iPad for Seniors in Scottsdale /Phoenix, AZ

With new gadgets and gizmos coming out every day, it can be hard to keep up and to know which ones are worth sharing with your elderly loved one.  Laptops are heavy and expensive, the iPhone has numerous useful applications but it’s too small for many seniors to use and desktops are virtually a thing of the past.  But there’s one new gadget that has the power to check your blood pressure and teach you Tai Chi all with the slide of a finger:  the iPad.

The size of the iPad versus the iPhone is an obvious advantage for seniors, but what else does this device offer for your loved one?  Of course, there are the standard brain teaser, scrabble and Tetris games, but there are also thousands of other applications which can help your aging loved one to live at home and enjoy life.

Health Information Applications

The new iPad offers many functional applications regarding your loved one’s health.  In fact, Healthful Apps, a series of medical-related applications, can be downloaded on iTunes.  This application offers Alzheimer’s Apps, Dialysis Apps,Health Tracker Apps and Caregiver Apps, to mention a few.  iPharmacy uses GPS to locate the nearest pharmacy and also provides information on medications and side effects.  The Bones, Joints, and Muscles application offers valuable information about the aches, pains and problems your loved one is facing in easy-to-understand terms.  In addition, WebMD has created an application for the iPad, offering all the same features available on the website, including drug information, medical listings and a symptom checker.

Self-Check Health Applications

Various self-check and tracking applications allow seniors to calm their fears when they notice worrying changes.  Perhaps the most intriguing of these applications is the HeartWise Blood Pressure Tracker.  Using illustrations and visualizations, this application tracks your blood pressure, resting heart rate and body weight, identifying any changes and alarming numbers.  With available vision and hearing test applications, your loved one can also keep track of sensory changes between doctors’ visits, alleviating any lingering concerns.  The free Stress Checkapplication not only offers research-based tests to assess your loved one’s stress level, but it also offers videos about Yoga, meditation and other stress relieving activities.

Alzheimer’s and Dementia Applications

The Alzheimer’s and Dementia applications are life-changing for those with the disease and their caregivers.  The I Know You application allows the user to upload labeled photos of loved ones to assist with recognition during visits with family and friends.  Another application, Alzheimer’s Cards, offers images that are intended to stimulate memory and help seniors to recognize their surroundings and communicate, even when words elude them.

Functional Applications

In addition to health applications and tracker features, the iPad also features functional applications that offer seniors convenience, particularly when out of the house. For example, many seniors are on restricted diets due to cholesterol, risk of heart disease and other conditions.  This makes it difficult to go out to dinner and enjoy social time with friends and family.  The Restaurant Nutrition application provides nutritional information about nearby restaurants, using GPS, and also allows the user to create a profile to track what he or she eats over time.  This takes away some of the stress of eating out.

Many seniors are also at risk for jet lag when traveling because they already have trouble sleeping under normal conditions.  Jet Lag Fighter is designed to help, using the travel and time zone information.  It tells you when to sleep and exercise in order to lessen the effects of jet lag, making it easier for aging adults to travel to see family and friends across the country and the globe. There are even applications to help seniors learn Tai Chi and Origami.

Doctors often tell their aging patients to walk or maybe even jog, depending on the senior’s current fitness level, in order to maintain heart health and fight off obesity. The Running Trainer Lite application helps your aging loved one to exercise safely, offering interactive GPS maps, information regarding lighting for night walks and planned exercise schedules designed for his or her goals and fitness level.

Accessibility

While these applications are fascinating, they are useless if your loved one can’t use the iPad.  Thankfully, the new iPad is designed for accessibility.  In fact, a 99-year-old woman named Virginia in Lake Oswego, Oregon just got her first iPad and is now using it to read and write poetry again, which she hasn’t been able to do in years because of poor eye-sight due to Glaucoma.  If your loved one has poor eyesight like Virginia, the iPad offers VoiceOver, which names the icons out loud when you touch them on the screen.  The screen also offers a zoom feature to help with visibility and it offers the capability to switch from black-on-white text to white-on-black, which may make it easier to read.

If your loved one has trouble hearing, the iPad offers Mono Audio.  When using headphones, this feature plays all audio in both ears so that nothing is missed due to surround sound audio.

Possibly one of the most innovative applications is Speak it! Text to Speech.  This application allows non-verbal seniors to type what they want to say and choose from four different voices to speak the text.  For the first time, this kind of tool is easily portable, making it fun and engaging for non-verbal seniors to leave their homes for a day of shopping or coffee with a friend.

Aging at Home

So, what does all this mean for aging at home?  It means that your aging loved one can have access to tools and information to function alone while you are out of the home.  It means that you can squelch your fears about your loved one with a simple self-check test.  It means that your loved one doesn’t have to feel disconnected from the rest of the world just because he or she is aging, and can have a little independence.  And that means your loved one can enjoy life, even though it’s changing.

Right at Home is a national in home care and assistance agency that provides trained, insured, and bonded caregivers for a variety of senior home care services. Whether it’s for extra assistance after a stay in the hospital, an aging parent who needs extra help, or as a respite for a husband or wife who cares for an ailing spouse, we can help with your senior home care needs.

(With thanks to Will Flavel for this post on http://www.rightathome.net/blog/)

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For More Information, In Arizona, Right at Home is standing by to assist you with your Senior In-Home Caregiving Needs.  Our trained, experienced, background-checked, caring, bonded and insured caregivers are waiting to assist you with everything from things like companionship, housekeeping and transportation all the way to helping with personal care items such as bathing, continence control and much more.

For Information or Home Care in Phoenix, Scottsdale, Fountain Hills, Carefree, Cave Creek, Paradise Valley, Arizona, please click Right at Home or call 602-569-7240

New Technologies to Keep Seniors Safer, Healthier in Arizona

On the Horizon: New Technologies to Keep Seniors Safer, Healthier

Many tech reporters on the scene at the 2010 International Consumer Electronics Show noted that among the usual displays of the latest, hottest gadgets, senior-focused innovations were prominently showcased.

In development: Microsoft’s innovative SenseCam, a memory support aid for people who have Alzheimer’s disease. The SenseCam automatically takes a constant stream of photos, allowing the user to review an “instant replay” of the day’s past events. This is just one of the many innovative new technologies on the horizon to support our aging population. ________________________

In the last few issues of Caring Right at Home, we’ve just taken a look at ways seniors benefit from computer use and social applications. But enhanced online communication is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the potential of new technologies to improve the quality of life of older adults. We’d like to share with you some of the upcoming technical trends that we have been following—technologies that promise to support in-home caregivers and the seniors and families they serve.

Here are just a few examples of computer-driven senior support offerings on the horizon. Some are still on the drawing board, while others are being tested and used today.

Technology to keep seniors safe at home

Today, many seniors take advantage of home security systems, personal emergency response systems or wander guards for those with Alzheimer’s disease. But this is only the beginning. Some of the other developments we can look forward to help us “age in place” include enhanced home safety monitoring, and even sensors in seniors’ clothing or shoes to detect a change of condition. Interactive “telehealth” products will allow seniors and caregivers to perform routine health monitoring at home, automatically transmitting the results to the senior’s healthcare provider.

Online health records

Online health records promise to streamline healthcare and to allow patients more control over their own care. Older adults especially stand to benefit by a centralization of their records, as they are most likely to be dealing with multiple conditions, doctors and medications. Equally important to many consumers, new security technologies are addressing the important issue of privacy.

Senior fitness innovations

Few game developers anticipated how quickly older adults would embrace motion sensing video games, such as the popular Wii system. Do “virtual” sports games really give older adults a good workout? A recent study from the American Heart Association says yes, demonstrating that many active video games provide benefits equal to moderate intensity exercise. Another study suggested that active games such as “Dance Dance Revolution” can help reduce fall risk. Game developers who formerly focused on teens are now working on more devices targeting the over-65 user.

“Senior-friendly” gadgets

Many modern devices that were designed to make life easier actually have the opposite impact on older adults. A confusing, complicated menu of features and choices on phones, remote controls and computers makes for a daunting experience, especially when there are mysterious settings to inadvertently toggle. Fortunately, more companies are studying the needs of seniors and developing models tailored for users with low vision, decreased manual dexterity, memory loss, or just a disinclination to continually learn “what’s new.” For example, senior-friendly mobile phones come with larger buttons, high-contrast numbers, amplifiable volume—even a dial tone. Computers and software with simplified interfaces are available. Intuitive remote controls make home electronics more accessible. Developers are getting the message that although technology can play a critical role in quality of life for older adults, technology can also be intimidating.

Dementia support technology

Increasingly sophisticated tracking systems prevent people with Alzheimer’s and related conditions from getting lost, while providing peace of mind for family caregivers. Researchers are also developing simple handheld devices and smart phones that offer memory prompts and reminders. (For example, see the Microsoft SenseCam device at the top of this page.) Research also continues on memory-care computer programs that support brain health.

Of course, these emerging trends can’t take the place of the human touch when it comes to caring for seniors. But with the aging of the baby boom, with more and more older adults preferring to age in place, and with increased pressure on family caregivers, new technical developments will continue to provide cost-effective supplemental support.

Photo: Microsoft Corporation

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For More Information, In Arizona, Right at Home is standing by to assist you with your Senior In-Home Caregiving Needs.  Our trained, experienced, background-checked, caring, bonded and insured caregivers are waiting to assist you with everything from things like companionship, housekeeping and transportation all the way to helping with personal care items such as bathing, continence control and much more.

For Information or Home Care in Phoenix, Scottsdale, Fountain Hills, Carefree, Cave Creek, Paradise Valley, Arizona, please click Right at Home or call 602-569-7240

Talk to Senior Loved Ones About Safe Social Networking in Arizona

Talk to Senior Loved Ones About Safe Social Networking in Arizona

In the February 2010 issue ofCaring Right at Home, we looked at some of the ways seniors are using new technology to enhance social connections. Email, social networking sites like Facebook and online communities are all growing in popularity, allowing seniors to keep connected like never before. But many older adults hesitate to go online because they feel apprehensive about hackers, scammers and identity theft.

It’s true that scammers, who often target older adults, have moved into the online realm. What should older adults know about safe social networking? And how can families talk to senior loved ones about the subject without scaring them away from these new socialization tools? When it comes to online security, knowledge is power. Here are 10 ways to stay safe:

1. Get to know the privacy settings of social networking sites where you participate. You can choose who can and can’t see your information.
2. Don’t post information or photos that you wouldn’t want shared with the world. Even if you intend for only a select group to see a post, someone in your network might pass something along that you would rather keep private.
3. On Facebook and other social networking sites, don’t indiscriminately “friend” everyone who asks. Verify the identity of people who want to see your information, or who request to join an online community where you discuss personal matters.
4. If you are in doubt that an email or post is really from a person you know, pick up the phone and verify it. Hackers can set up a fake account or even take over the account of someone you know. And it is very easy to create a false “persona” online. Be cautious about giving out personal information or meeting in person with an acquaintance from a chat room or online community.
5. If you receive an email or post from a friend that seems to be selling something or just doesn’t sound right, don’t feel hesitant to ask them about it; your friend’s account may have been hacked without them realizing it.
6. Never respond to a request for money from someone claiming to be a friend or a stranger in need. Scammers can pretend to be someone you know, or may create a false identity to appeal to your sympathy.
7. In email, online community and social networking sites, be cautious clicking on links, even from friends. If you click on a link that asks you to download a “viewer” or other software, don’t!
8. Use a hard-to-hack password for Facebook, Twitter, email and other accounts. Don’t select your birthday, your pet’s name, or anything else that could be easily guessed. Be sure to include a combination of numbers, letters and special characters.
9. The creators of viruses and other malware (malicious software) are constantly refining their attacks, so be sure to install anti-virus software and keep it up-to-date.

10.  Learn about some of the most common scams you might encounter. See the websites at the end of this article for some good resources.

Talking to Older Loved Ones about Online Security

With all the publicity about keeping children safe online, it’s easy to forget that people of any age can fall prey to hackers, identity theft and fraud—and seniors who are just starting beginning to go online may be less aware about the pitfalls of online social networking. So if your parent or other senior friend is new to online communication, it’s a good idea to have a conversation about security. But remember: the goal is to empower older adults, not to scare them offline. Here are some ideas for having a productive conversation:

• Talk about “we” rather than “you.” Anyone can fall prey to online con artists. Open the discussion with, “Here are some things I’ve learned to keep myself safe that I’d like to share with you.”
• Remind your loved one that the same cautions he or she practices in everyday life will also be useful online. Do a bit of role playing: “What would you do if someone asked you for money? What if they told you that you’d won a contest and only needed to send a ‘fee’ to collect?”
• Establish a no-judgment zone. Reassure your loved one that if something seems suspicious or just doesn’t feel right, it’s fine to give you a call for advice, without embarrassment.
• Think intergenerational! Many families report that grandkids and grandparents bond over tech support. Grandparents benefit from the abilities of the younger generation, and grandkids can feel good about helping their senior loved ones.
• Encourage your loved one to share what he or she has learned with other seniors in the community. Many older adults have volunteered with AARP and other groups to spread the word and keep the online world safe for the millions of seniors who are enjoying friendship and healthier aging in this new way.

To Learn More

AARP’s “Social Networking: Make the Right Connections” includes information about scams and cons that target seniors, and how to protect your privacy.

On Guard Online is sponsored by the Federal Trade Commission, Homeland Security and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. The site includes easy-to-understand information and fun interactive quizzes to help users stay safe.

Another good U.S. Government site is the Internet Crime Complaint Center, where users can file a complaint and learn more about avoiding common forms of Internet crime.

Right at Home is a national organization dedicated to improving the quality of life for those we serve. We fulfill that mission through a dedicated network of locally owned, franchised providers of in-home care and assistance services.

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For More Information, In Arizona, Right at Home is standing by to assist you with your Senior In-Home Caregiving Needs.  Our trained, experienced, background-checked, caring, bonded and insured caregivers are waiting to assist you with everything from things like companionship, housekeeping and transportation all the way to helping with personal care items such as bathing, continence control and much more.

For Information or Home Care in Phoenix, Scottsdale, Fountain Hills, Carefree, Cave Creek, Paradise Valley, Arizona, please click Right at Home or call 602-569-7240

Seniors in Arizona Fight Back with “Cane Fu” Training Class (video)

Right at Home Phoenix, your trusted resource for Senior Care issues, found this video for you from VOAVideo.

As America ages and the “bad guys” increase their taking advantage of elders for crime, some seniors are fighting back.

Cane Fu is being taught all over the Country.  Here’s a clip on a great class for you to get an overview.

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In Arizona, Right at Home is standing by to assist you with your Senior In-Home Caregiving Needs.  Our trained, experienced, background-checked, caring, bonded and insured caregivers are waiting to assist you with everything from companionship, housekeeping and transportation all the way to helping with personal care items such as bathing, continence control and much more.

For Information or Home Care in Phoenix, Scottsdale, Fountain Hills, Carefree, Cave Creek, Paradise Valley, Arizona, please click Right at Home or call 602-569-7240

Music Triggering Memories in Dementia Patients – Phoenix / Scottsdale In Home Care

Music Triggering Memories in Dementia Patients

One of the raps on iPods is that users tend to close themselves off from other people and retreat into their own private world.

But with stroke and dementia patients, iPods and other MP3 players are having just the opposite effect.

Listening to rap and reggae on a borrowed iPod every day has helped Everett Dixon, a 28-year-old stroke victim at Beth Abraham Health Services in Bronx, N.Y., learn to walk and use his hands again.

Trevor Gibbons, 52, who fell out of a fourth-floor construction site and suffered a crushed larynx, has become so entranced with music that he’s written 400 songs and cut four CDs.

Ann Povodator, an 85-year-old Alzheimer’s patient in Boynton Beach, Fla., listens to her beloved opera and Yiddish songs every day on an iPod with her home health aide or her daughter when she comes to visit. “We listen for at least a half-hour, and we talk afterwards,” says her daughter, Marilyn Povodator. “It seems to touch something deep within her.”

See the full article here:  http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704538404574540163096944766.html?mod=article-outset-box

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In Arizona, Right at Home is standing by to assist you with your Senior In-Home Caregiving Needs.  Our trained, experienced, background-checked, caring, bonded and insured caregivers are waiting to assist you with everything from companionship, housekeeping and transportation all the way to helping with personal care items such as bathing, continence control and much more.

For Information or Home Care in Phoenix, Scottsdale, Fountain Hills, Carefree, Cave Creek, Paradise Valley, Arizona, please click Right at Home or call 602-569-7240

Scamming the Elderly in Arizona – Info from Right at Home Senior Care Phoenix

For Information or Home Care in Phoenix, Scottsdale, Fountain Hills, Carefree, Cave Creek, Paradise Valley, Arizona, please click Right at Home or call 602-569-7240

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<<Thank you to the Great Folks at Sheriff’s Posse in Sun City West (link below)>>

In the US alone, there are almost 15,000 criminal organizations that are trying to scam the elderly. Each year that passes, these thieves and con artists will net more than $40 billion dollars from their victims and that amount continues to rise. Everyone is susceptible to a scam of some kind, but seven out of ten of these criminal acts will be geared toward senior citizens.

Most men will die long before their wives, and these older women will sometimes have to take care of their finances alone. If the husband dealt with the financial work by himself, these women will be at a high risk for being contacted and scammed by con artists.

Thieves will create highly sophisticated schemes that can reel in educated adults and war veterans in a way that is simply shocking. Criminals will move quickly and try to pull off the scam before a family member can notice that something is wrong. By the time the police have been contacts, the con artists will have moved on to a new victim.

Con men will use many different tricks to get an elderly victim to hand over hundreds of thousands of dollars, merchandise, and jewelry. In a few cases they will even trick their victims into handing over their lives and everything in it, via a new power of attorney document. The abuse against the elderly, physical as well as financial, can go on indefinitely, for the victim may be too afraid or embarrassed to alert the police or their family members.

Almost all of the schemes and scams committed have been classified as “transient crimes”. The reason for this description is the fact that they use home repair and diversionary tactics, such as asking a victim to allow them into their home to call a tow truck for their car.

Why Are the Elderly Most Susceptible to Fraud?

Elderly victims generally grew up in an era that bred trust. Most of them could have a verbal contract, and trust that the other will hold fast to their word. Baby boomers knew their neighbors, and although it was not a perfect world, most people felt safe.

Senior citizens are also targeted because they might happily begin a relationship with an honest looking stranger when they become lonely. As their kids grow up and move away to create their own families, elder parents may live in a big house that suddenly feels empty.

Memory is another factor for the increase in elderly fraud. As we grow older, our memories may begin to fade or we may simply begin to remember things incorrectly. The American Psychological Association (APA) conducted a study and found that the elderly are ten times more likely create a memory of data that is false, and they will also believe that the information they received is true.

As we age, our bodies will begin to deteriorate over time and diseases such Alzheimer’s and dementia could cause a senior citizen to hand over bags of money without realizing it. These mental diseases can also leave these victims open to new scams and fraud. Consumers assume that con artists work alone, but in most cases they are a part of a larger network. Once one of them has successfully scammed a victim, they will alert another group and new criminals will take the place of the old. Scammers, who work alone, may even contact their previous victims to get more money from new schemes, and some senior citizens have been tricked into handing money over to the same group or criminal repeatedly.

Too much pride can hurt us all, but in an effort to maintain their need to be self reliant, an elderly victim may try to hide that they have emptied their bank accounts into the hands of a criminal. They may also fear that family members will place them in a group home.

What Scams and Schemes Do Con Artists Use?

Shady Telemarketers

Senior citizens have been scammed out of billions of dollars by less than honest telemarketers. There are many different scams and tricks that are used and some phone calls are received from real telemarketers trying to get a commission any way they can, even if it’s illegal and others are fake con artists.

Prize Scams – The con artists will call or send a letter claiming that you have won a prize. However, to receive the prize, you will first need to send in a fee for shipping and handling or to cover any tax that is accrued. You should never give out your credit card or checking account numbers to anyone over the phone and if you really have won a prize, it’s illegal for a company to ask you to pay for it.

Recover Stolen Money – This scam is pulled by the same people who stole your identity and personal information. They will make a phone call asking for a fee so that they can help you to recover any money that was lost or stolen.

Free Medical Card – Some elderly victims have been scammed by crooks that call to offer them a free medical card. All they have to do is give them their checking account number.

Free Cab Ride for the Elderly

A criminal, usually female, will stop at bus terminals or pick up a senior citizen taking a stroll and they will promise them a free ride. By the time the elderly individual exits the car, the thief will have stolen their wallet or purse. Once inside the car, other con artists will drive around the neighborhood, forcing the senior citizen to make withdrawals at different banks. Family members should remind the senior citizens in their lives to never get into a car with a stranger, even if they are female.

Home Repair/Improvement Scam

Another billion dollar scam involves tricking the elderly into paying for home repair work that they may not need. Sometimes a con artist will knock on the door offering paving work and they will claim that everyone else in the neighborhood have signed up to get their driveways and sidewalks paved, in an attempt to pressure elderly victims into agreeing. Once a check is written, the thieves will get away with the money or they will provide the unnecessary work that will be subpar.

They may also call or come knocking to say that the roof needs to be replaced, or they will trick a victim by claiming that they were the construction company for the previous home owners and that the house is still under contract.

In many home repair scams, con artists will have to move quickly if they want to avoid friends or family members of their elderly victims. They will proceed with high pressure tactics to get them to agree. Potential victims should let them know that they will think about it, and speak to friends and family before making a decision. This answer has scared away many home repair criminals.

Psychics and Miracle Cures

These less than honest conmen will convince an elderly victim that their deceased family member or friend is reaching out to them from beyond the grave. They are willing to give them the message for a “small” fee that will eventually add up to hundreds of thousands of dollars before the police or family members put a stop to the crime. Even after that, some senior citizens will still believe in their “magic”.

Elderly citizens who may be in poor health are highly susceptible to miracle cure sellers. They will pretend that they have a tonic that can cure everything from arthritis to cancer and they will lure their victims into believing that they will be cured if they pay up. Eventually, the victims will be tricked into buying thousands of dollars worth of different fake medicines.

Diversionary Tactics

Senior citizens are highly susceptible to diversions and con artists will frequently use them. They will knock at the door asking for a glass of water, help with a broken car, or a request to make a phone call. Elderly victims should not allow anyone into their homes, because once inside, they can easily be over powered.

Thieves will let them go to the kitchen for a beverage, while they quickly attempt to steal cash, jewelry, purses and small equipment. Many con artists will use females or young people to make their victims feel safe in allowing them into their homes.

Who Are the Scammers?

While we often look over our shoulders to make sure that we are not the victims to criminal stranger, the sad truth is that 60% of all financial crimes against senior citizens are done by their adult children, according to the The National Elder Abuse Incidence Study. Second on the list are in home providers.

Other scammers include the fake and sometimes real telemarketers, false lottery sellers and strangers on the street. Victims can also be tricked into opening their doors for cable, electricity and phone repair men.

How to Prevent Elderly Scams

Many of the scams and tricks that are used can be prevented by having family members, friends and neighbors keep an eye on the elderly in your lives. Close contact can help fight the loneliness that many will feel after the death of a spouse or adult children who no longer lives at home.

When hiring a caregiver to watch over senior citizens, you should give them a thorough background search and check any references that they should provide. If someone has financial problems in their past, it may be appropriate to pass them over for another nurse or worker. Those problems could be innocent but they may also be signs of a worker who may steal money from their patient’s accounts.

Pay attention to your loved one and check to see if there have been any changes in their behavior. Some elderly victims may be too afraid to speak up against a care taker who are abusing them and others who have a mental disease will not be able to make or complaint or defend themselves.

Let an elderly family member know that they should not open the door for any “repair men” unless they have personally called the company to make the appointment themselves.

If they receive any phone calls from individuals claiming that they work at a bank or another company that they are a member of, tell them to hang up and call the company themselves to make sure that it is not a scammer on the other end of the phone.

Any phone calls claiming to provide great financial opportunities and prizes should met with a message alerting the caller that they will talk to a friend and family member and call them back. Elderly parents can also tell the caller that they are good friends with a law enforcement officer or a lawyer and that they will talk to them first. Most thieves will run the other way.

The best way to prevent crimes against the elderly is through education. Sign them up for free classes for senior citizens. These classes can be found for free through a police department, the AARP and special elderly organizations.

From:  http://www.sheriffspossesuncitywest.net

In Arizona, Right at Home is standing by to assist you with your Senior In-Home Caregiving Needs.  Our trained, experienced, background-checked, caring, bonded and insured caregivers are waiting to assist you with everything from companionship, housekeeping and transportation all the way to helping with personal care items such as bathing, continence control and much more.

For Information or Home Care in Phoenix, Scottsdale, Fountain Hills, Carefree, Cave Creek, Paradise Valley, Arizona, please click Right at Home or call 602-569-7240

Senator Kirsten Gillibrand Introduces Legislation to Help Fight Alzheimer’s and Benefit Caregivers

We must do more to ensure that patients suffering from this condition [Alzheimer’s disease] are receiving the best care possible, and that Alzheimer’s caregivers looking after the needs of our loved ones are receiving the highest level of assistance and the best training techniques. — U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (New York)

New Measure Would Improve Treatment Services For Alzheimer’s Patients And Expand Training And Support Services For Their Families And Caregivers….

Bob DeMarco
Alzheimer’s Reading Room
Editor

If you are interested in contacting Senator Gillibrand with some words of encouragement or thanks — go here.

You might also consider sending the link to this article, or the information contained in this article to your own United States Senator or Representative.

You can find your U.S. Senator and the contact information — here.

You can find your U.S. Representive and the contact information — here.

Rather than complain about what is, how about trying to change what isn’t. This is your opportunity to “get it off your chest”, and to make a difference by letting your feelings known to the people who will be making the decision.

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With 5 Million Americans Suffering From Alzheimer’s, Gillibrand Introduces Legislation To Improve Patient Care And Caregiver Support

Washington, D.C. – With an estimated 5 million Americans suffering from Alzheimer’s disease, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand introduced legislation that would improve treatment services for Alzheimer’s patients and expand training and support services for their families and caregivers. The Alzheimer’s Treatment and Caregiver Support Act would provide grants to public and nonprofit organizations to improve patient treatment services and support services for Alzheimer’s caregivers. Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA) introduced similar legislation in the House of Representatives last week.

“Alzheimer’s deeply affects families across New York,” said Senator Gillibrand, a member of the Senate Special Committee on Aging. “In the coming years, as our aged population grows, more families will be living with this heartbreaking disease for which there is no known cure. We must do more to ensure that patients suffering from this condition are receiving the best care possible, and that Alzheimer’s caregivers looking after the needs of our loved ones are receiving the highest level of assistance and the best training techniques. This legislation addresses gaping holes in the current support system for victims of Alzheimer’s, and works to ensure that patients and caregivers receive the resources they deserve.”

“This legislation recognizes that families and other caregivers taking care of loved ones with Alzheimer’s must have the dementia care training they need to manage needed care,” said Robert Egge, Vice President for Public Policy and Advocacy at the Alzheimer’s Association. “The bill also provides services tailored to the unique needs of each individual with dementia, and expands community based services, especially in underserved communities, to assist families in need.”

The Alzheimer’s Treatment and Caregiver Support Act would provide grants to organizations that employ a comprehensive approach to care that integrates patient treatment techniques with training and support services for families and caregivers. A majority of Alzheimer’s patients remain at home and cared for by family members, who look after their physical, emotional, medical, legal, and financial affairs. Caring for an Alzheimer’s patient can be extremely stressful – more than 40 percent of caregivers rate the emotional stress of the disease’s dementia symptoms as high or very high and about one-third suffer from depression.

Programs across New York could apply for funding through the Alzheimer’s Treatment and Caregiver Support Act to enhance their services. For example, Day Haven, an adult day services program for Alzheimer’s patients located on Long Island, prevents patients from being confined to a nursing home. Approximately 90 percent of their participants suffer from dementia and cannot be left alone. With federal dollars, Day Haven would be able to offer more stimulating social activities program, extend their flexible hours (including weekends) to help working families, and provide emergency respite care. They could also help with offsite services including transportation, meal and nutrition needs and dementia-proofing homes.

Another example, Ozanam Hall, located in Bayside, Queens, cares for more than 200 residents suffering from Alzheimer’s. Federal dollars would support programs like their “Love Made Visible” program, which includes a daylong care program featuring social stimuli, communications exercises and hot, nutritious meals.

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• Dementia and the Eight Types of Dementia
• H1N1 Flu Virus Everything You Need to Know
• Does the Combination of Aricept and Namenda Help Slow the Rate of Decline in Alzheimer’s Patients
• Test Your Memory (TYM) for Alzheimer’s or Dementia in Five Minutes
• Dimebon Connection Study
• The Metamorphosis of This Alzheimer’s Caregiver (Part One)
• The Mini-Cog Test for Alzheimer’s and Dementia
• Worried about Alzheimer’s? Five Ways to Protect Yourself
• Is it Really Alzheimer’s or Something Else?
• Alzheimer’s Wandering Why it Happens and What to Do
• 50 Good Reasons to Subscribe to the Alzheimer’s Reading Room Now
• World Health Care Spending and Performance Ranking by Country (Table)
• Urinary Incontinence — How We Beat Alzheimer’s Incontinence
• Are Alzheimer’s Caregivers the Forgotten?
• A Simple Three Minute Test Can Detect the Earliest Stage of Alzheimer’s Disease
• Wii a Useful Tool for Alzheimer’s Caregivers
• 2009 Alzheimer’s Disease Facts and Figures

 

Bob DeMarco is the editor of the Alzheimer’s Reading Room and an Alzheimer’s caregiver. The Alzheimer’s Reading Room is the number one website on the Internet for news, advice, and insight into Alzheimer’s disease. Bob has written more than 950 articles with more than 8,000 links on the Internet. Bob resides in Delray Beach, FL.

POSTED IN SUPPORT OF EDITOR BOB DEMARCO AND OUR FRIENDS AT: Alzheimer’s Reading Room

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In Arizona, Right at Home is standing by to assist you with your Senior In-Home Caregiving Needs.  Our trained, experienced, background-checked, caring, bonded and insured caregivers are waiting to assist you with everything from companionship, housekeeping and transportation all the way to helping with personal care items such as bathing, continence control and much more.

For Information or Home Care in Phoenix, Scottsdale, Fountain Hills, Carefree, Cave Creek, Paradise Valley, Arizona, please click Right at Home or call 602-569-7240

How Old Are You Really? A Quiz from Right at Home Senior In Home Care in Phoenix, Scottsdale, Fountain Hills, AZ

Quiz: How Old Are You Really?

From the following list of 25 items, count all the ones that you remember — not the ones you were told about! How to score yourself is at the end.

1. Blackjack chewing gum
2. Wax Coke-shaped bottles with colored sugar-water
3. Candy cigarettes
4. Soda-pop machines that dispensed bottles
5. Coffee shops with tableside jukeboxes
6. Home milk delivery in glass bottles with cardboard stoppers
7. Party lines
8. Newsreels before the movie
9. P. F. Flyers
10. Butch wax
11. Telephone numbers with a word prefix (e.g., Olive – 6933)
12. Peashooters
13. Howdy Doody
14. 45-RPM records … and 78-RPM records
15. S&H Green Stamps
16. Hi-fi systems
17. Metal ice trays with lever
18. Mimeograph paper
19. Blue flashbulb
20. Packards
21. Rollerskate keys
22. Cork popguns
23. Drive-in theaters
24. Studebakers
25. Washtub wringers

If you remembered!
0 – 5 = You’re still young
6 – 10 = You are getting older
11 – 15 = Don’t tell your age
16 – 25 = You’re older than you think!

Call us at Right at Home and tell us how you did and how we can assist you or your loved ones with In Home Care that permits you to maintain your independence!

In Arizona, Right at Home is standing by to assist you with your Senior In-Home Caregiving Needs.  Our trained, experienced, background-checked, caring, bonded and insured caregivers are waiting to assist you with everything from things like companionship, housekeeping and transportation all the way to helping with personal care items such as bathing, continence control and much more.

For Information or Home Care in Phoenix, Scottsdale, Fountain Hills, Carefree, Cave Creek, Paradise Valley, Arizona, please click Right at Home or call 602-569-7240

7 Habits That Make Skin Age Faster – For our Home Care Clients in Phoenix, Arizona

Aging Skin – 7 Habits That Make Skin Age Faster

Many of the external causes of aging skin are determined by the health and lifestyle decisions you make every day. Making unhealthy choices can cause prematurely aging skin, and this makes you look older, faster.

An important part of any anti-aging skin care program is to know what you may be doing that is harming your skin and speeding up your skin’s aging process.

Here are 7 habits that contribute to aging skin, making you look older than your years:

 

1. Cigarette smoke: Whether you smoke, or you spend time with a smoker, cigarette smoke is damaging — and aging — to your skin. Research has shown that exposure to cigarette smoke significantly increases skin wrinkles and dryness. This is partly due to the behavior of smoking, and also because cigarette smoke depletes your body of Vitamin C, which is a key ingredient for keeping skin plump and moist.Some researchers believe that exposure to cigarette smoke (whether you smoke or not) is as damaging to aging skin as exposure to the sun’s ultraviolet rays.

 

2. Sun exposure: Sun exposure is very aging to skin. Unprotected skin that is exposed to the sun becomes more mottled in appearance. Freckles can turn into brown sun spots, the skin takes on a dry, leathery appearance, and wrinkles and sagging increase. The risk of skin cancer is significantly increased by sun exposure.The good news is that sun damage is avoidable, and if you start now, you can improve the condition of sun damaged skin.
   • See your health care provider to assess the amount of sun damage you may have, and to rule out possible skin cancers. He or she may be able to prescribe medication that can help to reduce existing sun damage.

    

   • If you want to avoid aging skin but don’t want to avoid the sun, make sure you use sunscreen that protects against both UVA and UVB rays. Choose sunscreen with SPF of 15 or higher, and use it all year-round, even on cloudy days. Clouds do not protect you from ultraviolet ray exposure.

 

 

3. Lack of exercise: Living a sedentary life contributes to aging skin, because exercise helps to tone your muscles and get your blood flowing. Exercise should be an important part of every anti-aging skin care program. Researchers have also discovered that sedentary older adults are at higher risk for dementia .In addition to the physical benefits of exercise, the benefits of a regular exercise program will show on your face. Having a bright smile and lots of energy will help youlook and feel younger, at any age.

 

4. Exposure to cold weather: Cold winds and low temperatures contribute to aging skin by making skin dry, so if you venture out in the cold be sure to use a good moisturizer.It’s important to use moisturizer indoors too, as heated rooms can be very drying to skin. Consider using a humidifier to help keep your skin more comfortable and reduce the aging skin effects of heated rooms.

 

5. Alcohol use: Alcohol contributes to aging skin by dilating small blood vessels in the skin and increasing blood flow near the skin’s surface. Over time, these blood vessels can become permanently damaged, creating a flushed appearance and broken vessels on the skin’s surface.

 

6. Stress: Maybe you’ve heard this expression: “Don’t frown, your face could stay that way.” Stress and worry cause frowning, and over time the muscles in the face actually conform to that movement.To help reduce aging skin due to stress, be aware of your stress level and try to vary your facial expressions during the day. A good anti-aging skin care program should include meditation, yoga, gentle exercise or other relaxation techniques. Keeping stress in check — and frown lines and aging skin wrinkles to a minimum — will help you look and feel younger.

 

7. Lack of sleep: Too little sleep makes you look and feel tired. One of the first places lack up sleep shows up is on the face, with dark circles and bags under the eyes, and sagging skin. Lack of sleep is also a major factor in memory loss and symptoms of depression that include low interest in daily activities and negative thinking.Research has shown that most adults function best with 8-9 hours of sleep each night. Reduce caffeine during the day (with none in the evening), avoid eating at least 2 hours before bedtime, and maintain a sleep routine that includes going to bed at the same time each night. For more sleeping tips, see How to Get a Good Night’s Sleep.

   If you are having trouble sleeping, for any reason, it’s important to see your health care provider.

While some signs of aging skin are inevitable, there’s a lot you can do to look your best at any age. Taking good care of yourself is the most important step in your anti-aging skin care program.  (from http://seniorliving.about.com)

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In Arizona, Right at Home is standing by to assist you with your Senior In-Home Caregiving Needs.  Our trained, experienced, background-checked, caring, bonded and insured caregivers are waiting to assist you with everything from things like companionship, housekeeping and transportation all the way to helping with personal care items such as bathing, continence control and much more.

For Information or Home Care in Phoenix, Scottsdale, Fountain Hills, Carefree, Cave Creek, Paradise Valley, Arizona, please click Right at Home or call 602-569-7240

Tribute to Veterans in Phoenix, Scottsdale, Arizona. Film “Reveille”

In Arizona, Right at Home is standing by to assist you with your Senior In-Home Caregiving Needs.  Our trained, experienced, background-checked, caring, bonded and insured caregivers are waiting to assist you with everything from things like companionship, housekeeping and transportation all the way to helping with personal care items such as bathing, continence control and much more.

For Information or Home Care in Phoenix, Scottsdale, Fountain Hills, Carefree, Cave Creek, Paradise Valley, Arizona, please click Right at Home or call 602-569-7240