Education

I found this great online resource tonight for kids.  If your kids are wondering what is wrong with an aging relative, this is a great article they can read that explains Alzheimer's disease to them. 

I have blogged about this organization in the past - they are the company that will pick up unwanted furniture from your home and then turn around and make sure it goes to a needy senior. Perhaps one that ended up in a nursing home, and is now well, but no longer has an apartment to go back to. They help the seniors find a new place and get back into the community. Since they have lost so much they usually need some furniture and H.O.M.E will help. They do a lot more than that, but I love that!Here is the information I received this week:Please watch, this Sunday, March 16th on the 8am ABC Morning Local News..Karen Meyer, (about 8:20am) reports on a story which focuses on the organization, H.O.M.E. (Housing Opportunities & Maintenance for the Elderly) Providing Community, Compassion and Essential Comforts to Chicago's Low-Income Elderly and our housing resources for seniors with disabilities.

A free teleseminar will be offered this Wednesday, March 12 at 6pm Central / 7 pm Eastern by my friend Barbara Friesner...Has the time come to talk with your aging loved one about making some necessary changes?Is the thought of having these conversations freaking you out?Or have you tried unsuccessfully to have a conversation – leaving you gun-shy at the thought of trying again?If so, then this teleseminar is for you!!!In this free teleseminar you will learn a fun and effective way to get your Aging Loved Ones to tell you what they wantANDHelp them to willingly change so that they can get what they want – and what’s in their best interest!“Attending” this NO CHARGE teleseminar is easy and convenient!At 7p EASTERN TimeJust relax, put up your feet, and call(712) 580-7706 ~ Conference Code: 2484952#Here is the link to her website for more information and resources:www.AgeWiseLiving.com

One of our favorite communities, Central Baptist Village is hosting a free community event - open to everyone in the community!Edizon Dayao, keyboardist and vocalist, and one of Chicago's favorite performers will entertain you with classic tunes from Perry Como to Don Ho.Date: Wednesday, March 19thTime: 10:00 amLocation: 4747 N. Canfield Avenue, Norridge, IL 60706Refreshments and tours will be offered at the event.Please RSVP to 708-583-8500A flyer about the event can be downloaded by clicking Download edizon_dayao_flyer.jpg

It is freezing out and I don't feel like spring is right around the corner. In addition to that, after spending a warm weekend in North Carolina, I returned to Chicago only to fall out of my car because of ice and land flat on my back! With that in mind, I thought I should look for some winter safety tips for seniors. My personal tip to self: don't wear shoes with a slick bottom when you own boots...I found these on winter safety tips for seniors on the Foundation for Health and Aging Website.

I just read this article, Geneva Wants Homes Closed online in the daily herald. This is one of the communities we work with. In many states, Room and Board Care homes are very popular and are becoming a preferred choice for senior care. Its sad that this one, which is run by a doctor is having this problem. I really think its because of the neighborhood she chose, but shouldn't the seniors also be able to live in a nice home?I found the comments to be even more interesting than the article and I look forward to finding out what happens. In the meantime we will be routing for Dr. Ross, because we want there to be as many alternatives to care as possible.

I have included a link to the IRS website that tells how senior non-taxpayers can get money from the stimulus package that the President signed yesterday.

Easing the Transition from Driver to Passenger is a guide, published on line by The Hartford, to helping individuals with Alzheimers reduce the need to drive.While this article focuses on early dementia, I think a lot of the suggestions could be used for any elder dealing with giving up their ability to drive.

Since there is always so much confusion on this topic I thought I would post this information I received. Its not the best looking website in the world, but it seems to have everything you need to know to navigate Medicare.The Medicare Rights Center has worked with the National Alliance for Caregiving under a grant from the Langeloth Foundation to bring crucial Medicare information to the caregiver community. This tool provides hundreds of consumer-friendly answers on Medicare and includes a special section dedicated to caregivers. The caregiver section includes guidance on getting help caring for a loved one at home, caregiver rights and resources, respite care services and how to advocate on behalf of a loved one.The tool can be accessed at Medicare Interactive Web(remember... Medicare does not care where you live, it does not pay for assisted living or long term care)

I attended a seminar about long distance caregiving last week and this article about sums up all the things we discussed. I especially like the last point..don't expect your parents to welcome your assistance. The full article can be seen on CNN.com's website here. (Or you can go to their website and search for long distance caregiving and the article should come up on the right hand side called "Caring for Mom and Dad from afar."

New Year’s Resolutions for the Long Distance Caregiver

I just read another article by one of my favorite people Cheryl Kuba. I asked her if I could post it here and of course she said yes, so here it is!Maybe home is where the heart is, but if you are not home and desperately worried about an ailing loved one who lives 2,000 miles away, your anguish can be a ticking time-bomb for your own health and future happiness.Eldercare expert and gerontologist Cheryl Kuba offers strategies that can be adopted as New Year’s resolutions to make long distance caregiving a stress-free success for you and your aging parent. “According to a study by Metropolitan Life (2005), more than 7 million adult children are caring for their parents long distance,” Kuba said. “While the internet and cell phones can put us in immediate contact with our loved ones, there is no substitute for the human touch or being able to see with our own eyes that our parents are safe, and well cared for.” Long distance caregivers live an average of 304 miles away from their care receivers, according to statistics from the National Coalition on Aging (NCOA).In her book Navigating the Journey of Aging Parents: What Care Receivers Want (Routlege 2006), Kuba outlines what the dependent elderly expect from their children who live far away, as well as the concerns that the adult children have about mom and dad not living just down the block. “As we venture into a new year our own new year’s resolutions should include a reasonable, updated game plan for long distance caregiving,” Kuba said.Resolutions to insure the well-being and comfort for a relative who lives miles away:Advance Directives. It’s a new year. Time to revisit the affairsthat are in order, or simply get your parent’s affairs in order.Specifically, make sure that the Living Will, Health Care Power ofAttorney, and organ donation card (if this is your loved one’s choice)are up to date. Too many families wind up in court at the same timethat their ailing family member is dying in a hospital, because nobodychecked the advance directives. In some cases, guardianship needs to beestablished long before a loved one’s dying days.MOST IMPORTANTLY: KNOW WHERE THESE DOCUMENTS ARE KEPT! Whether it is asafe deposit box, file cabinet, a lawyer’s office or a shoe box underthe bed, you should know and should also alert someone who lives closeto your parent how to locate these documents. Some elderly individualschoose to tape an envelope to the refrigerator with the living will anddurable power of attorney inside. If paramedics are called, they willhave the documents in hand in a matter of minutes.Consider Care Management. Eldercare managers or case managerscan be hired to do all kinds of tasks for your parents includingscheduling appointments, doing paperwork, hiring housekeeping and evenpet care services. Care managers are often considered as “the otherdaughter” and can serve as a terrific professional liaison between youand your parent. Contact the National Association of Geriatric CareManagers, www.caremanager.org.Local contacts as back up. It’s time to update that list oflocal contacts. One adult daughter that we worked with was franticbecause her mother’s health care power of attorney had been given to anelderly woman who was now hospitalized with Alzheimer’s disease. Combthrough your parent’s social network of neighbors, church folks, andfriends to see if there isn’t someone who can frequently visit and giveyou an update on how your parent is doing. A good source is theEldercare Locator, www.eldercare.gov. for help in your parent’s community.Family members. It’s hard to believe that just as your agingparent grows older, so do the grandchildren and nieces and nephews.Maybe one of you nieces or nephews is old enough now to do ‘grandmacheck-ins’ as a part time job. Perhaps the situation for your siblingsor Godchildren has changed, and they can help with the tasks of takingyour parent to appointments.In town assessments. During your next visit, do a thoroughassessment of your parents’ living situation. Is their environmentstill safe? Are there spills around the stove that could indicate pooreyesight, or lack of recognition about food spilling over?Do a physical ‘walk around’ with your parent, in their home. Beforeevery flight, the captain or first officer on each commercial flightdoes a physical ‘walk around’ to make sure that the plane is in shipshape. Are the lights and vents working, etc? Have the conversationwith your parent about falling, as the two of you walk through theirliving room, and into the bedroom. Phrase the question by saying, “Whenyou fall….” not, “If you fall…” One third of all falls with the elderlyoccur from hazards in the home. As you pass various locations in eachroom, the question should be, “When you fall over here by the window,how will you get help?” Whether or not you get the best answer to thisquestion, you have started the conversation, and started your parentthinking about the possibilities of a fall. This is also a great timeto talk about emergency alert devices.Telephones. Cell phones and cordless phones can be both ablessing and a hindrance for your parent. Cell phones need to alwaysbe charged; and, with a few exceptions, most buttons and displays oncell phones aren’t user friendly for someone with poor eyesight orarthritic hands. Cordless phones work, but are useless if the powergoes off. Always have a phone with a cord in the home.Time zones. We worked with an adult daughter named Jean, wholived in London, while her 85 year old mother lived in the UnitedStates. Even though Jean told her mother to call on her cell phone, theelderly mom rarely ever called because of the distance, the cost, andthe confusion over the time zones. Jean became so anxious about hermother refusing to call, that she moved back to the U.S. Now Jean’smother uses the same cell phone number and calls her daughterfrequently. The hurdle here was the obstacle in her mother’s mind aboutplacing a transatlantic call.Know that you are doing your best. No two families are alike,and no two situations are alike. What may have been an emergency crisisfor your Aunt Mabel in Omaha may be solved by getting your mom inChicago to take two aspirin.Take care of yourself, celebrate each moment, and 2008 will be a Happy New Year!_______________________________________For information about the right questions to ask as a long distancecaregiver, pick up a copy of Navigating the Journey of Aging Parents:What Care Receivers Want,by Cheryl A. Kuba, MA. - see the link to Amazon on the right side of this blog!!Cheryl's website: www.agingparentsolutions.com

Senior Housing Costs - They are a lot higher than most of our clients expect. When they first call us they are blown away - so I am hoping to educate you before you need to know! I found this information to be a nice breakdown:According to American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging (www.aahsa.org)The average daily cost for a private room in a nursing home is $213, or $77,745 annually.The average daily cost for a semi-private room in a nursing home is $189, or $68,985 annually.The average monthly cost of living in an assisted living facility is $2,969, or $35,628 annually. ( I would say this is more like $4000 in the Chicago area.)The average monthly cost of living in a not-for-profit Continuing Care Retirement Community (CCRC) is $2,672, or $32,064 annually. (In my opinion - this is to live in the "independent" section - the rates for AL would be closer to $3500 and for nursing care $200 a day... and this is not including the money you sometimes have to put down upfront which could be $50K-250K)The average monthly rate for assisted living facilities that charge additional fees for Alzheimer’s and dementia care is $4,270, or $51,240 annually. (Again - I would have to say it is closer to 6K here in Chicago. I know one family that has a rather young individual in this and she shares a room and pays around 8K a month.)To move into a community, individuals must also pay an entry fee ranging from $60,000 to $120,000. (Again, as mentioned above by me, this would be for the CCRC - and there are lots of communities in Chicagoland that are purely rental.)The average hourly rate for a certified home health aide is $32.37.The average hourly rate for a uncertified home health aide is $19.00.The national average daily rate for adult day centers is $61. (2007 MetLife Market Survey of Adult Day Services & Home Care Costs)The national average hourly rate for homemakers/companions is $18. (2007 MetLife Market Survey of Adult Day Services & Home Care Costs)

My friend Mark just sent me this note and I thought I would pass it along...As you likely know, the Illinois legislature recently passed a transit funding bill that includes free rides for seniors on the CTA and RTA.Any senior (65 and older) wishing to ride for free is required to enroll by no later than March 17th!Seniors can enroll by calling the Senior Helpline at 1-800-252-8966 or by going online at www.illinois.gov/transit.I just wanted to make sure that everybody is aware of this information so that those entitled can take advantage of this senior benefit.

Found this blog post online about 10 "new" trends in senior housing. I found the article very exciting since senior living is what I do all day.I have already seen "catered living" in some of the buildings that I work with and that is working out well because it prevents the need to make another move when you already have a familiarity with the building and friends there. Some concerns though are that its not licensed...I am really looking forward to seeing some "green" construction on new or existing senior buildings in the area. I have not seen that yet - I would also like to see more wellness/organic living going on inside some of the nursing and assisted living buildings. It would come at a great cost but if the seniors could be eating "better" food and breathing cleaner air, wouldn't that help extend their stay? Therefore, the communities should be able to make back the extra cost. And if they are buying in bulk, its gotta be cheaper than what it cost me to go to Whole Foods!

Many of us resolve to exercise more in the new year. How about exercising your brain? This is a fun "game" to play (at work?) that will help keep your brain sharp in the new year and beyond. And you don't have to bundle up and walk or drive to the gym! Exercise Your Brain Game from the Alzheimer's Association.

Someone who read my blog - blogged about one of my posts on their site!  I went to check it out and I really enjoyed many of the articles on there - very helpful stuff so check it out.

They had used part of one of my posts to start talking about when to look for senior living - basically they said plan now, not later which we all know.  Course we know that about our health, money, living wills, advance directives, etc... and we just don't do them. 

They are NECESSARY - especially the wills and advance directives.  Planning for senior care or housing is a wonderful compliment to the planning so that you are making the decision, not a doctor  or an uniformed niece (like in my last post!!)

Maybe this brings about the idea of the best new years resolution you could give yourself and your family.  Get your paperwork in order.  Make your life decisions now - you can always update and change them!  If you vow to do it then I will vow to do it as well! 

This post is my real life story related to the last post about medications in nursing homes.When I worked in an assisted living building we had a lovely little lady in our dementia area. She loved ballet. It was what the past 80+ years of her life had been devoted to. Even though she started to become more frail, she still wanted to dance (or more correctly - TEACH us to dance because she told us we were all horrid - she thought we were actual ballerinas). I loved to go upstairs and dance with her. But she started to fall more. And more. Her niece was informed by (a doctor??) that she would be better off in a nursing home. I was outraged.. how could them prevent a fall any more than we could - they don't give more attention to the patients, they don't have more staffing??After she was moved out I decided to go visit her at her new nursing home for one last dance. Unfortunately when I got there she was so drugged up she had no idea I was even talking to her. She was in a wheelchair with a "tray" attached to it - both to catch her drool and to prevent her from getting out of the chair and dancing.Don't you think that this woman who devoted all of her life to dance would have rather fallen to her death while dancing then just fading away in an over medicated stupor? I think so.

Last week one of my friends emailed this Wall Street Journal Article to me.  I am not sure if the link to the actual article will work - I think you need to subscribe to the WSJ in order to read it (unless its emailed to you).  If you would like to read the full article, email me and I will email you the link you can use to read it.

For those of you who can read it I made the following comments on their health blog:

The most telling sentence of this entire article was "under federal rules, it's still easier for nursing homes to get reimbursed for giving patients extra pills than it is for hiring extra staff."  WOW.   

Extra staff and additional staff training is going to be required to help get the patients off the meds.   With a shortage of caregivers and an increase in those that will develop dementia coming and the obvious power the drug companies have - what is going to happen to the baby boomers?

The article also noted that "Medicaid in 2005 spent $5.4 billion on atypical antipsychotic medicines -- more than it spent on any other class of drugs, including antibiotics, AIDS drugs or medicines to treat high blood pressure."  I believe we need to spend some of that money on finding a cure for Alzheimer's and dementia instead.   

One guy commented that because of resentment toward nursing homes doctors may stop these drugs and we will see an increase in falls, hip fractures and hospitializations.  While that is true - isn't this also a QUALITY OF LIFE  question?   See my next post for a personal story on this very question.

This past weekend I went to Florida. For some reason the temperature just kept dropping, as if I had brought the Chicago cold with me.My parents just retired two weeks ago. They have lived just south of Buffalo NY all of their lives and have decided to leave the snow behind for some sunshine.They investigated a few places on the Internet over the past year and had the opportunity to see a few in Florida earlier. My mom was totally against the idea until they started visiting them.I met them down there and got to see what they had been looking at. I have to tell you we have nothing like these places in Illinois. I often get requests, but without the sunshine, I just don't think we can compete. As much as I would like them to be near me, I don't think I hold a candle to year round golf... and they would still have snow to deal with though I am sure it would be shoveled for them.Everyone kept asking me if the places we looked at were filled with OLD people. My parents are young, only 60 & 63. My view of old people is very skewed. You are not old until you hit about 90 in my mind. But I was still surprised to see a lot of people my parents age.I am really excited for this next chapter in their lives and really feel that it will add years to their lives. I can't wait to find out which community they finally decide on. And I also can't wait to spend next Christmas in the sunshine instead of a blizzard.

Know Before you Go..

Last night I attended a seminar on retirement planning. Besides being the youngest person there by about 40 years... I picked up a few bits of information on Continuum of Care Retirement Communities also known as CCRCs. 

On one hand they seem perfect because they have independent living, assisted living and skilled nursing and usually make a promise to continue to take care of you even if your money runs out. This of course is after you pass a medical and financial application.  And if you don't qualify, you will be turned down.

However, I think its important to note - and I took this away from the class- that before you even go look at places to live (senior communities, assisted living, skilled nursing, retirement - whatever...) be sure you know what you are working with.

Here is what you should know as a minimum before you tour ANY community.

1. What are your total assets? Value of home and investments
2. What is your total available income?  In addition to your social security and pension if you have one, what would be your yearly income off investments and dividends should you choose not to reinvest them?  Some buildings will take this number into account on the financial application.  And not just the expensive places, affordable housing as well..
3. What is it costing you now?  It will seem really expensive if you compare the monthly to your mortgage or rent.  But you have to add the following to your monthly living expense to get a better comparison.  For instance - your real estate/property taxes, your utilities, housekeeping, lawn care, maintenance, groceries, eating out, home owners insurance, any in home care you may currently be receiving.

Another important thing to keep in mind is that you will still have the expenses of your doctor and hospital visits, your Medicare and any supplemental insurance as well as your prescriptions.  The only time this would be taken care of is if you were on Medicaid, which as we know is the health insurance for those with absolutely no money.

I can't stress how important it is to know those numbers above before you look.  You do not have time to waste looking at places that you cannot afford financially.  In my business it helps me narrow down those choices for families and save time and frustration.

When Retirement Community Living is the Right Choice..

Aging Parent Solutions

“I’m not ready.” If you are an adult child with aging parents who needto make a lifestyle change because of declining health, maybe you’vealready heard those four little protest words “But, I’m not ready”followed by… “for that kind of lifestyle.” Or, “But, I’m not ready – Idon’t like change. I don’t want to make a move, or alter anything that Iam doing!”

Helping our parents make choices about where they want to live out thelast chapters of their lives doesn’t have to be a tug of war. After all,freedom of choice is the granddaddy of all freedoms – followed closelyby, freedom to live where we want to live; freedom of speech; andfreedom to live our lives unconditionally with those we love.

The freedom to move, or to stay put in our own homes becomes compromisedfor any of us when our own health and physical capabilities decline withage. There are 22.4 million Americans receiving some form of assistedcare in their homes. Today’s elderly face tough choices as the homewhere they have lived for 60 years becomes unmanageable with maintenanceissues, or if the physical layout with stairs and multi-level livingareas present safety issues and challenges to mobility.

Find out what’s really going on.

Why all the resistance? It’s called fear and frustration. Whether we aresending our kids off to kindergarten or college, they have reservationsabout what life will be like ‘away.’ Will they make new friends? Willthey learn the schedule? What if the food is awful?
Our elderly parents may be harboring the same fears – coupled with therealization that they are stuck in a body that has physical limitations.Their physical body is not cooperating with their intentions. It is thesingle reason that they can’t get up the stairs, and why they verballyrepeat their needs a dozen times. “I need to be at the doctor’s officeat 2:00pm.” “Will you be here at 1:30?” But what’s driving that fear, isnot only the chipping away of physical capabilities, but also the threatof losing the freedom of choice.

What is their biggest fear about retirement living?

Tune into the fact that your mom and dad have a mental picture on theirback burner. This snapshot is subliminally telling them that this newresidence may be the last place that they will live – or the last stop.On the surface, they will participate in the retirement community’s openhouse, the educational seminars and the tours. But underneath it all,they still hesitate.


In some cases an elderly individual who is ‘testing the waters’ aboutmoving to a retirement community will hunt for any excuse to not make itwork. At GlynnDevins, (www.glynndevins.com) a full-service marketingagency for retired senior living communities, Director of PublicRelations, Randy Eilts has observed many potential retirement communityresidents looking for an out. “Some individuals are operating from thebrass ring of denial. They’ll become more nitpicky about amenities inthe community. Or, they’ll say it’s too expensive, or that thetransportation isn’t adequate.” Eilts added, “For others, the idea ofmoving after living in one place for 40 years is overwhelming.”

Knowing they are not alone

If an aging parent has reservations about making the transition to acontinuing care retirement community, the best way to calm their fearsis to share the orientation with others. When like-minded people seekinformation together, many of their fears are alleviated because of‘power of the group.’ “There is self validation,” according to Eilts.“They know that others are making these decisions, too. Their peers arein the same situation.”

Lisa Sneddon, Senior Living Experts,www.SeniorLivingExperts.com ,
has encountered both resistance from individuals contemplating a move toretirement living, as well as many positive success stories. “I reassurethem that most everyone I work with says the same thing. I also let themknow that these same people often tell me after they move in that they‘should have done this years ago.’"

Going to the source

At a recent resident forum at Las Ventanas, a continuing care retirementcommunity (CCRC) nestled in the Las Vegas valley of Summerlin, (www.lasventanas-lifecare.com)residents didn’t hold back in chronicling the added independence theyindividually gained by moving to Las Vegas’ only continuing carecommunity. “This move made my kids ‘worry-free’. I know I’m not a burdento them, and they know that the simple things, like shopping andmaintenance are taken care of,” said one resident about her decision tomove with her husband. Another couple said that the decision was theirsalone. “We basically told our kids to ‘butt out!’ This is what we wantedto do.” Another resident was adamant, “Do it now! What are you waitingfor?”

Socialization, security and safety are added benefits of retirementcommunity living. Marilyn Witney, whose elderly parents moved into TheHeritage of DesPaines, (Illinois) (www.theheritage-desplaines.com) morethan a dozen years ago gained her own sense of relief about her parents’future. “As their health became more of an issue, this move made so muchsense. Now that my mother is gone, I don’t worry about my dad keepingactive or going to social activities, especially in the winter. There isso much for him to do right there, and so many friends.”

At Senior Living Experts, Lisa Sneddon works with prospects to evaluatetheir care needs, budgets and geographical preferences. “When I ammeeting with people whose budget does allow them to actually afford it,I try to point out the costs of remaining in their home. Many of theretirement communities provide work sheets to help seniors see that itis costing them a lot more than they think to stay at home,” Sneddonsaid.

“If they currently own but are not paying a mortgage, they are stillpaying property taxes and utilities, association fees, and home ownersinsurance. They are also having to pay for repairs on the home which canget expensive if they need to replace siding or a roof or even a hotwater tank!”

Sneddon also encourages her clients to factor in the cost of day-to-dayhousehold upkeep. “They may be paying people to clean, mow the lawn,shovel the driveway and provide transportation. They have to still payfor groceries as well - where meals are usually included in the cost ofretirement living.”

Give ‘em what they want!

There are very few ‘old folks’ homes as they were known in past decades.The new continuing care communities offer internet access, full wellnessfacilities, swimming pools, intergenerational programs, and a host ofdynamic amenities. With lifecare communities, residents will be caredfor at every stage of their lives. One 62 year-old woman who had justmoved into a continuing care community in Illinois saw this transitionas one of her best decision about her future. “I don’t want to have tomove later on when my health declines.”
From a financial standpoint, many CCRCs, like Las Ventanas, offer a 90percent refundable entrance free. The refund is made when the residentdecides to leave, or it can be paid to their estate. In most cases,there is no mandatory length of stay.


When it works

Whenever possible, involve your elderly relative in the decision to moveor stay. If the venue is unsafe, you have to take action immediately.Start the conversation, and then do the homework. Any one of the finecontinuing care communities in your area will act as a willing resourcefor information, and answer your questions. Yes, even if you live inPoughkeepsie, and your mom lives in Las Vegas, call for help. If yourparent lives out of town, call the Eldercare Locator 1-800-677-1116 orgo to www.eldercare.gov .

For long distance case management of your parent, contact a case managerin your parent’s area. The beauty of bringing in this valuable resourceis that you will have a professional making the assessment of yourparent, and then the manager can help coordinate and build in the layersthat fit your parent’s needs To hire a case manager to assess yourparent’s situation long-distance, visit the National Association ofGeriatric Care Managers, www.caremanager.com . 520-881-8008.

Sneddon offers lifestyle advice to her clients. “This kind of livingallows them to do just that, live... not constantly work at keeping uptheir house or staying isolated. It allows them to do things they mightnot have a chance to do if they stayed at home, such as making newfriends or participating in a new activity. It helps they feel moreactive, more involved in the community, more in control of their life,with the peace of mind that care is there if needed. “

She encourages both the parent and their adult children to step up andtake action. “Who wants to sit at home alone wondering what is going tohappen if they fall? Sometimes you have to bring out the "what-ifs" tohelp them see the whole picture.”

Ready or not, it is never too early to make smart choices about sensibleretirement community living.

Last night I stayed up until 2 am to finish this book which I started this weekend. My mom gave it to me while I was in Florida with her and my dad to help them find an "active adult" community to retire too (which is a whole other story...)Anyways, this book had been recommended to me by several people and now I know why. I love to read, but I really haven't had the chance to since I started my own business two years ago. But this is a quick and easy read and it was nice to 'escape' into a book after such a long time.Its a story about a man who currently lives in a nursing home. A circus comes to town and it reminds him of the time he spent in his younger years with the circus. While that part of the story is very entertaining on its own, I really enjoyed how the author portrayed his life in the nursing home he was in. I particularly loved the character Rosemary who is one of the characters in the novel that is obviously a CNA at the home. She exemplifies what a true caregiver in that situation is all about and I have had the opportunity to meet many Rosemary's in my life. People who make a difference in a bleak situation. People who stand in for family, who care and who really want to help.I really enjoyed the whole book especially the ending. I hope you get a chance to pick up and read this book if you can and let me know what you thought.

The Chicago Department of Senior Services (formerly the Chicago Department on Aging - they change their name Jan 1....) and the Salvation Army are hosting monthly TELE-SUPPORT FOR CAREGIVERSIf you can’t leave your home to participate in a support group, you canstill get the support and encouragement you need just by picking upyour phone.1st & 3rd WEDNESDAY of EVERY MONTH7:00pm to 8:00pmstep 1: DIAL: 1-866-212-0875step 2: Enter Passcode: 932974#step 3: share your name with the groupJoin them every month to get information and share information about caring for your older family members or friends. Get and give the help you deserve by joining us this month.