Posted on April 27th, 2011
When it comes to elder care, independence can be a difficult issue to address. While seniors might need assistance with their daily tasks, it is necessary as a care giver to allow each elderly person to keep his or her dignity as much as possible. According to Rye.Patch.com, the organization SPRYE, a New York-based non-profit that aims to assist elderly Sound Shore Medical Center residents in remaining independent as they age, has received a state grant to pay for its start-up costs. SPRYE credits State Senator Suzi Oppenheimer with assistance in obtaining the $10,000 grant.
“My hat is off to Sound Shores, Senator Suzi Oppenheimer and the State of New York for understanding the needs of their elder population and finding the funds to begin to take care of those needs,” said Deborah Dolan, Advocate on Aging. “The only problem I see is that $10,000 is a drop in the bucket for this huge issue. Not that I’d turn down $10,000 to help the elderly in any way, but there is a bushel basket of fast-growing needs to fill in order for seniors to remain in their homes and as independent as possible. I love volunteers and volunteerism; I hope some of our healthiest seniors who understand the needs of their peers will volunteer to help.”
Learn more about preserving dignity for seniors.
 Should other states follow New York's example to help seniors live independently?
Tags: advocate on aging, aging advocate, care givers, caregiving for seniors, deborah dolan, elder care, elder issues, gerentologist, gerentology, help for seniors, independence for seniors, Patch.com, Senator Suzi Oppenheimer, senior blog, senior care, senior living, SPRYE
Posted on April 11th, 2011
Deborah Dolan, the Advocate on Aging, and Kevyn Burger, host of the show, discuss the new film “Over 90 and Loving It.” The two also discuss what it means to have a positive attitude about your current stage in life. As Deborah points out, getting older doesn’t mean that you have to become sedentary! Life after retirement should still be a great part of your life.
Tags: advocate on aging, blog for seniors, care giver, deborah dolan, gerentologist, geriatric care, info for care givers, kevyn burger, life after retirement, love your age, over 90 and loving it, senior blog, senior olympics
Posted on December 6th, 2010
Some changes ahead in Medicare! Deborah Dolan, Advocate on Aging and Kevyn Burger, host of the show discuss Medicare Part D, the upcoming changes for your prescription drug coverage and help for looking at your coverage. There is only one time each year that you can make changes to your Part D plan. This year (2010) that time is November 15 through December 31.
Links from Podcast:
Senior Linkage Line – counselors to help choose the best policy for your Medicare Part D plan.
Medicare.gov – formularies plan finder to check for the best plan for you.
Tags: donut hole, eldercare podcast, enrollment period, Medicare, medicare donut hole, medicare enrollment period, Medicare Part D, medicare premium change, part d enrollment period, part d plan, podcast, senior podcast
Posted on November 29th, 2010
If you’re a caregiver, you know that it’s a full-time job. It can be even more difficult when you already have a full-time career and a family to raise. Many caregivers often realize that they can do a better job of taking care of their parents and elder family members with someone’s help.
Aging Advocate Deborah Dolan finds that many of the clients she works with are in a jam or a crisis situation. Many are looking for a neutral facilitator because parents don’t always want to hand over the power to their children, or they might feel as if they are not ready to do so. In order to get to the bottom of the situation to decide what’s best for everyone, Deborah recommends using a professional, non-biased facilitator to ask questions and lead problem-solving discussions. A facilitator will allow the adult child to remain as the parent’s child and not reverse the roles. Typically, Deborah finds that the elderly parents are more willing to listen to an outside resource rather than their own child.
“As a caregiver, you must be willing to take a stand and be honest with parents and elderly family members to let them know that you are concerned for their health and safety,” said Deborah. “You have to ask them to trust you and on occasion your judgment, and using a neutral facilitator can help families address important issues and answer necessary questions.”
Ask yourself if there are any unresolved issues that you need to take care of for an elderly family member. For example, have your elderly family members designated a medical directive and/or a power of attorney? Keep in mind that it is ideal for people to seek this help ahead of time instead of waiting until it is a crisis.
Posted on November 22nd, 2010
We’ve been hearing so much about health care reform how is it effecting the elderly population? Deborah Dolan and Kevyn Burger discuss the health care reform, changes in Medicare, the “donut hole”, resources for more information and help.
Links from Podcast:
Senior LinkAge Line – 1-800-333-2433
Free to call! The Senior LinkAge Line® can help simplify the complex issues and decisions you face every day as a senior, Baby Boomer, Medicare beneficiary, caregiver or someone trying to reduce their prescription drug costs.
Tags: affordable health care act, changes to medicare, donut hole, health care, Health Care Reform, healthcare, insurance donut hole, Medicare, medicare donut hole, Medicare Part D, medications for the elderly, Prevention, senior linkage line, the donut hole
Posted on November 9th, 2010
Who’s the caregiver in your family? Deborah Dolan, Advocate on Aging and Kevyn Burger, host of the show, talk about help for families, geriatric care managers and the sandwich generation. During the show, they invite client, Kari, in to talk about how care managers have helped her as the main care provider in her family.
Tags: advocate, advocate on aging, caregivers, crisis management for the elderly, elder care planning, elderly caregivers, elderly help, family caregivers, geriatric care manager, help for families, medical directive, power of attorney, preventative planning, senior help, the sandwich generation, transitional care
Posted on October 20th, 2010
With tightened airport security in the past several years, many rules have changed for airline passengers. Some of these changes can be quite an inconvenience, especially for elderly passengers. What about a passenger that needs to be on oxygen at all times? If not correctly prepared for traveling, airport changes could be dangerous to oxygen-dependent travelers.
If you or someone you know is planning to fly while on oxygen, here are a few tips courtesy of the Transportation Security Administration’s (TSA) website to keep in mind for a smoother travel experience:
- Discuss all plans for air travel with your doctor prior to booking your flight.
- Make arrangements for taking oxygen on board the plane before arriving at the airport. Notify the carrier when you make your reservation that you will need to use supplemental oxygen aboard the aircraft(s).
- Arrangements must be made for both departure and return flights separately.
- Note that not every airline offers supplemental oxygen service, or may not offer it aboard all types of aircrafts. Inquire whether: 1) the airline provides oxygen service, 2) it is available on the flights you wish to take, and 3) you must provide a doctor’s letter or permit them to contact your doctor directly to verify your medical need.
- Your oxygen equipment will need to be cleared by security. Ask your doctor if you can safely disconnect yourself from your oxygen in order to have it inspected. If your doctor says that you cannot disconnect, inform security of this and ask for an alternate inspection process.
- Check the airline’s website or call the company directly if you have any other questions or concerns. Different airlines can have different procedures or rules for those flying with oxygen.
For more information, visit TSA’s website and you can also download the “Airline Travel With Oxygen” brochure for more answers.
Tags: advocate on aging, alternate inspection process for elderly, alternate inspection process for seniors, arrangements for taking oxygen on board the plane, elderly passengers, fly while on oxygen, flying with oxygen, oxygen-dependent travelers, senior passengers, supplemental oxygen service, tightened airport security
Tags: advocate, advocate for elderly, advocate on aging, advocating for elderly in their lives, advocating for elders, aging, deborah dolan, elder care, eldercare, geriatric care manager, geriatrics, human resources, kevyn burger, organizational development, senior care, senior life transitions, seniorcare
Posted on April 27th, 2010
The New York Times has added a regular feature called The New Old Age. It is an ongoing journalistic effort to help adult children, caregivers and seniors themselves understand the changing world of retirement, longevity and the life of elders. It is described as a blog about health, finances and relationships between parents and the adult children caring for them. The section continues to grow in popularity with readers. It aims to provide a place for readers as well as reporters to explore the challenges and delights of aging. It also updates readers on the ever-changing health care scene and helps them to navigate through it.
A recent article was headlined, “Why Hire a Geriatric Care Manager?” In it, the writer Jane Gross tells her personal story. She explained that she and her brother hired a geriatric care manager to assist with issues with their elderly mother. Ms. Gross confesses that at first, this felt like an extravagance, but that the care manager helped the adult children to resolve a series of complex problems to their satisfaction. She described the geriatric care manager as both a “blessing” and ”lifesaver.”
The article continues with comprehensive information on everything from what circumstances are most suitable to using a geriatric care manager to explaining how a geriatric care manager can be especially helpful for families that are separated by distance.
A geriatric care manager is not only able to help you with your questions but also creating a plan for the future. A geriatric care manager can be a great resource and help in the pre-planning stages of life for children who’s parents are nearing that turning point in age. They are there not only to help the aging but their children as well!
What would you look for in a geriatric care manager.
Posted on April 1st, 2010
In June 2002, I became a long-distance caregiver for an elderly aunt and uncle who live in Iowa 225 miles away from my Minnesota home. They were 82 and 84 and alone. Several years earlier they had asked me to be the executor of their estate, financial power of attorney and health care power of attorney designee to which I had agreed. When my aunt, the healthier of the two, was hospitalized with a life-threatening incident, I was called. As my aunt healed in the hospital, I found my uncle to be suffering from dementia. His macular degeneration added to his confusion and mine. It was quite apparent that his lovely wife of 50+ years had been covering up his changed behavior.
Eventually my aunt was released to transitional care and then to home; but, we were faced with a dilemma: caring for her husband was a contributing factor to her illness. My aunt needed time to heal and her husband needed care. After prolonged conversation, they agreed to go – kicking and screaming – to an assisted living facility. That was the beginning of five years of unhappy living. Today they are both in a long-term care facility, my uncle in a dementia unit and my aunt, also suffering from dementia, in a general care wing. My aunt is still resentful of each day of life. They have spent the last five years living the life someone else chose for them.*
During this time, my own parents were aging. True to form, they were planning and preparing for the future. When they sold the family’s acreage, they threw a party providing the family an opportunity to say good-bye to a home filled with memories and love and lots of food. We all gathered on a weekend to share stories, shed tears and laughter. The next weekend we returned to move our parents into their new apartment. We never returned to the acreage; we didn’t need to. We had closed the door on the past.
Since that move my parents have chosen to move again and currently live near me in Minnesota. It was their decision again. They thought they needed to be closer to my sister and myself so “if something happened” it wouldn’t be a hardship on us. They wanted to be near their grandchildren and great-grandchildren. But more importantly, they wanted to live their lives the way they chose not as someone else decided for them. After all that’s the way they’ve lived their 65 years of marriage having wed at the early ages of 15 and 18. They are now settled into a continuum of care community where they are heavily involved in life. They play cards and dominoes; they volunteer at the delicatessen and anywhere that’s needed; and they sign up for almost every social event offered.
My father made the statement that he believes he is happier than he has ever been in his life. My mother commented that she couldn’t imagine returning to small town living now that they have experienced the excitement of the “big city.” At 80 and 82, they feel life has been good to them. It has been, and they helped plan it that way.
During their transition, I changed careers. I left my position as a corporate trainer and founded a geriatric care management company. The lessons I have learned from the experiences of these two couples taught me volumes about aging and the stress on caregivers. I continue to tell these stories of creating a plan for living before life creates a plan for you. Thinking about the future doesn’t insure a life exactly as planned, but it can provide a valuable roadmap to those given the loving opportunity to care give.
- I wrote this story several years ago in response to a story on the late night news. Since that time both my aunt and uncle have passed away. My uncle passed quietly in 2008 following an ice cream cake celebration of his 89th birthday and their 72nd wedding anniversary. My aunt passed away peacefully in 2009.
Tags: care giving, caregiver, caregiving, geriatric care management, long-distance caregiver, long-distance caregiving, long-term care, Planning, power of attorney, roadmap, stress on caregivers, transition
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