Minding Our Elders®

“Ten Glorious Seconds” tender and real

Many of us who have loved someone with dementia have experienced what I call “moments of clarity,” during which the person who seems lost to dementia suddenly “comes back,” if only for a few seconds. I experienced several of these episodes with my dad, who had dementia due to a failed brain surgery, and they remain some of my most precious memories.

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The Area Agencies on Aging Wants to Help Older Adults Connect Through Technology

The old adage, “If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em,” seems to be coming alive in senior communities. When it comes to the social networking craze which has taken over younger demographics, seniors have decided not to be left behind. In a press release I received by e-mail this week, Kathy Greenlee, Assistant Secretary for Aging, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, is quoted as saying, “In every senior center I visit, the staff and elders proudly show me two things: their computer lab and their workout room.

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A Good In-Home Service Has a Cell Phone Policy for Caregivers

Cell phones were something that I didn't have to think about when I was using in-home care agencies for several of my loved ones. However, I have received a number of e-mails from people who question the frequent use of cell phones by people who are supposed to be caring for their parents.

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Technology and Aging Parents: How Much Is Too Much? Part 2

 In Part 2 of this two part series, I focused on medical alarm devices, also known as personal alarms. I've made use of these devices for several of my elders so that they could remain in their homes for a longer period of time. While personal alarms may qualify as the granddaddy of electronic monitoring devices, they are still, in my opinion, one of the most useful. They can be worn as jewelry and are non-intrusive to the elder, so both elder and caregiver can have a sense of security without the elder feeling like he or she is being "watched" all the time.

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Technology and Aging Parents: How Much Is Too Much? Part 1

Medical alarm devices, or personal alarms, have been a boon to caregivers and elders for decades. I signed my neighbor, Joe, up for one after he took a serious tumble. This was in the late eighties. Joe lived next door and I could monitor his lights in his house to watch glitches in his normal routine. However, I felt better when he had the backup of a personal alarm he wore around his neck. In the end, that alarm saved him hours of agony.

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Second Monthly Live Chat

There will be a live chat on OurAlzheimer's featuring caregivers keeping good records This is for all caregivers. The June chat will focus on the cost of caregiving to the caregiver, and the need to keep records to protect ourselves from future problems. 

The chat will take place Thursday, June 10th at 1:00 ET. We'll be on for about an hour. Directions for the chat will be on www.ouralzheimers.com.

Link to chat is http://www.healthcentral.com/alzheimers/connect-523195-40.html

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Medpedia Project Expanding Scope

The fairly new site at www.medpedia.com keeps growing. I'm impressed with the number of health experts and the amount of information on this wiki site. It's well worth checking out. Many blogs are fed in including Minding Our Elders.

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High Tech Systems Help Keep Track of People with AD

Wandering is a huge issue for many caregivers of people with Alzheimer's disease. The biggest problem may be that one never knows when the urge to wander will hit the person with the disease. Even if the care receiver has never wandered before, when will the first time be? One thing about dementia is that it does not make the person with the disease less "intelligent." They just think differently. Often, when there is enough will behind a desire, people can be quite crafty.

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Inattentiveness by caregiver is a problem

Dear Carol: My dad has in-home care during the day. The caregivers seem fine and he likes them, but I’m annoyed because whenever I stop in they are talking to friends on their cell phones. I know Dad’s not good company, but that shouldn’t give them an excuse to spend their time talking on their phones. What about this? – Tracy

Dear Tracy: People hire in-home caregivers to care for their loved ones with the idea that the full attention of the caregiver is on the elder. Whether or not the elder is “good company” isn’t the issue.

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Interesting New Site Looks for Caregiver Input

The Web site www.helpwithmyparents.com offers registered users a chance to add their own information. It's an interesting attempt to become a comprehensive site, offering tips on many medical and caregiving questions. Once you create an account, you can edit or add information. It reminds me a bit of a Wikipedia for elder care. I wish them the best with this new concept and encourage readers to take a look.

Online Health Records: Life and Cost Saving Potential

One of my co-writers on OurAlzheimers.com is Dorian Martin, whose mother died from Alzheimer's disease. Here's an excellent post from Dorian about online health records. I heartily agree.

Health Care Reform's Online Records System Would Be Godsend for Alzheimer's Caregivers

"A lot of conversations are going on around the United States about health care reform. The Dallas Morning News recently ran an article entitled, “Who really profits from digital medical records?” reporters Dave Michaels and Jason Roberson wrote that computerization of medical records was a significant part of the federal stimulus package, with $45 billion reserved for hospitals and physicians to make the conversion. The reporters added that medical errors cost the United States $37.6 billion annually. Standards and timelines play a key part in this portion of the health reform. 

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Video Games for Dementia?

My cohort on OurAlzheimer's, Leah, has vascular dementia. I like to let Leah take over this spot every now and then, as she has some wonderful insights from the inside of dementia. Below is Leah's post, "Take Over the World."

"Everyday is a struggle to keep my short term memory as keen as possible.  Vascular dementia has tried to defeat me, but I am fighting back.  Recently I “discovered” the website of the American Geriatrics Society.  Perhaps some of what I learned will be of help to you.

The journal Psychology and Aging reports the findings of a study using the “Rise of Nations” video game.  Though the study is small (20 participants played the game, 20 did not), the results were quite remarkable.  The participants who played the game received rewards during their play time for successfully managing, building, and expanding empires.  ALL twenty game players showed improvement in working memory (short term memory), visual memory (memory of things seen such as lists), and other thinking abilities.  I have not seen the “Rise of Nations” video game, but I have put it on my “to do” list."

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Technology in Caregiving Welcome But Can’t Be Allowed to Replace Human Connection

Ever increasing technology is making its way into elder care. Much of it is wonderful. From talking medicine reminders to sensors that can tell if an elder has gotten out of bed, there is much good to be had from these advances. An article from washingtonpost.com, titled, "High-tech sensors help seniors live independently," touts the wonders of technology. The article follows a woman who had several visits to the hospital for congestive heart failure. While the woman felt good, the motion sensors in her bed at the retirement home where she lived told a different story.

Site Makes Hunt for Local Caregiving Services Easy

Finding qualified caregiving services in an area where you live is hard enough. Finding these care services in an area where your parents live, but you don’t, is even harder. That is the task of the long-distance caregiver. I am so often asked to help people with this dilemma that I finally started an active search for a way to match caregiver’s needs with agencies that can help them. The criteria I used in making a selection to recommend was that the service be free to caregivers, that it had good testimonials from caregiver who have used it and that it had different types of services from many areas of the country.

I found what I wanted, and am now partnering with Eldercarelink.com.  This site allows the person looking for help to narrow down the area where the elder lives and the kind of help needed. I’m impressed with the results I’ve seen. Filling out the form is easy, though the more you want to narrow the service choices, the more you can choose to fill out.

Elder care, or for that matter, care for anyone needing it, is available almost anywhere. But finding the right agency is not always easy. Eldercarelink.com can make this search much less stressful by matching your needs to caregiving agencies that can help you.

Every caregiver can use stress relief. This may be your answer.

New Medicare Site for Caregivers to be Unveiled September 18th

On September 18th, Medicare will unveil the new site "Ask Medicare." I've been asked to attend  a Web Cast that will include the unveiling of the site and I will try my best to make it. Either way, I'll be reporting on the site and adding it to my resources list.

According to the press release, the site at medicare.gov/caregiver "...will provide updated, easy to use information and tools to assist caregivers in talking with their loved ones to make a family plan and in making informed healthcare decisions about a variety of topics from Medicare coverage to technology updates to emotional support."

Keep watching for information and I'll keep you up to date.

Learn To Better Use Video for Business and Family Fun

I've signed up for a two evening video course to better use video on my blogs and for other Internet projects. I've got the basics down, but there's much left to learn. I can't make the calls live, but they will be recorded for download and the price is a bargain. I thought I'd let readers know in case there's interest. You may want to check out "Boost Business With Videos 2 Day Event"  and join the group.