Holiday Visits: A Time When Adult Children May Notice a Decline with Their Aging Parents

As the holidays approach, many long distance caregivers are now planning visits to their aging loved ones – perhaps the first opportunity in several months to personally observe older relatives.

And the number of caregivers considered long distance is significant. According to a study conducted by the National Alliance of Caregiving, in collaboration with AARP, 15% of the estimated 34 million Americans who provide care to older family members live an hour or more away from their relative.

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What It’s Like to Have Dementia

Understanding dementia symptoms from the inside can make you a better caregiver – and bring you closer to your loved one.

You know how frustrating and heartbreaking dementia symptoms are from the point of view of a caregiver. You know the pain of slowly seeing a loved one slip away. But what is it like for her? What is it like for a person to slowly — or sometimes quickly — forget almost everything she ever knew?

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Protecting Alzheimer patients’ legal, financial welfare

Caregiving experts often advise that after an Alzheimer’s diagnosis, family members meet with an elder law attorney to begin the process of planning for down the road as the illness progresses.

“I don’t think families are well-versed in this,” said Barbara Vogel, program coordinator for the Neuwirth Memory Disorders Program at Hillside Geriatric Center in Glen Oaks. “I don’t think they’re seeking the legal assistance or financial guidance that they need to do this early on so when the time comes they are prepared.”

Instead of doing all of their planning with a lawyer, some caregivers turn to geriatric care managers or social workers who hire themselves out as guides to those attempting to navigate the system. Orlando Gonzalez, 66, and his daughter Kim Latkovich, 38, both of Manorville, paid a social worker $700 and found the experience both cheaper and faster than dealing with an attorney.

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Diabetes and How it Affects You

Nearly 24 million adults and children in the U.S. have been diagnosed with diabetes. Another 57 million people have pre-diabetes, a condition that increases their risk for developing type 2 diabetes.

What is Diabetes?

The term “diabetes” refers to a number of diseases, the most common being type 1 diabetes, type 2 diabetes, and gestational diabetes. In each, the body does not produce or properly use insulin — a hormone that is needed to convert sugar starches and other food into the energy we need to live. The exact causes of diabetes are still unclear, although both genetics and environmental or lifestyle factors can play an important role in the development of diabetes and its complications.

• Type 1 diabetes — In this type of diabetes, the body fails to produce insulin, the hormone that “unlocks” the cells of the body, allowing glucose (sugar) to enter and fuel them. People who have type 1 diabetes must take insulin daily to survive.
• Type 2 diabetes — This is the most common form of diabetes. It develops when the body cannot produce or properly use insulin. Older people (and minorities) carry the highest risk for type 2, but a growing number of children and young adults are now being diagnosed with it.
• Gestational diabetes — This type of diabetes occurs during pregnancy and then usually goes away after the baby is born. It’s very important to treat gestational diabetes because it can harm the developing fetus. Mothers who experience gestational diabetes are also at greatly increased risk for developing type 2 diabetes later in life.
• Pre-diabetes — This is a condition that occurs when a person’s blood glucose levels are higher than normal but not high enough for a diagnosis of type 2 diabetes.

What is the Link Between Diabetes and Being Overweight?

Being overweight is a leading risk factor for developing type 2 diabetes and makes treating diabetes more difficult. Studies show that overweight people who lose as little as 10-15 pounds and exercise just 30 minutes a day 5 times a week reduced their risk of developing diabetes by almost 60%.

Are You at Risk for Diabetes?

• Take the Diabetes Risk Test

Warning Signs/Symptoms of Diabetes

• Unusual thirst
• Frequent desire to urinate
• Blurred vision
• Tired feeling for no apparent reason
• Extreme hunger
• Irritability
• Tingling/numbness in the hands or feet
• If you have any of these symptoms, why take chances? See your doctor and ask to be tested for diabetes. Find out for sure.

For more information about diabetes, please visit the American Diabetes Association site at: www.diabetes.org

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‘Tough Love’ – Caregiving For Alzheimer’s Patients

It is an understatement to say that taking care of a loved one who is stricken with Alzheimer’s Disease, also known as ‘AD’, is a tough job.

(AD is an illness which results in the progressive loss of brain nerve cells, leading to a gradual decline of mental functions and is the most common cause of dementia).

AD is considered to be among the most stressful illness a family caregiver can face and one of the most physically and mentally exhausting situations in a person’s life.

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Feeling Sporty?  Popular Sports and Activities Among Seniors

By Senior Daily Living

If you feel like you need to get out more, you’re not alone.  Senior citizens and non-seniors alike are in need of consistent physical exercise.  Sporty activities are an enjoyable way to get your body moving, but not all forms are best for senior citizens.  Seek out those sports that you enjoy and that exert your body to a comfortable degree.  Here are some of the top ranked sports for the active senior:

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By Brandi Schlossberg

The power of positive thinking has been touted in recent years, especially as it pertains to health and well-being. For senior citizens, who may deal with medical issues more often than younger adults, companionship and hobbies that boost happiness may boost health as well.

A recent study in the medical journal Cancer further enforced the notion that one’s mental state may impact health, revealing that death rates are almost 40 percent higher in cancer patients with depression.

The study, “Depression as a predictor of disease progression and mortality in cancer patients: a meta-analysis,” was published online in September and will be featured in the November 2009 print edition of Cancer.

For the study, researchers took a look at 26 previous studies, involving nearly 10,000 cancer patients. Each study examined links between depression, cancer progression and patient survival.

“We found an increased risk of death in patients who report more depressive symptoms than others, and also in patients who have been diagnosed with a depressive disorder, compared to patients who have not,” said Jillian Satin, one of the researchers from the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada.

Across the various studies, death rates were up to 25 percent higher in those subjects with symptoms of depression and up to 39 percent higher in those diagnosed with major or minor depression.

The researchers were quick to point out that these studies looked at all kinds of cancer, and further investigation is necessary to pinpoint the effects of depression on patients diagnosed with specific tumor types.

However, the study’s authors do recommend that physicians screen for depressive symptoms, mostly due to the fact that the results of this research show an increased risk of death associated with depression, even after factoring in the other clinical characteristics that may affect survival rates.

Among senior citizens, with or without a serious illness such as cancer, the results of this study seem to point toward the power of positive thinking for wellness in general. Be sure to keep an eye out for any sign of the blues among your own elderly loved ones.

According to the Mayo Clinic, signs of depression include loss of interest in daily activities, restlessness, crying for no apparent reason and other such symptoms.

To stave off minor depression and promote positive thinking, friends and family members may wish to ensure senior citizens have regular companionship, as well as hobbies that boost happiness, such as puzzles, gardens, music or church.

Visit us at www.homewellsanjose.com if you need help for an aging loved one in the San Jose, California area.

Two Flu Shots for 2009

By Brandi Schlossberg

It’s time once again for senior citizens to line up for seasonal flu shots, as elderly folks are more likely to develop complications if they do catch the flu. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), these complications may include bacterial pneumonia, ear or sinus infections, dehydration or the worsening of chronic medical conditions.

The CDC reports that five to 20 percent of the American population gets the flu each year, with more than 200,000 people hospitalized due to complications. About 36,000 people die from the virus annually, the agency states.

The CDC Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices urges people ages 65 and older to receive the seasonal flu vaccine as soon as possible, as this age bracket is most vulnerable to the seasonal flu and its related complications.

The seasonal flu shot is covered by Medicare, and seniors take priority when it comes to receiving this vaccine. However, there is another flu virus to contend with this year, which made lead to some confusion. 

The H1N1 flu virus made big news this year, and the Food and Drug Administration has approved four vaccines to fight it just in time for flu season, which typically starts in the fall and extends through early spring.

When it comes to receiving the H1N1 flu vaccine, it seems senior citizens may have to wait. The CDC reports that people ages 65 and older have a much lower risk for H1N1 flu infection than folks in younger age groups. Therefore, the elderly may not be first in line for this second kind of flu shot.

Once the supply and demand for the H1N1 vaccine has been met among the younger, higher-risk portion of the population, seniors should be able to receive this second flu shot, as the vaccine supply is expected to remain consistent.

It’s important to note that the H1N1 vaccine does not replace the seasonal flu vaccine, and the elderly should still be receiving the latter vaccine as soon as possible. The CDC is encouraging people to get both vaccinations.

The American Lung Association (ALA) has developed an online tool to help folks find the nearest flu clinics. Click ALA Flu Clinic Locator to find a clinic near you that provides both vaccines.

If you’re wondering whether your elderly loved one might already have the flu, or if it’s simply a common cold, visit a physician as soon as possible for a flu test. In general, symptoms such as fever, body aches, fatigue and dry cough are more common and intense with the flu.

Original Article Appears HERE.

Here is a great article I found from Senior Daily Living.  If you need help for an aging senior in the area, visit www.homewellsanjose.com.

“We are fortunate for the advances in western medicine. It seems like there is a medication for every possible ailment threatening senior citizens. Prescription and over-the-counter drugs can treat diseases, minimize symptoms, and contribute to a longer, healthier life.”

“However, medication cannot be “taken lightly”, and is a more complicated issue than just swallowing pills.”

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Here is a very helpful article for seniors with diabetes from Senior Daily Living.  Visit us at www.homewellsanjose.com if you need help in the area.

“Diabetes impairs the health and well-being of 16 million people in the United States, and senior citizens run a particular risk. Due to already existent challenges to their health and lifestyle, it is more difficult to diagnose seniors with diabetes. Often other illnesses can mask diabetic symptoms.”

“Seniors with diabetes run a greater risk of complications like heart disease, stroke, loss of limbs from poor circulation, kidney disease and even blindness.”

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