Friday, January 31, 2014

Three Easy Ways To Assess Your Risk for Alzheimer's

http://www.bizbuzpr.com/2013/10/17/handshake-etiquette/

I don't spend much of my time worrying about whether I will one day develop dementia. Even as close to the disease as I daily find myself, I refuse to spend my life paralyzed by the fear of something that I have little to no control over. Certainly, there are a million studies that point to different risk factors, warning signs, or foods to avoid in order to maintain optimal mental health; I don't put much stock in their validity. First saccharin was the culprit. Recently, the devil has been discovered in everything from buttered popcorn to drinking water from a garden hose. My wife silently judges me every morning as I sweeten my coffee with Splenda.

Nevertheless, there are three things which have been consistently found to be accurate indicators Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia.

1. Firm Handshake-

The cardiovascular issues that wreak havoc on the brain also weaken muscles in the extremeties. Any region of the body to which blood is not adequately flowing will necessarily weaken over time. This is readily apparent in one of the most common cultural greetings in this country: the handshake. Research by the American Academy of Neurology has shown that people with a firm handshake are 42% less likely to suffer from a stroke which can lead to certain types of dementia. My personal research has additionally shown that people with painfully weak, dead-fish handshakes are socially awkward and generally creepy to encounter.

2. Slow Walkers-

The number of different stimuli your brain must process during a physical activity such as walking is staggering. If you are a person who naturally lags behind while walking in a group it might be because your brain is already struggling to keep up the pace. A Boston University study found that people with a slower walking speed were 1.5 times more likely to develop dementia than their faster peers. This theory does not apply in New York City where any slower pedestrians are typically run over by taxis and therefore culled from the sample.

3. Sleeplessness-

A study by the Washington University School of Medicine in St.Louis found that lack of sleep can be an accurate indicator for Alzheimer's and dementia. The brain uses sleep as an opportunity to flush the toxins and proteins that can eventually lead to Alzheimer's. It therefore stands to reason that persons who get a healthy amount of sleep are less likely to be at risk for stroke and dementia. But just because you go to bed early doesn't mean that you are necessarily well rested. Many study participants who reported 8 hours of sleep were actually only getting around six actual hours of sleep due to both internal and external interruptions. So when an exhausted mother rolls over to her snoozing husband and says "If that baby doesn't stop crying and go to sleep, I just might lose my mind," she is more right than she probably realizes.

Thursday, January 30, 2014

"One-Ring" Phone Scam Taking a Toll on Seniors

http://www.bfraudaware.co.uk/personal/telephone-scams.htm

I shouldn't be surprised. I know better. This sort of thing shouldn't make me mad. Alas...

The "One-Ring Scam," as it has become known, is being perpetrated all over the country and seniors are increasingly finding themselves prime targets. In this newest deviant scheme, a cell phone number is called and allowed to ring once so that it appears as a missed call. When the curious owner of the phone calls the number back, he or she is connected a line which automatically charges a $19.95 international call fee and as much as $9.00 a minute after that.

Most of the numbers being reported seem to originate in the Caribbean Islands- Grenada, British Virgin Islands, Antigua, Jamaica. In places like those it is difficult if not impossible for local authorities to do anything to stop the scammers.

I don't answer my phone if I don't know the number. In truth, sometimes I don't answer the phone if I know the number. Seniors, however, are more likely to return a missed call. The charges are significant enough to have an impact on a monthly bill but in many instances the criminals are intentionally billing small enough amounts so that they will be less likely to arouse suspicion.

If you have a senior in your life who is relatively new to the wonderful world of cell phones and might be inclined to call back an unknown number please reach out to them about this. As is the case in many scams like this, seniors who find themselves victimized are unlikely to speak up. Our responsibility as loved ones is to be proactive in dealing with things of this nature. Let your senior know that they are not alone and give them the knowledge they need to protect themselves.

Monday, January 27, 2014

Rejecting The Trajectory of Aging


One of my absolute, all-time favorite movies is American Beauty. If anyone who reads this hasn't seen the academy award winning film just call me and I can quote it for you to save you the cost of renting it. It is just that good. There is one scene in particular which has grown on me over time. In this scene, the main character is narrating a segment of the film and states "It's a great thing when you realize that you still have the ability to surprise yourself."

I didn't really understand the insight of that sentiment when I heard it. It didn't make my top 10 list of quotable moments from the movie. However, as I have begun to approach the mid-way point in my life I have increasingly found those words a haunting refrain.

There is a natural trajectory to each life; a goal, a dream, a picture of what fantastic adventures await. As time goes by, it seems that our dreams become smaller. We begin to feel that we are running out of time. To save face for ourselves, we couch our retreat in kind ways of expression. We say that our dreams are now "more manageable" but that is just a palatable way of saying that we no longer think we can reach the original ones. The sad reality is that somewhere inside there is a part of us that is giving up a little more every day. I can't do that anymore. I'm too old for that. That's not possible. The downward portion of our trajectory has begun.

Many fight it. Men buy fancy cars or leave their wives. Women go back to college to restart the career they put on hold to raise a family. All while onlookers joke about their rebellion against Father Time using terms like 'mid-life crisis.'

All who know me are aware that over the last six months I have become one of those brainwashed Crossfit people. I have thrown myself into a sport full of heavy weights and high intensity. I have turned a blind eye to my supposed age and looked instead towards a new reality. Many days after a particularly grueling workout, I come home to a handful of Advil and an ice pack. My wife will worry about me and ask "Should you really be lifting that?" and "Is that really safe for someone YOUR age?" Her reaction is a completely understandable one. What she can't see is that behind all the sore muscles and groaning I have never felt more alive.

This weekend I actually competed in my first Crossfit competition. In most Crossfit workouts, there comes a moment when you reach the end of what you think is physically possible. This is the point where the community of Crossfit athletes rallies around you and encourages you to reach further, push harder, and keep going. In a competition, the stakes are higher due to the sheer number of workouts an athlete is asked to do in a single day. Nervous for weeks leading up to the event, I worried that when that moment came I might reach into the tank and find it empty. "It is a great thing when you realize that you still have the ability to surprise yourself." I didn't win the competition this weekend. For someone as competitive as I am that may seem to be a disappointment. Yet I walked away happy to the point of tears with my 22nd place finish. This weekend I actually competed in my first Crossfit competition.

Folks who typically read my blog may be asking themselves "What does this have to do with seniors and aging?" Nothing. And everything.  This weekend I feel as though I captured some water from the fountain of youth. I chose not to surrender to the downhill trajectory that life had already begun to create for me. I chose to live. At Home Instead Senior Care, that spirit is reflected in our mission as well. We are not simply a company that provides help for seniors living at home. We are an organization that dares seniors and their families to ask the question: What's next? We are driven by the desire that when seniors reach the point in their lives when everyone expects them to quit, that they will have not only the resources but also the courage to ask big questions and dream impossible dreams.

Are you saying that seniors should start doing Crossfit?

No, I am not saying that seniors should start doing Crossfit.

But then again...why not?



Friday, January 24, 2014

What To Do When They Don't Know That They Don't Know

http://www.schoolbusdriver.org/oldshots.html

Alzheimer's is a dark and cruel disease. It takes from people the one thing that they never consider losing: who they are. For most of our clients battling this disease, the decline is gradual. Over a period of years they become aware that their faculties are failing them more and more frequently. Things they used to know become harder and harder to recall and then vanish completely from their minds. While the toll exacted by this tragic final chapter to some lives' journeys is primarily taken on the life of the patient, the painful difficulties it presents for surrounding loved ones can be equally heartbreaking.

Ronald Reagan once joked about his own diagnosis. "The nice thing about Alzheimer's disease is that you meet so many new friends." This cheerful disposition is not uncommon. For many, the disease begins as nothing more than an increasing forgetfulness; easily to explain and comprehend. For others, there is no awareness of what is happening. These individuals present the greatest challenge to their families in a multitude of ways.

One of our clients who passed away from complications of this disease was a friend of mine.  He was a man with an amazing intellect who, to the very end, could recall intricate details of some aspects of his amazing life. However, he couldn't tell you where his wife was. The fact that she died some ten years before was lost to him. Each day he would ask for her. Each day his family was faced with a cruel dilemma. They could either lie to their father or tell him the truth. While telling him the truth seemed to be the right thing to do, doing so meant that he would relive the tragedy of losing his partner of 45 years. Each time he was told was the first time he heard the news. Eventually, his family got into the habit of just telling him that she had gone out to the store and would be back in a few minutes. His memory of her never waited that long.

For an Alzheimer's patient, truth is relative. There is no right or wrong answer. For an Alzheimer's patient, life exists increasingly in the here and now. Our challenge as family members and loved ones is to attempt to join them wherever they are in that journey. We train our caregivers with that goal in mind. The objective of every day is not to bring a client up to speed on current events. We do not seek to heroically pull someone from the jaws of Alzheimer's. Moments of radical clarity will happen occasionally and we celebrate them when they present themselves. But for all the other moments, for the rest of the days, our goal is to figure out where a client is and meet them there.

When a 93yr old woman tells me on a cold January morning that she needs to get her shoes on, her lunch packed and her backpack ready so that she doesn't miss the bus to school, my challenge should never be to convince her that the bus is not coming. My challenge should be to figure out how to get on that bus with her, even if only in her mind.


Wednesday, January 22, 2014

A Letter From A Mother To Her Daughter (by Guillermo Peña)

The following letter was reportedly penned by Guillermo Peña, and translated to English by 
Sergio Cadena. We understand that the photo is also by Mr. Peña. Enjoy!

http://www.dementiajourneys.com/wp/2013/04/30/a-letter-from-a-mother-to-her-daughter/

“My dear girl, the day you see I’m getting old, I ask you to please be patient, but most of all, try to understand what I’m going through. If when we talk, I repeat the same thing a thousand times, don’t interrupt to say: “You said the same thing a minute ago”… Just listen, please. Try to remember the times when you were little and I would read the same story night after night until you would fall asleep.

When I don’t want to take a bath, don’t be mad and don’t embarrass me.
Remember when I had to run after you making excuses and trying to get you to take a shower when you were just a girl?

When you see how ignorant I am when it comes to new technology, give me the time to learn and don’t look at me that way… remember, honey, I patiently taught you how to do many things like eating appropriately, getting dressed, combing your hair and dealing with life’s issues every day…

The day you see I’m getting old, I ask you to please be patient, but most of all, try to understand what I’m going through.

If I occasionally lose track of what we’re talking about, give me the time to remember, and if I can’t, don’t be nervous, impatient or arrogant. Just know in your heart that the most important thing for me is to be with you.

And when my old, tired legs don’t let me move as quickly as before, give me your hand the same way that I offered mine to you when you first walked.

When those days come, don’t feel sad… just be with me, and understand me while I get to the end of my life with love.

I’ll cherish and thank you for the gift of time and joy we shared. With a big smile and the huge love I’ve always had for you, I just want to say, I love you… my darling daughter. “

Original Text in Spanish and Photo by Guillermo Peña. Translation to English by Sergio Cadena

Tuesday, January 21, 2014

DJ Jazzy Jeff and The Fresh Prince

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Panasonic-RX-4940-Boombox-AM-FM-Portable-Radio-Cassette-Tape-Deck-Vintage-80s-/121251197923


I remember sitting by my boom box waiting for a certain song to come on the radio. I had to be right there when it played so that I could press record on cassette deck. My mission was to make the perfect Halloween mix tape and I desperately needed Nightmare on My Street by DJ Jazzy Jeff and The Fresh Prince.

I remember the phone in our kitchen had a cord on it.

I remember helping my dad use a paper map to navigate on family vacations.

I remember buying a koosh ball.

I remember not having an ipod.

I remember not having an iphone.

I remember not having a remote control for our ONE television.

Dark days my friends.

Right now, Home Instead Senior Care has several clients who are more than 90 years old. Whenever I visit with them, I am fascinated to hear their perspectives on the changes they have seen take place during their 90+ years of life. Even as I look at my own relatively short life journey, I am astounded by all of the things that are completely foreign to my children and wonder what innovations their lives will see.

Last week, Google announced an amazing new concept they are developing. The "Google Lens" is a  contact lens that will monitor glucose levels for diabetes patients and automatically transmit those results once per second to prevent having to ever prick another finger. The antennae they have developed is thinner than a human hair. There is even a possibility that an LED light implanted in the device will begin to blink if levels drop below a certain point. Unreal.

There are a multitude of hurdles which will need to be overcome before this futuristic idea becomes a reality. But it is still amazing to consider the concept and dream of what the next big thing will be.

For more information on the Google Lens concept click here.

For anyone who wonders who DJ Jazzy Jeff and The Fresh Prince were click here.


Friday, January 10, 2014

It's Not Too Late for Resolutions! 3 Easy Steps to Reach Your Goals in 2014

heidipowell.net/tag/smart-goals/

Today is January 10th. At this point, 25% of the millions of people who made resolutions for 2014 have already failed in their quest. For the remainder, defeat is a statistical certainty that most will face sooner rather than later. A recent study by the University of Scranton also points out the part that age plays in this annual game. According to their research, 49% of people in their twenties will attain their goals for the coming year while only 14% of people over the age of fifty will find that success. Personally, I feel that if I had the same amount of time and lack of real responsibilities as I did when I was only 20 then my odds would certainly improve; if I could turn back time, if I could find a way. I digress.

So what can be done at this point?

I would start by encouraging you to scrap conventional thinking about resolutions. Resolutions don't have to start on January 1st. They don't have to start on a Monday. They don't have to take all year. Resolutions will look completely different for each person if they are set up properly.

Here are my three simple steps for setting resolutions and achieving great things in 2014:

1. Make It a Good One-
There are about a zillion articles floating around the blogosphere about setting good resolutions and most of them circle around a principle known as "S.M.A.R.T.." Your goals should be specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound. This is a great process for putting together any goal. The people who resolve to 'lose a bunch of weight' or 'be a better person' are setting themselves up for failure. A SMART version of those goals would be to 'lose 10lbs by April 1st' or to 'volunteer on the first Thursday of each month at the Durham Rescue Mission.' The more specific a goal is the more attainable it automatically becomes. Additionally, you will find that the process of developing a very specific resolution generates momentum to create an action plan to attain it.

2. Write It Down-
This is perhaps the easiest thing any person can do to improve their odds of success. Virtually every success manual on earth will tell you the same thing. People who write their goals down are FAR more likely to reach them. Furthermore, having written goals enables you to refer to them throughout the year. Once all the "New Year's Resolution" hub-bub has died down, being able to go back to the goals you set for yourself is an invaluable gift.

3. Phone a Friend-
Sharing your goals with a friend is a fantastic way to improve your chances of success in 2014. My advice would be to choose someone who is similarly committed to making a change in the coming year. Working with your accountability partner to set up monthly check-ins to stay on target will keep your resolve when the other 51-86% of people have fallen by the proverbial wayside.


Life moves quickly. The changing of the calendar gives us all an excellent opportunity to evaluate where we are in life. But good changes rarely happen by accident. Decide to live this year on purpose.