by trevor@addfuelfire.com | Aug 20, 2016 | Caregiving, Uncategorized
Summer typically means taking time to enjoy a vacation. One group of people you can be sure isn’t taking a vacation is the scam artists who prey on Michigan’s seniors. In fact, scams against older adults increase right along with the temperature.
Older Adults are Targets for Scams
Criminals believe seniors are an easy source of cash. They think older adults are more likely to be financially stable and less likely to report it if they fall victim to a scam because of embarrassment.
Older adults who have physical or mental impairments that affect their judgment or their ability to manage finances are especially vulnerable. Even those who are capable are often too trusting and polite to hang up the phone on a scammer or close the door on an in-person solicitation.
Michigan caregivers can help protect a senior loved one by knowing what scams they are most likely to fall victim to this summer.
Most Common Types of Summer Scams that Target Seniors
Here are a few of the most common summer scams:
- Home Maintenance: A frequent summer scam occurs when someone comes to the door offering their services for home repairs in exchange for cash. They often claim to be offering special pricing because they are already in the area working on a neighbor’s home. Among the most common types of services they promote are paving and roofing. They often use high pressure tactics to intimidate seniors in to making a fast decision and turning over cash.
- Fake Magazine Sales: A door-to-door salesperson —sometimes even children— knocks on the door offering low prices on magazine subscriptions. Some claim to be working to earn money for school tuition. The senior is required to pay up front but the magazine never arrives.
- Door-to-Door Teams of Thieves: Working in teams of two, these summer scammers can rob a senior blind. While one person distracts the unsuspecting older adult with a sales pitch of some kind or even a religious offering, their partner sneaks into the home and cleans out a wallet, purse, jewelry box or other valuables.
Protecting Michigan Seniors from Crime
Here are a few steps Michigan caregivers can take to protect a family member:
- Educate your Senior Loved One: Keep an eye on the local news and follow your community’s law enforcement agency on Facebook to stay up-to-date on scams targeting seniors. Then make time to share this information with your senior loved one. Knowledge is power when it comes to keeping our elders safe.
- Reminder Notes: Post notes near your senior loved one’s telephone and front door reminding them never to give out sensitive information or make purchases without talking with you first. This may help keep them from falling victim to a crime.
- Lock Up Valuables: Purchase a safe that your senor loved one can keep hidden in the home. This safety measure can help if a thief manages to talk their way in to a senior loved one’s home.
A final tip is to remember to take steps all year around to protect your loved one from falling victim to identify theft. The Michigan Attorney General’s office has a variety of resources to help make that easier.
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by trevor@addfuelfire.com | Aug 14, 2016 | Caregiving, Uncategorized
Determining where a Michigan senior loved one should live when they need a little extra help is often something families do together. Making an informed decision usually means taking the time to explore all of the options from stand alone villas to assisted living apartments or suites.
But what happens if there is no time? If the older adult you love is hospitalized and their doctor says they aren’t safe returning to their home alone?
When a move to an assisted living community must be made amidst a crisis, the added stress it creates for families can be overwhelming. It’s why we pulled together a few tips to help you make this decision.
4 Tips for Finding an Assisted Living amidst a Crisis
- Establish a budget
For some families, this will be the first time they’ve discussed finances with a parent. But getting an idea about how much they can afford to pay each month is important. The median monthly cost for a one-bedroom assisted living apartment in Michigan was $3,250 in 2015. But some areas of the state are substantially higher.
- Investigate financial options
In your haste to find a senior living community, don’t overlook resources that might help you finance care. If your parent was a veteran or is the surviving spouse of a veteran, they may qualify for special benefits through the Veteran’s administration. Many long-term care insurance policies also include benefits for assisted living communities. The staff at the communities you visit can help you explore your options.
- Research from home
You can do some of your preliminary research from home or on your smartphone in your senior loved one’s hospital room. Conduct a Google search to see what communities are located in your desired area. Visit each of their websites and Facebook pages to learn more about them.
Let friends and colleagues know you are searching and ask if they have any recommendations. Your physician might also have suggestions.
Once you have a list together, begin by making personal calls to each of them. The Assisted Living Federation of America has a helpful assisted living visit checklist you can download to better understand what to look for and what to ask.
- Schedule Personal Visits
While it may seem difficult to do on a tight schedule, a personal visit is one of the most steps in making the right choice. Make sure you allow yourself enough time for a good tour of the community and to ask any questions you have. Be certain to ask for a copy of any contracts or documents you or your senior loved one would be required to sign. You will want to take your time reviewing them and even consider having an elder law attorney or trusted advisor peruse them as well.
Choosing an assisted living partner during a crisis is never easy. But with a methodical approach to exploring and learning more about each option, you will be able to make the best choice possible for your senior loved one.
by trevor@addfuelfire.com | Aug 10, 2016 | Healthy Aging, Uncategorized
Retirement years can be active ones. Freedom from daily work responsibilities means more time to relax and enjoy life. But for seniors who aren’t actively engaged with volunteer work, favorite hobbies or other pursuits, it is easy to fall in to a sedentary lifestyle. Recent studies have identified just how dangerous that can be for older adults.
The dangers of smoking have long been identified and documented. In fact, it is linked to 90% of lung cancer cases in this country. Smoking also contributes to other leading causes of death and disability including heart attack and stroke. But researchers now say a sedentary lifestyle might just be the new smoking.
What is just as important to know is that sitting too much can have dangerous consequences despite how much exercise you get each day.
Sedentary Lifestyle Dangers
Dr. James Levine from the Mayo Clinic has been studying the health effects of sitting for 15 years now. In one study, his team compared adults who spent 2 or less hours in front of a television or other screen each day with those who logged more than 4 hours.
They discovered that those who spent more time in front of screens were 50% more likely to die sooner and 125% more likely to experience a cardiac event than those who sat less. These statistics held true no matter what type or how much exercise the adult engaged in.
The Health Concerns of Sitting Too Much
Other health issues associated with sitting too much include:
- Diabetes: Blood sugar is higher among people who spend more time sitting. This increases your risk for developing diabetes. It can also cause an existing case of the disease to worsen
- Cancer: Sedentary seniors experience greater incidences of cancer, especially breast, colon and prostate cancers.
- Depression: Spending more time on the couch puts you at higher risk for depression and other mental health conditions at any age.
- Obesity: Metabolism slows by 20 – 50% when you sit too much. This increases the odds for obesity.
To learn more about the dangers of sitting too much, download Dr. Levine’s free guide “Sit Less. Stand More. Start Down.” It has resources to help you stay active.
If you are considering a move to a Michigan senior living community you will have the chance to participate in life enrichment programs, like those offered at the Heritage Senior Communities, every day. It will help you enjoy a longer, healthier life!
by trevor@addfuelfire.com | Aug 6, 2016 | Healthy Aging, Uncategorized
Summer is the season when seniors and family caregivers spend the most time outdoors. It is also the time of year when pests make their return to the Great Lake state. While the Zika virus is a big concern in some areas of the world, experts say Michigan isn’t one of them. Illnesses like West Nile and Lyme disease are more likely.
Weaker Immune Systems Put Seniors at Risk
Older adults and people with chronic illnesses are higher risk for insect -related illnesses because they often have weaker immune systems. This can be especially true when it comes to contracting the West Nile Virus.
Seasonal mosquito activity varies from year to year but mosquitoes in Michigan have been linked to illnesses such as West Nile virus (WNV) and Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE).
Ticks are another pest to contend with. They are linked to both Lyme disease and Rocky Mountain spotted fever. Lyme disease is the most common tick-borne disease in Michigan. In 2013, there were 165 human cases, an increase of nearly 60 percent from the previous year.
What can caregivers do to protect a Michigan senior loved one?
Experts say there are some easy ways you can keep a senior safe this summer.
On Guard against Summer Insects
- Bug Spray: Encourage your senior loved one to invest in a good quality insect repellant and to spray it on from head to toe when they will be outdoors. Search for brands with the either DEET or Picaridin as an ingredient.
- Avoid Potential Harbors: Brush piles, standing water and overgrown grass can all provide safe harbor for mosquitoes and ticks. Avoid walking near these types of areas.
- Vaccinate Pets: If you own horses, be certain they are up-to-date on vaccinations especially the West Nile virus and the Eastern Equine Encephalitis virus.
- Patio Fan: A sturdy outdoor fan that blows air around on your senior loved one’s patio can help keep ticks and mosquitoes away.
- Doors and Screens: Encourage your loved one to keep their exterior doors closed. Also be sure the screens on their windows and doors don’t have any holes. Both are good ways to prevent insects and bugs from getting in to their home.
- Tick Check: Make certain that everyone in the family —including your furry friends — has a head-to-toe tick check as soon as they come back inside.
Michigan’s Emerging Diseases project is asking for the public’s help in tracking the spread of the West Nile virus. If you spot dead birds in your area, please use their website to report it.
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by trevor@addfuelfire.com | Aug 4, 2016 | Alzheimer's and Dementia, Uncategorized
If you are a caregiver trying to maintain a healthy diet and help your senior loved one do the same, you’ve probably noticed an increasing number of products popping up in grocery stores throughout the Great Lake state that bear the label “Gluten-free.”
While most of us think the gluten movement is primarily focused on helping people manage digestive illnesses, newer research might suggest there are other reasons to monitor your gluten intake. One is a link between wheat and other grains and the development of dementia.
Researchers believe the connection might be because gluten increases inflammation in the body. When gluten can’t be digested or processed, the body’s immune system begins to attack. This leads to increased inflammation. Chronic inflammation is widely considered to increase a person’s risk for Alzheimer’s disease.
What is Gluten?
So what exactly is gluten?
Gluten is the protein found in wheat, barley, rye and triticale. It is what helps our food maintain its shape, essentially acting as a bonding agent that holds it together. Estimates are that 10% of the population lives with gluten-sensitivity or intolerance. Some people aren’t even aware they have it. Many times it is misdiagnosed as IBS or a “nervous stomach.”
Researching the Connection between Gluten and Dementia
Dr. David Perlmutter, the author of Grain Brain, is a neurologist who advocates for gluten-free living. His research shows that people with lower blood sugar levels are at lower risk for developing Alzheimer’s disease and related forms of dementia. Dr. Perlmutter believes gluten increases blood sugar.
In reinforcing his point, he cites studies going back more than a decade, including one published in Neurology in 2005. Perlmutter contends that the connection between blood sugar levels and the rate of brain atrophy and cognitive decline is the key.
Even slight elevations of blood sugar increase your risk for brain degeneration. Researchers like Perlmutter are especially interested in a process known as glycation. It occurs when glucose binds to protein in the body. The result is an increased production of inflammatory chemicals.
Dr. Perlmutter and his colleagues say you can cut your risk for dementia by eating a diet rich with inflammation-fighting foods and low in gluten and other carbohydrates.
What Other Researchers Say about Gluten
Then there are the scientists who say this issue is much more complex. Frank Sacks, Professor of Cardiovascular Disease Prevention at the Harvard School of Public Health, believes obesity might be the underlying issue.
They cite the obesity epidemic in our country as the real cause of high blood sugar and the rise in type 2 Diabetes. These experts say eating a healthy diet and getting the right amount of exercise each week will help you lose weight while decreasing the level of inflammation in your body. The result may be a lower risk for Alzheimer’s disease.
To learn more about Alzheimer’s disease, including the latest news on how diet and lifestyle might impact your risk, we invite you to follow our blog. We share frequent updates on a variety of aging-related topics!
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