by trevor@addfuelfire.com | Mar 18, 2015 | Alzheimer's and Dementia, Caregiving, Uncategorized
Dear Donna:
My father’s Alzheimer’s disease has progressed to the point where our family cannot keep him safe at home any longer. My mother, brother and I are just beginning to research dementia care programs available at the assisted living communities near his home in southeast Michigan. I am trying to develop a list of questions to ask when we call and visit each of these communities. Do you have any suggestions on what we should ask? We want to make sure we make the best decision possible for my Dad’s senior care.
Diane
Dear Diane:
It sounds like you are already on the right track by developing a list of questions that will help you get to know each memory care assisted living community a little better. Because Alzheimer’s disease presents unique challenges for caregivers, there are a few questions you definitely need to ask. Here are a few we recommend:
- What kind of training does the staff who works with Alzheimer’s residents receive?
- How often do they attend additional trainings to keep their skills updated?
- Is there a dedicated memory care section of the building? Is it secure?
- How does the community support each person’s physical limitations while still preserving their remaining abilities?
- Is the physical environment of the memory care program designed to support success for people with dementia? Is it clutter-free and calm? Are visual cues in place?
- Are meals adapted to meet the physical changes that are common with more advanced Alzheimer’s disease? (i.e. offering finger foods that don’t require the use of kitchen utensils.)
- Is a care plan developed for each resident? How often is it updated?
- Does the community offer physical activities that people with dementia care participate in?
- Does the Life Enrichment Director plan programs just for residents who have memory loss?
- Is there an emergency plan in place just in case a person with Alzheimer’s wanders away?
- How does the community safely manage medications?
I hope this list is helpful, Diane! If you would like to learn more about specialty dementia care and the features and benefits we offer at Heritage Senior Communities across Michigan, we invite you to call the community closest to your father to arrange a tour.
Donna
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by trevor@addfuelfire.com | Mar 10, 2015 | Alzheimer's and Dementia, Caregiving, Uncategorized
While the number of women living with Alzheimer’s disease continues to outnumber men, more men are moving to dementia care assisted living communities and at a faster rate. A study released in late 2014 examined the issues behind these statistics.
Agitation, Wandering and Aggression in Men with Alzheimer’s Disease
The research conducted by a national senior care placement company looked at memory care admissions from July of 2011 through June of 2014. It found that men are 27% more likely to require a dedicated dementia care program than their female counterparts. Men also moved to these communities at a 14% faster rate than women.
Two primary reasons seemed to lead families to search for a memory care program. Wandering and aggression were both behaviors adult children and caregiving spouses found too difficult to safely manage in their homes. The study reinforced what many Alzheimer’s experts already knew. Men have higher rates of both these challenging behaviors. They are 8% more likely to wander and 30% more likely to exhibit aggressive behaviors than women with Alzheimer’s disease.
Potential Causes Wandering and Aggression in People with Alzheimer’s
While the cause of wandering and aggression still isn’t completely understood, experts believe there are some factors that may contribute to both:
- Too Much Stimulation: A noisy, overly busy environment can negatively impact someone with Alzheimer’s. Because the disease causes damage to the brain, people with Alzheimer’s have difficulty processing too much information at one time. The frustration it causes can trigger angry, aggressive outbursts.
- Exhaustion and Chronic Fatigue: Alzheimer’s disrupts a person’s sleep-wake cycle. It isn’t uncommon for someone living with the disease to have problems sleeping and to go several days without sleep. Even though they are physically exhausted, they are unable to sleep. It can result in stress, anxiety and aggression.
- Unmet Needs: The loss of verbal communication skills makes it difficult to know what a senior loved one living with Alzheimer’s needs. They may be hungry, thirsty or have to use the bathroom and be unable to communicate it. These unmet needs can produce episodes of wandering and aggressive behavior with their caregiver. Undiagnosed pain can also cause a similar reaction.
- Communication Problems: Having problems following a caregiver’s directions can increase anxiety and agitation. Because a person with Alzheimer’s disease likely has an impaired abstract thought process, they may not be able to perform tasks that require the use of some types of memory. Trying to do so can result in anger and frustration.
- Medication Side Effects: Older adults process medicine differently than younger people. They sometimes require smaller dosages or a different medication entirely. The same is true for a person with Alzheimer’s disease. Difficult behaviors may be the result of being overmedicated or an interaction between their medications.
To learn more about Aggression and Anger visit the Alzheimer’s Association resource center online. They share information and suggestions to help families manage challenges ranging from how to get someone with Alzheimer’s to eat to how to use visual cues to communicate.
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by trevor@addfuelfire.com | Mar 2, 2015 | Caregiving, Uncategorized
As you are collecting the information you need to file your taxes or have your taxes prepared for you, one deduction you don’t want to overlook is the cost of senior care. If you help pay for an aging parent’s care, you may be entitled to a tax deduction for senior care or at least a portion of those expenses.
IRS Tax Rules for Caregivers
For a caregiver to receive a tax deduction, the person you are providing care for must be a spouse, dependent, or qualifying relative. A qualifying relative is a parent or stepparent, father-in-law or mother-in-law, or another person who was a member of your household all year long.
There are several additional qualifications that must be met:
- The person receiving care must be a S. citizen or resident of the U.S., Canada, or Mexico.
- You must meet what is known as the 7.5% rule. It means you may only deduct medical expenses if they exceed 7.5% of your adjusted gross income. Note: this is the combined total of your medical expenses and those of your senior loved one.
- The relative must meet the gross income and the joint return test to be considered your dependent. It means they cannot have a gross income in excess of $3,700 nor can they file a joint return for next year. If your relative doesn’t qualify as a dependent because of these tests, you cannot claim a dependency deduction. You may still be able to claim their medical expenses though. Check with your tax advisor to be sure.
Caregiver Tax Resources
To help you better understand how the IRS views the costs associated with elder care, we’ve pulled together a few additional resources:
Because of the complexities associated with claiming an aging family member as a dependent or writing off the costs associated with their health care, we always recommend caregivers seek the advice of a professional tax advisor. One who is familiar with and experienced at working with family caregivers is best.
Our newest community, The Village of Appledorn West in Holland, is open! If you or an older loved one would like to tour our independent living apartments or learn more about our assisted living community that will open in the spring of 2015, please stop by or call us at (616) 846-4700
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by trevor@addfuelfire.com | Feb 26, 2015 | Dear Donna, Healthy Aging, Uncategorized
Dear Donna:
My great aunt lives in a rural community near Grand Haven, Michigan. We made it up to see her during the holidays and I’ve been worried about her since we left. Physically she seems to be doing well. She is managing her medications on her own, is able to safely drive herself to the grocery store and necessary appointments, and prepare her own meals. But she doesn’t really do much else.
It feels like she is very isolated and lonely. While she was happy having our family around for a few days, my fear is that she is depressed. I think she needs to be around people more. She was always a very social person. My husband and I aren’t sure what to do to help her.
Calista in Ann Arbor, Michigan
Dear Calista:
You are probably right to be concerned about your great aunt’s well-being. In recent years, isolation among older adults has been proven to contribute to a variety of issues ranging from earlier mortality to malnutrition. Being isolated and lonely can also put a senior loved one at greater risk for becoming the victim of a fraud, especially door-to-door home repair scams.
If you are confident your great aunt is safe driving, you might want to begin by encouraging her to become involved in volunteer work. There is an organization called Volunteer Match you might want to explore on her behalf. The site allows you to search for volunteer opportunities by zip code and interest. If your aunt is a nature lover or children, for example, you can look for organizations near her who are seeking volunteers.
Senior centers are another great avenue for older adults to connect with their peers. You can find the one closest to her by visiting Michigan Association of Senior Centers. Members have the opportunity to participate in a wide range of events each month including Valentine’s Day luncheons, tax preparation workshops, and Chair Yoga. Most are free or relatively inexpensive.
A move to an independent living community might be another avenue to explore. Residents have their own private apartment or cottage, but still have friendship and support nearby. It gives older adults the opportunity to enjoy life enrichment activities, wellness programs, and transportation services. All without the worries about home repairs or maintenance tasks!
I hope this gives you a few ideas for helping your great aunt become more active and engaged with life.
Best regards,
Donna
Our newest community, The Village of Appledorn West in Holland, is open! If you or an older loved one would like to tour our independent living apartments or learn more about our assisted living community that will open in the spring of 2015, please stop by or call us at (616) 846-4700
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by trevor@addfuelfire.com | Feb 18, 2015 | Healthy Aging, Uncategorized
Keeping the relationship between the older generation and the younger one strong is important. It helps kids develop healthy attitudes about aging and to appreciate the positive contributions older adults can play in their lives. For the senior generation, having children and young adults in their lives can elevate mood and decrease rates of depression. Finding ways to help foster those bonds can sometimes be challenging. Because of that, we have pulled together a list of ideas to help you get started.
Creating Meaningful Inter-generational Activities
The winter weather in Michigan may limit inter-generational activities to just those that can take place indoors. Here are a few suggestions:
- Wii Games: Invest in a Wii for your senior loved one to keep in their home. The two generations can use it to work out or play games together. You can even set up some Wii challenges among the three generations of your family.
- Puzzles: Purchase a puzzle that the two generations can work on over the winter. Store it on a small card table in a corner between visits. Puzzles are available for every age group and in a variety of sizes and themes. The time spent trying to assemble the puzzle will gives the two generations a chance for small talk and bonding.
- Magic Kit: Another fun project can be to learn how to perform a few magic tricks together. Most hobby and toy stores have magic kits and supplies you can purchase relatively inexpensively.
- Karaoke: Having a regular karaoke night might be another activity the two generations would enjoy. You can often find used ones at good prices on local community garage sale sites on Facebook.
- Game Night: Board games or card games are usually a hit with both generations. Depending upon the age of the children, they can play anything from Go Fish to Monopoly together. This Best Seller List might give you a few ideas for new winter games.
- Scrapbooking: This continues to be a favorite hobby for all generations. Scrapbooking is especially easy to do if your children or senior loved one has a smart phone with a camera. They can take pictures of their daily activities and outings to add to and decorate in their scrapbook.
- Watching Wild. If your senior loved one’s home has a window where they can see wildlife, another idea might be for them to volunteer for the Watch the Wild Volunteers of all ages track wildlife they see in their own backyard and submit it to Nature Abounds. The information is used to help detect changes in our eco-system.
Finally, never underestimate the fun of an old-fashioned movie marathon. Grandparents.com has a variety of reviews to make it easier to select DVDs that both generations will enjoy.
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by trevor@addfuelfire.com | Feb 10, 2015 | Healthy Aging, Uncategorized
Every year, the month of February is designated as Heart Month. The goal of Heart Month is to raise awareness about heart disease and the controllable risk factors behind it. Heart disease remains the leading cause of death for both men and women in Michigan. Across the state, 27% of the deaths in 2010 were due to cardiac-related diseases. Despite a higher percentage of adults with health insurance and a greater number of people who exercise regularly, Michigan ranks as the state with 10th highest heart disease death rate in the country. Smoking and obesity rates are both higher than the national averages and likely contribute to these frightening statistics.
With that in mind, we have assembled a list of things you can do to decrease your risk for heart disease.
Heart Health Plan for Adults in Michigan
Decreasing your risk for developing most types of cardiovascular diseases means adopting a heart healthy lifestyle. Here are nine tips for getting started:
- Start Small: One reason New Year’s resolutions to lose weight and exercise fail more often than they succeed is people try to change everything in their life all at once. Instead, focus on making smaller changes over a longer period of time. For example, start by giving up soda. Then two weeks later add walking three times a week to your schedule. Continue making healthy improvements every few weeks. You will be more likely to stick with your goals when you slowly but consistently make changes.
- Schedule a Physical Exam: If you don’t already do so, make a habit of scheduling a yearly physical with your primary care physician. Medicare will pay for one Wellness Visit each year, and so will most insurance companies. The appointment gives your physician the time they need to check your blood pressure, cholesterol and evaluate you for other risk factors.
- Eat Your Veggies. Your fruits, too. The advice from most health professionals is that adults should consume five to eight servings each day. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) developed a helpful tool you can use to determine just how many fruits and vegetables you should eat. The Nutrition for Everyone calculator uses your age and activity level to make their recommendation.
- Exercise: Set a goal of getting thirty minutes of exercise each day. It might help make it easier to reach that goal if you break exercise down in to two fifteen-minute workouts each day. Maybe ride your stationary exercise bike for fifteen minutes in the morning and then take a brisk fifteen minute walk in the evening. As is true with any new form of exercise, talk with your primary care physician before beginning.
- Pump Iron: Another important part of staying fit and preventing heart disease is to keep your muscles strong and healthy. The Go4Life initiative from the National Institutes of Health has videos and guides that can show you how to work strength training in to your weekly fitness program.
- Stop Smoking: It is one of the leading causes of preventable deaths in the United States including those from heart disease. gov was developed by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The site contains a variety of free tools and resources to help you kick the habit.
- Reduce Sodium Intake: Salt and sodium contribute to high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease. Reducing your intake can help you cut your odds for heart disease. The CDC has a free publication Sodium Reduction Tips that can help you learn how to do that.
- Limit Alcohol Consumption: Alcohol can lead to an increase in blood pressure. The empty calories can also lead to malnutrition and weight gain.
- Develop Stress Management Skills: Stress contributes to high blood pressure and hypertension. Finding ways to better management it is an important part of living a healthy life. Hobbies such as yoga, swimming and gardening can all help. Meditating for even ten to fifteen minutes a day can teach you better breathing techniques that are proven to lower blood pressure and decrease heart rate.
To learn more about heart health, sign up to follow the Million Hearts Initiative. You will receive messages and tips all year long to help you maintain a healthy lifestyle and decrease your risk for heart disease.
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