Pat Linard, PR « The Professional Geriatric Care Manager’s Blog

Realistic Resolutions 2012

January 23, 2012 at 10:30 am | Posted in Pat Linard, PR | Leave a comment
Tags: Education, Health, Life, Personal, Seminar, Tips

After many months of preparing for Realistic Resolutions 2012, previously billed as the Ridgewood Health Fair, I can sit back and relax. The event was a hit! There were lots of vendors offering many services: blood pressure screening, chiropractic screenings, body mass index analysis, Reiki, chair massage, and lots of up-to-date information on all kinds of timely topics, such as wealth planning and elder law, sugar consumption and organic cosmetics. Distinctive Care Geriatric Care Management had their nurse care managers on hand to offer advice on Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) and demonstrated a light box. There were healthy snacks, such as green vegetable smoothies, and not so healthy snacks, like fresh from the oven chocolate chip cookies. We can all indulge in moderation sometimes! Representatives from assisted living facilities and nursing homes were on hand, as well as home health agencies and hospitals, fitness and exercise centers.

Our guest speaker, Amanda Arlauskas, Runner-up from NBC’s Season 8 The Biggest Loser gave a very motivating presentation on the her diet and fitness regime. You would hardly believe that she once weighed 270 pounds! She was an inspiration to us all. Hopefully she will enable a few attendees to keep their New Year’s Resolution, too.

We’re already planning for next year. It’s nice to have a speaker from Bergen County – Amanda hailed from Butler, NJ. We’re open for ideas if anyone has them.

Distinctive Care Geriatric Care Management serves Bergen, Passaic, Rockland and Orange County with nurses licensed in New Jersey and New York. We help families dealing with various issues related to their elderly loved ones and would be happy to discuss any concerns you may have related to long term care. Please contact us in our Ramsey or Ridgewood Office at 201-587-5283 to schedule a consultation.

Come to the Ridgewood Health Fair

January 9, 2012 at 10:30 am | Posted in Pat Linard, PR | Leave a comment
Tags: Health, Help, Life, News, Personal

It’s hard to believe that the health fair that I have been so busily involved in is almost here. I’ve been very involved as co-chair of the committee and I think it will be a real success! I am hoping lots of people will take advantage of all that is being offered by so many in the community. Distinctive Care Geriatric Care Management has always had a policy of giving back to the community and volunteer activities like this are all part of our Distinctive Touch program.

The former Ridgewood Health Fair, now called Realistic Resolutions 2012, is being held on Thursday, January 19 from 5 to 8PM at the YMCA/YWCA of Bergen County at 112 Oak St. in Ridgewood. Amanda Arlauskas, runner-up from Season 8 of NBC’s The Biggest Loser will be the Keynote Speaker. Amanda will also be on hand to sign books and planners. I have heard Amanda speak before and I know how inspiring she can be. Maybe I too will be inspired to lose those couple of pounds that are making my pants tight!

This is a free event and will feature other happenings such as food demos and samplings from Whole Foods, chair massages, health screenings such as blood pressure, body fat analysis, reflexology and more from more than 40 exhibitors. Door prizes and giveaways will be abundant.

Of the many screenings that are being offered, Distinctive Care wanted to offer something that would be of real service to the attendees. Being in the middle of winter and knowing how many people suffer from depression, we thought it would be a good idea to offer screenings and advice for Seasonal Affective Disorder. We have written many blogs about this and now we are able to work directly with individuals to help them through what is a difficult time for many older adults and people of all ages. Two of our nurse care managers will be on hand to do this timely screening.

Presentation of Maximizing Your Memory

January 2, 2012 at 10:30 am | Posted in Pat Linard, PR | Leave a comment
Tags: Education, Help, Memory, Seminar, Tips

Who doesn’t want to maximize their memory! Sophia Heftler, RN, MSN,CALA, CMC, CDP® will be presenting one of her most popular talks, Maximizing Your Memory, at the North Rockland Senior Center at 69 Bridge Street In Garnersville, NY on Wednesday, January 4, 2012 at 11:00AM. If you would like to attend, call Barbara DuVal at 845-429-9027 to let her know you are coming.

Learn what memory is and how your memory works. This seminar will discuss what simple things can be done to improve your memory. Find out what normal memory loss is and what it is not. Discover when memory loss should be investigated further with your physician and become informed about some of the current medications used for memory loss, Alzheimer’s and the various other forms of dementia.

If you would like to attend, call Barbara DuVal at 845-429-9027 to let her know you are coming.

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)

December 26, 2011 at 10:30 am | Posted in Pat Linard, PR | Leave a comment
Tags: Health, Life, Personal

If you, like me, suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder, otherwise known as SAD, there is good news. The shortest day of the year is behind us. It occurred on December 21 this year, 2011, as it ushered in the winter season. For those who do suffer from SAD, there is help as outlined in our blog (A Week in the Life of a Geriatric Care Manager) from Christine Clark.

I took a walk this morning and felt my lethargy lifting as I walked out the door into the morning light. The other good news is that the exercise is good for me, too. So far we have been lucky in the New Jersey/New York area in that our only snow came and went on October 29. Like so many of our elderly clients who are living at home or in assisted living facilities and nursing homes, I’m hoping for a mild winter.

I know that I also have to be cognizant of those things that help me beat the “winter blues” when the weather throws me curve balls. The same advice that is helpful for our older adults is also helpful for the younger people, too! The information in Christine’s blog is so helpful, I felt that I had to highlight it again.

Maximizing Your Memory – From Community Presentation to CEU

December 19, 2011 at 10:30 am | Posted in Pat Linard, PR | Leave a comment
Tags: CEU, Education, Health, Memory, Research, Seminar

Sophia Heftler, RN, MSN, CALA, CMC, CDP® has given our free community presentation, Maximizing Your Memory, numerous times in the past year. Why is that? What I have been told is that it is an upbeat topic that is pro-active and offers ways to improve quality of life. The program covers what memory is and how memory works, as well as what is normal memory loss and what is not. It offers tips on avoiding memory loss. It touches on when memory loss should be investigated further, and covers current medications used for memory loss, Alzheimer’s and the various other forms of dementia.

When I present the list of topics for someone to choose, the topic of Maximizing Your Memory has been chosen most often. And each time it is presented, it gets improved upon. So much so, that there is now enough information gathered on memory that is has been submitted for approval as a 2.0 credit continuing education unit (CEU) course for nurses and soon will be submitted for social worker approval.

When approved, we hope to offer this course to nurses and social workers who are working in hospitals, assisted living facilities, nursing homes, and wherever nurses and social workers may work with older adults in Bergen and Passaic Counties in New Jersey and Rockland County in New York. At Distinctive Care Geriatric Care Management, we think it is an important topic and the information should be available to everyone, both seniors and those working with them.

Realistic Resolutions

November 28, 2011 at 10:30 am | Posted in Pat Linard, PR | Leave a comment
Tags: Education, Health, Life, Personal, Seminar

January is coming, and who doesn’t want to lose that holiday weight! On Thursday, January 19, 2012, Distinctive Care Geriatric Care Management will be participating in a free health fair, Realistic Resolutions 2012. Amanda Arlauskas, Season 8 Runner-up from NBC’s Biggest Loser, will be celebrity guest and keynote speaker. Amanda will be sharing the diet and exercise tips that she learned while on the show. Find out the inside scoop on what it is like to be a Biggest Loser participant and how it changed her life.

The event will be held at the Ridgewood YMCA/YWCA of Bergen County at 112 Oak Street in Ridgewood, NJ from 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM. And, of course, in January you need a snow date: Thursday, January 26.

The fun doesn’t stop with the keynote speaker! There will be more than 40 exhibitors representing different aspects of healthcare for all ages, from youth to older adult. Exhibitors will be providing door prizes such as free services and baskets of various themes, as well as discounts on services. Representatives from service providers and local businesses will be on hand to provide free information on helping you start your New Year healthy. There will be other free offerings such as chair massages, body fat analysis, reflexology, and more. The nurse care managers at Distinctive Care will be offering blood pressure screenings and counseling so that you can get 2012 off to a good start! Whole Foods will be providing free healthy snacks.

Make those healthy New Year resolutions count. Mark your calendars for January 19! We hope to see you there.

Distinctive Care Geriatric Care Management serves Bergen, Passaic, Rockland and Orange County with nurses licensed in New Jersey and New York. We help families dealing with various issues related to their elderly loved ones and would be happy to discuss any concerns you may have related to long term care. Please contact us in our Ridgewood Office at 201-587-5283 to schedule a consultation.

Eldercare Educators

November 7, 2011 at 10:30 am | Posted in Pat Linard, PR | 1 Comment
Tags: Education, Help, Research, Seminar, Tips

There is a lot of information available on the web offering help to older adults and their families. Quite often, though, it is difficult to find exactly what is needed or difficult to bring all the pieces together. Distinctive Care Geriatric Care Management has now banded together with a panel of eldercare experts to offer free lectures to help older adults and their families to navigate through the maze of services available to seniors.

Sophia Heftler, RN, BSN, CDP® (Certified Dementia Practitioner), CALA , CMC (Care Manger – Certified) has joined with Debbie Corwin, CALA, Director of Community Relations at The Esplanade of Chestnut Ridge, an assisted living community, Joann Manole, CALA, Director of Business Development for BergenCare, a home care agency, and Barbara Steinberg, CFP, CFG® Certified Financial Planner/Gerontologist, of BLS Eldercare Solutions, who specializes in Veterans benefits and Medicaid.

They will be offering seminars to community and religious organizations in Bergen County, NJ and Rockland County, NY at no charge. Their mission is to utilize their expertise regarding aging and available services so that older adults and their families can understand their choices and make informed decisions. Their focus will be on assistance and appropriate services and settings for an older loved one, as well as assisting with the caregiving role. Whether someone is looking for a new living environment or is in a nursing and rehabilitation center or hospital, this seminar can offer invaluable help.

The seminar lasts approximately 45 minutes and allows plenty of time for questions and answers. For further information or if you would like to set up a seminar in your community, contact Pat at Distinctive Care at 551-580-5639 or pat@distinctivecare.net.

Distinctive Care Geriatric Care Management serves Bergen, Passaic, Rockland and Orange County with nurses licensed in New Jersey and New York. We help families dealing with various issues related to their elderly loved ones and would be happy to discuss any concerns you may have related to long term care. Please contact us in our Ridgewood Office at 201-587-5283 to schedule a consultation.

Dementia and the Hospitalized Patient

October 10, 2011 at 10:30 am | Posted in Pat Linard, PR | Leave a comment
Tags: Alzheimer's Disease, Dementia, Education, Eldercare, Help, Seminar

Sophia Heftler of Distinctive Care Geriatric Care Management will present a 2.0 CEU course for nurses, social workers, Certified Assisted Living Administrators and Licensed Nursing Home Administrators on Tuesday, October 11, 2011 from 9:00 – 11:00AM at Bergen Regional Medical Center, 230 East Ridgewood A venue, Paramus, NJ. A Continental breakfast and networking will start at 8:30AM. To attend this free course, call (201) 967-4098 or register online at Bergen Regional.

Sophia Heftler, RN, BSN, CMC, CALA, CDP® and founder of Distinctive Care, has specialized in working with older adults for more than 20 years. She has had experience as Director of Nursing Services at local nursing homes, served as executive director at assisted living facilities and is a Certified Geriatric Care Manager and member of the National Association of Professional Geriatric Care Managers. She is also a Director on the Board of the Mental Health Association in New Jersey, Inc., and a Certified Dementia Practitioner (CDP®).

This course covers the different forms of dementia, the stages of Alzheimer’s disease, diagnostics for diagnosis, current pharmacological treatment and non-pharmacological symptom management. The effects of hospitalization on patients with dementia and techniques for dealing with dementia patients, as well as community resources, are also reviewed.

Distinctive Care Geriatric Care Management serves Bergen, Passaic, Rockland and Orange County with nurses licensed in New Jersey and New York. We help families dealing with various issues related to their elderly loved ones and would be happy to discuss any concerns you may have related to long term care. Please contact us in our Ridgewood Office at 201-587-5283 to schedule a consultation.

Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia Care Course

September 26, 2011 at 10:30 am | Posted in Pat Linard, PR | Leave a comment
Tags: Advocacy, Alzheimer's Disease, Education, Eldercare, Family, Help, Seminar

With a new diagnosis of Alzheimer’s Disease being made every 70 seconds in this country, it is important that our healthcare community know as much as they can about working with older adults who have this disease and other forms of dementia. With that in mind, Sophia Heftler, founder of Distinctive Care, decided to become a Certified Dementia Practitioner and Trainer. She is now able to teach others what she has learned. Distinctive Care is offering an all day course entitled Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia Care on Wednesday, October 26, 2011 from 8:30am to 5:00pm. It will be offered at Van Dyk Park Place, 644 Goffle Road, an assisted living facility in Hawthorne, NJ.

The course modules will provide an overview of Alzheimer’s Disease and other forms of dementia, as well as diagnosis and treatment. Behaviors which are associated with Alzheimer’s, such as repetition, wandering, hoarding, paranoia and hallucinations, aggression and catastrophic reactions, will be covered. Depression, personal care, sleep disturbances and nutrition will also be covered. In order to offer the best possible care of the patient successful, the course will cover activities, environment, staff and family support, as well as diversity and cultural competencies. Spiritual care and end of life issues will also be discussed.

This course is the first step towards becoming a Certified Dementia Practitioner; further information about this process can be found at www.nccdp.org. Continental breakfast and lunch will be provided and a professional binder filled with important information will be given to each attendee. The course gives 7 CEU credits for activity professionals; 7 CEU credits have been applied for nurses and social workers.

Distinctive Care Geriatric Care Management serves Bergen, Passaic, Rockland and Orange County with nurses licensed in New Jersey and New York. We help families dealing with various issues related to their elderly loved ones and would be happy to discuss any concerns you may have related to long term care. Please contact us in our Ridgewood Office at 201-587-5283 to schedule a consultation.

Stressed Out at Any Age

September 19, 2011 at 10:30 am | Posted in Pat Linard, PR | Leave a comment
Tags: Education, Family, Help, Life, Seminar, Tips

Sophia Heftler, RN, CALA, CMC, CDP® and owner of Distinctive Care Geriatric Care Management will be speaking at one of Chilton Hospital’s Life Enrichment Series courses. Join us for an informative lecture on how stress affects our lives as we age on Wednesday, September 21 at noon. Find out how to recognize the negative stressors in our lives, the psychological and medical effects of stress and how to manage stress effectively. Whether you are young in years or young at heart, stress plays a role in all of our lives.

The event is sponsored by The Wanaque Center for Nursing and Rehabilitation and the Health Center at Bloomingdale and is being held at The Collins Pavilion of Chilton Hospital Conference Center 97 West Parkway, Pompton Plains, NJ. Seating is limited so registration is required. There is a $5 fee to attend. Call 973-831-5000.

Distinctive Care Geriatric Care Management serves Bergen, Passaic, Rockland and Orange County with nurses licensed in New Jersey and New York. We help families dealing with various issues related to their elderly loved ones and would be happy to discuss any concerns you may have related to long term care. Please contact us in our Ridgewood Office at 201-587-5283 to schedule a consultation.