Aging in Place vs. Senior Living

Yes, senior living can be the answer for many when it comes to loneliness, but parents have the right to make decisions. We are very independent beings and many of our aging parents are not prepared to live in a senior living community. For them, aging in  place is the best option.

Our response to this need and desire? A Life Enrichment program. Here’s what Caring Considerations will do to help reduce isolation.

We Want To Get To Know You

The in-person, Life Enrichment sessions are customized to meet the specific interests of seniors in ways that are meaningful and relevant. Clients typically receive weekly visits, but we will discuss a schedule to meet a loved-one’s desires.

What Are Life Enrichment Visits?

We provide hourly curated engagement, recreation, and social activities as part of a holistic Aging Life Care® plan.

Physical

• Workout buddy – PT prescribed exercises and seated exercise videos
• Walking Companion

Creative

• Writing
• Craft projects
• Reminiscing & conversation

Brain Fitness

• Math Brain Boost
• Trivia (variety of topics: sports, movies, country specific, holidays)
• Word puzzles

In our Aging Life Care® consulting practice, we witness numerous lingering issues resulting from the COVID lockdown.  Older adults want to remain independent, but often lack the insight and energy to incorporate more social opportunities.  The isolation imposed by the lockdown is perpetual and increasingly a barrier to  seniors returning to the life they enjoyed prior to the pandemic.

An Added Benefit

When your parent doesn’t want to move to assisted living, but you worry about them, Life Enrichment visits can be a non-threatening “check-in.”  Although we don’t provide personal care, we can provide feedback about your loved one’s overall well-being.

Contact Us

To learn about this program and more, call 571-488-9396 or email us at [email protected].

So many of us worry about our loved ones being safe, comfortable and treated with kindness when they are living a senior community (i.e. assisted living).

The sad fact is most elder abuse is by a family member. Abuse can come in many forms such as intimidation (emotional), physical or financial, neglect, etc.

But what about in care settings? Most reported abuse doesn’t happen in care settings. But what can you do to make sure your loved one is getting the best care?

1. Come from a place of support to staff. We recommend you are an active, visible advocate in the senior community. Get to know the caregivers, nurse’s and managers and even other family members.
2. Visit often and at different times of the day.
3. Know warning signs of the various types of abuse.

It’s always wise to ask questions of the staff when you are unsure about community procedures and situations.  And it never hurts to bring a treat or something else to the staff. Let them know you respect and care about what they do for your family member.

Questions You Can Ask Your Loved One

Older adults are often grateful for the care they receive and they may not want to complain.  It is true caregiving may never be perfect, but to some extent, we may need to pick the battles.  The other thing you can do is ask the older adult the following questions:

• Who is responsible for caring for you (during the day, in the evening, etc.)?
• Do you feel safe where you are living?
• Does anyone scold you or shout at you?
• Has anyone ever hit or slapped you?
• Has anyone left you alone waiting for food, drink or care?
• Has anyone ever made you do things you don’t want to do?
• Have you ever signed something you do not understand?

When Your Loved-one Has Memory Loss

The important thing to consider in this evaluation is memory loss.  If the resident suffers from Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI), then you can usually have faith in their answers to these questions.  However, if your loved one has more moderate or severe memory loss or his/her memory is getting worse, be aware that suspicion and confusion is common.  Older adults with memory loss can’t always understand or process what is going on around them, so they will express feelings differently.  In these cases, changes in behavior might be the best indicator of something isn’t quite right.

What To Do If You Suspect Abuse

Get your facts and information together.  Keep an open mind and seek to understand.  Local senior living communities have a grievance process which should be posted in their community in an obvious place.  If you don’t see it, ask for it.  Try to resolve a concern internally with owners and managers.

You may also wish to the local Ombudsman’s Program via the county Area Agency on Aging.  To find your local Area Agency on Aging visit https://www.usaging.org/

A last resort would be to contact the county Adult Protective Services office via the local Area Agency on Aging. https://www.usaging.org/ http://vaaaa.org/

1. Alzheimer’s Association 800.272.3900  24/7

www.alz.org  https://www.alz.org/media/Documents/alzheimers-facts-and-figures.pdf

2. NIH Clinical Trials

https://www.alzheimers.gov/clinical-trials

3. Good overview videos

What you can do to prevent Alzheimer’s | Lisa Genova

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=twG4mr6Jov0

Gary Small MD/Successful Aging  https://www.ted.com/talks/gary_small_the_formula_for_successful_aging?utm_campaign=tedspread&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=tedcomshare

4. More in-depth clinical information

Dale Bredesen, MD A Precision Approach to End ALZ

https://www.ted.com/talks/dale_bredesen_a_precision_approach_to_end_alzheimer_s_disease

5. Reversal of cognitive decline in Alzheimer’s disease – Aging (Albany NY). 2016 Jun

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4931830/

6. Reversal of Cognitive Decline: 100 Patients-Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease & Parkinsonism 2018

https://www.omicsonline.org/open-access/reversal-of-cognitive-decline-100-patients-2161-0460-1000450.pdf

7. Practical information about dementia care (Teepa Snow)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t–mkzfHuIE

8. Dementia prevention, intervention, and care: 2020 report of the Lancet Commission

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7392084/

9. More Basic Information

https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/what-dementia-symptoms-types-and-diagnosis

 10. Blue Zones bluezones.com

11. Recent Article: Do we have to age?

https://www.theguardian.com/science/2021/jan/03/observer-magazine-do-we-have-to-age-biologist-andrew-steele

 12. Improve brain health with the MIND diet

https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/improve-brain-health-with-the-mind-diet/art-20454746

13. Diet: Ketoflex 12/3

https://www.apollohealthco.com/ketoflex-12-3/Keto

14. George Washington Center for Integrative Medicine  www.gwcim.com

202-833-5055

15. Brain Growth Exercises

Elevate – Brain Training Games (phone app)

https://www.dakim.com/  Online and best used on a touch screen/iPad/Tablet

https://enrichvisits.com/  Workbooks for purchase

www.luminosity.com   Online, phone, tablet

https://www.goodwinhouse.org/stronger-memory/  Down loadable, free, worksheets

15. Help for Families

Aging Life Care™ Association  www.aginglifecare.org

National Alliance on Caregiving www.caregiving.org/

Dementia Action Alliance www.daanow.org

Other recent news…

Alzheimer’s Association International Conference 2020  HIGHLIGHTS

Flu and Pneumonia Vaccination Tied to Lower Risk of Alzheimer’s

New research at AAIC 2020 suggests that flu and pneumonia vaccination are associated with a reduced risk of Alzheimer’s. Two studies of older adults found that those who received either a flu or pneumonia vaccination were less likely to develop Alzheimer’s. Those who received the flu vaccine more regularly had an even lower risk. For pneumonia vaccination, the largest risk reduction was observed in people who do not carry one of the known genetic risk factors for Alzheimer’s — a variant of the TOMM40 gene.

• Blood tests that measure abnormal versions of the tau protein may — if verified through further research — diagnose Alzheimer’s dementia without additional confirmation; that is, not requiring autopsy examination, or both an amyloid and tau positron emission tomography (PET) scan.
• Heart health risk factors — such as high blood pressure, diabetes and being overweight — as early as adolescence can influence late-life memory and cognition, especially in African Americans.
• Higher quality early-life education is associated with better language and memory performance and lower risk of late-life dementia. This association can differ between men and women and between Black and white individuals.

Many of us often make mistakes when communicating with people who are living with dementia. It’s a learning process, but here are a few key practices which may help you. Remember, those living with dementia have a disease and cannot control their behavior. Their reasoning and logic skills are impaired. Changing our approach can reassure them and reduce anxiety.

Try these tips for successful interactions.  Above all, empathize.

1. REDIRECTION

• Be patient. To redirect is to lead. People prefer to follow someone they trust and enjoy, not someone who frightens or shames them.
• Use a calm, friendly tone. Make sure your body language reflects your soothing words.
• Avoid arguing or using reason. Do not say “Mom, if you do that, you’ll fall!” People with dementia lose the ability to follow logic. This is not an effective motivator. It only makes them defensive, which is counterproductive.

2. VALIDATION

• Enter their reality. Validation works through empathy, building trust, and developing a sense of security. If they believe their Mother is still living, ask them to describe Mom rather than say their Mother died years ago.
• Acknowledge their feelings. Do not argue. Instead, acknowledge their frustration and fear. Let them know you recognize their anxiety. Start with, “That must be upsetting.” instead of, “You’re wrong about that.”
• Dealing with paranoia. Do not dismiss their comments with “That’s not true.” Instead say, “I’ll help you with that problem.”  Recognize that although hallucinations can be disturbing, they are very real for those living with dementia. Empathize and reassure.

3. FIBS/LIES

• Last resort. You must know your family member to know if fibs/lies will be helpful to reduce anxiety, help by redirecting them.

I knew a daughter who received multiple phone calls from her Mother daily.  “Have you seen my sweater?  Do you have my sweater?”. After a lot of frustration and multiple times of saying “No, Mom.”, she  finally just said, “Yes Mom.  I have your sweater.”  She said, “Ok” and hung up.

•  When therapeutic fibs don’t work. If a person is suspicious, do not use fibs/lies. They can cause an escalation in the situation and distrust in current or future interactions.

4. TRUTH

• Share the truth. We often try to protect those with dementia by not telling them the truth. Not sharing the full truth can be frustrating and lead to agitation. Sometimes, calmly telling the truth can help the person. Communication practices should take into consideration the stage of dementia.
• The truth is better. In early stages of dementia, the truth is better.
• When the truth is better left unsaid. If what you share with them will only make them sad or experience emotional pain they will not remember later, it is not always best to be truthful. It’s not helpful to make someone re-live sad moments by being truthful.  In these cases, try to change the subject.

A FEW MORE TIPS

• What might be causing the behavior? Are they uncomfortable? Are they in pain? Thirsty?
• What caused the behavior? What did you learn that will help for next time? How did you respond? What did you do right? What might you try next time?
• Allow free-will. Do not restrict or try to stop a behavior unless it is harmful. Use the techniques above to prevent harm.

A consultation may help you cope with a loved-one who is experiencing certain behaviors.  Call or e-mail to learn more. 571-488-9396  [email protected]