Education

In a March, the Alzheimer's Association put out their newest "2009 Facts & Figures." One of the most startling points was that total healthcare costs are more than three times higher for people with Alzheimer's and other dementias than for other people age 65 and older. There is an increased need and usage of hospitals, nursing homes and other health and long-term care services. Families caring for people with Alzheimer's struggle to survive the recession as states deal with budget shortfalls.With family members providing care at home for about 70 percent of people with Alzheimer's, the ripple effects of the disease can be felt throughout the entire family.To read the article and report : New report says Alzheimer's disease and dementia triple healthcare costs for Americans age 65 and older

I received this bulletin last week and knew I had to share it with my fellow Illinois residents who care about seniors.AARP and the Alliance for Home and Community Care oppose the devastating cuts passed by the General Assembly. We are calling on the Governor, Legislative Leadership and all legislators to get back to Springfield and fix this budget before these cuts take effect. These cuts will affect your neighbors, friends, family and maybe even you.COMMUNITY CARE PROGRAM• Without additional funds, nearly 26,000 older Illinoisans will be cut off from services that allow them to remain independent. Without these services, many, if not all of them, will be forced to turn to more costly nursing homes for the care they need.ELDER ABUSE• The Elder Abuse Program will be eliminated under the Doomsday Budget.• Thousands of cases are investigated each year. Without someone to help victims of abuse connect to the services they need many will remain in their abusive situation. Elder Abuse workers protect seniors from financial, physical and sexual abuse. All too often, victims die as a result of abuse and neglect if they do not get the assistance they need.CIRCUIT BREAKER PROGRAM• 270,000 older Illinoisans will no longer receive prescription drug and property tax assistance through the circuit breaker program.VETERANS HOMES• Over 1,000 veterans will be kicked out of veterans homes losing critical health care services.DISABILITY SERVICES• 5,000 people with disability services will lose their option to receive services in the community where they remain independent. These services are also much cheaper for the taxpayers of Illinois.STOP THESE CUTS NOWThe people receiving these services along with their family, friends and caregivers are devastated by the budget that passed the General Assembly. It’s time to go back to work and put together a budget that truly serves the people of this State. The people of Illinois deserve more from their elected leaders from both parties.You can make a difference. Contact the Governor at 312-814-2121 and your State Representatives and Senators today at 1-888-616-3322 and tell them to return to the Capitol and pass a budget that truly serves the people of Illinois, especially older adults and persons with disabilities.

According to a recent article in the New York Times, the elderly are not as vulnerable to the swine flu as previously thought.  The regular flu is a major concern for the elderly especially in long term care facilities but they have not seen much of an outbreak.

In the article they state: Of 538 confirmed cases of AH1N1 in New York City, only six have occurred among people ages 65 and over.

It goes on to say that "preliminary evidence suggests that many older people may have residualimmunity to the new flu virus because they were exposed to similar H1N1viruses that circulated decades ago, before 1957. If so, that’s greatnews for both the elderly and their caregivers."

While this is great news, everyone should continue to follow precautions and wash their hands.

They are currently developing shoes with GPS in them for Alzheimer's patients that wander. This technology will help families and authorities locate someone who has wandered away, a condition of the disease that many experience.It is easier than putting a device on them such as a necklace or a bracelet as they are usually taken off. Because these are embedded in the shoes, they are always on.The shoes are being developed by GTX Corp., which makes miniaturized Global Positioning Satellite tracking and location-transmitting technology, and Aetrex Worldwide, a footwear manufacturer.I can imagine that this would help save someone's life someday, maybe more. For more information check out GPS shoes for Alzheimer's patients.

Just read an article based on a study that tested the cognitive ability of 2,500 people aged 70 to 79 over eight years.They found that 30% of them not only did not see a decline, in some instances they actually improved on tests. To find out what made this 30% special they had to find out what they did and what they had in common. Here is what they found:1. Exercise2. Education3. Not Smoking4. SocializingRead the full article on LiveScience.com

One of our partners, Sunrise of Naperville is currently partnering with a toddler music class. It would be hard to tell who benefits from this more, the seniors or the children. Music is something that can bring us all together and is something that we share. The seniors help the children and the children bring them joy.One resident was said, "I love coming here; there's hope for the future,"You can read the entire article in the Naperville Sun.*photo by Danielle Gardner, news staff photographer

Go to the National Center on Elder Abuse's website to learn more and to find out ways that you can help prevent or stop elder abuse.

There are the obvious questions... how much will it cost? How many meals? How does the food taste? These and the other simple questions are very important. But often families fail to ask the HARD questions. (Sometimes they also get swayed by a newer or prettier environment but that is a whole other story...)Here are some probing questions to consider when you tour.* Does the community offer staff 24 hours a day? How much staff and can they perform care & assistance (help with going to the bathroom, or redirecting a wandering resident, or helping administer medication) or are they only there in case of emergencies and then an on call nurse or 911 is notified? What is the procedure if a resident falls in the middle of the night?* How much should you prepare for changes in the cost? Will they have a yearly increase? If so, how much (typical average is 2-5% annually). Do cost increase as care needs increase or are you already paying a flat rate?* What services can they not provide for the resident (see prior post). When would someone need to move due to a physical condition.* What is your procedure if the resident runs low on funds and can no longer afford to stay in the community? Do they have space for Medicaid and if so do they help with the application? If they do not, where do they usually send their residents. (You may want to check that facility out as well.)* What kind of staff training is required & provided? What is the employee turn over rate? Can you meet some of the employees who will be doing the hands on care?* Some others: What happens if the resident can no longer take care of their incontinence issues? What if they constantly fall or try to get up from their wheelchair and fall? What is the procedure for documenting medication? Who do you talk to if there is something wrong with the bill?There are certainly other very important and very tough questions to ask. Please share with our readers any other "tough" questions that should be asked!

I enjoy reading many updates from the people I follow.  I try to have some people in eldercare in addition to breaking news, weather and personal hobbies, like SEO, interior design and healthy eating.  (I may even have a random celebrity or two on there...)  I find some of the greatest links to great websites and great articles I may never have found on my own, even if I had the time to search for them

In regards to all things seniors, eldercare & aging here are some of my favorite people to follow:

IvyBean104  - I darling 104 year old woman.  Twitter apparently has no age limit and she has over 22,000 followers!

One of our Facebook Fans Gayle, made me aware of a product that can give you piece of mind if you are worried that someone may leave the stove on and cause a fire.This can be used in the home or in an apartment complex or senior living community! The company is called CookStop. Visit their website for detailed information.You can set the stove for use during certain hours of the day (ie: scheduled cooking times) or you can set the stove so the user must push a button to cook longer than set time - ensuring that they are attentive to what is on the stove. This actually wouldn't be a bad product for me. (My husband is always turning the oven off after I cook something.)Oh and you too can become a fan : Senior Living Experts, Inc on Facebook

A Senate committee votes tomorrow on new government plan that will provide long term care insurance as a part of the health care overhaul.Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (D. Mass) is sponsoring a bill for a voluntary insurance program. This plan would pay a modest daily cash benefit (of at least $50) that people could use toward long term care - be it in home care or nursing home care. Of course, we all know you can't get that care for $50 a day, but I need to read more about it and also find out how high the daily limit would go and at what cost to the individual.Has anyone heard any specifics on this proposed program?

Practice Greenhealth, the nation’s leading membership and networkingorganization for institutions in the health care community that havemade a commitment to sustainable, eco-friendly practices recently announced their 2009 Environmental Excellence Awards. These are given to institutions for programs that reduce the facility’s environmental footprint.Youville Place assisted living Residence, inLexington, Massachusetts, recently received a Partner Recognition Award from them. The Partner Recognition award is for healthcare facilities that havebegun to work on environmental improvements, achieved some progress,and have less than 10% recycling rate for the total waste stream.Locally, Little Company of Mary Hospital and Health Care Centers – Evergreen Park, IL also recieved Partner Recognition.In the past, Youville Place Assisted Living paid $85 a ton to dump the coffee grounds andother scraps into the landfill. It now pays $172 a month to compostthree tons of waste a month. This and other changes such as using low VOC paint, buying food from local farmers, and cleaning with environmentally friendly products are some of the other green practices at Youville. You can find the complete article here.Its just a matter of time before you hear about more "green" senior communities. I am imagining green roofs (at least here in the city!) as well as reduction in paper use & packaging. They could also reduce their use of water with low flow toilets and faucets. Many already use the new longer lasting light bulbs. They could also use carpets made of natural fibers (or perhaps those carpet tiles - where if one gets dirty you can pull it up and replace it.) Maybe even organic bedding and use of cloth napkins & tableclothes. Washing most everything in cold water and using environmentally friendly detergents.The idea of purchasing 'nutrient rich' food from local organic farmers is one of my personal favorites. It certainly cost more to buy, but the benefits of the vitamins, minerals, and less pesticides is un-measurable in its impact on seniors health.Any other ideas on how senior communities can green up?

The National Council On Aging sent this email to me today and knew I had to pass it on to get as much support as possible.  Here is what it said:

Health reform will begin moving through two key House committees this week.  Your Representative serves on one of these committees.  We need your help this Thursday the 16th to advocate for including home and community-based long-term care in the bill.

Thousands of seniors are impoverished and forced into nursing homes prematurely because they lack of coverage for these services.  If Congress does not address this problem now, it may be decades before this opportunity arises again.

Please call your Representative toll-free on Thursday at 1-800-958-5374

Urge your Representative to include the Community Living Assistance Services and Supports (CLASS) Act, H.R. 1721, in the House health reform bill.

Tell your Representative:

I'm a constituent calling to urge Representative X to support including the CLASS Act in the House health reform bill. The CLASS Act would create a voluntary insurance program to help those in need receive home and community-based long-term care.

Too many seniors and their families are impoverished and forced into nursing homes prematurely because they lack of coverage for these services. The CLASS Act will help address this major unmet care need.

The CLASS Act is supported by President Obama and over 100 national groups, and would reduce the deficit by $58 billion, including over $4 billion in state and federal Medicaid savings.

Thank you for adding your voice to the health reform debate!

Got this notice from our local chapter of the Alzheimer's Association.

what: Younger-Onset Alzheimer's Disease Hearing in Chicago, IL
when:  Wednesday, July 29, 2009

On July 29, a hearing will be held in Chicago to examine the possibility of providing access to Social Security benefits to younger people with Alzheimer’s disease.

We are looking for people with younger-onset Alzheimer’s disease (diagnosed under age 65) and/or family members to attend.

This is an all-day event and an exciting chance to be part of a historic hearing.

Attendees will not have a speaking role at the hearing but will have an opportunity to submit written testimony prior to the hearing. The role of the attendees is to be present to show support for providing access to Social Security benefits to younger people with Alzheimer’s.

Please contact Nicole Batsch (847.779.6964) for details by July 17. 

Read this story in my local paper, the Chicago Tribune but the original article was in the The Des Moines Register,https://www.desmoinesregister.com

An assisted living community in Iowa called Fieldcrest assisted living decided to go a couple steps further than the traditional "activities" and asked residents what there dreams were.  They sent out questionnaires and 34 were returned.

Nine months and hundreds of dollars in donations later, they were able to grant all 34 wishes!!  They set the dining room up like a game show and had each resident "Come On Down!" - as each one came down their wish was granted. 

One resident was visited by Army pals who shared a tent with him onthe Japanese island of Okinawa!! Another resident was presented with a computer and tutors from a local community college to learn how to email.

Please click on the Tribune link above to read the whole article!

This is Lucille from Henderson, Nevada who recently turned 104 on June 27th. The Las Vegas Sun wrote and article about her (she deserves it right??) which is how I found out about her. She attributes her longevity to good nutrition, good genes, and a long, strong marriage. Her husband passed away 3 years ago at the age of 99. Soon after that she moved into the assisted living. Though you can see from her photo she still looks pretty spunky. And I love that sweater!!My favorite part of the article is when we find out she graduated as valedictorian of her high school graduating class of 2. Everyone is a winner in that situation!You can read the entire article: Woman, 103 attributes longevity to genetics, clean living here.** Photo by Richard Brian, Special to the Las Vegas Sun.

A reader named Suzane emailed me about a post on her blog called 100 Charitable Activities You Can Do With Your Family.  Since I get emails all the time about volunteering in local nursing homes and assisted living communities I knew I had to share it.  Lots of great suggestions on there. 

It also helps us answer the call to action from President and Mrs. Obama to give back!

One of my favorite's is the first one because I know they can match up some opportunities with seniors.  Volunteer Match - with over 65,000 participating organizations, this site hasmany opportunities to choose from. Just type in your location andinterests and VolunteerMatch will find many options for charitablefamilies.

Have fun and feel good!

If anyone else has suggestions of valuable articles - please feel free to email me directly.

Ifthere is one thing that everyone in the Senior Living industry agreeson, it is that the industry will undergo an overall change to preparefor the next generation -- the Baby Boomers.

Just read an article online by Renato Alesiani is the executive director of Áegis at Shadowridge an assisted living community in California.

I found it interesting because he talks about the needs (or demands or wants) of the baby boomer generation is different than those of their parents - the WWII generation.  There will be a higher demand for luxury and hospitality.  Anyone who operates an assisted living community might be interested in the article so I have attached it here: Senior Living - The Next Generation

LifeBridge Solutions, a Florida company that provides family transition coaching recently published a blog post asking six questions to determine what help your aging parent needs?The 6 questions they came up with were:

1. What is my parent's physical condition?
2. What is my parent's emotional condition?
3. What is my parent's cognitive level?
4. What financial resources are available to pay for help?
5. What human resources are available to provide help?
6. What input has my parent given on the entire topic?

It is a great article and you should check it out by following the link above the questions! Their site is also full of other great articles and resources including a free "household transitions" resource guide!

And at .46 a stamp I can relate!!I read these articles about these seniors who are so old, and have so much advice to offer and just the most wonderful quotes ever.This came from Walter Breuning, who at 112 years old is officially the worlds oldest man. He lives in an assisted living community in Great Falls, Montana. (What a beautiful state by the way - all that fresh air might have helped!)He is so swamped with requests for interviews, that the assisted living home requests that those who would like to talk with him to to call and schedule ahead of time.Apparently Walter doesn't have time for some of the stupid questions. The man is old after all he should be able to decide what he wants to answer and what he doesn't"Walter wants to answer the more intellectual questions, not whether hehas a girlfriend or what being the oldest man in the world means to him— because living a long time means much less to him than living a goodlife," said Tina Bundtrock, the communities life engagement manager in the article I read in the Great Falls Tribune. You can read the whole article," Oldest man has hands full with media" here.The wise old man also turned down the Tonight show because he doesn't want to talk to people who make fun of other people, it just offends him. Hmmm. Maybe if someone learns to ask the right questions we will all be the wiser!(Photo by Ryan Hall for the Great Falls Tribune)