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

Unique Services for Older Adults

August 1, 2011 at 10:30 am | Posted in Pat Linard, PR | Leave a comment
Tags: Advocacy, Eldercare, Help, Life, Research, Tips

When someone wants to know more about we do at Distinctive Care Geriatric Care Management, I am the person that gets the first call. I am happy to review what we do and how we do it, and am so glad when our services match a family’s needs. As the Director of Community Relations, I am also the person who is out and about in the community in Bergen, Passaic or Rockland County learning about available services, both old and new.

Although some of the services for older adults are obvious, such as home care, it is always nice to learn the differences between each of them. Some employ people who drive as home health aides, or will provide a bed and bath service of minimum hours while others give their caregivers cooking lessons. It is up to me to make the initial determination as to whether the home health aides that they employ are properly screened, trained and monitored and are possibilities for our referral. It seems as it every agency is trying to set themselves apart from the others in some way that will appeal to the families that need help taking care of their elderly loved ones.

In addition to the obvious, I become familiar with unique services, too. Services which caregivers might not be aware of are agencies that specialize in sponsoring trips for older adults who require dialysis, wheelchairs, or oxygen, and the company that provides dialysis services in the home while people sleep. Distinctive Care is in the forefront of knowledge regarding available services. Whether it is a quality of life issue such as clutter clean-up, money management or transportation or a medical need such as a rehab facility that specializes in cardiac care or one that offers a Transition to Home program, I am always happy to learn about what’s new and exciting in the field of elder care. I hope to share more about these services in future blog entries.

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.

What a Good Read!

July 25, 2011 at 10:30 am | Posted in Pat Linard, PR | Leave a comment
Tags: Alzheimer's Disease, Caregiver, Eldercare, Life, Memory, News, Research

I read a good book recently, Finding Life in the Land of Alzheimer’s by Lauren Kessler. The author is a journalist who feels that she failed in the role of caregiver for her mother who had Alzheimer’s. So when her mother passed away, she decided to give it another try, but in a different way. She went undercover as an aide in a dementia care facility.

What Lauren found was that aides in dementia care facilities are underpaid and usually living from hand to mouth. Their workload is heavy and their day is challenging both physically and emotionally. In many cases, the job of aide is not the only one that they hold. Their day is repetitive in the tasks they do but not in the challenges that interrupt those tasks. Quite often they are the caregiver that is there when a resident falls or has an accident or has an aggressive episode.

What Lauren also found was that she became attached to these elderly men and women with Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia. Yes, they experienced behaviors typical to the disease, such as repeatedly asking the same question or experiencing episodes of paranoia, but they also had personality. And each one was an individual in many of the same ways that they had always been an individual before they were diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. They were able to experience emotions like you or I, and although they didn’t have a memory of things that just passed, they were able to enjoy life in the moment.

The statistics for Alzheimer’s are staggering and worth us paying attention to as a nation, and as a world. Today, 5.4 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s disease. By 2050, as many as 16 million Americans will have the disease. Of Americans aged 65 and over, 1 in 8 has Alzheimer’s and nearly half of people aged 85 and older will have the disease. For more information on this devastating disease, go to Alz.org. Geriatric care managers and other healthcare professionals can help families in caring for a loved one in caring for those with dementia. To find a geriatric care manger in your area, visit CareManager.

Hoarding Heartache

July 18, 2011 at 10:30 am | Posted in Pat Linard, PR | Leave a comment
Tags: Education, Health, Help, Life, News, Support, Therapy

I attended a seminar recently on hoarding at The Brownstone in Paterson, NJ. (Just a little aside, for those of you who are fans of Real Housewives of New Jersey, The Brownstone is the catering place owned by Caroline Manzo and her family of Franklin Lakes, NJ.) It was a lovely venue for a difficult topic; the event was sponsored by a local nursing home and rehabilitation facility. I learned some very interesting things in this three hour seminar from what hoarding is to tips on how to deal with it. Although most people would consider it a mental health issue, it is not listed as such in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.

The bottom line, however, is that hoarding is a disorder that is extremely difficult to resolve. Usually it has roots in information processing deficits and emotional dysfunction. And they are now thinking that it could also have a genetic component. Many people would consider it an obsessive compulsive disease, however hoarding has only the compulsive part since hoarders don’t obsess about what to save. They save it all! Every item has the same “value” as another, whether it be a drug store flyer or a stock certificate.

I learned some good tips about working with older adults who may be a hoarder. They and their possessions need to be respected. Although safety is of the utmost importance, it is best not to be critical of the client’s environment. The client needs to be involved in any decisions and it is best if the clean-up process is done slowly and with gradual changes.

Hoarding is a difficult problem to work with it, but there are organizations that are available to help and often a therapist can assist in the desensitization process. Often, medication management can be of help with drugs to treat anxiety and attention deficit disorder. Hoarding is a topic that is gaining more and more attention.

Driving at an Older Age

June 27, 2011 at 10:30 am | Posted in Pat Linard, PR | Leave a comment
Tags: Aging, Driving, Family, Life, Personal, Tips

I read an interesting article in Bergen County’s The Record yesterday. It caught my eye because it was focused on driving and older drivers. I have both a personal and professional interest in the topic.

On the personal side, I visited my 88 year old mother recently. She lives a couple hours away, lives independently and still drives. Although she is still very self-sufficient, she has lost quite a few friends this year and we looked at an independent/assisted living facility together. Somehow I insisted that she drive with reasons like “I’m too tired,” “I’ve been driving all morning” and “my car is almost out of gas and we don’t have time to stop.” I’m not sure she believed any of them, but she drove the half hour to our destination. Thankfully, I was quite comforted by what I saw. She exhibited the traits that an older driver has like limited lane changing, keeping to the lower side of the speed limit, and totally concentrating on the task.

Not every older driver is unsafe behind the wheel but there are certain things that need to be taken into consideration when evaluating an older driver. We’ve had to deal with this many times with our older clients at Distinctive Care in Ridgewood. As geriatric care managers, we need to make recommendations to the family when we see an older adult that could pose a hazard to themselves or others while on the road. Thankfully, we have had help with driver rehab programs and doctors that are willing to report an unsafe driver to the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission.

New Jersey is a difficult state to live in without a car, however we have been able to put together programs with other ways of handling errands and getting to events and doctor appointments. Our care plans often include information on online ordering for groceries and many other needed items and low cost transportation services targeted to seniors. And for those who are still able to drive, there is help through AAAExchange (for testing) and CarFit (for car adaptation to reduced physical abilities).

Five Wishes Presentation

June 13, 2011 at 10:30 am | Posted in Pat Linard, PR | Leave a comment
Tags: Aging, Care Plan, Education, Family, Help, Life, Love, Seminar

Many people have never heard of the easy-to-complete, comprehensive, legal document that is available to them through Aging with Dignity. Aging with Dignity is a national non-profit organization with a mission to affirm and safeguard the human dignity of individuals as they age and to promote better care for those near the end of life. This seminar will teach you how to give your family the greatest gift of all, The Five Wishes, which once completed, will communicate your wishes regarding health care and maintaining dignity during times of serious illness. It gives you a way to control something very important–how you are treated if you get seriously ill. It is the first living will that talks about your personal, emotional, and spiritual needs as well as your medical ones.

This important topic will be presented by the owner of Distinctive Care Geriatric Care Management, Sophia Heftler, RN, CMC, CALA, CDP(R) in the auditorium at Bergen Regional Medical Center, NJ, 230 Ridgewood Avenue, Paramus, NJ 07652 on Wednesday, June 15, 2011 from 6 – 7:30 pm. Because a light dinner will be provided, it is important that you RSVP. Call to reserve a spot at 201-967-4098. This is a free presentation offering valuable information that everyone should have.

So Many Services for Seniors!

May 17, 2011 at 10:30 am | Posted in Pat Linard, PR | Leave a comment
Tags: bergen county, Family, GCM, Help, News, Personal

We are in the process of developing a new brochure for Distinctive Care Geriatric Care Management. So we had a meeting today in our office in Ridgewood to brainstorm about all the great things we do. In addition to our brochure, we also use a folder that we give to potential clients and those suppliers of services that we meet face to face. In it, we have a diagram which shows a client surrounded by “geriatric care management.” Reaching out from geriatric care management are all of the services which we use and refer to in our care plans. Well, actually, the diagram doesn’t cover all of them but it notes many, such as doctors, nursing homes, hospitals, assisted living facilities, home care agencies, counselors, Medicaid , Veterans Benefits, insurance providers, financial planners and elder law attorneys.

What it doesn’t show are the myriad of other services which we work with or research on behalf of our clients. I didn’t realize how many other unique ways we help seniors and their families until our newest care manager mentioned that she had never heard of many of the services for seniors that we use to keep our clients independent and happy, and improve their quality of life. And she has worked in a doctor’s office for many years, with a large population of older adults and the elderly.

So here are a few examples: Once our clients have made progress by completing their round of physical therapy, we don’t want them to slide backwards. That’s why we refer them to a person who specializes in home-based exercise programs for senior citizens that will increase their balance and stamina. Another of our clients was bored at home so we developed an activity plan that included brain stimulating games. We have another client that needs to apply for Medicaid for his parents. The process is very involved, time consuming, and detailed—difficult for someone who holds a full time job and has a family. We have connected him with someone who knows the ins and outs of the process and can help him for a reasonable fee. And of course, since many of our clients have dementia, we are always on the lookout for ways that we can both help them with the disease but also help their families that are caring for them.

Services for the geriatric population are changing—at least that’s what I see in Bergen County. There are so many niche services with a specialty that it’s hard to know them all. But we always try to find the best services for those that need them if we can’t provide them ourselves.

Help for Difficult Behaviors with Dementia

May 9, 2011 at 10:30 am | Posted in Pat Linard, PR | Leave a comment
Tags: Alzheimer's Disease, Dementia, Education, Help, Seminar

Alzheimer’s Disease and other forms of dementia present a very difficult challenge for those who are caregivers. Dealing with the difficult behaviors so often associated with dementia can be devastatingly stressful and frustrating. Communication skills and understanding of the situation are integral. A positive tone for interaction, no matter the circumstances, goes a long way in handling these situations. For those who are challenged with the difficult behaviors often displayed by dementia patients, Distinctive Care Geriatric Care Management of Ridgewood, NJ offers a free seminar. This seminar offers tips on how to deal with those behaviors, from asking simple questions to breaking down activities in a series of steps. This seminar will also explore how to keep a sense of humor in an almost impossible situation. A sense of humor is so critical in so many ways and in so many situations, but especially in caregiving.

This seminar will be held at in the auditorium at Bergen Regional Medical Center, 230 E. Ridgewood Avenue, Paramus, NJ on Wednesday May 25 at 6pm. This free seminar is open to all residents, whether they live in Bergen County, or nearby Passaic and Rockland Counties. The information can help whether you are providing in-home care or helping a loved one in an assisted living or nursing home. The seminar lasts about an hour and a light dinner will be served. Call (201) 967-4988 or register online at Bergen Regional.

Boomerfest was a Success!!

May 2, 2011 at 10:30 am | Posted in Pat Linard, PR | Leave a comment
Tags: Aging, Help, Life, Personal, Support

For about six months now, I have been working with a committee of fourteen geriatric health care professionals from Rockland County to fulfill a dream of bringing services for seniors, both for profit and non-profit, to the larger community. And thus, Boomerfest was created. The project was spearheaded by someone from hospice who is all too aware of the heartache and headaches that families encounter when caring for an elderly loved one. She wanted to provide “one stop shopping” for those families, to make the caring easier. She was able to bring together a committee that, in addition to herself, represented home health agencies, geriatric care management, assisted living, independent living, Alzheimer’s support, nursing homes and rehab, dementia care, county services, and senior accounting and money management. It was a great group to work with but even better, a group of dedicated and caring individuals. And the event was a success. In spite of the sunny weather calling everyone outdoors on Sunday, May 1, over 350 people came to see the 75+ exhibitors and speakers. There were free massages and blood pressure and memory screenings, lots of great information and plenty of free food. We will be having our debriefing meeting next week but I’m already sure plans for next year will soon be put into motion. And I will once again be happy to represent Distinctive Care Geriatric Care Management and Bergen County on the committee.

A Different Perspecive

April 25, 2011 at 10:30 am | Posted in Pat Linard, PR | Leave a comment
Tags: Aging, Family, Help, Life, Love, Personal

I’ve been very lucky all these years to have a mother who is in excellent health. That is especially important since I live two hours away. Mom still lives on her own, and drives – safely, I might add! But last week I got an email from my sister who lives close to Mom. She poured her heart out that Mom is feeling a downturn in her social life, and now that she has returned to work, she can’t provide the extra stimulation. That’s what happens when you are 89 and you’ve lost many of your friends. My sister thought it was time that Mom move to a facility for seniors.

So I drove from New Jersey to Philadelphia to tour an older adult community with my Mother – one that she has been looking at for quite a few years in readiness for the time when she would be forced to leave her home. I was sure that a nursing home was not what Mom needed, but I thought assisted living might fit the bill. No, Mom was looking at a continuing care retirement community, otherwise known as a CCRC for adults 55 and older. You enter into independent living and, if further care is needed, you then move to their assisted living/nursing home facility.

I was prepared to hate it. Working for a geriatric care management practice, I was prepared to ask lots of tough questions. I was pleasantly surprised. The community appeared to be fun and well maintained. The staff and residents were friendly. My questions were answered before I asked them. In spite of finding a great community, Mom realized that she isn’t quite ready to give up her present lifestyle. However, the trip was enough to start a much needed but difficult conversation on things that needed talking about, like her living will and health care proxy, and the state of her finances. It was a worthwhile and enjoyable visit for both of us and we both saw things from a different perspective.

Come to BoomerFest!

April 11, 2011 at 10:30 am | Posted in Pat Linard, PR | Leave a comment
Tags: Aging, Education, Eldercare, Help, Life, Tips

BOOMERFest! It’s a FREE health fair for boomers, complete with food, entertainment, screenings and “one stop shopping.” I am part of a committee of health and service professionals in Rockland County who feel very strongly that older adults and their families need a place to go for resources concerning their health and safety. So BoomerFest came into existence. This health fair will provide screenings, such as blood pressure, memory, and depression and will also offer chair massages and reflexology, and all of it is free. Many people are offering their time and services to make this event a success. The keynote speaker will be Harriet Cornell, a member of the New York State legislature who has a passion for older adults and their needs. The Rockland Players from the Antrim Playhouse have developed some timely, realistic and humorous skits related to aging that you won’t want to miss. There will be refreshments and light snacks to make the day more enjoyable. And there are over 60 exhibitors from home care agencies and nursing homes to travel to hospitals and financial services.

The event is being held at: Felix Fest Middle School, 30 Parrott Road, West Nyack, New York 10994 from 11Am to 3PM on Sunday, May 1. It is easy to reach from Bergen County, New Jersey, too.

For more details, contact boomerfst@gmail.com.

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