March is Brain Injury Awareness Month so “feed your head” and read about the causes of brain injury and what you can do to prevent them.

Serious risk for older adults: You don’t need to be a superhero to know that falls are the major cause of head injury in older adults. A common scenario - a senior loses balance and falls, resulting in a blow to the head. This type of injury is called a “concussion” or “traumatic brain injury” (TBI) and can range from mild to severe. Those 75 and older have the highest rates of TBI, recover more slowly and die more often from these injuries.

Caregiver alert: Statistically, most injuries will be mild and cause no permanent damage. But for those unlucky few, the results can be long lasting and require round-the-clock caregiving. More often in older adults, a simple spill can cause serious complications, like a blood clot on the brain. The senior may become confused or develop a severe headache, symptoms that may often be misdiagnosed.

Be aware – know the signs: If your senior has a head injury and develops any of these symptoms, call a doctor right away:

• Headaches or neck pain that won’t go away
• Trouble with mental tasks such as remembering, concentrating or decision-making
• Slow thinking, speaking, acting or reading
• Getting lost or easily confused
• Feeling tired all the time, having no energy or motivation
• Mood changes (feeling sad or angry for no reason)
• Changes in sleep patterns (sleeping a lot more or having a hard time sleeping)
• Feeling light-headed or dizzy, or losing balance
• An urge to vomit (nausea)
• Increased sensitivity to lights, sounds or distractions
• Blurred vision or eyes that tire easily
• Loss of sense of smell or taste
• Ringing in the ears

Fall prevention checklist: No need to bury your head in the sand - the best way to protect you and the elders you know is to prevent falls from happening in the first place. Here are some simple things you can do today to avoid falls:

• Use a step stool with a grab bar to reach objects on high shelves
• Install handrails on stairways
• Remove tripping hazards such as small area rugs and loose electrical cords
• Use non-slip mats in the bathtub and on shower floors
• Put grab bars next to the toilet and in the tub or shower
• Maintain a regular exercise program (try Tai Chi) to improve strength, balance, and coordination
• See an eye doctor regularly for a vision check – seniors often can’t see very well. Also provide better or more illumination like night lights, glow-in-the-dark light switches and bright light bulbs
• The wrong prescription drugs may cause dizziness - have a pharmacist review them for any possible interactions or other problems

For further info on preventing head injuries and falls, check out our checklist for preventing falls.

Filed under: AGIS, Alzheimer's, Caregiving, Checklist, Eldercare, Health & Safety | No Comments »

As a caregiver, you understand the unpredictable nature that comes with caring for your aging loved ones. With a demanding lifestyle and full agenda, family caregivers often lack the time to become properly trained in how to handle certain medical issues. However, it is crucial to become familiar with the risks associated with the leading disease in older generations: heart disease. Recent studies have suggested a link between heart disease and Alzheimer’s disease. In addition, one of the risk factors—Type 2 diabetes mellitus, or DM2—has been proven to triple the chances of developing Alzheimer’s. Fortunately, there is evidence that suggests targeting heart disease and diabetes risk factors can help prevent cognitive decline.

There is ongoing research to discover the link between diabetes and Alzheimer’s disease. Several factors other than heart disease are involved with the connection, including high blood glucose levels and abnormal insulin. High blood glucose levels have potentially toxic effects on the brain, leading to an increased chance of developing a brain disease. The high levels lead to the formation of excess free radicals, which ultimately leads to cell damage. Additionally, insulin abnormalities play a significant role in brain metabolism, learning and memory. Disturbances in the insulin signaling pathways to the brain may contribute to cognitive decline like that of Alzheimer’s.

Discovering a solution to this dilemma is not easy. The most imperative details to know are how to prevent your loved one from developing DM2. Basic ways of achieving this are through daily exercise, maintaining a healthy diet and lifestyle, and receiving regular screenings for diabetes. The most effective way to delay or prevent the onset of Alzheimer’s is by preventing the risk of diabetes and understanding the symptoms. While an aging parent’s cognitive decline cannot be entirely avoided, following these steps may greatly decrease the severity of the regression.

Check out the latest expert to join our site - Dr. Mindy of LightBridge.  Read her full article on the link between Alzheimer’s & Diabetes.  She’s also written another article on the link between cardiovascular health & Alzheimer’s disease.

Filed under: Alzheimer's, Health & Safety, Research | 1 Comment »

Voters in four states will head to the polls Tuesday as the presidential primaries continue. John McCain is the presumptive Republican nominee, and the Democratic field has narrowed considerably since we highlighted their health care plans. With two candidates still vying for the Democratic nomination, the focus on health care has increased. Caregiving, elder care and long-term care have yet to be the center of the discussion, however. We distill what caregiving specifics the Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama campaigns have provided in the plans they have released.

Clinton’s Positions

Caregivers
• promote innovative care management programs to help those with chronic diseases
• expand paid leave across the country through a new State Family Leave Innovation Fund
• extend the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) to cover 13 million additional American workers and guarantee workers at least 7 paid sick days per year
• prevent parents from being discriminated against because of their caregiving responsibilities

Long-term Care Options
• give more seniors the ability to access long-term care services where and when they need them, including in their homes
• provide a new Long-Term Care Insurance Tax Credit to make secure, high-quality insurance plans affordable
• stengthen our nursing and direct care workforce with a national system of background checks for long-term care workers and $125 million investment in Workforce Improvement Programs

Medicare
• reduce overpayments to private managed care plans and move toward a level playing field in the reimbursement of traditional Medicare and private managed care plans

Prescription Coverage
• allow Medicare to negotiate lower drug prices
• create a pathway for biogeneric drug competition
• remove barriers to generic competition
• provide more oversight over pharmaceutical companies’ financial relationships with providers

Obama’s Positions

Caregivers
• encourage team care that will improve coordination and integration of care of those with chronic conditions
• expand the FMLA to cover more purposes as well, including allowing workers to take leave for elder care needs
• allowing leave to be taken for purposes of caring for individuals who reside in their home for 6 months or more
• commit the government to enforcing recently-enacted Equal Employment Opportunity Commission guidelines on caregiver discrimination

Long-term Care Options
• give seniors choices about their care, consistent with their needs, and not biased towards institutional care
• reform the financing of long term care to protect seniors and families
• improve the quality of elder care, including by training more nurses and health care workers

Medicare
• reduce waste in the Medicare system, including eliminating subsidies to the private insurance Medicare Advantage program, and tackle fundamental health care reform to improve the quality and efficiency of our healthcare system
• closing the “doughnut hole” in the Medicare Part D prescription drug program
• require companies to send Medicare beneficiaries a full list of the drugs and fees they paid the previous year to help seniors determine which plans can better reduce their out-of-pocket costs and improve their health

Prescription Coverage
• allow the federal government to negotiate for lower drug prices for the Medicare program
• allow seniors to import safe prescription drugs from overseas
• prevent pharmaceutical companies from blocking cheap and safe generic drugs from the market

Both candidates have their entire health care plans available on their Web sites. To read the details of the Hillary Clinton health care plan, visit her “American Health Choices Plan” Web site. She has also outlined a “Standing for Seniors” agenda. For more information on the Barack Obama health care plan, visit his “Plan for a Healthy America” Web site. He also has a “Seniors & Social Security” section.

For additional informaton, the Kaiser Family Foundation has a Web site which serves as a resource for health policy information during the presidential election season. Among its features is a page dedicated to comparing all major presidential candidates’ health care plans. If you are in a state yet to hold a primary, familiarize yourself with these plans, as well as other issues facing our country, before casting your ballot. If you have already voted, visit the AGIS Forums and start a discussion about your candidate’s position on the caregiving issues important to you.

Filed under: Caregiving, Elder Issues, Eldercare, End of Life Issues, Long Term Care, Medicare, Politics, Research, Social Security, Uncategorized, Working Caregivers | No Comments »