease stress as well as reduce tension, stress, and arthritic symptoms such as joint pain, inflammation, tenderness, and the like. It thrives in the principle that to heal the body and alleviate bodily toxins, one must deal with the inner self and free ourselves of emotional baggage or stressors that could have caused us these diseases in the first place.

Walking

Walking has always been the simplest and basic form of exercise that almost anyone can do. No trainings or coaching needed whatsoever. This is great to clear our minds of worthless thoughts and help strengthen our flexibility and endurance as well. A breath of fresh air is what we need when we want to rejuvenate and think. Just make sure that you have the appropriate walking shoes with good support and shock absorbency. You determine the pace and how far you walk. Do not overwork your legs though; just be cautious because it might aggravate rather than help if you are not careful. Develop a rhythm and enjoy the walk. You can do this with your wife or husband; it would be a fun and intimate activity for both of you.

These exercise regimens alone would not be a guarantee that your symptoms will be improved. This should be supported by a healthy diet, plenty of rest, water therapy, drinking multivitamins and food supplements, and having a positive mental attitude. You will go places as long as you have faith. It may be a long and rigorous ride, but it will be well worth it along the way.

ComForcare Home Care Services-Palm Springs, Riverside County & surrounding communities Lisa Marie Blaskie RN, CCM, CSA provides home care & elder care in-home services in the Riverside County area. In addition Lisa is a Case Manager and works with seniors & their families To get help in selecting other care options for an aging loved one call @ 800.993.2945

Seniors Accentuate the Positive in Life in Palm Springs, CA

2010-10-10T17:41:00.000-07:00

October 10th, 2010 | Author: lisa

Seniors Accentuate the Positive in Life
Many adults expect to feel a sense of loss, or even depression, as they enter old age. But rather than experiencing unhappiness about the effects of aging, many seniors report an increased sense of peace and contentment. Instead of feeling limited, they feel liberated.

Related studies
As the San Jose Mercury News notes in “Seniors discover upswing in emotional health,” Laura Carstensen, director of Stanford University’s Center on Longevity, has spent most of her career studying this paradox of aging. Even though seniors’ physical and mental health are declining, they report that they are happier and better adjusted.

Carstensen calls this phenomenon “socioemotional selectivity.” The theory states that as people age and realize that their time is limited, their priorities begin to change. Thus, seniors set aside the worries of their youth and middle adulthood to focus on the things that matter most to them: close family and friends, valued activities and endeavors, and treasured hobbies. Older adults limit their stress levels by not taking on new challenges and adventures, instead spending their time on the things they truly enjoy and that bring meaning and purpose to their lives. They let go of fear, frustration, anger and negativity; instead, they seek experiences that provide positive emotional benefits. As a result, seniors feel happier, more stable, better connected and more adapted.

Multiple studies support Carstensen’s theory, including a 2003 report in Psychological Science that found that seniors pay less attention to photos of people with angry or sad expressions than to photos of people with happy expressions. In addition, a 2007 study in Aging & Mental Health found that seniors’ diaries report less unhappiness than younger people’s diaries report.

Theories of positive aging
Berngtsonetal’s Handbook of Theories of Aging, Chapter 18, notes that “healthy emotional aging — characterized by an overall enhancement of emotional experience across the life span — is part of normal human development.” The authors expand on Carstensen’s socioemotional selectivity theory and discuss positivity in cognitive processing as methods that older adults use to improve their emotional well-being as they age.

Socioemotional selectivity theory
Carstensen’s theory cites the perception of time as a key factor in determining motivation. Younger adults, who see their remaining time as relatively unlimited, are more motivated to invest in their futures. Thus they are willing to pursue goals related to increasing their knowledge, and they are willing to delay the payoffs until a later time. Conversely, older adults see their remaining time as more limited and are therefore less motivated to pursue intellectual goals with delayed payoffs. Seniors seek more immediate gratification, such as that obtained through emotional goals.

Positivity in cognitive processing
It’s well established that how we think affects how we feel. For example, simply smiling can actually make a person happier. Older adults can use this approach to focus on positive emotions and suppress negative emotions, to enhance their overall emotional well-being. By directing their intellectual resources toward their emotional goals, seniors can improve their present emotional state.

Enjoying the “golden years”
Rather than longing for the “good old days,” seniors are enjoying their golden years. According to a study conducted by ExtendHealth, a Medicare exchange provider, only 3 percent of 471 retirees surveyed said they miss their jobs, and only 2 percent said they have too much free time.

Seniors keep busy with a multitude of positive activities, including the following responses to ExtendHealth’s survey:

•42 percent spend more time with family, especially children and grandchildren
•39 percent travel more
•32 percent spend more time on hobbies
•27 percent do volunteer work
•22 percent engage in leisure activities
•14 percent spend more time with friends
•10 percent have started a new career
Notes for caregivers and professionals
The fact that older adults often see their lives in a positive light provides a great opportunity for those who work with seniors. Caregivers and professionals can often provide resources that support seniors’ connections to their families, friends, community and social networks and thus enhance their emotional well-being.

In addition, because seniors often make decisions on more emotional than intellectual levels, it’s important to make positive emotional connections with them. Caregivers and professionals can benefit by presenting their services as positive enhancements to older adults’ lives.

ComForcare Home Care Services-Coachella Vallet & Palm Springs, Ca area & Lisa Marie Blaskie RN, CCM, CSA provides home care & elder care in-home services in Riverside/Palm Springs/Hemet area. In addition Lisa is a Case Manager and works with seniors & their families To get help in selecting other care options for an aging loved one call @ 800.993.2945

Understanding Cold and Flu Symptoms in Palm Springs CA

2010-10-08T14:29:00.000-07:00

Understanding Cold and Flu Symptoms

Is it a cold or the flu? Here's how to tell

(ARA) - "My body aches and my head is throbbing. Do I have the flu or is it just because I'm stressed or tired? Do I need a flu shot? Do I need the H1N1 vaccine, too?"

Millions of Americans will be asking themselves these and more questions this fall and winter as news reports and health care providers continue to warn about seasonal influenza and novel H1N1 influenza, otherwise known as swine flu.

The flu symptoms self-assessment tool on MayoClinic.com can help you assess whether you or your loved ones have some form of flu, or just a cold.

If you possibly or likely have the flu, you'll also learn whether antiviral medication is an option. And you can check a concise list of high-risk groups who should seek medical attention for the flu.

Flu - influenza - is caused by a virus that attacks your respiratory system.

Health experts agree that if you're generally in good health, the flu - either seasonal or H1N1 - will likely do no more than make you feel rotten for a few days. You probably won't develop complications or need to go to the
hospital. If, however, you have an already weakened immune system or are among those considered high risk - such as infants, young children, pregnant women or the elderly - the flu can be a serious and even fatal illness.

Common symptoms of both the seasonal and swine flu include:

* Sudden onset. Colds usually develop over a few days and are only a nuisance. Flu hits you quickly and hard.
* Chills, sweats, headache and body aches, especially in the back, arms and legs.
* Fever higher than 101 F in adults and up to 103 or 105 in children.
* Nasal congestion but a dry cough.
* Overall weakness and fatigue.
* No appetite in adults and children, and diarrhea and vomiting in children.
* Worsening of chronic ailments like asthma, diabetes and heart disease.

Most healthy adults will only need to treat the symptoms and let the illness run its course. Infants, young children or adults at risk of complications, however, should see the doctor right away. Antiviral drugs, taken in the first 48 hours that symptoms develop, may trim the length of the illness and help prevent the development of serious complications like pneumonia.

Ultimately, getting vaccinated is the best way to protect yourself and your loved ones from contracting the flu. Talk to your health care provider about getting vaccinated. Visit www.MayoClinic.com for more information on
managing your health.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

For the Best in Home Care in Palm Springs CA, visit www.palmspringsca.comforcare.com.

Recognize the Risks of Hiring a Private Caergiver in Palm Desert, CA

2010-10-03T19:54:00.000-07:00

October 3rd, 2010 | Author: lisa
I have touched on this topic a number of times but recent increases in media coverage of elder abuse and theft from private caregivers requires that families and seniors be aware of the dangers and other risks in hiring private caregivers.

The primary dangers and apparent risks are:

1. Most private caregivers are not having background checks completed. A full service agency completes a background check on every applicant and up to 30% of those applicants fail our background checks. Where do you think they go to find work? They are private cargivers able to work because they won’t be subject to a criminal check.
2. Private caregivers do not carry liability insurance nor are they bonded thereby creating a risk to the families and their elders.
3. Private caregivers are usually do not pay their share of payroll and Social Security taxes. The IRS or State payroll agency can demand payment from your loved one for those obligations.
4. Also private caregivers do not carry workers compensation and if they hurt themselves caring for your loved one they can file a claim against the senior and their assets or home.
5. Private caregivers typically violate State law by performing tasks that they are not trained or authorized to do. This puts your loved ones at risk for their health.
6. Private caregivers are as a group not trained properly nor do they keep their skills current with ongoing inservices.
7. When a private caregiver gets sick or needs time off there are no respite options.
8.There is no follow-up supervision of a private caregiver as there is with a caregiver from a full service agency.
9. The national newspapers and internet media carry stories on eldercare abuse and theft from private caregivers and there is much more of those types of activities going unreported.
10. A full service agency continually monitors a caregiver’s crimminal background and DMV records for any changes that may prove a danger to a senior.

The risks are obvious and represents a placing a loved one in danger.

ComForcare Home Care Services-Palm Springs, CA & Lisa Marie Blaskie RN, CCM, CSA provides home care & elder care in-home services in the Coachella Valley area. In addition Lisa is a Case Manager and works with seniors & their families To get help in selecting other care options for an aging loved one call @ 800.993.2945

In Palm Springs CA, What To Expect When You're Getting Older

2010-10-01T14:57:00.000-07:00

What To Expect When You're Getting Older

(ARA) – The signs of aging aren't always as obvious as a few more wrinkles and grey hairs. The body naturally changes as you get older, but what exactly can you expect and how do you make sure you're aging in a healthy way?

The experts at Mayo Clinic offer a list of things to look for as you age, and tips on how you can stay healthy:

Heart
As you get older, your heart must work harder to pump the same amount of blood through your body. Your blood vessels may narrow if hardened deposits of fat have formed on your arteries. This can lead to high blood pressure hypertension).

You can help prevent high blood pressure by maintaining a healthy weight, exercising regularly and reducing your salt intake.

Muscles, joints and bones
Your bones shrink in size and density as you age, which makes you susceptible to fracture. Your muscles and joints also lose some flexibility and strength.

To help your body stay flexible and to keep your bones strong, get the recommended daily amount of vitamin D and calcium and engage in weight-bearing exercises like walking, climbing stairs and light weight training.

Eyes
Experienced eyes have thinner retinas with lenses that are less clear. Focusing on objects close up may become more difficult and you may be sensitive to glaring lights, particularly when driving at night. Common eye conditions include glaucoma and cataracts.

Eat a healthy diet full of fruits, vegetables and whole grains and get regular eye exams to help catch any problems early.

Ears
Hearing loss is one of the most common conditions reported in aging adults. The thickening of eardrums can cause you to have difficulty hearing high frequencies and you may notice an increase in ear wax.

Avoid prolonged exposure to loud noises and wear hearing protection when doing noisy tasks like mowing the lawn. Have your hearing checked regularly.

If you've got health concerns or questions about what you can expect as you get older, a great resource to have on hand is the Mayo Clinic Family Health Book, 4th edition. You'll have great information at your fingertips including:

* Preventive screening recommendations and tests to consider based on your age
* Hundreds of pages of fully updated information on diseases and conditions
* How to protect yourself and prepare for flu pandemics
* How to make sense of your symptoms
* A medication guide

Also included is general information designed to help you navigate the changes and health care decisions that come as we get older.

For more information and healthy aging tips, visit MayoClinic.com. To purchase your copy of the Mayo Clinic Family Health Book, 4th edition, visit bookstore.MayoClinic.com.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

To learn about ComForcare and how we can help you with elder care in the Palm Springs area, visit www.palmspringsca.comforcare.com.

Dating After A Loss in Palm Springs, CA

2010-09-26T20:37:00.000-07:00

September 26th, 2010 | Author: lisa

Handling grief and then moving on I’m trying to move on after my mother’s passing. Here is an article that talks about dating.

Everyone experiences grief differently and therefore mourning periods are not the same for everyone. What may be a sufficient time of mourning for you may seem like too short a time for someone else. Some people actually believe that there are rules and ways to behave after the death of a spouse. These notions are as archaic as the long ago idea that a widow must marry the brother of her dead husband.

Some people may worry that to begin dating again would, in some ways, be cheating on your deceased spouse. Anxieties will cloud the air and old fears will surface. The best help for getting through this new phase of your life is to have a good set of friends by your side, holding your hand, and keeping you steady. Expressing your feelings of mourning in a safe place is a good way to begin the healing process.

Coming to terms with your previous marriage is important before you can move forward. If you are lucky enough to fall in love a second (or third) time it will not be the same type of love as your previous marriage. You are older and more mature and you approach life differently.

Experts say that being able to reestablish a sense of intimacy with someone other than your spouse is more difficult for widows. If you feel comfortable getting out into the dating world you should try it.

It may be a hard thing to figure out, but make sure that when you do date that you are dating for the right reasons. Dating to fill a void is unfair to you and your new partner. You simply cannot replace the partner that you lost, but the heart can love again.

Talking about your deceased spouse when you are dating again is common. Just don’t spend the entire evening reliving your former life. Make sure you spend time getting to know your date for who they are and try not to morph them into a therapist role.

ComForcare Home Care Services-Plam Springs/Coachella Valley & Lisa Marie Blaskie RN, CCM, CSA provides home care & elder care in-home services in the Coachella Valley/Riverside County, CA area. In addition Lisa is a Case Manager and works with seniors & their families To get help in selecting other care options for an aging loved one call @ 800.993.2945

School’s On for Seniors in Palm Springs CA

2010-09-24T14:27:00.000-07:00

School’s On for Seniors
By: Michelle Seitzer

Senior citizens who still yearn to learn may have the opportunity to do so free of charge, a welcome prospect for seniors crunched in the currently stressed economy.

Here’s a brief rundown of several programs available across the US:

* For a state-by-state breakdown, consult www.seniorresource.com

In Union County, New Jersey, the LIFE (Learning is ForEver) Center invites Union County residents above the age of 62 to register for an unlimited number of courses, held at places and times convenient to these sophisticated learners. Biology, government, art, Shakespeare, and American foreign policy are among the diverse offerings. Find out more here.

In the Money section of US News & World Report.com, writer Emily Brandon gives a bird’s eye view of general information on tuition waivers, auditing courses, scholarships and more. According to the article, 84% of community colleges present free courses specifically for students age 50 and older, so grab your phone book (or get on Google), find the community college nearest you, and give them a ring to see what’s on the roster for senior students. Review the facts.

A recent piece at CantonRep.com points Ohio residents to audit the course of their choice through Kent State University’s Stark campus. The Senior Guest program there allows anyone 60 and up to take a course free of charge, so long as there are open seats. Get the scoop.

For more information, continue reading from seniorsforliving…

Does someone in your family need help with care and assistance in the Palm Springs area? If so, visit www.palmspringsca.comforcare.com for more information.

Mental Wellness in Palm Springs CA

2010-09-17T12:55:00.000-07:00

Mental Wellness

From Healthy Aging®

If you think old, you ARE old.

A decline in memory is not always a function of serious disease, like Alzheimer's

Sometimes memory loss is caused by factors that can be changed -- such as diet, medication misuse, depression, etc... At the National Institute on Aging, research is showing that memory may be like other parts of the body. Research showed that the very gradual declines in memory take place until age 70 -- when the pace increases, but not so much as to impair us. The conclusion?
The processes of normal aging do not rob you of your memory. The greatest enemy to the healthy senior mind is depression. New activities, hobbies, and exercise are wonderful anti-depressants. If you truly are depressed, don't bear it alone -- SEEK HELP!

Stay active doing things that use your memory:

* Take a class, play games, be with people
* Pick up the phone now and call someone, just to "chat"
* Volunteer your time. Get involved with a cause you believe in or in something that interests you
* Seek out variety and challenge in your daily life

...continue reading from healthyaging.net

If you need help caring for a loved one in Palm Springs, please visit www.palmspringsca.comforcare.com for more information.

Helping Your Elderly Parent with COPD Related Depression in Palm Desert, CA

2010-09-15T20:33:00.000-07:00

Experts say that over a million people in the United States have chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). It is a chronic lung condition that includes bronchitis, emphysema or both.

COPD affects the airways and air sacs within the lungs, which makes breathing difficult and can result in a person becoming less active over time. An elderly person who has COPD will easily become depressed, when dealing not only with breathing difficulties but other age related problems.

One example of COPD related depression is Martin, age 72. Martin had lived a busy lifestyle, playing golf, volunteering at the community center and working in his garden. Diagnosed with COPD six months previous, and uncertain how to mange his breathing difficulty and new medications, Martin stopped all his activities. Giving up the things he loved to do and sitting more at home along with improper diet, he became a victim to depression.

Martin’s son Anthony realized that his father could not handle his new situation and depression alone. A trip together to Martin's physician began the steps to dissipating the depression and enabling Martin to return to his social life.

Anthony received instructions about his father’s medications from the doctor and how they were to be used and consequently could help his father with medication reminders.

The most common types of daily COPD medicines are:

•Inhaler for daily maintenance - Bronchodilators help relax the muscles around the lungs’ breathing tubes. This reduces shortness of breath and makes breathing easier.
•Steroids – Corticosteroids, taken in pill form or inhaler reduce swelling in breathing tubes to quickly make breathing easier. Not commonly for prolong use.
•Oxygen Treatment - Severe COPD will reduce your lungs’ ability to put oxygen into your blood to be carried throughout your body. Martin’s oxygen level was measured to determine if he would need prescribed oxygen therapy. Oxygen is usually prescribed if the oxygen in the blood is low during sleep, exercise, or while not active. A respiratory therapist from an oxygen supply company or home health service can help with learning how to use oxygen.

An important factor in Martin’s depression and COPD management was his diet.

“A healthy diet can play an important role in the management and treatment of COPD.
Finding the right diet can be tricky for people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), since they need to eat a healthy diet and maintain their optimal weight to keep COPD symptoms in check.” )Krisha McCoy, MS, Lindsey Marcellin, MD, MPH)

Maintaining the right nutrition and taking vitamins not only keeps the body healthy but heals the mind, providing emotional well being. Fad diets or extreme dieting are not appropriate for COPD patients. Extreme weight loss can be as much a hazard as being overweight. A home care nutritionist can help establish a healthy menu and diet plan.

With medication and diet under control the final steps to overcoming Martin’s depression were to return to his daily activities. With COPD, an elderly person is more hesitant to leave home, especially if that person's breathing capacity is not as it used to be. There is a lot of available mobility support for the elderly with small portable oxygen units, walkers, electric scooters and other supportive equipment to help these disabled people move about in the community.

With the help of mobile services and his son at his side to start with, Martin returned to the golf course and community activities. His new diet and return to previous activity helped Martin overcome his symptoms of depression.

Studies show that the intervention of family and friends in helping and supporting elderly people with COPD results in a decrease of depression and a healthier outcome for the patient.

The Oxford Journals Medicine and Ageing states

“It is also worth exploring how family and friends may be involved in supporting the patient and to encourage social interaction. Educating the spouse, family members and friends about depression may help them to understand the consequences of the disease and to develop coping strategies and in turn may reduce the likelihood of isolation. A very recent study that investigated the benefits of emotional support by family and friends and of spiritual beliefs in patients with major depression showed that those with higher perceived emotional support had better outcomes.” (Oxford Journals Medicine Age and Ageing Volume 35, Number 5)

If you are helping an elder parent with COPD related depression there are community and professional services to help you. Start with your parent’s physician. You can also find resources for oxygen therapy, homecare respiratory treatment, home nursing, home medical equipment and mobile services.

The National Care Planning Council promotes eldercare resources and lists eldercare services throughout the United States.

ComForcare Home Care Services-Palm Springs, CA & Lisa Marie Blaskie RN, CCM, CSA provides home care & elder care in-home services in the Riverside County, CA area. In addition Lisa is a Case Manager and works with seniors & their families To get help in selecting other care options for an aging loved one call @ 800.993.2945

Most doctors don’t like prescribing pills in Palm Springs, CA, CA

2010-09-13T07:50:00.000-07:00

Want to know what doctor's think about about perscriptions versus non scripts here is some insight on how doctor's view this process.

by Melanie Lane, MD

I am a medical doctor. I am also called an allopath, someone who practices “Western medicine.”

We allopaths like data, proof, science, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials. We want to know the “mechanism of action.” We want someone to prove that yoga or medication or some procedure actually helps your depression or blood pressure or back pain and that these treatments are safe before we prescribe them. We feel more confident about our treatment plan that way, and let’s be honest, we’re less likely to lose a lawsuit if something goes awry.

Here’s something you might not know. Most of us don’t like prescribing pills. If there is a safe, natural, noninvasive solution to your problem, we’d prefer to use that. Shocked? Consider this: the more pills you take, the more potential adverse reactions are possible, the more responsible we are for a bad outcome.

It surprised me recently when a well educated accountant accused me of being a pill pusher. He said, “We all know you doctors get a kick back from the drug companies for every prescription you write.” What? Not only is that extremely immoral, it’s illegal.

Actually, the more medications we prescribe, the more money we lose. Think about the time involved in deliberating the risks vs benefits of prescribing a medication for someone. Then consider the time involved in evaluating possible drug interactions with your other medications. Then consider the liability we assume for the possibility that you might have an unforeseen reaction to the medication which results in injury or death. And don’t forget the time and hassle of writing and faxing and calling them into your pharmacy and then haggling with your insurance company. Prescribing medication is not a money maker.

Occasionally prescribing medication is gratifying, when you see a severe infection resolve or watch someone’s pain improve. I am sure the oncologist feels great when a patient’s chemotherapy cures his cancer, or it is gratifying to the rheumatologist when her patient’s rheumatoid arthritis improves. Medications are absolutely crucial to treating and occasionally curing disease.

In my opinion, most medications prescribed in the primary care setting just allow people to avoid taking responsibility for their own well-being. Those cholesterol, blood pressure, and blood sugar pills can prolong your life, but they won’t make you happy or well.

I don’t have any randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials to back me up, but I am willing to go out on a limb here. I believe that most people don’t need more pills.

What they really need is permission to live long, healthy, happy lives. Sounds silly, right? Yet I’ve seen it over and over. My clients and patients repeatedly sabotage their best efforts to adopt healthy lifestyles because they just don’t believe they can or deserve to be happy and well. They’re waiting for someone to give them permission, for someone to say, “Yes! You absolutely deserve it!” So until you can give that permission to yourself, I am writing you a prescription: a healthy dose of joy, wellness, inner peace, and satisfaction to be taken as many times a day as needed. Number of refills: infinite.

Melanie Lane is a family physician who blogs at The Doctor Weighs In.

Submit a guest post and be heard.

ComForcare Home Care Services-Riverside County, CA & the Coachella Valley. Lisa Marie Blaskie RN, CCM, CSA provides home care & elder care in-home services in the Palm Springs, CA area. In addition Lisa is a Case Manager and works with seniors & their families To get help in selecting other care options for an aging loved one call @ 800.993.2945

What Does It Feel Like To Be 75 in San Francisco?

2010-09-10T15:40:00.000-07:00

What Does It Feel Like To Be 75? Say Goodbye To Spry
by Jennifer Ludden

While reporting my recent series on Aging At Home, I came across a special suit at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology AgeLab. It's meant to help 20-something engineers feel the aches and limitations of an average 75-year-old so they can design better products for them. Think of it as working like those outfits Superheroes put on, only backward. Of course, I couldn't resist.

Now, I'm 40-something — no spring chicken. But if the crosswalk light is blinking, I can still dash across the street, no problem. Until, that is, MIT researcher Rozanne Puleo starts strapping me into what she calls her Age Gain Now Empathy System.

I pull a harness around my waist and Puleo starts attaching things to it. First, stretchy rubber bands connect from my waist to the bottom of my feet.

"It will limit your hip flexion," Puleo explains. The act of having to balance makes you more fatigued.
- MIT researcher Rozanne Puleo, talking about foam-padded sandals that are part of her Age Gain Now bodysuit.

That means no more sprinting. More stretchy bands restrict my arm movements. There are knee pads and Velcro wrist braces; rubber gloves to lessen sensation in my fingers; yellow goggles to limit my depth perception.

Everything on the suit is carefully calibrated to mimic the loss of function that happens as we age.

Finally, Puleo fits me into a hard hat and attaches yet more things to that.

And that's when this all starts to feel like a bad idea. It has become work simply to stand up straight. And to walk? Puleo has me in Crocs sandals, with bits of rubber foam taped to the bottom. I haven't exactly lost my balance, but it feels like I easily could.

"The act of having to balance makes you more fatigued, makes you more tired," she says.

MIT researchers say baby boomers, of course, aren't the first to get old. But Joseph Coughlin, the head of the AgeLab, says they're the first to say, "Wait a minute, there's gotta be a product, a service or something to make this better, easier, more convenient."

It's much harder to dash across the street in the suit.

And that's the AgeLab's mission.

Puleo has outfitted graduate students in her age suit and taken them grocery shopping. Each had a list of typical items a senior might want.

"What we found," she says, "was a lot of the low-sugar, low-sodium items were either at the top of the shelf or the bottom of the shelf — not in a place where an older adult would have the easiest time locating."

continue reading from npr.org

For the best in Elder Care and Assistance, visit www.palmspringsca.comforcare.com.

“Your Caregiver Stole My Watch” in Palm Springs, CA

2010-09-05T13:36:00.000-07:00

September 5th, 2010 | Author: lisa

A client recently accused our caregiver of stealing two cantalopes as she left at the end of the shift. Over the next several days she added several other items. We followed our standard procedure and closed this issue to the satisfaction of the client’s family. Our caregiver was cleared of any wrongdoing.

First of all…this happens! Anyone telling you different is not being honest. Also because of the nature of the clients we serve there are times that a forgetful or dementia diagnosed condition of a client can lead to a false accusation.

Our hiring procedures do provide us with an excellent track record for hiring quality caregivers. But like everything else in life it is not a perfect world. For our ComForcare clients and caregivers our quality checks and close supervision further protects our clients. Should you hire a private or a contracted caregiver from a referral agency the hiring procedures will not be as stringent as a full service home care agency.

Here are simple steps we follow when a situation developes regarding a theft accusation. How we handle these issues are important for the safety of our clients, our caregivers, our insurance, and the police if involved.

1. Document the alleged activity with an incident report
2. Schedule a visit to the client’s home for follow-up to document details again (we are looking for consistency in stories)
3. Remove the suspected caregiver from that case immediately.
4. Conduct a face to face interview with the caregiver document the details and the caregiver response to your questions
5. Review the caregiver’s employment file with background checks and if necessary interview the job references again
6. If background check is older than 90 days pull another report
7. If caregiver works with other clients or has worked with other agency clients complete a standard ComForcare Quality Audit of these clients to see if there may be other such issues that may come out in the conversation
8. Review with the client and family your results and get their feedback
9. Objectively complete your report. If client or family disagree advise them to file a police report
10. File a police report if your investigation is not accepted or you are not comfortable with what you have found out

We take seriously any safety or missing property of our clients. The 10 steps above has helped us close all of the theft issues we may have faced over the years without losing a client.

ComForcare Home Care Services-Riverside County, CA & Lisa Marie Blaskie RN, CCM, CSA provides home care & elder care in-home services in the Coachella Valley and surrounding areas. In addition Lisa is a Case Manager and works with seniors & their families To get help in selecting other care options for an aging loved one call @ 800.993.2945

September is Healthy Aging Month in Palm Springs CA!

2010-09-03T12:06:00.000-07:00

September is Healthy Aging Month!

What a better way to spend a summer afternoon than going to the Farmers Market! The atmosphere, the neighbors, the fresh food! For healthy aging month, going to the Farmers Market is not a bad idea. Exercise and diet are so important for all of us. Our seniors especially benefit. Enjoy this article from seniorsforliving.com and remember, for the best in Home Care Services in the Palm Springs area, visit www.palmspringsca.comforcare.com.

Farmer’s Markets: A Gathering Place for Community Seniors

By: Michelle Seitzer

One of my favorite things about living near Amish Country is the abundance of farmer’s markets in a 30 mile radius. My husband and I try to buy the majority of our goods at the market, going only to grocery stores for things like orange juice and toilet paper.

There are a number of reasons we enjoy stocking our kitchen via the farmer’s market. The food is fresher and more affordable, we can shop at a leisurely pace and hardly ever wait in line, we’re supporting local farmers and small businesses, and when recalls dominate the headlines, we don’t have much to worry about. We’ve developed relationships with many of the vendors, sometimes stopping by their stands just to say hello even if we don’t intend to buy that day. It’s also a great place to bring our out-of-town family and friends. In fact, when my parents come to visit, it’s usually the first thing my Dad asks upon arrival: “Can we go to the market?”

A strong sense of community pervades the market. Besides befriending vendors, there are a number of regular attendees that we greet there. I always have my eye out for the seniors. Many of the mature market shoppers come dressed to the nines with a straw basket on their arm or a small metal shopping cart trailing behind them, which is clearly something they’ve done for decades.

Most of the senior shoppers arrive alone, even shop alone, but eventually, they bump into someone they’ve known for years, or maybe even someone whom they have befriended at the market. In downtown York, an old piano positioned in the middle of the market is available for anyone who wishes to tickle the ivories. Like clockwork, two older gentlemen can be spotted (and heard) on Thursday mornings, one plays as the other sings. I’ve sat there several times, enjoying the wide range of music they share, from old hymns to “My Funny Valentine” – each set is interjected with humorous comments and ready smiles for anyone who stops to listen.

...continue reading

P.S. Grandparents Day is September 12th!

Senior Care – Why Staying at Home Makes Sense, Emotionally & Financially in Palm Desert, CA

2010-08-29T12:23:00.000-07:00

August 29th, 2010 | Author: lisa

Making a decision on future care for a parent is a very emotional & difficult decision. Janelle’s article can give you some help.

By Janelle Jacobs

Independence is something every human being values, no matter how young or how old. As people age, they often lose some of their independence, forcing them to depend on others for personal care, medical treatment, daily activities, personal hygiene, and routine day-to-day tasks. This can take a toll on a senior’s emotional stability and mentality, especially if the senior’s memory and thoughts are of a sound mind.

No one wants to have someone else care for them; no one wants to be a burden. However, if a senior enters a nursing home, as opposed to remaining in their own home, it can often be a more lonely experience, a more difficult adjustment, and an additional strain on the individual’s health, as well as the family’s stress level.

Fortunately, there are alternatives to nursing homes which can enable you or your loved one to remain at home and maintain dignity and independence while still receiving personal care. In-home senior care is one such alternative. Care givers or nurse aides can visit the home and provide daily assistance, and at-home care-giving services are often less costly, or comparable, than nursing home care.

If you or your aging parent or loved one wants to remain at-home, no matter if you need assistance for four hours a day, eight hours a day, or 24-hours a day, you can find caring nurse aides to give you the geriatric care and senior companionship you need, where and when you need it.

Nursing homes can be quite costly. The average annual cost of a private room in a nursing home in the United States is $70,080. Often senior home care can be much less costly than nursing homes, charging average rates of $13-$20/hour. Some home care providers put their hourly rates of home care services directly on their website, and it is easy to see the savings.

Home care relieves family members not only from a possible financial burden, but also an emotional burden. It is always comforting to know that your loved ones are living in their own home and enjoying familiar surroundings. Home care gives people peace of mind, whether you are the person receiving care, or the adult child responsible for an aging parent.

Nurse aides and care givers provide varied types of services, ranging from doing the laundry and dishes, to running errands and shopping. They can give personal care and assist with bathing and dressing, as well as assist with cognitive difficulties and prompting and supervising daily activities. Not only that, but nurse aides provide one-on-one attention and interaction, fostering a caring relationship. Nurse aides can make house visits one day a week for only a few hours or they can provide live-in assistance around the clock.

If you are planning you or your loved one’s health care future, keep in mind that nursing homes are not the only option. Nurse aides and senior care companions provide quality in-home senior care services and non-medical home health care and companion services to senior citizens and adults. Senior care consultants can work with you and your family to help you maintain your independent lifestyle.

Independence is very important to a healthy state of mind and everyone should receive the best senior home care possible while maintaining their dignity and autonomy.

Janelle Jacobs is a writer in Pittsburgh, PA with interests in senior care and healthy living.

ComForcare Home Care Services-Riverside County,CA & Lisa Marie Blaskie RN, CCM, CSA provides home care & elder care in-home services in the Palm Springs, CA area. In addition Lisa is a Case Manager and works with seniors & their families To get help in selecting other care options for an aging loved one call @ 800.993.2945

Eye Care Advice for Aging Eyes in Palm Springs CA

2010-08-27T10:34:00.000-07:00

As August comes to a close, I wanted to share one more article about the importance of eye care for Cataract Awareness Month. Vision is something we should not take for granted! If you or a loved one need care and assistance for someone who is losing their vision in the Palm Springs area, please visit www.palmspringsca.comforcare.com

Eye Care Advice for Aging Eyes

(ARA) - Growing older and getting reading glasses seem to go hand in hand, just like getting gray hair or wrinkles as you age.

But that doesn't have to be the case if you take steps to care for your eyes as you age. Presbyopia, a natural effect of aging, happens to just about everyone around the age of 40, even if you have had laser eye surgery. As you age, the lens in each of your eyes begins to lose its ability to change focus quickly on an object or page of text, causing blurred vision at reading distance. Chances are that you know several people who have this condition, and you may develop it yourself, now or in the future. Some simple, yet often overlooked steps can help you take care of your eyesight as you age:

* During prolonged intervals in front of a TV, computer or other electronic device, try blinking more often than you might normally. Every so often, look away from the device and focus on a distant object.
* Be sure to have adequate light while reading; a simple lamp may not do the trick, causing you to strain your eyes.
* Maintain a healthy diet. Contrary to popular belief, carrots are not the best vegetable for your eyes: spinach and other dark, leafy greens contain high amounts of lutein and zeaxanthin, beneficial antioxidants for vision.
* Visit your eye care professional regularly.

Beyond a healthy lifestyle, there are solutions to common age-related vision problems. With presbyopia, bifocals or reading glasses (for contact lens wearers) are a common solution. However, reading glasses can be cumbersome and easily misplaced, and bifocals require you to use a magnification lens intended for reading anytime you look down, which can make mundane tasks as simple as walking down stairs unnecessarily difficult. Bausch + Lomb's Multi-Focal contact lenses are designed with All-Distance Optics, a technology that delivers sharp, clear vision wherever you choose to focus. By using a gradual power shift across the entire lens, your eyes effortlessly adjust from up-close reading to mid-range computer work to distance vision while driving. There's no need to reach for glasses to accommodate a quick change in distance. Multi-Focal contact lenses mean you don't have to sacrifice convenience for clear, crisp vision. Ask your eye care professional about how Multi-Focal contact lenses can help you say goodbye to your readers today, or log on to www.goodbyereaders.com to learn more.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

Extreme Collecting: Seniors and Hoarding in Palm Desert, CA

2010-08-25T18:20:00.000-07:00

Here is an OCD aricle on a subject that may be near and not so dear to us.....

Charlotte is worried about Mom's safety at home. Mom has always been a bit of a "pack rat." But during Charlotte's last visit to Mom's town, Charlotte realized that Mom had not thrown out a newspaper in five years! Out-of-date food filled the refrigerator, and boxes of odds and ends were piled precariously on countertops so Mom couldn't even use the stove. Charlotte reports, "I offered to help Mom clean up and get rid of some of the junk, but she became very upset. I know I should step in and help, but if Mom won't cooperate, what can I do?"

Collecting things is a human trait, and there is an old saying that one man's trash is another man's treasure. But accumulating items can sometimes grow out of hand. "Hoarding" is the excessive collecting of possessions, including those with no use or value, in a person's home, office, or even their car.

Americans have become more aware of this psychological disorder recently, due in part to several TV reality series on the subject. But hoarding is not a new phenomenon. In most communities, social service agencies have struggled for years to deal with cluttered homes that pose a danger to both the occupant and the community, due to insects and other pests, unsanitary conditions that promote infection, and an increased risk of fire and falls.

Seniors are at greater risk. The first signs of hoarding usually appear in early adolescence, but the problem often becomes progressively worse with age. It is most common, and most dangerous, for older adults.

When does "saving" become "hoarding"?

Almost all of us have a pile of magazines somewhere that we intend to read someday but probably never will. And we might joke about Aunt Laura's huge collection of Hummel figurines. According to the International Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) Foundation, "Simply collecting or owning lots of things does not qualify as hoarding." The association points out, "Collectors typically keep their possessions well-organized, and each item differs from others. An important purpose of collecting is to display these items to others who appreciate them." But hoarding goes beyond collecting. Signs of hoarding include:

Bringing more and more items home, even when there is no space;

Saving junk mail, package materials and obsolete, useless items;

Compulsive shopping, sometimes purchasing several of the same item;

Items unopened in their original packaging;

Difficulty choosing which items to keep and which to discard; and,

Lack of organization that makes it impossible to reach or locate items the person really needs.

The home may be so full of possessions that the person is unable to reach the bedroom, kitchen or bathroom. The home becomes dangerous and unsanitary, and the person may be unable to bathe, perform other personal care tasks, or prepare nutritious meals. Relationships may suffer when the person is embarrassed to have visitors or has conflict with friends and family about the condition of their home. This can lead to further social isolation, and a cycle where the person perceives possessions as "friends" that provide comfort and security. Extreme hoarding somtimes even leads to eviction and homelessness.

What causes hoarding?

Mental health professionals tell us that patients give these reasons for hoarding:

They don't want to be wasteful.
They, or someone else, might need the items "someday."
Publications and other printed materials contain information they might need.
Their possessions have emotional and symbolic value to them.

Psychologists don't completely understand the origins of hoarding. Some experts classify it as a form of OCD, while others believe it is a separate condition. Stress, depression and dementia can be involved, and hoarding also seems to run in families, both through heredity and environment.

Who can help?

People who are experiencing compulsive hoarding usually find it difficult to control the behavior without help. Yet intervention is often difficult and complicated, especially if the person doesn't see the squalor they live in as a problem. Help might come from:

Family and friends. Sometimes supportive loved ones can be helpful. But often, a family member's tidying up is seen as intrusive interference. In trying to induce their loved one to discard items, family may trigger an even greater emotional attachment to possessions. Social workers suggest that family focus on their loved one’s safety. Rather than saying, "Mom, you should throw away all those old shoes," you can say, "Let’s stack these shoe boxes up so you can get into the closet." Deal with immediate safety issues first, such as items placed too close to the stove or space heater, or the presence of insects.

Social service agencies. Many communities now have multi-agency "hoarding task forces," through the local health department, adult protective services agency, or housing department. Check with your city or county government for available resources. In some cases, an agency will step in and order a forcible cleanup, but this is generally not the best solution: the results are often only temporary and the emotional distress may cause the person to resume collecting with increased vigor.

Mental health professionals. For most people experiencing this problem, progress is difficult without the assistance of a therapist or other provider. Family members often begin the process, and the specialist who is trained in this problem can help open the conversation with their loved one. Therapists help the person understand the problem and the underlying causes. The goal is for the person to become self-motivated, understanding that the clutter of possessions is a barrier against leading a more satisfying life.

Organization "coaches" and specialized cleaning services. These professionals specialize in home clutter, and will come to the home to help the person develop a strategy for sorting, organizing and discarding possessions. Some cleaning services also specialize in hazardous and extremely cluttered home conditions.

Support groups. In-person and online groups, some facilitated by professionals, provide a safe place for compulsive hoarders to receive encouragement, advice and understanding as they work to bring organization and control to their own lives. Support groups are also available for family members.

Learn More

The International OCD Foundation recently created the online Hoarding Center, where those who suffer from this disorder, as well as their families, can learn more about causes and treatment. The Center includes online tests to distinguish clutter from actual hoarding, a support group list, and a searchable directory of mental health specialists experienced in treating this problem.

ComForcare Home Care Services-Riverside County, CA & Lisa Marie Blaskie RN, CCM, CSA provides home care & elder care in-home services in the Coachella Valley area. In addition Lisa is a Case Manager and works with seniors & their families To get help in selecting other care options for an aging loved one call @ 800.993.2945

Fall Prevention Exercises For Seniors (Critical For Seniors) in Palm Springs, CA

2010-08-22T10:39:00.000-07:00

August 22nd, 2010 | Author: lisa
Falls are a serious problem for our elderly loved ones. Exercises can improve your chances of avoiding a fall. This is important reading!

Fall Prevention Exercises For Seniors
Written By : Tina Sherman

Fall prevention exercises for seniors are necessary not only for their health and well-being but also for keeping their balance on their feet. Over the years there is the general misconception that exercise is not for the elderly because of their age but many studies have proven that exercise particularly fall prevention exercises for seniors improve balance so that they can minimize the risk of falling.

With the high statistics of seniors falling, it is essential that a senior should never experience falls in the first place, hence there is a need in the elderly to perform fall prevention exercises for seniors because lack of balance has been pointed at as one of the reasons why an elderly falls. It is important to prevent seniors from falling because statistics show that after a fall there is a considerable decline in their health.

Here are 4 simple exercises that a senior can do to prevent falls from happening as well as keep them in tip-top shape. It is important that in doing these exercises regularly they are done slowly, not holding the breath, stopping if pain is felt.

Walking

It is a simple exercise that a senior can really benefit from as this increases the blood circulation.

Calf Exercise

This is a great exercise for strengthening the calves and preventing falls but before starting prepare the following should be prepared: a chair or a table. The senior will hold on to this for support.

While holding on to the chair or the table, he or she starts by standing with her feet flat on the ground then tries to slowly stand on tiptoes and hold this pose for 15 to 30 seconds then slowly return to the starting pose. Take a rest for 5 seconds then repeat the whole process for 8 to 15 counts. He can gradually increase the time for holding the pose to a full minute once he gets used to this.

Chair Squats

This next item in our list of fall prevention exercises for seniors is another easy exercise that will strengthen the legs and hips. This exercise is begun by sitting on a chair, leaning slightly forward then standing up.

It is best that the senior doesn’t favor one side or uses his or her hands to assist them in standing up however if this is not possible, holding on to the arm rests should be done.

Sit and Reach

This is good for strengthening the core muscles to improve balance. Start by sitting on a chair with the feet flat on the floor.

The arms should be held straight in front then slowly imagine reaching for something forward with the hips. Hold this pose and then return to the starting position.

Before doing these fall prevention exercises for seniors it is important that he or she consult his or her doctor to determine what type of exercise is good for him and how often he should do the exercise. For instance if the senior has chronic arthritis he or she should ask the doctor how to safely exercise despite his condition.

ComForcare Home Care Services-Riverside County, CA & Lisa Marie Blaskie RN, CCM, CSA provides home care & elder care in-home services in the Coachella Valley area. In addition Lisa is a Case Manager and works with seniors & their families To get help in selecting other care options for an aging loved one call @ 800.993.2945

Senior Online Gamers In San Francisco CA

2010-08-20T13:01:00.000-07:00

Senior Online Gamers: Passing the Time and Fine-Tuning the Mind

Farmville. Boggle Bash. Spades. Bejeweled Blitz. Scrabble. Mafia Wars. If you’re on Facebook, you probably recognize these games (and if you’re like me, you have hidden more than your share of the feeds of your gamer friends). Though online games are enjoyed by people of all ages, one group has emerged as the most fervent fan base of popular online gaming Web site Pogo.com: baby boomers and senior women.

I had a chance to chat with a few of these gaming aficionados about their passion for Pogo – in between games, of course.

What They Play … and Why

Caryl Derenfeld is a certified laughter yoga leader and teacher trainer and the owner of Learned Conversations, Inc., a business dedicated to seniors. Every night before she goes to bed, the 52-year-old plays Scrabble; Spades; and Poppit, an arcade game. “It keeps my mind working,” Derenfeld says, “and my goal is to get more than 400 points, which I have on many occasions.”

Ann Middleman, a 50-plus fan of online Sudoku, has played the game all night long on more than one occasion. Intermittently, she’ll complete crossword puzzles online, but, as she puts it, “you do one and it’s done.”

The continuity of Sudoku is what draws her in, and she’s constantly trying to beat her best time. Middleman prefers online games to watching TV – after a long day at work, her way to veg is with a good game of Sudoku on her Netbook. “It takes some thinking and skill. You don’t need anyone else to play, and you can put it down anytime (ha!).”

For 51-year-old blogger Susan Tordella, online bridge is her obsession: “I’m totally hooked,” she says. “I play several times a week and don’t care if I play bridge ‘live’ anymore.” Tordella has been a fan of the game for most of her life, but she could never play as often as she liked. To play a good game, she
says, you need four people of somewhat equal ability — and coordinating four people on a regular basis is a complex game in itself. Enter online bridge: “There’s no planning. Just sign on, a few clicks and I’m in a game – fantastic!”

“I play on Pogo every day,” says S. Arnold. Arnold’s son signed her up for the site after she had surgery for breast cancer, and gaming became an effective form of physical therapy. “I love it,” she says. “I play Word Search, Boggle Bash, Monopoly Slots, Yahtzee Party, Lottso Express, and Keno every day, as well as any other weekly games for badges.”

...continue reading HERE

For information about in-home care and assistance in the Palm Springs CA area, visit www.palmspringsca.comforcare.com or call 760.321.2945

Unafraid To Die, A Guide of Comfort and Hope for Facing the End of Life in Rancho Mirage, CA

2010-08-14T10:23:00.000-07:00

When a hospice client or one of their family members starts searching for a helpful resource to guide them through all the details of dying, where can they turn for advice?

Like many of us, MaryAnn Moore, hoped not to have to answer this question for years to come. But everything changed when her father was diagnosed with terminal brain cancer. The clock was ticking. She needed answers fast. In her search she found books full of theory, books that covered the process of dying, and books that left out God. But what she didn’t find is what she needed. A simple, easy to read book, complete with guidance, relevant biblical passages, and work book style to dos.

So drawing on her background as a writer and researcher, she began gathering notes, scriptures, and to do lists for her family. Everywhere she turned God was there, supporting her, guiding her, and finally, calling her to share what He had taught her. MaryAnn’s newest book, Unafraid To Die, A Guide of Comfort and Hope for Facing the End of Life is the result of that lesson.

In Unafraid To Die the reader learns how to handle fear, prepare for the changes that may come, and steps to get their estate in order. Most importantly this small book with its mighty message offers comfort by keeping eternal life, the very basis of Christian belief, at the forefront of the reader’s thoughts. Its style is purposefully simple and conversational, as if MaryAnn was sitting in the reader’s living room. The scriptures in each chapter are handpicked to both comfort and teach. The To Dos are structured to make the reader think and guide them through activities. For example, in Chapter 5, titled Why Should I Care, I’ll Be Dead, the reader learns through scripture why God doesn’t want them to take this approach, how to use “just in case” to make talking about death easier and where to find information on both health directives and ethical wills. To read an excerpt or order copies for your reference library please visit www.unafraidtodie.com. Or to watch MaryAnn's video and read her blog visit www.maryannmoore.com.

PS: If you enjoyed reading MaryAnn's blog please feel free to pass along to your staff and clients Unafraid To Die

ComForcare Home Care Services-Riverside County CA & Lisa Marie Blaskie RN, CCM, CSA provides home care & elder care in-home services in the Palm Springs, CA area. In addition Lisa is a Case Manager and works with seniors & their families To get help in selecting other care options for an aging loved one call @ 800.993.2945

Remembering the Good Times in Palm Springs CA

2010-08-12T07:32:00.000-07:00

Remembering the Good Times Is Secret to Happiness for Oldest American Seniors

Iowa State researchers find loss of cognitive ability is major source of depression for centenarians and older senior citizens

A new study of senior citizens has found that past satisfaction with life - even if it's simply recalling isolated career accomplishments - is the key to happiness in our oldest years. Researchers from Iowa State University's gerontology program have helped identify what predicts happiness and long life in centenarians, as well as what causes depression in 80-somethings and above.

The Ames, Iowa researchers studied 158 Georgia centenarians.

"The past is the best predictor of the future, so you're not going to turn your life around at 85 or 90," said Peter Martin, director of Iowa State's gerontology program and a professor of human development and family studies (HDFS), who collaborated on both studies.

"But it's also good to know that past accomplishments and the happiness that you had -- looking back at your past -- carries you through these very last years."

Read more…

For more information about care and assistance for your loved one in the Palm Springs CA area, visit www.palmspringsca.comforcare.com

Finding a New Focus In San Francisco: August Is Cataract Awareness Month

2010-08-05T09:34:00.000-07:00

Finding a New Focus: August Is Cataract Awareness Month

Advances in lenses help address two vision problems at one time

Getting cataracts? Need reading glasses too?

Several new options for artificial lenses can both eliminate cataracts and correct vision problems so you may not need glasses ever again.

The same crystalline lens in the eye creates both presbyopia and cataracts. In healthy, young eyes, the lens, which sits behind the iris, adjusts automatically for near, intermediate and long-range vision. But over time it becomes harder and less able to focus on objects close up, a condition called presbyopia, which most people notice around age 40, when they need help to read. Eventually, the lens can become cloudy and opaque as a cataract forms. By age 65, about half of all Americans have some lens clouding, and by age 75 as many as 70% of Americans have significantly impaired vision due to cataracts.

Read more from the Wall Street Journal here…

For information about how ComForcare Senior Services can help you and your family care for a loved one in the San Francisco CA area, visit www.sanfrancisco.comforcare.com.

Beware of Health Scams in Palm Desert, CA

2010-08-01T16:33:00.000-07:00

Recently I completed an assessment on a senior who told me she was taking a new drug she found out about from a TV ad. When I asked to see the "drug" she produced it and I immediately advised her to call her physician who over the phone told her to stop taking the medication. She was distressed as she was looking for some magic pill for that arthritic condition.

All to often our seniors end up buying into a miracle option that does nothing or worse aggravates a person's medical condition. Here is a 2008 article that is timely today.

You see the ads everywhere these days — “Smart Drugs” for long life or “Arthritis Aches and Pains Disappear Like Magic!” or even statements claiming, “This treatment cured my cancer in 1 week.” It’s easy to understand the appeal of these promises. But there is still plenty of truth to the old saying, “If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is!”

Health scams and the marketing of unproven cures have been around for many years. Today, there are more ways than ever to sell these untested products. In addition to TV, radio, magazines, newspapers, infomercials, mail, telemarketing and even word-of-mouth, these products are now offered over the Internet — with Web sites describing miracle cures and emails telling stories of overnight magic. Sadly, older people are often the target of such scams.

The problem is serious. Untested remedies may be harmful. They may get in the way of medicines prescribed by your doctor. They may also waste money. And, sometimes, using these products keeps people from getting the medical treatment they need.

False hopes
Why do people fall for these sales pitches? Unproven remedies promise false hope. They offer cures that appear to be painless or quick. At best, these treatments are worthless. At worst, they are dangerous. Health scams prey on people who are frightened or in pain. Living with a chronic health problem is hard. It’s easy to see why people might fall for a false promise of a quick and painless cure. The best way for scientists to find out if a treatment works is through a clinical trial.

These scams usually target diseases that have no cures, like diabetes, arthritis and Alzheimer’s disease. You may see ads for:

Anti-aging medications. Our culture places great value on staying young, but aging is normal. Despite claims about pills or treatments that lead to endless youth, no treatments have been proven to slow or reverse the aging process. Eating a healthy diet, getting regular exercise and not smoking are proven ways to help prevent some of the diseases that occur with age. In other words, making healthy lifestyle choices offers you the best chance of aging well.

Arthritis remedies. Unproven arthritis remedies can be easy to fall for because symptoms of arthritis tend to come and go. You may believe the remedy you are using is making you feel better when, in fact, it is just the normal ebb and flow of your symptoms. You may see claims that so-called treatments with magnets, copper bracelets, chemicals, special diets, radiation and other products cure arthritis. This is highly unlikely. Ads where people say they have been cured do not prove that a product works. Some of these products could hurt you, aren’t likely to help and are often costly.

There is no cure for most forms of arthritis. Rest, exercise, heat and some drugs help many people control their symptoms. Don’t trust ads where people say they have been cured. This kind of statement probably doesn’t tell the whole story. If you are thinking about any new treatment, such as diet, a device or another arthritis product, talk with your doctor first.

Cancer cures. Scam artists prey on a fear of cancer. They promote treatments with no proven value — for example, a diet dangerously low in protein or drugs such as laetrile. Remember: There is no one treatment that cures all types of cancer. By using unproven methods, people with cancer may lose valuable time and the chance to benefit from a proven, effective treatment. This delay may lessen the chance of controlling or curing the disease.

Memory aids. Many people worry about losing their memory as they age. They may wrongly believe false promises that unproven treatments can help them keep or improve their memory. So-called smart pills, removal of amalgam dental fillings and certain brain retraining exercises are some examples of untested approaches.

Dietary supplements. Americans spend billions of dollars each year on dietary supplements. These supplements are sold over-the-counter and include vitamins and minerals, amino acids, herbs and enzymes. Most dietary supplements do not undergo government testing or review before they are put on the market. While some vitamins may be helpful, supplements may be bad for people taking certain medicines or with some medical conditions. Be wary of claims that a supplement can shrink tumors, solve impotence or cure Alzheimer’s disease. Talk to your doctor before starting any supplement.

Health insurance. Some companies target people who are unable to get health insurance. They offer coverage that promises more than it intends to deliver. When you think about buying health insurance, remember to find out if the company and agent are licensed in your State.

How can you protect yourself from health scams?
Be wary. Question what you see or hear in ads or on the internet. Newspapers, magazines, radio and TV stations do not always check to make sure the claims in their ads are true. Find out about a product before you buy. Don’t let a salesperson talk you into making a snap decision. Check with your health care provider first.

Remember the old stories about an old snake oil salesman who traveled from town to town making wild claims for his fabulous product? Well, chances are that today’s scam artists are using the same sales tricks. Look for red flags in ads or promotional material that: promise a quick or painless cure claim the product is made from a special, secret or ancient formula offer products and services only by mail or from one company

Article source: National Institute on Aging (www.nia.nih.gov), September 2008

ComForcare Home Care Services-Palm Springs, CA & Lisa Marie Blaskie RN, CCM, CSA provides home care & elder care in-home services in the Coachella Valley/Hemet area. In addition Lisa is a Case Manager and works with seniors & their families. To get help in selecting other care options for an aging loved one call @ 800.993.2945

Tips For A Healthier You At Middle Age In San Francisco CA

2010-07-29T09:35:00.000-07:00

Tips For A Healthier You At Middle Age

(ARA) - With the popularity of movies like Sex and the City and the revival of the 50-year-old fashionista, the 42.9 million baby boomer women in America are approaching aging with confidence and style. While talking about many sensitive topics is no longer off-limits to this vocal group, there still remain several embarrassing health topics that many women will not even discuss with their doctors, let alone with their girlfriends. As a result, they suffer through these manageable health issues in silence rather than finding the solutions they need.

It is important for women to be direct with their doctors when talking about all health issues, even those that may embarrass them. Anne Abernathy, a six-time Olympic luger who now serves as an advocate for women's health, shares tips for being tenacious when it comes to your health:

Talk to your doctor: You may be embarrassed by a change in your body, but when you talk about it with a friend, family member or doctor, you can find helpful ways to deal with it. You may even be able to provide helpful advice to others experiencing the same thing. Facing your health condition head-on and learning how to manage it will help you to move on and live your best life.

Educate yourself: Learn about the kinds of changes you can expect as you age and take some preventative measures to help you avoid or lessen the symptoms of some of them. There are a lot of great sources online where you can learn from experts, as well as others who have first-hand knowledge of the issues. Information is the best tool you can have as your own health advocate.

Navigate your options and solutions: There are a lot of options available to help you manage and prevent certain conditions and ailments. For instance, vitamins to help prevent bone loss or discreet thin pads or underwear for women who have bladder control issues. Talk with your doctor to find out what supplements or products might be right for you.

Achieve a healthy life: In the end, you just want to get on with living your life and achieving your goals. No health issue should keep you from doing that. When you follow these tips and learn how to manage your condition, you will find yourself with more options, less limitations and more confidence to do what you love most.

Many of these health problems are extremely common, like bladder-control issues, which affect more than 25 percent of women older than 40. According to a survey conducted by Harris Interactive and SCA, makers of TENA, the number one brand of bladder protection products worldwide, nearly 40 percent of women with bladder-control issues have never discussed the condition with anyone. As a result, nearly a third of all women who experience leaks do not know how to deal with the problem.

"Throughout my life, I have not been afraid to tackle the many obstacles that have stood in my way," says Anne Abernathy. "Having experienced embarrassing health conditions such as bladder-control issues first hand, I know that for many women, the thought of admitting to the condition can be more stressful than racing down a luge track at 90 mph. That's why I teamed with TENA and Healthy Women to launch the 'Be TENAcious' program to help women start the conversation, beginning online at www.betenacious.net. Many women experience the same issues in their lifetime, but we cannot benefit from each other's experiences if no one is talking about them."

Registered nurse Beth Battaglino Cahill, executive director of HealthyWomen agrees. "As a nurse, I often have to coax information out of patients about health issues they find embarrassing. When women are candid about their health, they often find the problem they have is very common and managing the issue becomes a lot easier."

Courtesy of ARAcontent

Visit www.sanfrancisco.comforcare.com for information about care and assistance for a loved one in the San Francisco CA area.

Reality Check For Home Care in Palm Springs, CA

2010-07-25T10:56:00.000-07:00

There is a lot of advice on how to find a caregiver out there and while there is some great advice sometimes people leave choices out of the equation. A recent article on this topic from an Assisted Living publication is an example. They conveniently left out the full service agency option...a self serving omission that I call them to task on. The reason they may have left the full service agency out is that we are an option or competition to their business. As a case manger who helps others make proper choices for their loved ones based on what is best for the senior.

This is a short simple primer to help those of you who will have to consider home care for your loved ones in the future. You have several choices they include; family caregivers, private caregivers, referral agencies and full service agencies. We will address the later three choices. As a disclosure I own a full service agency and I am biased towards a full service agency because of ownership and experience.

The Three Choices:

While there are many competent private caregivers out there you need to be aware of the following issues:

Private caregivers will charge between $6 to $9 less expensive than a full service agency. The reasons for the difference include the facts that payroll taxes, insurance and workers compensation are not covered. If something happens you may likely be liable. Another way of saying this is be careful your private caregiver may own your home. To protect yourself require them to provide you with proof they are paying these obligations or you will have provide that coverage. You will find the cost difference will mostly evaporate. If you have a great private caregiver and you want the protection that you won't be responsible in a lawsuit consider a full service agency who will hire your caregiver if they meet the qualifications.

Criminal background and driving checks are a requirement for the safety of the senior and family. Doing so is not a guarentee that you will be safe but it will dramacticaly improve the odds. Private caregivers and many referral agencies do not provide these checks and put clients at risk. Also with the present economic situation 'desperation" changes people's choices. We all face this and it may be better to have additional oversite. Another problem is that the caregiver and client may become to close and that can lead to placing the senior in a dangerous situation. We are continously watching for these issues in this area as it can lead to a caregiver or client making bad decisions.

When do you know you are talking to a "referral" agency who will probably be sending you a non employee or contractor. If you are looking at a list like Yellow Pages or a hospital provided list and at the top you see the "A's" You can be pretty safe to assume the "A", "AA" or "AAA" are referral agencies and will be giving you a contractor. If the price is $3 to $5 under the more expensive you have a referral or non employee agency. My personal opinion you are probably better off chosing a private caregiver than a non employee referral agency.

Because of the Healthcare Reform Act having competent and proactive support for the senior is important today and will become even more so in the immediate future. The experience and support of a full service agency that does what they say will be the most important part of the care process. Interview the agency team, ask good questions and listen to their stories. The quality level of the agency will come out if you do your homework.

Consider the need for a respite or back-up if your caregiver is sick or has another obligation. Make sure you have a family memeber that can jump in to an emergency situation.

Obviously there are some poor full service agencies out there. Again to be safe interview the agency management, listen to their stories, ask questions about how they would handle a situation, call their office after hours or on weekends. Do you get a live person either directly or within minutes? If you don't move on down your list.

ComForcare Home Care Services-Palm Springs & Lisa Marie Blaskie RN, CCM, CSA provides home care & elder care in-home services in the Riverside County/Coachell Valley area. In addition Lisa is a Case Manager and works with seniors & their families to help select other care options for an aging loved one call @ 800.993.2945

Visit www.palmspringsseniorcare.com for information regarding care and assistance for your loved one.

When a Spouse is Terminally Ill in Palm Springs, CA

2010-07-23T12:44:00.000-07:00

When a Spouse is Terminally Ill
Written By : Pat Gibson

A terminally ill spouse and the caregiver spouse will need respite support. Do not try to cope with this responsibility by yourself. Secure family support or use an agency for that support. Pat addresses some of the issues that you will face.

When you are looking into the eyes of your loved one declaring that you will love, honor, and obey each other until death, you really don't know the full significance of those few words. You actually are vowing to take care of one another for the remainder of your lives. What happens when one spouse becomes terminally ill? Just hearing those words is devastating whether you have been together a year or thirty years.
In most marriages or relationships, both partners provide care for the other. One may handle household chores while the other, financial things. The couple typically settles into a routine to accomplish all these necessary tasks. When one becomes ill however, the other must handle all of the responsibilities, plus take care of the sick partner. This disruption of normal routines can be very stressful.

When a married person is diagnosed as terminally ill, their spouse often becomes the primary caregiver, taking on different roles as nurse, counselor, and personal assistant. The job of caring for a dying spouse can become very exhausting physically, as well as mentally. It would be very wise for the caregiver to accept any help offered by friends or family. This will allow the healthy spouse time to unwind and seek other outlets for their stress and anxiety.

After receiving a terminal diagnosis, most people will share the news with family and close friends. Many people will offer their help and well wishes. Sometimes, the ill patient will reunite with loved ones who have been distant. Sometimes though, the ill person may prefer the company of a small circle of loved ones. It is very important that the wishes and preferences of the ill one be respected and honored when allowing people to visit.

When faced with a terminal illness, it is urgent that legal business is handled. Having a legally binding document in place is the only way the terminal patient can assure that their end of life care will be given as they want.

It is not easy knowing you are going to lose someone you love. This time will be filled with many emotions. It is extremely important that the couple make and take time to express their love for one another. This is also the time to allow each other to express themselves. Allow the patient to voice anything they feel they need to say. Just letting the ill person know that they are truly loved can give them a sense of peace about death. Allow the dying spouse an opportunity to express their feelings and love to the surviving spouse. This expression of love can help both partners accept the reality of death.

ComForcare Home Care Services-Palm Springs, CA & Lisa Marie Blaskie RN, CCM, CSA provides home care & elder care in-home services in the Coachella Valley & Hemet, CA area. In addition Lisa is a Case Manager and works with seniors & their families to help select other care options for an aging loved one call @ 800.993.2945

Visit www.palmspringsseniorcare.com for information regarding care and assistance for your loved one.

Dealing With Depression In San Francisco CA

2010-07-22T14:09:00.000-07:00

Dealing With Depression In Seniors
by Rosemary McClure

Depression can tarnish the golden years. But recognizing symptoms and finding help can restore the glow.

After my mom died, I temporarily moved back in with my 81-year-old dad. My parents had been married more than 50 years; the last five had been difficult. Mom had a host of serious problems, including dementia. Taking care of her had left my father with his own health problems. I wanted to see how he'd do on his own.

Every day when I left for work, dad walked me out to the car and said, "Anything you want done today?"

I rarely had any tasks for him. As I drove away, I could see him in my rearview mirror bleakly watching my car disappear. I'm sure the day ahead of him seemed long and empty.

In retrospect, I realize he probably was suffering from depression. But even if I'd recognized the symptoms at the time, I may have reacted the way many adult children do: I would have thought, "Of course, he's depressed. He has a lot to be depressed about; his health is failing and mom just died."

Increasingly, health professionals are recognizing that depression among older adults is a serious problem that needs to be treated. They're also recognizing that adult children are often oblivious.

"Younger people, including younger medical personnel, often don't notice it," says psychologist Bob G. Knight, associate dean at the Andrus Gerontology Center at USC. "When they do, it doesn't surprise them. They think: ‘They ought to be depressed, they're old.' So instead of helping the person deal with it, they ignore it."

But depression isn't normal at any age, experts say. Most older people are satisfied with their lives, even when confronted with health problems or the loss of friends or a spouse. They grieve, but they bounce back..

Read more…

If you need care and assistance for a loved one in the San Francisco area, visit www.palmspringsca.comforcare.com

How To Parent Your Parents In San Francisco CA

2010-07-17T07:28:00.000-07:00

How To Parent Your Aging Parents
For sandwich generation, planning ahead is key to good elder care.

How do you take the car keys away from a father who taught you to drive? When did he go from wise council to frail, elderly man?

Unfortunately, the What to Expect When You're Expecting book series on parenting doesn't have a volume on parenting your parents. If anyone thinks dealing with aging parents is easy, they're deluding themselves. It is often one of the most difficult challenges people face during their adult lives--and one for which they're least prepared.

The consequences of inaction, meanwhile, can be severe. Many adult children don't understand the complexity of the problem. Why would their parents resist setting up a power of attorney? Will they have to be dragged kicking and screaming to a senior facility? The answer all too often is "yes," even well after it has become painfully apparent to others that they are no longer capable of handling their own affairs.

The fact is many elderly people don't see themselves as elderly and hate being around other old people. To them, moving to a senior facility involves making a move that they feel they can never undo; they are moving in their minds from independence to dependence. Hence the kicking and screaming.

Read more from www.forbes.com…

To learn more about care and assistance for your loved one in the San Francisco CA area, visit www.palmspringsca.comforcare.com

Independance No More In Rancho Mirage, CA

2010-07-15T23:56:00.000-07:00

Posted by juliemangano With Julie’s permission I am sharing this more common than you think story of a daughter in law’s experience with her mother in law. My own professional experience has shown similar situations all to often.

Independence is a precious gift, often taken for granted when you’re young, and valued almost above all else as you age. Nothing is more painful than watching someone you love lose their independence, knowing that you can’t help them gain it back.

This said, you need to be strong enough to know when the right time is to help your family member adjust to idea and reality of losing some independence in exchange for improving their quality of life. Preparing for it can make the transition so much easier.

When we had to move my mother-in-law from Virginia to Texas so we could help her out on a regular basis, she insisted she wanted to live on her own. When we arrived at her apartment to help her pack and move, we were shocked to find that our once capable mom was barely recognizable. Pale, hunched over, and extremely unsteady when she walked, she also appeared to be suffering from dementia. She should have been hospitalized weeks, if not months earlier and was in no shape to move.

She had been unable to care for herself and her apartment for quite some time, and her apartment was clearly unlivable. Had we delayed the move for another week or two, she may not have survived on her own.

Waist high piles covered almost every square inch of the apartment, with narrow paths leading from the kitchen to the living room to the bedroom to the bathroom. The odor was horrible, a combination of rotting food, human waste, and other unidentifiable yet wretched smells.

Remembering those days of packing and loading the moving truck still brings tears to my eyes. It was like an episode of the BBC show How Clean is Your House, where they seem to find the piggiest people in Britain and reveal the germs and filth and disgusting whatever-it-is that lurk inside four very small walls.

Almost every bit of food in the kitchen was rotten, bug infested, covered in rodent excrement, or years passed the expiration date. The smell of the food in the refrigerator was so overwhelming that it nearly knocked you over when you opened the door. Every pot, pan and dish was filthy, as was the narrow stove, and every square inch of counter and floor space.

Most disturbing was my mother-in-law’s bedroom. It looked like she hadn’t done laundry in years. Worn dirty clothes were strew everywhere, again in piles as well as hanging in the closet. Everything reeked of urine and excrement. Nighttime accidents soiled her bed linens, mattress, and even the carpeting. The stench was so bad that the movers refused to go into her bedroom to pack boxes and remove furniture. Michael and I were left to deal with that room ourselves.

More than once, when it started to overwhelm me, I would go out to the parking lot and weep. How did my mother-in-law’s life take such a dramatic turn for the worse, and yet we knew nothing about it? Relatives too polite to disappoint her continued to let her drive a car and live in an environment that was extremely hazardous to her health. And for whatever reason, we weren’t kept informed about her true condition or we would have stepped in much sooner.

Clearly my mother-in-law shouldn’t have been living on her own for quite some time, but no one could get up the courage to break the woman’s heart and take away her independence. The result was that she was trapped in an unsafe apartment with nothing to eat, no way to get her medication, and with no one to check on her. She almost paid the price of independence with her life.

I pray that I am never in that situation, but I’m also realistic enough to know there are no guarantees. After going through this ordeal with my mother-in-law, however, I know I will be much more open to letting people know when I can’t continue to live on my own. That simple act will allow me to still maintain some control in a situation where I slowly cede my independence to my caregivers.

Posted by juliemangano

ComForcareHome Care Services-the Palm Springs, CA & Riverside County & Lisa Marie Blaskie RN, CCM, CSA provides home care & elder care in-home services in the Riverside County area. In addition Lisa is a Case Manager and works with seniors & their families to help select other care options for an aging loved one call @ 800.993.2945

Visit www.palmspringsseniorcare.com for information regarding care and assistance for your loved one.

Sleeping Problems In The Elderly in Palm Springs, CA

2010-07-13T13:58:00.000-07:00

Sleeping problems in the elderly may involve a number of factors such as: decreased energy output as a result of retirement,the age of the person, their state of health, and any prescription drugs they may be taking for health problems.

Illness disrupts sleeping patterns in the elderly, and may result in increased awakenings due to physical discomfort caused by: urinary urgency, cramps, angina, chronic obstructive airways disease, and left ventricular failure, these may be only some of the many illnesses which cause sleeping problems in the elderly.

An elderly person may become very anxious about any change in their sleeping pattern, however, it will be necessary to thoroughly investigate the problem, in order to ascertain if this perceived sleeping problem causes dysfunction in their waking activities. If the elderly person has a carer, or lives with family, then the problem may be easier to assess, for what appears to be a problem may only be a normal change in sleeping pattern for the age.

The most frequently occurring sleeping problem in the elderly is sleep latency, the person may spend some hours in bed before sleep occurs. The elderly person may view this as a problem and request sleeping pills, whereas, all that is needed is to teach them how to reorganize their lives to cope with the changes in sleeping patterns they are experiencing.

Reduced energy output as a result of retirement with an increased opportunity to take naps, either as a result of boredom or just plain exhaustion, may contribute to reduced quality of night-time sleep.

The pressure of a normal working day has been taken away, so the energy output is considerably less, while this may be offered as a possible reason for sleep latency, many others factors may be involved.

There may be much confusion about sleep latency, the difficulty may be exaggerated because the person who experiences it may be convinced that unless they have 8 hours of quality sleep, they will become ill. Sometimes it is difficult to convince an elderly person that they no longer require 8 hours of unbroken sleep, but may be better served by a shorter night time sleep supplemented with day time naps.

So how can sleeping problems in the elderly be resolved? Firstly it is necessary to provide a warm comfortable noise free environment, if this is available then the addition of regular exercise, combined with a healthy diet may be all that is needed to resolve the sleeping problem. However, if the previous measures fail to help, many other modalities are available to help the person .

Reflexology is one of these modalities which provides a very gentle and effective aid to sleep , and aromatherapy has proven to be very successful to assist relaxation and sleep in the elderly. Both of these modalities have been used in nursing homes and have been found to assist not only sleep, but the general well-being of the patients.

Sleeping problems in the elderly should be thoroughly investigated before any medications are prescribed, unfortunately this is not always the procedure that is adopted. All too frequently prescriptions are written for potent sleeping drugs, for what has been described as insomnia by the elderly person. However, such is mostly not the case, but rather it's a normal change of the circadian rhythms which occurs as people age, this requires education, not medication.

Provided that there is no evidence of disease of the central nervous system, such as dementia, Parkinson's disease, post-traumatic brain damage, and chronic pain, then sleeping problems in the elderly are far better managed conservatively.

ComForcareHome Care Services-Desert Cities, CA & Lisa Marie Blaskie RN, CCM, CSA provides home care & elder care in-home services in the Palm Springs, CA area. In addition Lisa is a Case Manager and works with seniors & their families to help select other care options for an aging loved one call @ 800.993.2945

Visit www.palmspringsseniorcare.com for information regarding care and assistance for your loved one.

In San Francisco, What's it Like To Have Dementia?

2010-07-09T13:10:00.000-07:00

What's it Like To Have Dementia?
By Frena Gray-Davidson

If you have a parent or a spouse with dementia, you probably wonder what people inside the disease feel. One thing that's always okay is to ask them.

Dementia can be a very isolating condition. It can really affect how well people can communicate. Of course, as we all know, it certainly affects memory. It can be hard for people to even find the words or hold the thoughts they have. It makes it very hard to follow through a whole explanation about anything.

You won't hurt a person with dementia by asking what you want to know. In fact, it might help them feel less lonely. Because of their condition, they might not be able to find you the answer you want. But that's okay. Trying is good enough for both of you feel closer.

Five Questions People Ask About Dementia:

Read more...

If you need help with a loved one in the San Francisco area, visit www.palmspringsca.comforcare.com

The Fight Against Osteoporosis in Palm Springs, CA

2010-07-02T04:52:00.000-07:00

Osteoporosis is a serious problem that leads to dehabilitating diseases that affect a persons quality of life and physical condition. This is a treatable condition with diet, exercise and proper medications.

Written By : Adrian Joele

Osteoporosis is a weakening and painful disease, caused by a nutritional deficiency. It can cause fractures of the spine and extreme pain for a long period of time.
Bones are a living tissue and are constantly changing through bone forming and bone resorbing activity.

As it is a living tissue, our bones are engaged in biochemical reactions that depend on many different micronutrients and enzyme systems. Like any living tissue, bones have specific nutritional needs. A diet consisting of white bread, white flour, refined sugars and fat is very much deficient in the essential nutrients for our bones. To reduce the risk of hip, spine & wrist fractures, we must preserve adequate bone mass, prevent the loss of the protein matrix part of the bone and take care of providing sufficient nutrients for repair and replacement of damaged areas of our bones.

Nutritional supplementation plays a vital role in all these areas of preserving and building our bones.

Calcium deficiency can lead to osteoporosis. It is an essential nutrient in the fight against osteoporosis, but as studies has shown, calcium and vitamin D supplementation slowed down the osteoporosis process and helped to reduce fractures, but didn't prevent it.

Depending on the calcium intake from our diet, supplementation of 800 - 1500 mg daily is essential for both sexes, taken with food and vitamin D for optimal absorption. Children, who take 800 - 1200 mg of calcium daily before puberty, will increase bone density by 5 - 7%. This level of bone density will carry over throughout their entire lifetime. Another important nutrient is magnesium. It plays a role in several biochemical reactions,which are taking place in our bones. It activates alkaline phosphatase, which is a required enzyme in the process of new bone crystal formation.

Vitamin D needs magnesium in order to transform it to its most active form and vitamin D is necessary for the absorption of calcium. Because vitamin D is formed in the skin that is exposed to sunlight, elderly people can get vitamin D deficiency, as they usually get less sunlight than younger people.

We can get vitamin D from our food and milk, but because our body has to convert vitamin D in its biologically active form, vitamin D3, it is better to take vitamin D supplements by using the active form D3. The New England Journal of Medicine published a study, in which researchers looked at the level of vitamin D in 290 patients from the Massachusetts General Hospital, who had a normal active life. Hospital staff found that 93% were deficient in vitamin D levels. The study came to the conclusion, that it was necessary to take 500 - 800 IU's( IU stands for International Unit) of vitamin D supplements daily, which is much higher than the RDA level (recommended daily allowance ), if it is going to have any effect on the epidemic of osteoporosis.

We need Vitamin K to produce osteocalcin, which is a protein found in large amounts in our bones. It also helps to absorb and retain calcium. We also need Manganese for the formation of connective tissue in cartilage and bones.

Manganese and magnesium are lost in processing whole grain into refined flour. This nutrient also need to be present at optimal levels if preventing osteoporosis is important for you. Folic acid, vitamin B6 and B12 were necessary to reduce the homocystene levels in our blood to prevent coronary artery disease & stroke, as you could have read in my article: Cholesterol versus homocysteine.

But homocycteine is also bad for your bones. People with high levels of homocysteine also had significant osteoporosis. Premenopausal women are more efficient in breaking down methionine and consequently have less building up of homocysteine. However, this changes dramatically after menopause.

Post menopausal women have a much higher level of homocysteine. This could explain the increased risk of heart disease and osteoporosis in those women. As a matter of fact, they need more folic acid, vitamin B6 and B12. Boron increases magnesium levels and decreases phosphorus levels. Supplementation with 3 mg daily is more than sufficient. People with osteoporosis also need higher amounts of silicon for the formation of new bones.

Zinc is important for the normal functioning of vitamin D. Osteoporosis is a disease not only caused by calcium and estrogen deficiency, it is also important to control our oxidative stress.

You not only have to supplement your diet with the important nutrients for bone production, you also have to take all the antioxidants and supporting nutrients to build-up your antioxidant defense system.

In addition to taking high quality multimineral and antioxidant tablets, people under the age of forty should apart from a healthy diet, also take calcium,magnesium, boron, silicon tablets and weight-bearing exercises to stimulate the formation of new bones, if they want to protect themselves from this devastating disease.

ComForcareHome Care Services-Riverside County/Coachella Valley & Lisa Marie Blaskie RN, CCM, CSA provides home care & elder care in-home services in the San Francisco Bay area. In addition Lisa is a Case Manager and works with seniors & their families to help select other care options for an aging loved one call @ 800.993.2945

Understanding Medicare Changes In California

2010-06-30T08:32:00.000-07:00

Understanding Medicare Changes
Medicare is changing its supplemental policies: how will this affect you?

Understanding the changes to Medicare's supplemental policies Important changes to Medicare supplemental policies — also known as Medigap plans — took effect in June. Millions of older Americans buy the plans each year to help pay medical bills. Vicki Gottlich, an attorney at The Center for Medicare Advocacy (medicareadvocacy.org), described the new developments. Her remarks have been edited. Q What are Medigap plans and how do they work?

Read more…

If you need assistance for a loved one, visit www.palmspringsca.comforcare.com

Age Has Nothing To Do with It in Palm Desert, CA

2010-06-27T19:25:00.000-07:00

Age Has Nothing To Do with It

Jean Cherni, CSA

I feel that too many seniors buy into the myths and legends regarding aging as portrayed in the media. I truly believe that age has nothing "to do with it."

Although I had worked during the time my three children were being raised, when my husband retired, I seized the opportunity to take a different career direction. I accepted a position, which required a move to Connecticut, as a district director and trainer for Century 21 Real Estate and then went on to become director of career development for Coldwell Banker.

When those companies became franchise, rather than corporate operations, I was fortunate to find work as the director of retirement planning for a new, start-up retirement community and started to gain experience in working with the senior population. After about four years, realizing the need for an outside, objective person to help seniors through the trauma of moving, I decided to start my own company, Senior Living Solutions.

Since I was in my seventies, my children thought this was a foolish idea … too many companies fail and why wasn't I out playing golf or taking up bridge? I decided that my children had rarely taken my advice, so I was not about to take theirs.

Now, they agree, it was an excellent idea. The business took off and became too much for one person to handle. Additionally, I soon realized that most of my clients also had to sell their homes in order to make a move. I then approached a well established, single owner company in my area to see if they could collaborate and combine real estate services with Senior Living Solutions.

Maureen Campbell, the vice president of Pearce Corporate Services, immediately saw the possibilities and we developed Pearce Plus, a fully developed program that provides seniors all over the state (and the country, through affiliates) with the resources they need to move from their home to a retirement community.

I found the Certified Senior Advisor program an excellent way to broaden my knowledge and to add credibility in my role as a consultant to Pearce Plus clients, trainer for our senior specialist agents and in my developing role as a weekly columnist for The New Haven Register and a seminar presenter on various topics of interest to seniors.

Although now at 80, I am old enough to be my own client, I am happily working full time and hoping to write a book. The important thing is not to be prematurely terminated by our own birthdays. Seneca said, "It is not because things are difficult that we do not dare, it is because we do not dare, that they are difficult."

If you are interested in reading some of Jean's published articles, please follow the links provided below:

Aging Should be a Continuing Adventure

This Winter Weather is Getting Under My Skin

Sometimes Flowers and Candy Aren't Enough

Are You Dating Yourself by the Way You Act?

ComForcare Senior Services-Desert Cities& Lisa Marie Blaskie RN, CCM, CSA provides home care & elder care in-home services in the Palm Springs, CA area. In addition Lisa is a Case Manager and works with seniors & their families to help select other care options for an aging loved one call @ 800.993.2945

Caring for a Loved One with Alzheimers

2010-06-26T09:31:00.000-07:00

Caring for a Loved One with Alzheimers In Palm Bay CA
By Mary Brophy Marcus
Husband and wife cope with Alzheimer's progression

McLEAN, Va. — Bob Blackwell and his wife, Carol, settle comfortably in for tea and cookies at a Barnes & Noble cafe.

They're the kind of couple you'd like to have as your grandparents: kind, caring and generous. But on this mid-March afternoon, they're a bit weary, too. They've just come off a busy week in Washington, D.C., advocating for Alzheimer's disease, a memory-destroying condition that Bob was diagnosed with in 2006 at age 64 — a decade or more earlier than most who develop the illness.

USA TODAY has been following the Blackwells' journey with Alzheimer's for almost two years, and the two of them have been blogging about it as well.

Their whirlwind week included a march up the Capitol steps to visit with politicians in an effort to raise awareness and money for research; meetings with fellow members of the Alzheimer's Association early-stage advisory committee; a candlelight vigil; and the association's annual gala.

"We sat down with Rep. Frank Wolfe (D-Va.) and Sen. Mark Warner's (D-Va.) staff in their office and talked for a long time, maybe 30 minutes," Bob says.

Every family is different

Alzheimer's, which is classified into three stages — early, middle and late — takes no single pathway in all patients, but the average life span of a person after diagnosis is about seven years, says Alzheimer's expert Murali Doraiswamy, professor of psychiatry at Duke University Medical Center. By the end, the brain shuts down, leaving the patient unable to eat or breathe.

For the nearly 11 million family members and friends who, according to the Alzheimer's Association, now care for a loved one with the disease, coping with a diagnosis differs greatly from family to family as the disease progresses, says Beth Kallmyer, senior director of constituent services for the Alzheimer's Association in Chicago.

Read more…

If you need care and assistance for a loved one in the Palm Bay area, visit www.palmspringsca.comforcare.com.

Brain Fitness in Four Steps in Palm Springs, CA

2010-06-21T15:57:00.000-07:00

Computer based cognitive programs are an excellant way to "exercise" your mind!

Several companies offer software programs that increase "brain fitness" as a way for seniors to stay sharp and possibly derail, or at least delay, the risk of dementia. These programs are so mainstream that some insurance companies and AAA support cognitive training for older adults to promote safe driving.

Researchers are unclear whether these activities delay or prevent the possibility of dementia. But results from neuropsychological and neuroscientific research indeed show that brain functionality — especially memory, attention and information-processing skills — is immediately improved with vigorous, regular mental activity of many kinds.

Brain fitness — unplugged
Cognitive function refers to perception, memory, imagery creation, thinking and reasoning. The pop term brain fitness was coined because cognitive function can be maintained or improved by exercising the brain through formal and ongoing education, specially designed exercises and other active mental engagement.

Foods to improve brain function:
•nuts and seeds
•eggs
•avocados
•berries
•pomegranate
•coffee
•green tea
•brown rice
•chocolate
•garlic
•green leafy veggies
•tomatoes
•broccoli
•wild salmon and tuna
•olive oil

Cognitive training software is designed to provide targeted tools to enhance brain fitness. But must older Americans rely on such software to reap these benefits? A study published in April says: not necessarily.

Researchers at the Medical Research Council's Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit in Cambridge analyzed the brain function of 11,430 people in the U.K. The study compared three groups. Group one played games similar to popular cognitive training programs. Group two played games the researchers designed to focus on fluid intelligence and reasoning. Group three answered a series of general knowledge questions.

Results showed simply using the Internet or engaging in other mental stimulation was as effective as a brain trainer product.

Many researchers think the key is simply to remain mentally challenged and engaged all day, whether it comes from computer programs or equally engaging activities that involve social interaction, intellectual passion and socially meaningful outcomes.

Four lifestyle choices to sharpen the mental saw
Everyone can incorporate these essential brain builders into their everyday activities:

1. Get your game on with favorites such as Scrabble, Pictionary and chess; puzzles including Sudoku and crosswords; card games and more. Several studies link mentally stimulating leisure activities with slowed memory loss and reduced dementia risk in seniors.

2. Social interaction exercises the brain. After all, people are surprising and unpredictable! Religious and community functions, supportive relationships with friends and family, and volunteering all fit the bill. Off-line education and interaction with pets count as mind-healthy socializing.

Curious? Forecast Your Brain Fitness

For seniors who enjoy the insights offered by technology, proactive brain fitness experts from NeoCORTA offer a fun, informative online assessment tool.

Using the data you provide in the company's online assessment, NeoCORTA's experts carefully analyze your profile and forecast the future state of your brain fitness. Advanced predictive modeling techniques and data from more than 200 major scientific studies are used to generate this personal forecast.

Then, experts combine your check-up results and personal forecast to generate your Personal Brain Fitness Report. This 12-page document summarizes your current status and future outlook. It also provides a carefully tailored list of the critical few actions that are most likely to help you achieve your brain fitness goals.

3. Keep moving! Multiple studies at the University of California at San Francisco, Laval University in Sainte-Foy, Quebec, the University of Illinois and the Salk Institute have shown physical exercise protects the brain from decline and can even reverse cognitive decline.

Walking is especially effective. Seniors who regularly walk have significantly better memory skills, learning ability, concentration and abstract reasoning than their sedentary peers. Unlike jogging or running where blood flows to large leg muscles, walking increases blood flow, oxygenation and glucose — brain food — to the brain, while clearing out waste products on the return trip.

4. Nutrition is the fourth vital choice. Healthy brain food is a complex mix of carbohydrates, omega-3 fatty acids, B vitamins, antioxidants, high-quality proteins and fats. These nutrients, along with necessary minerals, provide energy, building material and protection from free-radical damage.

High-glycemic index sugars are bad for the brain. Glucose, dextrose and sucrose are found in highly refined, highly processed foods like candy, packaged baked goods, table sugar and sugary drinks. Toxins in tobacco and alcohol are also detrimental to brain function.

Getting a daily mix of brain-challenging activities isn't tough. It's easy to blend physical exercise and social interaction through group activities like walking clubs, yoga or Tai Chi classes. Dancing is the trifecta: it combines social interaction and physical exercise with the cognitive challenge of learning new steps.

The bonus? Embracing these four lifestyle priorities also yields benefits for physical and emotional health.

ComForcare Senior Services-San Francisco & Lisa Marie Blaskie RN, CCM, CSA provides home care & elder care in-home services in the Palm Springs, CA area. In addition Lisa is a Case Manager and works with seniors & their families to help select other care options for an aging loved one call @ 800.993.2945

Palm Springs CA Caregiving More Stressful for Women

2010-06-18T14:40:00.000-07:00

Female Caregivers Face a Heavier Toll: Study

More prone to depression than men when watching over ailing, elderly parents, review finds

A new Canadian review finds that adult daughters suffer more than adult sons from poor relationships with ailing and aging parents who need their care.

"Adult daughters place greater emphasis on their relationships with their parents, and when those relationships go awry, it takes a worse toll on the adult daughters than the adult sons," said review author Marina Bastawrous, a graduate student at the University of Toronto.

An estimated 44 million adults in the United States provide unpaid care to another adult. A 2004 study commissioned by the AARP and other organizations estimated that caregiving is more stressful on women, who make up more than six in 10 caregivers: 40 percent said caregiving stressed them at high levels, compared to just 26 percent of men.

Tips to Lower Blood Sugar in Palm Desert, CA

2010-06-15T10:50:00.000-07:00

Good blood glucose control is vital to diabetes care. Studies have shown that good control can prevent or delay the onset of complications. Here’s how you can control and reduce your blood sugar. I can personally attest from my own experience and our patients the healthy meal plan & exercise will go a long way in controlling blood/sugar.

Stick to a Healthful Meal Plan

Following a healthful meal plan is one of the most important measures you can take to keep your blood glucose under control. In years past, people with diabetes were expected to follow a strict diet that had little regard for individual likes or dislikes. Today, diabetes experts realize that a one-size-fits-all approach doesn’t work and isn’t necessary.

Work with your dietitian to design a meal plan that reflects your own needs and preferences. Your plan should:

Be nutritionally balanced to include carbohydrates, protein, and fat, as well as vitamins, minerals, and fiber.
Include fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.
Reduce the amount of saturated fat and cholesterol you eat.
Minimize the amount of salt and sodium you eat.Help you maintain or achieve an ideal weight.
Include foods that you enjoy.

Thank you from “Diabetic Living”

ComForcare Senior Services-Riverside County & Coachella Valley, CA & Lisa Marie Blaskie RN, CCM, CSA provides home care & elder care in-home services in the Palm Springs/Hemet area. In addition Lisa is a Case Manager and works with seniors & their families to help select other care options for an aging loved one call @ 800.993.2945

Can a Morning Cup of Coffee in Palm Springs CA Fight Alzheimer's?

2010-06-11T06:12:00.000-07:00

A morning cup of coffee could help fight Alzheimer's

A group of international experts has agreed that caffeine could prevent or reduce the effects of Alzheimer's, according to a recent study in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease. The exhaustive study covered caffeine's effects on individual molecules, the brain and behavior. It concluded from animal testing that moderate, consistent amounts of caffeine significantly slow the aging process and memory deterioration.

Not only was caffeine found to aid memory care, it also proved to be an agent in slowing or stopping the production of amyloid-beta proteins. A morning cup of coffee could help fight Alzheimer's Guest journal editors Alexandre de Mendonça and Rodrigo A. Cunha describe these compounds as one of the main causes of Alzheimer's.

For caregiving assistance in the Palm Springs CA area, visit www.palmspringsca.comforcare.com.

Summer Fun with Your Grandchildren in Palm Desert, CA

2010-06-10T11:32:00.000-07:00

Just in case you have forgotten what to do with the grandchildren
from : G. Grigor

Are you looking for ways to have some summer fun with your grandchild? Summer is a time when most children get to go to their grandparents house for a day, a week, or longer. So finding ideas to help keep summer fun can be daunting.

We are going to offer ten fun ideas to help get you started. Many of these ideas cost little or no money, but the memories that you can build will last a lifetime.

1. Plan a day that you can go on a nature walk and pack a picnic. You do not have to go any farther than your own back yard or to your local park. Take along a book that identifies different birds, plants, insects, or other animals. While picnicking, talk about what you have seen and read about them from the books that you have brought along.

2. Do you have a favorite family recipe? Or does your grandchild have a favorite meal? Spend time with them in the kitchen helping them learn to cook or bake. Then sit down and share that dinner. Eating a meal cooked together makes the meal taste extra yummy.

3. Go to a pick your own farm to pick strawberries, berries, or other fruit. Then bake a pie or other yummy fruit dessert. You could even make your own ice cream to top it off.

4. Do you live near the beach? Go collect shells or build sand castles. If you live near a lake, try rowing a boat, fishing, or canoeing. If this isn't possible, set up a small wading pool in your yard and splash to your heart's content. Yes, you too!

5. Set up a lemonade stand and let your grandchild chose how to spend the profits or save it.

6. Go camping in your backyard. Set up a tent, fire up the grill, make s'mores or roast marshmallows and tell campfire stories or have a sing-along. Catch fireflies in a jar. Point out different constellations, or just gaze at the stars before falling asleep.

7. Make a small area of your garden specifically for your grandchild. Get gardening tools that are their size and let them plant flowers or vegetables and care for this section by themselves. Or get a pot or window box and do the same.

8. Go to the local library if you do not have children's books around your house any more, and choose books that the two of you can read together. Start off by each reading a sentence, then a paragraph, a page and so on. This is an excellent way to keep a child reading and ready for the next school year.

9. Do you knit, sew, crochet, or paint? Teach your hobby to your grandchild. If you are not a crafty person, get two plain white t-shirts to decorate. You can paint them, attach "rhinestones", or tie dye them. Have a fashion show of your designed shirts. Just have fun, worry about the mess later.

10. Get some chalk and draw on the sidewalks or your driveway. Re-learn how to play hopscotch, draw your family, favorite animals, or a story.

This is just a small outline of things that you can do with one grandchild or ten grandchildren. Just remember to take lots and lots of photos of the time you spend together.

Something that you can do together or you can do alone is to put together a scrapbook of the time that you shared. If you do it by yourself, you can give the scrapbook later as a birthday or Christmas gift as a reminder of the great time that you had.

The most important thing is to spend time with them and have tons of FUN. To a child it is not important how much money is spent in the pursuit of fun; it is the quality of the time spent together.

For more grandparenting ideas, you can visit: http://www.grandparentscafe.com. This site offers information on grandparent's rights, distance grandparenting, as well as photos, stories, games, and more.

One of my favorite quotes that I have found since becoming a grandma is as follows:
"If your baby is beautiful and perfect, never cries or fusses, sleeps on schedule and burps on demand, an angel all the time...you're the grandma."

ComForcare Senior Services-Coachella Valley & Riverside County. Lisa Marie Blaskie RN, CCM, CSA provide home care & elder care in-home services in the Riverside County area. In addition Lisa is a Case Manager and works with seniors & their families to help select other care options for an aging loved one call @ 800.993.2945

Keeping track of seniors with Alzheimer's in Palm Springs, CA

2010-06-06T12:43:00.000-07:00

Keeping track of seniors with Alzheimer's

The e-mail alert shouted its message: "Missing Person with Alzheimer's. PLEASE HELP." It was sent to Alzheimer's Assn. chapters and to law enforcement officials within hours after an Orange County woman disappeared while on a short trip to visit a friend…

That story has a happy ending, but many confused seniors who become lost are never found again. The Alzheimer's Assn. estimates that 60% of individuals with Alzheimer's will wander at least once during the progression of the disease. Up to 70% of these individuals wander more than once, and up to several times. One study reported that nearly half of those not found within 24 hours die — usually from dehydration, exposure or injury.

8 Tips to Reduce the Risk of Falling In Palm Springs, CA

2010-06-06T08:00:00.000-07:00

June 6th, 2010 Author: lisa

Jack and Jill went up the hill…

Americans over 65 do take a tumble quite often, frequently while performing simple everyday tasks. Many of these falls result in injury and even death. Injuries from falls can limit mobility and independent living, and can increase the risk of early death. So it’s only reasonable that many seniors have a real fear of falling.

However, that fear doesn’t have to prevent seniors from getting on with life. With some changes in environment and by increasing fitness levels, seniors can prevent many falls and their possible injuries.

Break down on the fall down Statistics for Americans 65 years and older from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) justify the common fear of falling among seniors, their families and caregivers:

•Falls are the leading cause of injury death, nonfatal injuries and hospital admissions for trauma.
•35 to 40 percent of older Americans fall each year.
•Of those who fall, 20 to 30 percent sustain moderate to severe injuries, from bruises to hip fractures and head traumas.
•Falls are the most common cause of traumatic brain injuries (TBI); TBIs account for 46 percent of fatalities resulting from falls.
•Fractures are most commonly caused by falls.

These statistics confirm that falling is dangerous. But what’s behind the frequency of falls for seniors? Older Americans share five key risk factors:

1.Osteoporosis: This well-known condition causes weak bones that are more prone to fractures. It isn’t clear whether brittle bones break more easily as the result of a fall or if they break under stress, in turn causing a fall. It is clear that lower bone density puts seniors at risk for falls and related injuries.
2.Lack of exercise: Adults who don’t exercise regularly have poor muscle tone and strength, plus they lose bone mass and flexibility. These conditions increase both the risk for falls and the severity of a fall-related injury.
3.Poor vision: Cataracts and glaucoma alter depth perception, visual acuity, peripheral vision and susceptibility to glare. Without the proper visual clues, it is difficult to move through any environment safely or to easily perceive obstacles and avoid falls.
4.Medications: Common side effects such as reduced alertness, deteriorating balance and drops in standing blood pressure increase the risk of falling, as does taking multiple medications.
5.Environmental hazards: Tripping over objects, poor lighting, loose rugs, unstable furniture and lack of or poorly located grab bars often cause falls.Fortunately, seniors can take simple steps to prevent falls and keep their independence.

Ways to reduce the risks:
1.Combat osteoporosis with sufficient dietary calcium, vitamin D and doctor-prescribed medications and regular weight-bearing exercises.
2.Increase muscle and bone strength while improving balance and flexibility with regular exercise. Even just 15 minutes walking or swimming every other day makes a significant difference.
3.Learn safe ways to perform daily activities such as reaching and bending, and ensure proper balance when standing up from a chair or bed.
4.Learn how to fall to reduce injury and how to recover from a fall.
5.Wear proper fitting, supportive, non-slip shoes.
6.Track vision changes with regular ophthalmologist checkups.
7.Improve visibility by keeping eyeglasses clean.
8.Know about medication side effects and interactions.In addition, an interior designer or occupational therapist can identify risk factors during a home walk-through and make recommendations to improve the safety of outdoor areas, living spaces, stairways, hallways and pathways.

At the Mayo Clinic Web site, a slide show walks viewers through a series of simple yet effective balance exercises. Seniors who have severe balance problems or orthopedic conditions should get their doctor’s OK.

Seniors are right to take falls seriously. By identifying and correcting risk factors where possible and making a commitment to improving balance and fitness, seniors can retain or regain their confidence in moving through their world safely.

ComForcare Senior Services-Palm Springs, CA area & Lisa Marie Blaskie RN, CCM, CSA provide home care & elder care in-home services in the Coachella Valley. In addition Lisa is a Case Manager and works with seniors & their families to help select other care options for an aging loved one call @ 800.993.2945

Don't Neglect Prescriptions in Palm Springs, California

2010-05-28T08:36:00.000-07:00

When Patients Don’t Fill Their Prescriptions

Not long ago, a doctor friend recounted the story of a patient who had recently died from complications stemming from the treatment of a chronic bleeding problem. “I felt terrible about it,” said my friend, who had cared for the patient for several years. “Something didn’t add up in this case, and I had to wonder if it was my fault, if I had done something wrong.”

Spurred on by these recurrent self-doubts, my friend went back to review the records. Nothing at first glance seemed amiss; all the recommendations, visits and discussions were consistent with what both of us knew was good, evidence-based clinical care.

But then, while reading through the pharmacy records, my friend discovered something unexpected. The patient, it turned out, hadn’t been taking all of the medications my friend had prescribed. In fact, several of the prescriptions had never even been filled.

Everything In Moderation In The Palm Springs, CA area

2010-05-23T09:05:00.000-07:00

May 23rd, 2010 Author: lisa

“I’ve had a good life,” 101-year-old Milton Beecher of Hopkinton, Mass., proclaims. Living with his son Ed and his family, he is still surrounded by goodness and those who love him. Milton says he doesn’t know why he’s lived so long but adds, “I try to live a good life.”

His son observes that Milton always does everything in moderation, which includes portion control when eating and following a daily routine. He starts every day with a bowl of cereal, lunch is a ham and cheese sandwich with some fruit, and dinner has vegetables with meat and potatoes. And there is always dessert: pie and ice cream!

Milton was born in Hamden, Conn. on March 4, 1909, one of six siblings, two of whom are still living. His father, an auto mechanic, “could fix almost anything.” His mother, a homemaker who loved to garden, was “a very smart woman,” Milton says proudly.

Building a lifeAfter high school, Milton went right to work in the town engineer’s office. By the time he retired 46 years later, he had been promoted to senior highway engineer for the State of Connecticut.

In the late 1930s, Milton had planned a date with a young woman who had a date with another man on the same evening. She set Milton up with her friend Alice Tallon instead. Two years later, in 1940, Milton and the “stand-in” were married!

Alice worked as a secretary to the president of a bank in Norwalk, Conn. Because she and Milton held steady jobs, their families depended on their help to get through the Depression.
Milton and Alice raised three daughters and a son in Hamden, and once the children were grown, they enjoyed a fulfilling retirement. Milton says of Alice, “She was a wonderful woman. I was very lucky to get her as a wife. She was very smart.”

Ed adds that Alice was self-educated (she didn’t go to high school) and an avid reader. During the 1960s and 1970s, Alice was active in civil rights and anti-war demonstrations, fighting for fair housing and working against poverty. In addition, she started a library in the basement of their church.

Inspired generosityMilton was a bit quieter about his views and didn’t share in his wife’s activism, but he said, “I was glad she was able to use her abilities.” Continuing with his quiet support — and inspired by a trip to Arizona and the national parks — he makes regular contributions to several causes. His favorite is the Native Americans in the Southwest. On a trip years ago, Milton and Alice were struck by the poverty on the Indian reservations, and Milton still makes donations to this day. Ed says he contributes to many groups across the country, including environmental preservation organizations.

Time to be togetherAlice passed away in 1995 at age 83 after battling Alzheimer’s. But Milton recalls all of the good times they had together, particularly their travels after their children were grown. Some of their favorite trips were cruises to the Caribbean, where they would travel with family and friends. They also loved to rent cottages with a group on Dennisport on Cape Cod right after Labor Day. Often, they vacationed with Milton’s sister Viola and her husband. The foursome rented a house on Longboat Key, Fla. “That was my favorite spot,” recalls Milton.

The Giants, not the YankeesThese days, Milton likes to read and keep up with sports on TV, especially UConn Women’s Basketball. One of his fondest memories is of being a young boy lucky enough to see a ball game in New York — the New York Giants. A lifelong baseball fan, he used to take his own children to games, and his son notes that he always hated the Yankees!
Although Milton doesn’t seem to question his longevity much, others have certainly taken notice.

More than 100 people came to his 100th birthday party last year, hailing from as far away as Texas, California, Florida and even Alaska. Milton “was amazed at how many people came and from such long distances!” Ed points out that the attendance at his father’s birthday party just shows what a kind, gentle and good man his father is and always has been.

The New England Centenarian Study works with centenarians from all over the world to discover the secrets of aging well. If you know someone who may qualify for the study, call 1-888-333-6327, email to stacy@bu.edu or visit www.bumc.bu.edu/centenarian.

ComForcare Senior Services-Palm Springs, CA area & Lisa Marie Blaskie RN, CCM, CSA provides home care & elder care in-home services in the San Francisco Bay area. In addition Lisa is a Case Manager and works with seniors & their families to help select other care options for an aging relative call @ 800.993.2945

With Age Come Wisdom in Palm Desert, California

2010-05-22T08:27:00.000-07:00

With Age Comes Wisdom: Study

Seniors better able to see other points of view and seek compromise to smooth social conflicts

There just might be plenty of truth to the old adage, "With age comes wisdom."

A new study finds that seniors are better equipped than younger folks to solve social conflicts. Seniors could more easily see multiple points of view, were more interested in searching for compromise and were more willing to acknowledge that there might be things about a difficult situation that they didn't know.

Taken together, those attributes make people 60 and older generally wiser than younger people, the researchers said.

Elder Care and Guilt Issues in Palm Desert, CA

2010-05-20T14:50:00.000-07:00

Our society is in denial when it comes to aging. We spend millions trying to avoid looking like we have grown older. Sooner or later, however, we have to deal with aging, particularly when it effects our parents. This raises the issue of elder care and guilt.

Most people view life as a simple time line. You are born, your parents raise you, you become an adult and then you raise your own family. Most people do not factor in the subject of caring for their parents. When it becomes a necessity, it can be a huge wake up call from both a financial, emotional and practical point of view.

Many adults find themselves faced with making decisions on behalf of their parents. This often starts with small issues and then eventually blossoms into a wider range of subjects. This role reversal can result in the dredging up of old, painful issues as well as simply being a burden on the person making the decision.

As you become more involved in your parent's life, you will natural emotional reactions. These can range from the simple frustration of having to deal with them to guilt for thinking that way to anger to, well, the full gambit of feelings. How you deal with these issues is critical to getting through the process.

Dealing with parental issues is very mentally taxing. Now is not the time to play the tough guy role. Do what you must, but make sure you take care of yourself as well. Take time out each week for you. If things are rough, join a support group. It can make an absolute world of difference to be able to vent to someone who knows what you are going though. This is particularly true if you have a family member suffering from a form of dementia like Alzheimer's Disease.

Guilt is probably the biggest issue that people have trouble with. You have to nip this one in the bud. Growing old is a natural part of life. It happens to everyone. This also means the onset of ailments for many seniors. Again, this is a natural part of the cycle of life. While it may not be easy to go through, it is not your fault. You must live your life as well.

Elder care is become a huge issue as our population ages. Your parents are going to get older. They are going to need help. Don't think for a minute that you will not have to deal with these issues. You will. The key is to understand what is going on, prepare for it and keep as even a keel as you can. Remember to make time for yourself and consider joining a support group so you can vent a bit.

Dwayne Gibson writes for OrangeCountyCarePlacement.com -
Visit www.sanfrancisco.comforcare.com or www.ltcep.com/blaskie for information and assistance with elder care in the San Francisco CA area.

Live Your Life Well in Palm Springs and Cathedral City CA

2010-05-13T08:40:00.000-07:00

May is Mental Health Month: Live Your Life Well

Mental Health America is proud to continue its tradition of celebrating "May is Mental Health Month," which began in 1949. This year, our theme "Live Your Life Well," challenges us to promote health and wellness in homes, communities, schools, and inform on how to attain it. Every day, Americans are affected by the myriad challenges, stresses and demands on their lives. And every day, they seek help in responding to them. The good news is there are tested and effective tools that are readily available and free that anyone can use to help them cope better and improve their well-being.

This Mental Health Month, Mental Health America is encouraging Americans to use these tools, which form the Live Your Life Well™campaign. Live Your Life Well™ is a national public education campaign dedicated to helping people better cope with stress and enhancing their well-being. Stress can take a huge toll on a person's health, mood, productivity and relationships, but specific, evidence-based tools can help counterbalance these effects.

Mental Health America created Live Your Life Well™ to increase the number of people who take action to protect their mental health, both in the face of ongoing stress and in times of great personal challenge.

The heart of the program is the Live Your Life Well™ website—www.liveyourlifewell.org—that provides 10 research-based, straightforward tools and ways to apply them in everyday life. From relaxation techniques to journaling exercises to simple ways to get better sleep and improve eating habits, the materials offer a wide range of resources to build resiliency and well-being.

Visit www.palmspringsca.comforcare.com or www.ltcep.com/blaskie2 for help with an aging loved one in the area.

React FAST to a Stroke in Palm Springs, California

2010-05-09T09:18:00.000-07:00

May is Stroke Awareness Month, a good time to take stock of your risk factors and overall cardiovascular health. Stroke is the third leading cause of death in the United States and a leading cause of adult disability. Arm yourself with knowledge this May by talking to your doctor, considering a preventive stroke screening, and learning how to recognize the warning signs of a stroke so you can react FAST if you think someone is having a stroke.

F.A.S.T.

FACE – Ask the person to smile? Does one side of the face droop?

ARMS – Ask the person to raise both arms. Does one side drift downward?

SPEECH – Ask the person to repeat a simple sentence. Are the words slurred?

TIME – Call 911 or to get to a hospital fast. Brain cells are dying.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

If you are in need of caregiving assistance for an aging loved one in the Palm Springs CA area, visit us at www.palmspringsca.comforcare.com or www.ltcep.com/blaskie2.

The True Meaning Of Empathy in Palm Springs, CA

2010-05-08T08:36:00.000-07:00

CA
May 8th, 2010 Author: lisa

From a Boyd & Nicholas Newsletter…Touching and close to the hearts of those of us working in home care.

One day an eight-year-old boy went to the pet store with his dad to buy a puppy. The store manager showed them to a pen where five little furry balls huddled together. After a while, the boy noticed one of the litter all by itself in an adjacent pen.

The boy asked, “Why is that puppy all alone?” The manager explained, “That puppy was born with a bad leg and would be crippled for life, so we’re going to have to put him to sleep.”
“You’re going to kill this little puppy?” the boy said sadly while patting it. You have to realize that this puppy would never be able to run and play with a boy like you.”

After a short conversation with his boy, the dad told the manager they wanted to buy the puppy with the bad leg. “For the same amount of money, you could have one of the ‘healthy’ ones. Why do you want this one?

To answer the manager’s question, the boy bent over and pulled up the pants on his right leg, exposed the brace underneath and said, “Mister, I want this one because I understand what he’s going through.”

Concerns About the New Health Law in Palm Springs, California

2010-04-29T10:27:00.000-07:00

True or False: Seven Concerns About the New Health Law Checked Out by Kaiser News Staff

Does it ration care for elderly? Will it disrupt Medicare Advantage plans? Is it the end of TRICARE?

The sweeping health care overhaul signed into law by President Barack Obama is more than 2,000 pages long and has been dissected by analysts, politicians and pundits. It’s no wonder that some consumers are confused – and perhaps frightened – about how the law might affect them. Some concerns were raised during the congressional debate or have been swirling around the Internet.

Vitamins and Mineral Supplements Are Important for Older People in Palm Springs, CA

2010-04-25T17:40:00.000-07:00

Vitamins and Mineral Supplements Are Important for Older People

Research has discovered that as we age, our diets and our need for dietary supplements change. Doctors are increasingly concerned about boosting the levels of vitamins and minerals that we need as we grow older.

As most people get older, they tend to eat less due to a loss of appetite. As a result, many elderly individuals do not take in adequate amounts of vitamins and other nutrients as they did when they were younger. Other factors that can affect appetite and the inadequate uptake of vital nutrients are medications, medical complications, certain disabilities, diabetes, changes in the digestive system and even the changes in our skin as we age.

One study estimates that one-third of the elderly are alarmingly low on important vitamins and minerals. Another study indicates that two thirds of the elderly patients admitted to a hospital are mal-nourished, resulting in low levels of vital nutrients. When a person is vitamin and mineral deficient, he or she is more susceptible to illness and infections. It is estimated that deaths due to infections are ten times more likely in the elderly.

Vitamins

So what is a vitamin and why is it so essential to our bodies? A vitamin is a molecule that our bodies needs to carry out certain biological functions. With only a few exceptions, the body has no way to create vitamin molecules itself, so these vital building blocks must come in through food that we eat. The human body is known to need at least 13 different vitamins. We are able to store some of these for long periods of time in fat cells or in the liver -- such as vitamin A -- but most vitamins need to be replenished frequently.

Vitamins don't supply us with energy. We need protein, carbohydrates, and fats for that. What vitamins do is to help the carbohydrates, fats, and proteins release energy. These vital compounds are very important and they are required for all sorts of complex chemical reactions in our bodies. Vitamins are also needed to assist the enzymes that repair tissue and help with the production of cells. Many studies show that vitamins and minerals can help or prevent some of the disorders or diseases related to aging.

There are two types of vitamins -- water soluble and fat soluble. Water soluble vitamins are not stored in our bodies. They pass through our bodies quickly. In order to keep these nutrients in our bodies we have to consume them frequently. Water soluble vitamins contribute to our health, energy and stamina. This type of vitamin also helps in the function of over one hundred enzymes and chemical reactions that give our bodies energy.

Listed below are some of the well known water soluble vitamins and their benefits.

Vitamin B5 – good for reducing swelling•Vitamin B3 – reduces tissue swelling and helps increase blood flow.
Vitamin B6 – also reduces swelling. When combined with vitamin B12 in proper concentration has shown to reduce heart disease.
Vitamin B12 – This is the most vital of the B's. It aids in the formation of cells, myelin production, healthy nerves, and maintaining immune system and mental function.
Vitamin C – Vitamin C helps in the formation of cartilage and bone. Some studies have shown it may reduce the progression of osteoarthritis.

Fat soluble vitamins are vitamins that stay in the body and are typically stored in the liver. You can usually receive enough of these compounds by eating a well balanced diet. Any condition that can interfere with the absorption of fat in the body like tuberculosis, cystic fibrosis, hypothyroidism, lactose intolerance, and many other diseases or disorders can cause deficiencies in these vitamins. Before taking the daily recommended dose of fat soluble vitamins you must consult your doctor. Overdosage of these substances can cause a toxic build-up in your body.

Listed below are the major fat soluble vitamins.

Vitamin A – Lungs, throat and mouth depend on vitamin A to retain moisture. This compound is also important for your skin, bones, teeth, digestive system, urinary tract, eyes and aids in preventing skin disorders like acne, boils, and bumpy skin. Some studies show that it may aid in slowing the aging process.
Vitamin K – plays an important role in the clotting of blood. Research has linked vitamin K to bone health.
Vitamin D – is produced in the skin by exposure to the sun. Deficiencies mostly occur in people living in northern latitudes where daylight is brief during winter months. Changes in skin as we age can also cause poor production of vitamin D. Studies show that osteoporosis might progress faster in women with low levels of vitamin D. This compound is essential in helping the body absorb make that lowercase and maintaining strong bones.

Minerals

Unlike vitamins, minerals are not manufactured by plants or animals. Minerals form in the earth, and are absorbed by plants and found in animals that eat the plants.

Listed below are some of the essential minerals needed to maintain a healthy body.

Iron – helps carry oxygen throughout the body. Iron also helps the immune system ward off foreign entities.
Calcium – Most women as they get older need calcium supplements to prevent bone loss that causes osteoporosis. Calcium supplements will not do you any good if you do not have the right levels of vitamin D. your body cannot absorb calcium without vitamin D.
Zinc – Zinc deficiencies can affect skin, nerves, and the body’s immune system.

It is important that you take vitamin and mineral supplements with food. Fat soluble vitamins require fat ingestion to result in the best absorption. It is best to take your supplements at the biggest meal of the day.

We use vitamins every day to support the processes our bodies use to maintain life. Ongoing reduced levels of vitamins can make you weak and more vulnerable to disease. Proper nutrition with vitamins and minerals is vital for seniors to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

Other health issues related to aging are discussed on the National Care Planning Council website at www.longtermcarelink.net.

Swindlers Exploit Seniors With New Health Care Law in Palm Springs, California

2010-04-24T09:43:00.000-07:00

Swindlers Exploit Confusion Over Health Care Law

by Liz Halloran

Consumer advocates were bracing for a surge in swindlers hoping to take advantage of Americans confused by what the new health care law means for them. They didn't have to wait long.

Days after President Obama signed the $938 billion bill into law, a cable television advertisement exhorted viewers to call an 800-number so they wouldn't miss a "limited enrollment" period to obtain coverage available "now that historic health care legislation has passed."

And there have already been reports of door-to-door salespeople peddling "Obamacare" insurance policies.

There is, of course, no limited enrollment period for any coverage, and no such thing as a new federal insurance policy named after the president.

But slap "health care reform" on a scam, says James Quiggle of the Coalition Against Insurance Fraud, and there's a "pretty good chance you can get away with it."

Read more…

Visit www.palmsprings.comforcare.com or www.ltcep.com/blaskie2 for information and assistance with home care in the Palm Springs Ca area.