This week I read in my AARP magazine that Florida state Rep. Rick Kriseman, (D) has proposed a bill that would include a $1 surcharge on clients of adult strip clubs and the state would use the revenue to increase monthly Medicaid personal needs allowances.  Currently in Florida its $35 a month and they are hoping to increase that to $70 a month.  Here in Illinois, I believe a nursing home resident on Medicaid only gets a $30 a month allowance (and supportive living residents on Medicaid get a $90 allowance.)  That gives the resident about $1 a day to spend as they wish.  So the ongoing debate has always been how to increase this allowance to be much more livable. 

I had never heard of such a tax before and as I researched it online I read about how they had a $5 "pole tax" in Texas but a Judge declared it unconstitutional 3 months after it went into effect.  (This tax was not for Medicaid it was for anti-sexual-assault programs and healthcare for the uninsured.

Not sure how this is all going to turn out.  Maybe they should consider an additional $1 tax on some of the things that might put someone in a nursing home (like cigarettes?)  But since I can't think of any ideas I guess that is why I am not a politician.  I do hope that Medicaid payments can be increased for nursing home residents by all states (its state run, not federal) so we will have to keep watching the news to see what happens.

As if we needed another reason... I recently read an article in the Chicago Sun Times that said :"Ranjan Duara, MD, of Mount Sinai Medical Center’s Wein Center forAlzheimer’s Disease in Miami Beach, Florida, led a team of researcherswho say its possible to delay the onset of the disease by as long asfive years, if people would reduce or eliminate heavy smoking anddrinking habits. Research suggests a five-year delay in the onset ofAlzheimer’s would reduce the total Alzheimer’s population by almosthalf."You can read the entire article here: Smoke More, Drink More, Get Alzheimer's Sooner

So last week the American Academy of Neurology had their annual conference here in Chicago.  There have been tons of articles since then so here is one more - I picked this one because :

A. I have the power to increase my intake of Vitamin E
B. I have no way to change the size of my brain

So at least I feel more in control then when they tell me I need to eat fish (yuck!)

April 15, 2008
Recommend <https://www.suntimes.com/lifestyles/health/896387,brain041608.article#none>

BY MONIFA THOMAS Health Reporter

The size of a certain part of your brain might protect you from memory loss associated with Alzheimer's disease. And regular high doses of Vitamin E appear to help people with Alzheimer's live longer and slow the progression of the disease.

Those are the key findings of two new studies presented in Chicago Tuesday at the American Academy of Neurology's annual conference.

Autopsies have shown that some people die with perfect memories and sharp minds, even though their brain cells are riddled with abnormal lumps of protein that are the hallmark of Alzheimer's disease.

To figure out why, researchers compared the brains of 23 people with Alzheimer's disease to those of 12 people who had the same amount of protein plaques in their brains but did not develop dementia.

The only noticeable difference was in the hippocampus - the part of the brain that controls the formation of new memories. It was 20 percent larger in the non-impaired group, said Dr. Deniz Erten-Lyons, the study's lead author.

"This larger hippocampus may protect these people from the effects of Alzheimer's disease-related brain changes," said Erten-Lyons, an assistant professor of neurology at Oregon Health and Science University.

In other research, Vitamin E was shown to increase the survival time of people with Alzheimer's. The study is the latest to suggest that a diet rich in Vitamin E - an antioxidant found in vegetable oils, nuts and leafy, green vegetables - can slow the disease's progress.

Scientists tracked 847 people with Alzheimer's for an average of five years. They found that people who took high doses of Vitamin E twice a day - doses much higher than what's recommended for the general population - were 26 percent less likely to die than those who didn't take Vitamin E, according to lead researcher Valory Pavlik of Baylor College of Medicine's Alzheimer's disease center.

Sometimes I think your body just gets so used to constant stress, that you don't even realize how stressed out you are. I personally just sold my condo for sale by owner, just bought a new condo, went through the nightmare of a mortgage application. I also run a business and just got married. Yet, for some reason when I start breaking out I can't believe that I could actually be stressed out. I almost need someone else to point out to me everything I have been through in the past few months to admit that I might be a little stressed...I have also been thinking about this a lot lately because I just heard the story of a family member who is caring for his wife with Alzheimer's.He has been her primary caregiver for years. They finally got her to go to day care which has provided some respite but not enough. He has lost lots of weight. He is very emotional. He is not thinking or acting rationally. He has many family members telling him its past time to put his wife in assisted living. He still thinks she is not ready.Yet, if he doesn't start taking care of himself, what could happen? Maybe he won't get to decide what or who takes care of her if he doesn't start thinking about himself and taking care of himself.assisted living is not always the solution for everyone. But in this case, they can afford it and they have researched their options. Its time.But maybe its time for him to do a self assessment in regards to the stress he is under. When its constantly building every day for this many years, I don't think you realize how stressed out you are because you have almost built you tolerance for it.Perhaps I will suggest he take this quiz on the AARP website.

Last week I got a call from my sister.  Her mother in law is searching for a place for her father to live.  They called me for my help because this is what I do all day here in Chicago.  The only catch was this was in North Carolina...

I of course agreed to help right away, and while it took me about 1/10 of the time it would have taken her to make all those calls herself, I am still surprised how hard it is to find senior living.

First of all, I don't think the consumer knows what to ask for. 

In this case, the dad is currently doing a respite stay in Long Island at a senior community there.  He is considering coming back to North Carolina as his other daughter is re-locating there as well.  The family kept telling me they were looking for "assisted living" but when I asked more questions about where he was living now I realized he was living in what we in the industry would consider "independent living".  So if she started calling all of the places in NC that offer "assisted living" she would not be getting her dad that same thing he is living in and enjoying in Long Island.

So I started my search with this in mind and was surprised how hard it is to find all the options in a given area.  If the company does not have a presence on the web and you are searching from out of town, you may never find half of the places.

I made some calls.  Luckily, I know exactly what questions to ask to save time.  Half of the places I called had someone available to answer my questions and give me pricing.  The other half I had to leave messages with.  Of that half only two people returned my calls.  Its been 6 days now and I don't imagine I will hear from the ones I had left message for if I have not at this point.  I emailed a couple of places and did not get a single email response back.

Interesting.

So how do you know if you are finding the best place if you can't even connect with some places?

I guess this lesson only validated how valuable the service my company provides to families looking for senior living in Chicagoland.  And since its free, the price can't be beat!

Needless to say, I finally talked to one place that I think will be an excellent fit.  The location is great.  The size is great.  The reputation of the company is great.  The price is well within the budget and this independent living home also offers assisted living should the need arise later on.

Of course, after doing all of this research, I was informed that dad and the other sister have "changed their mind" for now.  I just want everyone to know that this is not UNCOMMON.  However, the work has been done and now I have a wonderful excuse to go back down to North Carolina to visit my new niece.  I can tour some of the communities down there and see how they compare.  And when the family is finally ready or a crisis occurs, we will be ready to make and educated decision very quickly.

Just like the Amber Alert - but for missing seniors...helping law enforcement officers find seniors who have maybe wandered away from home.  In effect in some states from my understanding, but I also just found this information online:

(Washington DC) At least 70 members of the United States Congress support a bill that would fund a Silver Alert system to help people suffering from Alzheimer's Disease and other dementia-related illnesses.  According to Congresswoman Candice Miller of Michigan, over five million Americans are known to have either Alzheimer's or dementia.  She says 60-percent of patients with those issues will wander off at some point during their illness.

Congresswoman Miller hopes to see this legislation passed through the House and the Senate and eventually be signed by the president.  Then, she says, each approved state will receive at least 100-thousand dollars toward establishing or improving an alert system.

Congresswoman Candice Miller says it's great we are having longevity, but there are challenges that come with it.

I am not sure if you can link the article so I have copied it below.  It was written by Jane Zhang for the Wall Street Journal and I thought it was worth noting.

We're here to help.

U.S. Preps Nursing-Home Rating System

Move for More Data 
To Appear on Web; 
Sprinklers Required

By JANE ZHANG
June 19, 2008; Page D2

WASHINGTON -- In an effort to improve care at thenation's 16,000 nursing homes, the Bush administration will startrating facilities based on a five-star system and require all of themto install fire sprinklers.

The rating system, expected to be available on aMedicare Web site by the end of the year, will give each nursing homefrom one to five stars based on government inspection results, staffingdata and quality measures. It may also include information such aswhether a nursing home provides care to patients with dementia or thoseon ventilators.

"The fact a home has a lower rating will likely putthem on a path to improvement," said Kerry Weems, acting administratorat the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the federal agencythat manages Medicare, the health-insurance program for the elderly anddisabled, and Medicaid, the health program for the poor.

About 1.5 million Americans live in nursing homes andeach year, more than three million end up in nursing homes at leasttemporarily, and the numbers are expected to rise as the baby-boomgeneration ages. About 22% of 5.3 million people 85 years old and olderhad a nursing-home stay in 2006.

The federal and state governments are the largestthird-party payer for nursing-home care. Medicare alone spent $21billion on nursing homes in 2007, up from $17.6 billion in 2005.

For seniorsand their families, it is often difficult to get enough information --the staffing level, the number of patients with bed sores, violationsand other data that shed light on the quality of care -- before theychoose a nursing home. Despite government oversight, some nursing homesrepeatedly violate regulations, and lawmakers and patient advocateshave been raising questions about care at some investor-owned nursinghomes.

This year, Medicare listed some of the most troublednursing homes in its public database, which already has someinformation on staffing and quality measures. Many consumers havecomplained that the information isn't easy to understand, and statessuch as Wisconsin and California have established their own databasesto evaluate nursing homes.

Sen. Charles Grassley (R., Iowa), and Sen. Herb Kohl(D., Wis.), have introduced legislation to allow consumers to lodgecomplaints about nursing-home neglect. The lawmakers welcomedMedicare's move, but stressed that to make a difference, the MedicareWeb site will have to be easy for consumers to use.

Mr. Weems said the agency is aiming for easy use, andis accepting public comments in July and August on the site and itscontents.

Mr. Weems said that requiring all nursing homes to install sprinklers by 2013 is also an important step toward safety.

Only new nursing homes and those under renovationcurrently are required to have sprinklers. The Medicare agency said 80%of nursing homes now have sprinklers. Renovation costs to meet the newsprinkler requirement are expected to total $846.7 million over fiveyears, the agency said. The lack of sprinklers has been blamed for 31deaths in nursing-home fires in Hartford, Conn., and Nashville, Tenn.

In March 2005, Medicare required all nursing homeswithout sprinklers to have battery-operated smoke alarms in patientrooms and public areas.

Larry Minnix, president and chief executive ofAmerican Association of Homes and Services for the Aging, a tradegroup, said the new rating system must be based on "reliable, validatedinformation for the public to trust not only nursing homes but therating system itself." He said the public oversight, as part of thesystem, will be most controversial, because it is subjective,inconsistent and not timely, among other things.

Toby S. Edelman, senior policy attorney with theCenter for Medicare Advocacy, an advocacy group, said two of the threecriteria that CMS plans to include "are self-reported by nursingfacilities and are inaccurate."

"Too often, nursing facilities report that residentsare doing much better than they really are and that they have morestaff than they really have," he said. "Relying on nursing homes todescribe accurately how well they are doing -- and reporting thatinformation as fact -- just doesn't make sense."

A nursing blog contacted me to let me know they had this post and I thought I would share it because I think it is helpful.  50 tips for caregivers.

At least as far as I am concerned. This woman stole over $300,000 from a senior. She took advantage of a nice old lady with dementia.And she only got fired from her job at the bank? Why is she not in jail?Here is a link to the latest, apparently the bank has agreed to pay the senior back after it the potential PR nightmare that the Sun Times Cover caused this morning.I know the news is depressing, but this is downright sick. Is anyone else as upset about this as I am?

Investigators in the College of Nursing at Rush University Medical Center are looking for family caregivers for a new research study.  This study will test the effectiveness of an 18-month multi-component health promotion intervention with family caregivers for persons with Alzheimer’s disease. 

Study participants will engage in six interviews and twenty intervention contacts.  All contacts will be arranged at the caregiver's convenience and conducted in their home or by telephone.  No visits to Rush University Medical Center are required for this study. 

If you know of caregivers who might be interested in this study, please have them contact Dr. Caryn Etkin at 312-942-5242.

Study staff will conduct a brief screening interview to see if they meet eligibility criteria, and if eligible, will set up a baseline interview in their home. 

The Kenwood of Lakeview is hosting an event on July 24th called: "Building Better Bones".It is for ages 50+. It is an Osteoporosis Education Seminar and FREE BONE DENSITY SCREENING!!!! This free event begins at 10:00 a.m. on Thursday July 24th. The event starts with a 45 minute presentation on building better bones and then a FREE bone density screening with instant results and health recommendations.The Kenwood will also be providing a free buffet lunch and tours.Counsel for Jewish Elderly - Senior Life is co-sponsoring the event.There is a maximum attendance of 35 people. All must RSVP to 773-508-1073 to register.Address: 3121 N. Sheridan Road, Chicago IL 60657

Comments from someone who JUST moved his wife after being her primary caregiver for years... The decision was extremely difficult and there were many tears and much second guessing. Here is the report 5 days later: (Names changed of course!)Some good news to tell you about Catherine. She is adjusting to her new home wonderfully !!She still has her bad moments, but her aides tell me that she is happy most of the time.She seems to be the youngest person in her unit. I know that she is the most physically able. Most of them are in wheelchairs or use walkers. Not Catherine. She was up dancing to some 1940 music when Mike [son] and I walked in. She danced up to us...knew us ...and gave us a tour of the place.She was a little sad when we left.This good news has lifted a huge burden from me. I now sleep through the night for the first time in eight years.

While researching the average age of people living in assisted living I came across this definition on the National Center for assisted livings Website and thought I would share it here.Assisted living provides relatively independent seniors with assistanceand limited health care services in a home-like atmosphere. Assisted living services include 24-hour protective oversight, food, shelter, and a range of services that promote the quality of life of the individual.The philosophy of assisted living emphasizes the right of the individual to choose the setting for care andservices. Assisted living customers share the risks and responsibilities for their daily activities and well-being with a staff geared to helping them enjoy the freedom and independence of private living.Assisted living is licensed by state governments and is known by s many different names including the following: residential care, board and care,congregate care, and personal care. Assisted living care is not a substitute for but rather a complement to nursing facility care.Because there is no common definition for assisted living facilities, it is difficult to pinpoint the exact number of facilities. However, it is currently estimated that there are 36,000 assisted living residences nationwide. The "typical" assisted living customer is 85 years old. Three quarters of assisted living residents are female. About 68 percent of assisted living residents need assistance with bathing and almost half need help with dressing.Sounds right to us as we have helped people from age 50 - 100 but usually right around 85..and usually with some sort of memory loss as well. Not always, but pretty common.

Yesterday there was an article in the Chicago Tribune (front page!!) about a study that suggests a new approach to caring for Alzheimer's patients.  I think the only people this was news to were the ones who have never cared for or worked with people with the disease.  While I am sure there are still a lot of nursing homes out there that don't have the time or money to train their staff - but they should know to never speak to a patient as if they were a child. 

Regardless, the article did interview some people that I know and have worked with so its still worth sharing.
Here is the link to the article: "A new approach to caring for Alzheimer's patients"

Hopefully I will have plenty of comments to make/ and new things to learn this week as they are hosting the 2008 International Conference on Alzheimer's disease here in Chicago right now...

I can't remember someones name. I lost my keys. Where are my glasses?According to a new study, 1 million older people slip from normal memory to mild impairment, much more than previously thought. (That number does not include the 1/2 million that will be diagnosed with full blown dementia a year)For an article about this study in the Chicago Sun Times click here.

Unfortunately, this event has been postponed as of 8/25/08 and they will reschedule it in just a few weeks - stay tuned...On Tuesday evening, Sept 16th Plymouth Place is hosting one of my favorite speakers/authors/gerontologists/friends.. Cheryl Kuba will be speaking about "Navigating the Journey of Aging Parents without Driving off a Cliff"Make this a joy ride! Learn how to put on the breaks before you go over the edge as you celebrate your parents’ lives. Find common goals for both of you as they journey through their last chapters of life. Down shift and turn challenging elder care roadblocks - guilt, denial, role reversal - into speed bumps. You will discover how to heed the warning signs and gain insight into your loved one’s lifestyle changes as he or she grows older. Discover ways to stop driving through the fog of elder care. Pull over. Help is on the way.Refreshments will be served at 6pm and Cheryl will begin speaking at 6:30 followed by a Book Signing at 8:00 PM. (See where I plugged the book on the right >>>>>)Please RSVP by Sept. 10th: 708-482-6511Plymouth Place, 315 N. La Grange Rd., La Grange Park, Il 60526Not only is Cheryl entertaining and informative, but its also worth it to get a look at Plymouth Place which is now open after their construction. It is one of the most beautiful communities that I have seen.

In the past year, Alzheimer's has risen from the 7th leading cause of death to now being the 6th and someone is diagnosed every 71 seconds as opposed to every 72 seconds like last year.

Hmmmm....

This is my 6th year walking in the Memory Walk - where funds raised go toward helping support caregivers in the community. 

Feel free to sign up your own team and raise money, and if you are so inclined, feel free to donate money towards my team! I gotta ask and ask again!

I just spent 45 minutes searching iphoto for one single photo of me at the walk the past five years and they seemed to have all disappeared as if I was never there, except for the photo in the far left hand corner of the blog....

If you have been diagnosed with early stage and/or early onset memory loss, we need your help. 

For many years the Alzheimer’s Association has provided quality programs for professionals, family members, and care partners of individuals diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease and other, related dementias. 

Now, we need to hear from you.  We recognize the need to expand our programs and services for individuals who have themselves been diagnosed with early onset and/or early stage memory loss.  Our first step in this effort will be to conduct focus groups so that we can develop programs and services that meet your needs.

The focus groups will take place the week of September 8th of 2008 in several communities served by the Greater Illinois Chapter.  If you are unable to participate in a focus group, there will be limited opportunities for individual interviews. 

Please feel free to contact Nicole Batsch, Director of Early Stage Services, directly at (847) 933-2413 with any questions.

Definitions:

Early or Young Onset:  Individuals diagnosed with any type of dementia prior to the age of 65.

Early Stage:  Individuals diagnosed with any type of dementia at any age with mild impairment due to symptoms of the disease process.

Both Early Onset and Early Stage individuals should welcome participation (i.e., no pressure by family members or professionals to participate), must be aware of their diagnosis, and have sufficient language and comprehension skills to participate fully in the focus groups.

Last Thursday I met with Dr. Sandy Goldberg at the NBC Tower in Chicago to record my first every podcast. Dr. Sandy asked me about Senior Living Experts and some of the issues involved in finding assisted living. You can listen to the NBC 5 Better Health podcast here!

I received an email about this yesterday, and I am going to send a card this week. Thought you might want to too!Here is the info:It’s the classic love story. My mom was the high school cheerleader and my dad was the quarterback for the football team. I remember reading the inscriptions in their High School yearbooks and they were the perfect couple. They married at an early age and had the standard three children. All was well in their world and life progressed.In 1981 my father was diagnosed with chronic progressive Multiple Sclerosis. The symptoms were mild, at first and then as the diagnosis suggests, became more progressive. For the last 15 years my father has been bed ridden and fully dependent on mom’s care. Interestingly, Mom has been dependent on Dad’s spirit.Through this whole ordeal, my parents have stayed true to their faith, their commitment and their love for each other. This has been a mutual love affair that has unfolded before me and has taught me so much.Three weeks from now, they will be celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary! They have equally split the “for better and for worse” times of their lives and I would love for them to receive a record number of cards to recognize their commitment. If you feel moved to participate in honoring their dedication please send a card toWilliam and Carol Leff1930 Geronimo TrailMaitland , FL 32751