Cruise Away Your Caregiving Worries

If you or someone you know is a devoted family caregiver, you understand the stress that comes with caring for a senior loved one each day. What better way to relax than to cruise your cares away?

The Home Instead Senior Care® network is sponsoring a free, five-day cruise for one lucky caregiving hero. Or, if you nominate a friend or family member for this relaxing getaway, you could be eligible to win a laptop and camcorder.

Just go to http://cruise.caregiverstress.com/ before the August 15, 2010, deadline to learn more about the contest and to nominate yourself or someone else for the drawing, which will be conducted August 16, 2010.

The five-night, six-day Caregiver Cruise in the Caribbean for one caregiver and one guest is scheduled for Jan. 3 to Jan. 8, 2011. In addition to the cruise, valued at up to $4,200, the winning recipient and guest will receive 40 hours of free care from a Home Instead Senior Care professional CAREGiver for their senior loved one while they are away.

For more information, visit http://cruise.caregiverstress.com/


(Photo from Clipart Guide)

10 Ways Seniors Can Stretch Their Dollars

1. Seek the services of an objective financial planner. Sheryl Garrett, CFP®, founder of the Garrett Planning Network, said it’s important for seniors to seek the advice of an objective fiduciary. The Garrett Planning Network features experts throughout the country who offer their advice on a fee-only basis.

2. Get a second opinion on investments and financial purchases. If you’re approached about changing your investments or making a purchase, make sure you get another opinion.

3. Contact your local Area Agency on Aging if you’re having trouble paying for food and gas. For more information or an office near you, log on to National Association of Area Agencies on Aging.
4. Get back to gardening. The economic downturn is generating a resurgence in gardening, and the over 55 crowd traditionally has been among the most avid gardeners. The national seed and plant company Burpee has experienced unprecedented 40 percent growth this year, double its normal rate, according to CEO George Ball. With food costs up as much as 25 percent in places, gardening provides a 1 to 10 savings ratio, according to Ball. “In other words, for every $100 you spend on garden plants, you’ll get $1,000 in produce. While $100 in groceries may last for only a couple of weeks, a senior can eat for six months on the produce from $100 in plants,” Ball said.

5. Avoid convenience foods, which are more expensive. Watch for sales on fresh or canned fruits, vegetables and meats, which will be less expensive than convenience foods and better for you.

6. Look for deals on generic medications. Contact your pharmacist about ways to save money on your medications.

7. Walk when you can. If the gas prices are cutting into your social life, organize a walking club or walk with friends.

8. Carpool when you can’t walk. There’s economy in numbers. If you can’t afford to drive somewhere solo or in pairs, contact others you know going in the same direction or the same place and share costs.

9. Keep drapes drawn during the heat of the day, and minimize opening and closing doors in the cold of the winter. Close off parts of the house you’re not using to cut down on utility costs.

10. Financial planner Sheryl Garrett says that the ability of seniors to live at home helps cut costs as well. If you or a loved one needs assistance around the house, contact Home Instead Senior Care.

Relevant News Articles for Seniors: Week Ending June 25, 2010

Are you at risk for a stroke?  What is your blood pressure?  Do you smoke?  How active are you?  What's your waist-to-hip ratio? What diet do you follow? What is your blood lipid levels?  Do you have diabetes?  How much alcohol do you consume a week?  Are you stressed or depressed?  Do you have any heart disorders?  These 10 factors account for 90 percent of stroke risk. From Health Day.

Aftercare Tips for Patients Checking Out of the Hospital.  Home Instead Senior Care regularly meets with hospital discharge planners.  One of the issues discharge planners are seeing over and over again is patients being discharged only to return to the hospital a few days later.  According to Medicare statistics, the number is as high as 1 in 5 patients returning to the hospital within 30 days.  Some helpful tips to check PRIOR to being discharged:  Check the drug list, Make a discharge plan, and contact your primary doctor.  From The New York Times.

Questions about your new prescription / a new vaccine you've heard about?   Well now you can get the answers online.  The Food and Drug Administration recently launched a new website that provides safety information for recently approved drugs and vaccines.  No word yet if the website has been "approved by the FDA."  From USA Today.

Drink coffee for your health?  Drinking coffee in moderation (1-2 cups a day) may actually be good for you.  Studies show coffee might fight cognitive decline, give drinkers better work performance, and even lower the risk of liver diseases.  However, with the good comes the bad.  Coffee is associated with bad breath, yellow teeth, anxiety, and sleep disturbances.  Not being a coffee drinker myself, this article has not pushed me to become one.  I love my sleep and I hate bad breath!  From USA Today.

Here's to a breath of fresh air this weekend!

Home Instead Senior Care in the News! (Again!!)

Senior Advisory Committee holds informational forum to judge seniors' needs
The Saratogian
By Patrick Donges
Friday, June 18, 2010

SARATOGA SPRINGS — On Thursday afternoon, about 30 residents of the Raymond Watkin Apartments on Ballston Avenue attended the latest of several informational forums organized by the mayor’s Senior Advisory Committee.

The Spa City is home to more than 6,000 senior citizens, many of whom are active within the community.

Representatives from several health and human services agencies, including the Capital District Transportation Authority, Legal Aid Society, the Cornell Cooperative Extension’s nutrition program and Saratoga County Economic Opportunity Council, gave brief presentations before answering questions from the group. Deputy Mayor Shauna Sutton and Mary Marsicano from Rep. Scott Murphy’s Saratoga Springs office were also on hand to answer questions.

“What may be beneficial for somebody is to pull together many different resources,” said Cindy Harrington, regional community relations director for Home Instead Senior Care, a privately owned non-medical care service. The company provides assistance for as few as three hours and up to 24 hours with shopping, errands, light housekeeping and companionship.

Sharron Cataldo, service coordinator at Raymond Watkin, stressed the importance of utilizing as many services as needed, be they government-run, private or volunteer-based, in order to maintain an independent life-style. The 111-unit building is open to those who are at least 62 years old or those with impaired mobility.

“I think it’s great,” said Signor Lee, a retired nurse and building resident for the last six years, of the chance to hear from all the agencies at once. Thursday was her first experience with the mayor’s committee, but she regularly attends monthly information programming at the building.

Lee agreed with many of her neighbors on one issue — the danger of crossing Route 50 at the five-way intersection just outside the apartments connecting the high-traffic route to Perry Avenue and Union Street. “I’ll research it for you and get back to you,” Sutton responded when presented with those concerns.

Committee Chairwoman Mary Zlotnick said the results of surveys completed by seniors at these forums will be used to determine demand for different services in order to better coordinate and deliver them. More information on joining the mayor’s Senior Advisory Committee can be found by contacting her at 366-8582 or mary@preventioncouncil.org.

Home Instead Senior Care in the News!

Healthy Living: Clutter
By: Marcie Fraser
YNN (Your News Now)
June 18, 2010
Click here to watch the news segment.

How's your dining room table? Is it filled with clutter? If you live with someone who can't toss the stuff, it could lead to arguments, stress even depression.

"I just feel very depressed when it gets like that because my home was never like that before my partner died," said Frank.

Loneliness or depression can be a factor in hoarding. Do you know someone who has accumulated a lifetime of stuff and now it's combined with daily junk mail, bills and magazines? It quickly can get out of control.

I don't think I've become a hoarder. I've always been a collector of certain things. Years ago, I started collecting a lot of ivory. The spinning wheel, I don't consider that clutter because I do use that time to time. The shredding on the tops, I have a friend who collects the shredding," he said.

Whether it's true treasure or trash, people who collect, do it for various reasons. Sometimes it's sentimental.

"I can't give up any of my art work. I can't give up any of Al's art work," Frank said.

Collecting things sometimes has to do with not want to spend money; they'd rather keep stuff just in case they need it in the future.

"Lots of seniors we serve at Home Instead, grew up during the depression or an era that their parents did. They save things like the cool whip container or aluminum foil or bread bags and they may not mind giving it away if they think it's going to be used for a better purpose like school art project for school children."
Cindy Harrington of Home Instead.

Clutter can become a safety issue. Extra papers can be a fire hazard, too much stuff can increase the risk of falls, and expired food can be loaded with bacteria. Bills and critical medical information can be easily lost. Some folks collect living things to distract themselves from the mess. Franks hobby? Turtles, lots of turtles.

Clutter can also interfere with relationships. Family friends don't want to visit because they feel overwhelmed, further forcing the person to feel more isolated.

"It could be overwhelming and family to see a big mess and not know where to begin," Harrington said.

Unload stuff with the notion of not throwing anything out, but donating. Begin by boxing things up, labeling it and putting it aside. If the contents haven't been used in six months, donate it. For hard- to- part with items collected in large amounts like Tupperware, pack up 15 at a time and part with them slowly.

10 Cost-Cutting Warning Signs

Following, from Home Instead Senior Care and the National Association of Area Agencies on Aging, are ways that a downturn in the economy could impact seniors. If you’re a family caregiver, ask yourself the following questions. If you’re an older adult experiencing difficulties because of the economy, contact your local Area Agency on Aging or Home Instead Senior Care office. Or, if you have a financial issue, contact the Garrett Planning Network.

1. Is your senior’s home too warm in the summer and too cold in the winter?

2. Is the lawn not getting mowed nor is the sidewalk getting cleaned in inclement weather?

3. Is your loved one complaining about not being able to afford medications?

4. Are home repairs not getting made?

5. Is there a shortage of food in the house?

6. Is your senior skipping doctor’s appointments?

7. Is your older adult staying home more and becoming isolated?

8. Is your senior cutting out entertainment?

9. Does your loved one eat out less?

10. Did your senior cancel a vacation?


For more information about the National Association of Area Agencies on Aging, log on to www.n4a.org or contact the organization’s CEO Sandy Markwood at smarkwood@n4a.org. For more information about the Garrett Planning Network, visit www.garrettplanningnetwork.com or contact Sheryl Garrett at Sheryl@garrettplanning.com. For more about Home Instead Senior Care, visit www.homeinstead.com/341 or contact Maureen Hopkins at (518) 580-1042.

Cutting Corners

Pinched by Tough Times, Older Adults Put Themselves at Risk

Older adults are cutting everyday expenses.  Families need to be on alert to make sure seniors aren’t cutting too deeply. Warning signs include skipping medications, pulling the plug on air conditioning and canceling social outings.

In a report by AARP titled “The Economic Slowdown’s Impact on Middle-Aged and Older Americans,” 59 percent of seniors 65 and older surveyed said they’d found it more difficult to pay for essential items such as food, gas and medicine. Nearly half (47 percent) said they found it more difficult to pay for utilities such as heating, cooling or phone service. Forty-six percent have reduced the number of times they eat out and 45 percent cut back spending on entertainment.  To view the report click here.

Cuts of essential items such as food and medication should be of immediate concern to seniors’ families.
Other reductions in spending can lead to less obvious issues. One of the biggest problems that I've seen with older adults in our community is senior isolation.

When seniors’ families live a distance from their loved ones, or when Boomer children are busy trying to make ends meet themselves, an older adult can get in trouble very quickly. That’s why it’s so important that someone look out for the well-being of seniors to ensure they are safe in their homes and eating properly, taking their medications and able to maintain their appointments and social life.

Falling interest rates, fixed incomes and seniors’ fears of past hardships can influence how they react to economic slowdowns, according to Sheryl Garrett, CFP®, author of Personal Finance Workbook For Dummies® and several other books on financial planning. “Some seniors may be running short on money but, for others, there’s always that fear of running out because they lived through the Depression. They know how ugly it can get.”

It’s important also for seniors to guard against fraud and too-good-to-be-true offers, Garrett advises. “Seniors want to get the best that they can from their investments without falling for scams or overselling tactics,” she said. Older adults also should beware of CDs and fixed annuities that can promise higher interest rates, but force seniors to lock in their money for longer time periods or otherwise put their investments at risk, Garrett noted. Always get a second opinion, Garrett advises.

Seniors at all income levels may be facing choices they haven’t had to make in the past  They should know where to go for help before they put themselves or their health at risk. Area Agencies on Aging, for instance, offer both food and gas assistance, so seniors should contact their local offices if they can’t make ends meet. And companies such as Home Instead Senior Care can provide transportation assistance and help around the home, and serve as a second set of eyes for seniors’ families.

Families also can play an important role monitoring seniors who have decided to scale back because of the economy.  Even seemingly innocent decisions, like cutting back a little on groceries or air conditioning, can have a damaging impact.

Stay tuned next Monday for ten warning signs to know if your senior loved one is dangerously cutting costs.  The following Monday look for 10 ways seniors can stretch their dollars.

Relevant News Articles for Seniors: Week Ending June 11, 2010

Hope for cancer patients.  Scientists have made incredible progress in shrinking tumors in lung cancer patients and increasing life expectancy in melanoma patients.  Lung cancer and melanoma are two of the hardest cancer types to treat.  From The New York Times.

Announcement of splitsville for the Gore's brings attention to baby boomers' divorces.  Divorce lawyers are stating that the Gore announcement is not that uncommon after all.  They are receiving more and more calls, especially within the last 5 years, from couples that have been married 35/40+ years that want a divorce.  Divorce lawyers are blaming it on the "me-generation."  From USA Today.

Golden Years really are golden! The 2008 Gallop poll found that most people become increasingly happier after the age of 50. 18 year olds were found to be very happy.  However, between 18 and 50 years old our happiness level dips.  The good news for those of us over 18 and not yet 50 - happiness levels of 85 year olds exceed happiness levels of 18 year olds. Perhaps this is because of the news story featured above(!?!). From the NY Daily News.

New drug approved to combat osteoporosis.  FDA approved a new drug this week to help prevent fractures often experienced by older women.  Half of adult woman over 50 will break a bone due to osteoporosis.  The new drug will increase bone mass and strength.  From The New York Times.

Patient Voices: Alzheimer's Disease.  I just discovered that The New York Times has been running a series on Alzheimer's Disease where you can hear the stories directly from those with Alzheimer's Disease and their loved ones.  The latest woman featured is Laura Mercer, whose background can be found here and whose story, as well as her husband's perspective, can be heard here.  From The New York Times.

The New York Times is also following a Columbian family that is plagued with Alzheimer's disease.  Four siblings are all suffering from severe memory loss in their forties.  However, the extent of the disease goes well beyond the four siblings.  "For generations, the illness has tormented these and thousands of others among a sprawling group of relatives: the world’s largest family to experience Alzheimer’s disease."

What are the basic legal documents my mother should have?

Your mother needs a health care proxy and power of attorney. She may also wish to have a living will. A health care proxy will allow a person, called the “agent” or sometimes the “proxy,” to make health care decisions for your mother when she is unable to. Your mother may only name one person to serve as her health care agent at any given time, but she may name as many alternates as she would like. A health care proxy only takes effect upon your mother’s inability to make decisions for her.

A power of attorney should be a durable one, as a durable power of attorney will remain in effect if your mother becomes incompetent to make her own decisions. A power of attorney gives the agent authority to make financial and business decisions in the best interests of the principal. You should make sure that the power of attorney is custom drafted so that it includes many powers beyond the ones that the statutory short form contains. A durable power of attorney takes effect immediately upon signing, so it is a powerful document that should be prepared only after your mother has decided who is the most responsible person for managing her financial affairs.

Your mother may also wish to have a living will in place, which will specify her desires for treatment in the event of terminal illness. This is an excellent vehicle for having a discussion with the entire family about your mother’s needs and desires for her own long-term care.

This information was provided by JulieAnn Calareso, Esq., an attorney practicing Elder Law at the law firm of Burke & Casserly, P.C. in Albany, New York. Please feel free to visit Burke & Casserly’s website at http://www.burkecasserly.com/.

Relevant News Articles for Seniors: Week Ending June 4, 2010

Skip the Pharmacy for Vitamins.  Remember when people used to eat healthy foods to get their daily vitamins? Well guess what?  You still can!   Here's the list of the vitamins you should consume every day, and the "magic" foods that will get you on your way.  From Real Simple.

Cure heartburn, break a bone?  Increased use of certain heartburn medications has been linked to broken wrists, hips, and even spines.  These medications are both prescribed and available over the counter.  You will soon see a FDA warning label on these medications. From HealthDay.

Alcohol may lower your risk of developing Alzheimer's Disease.   A study suggests that moderate drinking in non-smoking adult woman decreases the risk of developing Alzheimer's Disease.  Pass me the wine please!  From HealthDay.

'Doughnut hole' Medicare drug rebates start going to seniors soon.  Seniors plagued by the Medicare Part D coverage gap or 'doughnut hole' will begin seeing financial relief within the next two weeks.  The coverage gap begins when the total amount paid for prescriptions hits $2830.00 for the year.  Once at $2830.00 the Senior pays 100% of their prescription cost until the total expenditure reaches $4550.00.  Once it reaches $4550.00, the Senior is only responsible for 5% of the remaining prescription costs until the end of the year.  These rebates are being sent out for the Seniors that have been affected by this 'doughnut hole'.  Seniors do not need to apply for this rebate.  From the Los Angeles Times. 

Considering an Assisted Living Facility (ALF) for yourself or a loved one?  This is a huge decision.  Think about all the time and effort you spent on choosing the right college for you or a family member.  This same amount of attention should be spent when considering an ALF.  What are your needs now and what might they be in five years?  How long can you afford to be in the ALF?  Is the ALF licensed.  Are references available?  You must trust the ALF and staff members with your wellbeing or the wellbeing of your loved one.  Don't make this decision quickly or when in a panic mood.  Be prepared in case there is a future emergency.  From U.S. News & World Report.