n4a Annual Conference & Tradeshow 7/18/10 and 7/19/10 in St. Louis

Viki will be attending the n4a’s Annual Conference and Tradeshow all day on July 18th and will be presenting on July 19th from 3:15-4:15pm.

The National Association of Area Agencies on Aging (n4a) is the leading voice on aging issues for Area Agencies on Aging and a champion for Title VI Native American aging programs. Through advocacy, training and technical assistance, they support the national network of 629 AAAs and 246 Title VI programs.

They advocate on behalf of their member agencies for services and resources for older adults and persons with disabilities. Action characterizes how they move their agenda forward, and when there is a question about aging, they have the Answers on Aging. They work with their members in achieving their collective mission of building a society that values and supports people as they age.

The n4a 2010 annual conference and tradeshow that runs from July 17-21, 2010 at the Hyatt Regency St. Louis at The Arch in St. Louis, MO will celebrate, showcase and facilitate the replication of the most innovative policies, programs and services that assist older adults and people with disabilities.

Have a kind and respectful day.

Healthy Aging Radio Show will be featuring Viki Kind on June 28, 2010 at 5pm EST

This Monday, Dr. Michael Perskin will be featuring Viki Kind on his show “Healthy Aging” on Monday, June 28, 2010 from 5-6pm EST.

Every Monday from 4 – 6 pm ET, Dr. Michael Perskin joins the Doctor Radio lineup on SIRIUS Satellite Radio to answer listener questions about aging and the care of the elderly. Dr Perskin is a specialist in geriatric medicine and works with individuals as well as family members caring for their loved ones. Sometimes the questions we have can be as simple as “why do my knees hurt?”, and sometimes they are as difficult as “my mother can’t remember who I am.” Knowing where to turn when medicine and age intersect is a prescription for less stress, better care and a healthier life.

Michael H. Perskin, MD, is the Director of the Faculty Group Practice for the Department of Medicine at NYU Langone Medical Center, as well as Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine.

Dr. Perskin’s clinical practice is devoted to individualized patient-centered care. His focus is on prevention, comprehensive geriatric care management, and diagnosis.

Have a kind and respectful day.

A Caregivers Journey interviews Viki Kind on 6/28/10 at 11am PST

A Caregivers Journey is a free radio show run by Susan Baida and John Mills, co-Founders of eCare Diary.com. This show will focus on issues of care providers, long-term care, advanced aging — and it will feature expert speakers on aging, long-term care, dementia and other illnesses and issues typically associated with aging in America.

eCareDiary.com is a one-stop source for all things aging. They support both the aging community AND care providers. They are sought after speakers on advanced aging and care providing, and their website is a huge source of tools and information.

Have a kind and respectful day.

Interview with Dr. Eric Shapira, author of “A New Wrinkle,” on March 25th at 9AM pacific on blogtalkradio.com/kindethics.

Interview with Dr. Eric Shapira, author of “A New Wrinkle,” on March 25th at 9AM pacific on blogtalkradio.com/kindethics. Listen live or download later.

Eric Shapira practiced Dentistry for over 30 years on the Half Moon Bay Coastside. He received his Masters degree in Clinical Gerontology from Notre Dame de Namur University. He is an educator and has taught courses in “Healthy Aging” and “Successful Aging,” as well as courses in “Geriatric Esthetic Dentistry and Special Patient Care.”

Dr. Shapira holds an MHA (Masters in Health Administration) from the University of Phoenix. He is a Board member of the American Association of Senior Peer Counselors, a Bilingual Senior Peer Counselor for the San Mateo County Department of Mental Health and a former commissioner on the San Mateo County Commission on Aging. He is a Certified Hypnotherapist, Author, Consultant and Lecturer. Dr. Shapira is a caring, involved clinician with extensive knowledge in the aging field. His personal motto is: “No one cares how much you know, until they know how much you care.”

In 2008, Dr. Shapira was awarded the title of Visiting Professor of Geriatric Medicine and Nursing by People’s Hospital #2 and the Government of China for his volunteer teaching efforts and work there this past summer.
Aging Mentor Services is Dr. Shapira’s consulting service. He helps seniors and their families with many of the complex issues about aging. ‘

His website is www.agingmentorservices.com.
His services include: Assessments (Physical, Mental, Home Safety Analysis, Care Giver analysis)
Counseling for individuals and families in transition
Memory training
Telephone counseling
Care Giver procurement and management
Care Giver training
Care Giver Evaluation
Certified hypnotherapy
Crisis Management
Strategic Elder Planning
Guided imagery
Patient advocate
Family mediation
Financial counseling
Transportation issues
Second opinions on dental treatment and treatment plans
Referral base for ancillary aging specialists: medical, dental, social and psychological
Education for family and care givers on the aging process, Dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.
Nutritional analysis
Exercise facilitation
Bilingual/Spanish

Interview with Ron Bruno, Executive Director of Morningside Retirement and Health Services, on Feb. 24th, 9AM pst.

On February 24th, 9AM pst, I will be interviewing the executive director of Morningside Retirement and Health Services, Inc. (MRHS) which serves elderly residents of Morningside Gardens, a 982 unit, multi-racial, middle income housing development in West Harlem. It consists of six high-rise buildings and approximately 1,700 residents. More than 50% of the households include a resident over the age of 60. Many of the older residents have lived in the Gardens since it opened for occupancy in 1957 and have “aged in place.” As a result, the complex has become what is known as a “NORC”–a Naturally Occurring Retirement Community–with a large population of elderly people with special needs. The mission of MRHS is twofold. We aim to: * HELP frail and at-risk elderly residents of Morningside Gardens remain in their own homes comfortably, safely, and with as much independence as possible for as long as they can. * PROVIDE programs which promote health and provide opportunities for education, socialization and recreation for all older residents of Morningside Gardens, with particular attention to the special needs of the infirm, homebound, and isolated.

The mission of MRHS is twofold. They aim to:
• HELP frail and at-risk elderly residents of Morningside Gardens remain in their own homes comfortably, safely, and with as much independence as possible for as long as they can.
• PROVIDE programs which promote health and provide opportunities for education, socialization and recreation for all older residents of Morningside Gardens, with particular attention to the special needs of the infirm, homebound, and isolated.

Services
MRHS now serves about 300 residents a year with an on-site staff consisting of three social workers, a full-time geriatric nurse, two part-time home health aides, a consulting psychiatrist, and approximately 150 volunteers, most of whom are elderly themselves. The professional staff provides an array of health care and social work services, which include case management, nursing care, psychiatric consultations, doctors ‘house calls’ for the homebound, entitlements counseling, home evaluations, home care and hospital discharge planning, liaison with families, lawyers, physicians, and financial planners.
MRHS’ Doctors Home Visiting Program is staffed by geriatric fellows who provide medical care to the homebound elderly under the supervision of the Division of Geriatric Medicine of St. Luke’s/Roosevelt Hospital Center. In collaboration with the health care team, MRHS’ consulting psychiatrist provides psychiatric evaluations, therapeutic counseling, and medication monitoring.
In addition, educational, recreational, and social activities are offered — almost all of them planned and led by elderly volunteers. Volunteers also provide direct, concrete assistance to their neighbors, such as shopping, escorting, visiting, bill-paying, and reading correspondence.

http://mrhsny.org
Phone:
(212) 666-4000

Moira Fordyce’s recommends the resources on the American Geriatric’s Society website

I was speaking with Moira Fordyce from the California Coalition for Caregivers and she told me about the wonderful resources available at the American Geriatrics Society website. http://www.healthinaging.org/public_education/index.php The great thing about this website is that you know you can trust this information because it is coming from physicians who specialize in helping the aging patient and their loved ones.

You may also want to take a look at the California Coalition for Caregivers as they are an advocacy organization and are fighting to make sure that resources and protections are in place for our aging population. http://www.californiacrc.org If you live in California, they will send you alerts when it is time to contact your local representatives about an upcoming bill or iss

Lastly, you might want to download some of the legal handbooks for senior care from Bet Tzedek Legal Services at  http://www.bettzedek.org/publications.html#guides.

Below I have listed the topics from the American Geriatrics Society’s site. They have Tip Sheets, What to Ask Your Doctor, and General Aging Topics. It is like having a trusted friend to turn to for help. Have a kind and respectful day and enjoy the resources.

Latest Foundation Tip Sheets

Caregivers

Guide to Advance Directives

Tips For Avoiding Caregiver Burnout

Healthy Aging

Advice for Improving Your Memory

Cognitive Vitality

“Geriatric Syndromes”

Good Health in Later Life for Older Men

Good Health in Later Life for Older Women

Improving Communication with Your Healthcare Provider

Overcoming Challenges to Healthy Aging

Persistent Pain Tips

Holidays

Tips for Beating the Holiday Blues New!

Top 10 Healthy New Year’s Resolutions for Older Adults New!

Safety

2009 H1N1 Flu (“Swine Flu”) Tips

Emergency Preparedness Tips

Falls Prevention Tips

Home Safety Tips

Hot Weather Safety Tips

Safe Travel Tips

Safe Sex Tips

Safety Tips for Seniors Considering Visits to Retail Medical Clinics

Walking Tips

Winter Safety Tips

Spanish

Spanish Language Health Tip Sheet: “Manejo del “Dolor Persistente” en la Tercera Edad”/“Managing Persistent Pain In The Elderly”

Surgery

Hip and Knee Joint Replacement Tips

Vaccinations and Medications

Avoiding Overmedication and Harmful Drug Reactions

Vaccination Tips

What to Ask?

Questions for Your Healthcare Provider

How We Age
• Physical Activity
• Prevention
Health Care Decisions and Issues
• Health Assessment
• Health Care Settings
o Community-Based Care
o Hospitalization
o Nursing Home Care
• Complementary and Alternative Medicines
• Drug Treatment
• Elder Mistreatment
• Ethical and Legal Issues
• Pain Management
• Palliative Care and Hospice
• Rehabilitation
Elder Health at Your Fingertips
• Cancer
• Diabetes
• The Digestive System
o Disorders of the Digestive System
o Disorders of the Mouth
• The Heart, Lungs, and Blood and Circulation
o Anemia and Other Blood Disorders
o Breathing Problems
o Fainting (Syncope)
o Disorders of the Heart and Circulatory System
o High Blood Pressure
• Hormone Disorders
• Joints, Muscles, and Bones
o Back Pain
o Falls
o Foot Problems
o Osteoporosis
o Walking Problems
• Mental, Neurological, and Psychological Conditions
o Anxiety
o Delirium (Sudden Confusion)
o Dementia
o Depression
o Diseases of the Nervous System
o Dizziness
o Mental Retardation
o Personality Disorders
o Psychological and Social Issues
o Psychoses (Delusions and Hallucinations)
o Sleep Problems
o Substance Abuse
• Nutrition
• Sexuality and Sexual Concerns
o Gynecological (Female) Disorders
o Prostate Disease
o Sexual Problems
• The Senses
o Hearing Loss
o Vision Loss and Other Eye Diseases
• The Skin
o Pressure Ulcers (Bed Sores)
o Skin Diseases
• The Urinary System
o Kidney Problems
o Urinary Incontinence

Topics at a Glance

How We Age
• The Aging Process
• Trends in the Elderly Population
• Physical Activity
• Prevention
Health Care Decisions and Issues
• Talking to Your Healthcare Providers
• Health Assessment
• Health Care Settings
o Community-Based Care
o Hospitalization
o Nursing Home Care
• Complementary and Alternative Medicines
• Drug Treatment
• Elder Mistreatment
• Ethical and Legal Issues
• Insurance, Financing, and Costs of Health Care
• Pain Management
• Palliative Care and Hospice
• Rehabilitation
Elder Health at Your Fingertips
• Cancer
• Diabetes
• The Digestive System
o Disorders of the Digestive System
o Disorders of the Mouth
• The Heart, Lungs, and Blood and Circulation
o Anemia and Other Blood Disorders
o Breathing Problems
o Fainting (Syncope)
o Disorders of the Heart and Circulatory System
o High Blood Pressure
• Hormone Disorders
• Infectious Diseases
• Joints, Muscles, and Bones
o Back Pain
o Falls
o Foot Problems
o Osteoporosis
o Problems with Joints, Muscles and Bones
o Walking Problems
• Mental, Neurological, and Psychological Conditions
o Anxiety
o Delirium (Sudden Confusion)
o Dementia
o Depression
o Diseases of the Nervous System
o Dizziness
o Mental Retardation
o Personality Disorders
o Psychological and Social Issues
o Psychoses (Delusions and Hallucinations)
o Sleep Problems
o Substance Abuse
• Nutrition
• Sexuality and Sexual Concerns
o Gynecological (Female) Disorders
o Prostate Disease
o Sexual Problems
• The Senses
o Hearing Loss
o Vision Loss and Other Eye Diseases
• The Skin
o Pressure Ulcers (Bed Sores)
o Skin Diseases
• The Urinary System
o Kidney Problems
o Urinary Incontinence

Interview with Todd Whatley, “Elder Law Issues” on Dec. 2nd, 9AM pacific

Listen to the Interview with Todd Whatley, “Elder Law Issues” on Dec. 2nd, 9AM pacific BlogTalkRadio.com/kindethics

Todd was a Physical Therapist for 13 years working in home health and nursing homes. He graduated from the Bowen school of law in 1998. He has been in private practice since 1999 and focused on elder law since 2000. He became Arkansas’ second Certified Elder Law Attorney in 2006.

Todd is on the leadership council of the Alzheimer’s Association. He is a regular speaker for Alzheimer’s Association. Todd has been on KATV’s Good Morning Arkansas discussing elder law issues. Todd spoke April 22, 2006 at the National Academy of Elder Conference in Washington D.C. on lawsuits to increase the spousal share in Medicaid applications. He is also an adjunct Professor at the University of Arkansas School of Law teaching Elder Law. He should complete his Masters of Law (LL.M.) course in Elder Law in December 2009.

Certified Elder Law Attorney*

Todd Whatley is a Certified Elder Law Attorney*. What does that mean? It means that he focuses his practice on the needs of the elderly client and their family and that the National Elder Law Foundation has certified Mr. Whatley with requisite amount of experience and knowledge to hold this distinction. Todd is a regular speaker for Continuing Legal Education seminars teaching other attorneys about elder law.

Website: http://www.elderlaw-ar.com
Blog: http://arkansaselderlawblog.com
Email: todd@elderlaw-ar.com

* as certified by the National Elder Law Foundation, an ABA approved organization for certifying specialists.

Having patience with your senior patients

I understand that it isn’t easy to have patience with a patient that is aging or has a physical or mental limitation. I know that I have tried to hurry patients along with little success. But it is important to understand that our senior patients aren’t doing this to annoy us. They are just at a different stage of life. As a people age, the need to be in a rush and to get a lot done changes. Older seniors have more important things to focus on, the work of aging. There are two main tasks that need to be accomplished: Keeping control over as much of their life as possible and legacy work. The need to keep a sense of control and power over one’s life is necessary as the seniors begin to experience significant losses. Seniors are losing their health, their abilities and those around them begin to die. As people come to terms with what they are losing, the need to hold on to what power they can becomes even more important.

This is why when you come in and tell the senior that they should do what you are telling them, you are not being seen as a trusted healer but as someone who is trying to boss them around. Yes you are in a hurry and yes the senior patient takes longer, but that is not the senior’s fault. The need to rush and get things scheduled is our agenda, not theirs. It is important to remember that the senior is not in a rush. He or she is trying to enjoy and appreciate the time remaining. If you can, allow the senior patient the time to think about the options. Ask your senior patients to tell you what is important to them and what they think of the options you have presented. Perhaps it would be best if you let them go home to consider what is best for their lives, then have them come back in or call you with their answers. Just because you think this is the right treatment plan for them, doesn’t mean that they agree.

One other thing to be aware of is that the senior is also doing legacy work. This is when the aging are trying to make sense of and to make peace with how their lives have gone. They want to be remembered. They want to be able to tell their story and to know that someone is listening. When seniors repeat a story, it serves many purposes. They need to make sure our families will remember our history so they can share it with future generations and the need to re-tell the story themselves so they can make sense of what has gone before. If you can, take the time to hear your senior patients and connect with the person they are, not the disease they represent.

For more information about how to communicate in a way that respects the journey of the senior, read David L. Solie’s book, How To Say It To Seniors.

Have a kind and respectful day.

Long Term Care Insurance, An article from Lauren Gershen’s Newsletter

Here Lauren’s interview at http://kindethics.com/2010/01/interview-with-long-term-care-insurance-expert-on-nov-27th-11am-pacific/?preview=true&preview_id=1478&preview_nonce=7efffc855d

In the years following World War II, there were many babies born which created what has come to be called the Baby Boom. Comprised of persons born between 1946 and 1964, “baby boomers” are one of the largest segments of our society.

With the oldest boomer quickly approaching retirement age, it’s time that boomers asked themselves some important questions: How are you preparing for retirement? Is it possible that you could outlive your retirement savings? Have you faced the possibility that you may need long term care at some point, either in your home, in assisted care, or in a nursing home?

Here are some facts to consider:
• 60% of Americans who reach age 65 are expected to need LTC services at some point, while 40% of those receiving LTC services now are ages 18 to 64, says OPM [Office of Personnel Management].
”A federal case for LTC”
Employee Benefit News, 02/01/03
• The national average cost of a year in a nursing home is $57,700.
Nursing Home Cost of Care Survey
Conducted by Evans Research, an independent research firm, 7/31/03
• Many of the Baby Boomers over age 55 mistakenly believe they are adequately covered for long-term care expenses through their workplace benefits packages. However, their health plans may only cover very limited long-term care expenses. As a result, many Boomers unknowingly face the risk of having their accumulated assets depleted by long-term health expenses that follow an unexpected event in their lives.
”Conning’s Industry Insight: Long Term Care Insurance.”
Issue #4, June 2002

Sobering facts, to be sure. And yet, many of us stubbornly cling to the belief that we will never need long term care. Above all, this shows how vital it is that we become better educated.

First, it’s important to understand what long term care is. Long term care provided under a tax qualified policy is defined by federal law as care for a person who requires assistance with at least two of six activities of daily living – bathing, continence, dressing, feeding, toileting, transferring – for a condition that is expected to last at least 90 days; or care for a person who has severe cognitive impairment, such as Alzheimer’s disease.

It’s important to recognize that includes many types of situations that can result in the need for long term care at any age, not just limited to senior citizens.

Next, it’s time to seriously examine some difficult questions.
Who will provide the long term care we may need? Many of us think our spouses or other loved ones will care for us, regardless of the level of care we need or the level of skill our families have in health care delivery. But, depending how events unfold, that may be impractical or even impossible.
Who will pay for the long term care we may need? Many people believe they can self-fund their long term care needs. But even the most effective savers should calculate how long their assets might last if drawn upon to pay the costs of long term care.
Others believe the government will pay for the long term care they may need. But today, Medicare will only pay some of the expenses for up to 100 days in a skilled nursing home if you qualify at all, and will only pay for certain types of skilled care in your own home. And what will happen to Medicare benefits when baby boomers begin turning 65 in 10 years is an open question.

Long term care insurance can help you provide for yourself.
It is critical that baby boomers understand that the cost of a long term care insurance policy today can be quite affordable, especially when compared to the cost of long term care. But each year the purchase is delayed, the higher the rates generally become.

Compare the cost of long term care insurance premiums paid over even 10 or 12 years to as little as one year in a nursing home, and you’ll see how valuable long term care insurance protection can be in terms of dollars and cents.

Finally, there’s the knowledge that, if you need long term care, with long term care insurance you will have choices about where you receive care, that you will have coverage to help pay for that care, and that the responsibility for providing care may not fall to your family. These choices can also help preserve your financial independence and your dignity, and those are priceless.

Lauren V. Gershen CLTC
Planning For Quality of Life
Long Term Care Planning & Insurance Specialist
LGershen@aol.com
(760) 777-9061 Office
(760) 777-9062 Fax

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