Support « The Professional Geriatric Care Manager’s Blog

Older Americans Month

May 18, 2012 at 10:30 am | Posted in Deborah Varisco, GCM | Leave a comment
Tags: Aging, Health, Help, Life, News, Support

Each May we celebrate the contributions and achievements of older Americans. The 2012 theme for Older Americans Month is, “Never Too Old to Play.” This theme encourages older Americans to stay engaged, active, and involved in their own lives and in their communities. Older Americans are living longer and are more active. Since 1963, communities have celebrated Older Americans Month organized by the Administration of Aging through the Department of Health and Human Services. While there is a vast network of programs for older Americans, many still struggle everyday to stay healthy and make ends meet. Many seniors cope with multiple health conditions and find it difficult to pay for food, utilities and other basic necessities on a fixed income.

To maintain good health, it is important to do something active each day. Older Americans should select activities that they enjoy but also maintain their strength, balance, flexibility and heart health. Activity helps older Americans maintain a healthy weight, prevent or control illness, sleep better, reduce stress and depression, improve balance and feel their best. Being active has also been shown to improve memory.

The theme, “Never Too Old to Play,” is the perfect opportunity for people of all ages to play games together. Younger children or teens can play games with older relatives, neighbors and friends or they can volunteer to play games at area nursing homes. Games can include card games, such as Uno or War and board games, like Monopoly, Clue and Scrabble. Other activities they can participate in are trivia games, video games such as Wii games, bowling, cooking, swimming, going to the movies or a concert, or taking a walk.

Older Americans Month is a great opportunity to show your appreciation for older adults and to thank them for their contributions to our communities. Interactions with older Americans enrich the lives of everyone involved. As part of Older Americans Month, get involved with at least one senior and enjoy an interaction which will ultimately benefit both of you.

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.

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!

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

It’s Time to Say Goodbye to Clutter

December 30, 2011 at 10:30 am | Posted in Deborah Varisco, GCM | Leave a comment
Tags: Health, Help, Life, Personal, Support, Tips

It’s a new year and many of us make New Year’s resolutions. For many of us, maybe our New Year’s resolution should be to “declutter.” Some of us have drawers and closets stuffed with items. Every nook and cranny of our living space may be piled high with newspapers, magazines, paperwork, canned goods or that one item we are afraid to be without.

Lots of people lead a messy lifestyle and hoard certain objects. These individuals may acquire things that they don’t need, but they are still able to continue to function. Hoarding becomes a problem when an individual may no longer be able to cook meals, live safely in their home or when their hoarding becomes a threat to others. Hoarding can put one’s health and others at risk. Individuals hoard for many reasons. They may hoard because of an intense emotional attachment they have developed to certain objects. Throwing these objects away results in a sense of loss. Others hoard because they feel the item may be useful to them or someone else in the future. We accumulate too much if we are afraid we won’t be able to get more of it when we need it, or that it may be discontinued.

Most people who hoard will not seek help on their own. It is usually a friend or family member who pressures the individual to control their hoarding. Solutions are usually not simple, quick or long-lasting. Extreme hoarders will require professional therapy.

For others dealing with clutter, here are some helpful tips.

Take just one project at a time and stick with it until it is complete. Start with an easy project and gradually move onto more challenging ones.
Schedule time for decluttering.
Make three piles for items being decluttered. Keep, donate, discard. Do not make a fourth pile labeled undecided. Remove the discard and donate piles as soon as possible.
Bring nothing new into your home unless you have a proper place for it.
Sales and bargains may cause you to over buy. Remember that food, over the counter medications and beauty products all have expiration dates and buying too many could be wasteful.

Parting with the objects you have collected can trigger anxiety. If an individual becomes anxious during decluttering, having them sit down and do something fun or relaxing until the feeling passes may be helpful. Hoarders need to realize they may be causing others and their community harm and stress. The goal is to help an individual see their objects in a new light and to change their hoarding behaviors. Pairing a health professional with an organizer can be helpful. Together they can guide the individual toward understanding the benefits of changing their hoarding behavior and setting goals to clean up the mess!

Seasonal Affective Disorder

December 9, 2011 at 10:30 am | Posted in Deborah Varisco, GCM | Leave a comment
Tags: Education, Health, Life, Personal, Support

Some people experience a serious mood disorder when the seasons change. They may sleep too much, have little energy and crave sweet and starchy foods. They may also feel depressed. Though symptoms can be severe, they usually resolve. This condition is known as Seasonal Affective Disorder. It occurs most often in the winter. It is believed that a lack of sunshine during the winter, when the days are shorter, may be the cause.

Light therapy, where individuals expose themselves to a special type of light for thirty minutes everyday, sometimes helps. Light therapy uses a special lamp with a bright fluorescent light that mimics light from the sun. Light therapy works well for most people with Seasonal Affective Disorder and it is easy to use. You will start to feel better within a week after you start therapy. You need to stick with it though, and use it every day until the season changes or your depression could come back.

Other treatments include medicines, such as antidepressants; counseling; changes in diet; taking long walks during the daylight hours and getting exercise; keeping active socially; or going to a sunny climate during the cold months. The disorder may begin during the teen years or in early adulthood. It occurs more often in women than men. Symptoms include increased weight gain; increased sleep and daytime sleepiness; less energy and the ability to concentrate; loss of interest in work or other activities; slow, sluggish lethargic movements; social withdrawal; and unhappiness and irritability.

There is no test for Seasonal Affective Disorder. It is often hard to tell the difference between Seasonal Affective Disorder and unseasonal depression, because many of the symptoms are the same. To diagnose Seasonal Affective Disorder the doctor will ask if you have been depressed during the same season and have gotten better when the season changed for at least two years in a row. Sometimes family and friends are not sure how to help someone who is experiencing symptoms of Seasonal Affective Disorder. Some suggestions to help are to spend time with the individual even if they are withdrawn or quiet, remind them they will feel better with treatment and time, offer to help with daily tasks that are temporarily too difficult for them to do alone, take a walk or involve the individual in some type of exercise or activity, and help them to stick with the prescribed treatment plan.

If you have concerns about the individual, talk with a health professional. If you choose to try light therapy, first consult with a health care provider before starting treatment to rule out other medical conditions and to help with monitoring the therapy. Try to get out as much as possible during the brightest time of the day and if you can not get outside sit near a window during the day to try to get more natural light to help with seasonal mood changes.

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.

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.

Additional 2010 Tax Tips for Family Caregivers

March 25, 2011 at 10:30 am | Posted in Sophia Heftler, GCM | Leave a comment
Tags: Dependent, Support, Taxes, Tips

In order to claim your elderly parents on your 2010 tax returns you must file a “Multiple Support Declaration” if multiple siblings are providing support. If a sibling provides at least 10% of the support and the total support of all the siblings make up at least half of your parent’s annual expenses, the parent could be claimed as a dependent. The caveat is that only one sibling can take the exemption. An agreement needs to be reached annually as to which sibling will take the exemption on their return. The sibling taking the exemption is required to sign form 2120, Multiple Support Declaration, and have all the other siblings sign the form claiming they will not take the exemption on their own returns.

You may be eligible for the Child and Dependent Care Credit if you are paying someone else to care for your elderly parent so you can continue to work or look for work. If you are eligible you will be allowed to take a credit of up to 35% of the expenses paid for the dependent care; with $3,000, the maximum amount of expenses for a tax credit of up to $1,050. To be eligible, the care recipient must be unable to care for himself/herself physically or mentally. Care recipients must be claimed as a dependent (or could be claimed as a dependent except that he/she had an gross income of $3,650 or more) on the caregiver’s return, according to the qualifications listed on IRS Form 2441.

Despite the fact that the gross income was more than $3,650, you may still qualify for savings this tax year. Medical expenses may be deducted on your tax return along with your own expenses for dependents and individuals that would have been a dependent with the exception of the income guidelines. The IRS allows caregivers to deduct costs incurred from your parent’s healthcare, such as hospitalization, prescription drugs, dental care and long-term care expenses that are in excess of 7.5% of the caregiver’s adjusted gross income.

If you think you may qualify for for any of these tax savings consult your tax advisor.

If you are in need of geriatric care management services please contact Distinctive Care Geriatric Care Management, located in Ridgewood, NJ, serving northen New Jersey and Orange, Rockland and Westchester counties in New York. We may be reached at 201-857-5283.

2010 Tax Tips for Family Caregivers

March 18, 2011 at 10:30 am | Posted in Sophia Heftler, GCM | 1 Comment
Tags: Dependent, Support, Taxes, Tips

For those of you supporting an elderly parent there are tax benefits available that you may qualify for that help to reward you for these efforts. It may be possible for you to claim your parent as a dependent on your income tax return or by deducting some of the contributions you have made toward their medical care and expenses. You should be aware of these tax benefits and determine whether or not you meet the criteria to determine whether or not you may qualify for any of these tax benefits. You should consult your tax advisor to help you determine if you qualify.

First you must determine if you are able to claim your elderly parent as a dependent. If you are supporting your elderly parent, claiming them as a dependent on your tax return which may result on a reduction of your taxable income by $3,650 for your 2010 tax return. There are four tests you will need to “pass” to determine if you are able to claim your elderly parent. The four tests are:

Not a qualifying child test: A qualifying child is a child under age 24 and a fulltime student who is not claimed using the remainder of the three tests. This test is basically a non-issue for caregivers.
Member of household or relationship test: If you are an adult child caring for your elderly parent you meet the relationship test. You and your parent are not required to live together to qualify. In the event your elderly parent is living on their own or in a care facility your parent may still qualify as a dependent as long as they pass the remaining tests.
Gross income test: Qualifying for this test to meet the requirements and qualify as a dependent, your elderly parent’s gross income for the year must be less than $3,650. This income does not include non-taxable income such as social security. If your parent receives income from other sources such as withdrawals from individual retirement accounts, pension benefits, rental income or interest and dividends from investments which would qualify toward your parent’s total income this would disqualify your parent as a dependent if he exceeds the $3,650 income limit.
Support test: Completing the support test is the final step in determining if your elderly parent qualifies as a dependent. You must pay for over half of your parent’s expenses including food, housing, clothing, medical care and transportation expenses.

You should contact your tax advisor to help you determine if your elderly parent qualifies as a dependent on your 2010 taxes. Next week I will discuss how to claim your elderly parents as dependents on your 2010 taxes.

Distinctive Care Geriatric Care Management is located in Ridgewood, NJ, serving Bergen, Passaic, and additional counties in New Jersey and Orange, Rockland, and Westchester counties in New York. We provide geriatric care management, with RN Care Managers, have a therapist on staff to provide goal oriented supportive counseling. You can reach us in our Ridgewood, New Jersey office to schedule a consultation to determine if we can help you in any way.

Alzheimer’s Statistics Shock

March 14, 2011 at 10:30 am | Posted in Pat Linard, PR | Leave a comment
Tags: Aging, Alzheimer's Association, CEU, Education, Support

Sophia Heftler and I visited a local hospital today. Sophia gave her CEU presentation on Dementia and the Hospitalized Patient to nurses, social workers and discharge planners there. We were invited by a local nursing and rehabilitation center. I often accompany Sophia on these events so that I can help her set up, tell a little about our practice, answer any questions and generally offer moral support. I’ve heard this presentation many times before and every time I hear it again, I learn something new. Dementia is such a difficult issue for our elderly now and will be for us in the future. When Sophia started her presentation with some statistics, she mentioned that someone new develops Alzheimer’s every 73 seconds. A shocking number if you stop to think about. When I came back to the office and looked at my email, there was one waiting for me from the Alzheimer’s Association. And with it came a revised statistic. Someone new develops Alzheimer’s every 69 seconds! I’m glad that the Alzheimer Association is working so diligently towards a cure since it is the only major illness that does not have a cure right now. What really hit home is that if Alzheimer’s was a corporation, it would be bigger than any we have now and that includes Wal Mart and Exxon Mobil which represent billions of dollars.
These statistics are pretty shocking. What can we all do about it? Well for starters, we can support the Alzheimer’s Association whether with dollars or as a volunteer. They have many events that are worthy of support and can be fun, too. They hold an annual Polo Match in May which could be a fun family event. And there are walks all around the state of New Jersey, in Bergen County, Passaic County and all through the state and everywhere else for that matter. What an easy way to support the important research and development that they do. It’s like investing in our future.
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.

Busy Week!

March 11, 2011 at 10:30 am | Posted in Sophia Heftler, GCM | Leave a comment
Tags: Advocacy, Aging, Caregiver, Eldercare, Help, Support

Wow, has it been a busy week at Distinctive Care! We had two Clients discharged from two different acute care hospitals to a local skilled nursing and rehabilitation center. One is there for rehabilitation and then will be staying on for long-term care in the nursing home section of the facility. The other one is there for a short-term stay and will be returning home where we had previously set up around the clock care for him. The care managers have been great in getting them settled into the routine and are keeping a close watch on their progress. Our therapist has been there to see them and assist them with the transition.

I had to be involved due to the fact that I wanted to ensure that these Clients would get the very best care possible, advising the administrator of my expectations and the fact that our care managers would be there frequently to monitor progress and keep the families apprised of their progress. I wanted her to be able to assure her staff that our role was not to check up on them, and if there was anything we could do to assist with their care for them to feel free to let us know, and we would be happy to pitch in and help out. She was extremely accomodating and actually ensured that the one Client who would be staying on long-term was placed in a room right across from her office! Who could ask for more than that!

Last night I received a message from the care manager who is working with the short-term stay Client. Apparently he was having some episodes of confusion yesterday and was demanding to go home. He was brought to an activity between his therapy sessions and thought he was in occupational therapy when he was there. He was very upset that he had spent an hour in occupational therapy singing! This poor gentleman was watching an opera singer who was there to perform and unfortunately, because of a miscommunication, he thought he had wasted an hour of his rehab time singing. I could understand why he thought “the place was a fraud” and wanted to go home. At any rate, I called to leave a message for the administrator to get back to me and despite the fact that it was well into the evening she took my call. We discussed the Client and how highly motivated he is, discussing his individualized care plan.

Today I went to see all our Clients who are there. Distinctive Care has another Client there in the nursing home so I saw her and her devoted husband. She is doing wonderfully and he is there everyday by her side. The other Client who will be there long-term was happily singing in the activity room with many other residents. She looked so happy, I didn’t disturb her. I stood outside the room watching her for about 10 minutes. It was amazing to see this Client, who had been so lonely in her home, with the group singing the songs she knew from the old days.

And finally I saw the gentleman who wanted to go home last night. He asked me if I had made a phone call last night. I told him that I had and he said he could tell and he had a much better day today. He said he was so embarrassed about the singing incident. I told him not to worry about it! He told me about the rehabilitation he received today and what his goals are prior to returning home. I promised I would return next week with Romeo, our Therapy dog and a special treat for him. He said I spoil him. He blew me a kiss when I left. Who has a better job than me!

If you are looking for placement in a nursing home or subacute center and need assistance please feel free to contact us in our Ridgewood, New Jersey office. We are very familiar with the the high quality centers in Bergen County and the surrounding areas, including Rockland County in New York and will be able to assess your particular situation and help you to find the right place to meet your individual needs.