February 14th-21st is “Alzheimer’s and Dementia Staff Education Week”

February 14th-21st is ALZHEIMERS AND DEMENTIA STAFF EDUCATION WEEK

This week is designed to bring awareness to the importance of both staff educators and their direct care staff being trained and certified in dementia care. For more information and free Tool Kit (download), visit www.nccdp.org, National Council of Certified Dementia Practitioners.

I want to thank all those who take such good care of our loved ones and who strive to be educated and updated about the new research and best practices in dementia and Alzheimer’s care.

Take time this week to acknowledge those experts who are making a difference in your loved one’s lives.

Have a kind and respectful day.

Life’s Simple 7 from the American Heart Association – February is American Heart Month

February is American Heart Month.

The American Heart Association has a new feature and tool on their website called: Life’s Simple 7.

1. Get active
2. Eat better
3. Lose Weight
4. Stop smoking
5. Control cholesterol
6. Manage blood pressure
7. Reduce blood sugar

I would encourage you to take the 7 minute assessment to take control of your heart health.
http://mylifecheck.heart.org/PledgePage.aspx?NavID=5&CultureCode=en-US

Then take the pledge to embrace Life’s Simple 7 at “My Life Check” at
http://mylifecheck.heart.org/Default.aspx?NavID=1&CultureCode=en-US

Have a kind and respectful day.

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

Caregiver Heroes

The other day, my 7-year-old nephew said to my husband, “I wish I had a super power, even if it was a pathetic one like folding towels.” Of course we had a good laugh about it when he shared it with me later that day. This kid has always had a magic way of expressing himself.

Later that day, my husband said to me, “Everyday things can be super powers. Like being able to have a caring heart or feeling empathy for someone’s suffering.” I realized that this is the daily journey of caregivers. So many caregivers wish they had super powers to get through their days. When in reality, you don’t have to be a superhero; you are already an everyday hero.

Have a kind and respectful day.

Interview with Lauren Gershen, “Answering your questions about Long Term Care Insurance”, Feb. 5th, 9AM pacific

Call in to listen live at (347) 945-5152 or listen online at blogtalkradio.com/kindethics.

Lauren specializes in offering multiple solutions to Long Term Care Planning. She is certified and licensed in 10 different states, and introduces her clients only to those companies that are top rated, financially solid, and experienced in writing and underwriting long term care insurance. “It is important to maintain your quality of life and to have peace of mind knowing that you have a plan that will help you maintain your control and independence when you need it to in an affordable manner, and postpone or even avoid the need for institutionalization.”

Lauren resides in La Quinta, California and is a graduate of UCLA. She has first hand experience of the potentially significant impact that not having a plan can have on you, your family and loved ones, and your retirement portfolio. Her practice focuses specifically on the issue of long term care insurance, plan design & implementation, comparison and analysis, and finding the insurance product and company that is right for you. Her primary mission is to educate people on the value of having protection against the high costs of long term care while choices are still available. After working with Lauren, clients appreciate the value of being able to make “well-informed” YES or NO decisions about how to approach this critical life planning issue. In a caring and supportive way, she can assist you in customizing an appropriate and affordable plan to meet your individual or group needs.

Lauren works very closely with other professionals including elder law attorneys, financial planners and CPA’s to establish a plan that takes into consideration your circumstances and ability to pay. She also assists her clients with life insurance planning, and guides them in sifting through the maze of selecting the appropriate medicare supplement insurance plan.

Lauren actively supports the Alzheimers Association and volunteers her time to provide seminars and workshops to professionals and civic organizations. An astonishing statistic…..”One in six Baby Boomers who reach age 55 will develop some kind of dementia, including Alzheimer’s.”

Lauren actively represents the following top rated LTC insurance companies:

Authorized to offer AARP endorsed Long Term Care Insurance, Prudential, Genworth Life, MetLife, John Hancock, Mutual of Omaha and Allianz.

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

Have a kind and respectful day.

Interview with Natalie Buriel, MSW and Linda Alexander-Lieblang, Director opf Regions, Alzheimer’s Association, California Southland Chapter, “Memory Club and other services available at the Alzheimer’s Association”

Listen live or download later to my interview with Natalie Buriel, MSW and Linda Alexander-Lieblang, RMT, MA, Director of Regions, Alzheimer’s Association, California Southland Chapter to discuss the Memory Club and other services available at the Alzheimer’s Association on January 29th, 10AM pacific, on Blogtalkradio.com/kindethics

Whether your you or your loved one has Alzheimer’s or another form of dementia, the Alzheimer’s Association has specialized services available no matter what stage or situation you are dealing with.  I have listed below a number of their services.  Take some time and look through what they have to offer.   Check out their resources at Alz.org.  They also have support material in Chinese, Spanish and Korean.

The Alzheimer’s Association is there to help.  Please reach out to them and get the support and help you need.

Have a kind and respectful day.

Helpline

The Alzheimer’s Association Helpline operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, in 140 languages. Our staff is highly trained and knowledgeable about all aspects of Alzheimer’s disease. Call us if you have questions about:

· Alzheimer’s disease or memory loss, medications and treatment options, brain health and care options

· How the Association can help you

· Caregiving tips and respite care options

· Services available in your community and referrals

You can also call us for emotional support –– as often as you need. We know that living with Alzheimer’s can be overwhelming at times. Remember, we are here for you –– all day, every day.

Care consultation

Our professional staff is dedicated to helping people navigate through the difficult decisions and uncertainties people with Alzheimer’s and their families face at every stage of the disease. We can provide care consultation services to you by telephone, e-mail or in person. These include:

· Assessment of needs

· Assistance with planning and problem solving

· Supportive listening

Contact us for more information:

Phone: 1.800.272.3900

Support groups

Support groups provide a safe place where people go to learn, listen, share and gain emotional support from others who are also on a unique journey of providing care to a person with dementia.  Support groups are held at various times and in many different communities and languages. Each group is different, and depending on each person’s needs will offer different things. Check to see if there is a group close to you that fits your needs.

Support group listing

Message boards

The Alzheimer’s Association message boards and chat rooms provide an online community for persons with Alzheimer’s, caregivers and care providers. Our message boards have thousands of registered members from around the United States and thousands more who refer to the stories and information that is available 24 hours a day.

Join the Alzheimer’s Association online community.

Publications

· The Alzheimer’s Association offers dozens of fact sheets and brochures.
Click here for a listing.

We also maintain a variety of educational materials (brochures, videos, audiotapes and books) on topics related to Alzheimer’s disease and related disorders. To learn more about our library, call us at 1.800.272.3900.

Quarterly magazine

Our chapter also prints a free quarterly magazine. Click here to view the current issue. If you would like a hard-copy, please call the Helpline at (800) 272-3900.

Educational programs

We offer many educational programs each year that address the specific interests of the general public, individuals with the disease and their families.

Education program listing.

Professional training

We offer classroom and Web-based training for healthcare supervisors and direct care workers in assisted living and nursing homes. Many programs allow you to earn CEUs.

Professional training listings.

Multilingual information

Alzheimer’s disease and other disorders that cause dementia know no boundaries. Many individuals and families in ethnic and cultural minority groups are in need of solid information about Alzheimer’s disease and health resources.

· Chinese educational materials

· Korean educational materials

· Spanish educational materials

Lasman Family Library

The Alzheimer’s Association maintains a multimedia library of books, periodicals, videotapes, CDs, DVDs and other materials pertinent to Alzheimer’s disease and related disorders. The collection covers activities, adult day services, caregiving issues, diagnosis, first-person accounts, legal and financial issues, long-term care options, medical research, memory, stages of Alzheimer’s, and more. There is a selection of children’s books, as well as resources in Spanish and other foreign languages. The library is available to family members, caregivers, professionals and students.

The Lasman Family Library is open from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. Appointments are required; please call (323) 938-3379 and ask for Judy.

• First time borrowers must register.
• A sign-out card must be completed for each item.
• The loan period for library materials is 30 days.
• Two videos or disks may be borrowed at one time, with a deposit by check of $100.00 for each, to be returned when the item is brought back.
• Four books may be borrowed at one time

Satellite libraries with basic collections are housed at these Southland offices:
Greater San Fernando Valley (Northridge); please (818) 677-4404
Coachella Valley (Rancho Mirage): (760) 328-6767

WE MAKE NO PROVISION FOR LOANS BY MAIL:  ALL MATERIALS MUST BE PICKED UP IN PERSON.

Medic Alert® + Safe Return®

In a move to significantly improve the safety of individuals with Alzheimer’s, the Alzheimer’s Association and the MedicAlert Foundation have created an alliance to bring you MedicAlert® + Alzheimer’s Association Safe Return®.

MedicAlert + Safe Return offers you the best of both worlds:

· Assistance when a person wanders or is lost

· Access to vital medical information in the time of need

Learn more about Safe Return.

Adult Day Services

What are adult day services?
Adult day services are centers where people with memory problems can spend part of their day in a caring environment. What can they do for you?
• Provide time for you to:
• Go to your job
• Make phone calls and run errands
• Take a nap and rest
• Lower your stress
• Provide emotional support   What can they offer the person with memory loss?
• Time to be outside of the home
• Activities with other people
• A chance to make new friends
• A nutritious meal

Learn more about adult day services:
• Types of adult day services
• Steps to selecting adult day services
• Los Angeles County directory of adult day services
• Riverside and San Bernardino Counties directory of adult day services

Local resources and referrals

We maintain updated information on home care, adult day care, care coordination, assisted living, skilled nursing facilities, eldercare lawyers and transportation available in the community. Our staff and trained professionals can help assess whether a specific care provider meets the needs of an individual with Alzheimer’s.
Download the Resource Directory

For more information, please contact us: (800) 272-3900.

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Clinical trials index

· Clinical studies – what they are, why participate

· Nationwide clinical trials index

· Local clinical trials

· Local clinical trials-descriptions

Shared Suffering – Doctors and Patients Are In This Together

I was speaking to a doctor the other day who is drowning under a sea of patients. He is expected to see 25 patients in the hospital per day as well as admitting those who are coming in through the emergency room. And what makes his day even harder is waking up each morning; knowing his day is already doomed. (This is a well-meaning, good doctor who is still fighting to take care of his patients in a broken system.)

The patients and families he sees are angry that they have had to wait so long. He ends up spending most of his valuable time explaining and apologizing for the delays rather than actually taking care of the patient. If you add up 5minutes of apologizing times 25 patients; that equal about 2 hours of his workday. No wonder he doesn’t have enough time. When he is over-booked, he loses minutes each time he walks into the room.

And unfortunately, even when patients are told that he is busy handling an emergency or life-or-death situation, the patient and/or family is upset about having to wait so long. I totally understand this. We all want to be seen right away and want our needs to be taken seriously. But I think we all need to face the reality of medicine today. Our doctors are overwhelmed and we are asking for more than is possible from them.

I know this is difficult to accept. Our standards and sense of entitlement have become so high that our expectations have outgrown the system. I am not saying that you shouldn’t advocate for your health, but please bring some patience with you in the process. Bring a book to read, a game to play or your phone charger with you so you can call your friends. Most of our doctors are really trying their best. Don’t waste your valuable minutes with the doctor complaining about the wait, but get right to the point and use your time wisely. You only get a few minutes with the doctor so use them well.

Have a kind and respectful day.

What Do I Do When Someone is Grieving?

A doctor stopped me in the hall the other day and asked what he could do to comfort his brother whose son had just died. He told me that the son was only 25 and had died in a car accident. The doctor said that when he talked to his brother, all his brother had done was to scream and yell at him.  He didn’t understand why his brother reacted that way when all he was trying to do was to help.

As I sat down, I could see this doctor’s grief and pain. He was suffering for both the death of his nephew and because he couldn’t find a way to be supportive of his brother. He didn’t understand that grief, especially the early stages of grief can show up in many different ways. His brother wasn’t angry at him, he was angry that his son was dead. But he was taking it out on those around him. That is normal.

Everyone is different in their grief. Some people cry. Others get silent. Some can’t eat while others can’t get out of bed. Any emotion is okay when someone is in grief. And the grief will change as time goes on. When my Dad died, at first I was very quiet and wanted to be left alone. Then I couldn’t stop crying and needed people’s support. And now, years later, it is still an ache deep in my heart.

So how can we help?

1. There are no magic words to make the person feel better. Just say, “I am sorry for your loss.” Now I know you want to make them feel better, but trying to find the perfect words won’t help, but listening does. Listening is very healing.

2. So your next step is to listen, truly listen. If they start talking about their grief, don’t jump in with your own story about the loss you suffered in the past. It is not about you. It is about being present with them and their suffering. I admit that listening is hard. But try to sit still, be quiet and give them this gift.

3. The other thing you can do is to “normalize” their grief. What does this mean? The grieving person would like to be reassured that what they are feeling is normal and to feel less alone with their sorrow. So if they say, “I am so angry at _______.” You can say, “It is normal to be angry. That is a part of the grief process.” Any emotion is normal. That is grief.

4. Don’t be surprised if they don’t want to talk about their loss. Sometimes people need a break from their grief and would just like to have a normal conversation with you. In some cultures and families, grief is a private matter so please respect this and continue to be a good friend.

5. Lastly, if you are a healthcare professional, is it okay to cry with your patient? Of course it is. Sharing a few tears with someone else is a sign of compassion and understanding. But do not cry so hard that the patient then has to comfort you.

Have a kind and respectful day.

Teaching your Patients How to be Good Patients

Time is limited and the patient keeps talking and talking. What can you do? I realize that patients aren’t taught how to be good patients. So it is up to us to teach them. I have three recommendations for you.

Recommendation #1 Have them write out what they want to talk about before their appointment. Now I am sure you have heard this before, but the part that most doctors miss is to get them to prioritize their questions. I tell them to circle the most important 2 questions they want to discuss with you. Otherwise you just get a long list of random questions without any sense of what they truly want you to focus on. Patients understand that you can’t answer all of their questions but they will be satisfied if you take care of the most urgent issues. I have a questionnaire form, Viki Kind’s Office Form that you can download to help you help the patient. I encourage you to give copies to your patients to keep at home so they can fill them out before their appointment. If they haven’t filled one out before they arrive, then have them work on it while they are in your waiting room. In the medical practice I used to manage, we had a clipboard and form all ready for the patient when they checked. This is an easy way to be more efficient and to increase patient satisfaction.

Now some of you might be thinking, “Good, I don’t have to spend time listening, I can just read their list.” Well, you can if you want but your patient will be angry and non-compliant. If your patient doesn’t trust you or trust that you care about them, they won’t heal as fast or follow your instructions.

Here is Recommendation #2. It is up to you to build a caring relationship with them and you do that through compassionate dialogue, not a monologue. The act of listening has its own healing properties.

Recommendation #3 The other thing you need to educate patients about is to stop asking you the, “Oh by the way…” question as you are about to walk out the door. You need to tell them up front to ask you the most important questions at the beginning of the appointment or else you won’t have to time to address their concerns. Of course, this is a hard habit to break for patients and you will have to give them time to learn to be more direct with you.

Bonus Information: Unfortunately, some of these techniques will not work with certain cultures as they use a form of indirect communication which dances around the topic and takes longer as the only way they know how to communicate. But for most of your patients, these techniques will help you manage your time while caring for your patients.

Have a kind and respectful day.

3 Secrets to Getting the Most Out of Your Dr.’s Appointment

Do you feel like the doctor doesn’t have enough time to listen to your complaints? Is it frustrating to leave the doctor’s office and realize you didn’t get your questions answered?

Let me tell you what is going on and you aren’t going to like it. The doctor has about 12 minutes to listen to you, exam you, figure out what is wrong with you and put together a plan to help you get better.

I can hear you saying, “But 12 minutes isn’t enough.” Of course not, but that is the reality of medicine today.

You can complain but if you are smart, you can learn the three simple steps below to get the most out of your doctor’s appointment.

Here is Secret #1. You have to think like a doctor. Doctor’s think in an organized manner, so we have to give them our information in an organized way. Doctors usually play a guessing game with us as they try to figure out what is our “chief complaint”. But these questions are just wasting our precious minutes. The more organized and prepared you are for your appointment, the better.

Here is Secret #2. The doctor will make more time for you if he likes you better. And if your doctor likes you, you will get better care. I know it doesn’t seem fair but that is just the way it works.

Secret #3 is to make sure you are nice to all of the office staff. They can make it easier or more difficult for you to get in to see the doctor. They control his schedule. So, be kind to them and say, “Thank you.”

Now let’s make it easy for the doctor to help you.

Step 1. Write down all of your medications, occasional cold medicines, vitamins, herbal medicines, natural supplements, etc. And I mean everything. Even things you don’t think are important may be very important to your health. The doctor can’t protect you from things that he doesn’t know about, so write them down. If you don’t want to write them down, then bring all of them to the appointment with you.

Step 2. Write down how you are feeling. Why are you coming to see the doctor? Tell him what is hurting you, bothering you or any other physical complaints? Write down the new symptoms first and then write down the problems that are ongoing.

Step 3. Write down your questions and then circle the 2 most important questions. The doctor doesn’t have time to answer all of your questions so it is up to you to keep the doctor focused on what is most important to you.

And a Bonus Secret, if you want to make the doctor angry, keep your most important question a secret until the end of the appointment, and as the doctor is walking out the door say, “I have one more question …” If you wait until the end for this “Oh by the way” question, the doctor will only have one minute left to answer it. Please, write down this most important question so the doctor can spend time helping you.

If you would like, I have created a form for you to use each time you go to the doctor, Viki Kind’s Office Form for getting more from your doctor. Sign up for my newsletter and I will send you new support tools once a month.  Print out a couple of copies so you have them ready before your next appointment.

Have a kind and respectful day.

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