Rock Your Retirement Show

Caring for someone (especially our loved one) with Dementia can be challenging.

Rick Topete is with us today to give us advice on how to take care of someone with Dementia. Rick's passion with seniors began way back when he was in high school.

He studied at St. Bernard High School where they visit local Senior Centers in Los Angeles. During his visit to Senior Centers, they would play cards, listen to old-time music, hear their great stories, put a smile on their face and let them know they mattered. In 2011, he had an opportunity at Silverado Care. Within the first year of taking the job, his Aunt was diagnosed with early onset of Dementia that made it “real” and really centered him on what this disease is.

Rick gives us some tips on how to take care of someone with Dementia.

* Keep the tone of your voice pleasant and soft.

* Sometimes, the noise can have an effect on someone with dementia.

* Gentle eye contact

* Stay away from negative words

* Change topic if needed

* Give simple choices

* Example, would you like to wear the red sweater or the blue sweater?

* Know their passion and help them use and maintain the remaining strength they have today.

* Celebrate their abilities and not focus on their limitation

* If a loved one has passed, be in the moment with them

Rick tells us it's all about understanding what their passion is, what's their past job, hobbies, etc. Once you get to know them better, you can use it to help them feel important. If you knew someone with Dementia and you know that he or she likes gardening, have him or her do gardening (with supervision, of course). It's all about not making them feel that they have a disease or that they are useless. What's important is that we make them feel that they matter, that they have a purpose.

“Give them the opportunity to live, understand what's in their heart, understand what's important to them.”

Even though the disease may be there it doesn't mean they can't live and still have that social involvement in living

each day.

Below are some links to support activities for Seniors, especially those with a Dementia diagnosis.

* http://www.activitymaterials.com

* http://www.seabaygame.com

* http://www.reminisce.com      **** Great “Old Time Magazine” that takes Seniors back covering the 30's to the 70's with stories of the day.

If you would like to contact Rick his phone number is 760-215-5517

This post about retirement and Retirement Lifestyle first appeared on http://RockYourRetirement.com

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Dr. Newton wants to educate people on how medications can cause dementia and how to avoid these medications.

The only thing worse than having Dementia is taking care of a loved one with Dementia.

Many people do not realize that a large number of medications can cause dementia.

Dr. Camille Newton is a home visiting physician. You may also know it has a traveling doctor or mobile doctor. It is such an important service for seniors that are not able to travel for doctor’s appointments. She focuses on minimizing medications, especially psychotropic pharmaceuticals to help senior’s brains stay healthier longer.

When medications are tested by the FDA to see if they are safe, they are not really tested to see if they cause brain failure.

While performing house calls she has seen the effect psychotropic medications have on people who take them for a long period of time.

Some examples of psychotropic drugs are:

* Antipsychotics including Risperdal  or Haldol

* Sedatives especially the benzodiazepines such as Ativan, Xanax, or Valium

* Anti-depressants

* Antihistamines

These are some pretty staggering and scary statistics!

According to Dr. Newton, Benzodiazepine use is associated with an increased risk of Dementia. Nearly tripling risk within 3 years. Quitting reduces risk over time, to only 10% increase in risk 3 years after quitting. Benzodiazepine use quadruples the risk of suicide in the elderly. In one study, Benzodiazepines and hypnotics increased suicide risk by 14 times.

Antihistamines can have the anticholinergic effect. This means some of them block a certain neurotransmitter called acetylcholine. This can have a detrimental effect on the brain over a long period of time. This includes Benadryl.

in monkeys, laboratory rats, and humans, the antipsychotics such as Haldol, showed a huge measurable shrinking of the brain within 8 weeks of use.

A person goes to the drug store and they have allergy symptoms. They could choose Claritin or Allegra (which are not anticholinergic) or they could choose Benadryl or Coricidin and end up with dementia within a few years.

Maybe Less is more?

Dr. Newton tells a fascinating story about “Pam” who is a rare case of dementia reversed by getting her off of her medications. Although she has had only a few cases of ‘total cure’, she's had numerous patients improve dramatically when their anticholinergics were stopped.  These medications are so dangerous to our brains, and yet there is no warning label.  Many of them are over the counter.

A lot of people ask Dr. Newton,”what CAN I take.” Her response is, don't look for something to take when you are having a problem. Don't look for a pill to solve your problem and question every medication you are given.

*Please note:  Neither the Rock Your Retirement Show nor the host, Kathe Kline provide medical advice.  Please consult your own practitioner about any healthcare issues that you have.

If you would like to reach out to Dr. Newton, her email is [email protected]

Today's Freebie, Medications that can cause Dementia, Can be found at http://rockyourretirement.com/Medications

Did you know medications can cause dementia? Are you or someone you love taking any of these? Tell us your story below in the comments

This post about retirement and Retirement Lifestyle first appeared on http://RockYourRetirement.com

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Are you too tired to Rock Your Retirement?

It’s hard to live a full life when you are too tired and feeling sluggish. So today, I have brought Diane Kusunose on the show. She talks about how methods she uses to help people increase their energy.

Diane Kusunose, P.T., is a certified Nutritionist and Biofeedback Practitioner. She offers unique evaluation technology and provides personalized solutions for improving health, well-being, and energy for all her patients. Diane is highly trained in Zyto Biofeedback Technology and Nutrition Response Testing. She specializes in organic nutrients, homeopathy, and herbal support for digestion, sleep challenges, and pain remediation.

Diane knew she wanted to be a physical therapist all the way back in High School. Her school had a super cool health careers program which provided her great opportunities to be what she wanted to be.

When she became a mother, Diane began using a more natural approach to take care of her children’s ailments like runny noses or injuries. She decided she was going to pursue natural means to take care of them.

We talk about her son who had warts all over his body and they just could not get rid of them. She took him to a homeopath and they put him on 3 homeopathic medications. A 1 ½ to a 2-year problem with warts was cured in just a few months. Well, Diane was hooked! She knew she had to learn more and took classes on homeopath.

“We live in an electromagnetic world”

Diane then took additional courses that taught her about electromagnetic frequencies and how to use those for treatment. Then enters Zyto Biofeedback system which is what she uses in her practice today.

Zyto Biofeedback…HUH? That's what I thought too but it is actually very fascinating!

Zyto Biofeedback is galvanic skin response which is very scientifically based. galvanic skin response is the same technology that is used in a polygraph test. In a polygraph test, you put your hand on a plate and someone interrogates you and it gives out central nervous system responses through the hand on a plate. The galvanic skin response in the Zyto is much the same. Diane goes into greater detail in the interview about what this is and how it works.

In her practice, Diane looks for what is blocking your vitality. What is making you too tired? What is causing you to lose sleep or just not feel yourself? She describes it as gathering puzzle pieces. She gets puzzle pieces from questions, nutrition response testing and Zyto Biofeedback. Using these tools, she puts the puzzle together.

Our bodies are so clever they can repair themselves if we don’t have things (Blocks) in the way.

There are 5 blocks in the body she looks for which are foods, chemicals, heavy metals, immune challenges, and scars.

We also talked about things such as:

* Nutritional response testing

* Elimination Diets

* Applied Kinesiology

* Muscle Testing

* Shuman Frequency

According to Diane, solutions are different for everyone. If you are feeling too tired to Rock Your Retirement, fatigued, depressed, or just not like yourself, she recommends you do your research and find someone to help you. Don’t give up and if one method or doctor doesn’t work, keep seeking.  She also encourages people to experience health practitioners who are natural based-minded and always seek your energy and your health.

If you would like to reach out to Diane or learn more her contact information is below

Phone: 760-420-5210

www.naturalbalancing.com

People, Places, and things mentioned in the interview

Learn Homeopathy Now

Yes, you can exercise too much!

Colette, a native of Ireland, moved to the US in her early 20’s and worked in finance for over a decade. She then discovered her passion for health and fitness and pursued a full-time career in this field. Moving to Nice, France in 2008 she opened a fitness and yoga studio. Colette was an avid competitor taking part in many sporting events including triathlons, marathons, and bike races. However, even with all her efforts, her health was not in a good place. Colette discovered she was training and exercising too much. She wasn't listening to the subtle signals her body was giving her.

In 2014, Colette took some time out to cleanse and reset her body. She underwent a 21-day cellular cleanse program in Bali with an Ayurvedic doctor and this is what changed her life personally and professionally. After the cleanse, she stayed in Bali and worked with the Ayurvedic Doctor and completed her studies to become an Ayurveda Wellness Counselor.

So obviously, my question was how on earth do you pronounce this and what is it?!

Ayur which translates to Life and Veda which translates to science so it is the Science of Life. It is all about a holistic approach to healing. It teaches people how to understand their own mind-body type and your own true nature. Colette brought up a good point too. Living in our modern world, we have all kind of gotten away from nature. Becuase of modern conveniences, we are all less in tune with mother nature.

Ayurveda teaches that everything in the natural world is made up of the five elements of nature which are: space, air, fire, water, and earth. These five elements form what are called three “doshas” or mind-body types.

What's Your Dosha?

VATA-Elements of space and air. Vata is all about movement and action like the wind. A Vata person is slim and slender, they generally have an oval face and small eyes. They may have dry skin or thin brittle hair. Just like the wind, they are always moving and walk and talk a  lot. The Vata person may forget to eat sometimes, run out of energy, or suffer from insomnia at times. Other characteristics include, gaps between teeth, deviated septum in their nose.

Vata's are very creative, imaginative, and always on the go. Vata's minds are always moving and this can cause difficulties in being grounded because they are always thinking ahead. They are born worriers and can feel anxious. Their slogan in life tends to be “Can I change my mind” because they tend to be indecisive. Vata's can be grounded with activities like slow yoga or meditation. Also grounding foods which are foods that are heavier and more comfort foods. If a Vata is out of balance they may have dryness in the skin, lips or hair.

PITTA– Made up of the elements fire and water. Pitta is all about the sun's heat and intensity.  A Pitta person would have a medium build with medium height and good strong muscles. They tend to have sharp features like their nose or chin, and also have intense eyes. Pitta's are also good speakers and make good CEO's and managers. They are goal oriented, productive, list makers, and always on time. Also, they can be witty, opinionated, critical of others and themselves. It is “my way or the highway” with a Pitta and they are competitive.

Pitta's will have a sharp metabolism and their digestion is strong. This means they get “hangry” a lot. When they are out of balance they tend to overheat. This can cause loose stools or diarrhea, rashes, bloodshot eyes, or headaches. They may also experience heartburn, acid reflux, anger, impatience, irritability, and jealousy. To “cool” the heat of a Pitta, you need a moderation in activity, less competition and less spice in their diet.

KAPHA– Made up of the elements water and earth. A Kapha person is well built with full, rounded features and a lot of times long, thick hair.

Does Mom need help but you are tapped out?

I brought Ann Butterfield to the show to explain how an Aging Life Care Manager can help you.

If you've heard the term “Geriatric Care Manager”, it's the same position.

Ann explained that a Care Manager actually quarterback's your loved one's care.  She deals with all of the people who care for your loved one.  This quarterbacking can include:

* A Life Care Manager manages the Caregivers.

* Doctors–going to doctor appointments, and facilitating communication between the family members, the doctor, and the client.

* Attorneys: Elder Law Attorneys, Estate Planning attorneys, and others need to interact with the client and family, and the care manager helps facilitate this.

* The Care Manager interacts with Trustees to meet the client's needs.

* Other Experts: care managers bring them in when necessary.

* Financial: including the accountant and Power of Attorney.  The Life Care Professional provides information on government benefits and assists the client in obtaining them where warranted.

* Housing options: Evaluation and selection of appropriate housing such as assisted living options or memory care.

* Family members:  Long Distance family members and others need help adjusting and coping with everyday concerns and conflicts that arise.

She told a story about “Betty” who was caring for her elderly mother.

When mom moved from Washington State to San Francisco, there was a lot to coordinate.  You might be in this situation yourself:

* You have a full or part-time job

* Children or grandchildren depend on you

* Someday you'd like to go out to lunch with a friend

When caring for a loved one, you've got to make phone calls (hundreds of them!), you've got to shop for yourself AND your loved one, you've got to coordinate with the caregivers. Not only that, but you also have to deal with doctor's visits, assisted living situations…the list goes on and on.

Aging Life Care™, also known as geriatric care management, is a holistic, client-centered approach to caring for older adults or others facing ongoing health challenges.

Working with families, the expertise of Aging Life Care Professionals provides the answers at a time of uncertainty. Their guidance leads families to the actions and decisions that ensure quality care and an optimal life for those they love, thus reducing worry, stress and time off of work for family caregivers through:

Assessment and monitoring

Planning and problem-solving

Education and advocacy

Family caregiver coaching1 

Ann was a nurse before she became a care manager, and it turns out that caregivers come from many backgrounds.  Many have had personal experience with family members and so discovered the need for these services.  

A Care Manager takes much of your burden, especially when you are out of the area.  

Ann can be reached at [email protected] or if you want more information on care managers in your area, go to https://www.aginglifecare.org/

This article was originally published on http://RockYourRetirement.com

* What you need to know, What You Need to Know, https://www.aginglifecare.

Angela Gentile gives us ways to improve memory skills.

Angela Gentile, M.S.W., R.S.W. has over 25 years of experience working with older adults and their families in a variety of capacities. She has worked in healthcare, private practice, long-term care, home care, and non-profits.

Angela has written a book, and a co-authored a mobile app, Dementia Caregiver Solutions. She is founder and manager of the LinkedIn Group, Gerontology Professionals of Canada and the Aging Well for Women Facebook page. She is currently employed full-time as a Geriatric Mental Health Clinician. She enjoys writing, traveling, photography and exploring what it means to age well.

Angela began working with older people at a very young age. She found she really enjoyed it and made a lifelong career. She is the “go-to” person if friends and family have questions regarding aging and it has also helped her with her own parents as they age.

All that accumulation of “stuff” doesn't matter anymore as we age. What matters most are the memories

According to Angela, it is very interesting to see what people are left with after 80 years of living. Sometimes they end up in one little room because they can't afford a house anymore, or they've lost their partner and they just don't need all that space.

Dementia

We talked about the various types of dementia which include:

* Alzheimer's which is the most common form

* Vascular Dementia which is the type that can most be prevented by healthy lifestyle choices

* Mixed Dementia which is Alzheimer's plus vascular combined

* Lewy Body

* Korsakoff's which can be caused by alcohol consumption

What are some ways to improve memory Skills?

* Pay Attention

* Form habits to help manage misplaced items

* Association or cues

* Learn it and store it correctly

* Keep Physically active. The brain needs oxygen to thrive and survive

Angela has provided a Freebie for my listeners. Five Strategies to Help Improve Memory Skills. This goes over these in more detail and can be found at http://rockyourretirement.com/MemorySkills

Books

Caring for a husband with Dementia: The Ultimate Survival Guide

A Book About Burnout: One Social Worker’s Tale of Survival

Contact information: Phone: (855) 974-4219  *  Email: [email protected]  *  Website: www.AngelaGGentile.com

Do you have tips on ways to improve memory skills? If you’d like to share your story with Angela and me, go to the show notes at Rock Your Retirement.com and leave a comment.  And you can talk with me and other listeners of the show in our private Facebook Community.  Just click on the community tab of the website.

This post about retirement and Retirement Lifestyle first appeared on http://RockYourRetirement.com

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Have you ever experienced vertigo? What are the causes of dizziness?

Dr. Kimberley Bell, DPT has been a Physical Therapist for nearly 15 years, and she specializes in helping people with dizziness.  She assesses and treats vertigo, dizziness, and imbalance in people of all ages.  She also helps with other issues thought to be related to aging as well.

I brought her on the show to talk about the causes of dizziness, and also some potential treatments that can help.

What is Balance?

You might have heard of the five senses. These five senses are hearing, taste, sight, smell, and touch.  But there is another sense that we don't talk about. That is the sense of balance.  Without it, you wouldn't be able to sit or stand upright because you wouldn't be able to tell which way “up” was.  And you couldn't tell where “here or “there” was.  Without a sense of balance, gravity, wouldn't mean anything.  It would be fair to say that without any sense of balance, life would be unimaginably disabling.1

Dr. Bell was a wealth of information, especially if you know someone, or you are personally experiences vertigo, equilibrium problems, or the like.

She told a story of a client who had experienced vertigo since she was 56 years old.  This person had CT scans, MRIs, and cardiac testing to try to find the causes of dizziness.

Dr. Bell did an assessment and found crystals in her inner ear.  BPPV, or Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo, occurs when a patient has crystals in her inner ear.  It's the most common cause of vertigo, which is that feeling of spinning that some people get.

This feeling is not life-threatening (unless you fall and hit your head!).  It comes on suddenly and is usually brief.  You can trigger BPPV when you hold your head a certain way or move your head a certain way.  And of course, its a type of vertigo, or a false sense of movement.

Oh, and by the way, it can sometimes be cured by the right therapist. As a matter of fact, Dr. Bell was able to solve her patient's problem (in the story above) in just a few visits.

Why can't my doctor find what my causes of dizziness are?

Many physicians don't know how to diagnose it, and they are also not trained in how to solve the problem.  Many don't know the causes of dizziness in their patients.

The difficulty of making the right vestibular diagnosis is reflected in the fact that in some populations, more than one-third of the patients with a vestibular disease consult more than one physician – in some cases up to more than fifteen.2 

Not only that but one recent large epidemiological study estimates that as many as 35% of adults aged 40 years or older in the United States—approximately 69 million Americans—have experienced some form of vestibular dysfunction 3  

Dr. Bell shares a story in her blog:  

Since February 21, the medical care that I have personally received has caused me to experience vertigo anytime I chew solid food. This was never a problem before.

Obviously, I’m not still working with that healthcare provider whose treatment worsened my symptoms, but recovering from the harmful results of the care that I received has taken me now over six weeks. My symptoms have been so bad that my husband has taken off work one or two days every week in order to take care of me.

If I didn’t have him, I’m sure I would’ve had to hire a caregiver by now! I’ve been living with mild to severe vertigo off and on since I was five years old, after my first childhood concussion.4 

Dr. Bell shares a lot of information in the episode.

One in three people over the age of 65 in San Diego have symptoms of dementia. Today we are talking about dementia symptoms.

Ana González Seda is the Program Director for the San Diego/Imperial Valley Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association.  Her position is instrumental in providing face to face and online education and programming for caregivers, people living with Alzheimer’s Disease and other dementias. Ana has been working in the non- profit sector for leading health organizations in San Diego for over 15 years.

I asked Ana to come on the show to tell us about dementia symptoms. If you have a parent or loved one that gets diagnosed with Alzheimer's, I  want you to know what to expect.

If you lose your keys, that is not a part of symptoms of dementia. But if you find them in the refrigerator, that could be a sign of dementia

What are the early signs and symptoms of Dementia?

* Memory Loss that disrupts daily life

* Challenges in planning or solving problems

* Difficulty completing familiar tasks at home, at work, or at leisure

* Confusion with time or place

* Trouble understanding visual images and spatial relationships

* New problems with words in speaking or writing

* Misplacing things and losing the ability to retrace steps

* Decreased or poor judgment

* Withdrawal from work or social activities

* Changes in mood and personality

If you would like a copy of our freebie, 10 Early Signs and Symptoms of Alzheimer's, go to http://rockyourretirement.com/dementia this gives more detailed information on dementia symptoms.

Contact information:  alz.org  * 800-272-3900- Master level consultants with extensive training regarding dementia. They can help with short term and long term planning.

If you are interested in learning more about Trial Match go to alz.org/trialmatch

This post about retirement and Retirement Lifestyle first appeared on http://RockYourRetirement.com

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I interviewed Hank Coleman on how we can avoid an unhappy retirement

Hank Coleman founded several popular personal finance websites such as Money Q&A, Own The Dollar, Military Money Might, The Dividend Pig, and many others.  He is a freelance writer. Hank focuses on personal finance topics such as savings, investing, retirement, and many other money topics. I asked Hank to come on the show to talk about his parents and how much they hated the reality of retirement.

It's never too early to plan for retirement

Hank has never spoken with his parents about their retirement, however, as an only child, who visits often, he can see that their retirement isn't as amazing as they thought it would be. His parents had a grandiose idea of what retirement would be like, but when reality set in, it wasn't as good as the dream they envisioned.  I talk with him about his parents' retirement over the past 10 years and what he thinks went wrong. For Hank, it was heartbreaking to watch.

So what are Hank's tips on how to avoid an unhappy retirement?

* Make sure your spouse knows your retirement dream. Many husbands and wives don’t talk to each other about what they want to do during retirement. Maybe they don’t want to do anything at all. Having a successful retirement starts with communication.

* If you can, plan a mini-retirement before you retire. Hank recommends taking a few weeks off and act like you're retired. Have you ever dreamt of writing a book during retirement? You may want to consider taking your idea for a spin. You’ll never know if you have what it takes to live the retirement of your dreams unless you try it out

* You need a plan for your retirement. Now isn’t the time to start winging it.  The key to a perfect retirement is to have a plan and share with your loved ones.

* Don't be too firmly rooted in your plan. Be open to flexibility as situations and circumstances do change

* Before you retire, you should look at how much money you’ll need in retirement. There are several useful online calculators that can show you a quick view of what your retirement will look like.

Contact information for Hank: Email: [email protected] * Website: http://moneyqanda.com

This post about retirement and Retirement Lifestyle first appeared on http://RockYourRetirement.com

Ted came onto my show as a guest to talk about stages of life, namely the 6 stages of retirement. Mr. Carr is a podcaster himself, with the show, Retirement Journeys, which discusses similar topics as this show, but he also includes financial topics on his show.

In case you're wondering, the stages of life (retirement life) include:

* Pre-retirement

* Retirement

* Disenchantment

* Reorientation

* Retirement Routine

* Termination of Retirement (death)

Ed was young (mid-50s) when he retired in 2010 from a biotech company in San Francisco.  Because so many people had asked him how he was able to retire so young he decided to take his story online.

Let's look at some of these stages of life that Ted went through:

Pre-retirement:

This is the time while you are working that you are saving and investing for the time when you will be able to stop working.  Ted did a good job at this, or he wouldn't have been able to retire in his mid-50s.  Many people don't plan far enough in advance, for whatever reasons, and so the other stages of life become more difficult for them.  However, that's not what the Rock your Retirement show is all about so we'll let you reach out to your financial adviser for help with this.

Retirement:

This is fun for most, but can be the shortest stage of life (retirement life) for many.  That's because it's really only a day, a week, a month, or six.  A retirement date.  The retirement stage of life is the party.  You may go out to dinner with your work buddies.  Or you might have a cake on your last day of work.  The parties, balloons, and dinners have become a rite of passage for our actual retirement date.

It can be a second “honeymoon” where you hike, garden, bicycle or create art.  Many people read or catch up on their yard work.

Ted took the “honeymoon” path when he first retired, and he describes this in his blog:

“After I retired in May 2010, I took the “honeymoon” path. In Retirement Journeys, I refer to this as “Arriving in Retirement”, a bridge from work life to retirement life. My wife and I moved from the Bay Area to Arizona in June 2010. Our first few months were spent settling into a new house and community. We had many home improvement projects to work on. We returned to the Bay Area frequently. When I look back at our calendar, I am reminded of the variety of ways that we spent our free time. We attended financial seminars, concerts, car auctions, baseball games and community-based meetings. In May 2011 we bought hybrid bikes and began riding once or twice a week”.1 

But there is only so much hiking, gardening, and bicycling you can do. So that led Ted to the next stage of retirement:

Disenchantment:

This is the letdown stage of life.  The honey moon is over.  It's when many retirees become depressed. They can feel lonely, bored, useless, and disillusioned.  When they were working, people returned their phone calls.  People respected them.  Now, in this stage, many feel disrespected.

It's this stage of life that the Rock Your Retirement show tries to help out.

Ted went through this stage too, as we discussed in the interview.  In 2011 he started worrying about whether he had made the right decision.  He didn't feel productive and started writing in his journal to vent. For many, when they hit this stage, marriage problems can ensue.And it was affecting Ted's marriage.  So he  looked at some preemptive steps:

* Volunteer

* Work

* Meetup

* Deeper Confrontation

Because Ted had started the look inward in this stage of life,