December 14, 2009

Dodging Holiday Related Depression

Posted in Adult Day Health/Programming, Caregiver Information/Advice, Uncategorized tagged , , , , , , at 4:21 pm by familyalliance

Tips to help keep elderly friends and family happy, hopeful and in the “love circle” this holiday season.

Content courtesy of the Geriatric Mental Health Foundation

(Nov. 23, 2009 – Baltimore Sun) – For most of us, the holidays are a time to gather with friends and family, celebrate, reflect on the past and plan for the future.

As we age, however, the holidays can be a difficult time. Older adults may feel more acutely the passing of time, the absence of parents, siblings and friends who have died, and the distance of loved ones who have moved away.

Traditional reunions and rituals that were observed in the past may not be possible and in their absence, the holiday may seem devoid of meaning.

It’s normal to feel subdued, reflective and sad in the face of these losses and changes, but it’s also important to make sure holiday-related “blues” don’t worsen into full-blown depression.

Some major factors contributing to holiday depression in the elderly are:

-Financial limitations
-Loss of independence
-Being alone or separated from loved ones
-Failing eyesight (and lessening the ability to write or read holiday correspondence).
-Loss of mobility and/or the inability to get to religious services.

Click here to read some tips to help older people, their caregivers and families to battle the onset and worsening of holiday related depression.

**The Adult Day Health Program at Family Alliance helps seniors avoid holiday depression by providing many stimulating social activities; our programs give clients something to look forward to. We provide over 30 hours of care a week with door-to-door transportation for seniors living in our service area. Family Alliance also employs Licensed Clinical Social Workers who provide in-home and on-site counseling to diagnose and help the senior experiencing depression work through their symptoms. For more information on Family Alliance programs call 815.338.3590 or visit www.FamilyAllianceInc.org.

October 14, 2009

Horses Help Comfort Seniors with Memory Problems

Posted in Uncategorized tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , at 7:30 pm by familyalliance

(Tribune photo by Lane Christiansen/October 9, 2009)

(Tribune photo by Lane Christiansen/October 9, 2009)

(Oct. 14, 2009 – Chicago Tribune, by: Lisa Black)- Ravaged by Alzheimer’s disease, Chris Klabunde, 73, speaks very little and sometimes forgets when he has eaten his last meal. But recently he returned home, chatting up a storm about a gentle old draft horse named Woody that he had brushed and stroked at the Main Stay Therapeutic Riding Program in Richmond.

“He told everybody about it — his kids, his grandkids,” said his wife, Peggie, of Woodstock, who was amazed.

He’s one of 18 senior citizens with memory loss or dementia in McHenry County whose lives have been transformed by an equine program traditionally used to help youngsters with disabilities.

Family Alliance, Inc., a nonprofit agency in Woodstock that promotes independence for adults 55 and older, teamed up with the Main Stay stables to provide the six-week sessions. In December, the Illinois Association of Adult Day Care will honor the partners during the Governor’s Conference on Aging in Chicago.

But the future of the program is in doubt since funding provided by the McHenry County Community Foundation has run out.

“I am sure we will be resubmitting grants … to link up with McHenry County agencies,” said stable owner Sara Foszcz. “I have high hopes we will find funding.”

Client fees cover only 15 percent of the stable’s costs, with outside donations making up most of the $400,000 annual budget, she said.

Pairing horses and seniors exceeded expectations, officials said, after trained therapists allayed any concerns about mixing frail elderly with the animals.

Family Alliance regular Ron Schmoller, 73, has asked about the horses every day since his first visit, said agency caregiver Deanna Kafka. Schmoller arrived recently with a loaf of French bread that he fed Woody.

Nearby, Franziska “Fran” Clemons, 64, laughed heartily as she recalled how a horse greeted her for the first time.

“I said, ‘Hi, how are you?’ And he sneezed right in my face,” she said.

Carol Louise, executive director for Family Alliance, said that at first she wasn’t sure if many people would be interested in visiting the stable. The staff selected five clients with dementia who they thought would benefit.

“When they came back, all the other clients were up in arms and said, ‘We want to go, we want to go,’ ” she said. “We had to do a lottery.”

The results sometimes left staff members in tears, from the first day when a 92-year-old woman happily announced from atop a horse that she could do anything.  Another woman with dementia never smiled, Kafka said, until she went to the stables.

“She came out here with no fear, and just started brushing and brushing the horse,” Kafka said. “I have pictures of it — she has a full grin.”

The same day, the woman wrote on a paper plate the name of the horse, Blackjack, and several other words. Now she keeps a journal.

“I got goose bumps; it was just amazing,” said Kafka, adding that it’s the most effective program she has seen during seven years at the agency, especially considering the short time it took to achieve results.

Peggie Klabunde is another believer. Her husband worked 37 years as a purchase manager before he began showing signs of Alzheimer’s disease.

Family Alliance’s day program “has been a godsend,” offering her respite and giving her husband time to socialize, she said.

She was surprised that he took to the horses so quickly.

“He said, ‘If we had a farm, I would bring a horse home,’ ” Klabunde said. “I said, ‘We’ll work on that at a later date.’ “

October 6, 2009

Meeting the Challenges of Long-Distance Caregiving

Posted in Adult Day Health/Programming, Caregiver Information/Advice, Dementia/Alzheimer's, Uncategorized tagged , , , , , , , at 7:57 pm by familyalliance

by Athan Bezaitis, MA
(Aging Well Magazine- September/October 2009) Skilled professionals and cutting-edge technologies combine to effectively dispatch tasks related to caring for loved ones living far from concerned caregivers.

Overcoming the challenges of caring for an ailing loved one from afar takes organization, teamwork, and a certain amount of trust that tasks will be completed without direct supervision. The process calls for gathering family members, tapping into community support, and dealing with a never-ending line of medical and legal professionals. The goal is to make life as independent and comfortable as possible for the older adult in need while maintaining one’s own sanity at the same time. Fortunately for overwhelmed caregivers who live far away from older adults in their charge, there is someone who can help.

No, it’s not Superman–although the ability to fly at superhuman speeds would certainly come in handy for this job. It’s a geriatric care manager, a professional trained in long-term care with a specialized focus on issues of aging. Minus the cape, the care manager assesses the older adult’s living situation and devises a plan of action for the caregiver that can help make the experience both rewarding and relatively worry free.

Unique Profiles and Problems
Most of the approximately 7 million long-distance caregivers in America are well educated, affluent, and married, according to studies from AARP, MetLife, and the National Council on Aging. Their ages generally range from 46 – 51, with a 60% of them being women and just over 20% caring for parents with dementia. “On average, long-distance caregivers live between 300 and 450 miles away and spend about four to seven hours traveling one way to the care recipient,” says Cathy Jo Cress, MSW, an instructor in geriatric home care management at San Francisco State University and the author of Care Managers: Working With the Aging Family.

Regardless of caregivers’ sex or socioeconomic status, distance makes the already difficult job of caring for an ailing loved one even more difficult. The experience of a long-distance caregiver is much different from and usually more complicated than that of a caregiver who lives nearby. “It’s important to know the local resources and services and also to have in place a strong support system to communicate with weekly, to keep good notes, and to join a support group,” says Donna Benton, PhD, director of the Los Angeles Caregiver Resource Center. “Too frequently, long-distance caregivers do not ask for help, do not keep updated on lists, and do not have emergency backup plans.” They also face increased costs in travel and time. According to a 2007 study from Evercare, long-distance caregivers spend an average of $8,728 per year on care provision compared with $4,500 to $5,885 for all other caregivers.

Click here to continue reading this article.

*Family Alliance provides 30+ hours of supervised personalized care during the week days to help out-of-state caregivers feel at ease knowing  their loved one is in a stimulating and safe environment monitored by nurses and nursing assistants trained in geriatrics. Family Alliance also employs full-time community support staff and Licensed Clinical Social Workers to make sure the senior has access to community resources like meals on wheels, transportation and subsidized funding they qualify for. Our Social Workers and Community Support Staff speak with the senior and the caregiver on a regular basis to ensure they are following the care plan agreed on in the intake assessment.  For more information on Family Alliance’s services please visit us online, or call 815.338.3590.

September 24, 2009

Recognizing Depression in Older Adults

Posted in Adult Day Health/Programming, Caregiver Information/Advice, Uncategorized tagged , , , , , , , at 7:07 pm by familyalliance

 Once depression is distinguished from other diseases, like dementia, treatment can help restore quality of life for mature adults.

Medically reviewed by Pat F. Bass III, MD, MPH

It is estimated that one in five Americans who are 65 years of age or older suffer from some form of depression. But since it is sometimes difficult to distinguish between depression and other illnesses that are common in older adults, such as dementia, depression often goes unrecognized.

Some people think that depression is a normal part of getting older, but it’s not. It is normal to feel sad or blue when you experience life changes or loss, such as health problems or the death of a loved one. But when your depression symptoms are prolonged and interfere with your daily activities, it’s an illness that should be diagnosed and treated.

Depression and Age: Why They’re Related

Depression is thought to be due to imbalances in brain chemicals called neurotransmitters that aid communication between brain cells. It may be that these imbalances are more likely to occur as a person ages.

“One of the enzymes that breaks down neurotransmitters [increases] as we get older,” says Gary Sachs, MD, founder and director of the Bipolar Clinic and Research Program at Massachusetts General Hospital and associate professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School in Boston. “It may be that you have less of that pleasure-giving neurotransmission” as you age, he says.

With lower levels of pleasure-giving neurotransmission, says Dr. Sachs, it takes more stimulation to give you pleasure.

Because participating in physical activity helps to produce various factors that help sustain neurons (nerve cells that carry messages throughout the body), Sachs believes that the decrease in physical activity common in aging may also contribute to depression.

“We are actually losing some of our central nervous system” as we age, says Sachs. “Because of that, it just tips the balance more toward that vulnerability” to depression.

Click here to read about symptoms and treatment of depression in older adults.

 **During an intake assessment, Family Alliance Social Workers can conduct depression screenings for individuals experiencing symptoms of depression. Once diagnosed, the client may enroll in our Recovery Services Program and receive: in-home or on-site counseling, individual or group therapy, and access to our on-site geriatric psychiatrist if needed. For more information on how Family Alliance can help you or a loved one battling depression, please contact us at 815.338.3590.  

August 20, 2009

Help Needed to Move the Medicare Adult Day Services Bill HR-3043 Forward

Posted in Uncategorized tagged , , , , , , , , at 8:59 pm by familyalliance

Did you contact your legislators?
Moving the Medicare Adult Day Services Bill Forward

Take Action

Would you facilitate 10 letters from your state to your member of Congress if it increased the chance that adult day services could become covered by Medicare? Thirteen cosponsors have now been secured in the House. Legislators have told us that receiving only 10 positive letters requesting their support would move them to sponsor a Bill. Can we count on you, your family members, volunteers and participants to contact your legislators to make it happen?

The Medicare Adult Day Services Act of 2009, HR 3043 that was introduced by Representative Linda Sanchez (CA-39) now needs to be introduced in the Senate.

This legislation allows Medicare beneficiaries to use adult day service programs that are certified, licensed or accredited under an approved accreditation agency to provide post-acute services under Medicare. Medicare adult day services agencies would be required to follow the same strict regulations under the prospective agencies would be required to follow the same strict regulations under the prospective payment system and conditions of participation as Medicare-certified home health agencies.

Please urge your members of Congress and Senators to introduce and/or co-sponsor this legislation so quality adult day services could be a post-acute care option for older adults and persons with a disability.  Check out action on HB 3043 at www.house.gov. Listed below are links to the Bill, sample communication to legislators, as well as an Issue Brief. Please adapt the sample communication linked below that you can e-mail to your representatives in Congress.

Contact Senate for Medicare Adult Day Services Act
Contact Congress for Medicare Adult Day Services
Medicare Adult Day Services Bill
Medicare Adult Day Services Issue Brief

Please copy NADSA on your correspondence so we can follow up with your Representative’s office.

For more information about the Medicare Adult Day Services Bill, Contact Peter Notarstefano, NADSA Public Policy Chair, at (202) 508-9406 or email him at pnotarstefano@aahsa.org

Fore more information on the National Adult Day Services Association (NADSA), log on to www.nadsa.org or contact us at info@nadsa.org, 1-877-745-1440.

Alzheimer’s Disease and a Healthy Home-Care Diet

Posted in Uncategorized tagged , , , , , , , , , , , at 7:44 pm by familyalliance

fall03_pyramidfinalLearn how Alzheimer’s disease changes eating habits and how caregivers can ensure that their loved one follows a healthy diet.

By Chris Lliades, MD
Medically reviewed by Pat F. Bass III, MD, MS, MPH

If you are providing home care for someone with Alzheimer’s disease, making sure they’re eating enough healthy foods can be a challenge. “People with Alzheimer’s disease routinely lose weight, and as the disease gets worse, they may forget to eat at all or just lose interest in food. In addition, many people with Alzheimer’s disease are agitated a lot of the time, and this burns a tremendous amount of calories,” says Lisa Gwyther, MSW, the director of the family support program at Duke University Medical Center, in Durham, N.C.

Planning meals can be challenging, especially if you have other family members depending on you. But with some knowledge of what to expect when providing home care, meal times don’t have to be a chore every single day.

Click here to continue reading expert advice for providing a nourishing, healthy diet for someone living with Alzheimer’s disease.

**Family Alliance  provides clients with two hot meals and nutritious snacks when they enroll in our Dementia Day Program or Adult Day Health Program. Meals are individualized and catered to clients’ health and diet restrictions.  For more information on Family Alliance programs please call (815)338-3590 or visit http://familyallianceinc.org

July 7, 2009

‘Virtual Dementia Tour’ Leaves Participants Frustrated but Sympathetic – ABC News

Posted in Uncategorized tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , at 3:23 pm by familyalliance

dementia031308-1.JPG

(June 30, 2009 – ABC News)

  Primetime’s Cynthia McFadden and Blane Wilson, a caregiver for his mother diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, participate in a ’Virtual Dementia Tour’ to understand exactly what a person affected by Dementia experiences.  Click the link below to watch ABC News’ coverage of this Dementia simulation.

 ‘Virtual Dementia Tour’ Leaves Participants Frustrated but Sympathetic – ABC News

July 1, 2009

Guarding Against Alzheimer’s Caregiver Burnout

Posted in Caregiver Information/Advice, Dementia/Alzheimer's, Uncategorized tagged , , , , , , , , , at 6:59 pm by familyalliance

caringelderlyCaring for someone with Alzheimer’s disease can increase your stress and anxiety levels and sap your strength if you let it. Learn how to protect yourself.

By: Dennis Thompson, Jr. (Medically Reviewed by Cynthia Haines, MD)

Taking care of someone with Alzheimer’s disease is a tough job, and the stress and strain that come with it can take a heavy toll on caregivers.  However, caregiver burnout is something that can be predicted and dealt with before it causes harm to you or affects your loved one.

“One of the most important things for caregivers is that they take care of themselves and connect with others,” says Peter Reed, PhD, senior director of programs for the Alzheimer’s Association.  “It’s important caregivers realize they’re not going to be successful as a caregiver if they are tired.  Instead of feeling guilty, they should be glad to take care of their well-being so they can take better care of their loved one.”

The Alzheimer’s Caregiver: Recognizing Burnout

The following list includes common warning signs of caregiver burnout:

  • Denial about the effect Alzheimer’s will have on your loved on over time
  • Anger and irritability that flares regularly and without warning
  • Withdrawal from friends, family, and enjoyable pastimes
  • Anxiety over the future
  • Overwhelming fatigue
  • Lack of sleep or insomnia caused by stress
  • Loss of focus and concentration
  • Recurring health problems that begin to take a toll on your mental and physical well-being

Click here to continue reading this article.

*Family Alliance hosts caregiver support groups three times a month to help caregivers understand that other families are in similar situations, to listen to their frustrations and give helpful advice on how to cope, and how to recognize when they might be heading for a burnout.

June 24, 2009

With Alzheimer’s, Health-Care Costs Could Triple

Posted in Adult Day Health/Programming, Dementia/Alzheimer's, Uncategorized tagged , , , , , , , , , at 3:08 pm by familyalliance

(HealthDay News – March, 2009)- In a new report, the Alzheimer’s Association estimates that Alzheimer’s disease and dementia triple the health-care costs for afflicted seniors.

In addition, people who live in nursing homes or assisted living facilities pay an average of $16,689 in out-of-pocket costs each year, researchers found.  The association also estimates that nearly 10 million unpaid caregivers of people with Alzheimer’s disease spent 8.5 billion hours in 2008 watching over their loved ones, care valued at an estimated $94 billion.

“These health-care costs are crippling, not just to society at large but to families and individuals,” said Angela Geiger, chief strategy officer with the Alzheimer’s Association.

Click here to continue reading this article.

**Family Alliance offers a Dementia Specific Day Program that saves caregivers thousands of dollars each month by providing over six hours of care during the day.

May 11, 2009

Pet-Assisted Therapy For Seniors

Posted in Caregiver Information/Advice, Uncategorized at 3:47 pm by familyalliance

pet_therapy_in_car_homeThe Power of Pets: Creating a Connection

By: Barbara Worthington

(AgingWell Magazine- Online Exclusive) Animals can open the lines of communication with older adults, diminish their isolation, and even improve physical conditions.

Americans have long been a society of animal lovers.  Animals provide companionship, unconditional love, and lifelong friendship.  In 2007, 71.1 million U.S. households owned some type of pet, according to the American Pet Product Manufacturers Association.  The study indicates that those housholds owned approximately 73.9 million dogs and 90.5 million cats.  These figures reinforce the knowledge that animals hold a special place in our homes and our hearts.  Relationships with animals develop into bonds that strengthen significantly over time. Many older adults enjoy memories of pets that lived in their homes as they grew up, others that were family members as they raised their own children, and even pets that served as faithful companions later in life. 

But the isolation many older adults experience, resulting from losses they’ve sustained–loss of good health, spouses, and their homes–frequently creates a barrier that diminishes their quality of life. 

However, animal-assisted therapy introduced to the lives of many older adults has offered a connection that allows elders to remember, vocalize their recollections, and smile.

Click here to finish reading article.

**Family Alliance partners with animal-assisted therapy volunteers to provide this unique therapy to the seniors who take part in our Adult Day Health and Dementia Specific Day Programs.

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