Wisdom Wednesday: Aging Wisdom's Podcast

The systems that families encounter as they help a loved one navigate health and memory changes are dysfunctional.

As Aging Life Care Professionals, aka Care Managers, we work within these systems daily -- healthcare, housing, long-term care, legal, financial, local supports -- and support families as educators, interpreters, guides, and advisors.

Making the best decisions on behalf of a loved one can be overwhelming and made more complicated by these systems. Care managers are here to assist in translation, bring clarity, and turn discouragement and defeat into hope!

How Can a Care Manager Help?

• What is Long Term Care? (downloadable fact sheet)
• The Toughest Conversation: Retiring the Keys (downloadable fact sheet)
• Helping feuding families achieve harmony (podcast)
• Burnout Can Happen to Anyone (downloadable E-book)
• The Dance: Finding Balance with Helping an Aging Parent (Aging Wisdom blog)

Could you benefit from the guidance of a Care Manager and live in the greater Seattle area?  Click here to schedule a free get acquainted call and to determine together whether our services are a good fit for your needs.

Looking for a Care Manager outside the Seattle area? Click here.

This is an excerpt of a longer conversation between Laura Vaillancourt on her Life on Repeat podcast and Lisa Mayfield, Aging Wisdom's founder and principal.

Thanks for listening! Follow us on Facebook and LinkedIn. 

As Amy Cameron O'Rourke reflects in her book The Fragile Years: "Most adult children are poorly prepared for the life-changing events that send their once-independent parents and loves into the fragile zone." (p. 15)

Our role as Care Managers, at its core, is to meet family caregivers where they are, be in relationship with them, and support them on the journey. 

It's not unusual for families to experience a roller coaster of emotions.  And we are experienced and knowledgeable on how to be with families and help them navigate these ups and downs of caring for an aging parent.

This bite-sized podcast was part of a long conversation between our founder & principal Lisa Mayfield with Laura Vaillancourt for her "Life on Repeat" podcast. Repurposed with permission.

Resources and Links

• The Dance: Finding Balance with Helping an Aging Parent  (Aging Wisdom blog article)
• Self-Care is Not Selfish: It's Essential for Family Caregiver Well-Being  (Aging Wisdom blog article)
• The Fragile Years: Proven Strategies for the Care of Aging Loved Ones by Amy Cameron O'Rourke
• What We Carry. A Memoir by Maya Shanbhag Lang

Thanks for listening! Follow us on Facebook and LinkedIn. 

Every business has an origin story. Here's ours: Lisa Mayfield, our founder and principal, shares here how she came to understand the challenges of dementia from an early age.

Later, as a Girl Scout earning her Gold Award, Lisa spent time with two residents at a local assisted living community. Lisa cherishes the memory of those relationships and how they continue to impact her affinity for and work with older adults.

Everyone at Aging Wisdom shares similar stories. For us, this is heart work <3

This episode of Wisdom Wednesday is part of a longer conversation with fellow Aging Life Care Professional Laura Vaillancourt, on her Life on Repeat: A Dementia Caregiver Podcast.

ADDITIONAL INSIGHTS

• Why I Became An Aging Life Care Professional by Harisa Paco
• What is an Aging Life Care Manager?
• Proactive Planning: Draft a road map that helps you prepare for the future

Thanks for listening! Follow us on Facebook and LinkedIn. 

Finding Balance. As Lisa shares, part of the process of helping your parent is assessing the landscape and determining if their living situation is really a crisis and requires you to act? Or is there something you can do to make their home safer; an opportunity to insert a little bit of help, starting small?  

One suggestion Lisa makes is to ask your parent directly: "How will we know when it’s time for you to move? What will be the signs for us that it is no longer safe for you to be at home?”

This approach is open-ended and less confrontational.

Be patient and listen, truly listen. These simple yet straightforward questions might be the beginning of some wonderful communication and collaborative planning.

Helpful resources and reading:

• The Dance: Finding Balance with Helping an Aging Parent (Aging Wisdom blog post)
• Seven Signs an Aging Loved One May Need Help (Aging Wisdom blog post)
• Know Your Options: The Pros and Cons of Living at Home as You Age (Aging Wisdom blog post)
• What is Long Term Care? (a downloadable Aging Wisdom fact sheet)
• Six Hidden Cost to Caring for an Aging Loved One (a downloadable Aging Wisdom EBook) 
• Engage a Care Manager. Aging Wisdom Care Managers are experts in aging and helping individuals and families prepare for and navigate options for aging, caring, and living well. You can schedule a free get-acquainted call with us by clicking here. 
  • If you live outside the greater Seattle area, you can check the Aging Life Care Association, our professional association, for a care manager in your area by clicking here.

Thanks for listening! Follow us on Facebook and LinkedIn. 

What is an Aging Life Care Professionals (aka Care Managers)? In this podcast, Lisa Mayfield provides a snapshot of how we help individuals and families navigating options for aging well, caring well, and living well.

• Meet our colleague Harisa Paco: Why I Became an Aging Life Care Professional
• Who are Aging Wisdom's Aging Life Care Professionals? Read more.
• To learn more about Aging Life Care, click here.
• What are Aging Wisdom's services? Download our Services brochure.
• Schedule a free, get-acquainted call with Aging Wisdom to determine together whether our services are a good fit for your needs.
• Don't live in the greater Seattle area? Find an Aging Life Care professional near you.

This was an excerpt of a long conversation that Lisa Mayfield, our found and principal, had with Dr. Jane Tornatore, and Joanie Parsons or RevelEleven. You can listen to their enriching discussion HERE. 

Thanks for listening! Follow us on Facebook and LinkedIn. 

Waiting for a crisis. You’ve tried everything to help your parents and nothing has worked. Sometimes you must wait for a crisis to happen before you can make changes. Geriatrician Leslie Kernisan refers to this as “watchful waiting.” In the meantime, you continue to monitor the situation. You stay engaged with your parents but pull back on suggestions. This is an opportunity for you to get better educated about resources, supports, and options ahead of a change or crisis. 

Where to begin? 

• Online resources can be overwhelmingly abundant. One positive place to start is Better Health While Aging, a website started by geriatrician Leslie Kernisan, MD, MPH. Dr. Kernisan understands the landscape of aging, how it impacts families, and offers a comprehensive overview of topics and common concerns. She’s also co-written a book – When Your Aging Parent Needs Help – that you may find helpful.
• Engage a Care Manager. Aging Wisdom Care Managers are experts in aging and helping individuals and families prepare for and navigate options for aging, caring, and living well. You can schedule a free get-acquainted call with us by clicking here. 
  • If you live outside the greater Seattle area, you can check the Aging Life Care Association, our professional association, for a care manager in your area by clicking here.
• Cost of Long-Term Care. The Genworth Cost of Care Survey is a great place to start to understand the potential cost of long-term care in your parents' geographic area. The cost of that care varies based on care setting, geographic location of care and level of care required, among other things.
• Support groups can be a great place to start. If your parent has dementia, for example, the Alzheimer’s Association likely has a family caregiver support group in your area. Most groups are virtual now due to the COVID pandemic. Many community and senior centers, as well as healthcare systems offer support groups as well. The insights of others on a similar journey are invaluable. 
• Your local library. In addition to books and other resource materials, many libraries offer classes and activities. Check the events board or calendar for specifics.

Thanks for listening! Follow us on Facebook and LinkedIn. 

Shift your perspective. If your parent is regularly experiencing memory changes, it's unlikely they  have insight that they need help, won't accept support, and are unwilling to make changes.

This is where you need to shift your perspective and determine if your parent is able to make that decision anymore, or if this is a decision you're going to have to make on their behalf.

You can approach the discussion initially by framing it in the future.  As Lisa suggested in this podcast, you can start by saying "Dad, you're 101, and it's likely you'll need help someday. I just want to know how I can best support you. I think it's important that we understand what's available so we'll be prepared when that time comes."

This might be the right time to bring in a care manager. In addition to helping identify the appropriate resources, a care manager understands the needs of older adults and their families, and can advise on options and supports for now and for the future.

Here are some resources you may find helpful:

• Seven Signs An Aging Older One Needs Help a downloadable checklist
• What Is Long Term Care? a downloadable resource guide
• What's in an Alzheimer's test? from the Aging Wisdom blog
• Should I Move Mom? a free online course at Aging Wisdom University

Thanks for listening! Follow us on Facebook and LinkedIn. 

How can a Certified Care Manager (AKA Aging Life Care professional) help a client, their family and supports after a fall? 

A Care Manager is an essential tool in a client’s and their family’s toolbox of resources and supports.

The many systems that clients and their families encounter while garnering care and support -- be it at home, in a retirement community, or a hospital or clinical setting -- can be daunting and filled with barriers, U-turns, and the unexpected. 

Care Managers understand this. We can anticipate, plan for, and avert a lot of the challenges. We also know how to ask the right questions, communicate with allied professionals, and advocate on behalf of clients. 

We are adept at and deal with these situations every day. 

In this podcast, our colleague Sheila McKannay provides a snapshot of the many ways a Care Manager can offer guidance, coordination, crisis intervention, and most importantly, peace of mind. 

RESOURCES

·      What is Aging Life Care? – fact sheet

·      The Dance: Finding Balance When Helping an Aging Parent – article 

·      Aging Wisdom’s Services brochure – downloadable 

Thanks for listening! Follow us on Facebook and LinkedIn. 

From experience, we know how important it is to get our eyes, ears, and feet checked at least annually. If you notice anything out of the ordinary, such a change in your vision, tingling in your legs, feet, and toes, or a challenge with hearing, it’s imperative you schedule an appointment with your primary care physician, podiatrist, and/or ophthalmologist.

There can be a ripple effect if we aren’t careful. Vision, hearing, and foot care all play key roles in health maintenance and fall risk prevention.  Our eyes, ears, and feet also support our ability to get regular exercise. And regular exercise can contribute to so many positives: strength, balance, overall well-being, appetite, mental acuity and cognition, a good night’s sleep.

Other things that could contribute to fall risk?:

• Trouble sleeping that could lead to tiredness, lack of focus. This article on Increasing concentration and focus may be helpful.
• Medications – review possible side effects of each prescription and supplement; be careful about drug interactions (known as polypharmacy)
• Alcohol consumption – too much alcohol can contribute to falls; also, be cautious about alcohol consumption and medications. 
• Alcohol can also contribute to dehydration. 
• Dehydration – are you getting enough fluids? Dehydration can result in numerous problems such as light-headedness, constipation, lethargy.  This article on Hydration by our colleague Juliet may be helpful. 
• Assistive devices being used incorrectly or not being used when they should
• Uncomfortable or ill-fitting shoes; shoes with slippery soles. 
• Foot problems not being addressed. Foot care and finding the right shoes can help considerably with balance, walking comfort, and physical activity.
• Safety risks immediately within and outside your home setting. A Care Manager can provide a consultation and risk assessment of your home, and even help with home modification and maintenance recommendations. This article on Aging in Place should help you plan. This article on Age-friendly exteriors may prove insightful as well.

Who to engage in minimizing falls:

• Health care professionals such as your primary care physician (PCP), eye doctor, and foot doctor
• This includes your pharmacist, who may have insights on drug interactions and side effects. (Preventing Falls: 10 Types of Medications to Review if You’re Concerned About Falling)
• When recommended, a Physical Therapist  or Occupational Therapist
• Doctor-approved or -recommended exercise program online, at a community or senior center, or regular walks with friends
• And Aging Life Care expert (aka Care Manager); we can provide a home safety assessment, recommendations on home modification, and consultation to ensure safety and risk prevention measures are implemented.

Curious about what a home safety assessment provides? You can schedule a free get-acquainted call with one of our Certified Care Managers to get the conversation started. Click here to schedule a call today!

Thanks for listening! Follow us on Facebook and LinkedIn. 

How Your Healthcare Provider & Pharmacist Can Help with Falls Prevention

Health care providers have our best interests at heart. They help us maintain good health and overcome or manage a health condition. Being open and honest with them is important. If they don't know about something, they can't help us. 

Talk with your doctor if you:

• have a concern about your balance
• aren’t feeling as well as you usually do 
• have concerns about the medications and supplements you're taking
• have had a stumble and you’re afraid of a fall 

Remember your primary care physician is there for you, to help you.

Our colleague Sheila McKannay, Certified Care Manager, offers insights and encouragement about partnering with your health care provider and pharmacist to address overall health, any concerns we may have, and how to engagement them in assessing and lower our risk of a fall. There are several health-related issues that might concern you, be it blood pressure, poor balance, medications and their side effects, use of assistive devices, knee and foot pain. But your primary care physician can help ease concerns and help with a plan forward. 

Team with healthcare professionals (this may also include a referral to a Physical Therapist) to improve balance, strength, and endurance. Falls prevention truly is a team effort. 

Physical activity and movement are good for us physically, mentally, and socially. Engage friends and family involved. Spend time outside, get some fresh air and Vitamin D. Don’t forget your senior or community center as a value resource for programs and supports to keep you fit, motivated, and engaged. This can all add to our well-being and minimize our risk of falls. 

Not sure where to start? Schedule a consultation with one of our Certified Care Managers. CLICK HERE to schedule a free, get-acquainted call. 

RESOURCES

• Preventing Falls: 10 Types of Medications to Review if You’re Concerned About Falling - Better Health While Aging website blog article
• Enhance Fitness
• Northshore Senior Center – YouTube channel – yoga 
• Seattle Parks and Recreation Lifelong Recreation 
• Check your local senior or community center, or Y for classes!

Thanks for listening! Follow us on Facebook and LinkedIn.