The Professional Geriatric Care Manager’s Blog

Statins for Women

February 10, 2012 at 10:30 am | Posted in Deborah Varisco, GCM | Leave a comment
Tags: Alzheimer's Disease, Gender, Health, Life, Personal, Prevention, Safety, Support

Friday, February 3, 2012 was National Wear Red Day to raise awareness for Women’s Heart Health. Although heart disease is often thought of as a problem for men, more women die of heart disease each year. The rise of heart disease in women increases with age. Heart disease is a leading cause of death in women over 40 years old. This is a result of changes in the walls of blood vessels, making it more likely for plaque and blood clots to form; changes in the level of fats in the blood, where the LDL or bad cholesterol increases and the HDL or good cholesterol decreases; and increases in fibrinogen levels, a substance in the blood that helps blood clot.

Women and their health care providers need to take the risk of heart disease in women seriously and take measures to reduce that risk. In the past the benefit of statins for women to reduce cardiovascular events has been questioned. Recent studies have proved otherwise. Statin therapy has been shown to cut cardiovascular events in both men and women, and statins should be prescribed in appropriate individuals regardless of gender. Individuals at risk taking statin drugs are less likely to have a heart attack or stroke, be hospitalized for chest pain, or require a cardiac procedure to restore blood flow to the heart. Women can reduce their risk for heart disease by quitting smoking; losing weight; exercising; following a diet low in saturated fats, high in fiber, whole grains, legumes, fruits, vegetables and fish; and treating and controlling medical conditions such as high blood pressure and high cholesterol.

Cholesterol lowering statin medications also continue to be studied for their potential preventive or therapeutic effect on Alzheimer’s disease. Lowering cholesterol levels may reduce production of beta-amyloid or improve blood vessel functioning in the brain. Statins also have an anti-inflammatory effect, which may target the brain inflammation associated with Alzheimer’s disease. Several studies have suggested people who take a statin to lower LDL levels have a reduced risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease.

If you are a women with at least one risk factor for heart disease such as age, hypertension, high cholesterol levels or especially a family history, it is important to talk to your doctor about your heart disease risk and start statin therapy to help reduce your risk!

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 to schedule a consultation. 201-587-5283.

145 N. Franklin Turnpike, Suite 311, Ramsey, NJ 07446

45 N. Broad St., Suite 503, Ridgewood, NJ 07450

A Week in the Life of a Geriatric Care Manager

February 7, 2012 at 10:30 am | Posted in Christine Clark, GCM | Leave a comment
Tags: GCM, Weekly

I have had the privilege of working with Ms. A for over two years now. At 95 years of age, in good overall health but with mild dementia, I recently started to see her withdraw from her family and her caregivers. I know that dementia is a progressive disease without a cure, but I started to see signs of depression which can sometimes be mistaken for dementia. Although her family agreed with me, they were reluctant to start any medication to treat the questionable depression. They wondered if she was already on too much medicine for her hypertension.

After observing Ms. A and speaking with her candidly about how she was feeling, we decided to call her geriatrician to discuss her feelings of continued sadness.

The geriatrician explained to Ms. A that she agreed she may be suffering from depression. After a complete examination, which included blood work, the results excluded any medical conditions that may have caused the change in mood. The discussion was then opened up with Ms. A and her family on the benefits of starting on an antidepressant medication.

Possible side effects were discussed, as well as the importance of understanding that it could take a few weeks to see positive results from the antidepressant.

The new medication was started three weeks ago. So far the only complaint that Ms. A had was a feeling of tiredness the first two weeks. She is now back to her baseline energy level.

We are all hopeful that the antidepressant will improve her mood and help her enjoy her life once again.

145 N. Franklin Turnpike, Suite 311, Ramsey, NJ 07446

45 N. Broad St., Suite 503, Ridgewood, NJ 07450

The Hidden Disability

February 3, 2012 at 10:30 am | Posted in Deborah Varisco, GCM | Leave a comment
Tags: Aging, Education, Eldercare, Health, Life, Tips

Hearing loss is a sudden or gradual decrease in how well you can hear. If you have hearing loss you may not be aware of it. It has been called the hidden disability. An individual with hearing loss will ask others to speak up, repeat what they say, or speak more slowly. Family and friends may notice you have trouble understanding them. It can gradually worsen over time and is easily ignored. As one’s hearing worsens, though, an individual may become increasingly frustrated and socially isolated.

Social isolation has been linked to depression and an increased risk of heart disease. Studies have also shown another major risk associated with hearing problems is dementia. New research suggests that the strain of decoding sounds over the years may overwork the brain of individuals with hearing loss, leaving them more susceptible to dementia. Hearing loss could also lead to dementia by making individuals more socially isolated, a known risk factor for dementia and other cognitive disorders. Individuals who have a hard time hearing can’t follow conversations or respond to questions. They become frustrated and embarrassed, and begin to avoid socializing.

Common causes of hearing loss include noise, age related changes in the inner ear, injury to the ear, an ear infection or an object in the ear. Some common symptoms of hearing loss include muffled hearing, trouble understanding what people say, especially when there is background noise and listening to a television or radio at a higher volume. Noise induced or age related hearing loss can be treated with hearing aids. An audiologist will do tests to find out what kind of hearing loss you have, how severe it is and which part of the ear is affected. To prevent hearing loss, turn down the volume on anything you listen to through headphones, wear hearing protection when working around loud noises, avoid loud noise, avoid putting foreign objects in your ear and treat ear infections as soon as possible.

Individuals do not give hearing loss the same kind of attention they give hypertension or heart disease. Most accept hearing loss as an inevitable part of aging. It is time to take a more serious look at hearing loss. Urge individuals to get their hearing checked and if needed fitted with hearing aids to hear clearly again.

145 N. Franklin Turnpike, Suite 311, Ramsey, NJ 07446

45 N. Broad St., Suite 503, Ridgewood, NJ 07450

New Healthy Information Found Within Apples

February 2, 2012 at 10:30 am | Posted in Amy Shein, GCM | Leave a comment
Tags: Health, Life, Research, Safety, Tips

My husband is in the food industry and gets many interesting articles sent to him via email. He also knows that, as a Geriatric Care Manager and a Registered Nurse, I am always looking for interesting topics to blog about; he’s well-informed that I usually blog about good, healthy and helpful food facts for elder adults. So, for this week he sent me a worthy article on the positive compound found within apples.

I once wrote a blog about white fruit, like apples, and the wonderful benefits that they attribute to helping with retaining memory. Now I have just learned and would like to share information that apples could reduce the risk of E.coli 0157:H7 infection and intestinal inflammation. In a study conducted by Dr. Jintae Lee of Yeungnam University, Gyeongsan, Korea and just recently published in The Journal of Infection and Immunology (Dec.2011), he and many researchers were able to show that the anti-oxidant compound from apples had anti-inflammatory properties and a reduced biofilm formation on the top of many cells in the colon that make the dangerous strain of E coli 0157:H7 unreceptive to antibiotics.

The compound is called Phloretin; it suppresses the effects of the bacteria Escherechia Coli(E.coli) 0157:H7 that comes from contaminated food. E coli 0157:H7 can cause hemorrhage in the intestines or the bacteria is so harmful it could even lead to kidney failure if medical treatment is not seeked early enough. There is no treatment for this food-borne bacteria which is resistant to antibiotic therapy. Elderly people and infants are especially susceptible for becoming critically ill from E coli. Jintae Lee also said the study results confirmed that Phloretin in apples has anti-imflammatory properties that the researchers found in the lab and in live colitis models. They stated that Phloretin was even stronger than a drug that is would be used in the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease. I also researched that tomatoes are also linked to having this flavonoid Phloretin, but does not do the same job as the apple.

I now make sure I eat an apple a day to help keep the E.coli away!

145 N. Franklin Turnpike, Suite 311, Ramsey, NJ 07446

45 N. Broad St., Suite 503, Ridgewood, NJ 07450

A week in the life of a Geriatric Care Manager in Bergen County NJ

January 31, 2012 at 10:30 am | Posted in Christine Clark, GCM | Leave a comment
Tags: GCM, Weekly

Last week I reached out to Ms. S.’s Geriatrician. He gladly agreed to visit Ms. S. in the facility she resides in. Now that Ms. S. is wheelchair bound, her Geriatrician agreed that it would be in her best interest for him to visit her at her facility. As her Geriatric Care manager and Registered Nurse, I was present during his visit. I provided him with her most recent medication list and her chart for him to review. I introduced him to the director of nursing, her nurse, and her caregiver. The occupational therapist was not available, but we were quickly updated on Ms. S’s progress. The professional team at the facility who work with Ms. S. were very happy to meet her longstanding Geriatrician and witness the care and concern that unique to their relationship.

145 N. Franklin Turnpike, Suite 311, Ramsey, NJ 07446

45 N. Broad St., Suite 503, Ridgewood, NJ 07450

Shingles

January 27, 2012 at 10:30 am | Posted in Deborah Varisco, GCM | Leave a comment
Tags: Aging, Eldercare, Health, Life, Medication, Prevention, Tips

It can start out with burning or shooting pain, tingling, or itching on one side of the body or face. The pain can be mild or severe. Blisters then form and can last one to 14 days. It’s shingles, a disease caused by the varicella-zoster virus, the same virus that causes chickenpox. Once one has had chickenpox, the virus stays in your body, and can cause shingles many years later. Other symptoms of shingles include fever, headache, chills and upset stomach. Sometimes a shingles infection can lead to pneumonia, hearing problems, blindness, brain inflammation or death. The pain of shingles may last for weeks, months or even years after the blisters have healed.

You cannot catch shingles from another person with shingles. A person who has never had chickenpox, though, can get chickenpox from someone with shingles. Shingles is far more common in people 50 years of age and older. It is also more common in people whose immune systems are weakened because of a disease such as cancer, or drugs, such as steroids, or chemotherapy. There is no cure for shingles. Early treatment with antiviral drugs, such as Zovirax or Valtrex, that fight the virus may help. Medication may also help prevent any lingering pain. Taking a cool bath or using cool, wet compresses on your blisters may relieve the itching and pain.

Two vaccines may help prevent shingles. The chicken pox vaccine has become a routine childhood immunization to prevent chickenpox. The vaccine is also recommended for adults who have never had chickenpox. In 2006, a vaccine was approved for the treatment of shingles. It is recommended for adults 60 years and older. It does not guarantee you will not get shingles, but will reduce the course and severity of the disease if you do. A person should not get the shingles vaccine who has had a life threatening allergic reaction to gelatin, the antibiotic neomycin or any component of the shingles vaccine, a weakened immune system, or is pregnant. Minor problems associated with the shingles vaccine have included redness, soreness, swelling and itching at the site of the injection and headache. At least one million people a year in the United States get shingles. The shingle vaccine is used only as a prevention strategy. It cannot be used to treat people who currently have the disease. Speak to your doctor or other healthcare provider to learn more and if the shingles vaccine is for you.

Please contact us in our Ramsey or Ridgewood Office to schedule a consultation.

201-587-5283.

145 N. Franklin Turnpike, Suite 311, Ramsey, NJ 07446

45 N. Broad St., Suite 503, Ridgewood, NJ 07450

A Week in the Life of a Geriatric Care Manager

January 24, 2012 at 10:30 am | Posted in Christine Clark, GCM | Leave a comment
Tags: GCM, Weekly

Ms. S. has had a long standing relationship with her Geriatrician. She was diagnosed with dementia several years ago. There are many types of dementia, and no cure. Recently, it has become apparent that Ms. S. is having even more difficulty with her motor skills. It has been just over a year since she moved into the Assisted Living Facility’s Memory Unit. She has done remarkably well, but at this point, now that she is wheelchair bound, it is difficult to take her out for routine check ups with her Geriatrician.

As her Geriatric Care Manager, and her advocate, I decided to call her doctor and ask if he would be willing to visit her at the Assisted Living Facility. He happily agreed and will see Ms. S next week. He was glad that, instead of Ms. S. being assigned to the facility’s physician, we are able to continue the longstanding, trusting, wonderful relationship that they have built.

Please contact us in our Ramsey or Ridgewood Office to schedule a consultation.

201-587-5283.

145 N. Franklin Turnpike, Suite 311, Ramsey, NJ 07446

45 N. Broad St., Suite 503, Ridgewood, NJ 07450

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.

Oral Care for the Elderly

January 20, 2012 at 10:30 am | Posted in Deborah Varisco, GCM | Leave a comment
Tags: Aging, Eldercare, Health, Life, Safety, Tips

Dental disease can lead to cardiovascular disease, diabetes, oral cancer and respiratory problems. The elderly are more susceptible to oral disease, and this can lead to further medical complications and complaints. Oral disease is closely linked to overall health. Current research states providing the elderly with proper dental care can help avoid illness and discomfort.

As we age it is important to continue with daily mouth care and regular dental checkups. As with other activities of daily living, one should encourage the older adult to do as much of the brushing and flossing as possible. The elderly usually have less saliva, and certain medications decrease saliva output. This decrease in saliva output can change the taste of toothpaste and mouthwash. You may have to switch toothpaste to find one that is acceptable. The same is true for mouthwashes. Try switching brands or diluting the mouthwash if it causes irritation.

To maintain independence in the oral care regime, the toothbrush may have to be adapted. If an individual has difficulty holding a toothbrush, a sponge or rubber ball can be attached to the end of the toothbrush. Sometimes using an electric toothbrush is easier and speeds up the brushing process. If an individual has dentures, it is important to brush the gums and roof of the mouth prior to setting the dentures into place. The dentures should be cleaned once a day and if they break they need to be given to a dentist to repair. Elderly individuals need to watch for any signs of gum bleeding, severe weight loss, loose or chipped teeth, red and swollen gums, change in tooth fit or increased bad breath and loss of taste. These symptoms could all be signs of periodontitis, or gum disease.

Gum disease left untreated will result in tooth loss and other medical complaints. Risk factors which increase periodontitis include older age, poor nutrition, certain medications, tobacco, poor oral care habits and diabetes. Preventing gum disease involves daily brushing, flossing, and regular visits to the dentist for professional cleaning. If the individual has a problem with mobility and is unable to visit a dentist, many dentists now will make visits to the home or a facility, such as nursing homes. The aging process does not mean teeth should be neglected and regular dental care will ensure the elderly have a full set of healthy teeth.

145 N. Franklin Turnpike, Suite 311, Ramsey, NJ 07446

45 N. Broad St., Suite 503, Ridgewood, NJ 07450

Too Much Sugar in Our Diet!

January 19, 2012 at 10:30 am | Posted in Amy Shein, GCM | Leave a comment
Tags: Diet, Education, Health, Life, Personal, Tips

At first I was not sure what I wanted to blog about for this week, but then I went to a great event last night and it hit me there. I went with my fellow co-workers from Distinctive Care to a wonderful health fair over at the Ridgewood YMCA/YWCA. The keynote speaker was Amanda Arlauskas from NBC’S Biggest Loser Season 8. She did an amazing job speaking about her weight loss venture as a participant on the trendiest show on TV today. She said that she had to make huge changes in her diet and behavior in order to lose her weight and regain her health. She said the hardest part was in the very beginning when she needed to give up some of her favorite foods. She said it was a shock to her body to give up the junk food, which mainly consisted of high amounts of sugar. I thought that would be a great topic of interest for some of my elder clients.

Since many of my clients tend to have high sugar or high simple carbohydrates in their diets, I have been working with clients in the home, assisted living and skilled nursing facilities. I observe what they eat and what they crave most. It is the high sugar foods that many of them really want. We have one gentleman that goes through at least one bag of candy per day. Another client would refuse to eat any of her protein or vegetables from her tray and would just rather eat her dessert first and then would not touch anything else afterwards.

I can only think that the reason so many older adults prefer and like sweets is that much of their taste is altered from the medications that they take. But, maybe they just like the comfort of the refined sugar or sweets they just know and love over the many years? Most older adults need to be careful of developing Type 2 Diabetes, elevated triglyceride levels which leads to coronary artery disease and risk of stroke.

It is recommended that on a 1,600-2,000 a day calorie diet, that one should only be consuming 5-8 teaspoons of sugar per day, or no more than 50 grams of carbohydrate in the form of sugar (one teaspoon of sugar provides 4 grams of carbohydrates). The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) recommends limiting sugar to 6 to 10% of calories from sugar. This is based on weight maintenance and not for weight loss. To give you an example of how much sugar we consume, I will provide you with a list of high sugar foods/beverages and their sugar content;

12oz can of Coca Cola= 39 grams (10 teaspoons of sugar) 140 calories

2 Fig Newton’s = 12 grams (3 teaspoons of sugar) 90 calories

½ c. of Vanilla Ice Cream=21 grams of sugar (5 ½ teaspoons of sugar) 270 calories

8oz. Cranberry Juice Cocktail=30 grams (7 teaspoons of sugar) 120 calorie

1 Piece of Hard Candy=3.8 grams(1 teaspoon) 24 calories

If you want to learn more about sugar content of some of your favorite foods, take a look at this site, but after you review this website you they might not be your favorites anymore!

After completing some of this research and learning about sugar content on some of these foods, it really gave me a wakeup call. No matter if we are young or old, we need to be aware of what we are putting into our body at all times.

145 N. Franklin Turnpike, Suite 311, Ramsey, NJ 07446

45 N. Broad St., Suite 503, Ridgewood, NJ 07450

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The Professional Geriatric Care Manager’s Blog

Statins for Women

A Week in the Life of a Geriatric Care Manager

The Hidden Disability

New Healthy Information Found Within Apples

A week in the life of a Geriatric Care Manager in Bergen County NJ

Shingles

A Week in the Life of a Geriatric Care Manager

Realistic Resolutions 2012

Oral Care for the Elderly

Too Much Sugar in Our Diet!

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