Yes, I Am a Total Nerd.

I have never shied away from my identity as a nerd. My wife enjoys teasing me about many of the idiosyncrasies that comprise this peculiar person that I am. In high school, one of my best friends and I defiantly drove across the Texas desert with the sunroof open in my Saturn SC2, blaring the soundtrack to Apollo13 so loudly that one of the rear speakers blew out during the launch sequence. Rebels. I own, and have listened to frequently, John Tesh's Live at the Red Rocks album. Hardcore. Within the last twenty four hours, I have worked out to the pounding rhythms of Stephen Sondheim's Sunday in the Park With George. When I was a given a Sony Discman for my birthday many years ago, my first two CD purchases were Beethoven's 5th Symphony and Kenny G. (Ok I guess that one may have taken it a bit too far.) If my wife were contributing to this I have no doubt that she would have several descriptive scenarios to add. Regardless, I am in fact a nerd.

It stands to reason that I get excited about nerd things. For instance, Home Instead Senior Care has just launched an Alzheimer's and Other Dementia app for iphone users which is AMAZING. As you may or may not know, September is World Alzheimer's Awareness Month and we have been out doing our best to educate the masses. Our family caregiver educational program not only highlights the different types of dementia but prepares families for "real world" situations that they face each and every day. While it may be frustrating to listen to someone with dementia tell the same story over and over again we found that most of our families really just needed help with things like getting their loved one to take a bath. This new app is beautifully organized to give families quick information when they are facing difficult behaviors. The situations are all laid out by category and contain quick tips and suggestions when those difficult moments arise. Additionally, there are great opportunities to leave feedback, encouragement, and tips of your own for other caregivers who are facing some of the same challenges.

This app is an extension of a new book, Confidence to Care: A Resource for Family Caregivers Providing Alzheimer's Disease or Other Dementias Care at Home, which was written by my good friend Molly Carpenter. Molly has been at the forefront of Home Instead's pioneering work on Alzheimer's education. It is exciting to be a part of a company that is not only putting out phenomenal free resources in the fight against Alzheimer's but also to be a part of a company that recognizes the many different vehicles which must now carry information to the public. Nerds everywhere rejoice! There's now an app for that.

Senior Fraudsters Arrested in Our Area

Ten people are in jail in Raleigh/Durham for defrauding seniors after being arrested as a part of "Operation Nail It", a task force targeting con-artists who victimize seniors by pretending to do home repair work. Earlier this year, Home Instead Senior Care put a number of resources out into the community as a part of our campaign to help prevent senior fraud. In home repair scams, a serviceman will typically come directly to the home unsolicited and point out some repairs that desperately need to be completed. They will usually demand payment up front for the "services" but in actuality the only service they provide is the removal of funds from a victims bank account. Hear one senior's tragic tale of fraud below:

http://abclocal.go.com/wtvd/story?section=news/local&id=9188886

For tips on how to protect the seniors in your life from con-artists like this go to: www.protectseniorsfromfraud.com

Low Testosterone Shown To Increase Risk For Parkinson's

In a recent study, a drop in the testosterone levels of male mice caused them to manifest symptoms that appear to be very similar to those found in Parkinson's Disease. Male testosterone levels typically peak in the mid-30's and then decline around 1% each year thereafter. The decline can be made more sudden by other factors such as stress or other life events. Low testosterone has also been linked to an increased risk for Alzheimer's. Given that men are already known to be 1.5 times more likely to develop Parkinson's, the link to lower testosterone levels seems to make a lot of sense.

http://www.medicaldaily.com/articles/17863/20130728/mouse-study-shows-link-between-low-testosterone.htm

China Mandates That Children Care For Their Parents.

The People's Republic of China made waves recently by enacting "The Law of Protection of Rights and Interests of the Aged." Among other things, this law mandates that children visit their parents regularly in order to provide for their financial and spiritual needs. Senior issues are an area of critical concern for China. Currently, they have approximately 185 million people over the age of 60. By 2050, the elderly are predicted to account for more than a third of the entire population. Read more about it below.

http://www.cnn.com/2013/07/02/world/asia/china-elderly-law/index.html?iref=allsearch

The Difficult Choice of Caring At Home

Yesterday, NPR ran a segment entitled “The True Cost of At-Home Caregiving.” The article brilliantly paints a portrait of what our clients and their families face each and every day. For many years, the accepted norm with regards to aging was that seniors would move in with their families when they were unable to live by themselves without assistance. Then the culture shifted. Parents began to place their children into daycare facilities and mother’s day out programs so that they could free themselves to pursue the all-important American dream. In return, when those parents aged, it became customary for their children to place them into nursing homes and facilities. As my father is fond of saying, “We placed our kids in institutions as soon as they were old enough so that we could be free to live our lives. Why are we surprised that, now that we are older and need assistance, they aren’t hesitating to return the favor?” However, the pendulum has swung back the other way. More and more families are making the difficult decision to move an aging parent into their homes and provide care themselves. This is due in no small part to the tremendous rise in the cost of caring for a senior in a facility. At first glance, a multi-generational living arrangement would seem to be a cost saver but, as any family caregiver will freely tell you, the cost is not always easy to see.
One of the things we recognize at Home Instead Senior Care, is the importance of the family caregiver. Many agencies address the needs of the client but largely ignore the person who many times needs our help the most, the family caregiver. It is one of my favorite questions to ask during an initial meeting. “How are you?” It is amazing to witness the reactions people have when they haven’t been asked that question in so long that they no longer know how to answer. Most of the time the family caregiver will deflect the question and continue to speak about the condition of their loved one. I ask again. “How are you?”
Caring for your loved one at home is a beautiful gift. It is also an extremely difficult task particularly where Alzheimer’s Disease or other dementias are present. Home Instead Senior Care can help. We work to give the respite care that families need on a short-term or recurring basis. We want daughters to be free to be daughters again.