RetirementHomes.com - eldercare

How to Search for Warning Signs of Elder Abuse

aadmin — Wed, 12 Jun 2013 17:39:01 +0000

The warning signs of elder abuse aren't always obvious.

Melissa Kahn of Kahn HealthCare Consulting, LLC, sees the signs in a more subtle way. “It’s a slow process,” she says. “Most people don’t go into the caregiving experience intending to neglect or abuse another person.”

The developer of programs in aging, healthcare, and Alzheimer’s care warns against the prevailing concept of physical elder abuse. There’s also emotional abuse and financial abuse.

Family caregivers can be emotionally depleted which can lead to unintended neglect because of a lack support and/or respite. Kahn concludes that many abuses arise from caregivers’ difficult financial situations, lack of caregiver tools or being emotionally exhausted.

Substance abuses, a loss of a job, a health-related issue can also be contributing stressors that can contribute to elder abuse.

“It starts off subtly and it doesn't necessarily look like abuse right away.”

Tell-tale signs of abuse are:

• Medications not administered or purchased due to financial hardship
• Meals provided irregularly because the caregiver can't get away to buy groceries
• Caregiver stress can lead to elder people becoming more withdrawn
• Verbal abuse, especially when caregivers deal with family members with a dementia-related illness (because of lack of education on how to communicate effectively)

Kahn, who is a care consultant and has worked in aging and healthcare for more than 25 years, feels that spousal caregivers often fail to pick up on the subtle nuances that others see because of lack of support or caregiver educational resources.

Understanding how to care for someone with memory problems doesn't come naturally. Getting support is key to addressing issues of wandering, difficult behaviors and/or communication challenges.

Spousal abuse can occur by giving responsibilities to a partner who can’t deal with it, such as driving a car resulting in an accident. “Control doesn’t work; it doesn’t solve the problem,” says Kahn. Getting help from a care consultant to address driving issues is important.

Knowing how to best address driving/transportation options can minimize potential accidents and help the person keep their independence for as long as possible. Helping loved ones make important decisions can avoid situations that could turn into neglect or abuse. There has to be a plan for taking away the car keys from a person with a cognitive disorder. That’s a warning sign that develops over time.

Families may suspect elder abuse, but according to Kahn, "They don’t want to offend a fellow family member or hurt somebody’s feelings, until it gets out of control." Then, the more obvious signs, like bruising, may appear.

A financial warning sign can be when a family member always shows up on the day when a parent gets a social security check. The rest of the family can persuade the parent to opt for direct deposit. When the physical tools of finance are removed, like checkbooks, financial fraud by a family member can be obstructed.

The 'warning signs' of elder abuse are not always clear. Kahn's approach is to look at underlying issues to get support in place to prevent situations before they happen.

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Elder Abuse

How to Navigate through Living Wills and Senior Emergencies

aadmin — Thu, 02 May 2013 15:40:26 +0000

An increasing number of older people prefer a natural death over being kept alive on a ventilator.

Last winter, an AP story was syndicated across North America about an American pathologist who tattooed a No CPR directive on his chest .

Jillian Megee, Marketing Communications Manager of Medic Alert Foundation, offered a less radical concept of advanced directed management.

Advance Directives

“A Do Not Resuscitate - DNR - and a living will are available on site to first responders and physicians through Medic Alert,” said Megee.

Forms for each state are notarized, and then uploaded on Medic Alert’s files for availability to family and personal physicians. “It’s communicating your treatment. How you want to be treated in an emergency," explained Megee.

Seniors usually wear a Medic Alert, in bracelet or pendant, to alert first responders and physicians about pre-existing conditions, like:

. Alzheimer's disease
. Drug allergies
. Diabetes
. Pacemaker
. Use of anticoagulants

Medic Alerts for seniors are engraved with:

. The most relevant health information
. The 800 number of Medic Alert
. The member’s personal ID number

First responders and health professionals can call Medic Alert's 24/7 "live" call center and receive the member’s full medical record. The family and personal physician are notified.

Alzheimer's/Dementia Related Wandering

Medic Alert has developed an Alzheimer's/Dementia Wandering program in conjunction with the Alzheimer’s Association and local police to safely return home a person with memory loss.

“We’re in close touch with the family,” said Megee. “Any time there’s an emergency, the family is made aware that their loved one has been found and is informed of their location.”

There is some competition for Medic Alert, the pioneer of medical identification tags, since its beginnings in 1953. Universal Medical Data LLC in Phoenix, AZ, has distinguished itself by adding medical history features like USB devices and QR codes implanted into their bracelets and pendants.

Megee said that Medic Alert experimented with these features but found they weren’t always compatible with emergency responders. Emergency Medical Technicians (EMT), like firefighters, didn’t always have computers with them in the field.

The organization has opted for online and mobile apps for first responders who register their smart phones with Medic Alert.

Medic Alert pioneered the space and has built on its impressive non-profit status and infrastructure. There is room for competition, but it may take awhile for others to catch up.

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Drug supplies affect cost of retirement living

aadmin — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 10:04:07 +0000

New research from the University of Chicago shows that the cost of retirement living can be reduced if individuals buy their medication in three-month supplies instead of one month at a time.

Nearly 27,000 prescriptions of roughly 400 different drugs were analyzed in order to prove that patients who bought their medications in three-month cycles saved a considerable amount of money, according to the study.

On average, people who bought their drugs four times a year spent roughly 30 percent less than those who made monthly purchases.

"These savings may not seem large to some, but they could help trim the cost of healthcare, which is especially important given the nationwide debate about how to finance healthcare reform," said Dr G. Caleb Alexander, the senior author of the study. "No matter what any healthcare reform package looks like, millions of Americans are burdened by prescription drug costs."

The American Heart Association says almost two-thirds of people in the U.S. currently use some form of medication. About 32 million Americans take three or more medications every day.

Alexander says drug costs can also be lowered by substituting brand name medications with generics.

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Eldercare options for diabetics

aadmin — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 10:04:07 +0000

The results of a recent study suggest some elderly diabetics with heart disease shouldn't receive angioplasties.

Research performed by Dr Mark Hlatky of the Stanford University School of Medicine revealed that some people with type-2 diabetes and mild heart disease may not benefit from receiving an angioplasty. Hlatky and his team believe taking the right medications can be a more cost-effective way to reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke in diabetics.

"For patients with relatively mild symptoms of heart disease, angioplasty is clearly more expensive and it's clearly not more beneficial," said Hlatky.

"Modern medical therapy is really effective and works just as well as angioplasty for a lot of patients."

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) says the coronary angioplasty is a medical procedure in which a balloon is used to open a blocked artery. Hlatky claims many doctors think such an operation is the only way to open a blocked artery, which isn't always the case.

Furthermore, treating patients with medicine can present less risk than performing surgery, although the NIH says angioplasties rarely involve complications.

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Some seniors dissatisfied with eldercare

aadmin — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 10:04:07 +0000

Some people in retirement living situations feel they are not receiving the level of care that they need.

George Anter is a 74-year-old retired paper sales executive from Nevada, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal. Although the H1N1 inoculation has now been available in his town for more than two months, Anter has not yet been vaccinated for the flu because of his age.

"I served my country," Anter told the publication.

"I enlisted during the Korean War. You don't treat people this way just because they're older."

There is a shortage of the H1N1 vaccine, meaning some doctors are forced to prioritize, according to the news source. Research performed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has shown that seniors need the inoculation less than other groups, which may be why people like Anter still haven't gotten the shot.

Health officials say children, pregnant women and emergency medical technicians should be vaccinated first, while individuals over the age of 24 are at a lesser risk. The Mayo Clinic says the H1N1 contains genetic material from human, swine and avian flu viruses.

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Many seniors considering eldercare provider switch

aadmin — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 10:04:06 +0000

The results of a recent study suggest many seniors are thinking about switching eldercare providers.

The 2009 National Senior Loyalty Study recently revealed that more than 25 percent of Medicare Advantage and Supplemental Medicare insurance customers are currently planning on shopping around for different Medicare coverage.

Deft Research, a marketing research firm that focuses on the healthcare, insurance and pharmaceutical industries, has predicted that up to 19 percent of the senior market might change their coverage.

This estimate, based on the study's results, suggests that some of the seniors who are considering a change will ultimately decide to keep their current provider.

Although the study found that many health insurance companies have recently experienced an increase in loyalty in the senior market, some elderly people reportedly feel they could find a provider that better suits their needs.

The government says Medicare health plans, some of which are run by private companies, generally offer extra benefits like prescription drug coverage. Although these companies belong to the private sector, individuals who receive coverage under their plans are still considered to be in Medicare.

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Retirement living study reveals pain may lead to falls

aadmin — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 07:04:09 +0000

Many elderly people enjoy active living hobbies like walking and other forms of exercise, but such activities can become difficult and sometimes dangerous when seniors develop chronic pain.

The Maintenance of Balance, Independent Living, Intellect and Zest in Elderly study was conducted in Boston, and its results suggest that certain pains can lead to falls, according to the Los Angeles Times.

About 750 men and women, age 70 or older, participated in the study, reports the news source.

Roughly 25 percent of these seniors said they regularly felt pain in one joint and 40 percent said they experienced discomfort in two or more. Over the course of the study, more than 1,000 falls were recorded, meaning many seniors fell more than once. Furthermore, the researchers discovered that the individuals with pain in two or more joints were 50 percent more likely to fall than the others.

"The findings provide evidence suggesting that the common complaint of the aches and pains of old age is related to a greater hazard than previously thought," wrote the authors of the study.

The Mayo Clinic says one way seniors can avoid falling is by wearing sensible shoes that feature thick soles and fabric fasteners like Velcro that don't require tying.

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Alzheimer's care patients could benefit from special diet

aadmin — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 10:04:06 +0000

Researchers in Spain claim diets that include high levels of polyphenols, which are chemicals that appear naturally in plants, and a certain type of fatty acid could be beneficial for Alzheimer's care patients.

Scientist at the Autonomous University of Barcelona fed mice diets rich in polyphenols and polyunsaturated fats, which led them to determine that these substances can help boost the production of the brain's stem cells.

This process, referred to as neurogenesis, takes place in the olfactory bulb and the hippocampus - two areas of the brain that are damaged by Alzheimer's disease (AD).

The results of this research suggest that this special diet could induce the creation of new brain cells in adults, strengthen the neural networks AD affects and protect neurons from becoming damaged.

The Mayo Clinic says AD can cause sufferers of the disease to lose intellectual and social abilities, thus impairing the individual's ability to function in daily situations. There is no cure for AD, but support from family and friends can improve a dementia patient's quality of life.

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Flaxseed oil could be good for active living

aadmin — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 13:04:08 +0000

Many seniors enjoy active living but fear their lifestyles could change if they develop the bone disease osteoporosis.

A report published in the International Journal of Food Safety, Nutrition and Public Health suggests the risk of osteoporosis in post-menopausal women could be reduced by maintaining a diet that includes flaxseed oil.

Experts at the National Research Center in Cairo, Egypt, have been studying the effects of flaxseed oil on bone health.

The team examined 70 albino rats, of whom 30 had their ovaries removed in order to simulate the post-menopausal state. The subjects were given the oil and their levels of osteocalcin, a protein that is essential to bone creation, were measured after two months. The scientists concluded that flaxseed oil has a beneficial effect on bone mineral density and could help women reduce their risk of developing osteoporosis.

The Mayo Clinic says that osteoporosis can affect men too. The disease causes bones to become weak and brittle, leaving individuals at risk of a fracture. Breaks will often occur in the spine, hip and wrist.

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Improvements made in identifying disease could better Alzheimer's care

aadmin — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 13:04:08 +0000

Scientists at the University of California in San Diego have developed a method of quickly and accurately measuring brain-volume loss that could improve Alzheimer's care.

The scientists believe they can track the severity of Alzheimer's disease (AD) by using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), which could be faster and more accurate than the measures that are commonly used for this purpose today, like cognitive testing.

"Loss of volume in the hippocampus is a consistent finding when using MRI, and is a reliable predictor of cognitive decline," said Dr Anders Dale, a professor at the university.

"However, we have now developed and validated imaging biomarkers to not only track brain atrophy, but distinguish the early stages of Alzheimer's disease from changes related to normal aging."

The Mayo Clinic says that AD is the most common cause of dementia. When an individual suffers from this disease, his or her healthy brain tissue degenerates, which often leads to memory loss and other mental problems. Nearly 50 percent of people over the age of 85 have AD.

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