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8 Perks of the New CHRONIC Care Act

Date: April 8, 2018
Author: Erynn
Categories: Stories & Tips
Ways to Keep Long Term Care From Bankrupting You

Older adults who have to deal with a lot of medical issues will be getting some extra assistance through a new law passed by Congress. The Creating High-Quality Results and Outcomes Necessary to Improve Chronic Care Act, a.k.a CHRONIC Care Act of 2018 won bipartisan support.

8 Perks of the New CHRONIC Care Act

Why the CHRONIC Care Act is Helpful

 

People who deal with chronic illness face many limitations that the average healthy person might not think of. There’s the stress of making sure their care is coordinated and that they can keep as much dignity as possible. This bill provides different ways that every American, especially older Americans, can get better care.

8 Perks of the CHRONIC Care Act

 

1. Gives Medicare Advantage plans more flexibility so they can now cover “non-medical” benefits like bathroom grab bars and wheelchair ramps.

2. Makes more Telehealth services available for Medicare Advantage Members. This means they can get help electronically more than they could before.

3. Expands Telehealth services for people having stroke symptoms, regardless of their geographic area.

4. Provides kidney disease patients with more access to home dialysis through Telehealth.

5. Establishes a new program in which certain Accountable Care Organizations, groups of health care providers or hospitals who provide care for Medicare patients, can pay for patients to come in for primary care appointments.

6. Promotes better coordination of services for people in Special Needs Plans who also receive Medicaid. These plans are Medicare Advantage plans for people with certain diseases or characteristics.

7. People don’t have to physically go into doctor’s offices like they used to. This is great during flu season or for anyone with mobility issues.

8. Because of this act, the Independence at Home program is testing whether having doctors and nurses provide house calls might improve care and cut costs.

Read more here.

Daytime Sleepiness Can Be Linked to Alzheimer’s

Date: April 1, 2018
Author: Erynn
Categories: Stories & Tips
8 Foods Not to Eat If You're Trying to Sleep

We’ve talked about how sleep can be connected to Alzheimer’s, but more studies need to be done to explore this topic thoroughly. A study published in JAMA Neurology has shown that excessive daytime sleepiness can be linked to Alzheimer’s.

Daytime Sleepiness Can Be Linked to Alzheimer's

Daytime Sleepiness Can Be Linked to Alzheimer’s

 

The sleepiness in cognitively healthy people can be a sign that amyloid, plaque, is building up in the brain. This is because sleep is needed to get rid of toxins and plaque, and an overall reset of your body.

The researchers reached out to people who were 70 and older. They had a baseline scan and scan of their brains on file. They also completed a sleep quality questionnaire and had to be deemed dementia-free by a team of specialists. The process reduced participants from 2,172 to 283 people.

The researchers then measured the amount of amyloid buildup in their brains over time and compared those results with the amount of daytime sleepiness each person reported. Participants who were sleepy during the day were found to have more of the amyloids that cause Alzheimer’s. They were especially abundant in areas of the brain that deal with emotion, memory retrieval, and behavior.

America is Sleep Deprived

 

These findings are worrying because as a whole, America has some bad sleeping habits. According to the World Sleep Society, sleep deprivation is threatening the health of around 45% of the world’s population. According to the US CDC, one in three Americans doesn’t get enough sleep. Plus 50 million to 70 million Americans struggle with sleep disorders such as sleep apnea, insomnia, and restless leg syndrome. Poor sleep is connected to a higher risk of diabetes, stroke, and cardiovascular disease.
Read more about the study here.

Woman Created and Delivered Babies to Those with Alzheimer’s

Date: April 1, 2018
Author: Erynn
Categories: Stories & Tips
Woman Created and Delivered Babies to Those with Alzheimer's

A woman named Sandy Cambron made the most magical Valentine’s day for a lucky group. This woman created and delivered babies to those with Alzheimer’s. What started as a good deed for a coworker, became a mission for this woman.

Woman Created and Delivered Babies to Those with Alzheimer's

Woman Created and Delivered Babies to Those with Alzheimer’s

 

Cambron created a doll for a coworker’s mother who had to be in a memory care unit as her Alzheimer’s increased in severity. The coworker asked if Combron could create a doll for her mother and her roommate to ease the transition.

Cambron’s own mother died of Alzheimer’s and she had buried her with the doll that she was fond of. This is when Cambron realized the power of dolls. When she delivered the first couple of babies she was shocked by the reaction from the ladies.

She then decided to make babies and puppies for everyone in her coworker’s memory unit. There are 28 people in the unit. When she delivered the babies to these people, they completely transformed. There were smiles and tenderness in their eyes. Immediately they wrapped their arms around the babies and started petting the pups.

You can see some touching photos here.

6 Ways to Spice Up Your 60s and Beyond

Date: April 1, 2018
Author: Erynn
Categories: Stories & Tips
Your Attitude Affects Your Health as You Age

As we get older, we tend to let our worlds grow smaller. If retired, it can be hard to fill the time that you have, or maybe your friends are far away and you aren’t sure how to make new ones. Life can become boring before we know it. Sadly, no one will swoop in and make your life interesting, you will have to do that yourself. Here are 6 ways to spice up your 60s and beyond.

6 Ways to Spice Up your 60s and Beyond

6 Ways to Spice Up Your 60s and Beyond

 

1. Learn something new.

Learning something new will engage different parts of your brain and keep you sharp. Whether it’s music, art, or a new skill, it can fill your time and make you smarter.

2. Travel alone.

It doesn’t have to be far, it could be the next state over. You can make all the arrangements ahead of time to make you feel more secure. Traveling alone allows you to explore something that is of interest to you and not to those around you. Plus, you may make friends with your fellow solo travelers.

3. Do something that scares you.

Fear is a spectrum, what might be scary to one is not to the other, but you should do something that challenges you, even if scares you. This could be anything from joining that church choir you have been eyeing to sky diving.

This will make you realize that you are a lot stronger than you think.

4. Allow this part of your life to be a brand new chapter.

It’s easy to stay in our ruts, to use the same story to excuse our behaviors. Instead, try leaving those stories and the feelings associated with it behind and start brand new. You will be surprised at how free you feel.

5. Do what you want to do.

If you don’t like going to the movies because you find it overwhelming, tell that to those around you. Instead you can have an at home movie night, have fun, and feel confident because you spoke up for yourself. You can do this with anything, and your life will be richer for it.

6. Have deep conversations.

It can be uncomfortable but having these talks can allow yourself to express your feelings more. This will probably make you feel more at peace because you aren’t holding all your emotions in, both positive and negative.

Read more here.

10 Ways to Save Money

Date: March 25, 2018
Author: Erynn
Categories: Stories & Tips
8 Things to Be on Your Retirement Checklist

Money. It’s one of our biggest stressors. For many, we have difficulty saving up for emergencies. Some people are even living paycheck to paycheck. About half of Americans would struggle to come up with 400 dollars in an emergency. They would need to use credit cards, retirement accounts, or borrow from friends and family. There are many ways we can save money. You would be surprised at what 5 dollars a week can amount to. So, here are our ten ways to save money.

10 Ways to Save Money

10 Ways to Save Money

 

1. Start Small

Creating a nest egg can seem nearly impossible to do when you have bills, loans, and debt to pay off, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try. You could take 10 dollars out of your paycheck every week, or even 3 or 4 dollars a day.

2. Create a Separate Account

It will be easier for you, in the long run, to create a separate account for savings instead of trying to remember the amount of savings mixed with your other dollars. It’s just an excellent way to stay organized.

3. Look at the Small Details

Check out your everyday spending, write everything down in a notebook. Then you will be able to see what could be cut. You may even realize that you were spending money where it wasn’t needed.

4. Be a Smart Shopper

Grocery shopping is probably one of the most significant discretionary expenses that you have week to week, so it would be a good move to look and see what can be cut there. Maybe you are buying too much food, and it goes bad, but by cutting back portions, you will save money. Maybe you can even use this as an opportunity to cut out foods that are bad for you.

5. Cut Trips to the Coffee Shop

While you might think your daily coffee run doesn’t affect your finances, you’d be surprised at how quickly it adds up. By skipping the shop, you save 5 dollars a day, which turns into 35 dollars a week, which can turn into 2,000 dollars a year.

6. Eat Home Made Lunches

Similar to the coffee shop, making your lunch can save you big money.

7. If You Smoke, Give Up Cigarettes

An average pack of cigarettes costs $6.28, and the average smokers use a pack or more a day. You can create a lot of savings and kick a bad habit.

8. Get Rid of Cable if You Don’t Use It

If you are paying for premium channels that you aren’t watching, cut them from your bill. If you aren’t really a TV watcher, you can even get rid of cable altogether.

9. Find Ways to Lower Your Phone Bill

Look at your cell phone bill and see what can be trimmed from it. For example, if you are paying for a lot of data and using very little of it, that’s something that can be cut.

10. Reduce Subscriptions

If you have a lot of magazine subscriptions or gym memberships, this can be a way to get a few more dollars in your pocket every month. You can try exercising at home to stop the membership. Maybe you don’t read as many magazines as you used to, and cut out a couple.

You can find more info about saving here.

Dance Class for Those with Parkinson’s Disease

Date: March 25, 2018
Author: Erynn
Categories: Stories & Tips
Dance Class for Those With Parkinson’s disease

David Leventhal is teaching a dance class for those with Parkinson’s disease. The disease, which affects one in a hundred people over sixty, is a degenerative neurological disorder. The class was developed by the Mark Morris Dance Group (MMDG), and doesn’t charge the students of the class. Leventhal takes special care of each of these individuals to make sure they have a good time and can participate.

Dance Class for Those With Parkinson’s disease

What the Dance Class is Like

 

To start the class, there is an exercise that requires the dancers to greet each other. A piano plays in the background, encouraging participants to get up and moving. Leventhal’s co-teacher is current MMDG dancer, Lesley Garrison. She guides the students through some moves that the MMDG will be performing later. Leventhal and Garrison like to challenge the class with difficult patterns and movements. It’s not just exercise, it’s art. By challenging the students, they can slowly improve their balance and motor skills that start to fail due to the disease.

The class gives those with Parkinson’s self-confidence and a brighter spirit. The dancers even came up with the idea of staging a performance, and the project brought them into a close-knit community focused on a single goal. Their final performance displays the strength and grace that they’ve been able to access through dance.

When This Dance Class Started

 

The dance program started in 2001 when the Director of the Brooklyn Parkinson Group, Olie Westheimer, approached the dance company with the idea. Two dancers from MMDG, John Heginbotham and David Leventhal, along with a professional musician, started leading monthly classes for a small group of people. In 2004, MMDG began to teach classes in cities where they toured. The program is now offered in over 250 communities in 24 countries. MMDG has worked with medical professionals, dance teaching artists, and therapists who work with people with Parkinson’s disease to showcase the benefits of the class.

Read more here.

7 Signs of a Possible Heart Attack in Seniors

Date: March 25, 2018
Author: Erynn
Categories: Stories & Tips
7 Signs of a Possible Heart Attack in Seniors

Signs of a heart attack can vary from person to person, no two are alike. Some people may not experience the symptoms all at once. Some people may have different symptoms if they have had a heart attack before. With a population as vulnerable as the elderly it’s up to those around them to keep an eye out for any of signs.

7 Signs of a Possible Heart Attack in Seniors

7 Signs of a Possible Heart Attack

 

1. Chest Pain

This may seem obvious, but it’s still worth pointing out. Chest pain may be the most well known symptom of a heart attack and should be taken very seriously

2. Heavy Pressure or Fullness in the Chest

This could also feel like a squeezing in their chest. If there is pain radiating to their neck, jaw, and arm, it’s especially serious.

3. Consistent Indigestion or Heartburn

While these two uncomfortable feelings are common, if they become too consistent or extremely painful, you should get your loved one checked out.

4. Shortness of Breath

Whenever someone is having a hard time breathing, it’s worrisome. If this is an unusual symptom for your loved one, best to try to get them to a doctor asap.

5. Nausea

While this symptom will not always connect to a heart attack, it’s good to be aware that it could be a sign.

6. Vomiting

Same with nausea, not always a heart attack but it’s good to be aware.

7. Sudden Sweating or Dizziness

Dizziness sometimes comes with getting older, but if your loved one is very dizzy and sweating a lot, then it could be a possible sign of a heart attack and they should get checked out.

Better Safe Than Sorry

 

While these signs are not always an indicator of a heart attack, it’s best to let a doctor decide. It’s better to be safe and know that it’s nothing than be caught in an emergency situation.

Read more here.

4 Lessons About Happiness

Date: March 18, 2018
Author: Erynn
Categories: Stories & Tips
5 Steps to Have a Good Day

Happiness is something that is difficult to study, it’s an elusive feeling that can be hard to put into words. Most see it as something emotional, but science is slowly creeping in. In fact, these 4 lessons about happiness are from the longest run scientific study ever. The study followed the lives of 724 men for 78 years. They surveyed the group every two years about their physical and mental health. They also asked about their professional lives, their friendships, and their marriages. Periodic in-person interviews, medical exams, blood tests, and brain scans were also involved.

4 Lessons About Happiness

From this study there are 4 lessons about happiness.

 

1. A Happy Childhood has Long Lasting Effects

Having a good relationship with your parents in your childhood is a sign that you will have closer relationships to those around you when you are older. Happy childhoods were able to predict better relationships between spouses well into their 80s. It also encourages better physical health throughout life.

Being close to at least one sibling predicted being less likely to be depressed by age 50.

2. This Doesn’t Mean All is Lost for Those Who had Tough Childhoods

People who had tough childhoods do grow up less happy then those with good childhoods, but by the time they reach middle age they can make up for what they missed. They do this by engaging in what is called “generativity,” or an interest in establishing and guiding the next generation.

Those that did this were happier and better adjusted than those who didn’t. This does not mean you have to be a parent either, you can mentor younger people too.

3. Learning How to Deal with Stress has a Lifelong Payoff

The study found that subjects who dealt with stress through coping mechanisms had better relationships with others. This also made others want to support the participants when they were going through a tough time.

The coping mechanisms include sublimation, where if you are being treated poorly at work, you create a group that protects worker’s rights. There’s altruism, helping others when you are feeling down yourself.

Finally, there is suppression, meaning that if you can’t fix your worries right away, you put them aside until you can.

4. Time with Others Helps Us Deal with Life’s Ups and Downs

The study found that both quantity and quality of relationships matter. When participants looked back on their lives they reported that spending time with others was the most meaningful. It made them happier on a day to day basis and especially spending time with spouses helped with the mood changes that come with age.

While the study is incredible for its length and depth, it only followed a very narrow field of people. The group was only white males. The researchers are now going to follow the participants’ 13,000 children, which half are female.

Read more here.

The Dos and Don’ts of Supporting a Friend Experiencing Loss

Date: March 18, 2018
Author: Erynn
Categories: Stories & Tips
Caregivers Are the New Working Moms

Loss is a part of life. When a friend experiences loss it’s hard to know what to do for them. Loss and grief are a private matter to some. It can be even harder if it’s a living loss, like maybe your friend’s mother has Alzheimer’s and now no longer remembers them. But you still want to help your friend. Here are the dos and don’ts of supporting a friend experiencing loss.

The Dos and Don'ts of Supporting a Friend Experiencing Loss

Do

  • Express your condolences. A sincere “I’m sorry for your loss,” and a hug can make all the difference to someone.

 

  • Stay in touch. Your friend might try to pull away during grieving, check in with them and see how they’re doing.

 

  • Show you care through words and action.

 

  • Be a safe place for them. If they come to you expressing their emotions, let them talk without judging or analyzing them.

 

  • Listen to them. Ask them questions about what you can do to help and what they need.

 

  • Do what they need. If a friend asks for help, do what they ask instead of what you think you should do.

 

  • Give them opportunities to talk about those who passed. Share stories with one another instead of trying to ignore the person who is gone.

 

  • Help them get the support they need. This may be professional help, let them know it’s a smart move and nothing to be ashamed of.

 

  • Encourage them to take it slow when reentering the world. It can be easy for someone to jump right back into work after a loss, they may think they are done grieving. Tell them to take their time and not overwhelm themselves.

 

  • Invite them out. Without any pressure, see if you can do a small, fun activity to get them out of the house and out of their head.

Don’t

  • Don’t assume you know how they feel.

 

  • Don’t use cliches when trying to comfort them. Just be supportive.

 

  • Don’t say anything that can be taken as “hurry up.” Do not say, “You’ll get over it,” “Time heals all wounds,” “In time, you will have closure,” or any similar types of advice.

 

  • Don’t give them advice if they don’t ask for it.

 

  • Don’t compare your loss to theirs. It’s not a competition.

 

  • Don’t try to do any quick fixes to take away their pain.

 

  • Don’t take it personally if they pull away from you. They are sorting their emotions out and may want some alone time.

 

  • Don’t take over the conversation. Let them talk.

 

  • Don’t smother them with care. It can be easy to do since you want to help them, but they will need their space.

You can read more tips here.

Seniors May Be Taking Too Many Medications

Date: March 18, 2018
Author: Erynn
Categories: Stories & Tips
AARP is Taking on High Prescription Prices

Some are calling it America’s other prescription crisis. Many American seniors may be taking too many medications that they don’t need. Researchers estimate that 25 percent of people 65 through 69 take at least five prescription medications for chronic conditions. This number jumps to 46 percent for people 70 through 79.

Seniors May Be Taking Too Many Medications

Why So Many Medications?

 

One possibility for so many medications is called the prescribing cascade. This is when older patients, who have a hard time metabolizing medicines, suffer from the side effects. Doctors give them more drugs to treat the side effects, and it goes on and on. This happens slowly so neither the patient nor doctor are aware of how many drugs are involved until it’s too late. This has been linked to medication errors that send seniors to hospitals and that could have been prevented.

Rita Redburg, a cardiologist and professor at the University of California, says that Americans are on a lot more medications than they were 15 years ago. Studies agree with her. A 2015 report states that the share of Americans of all ages who took at least 5 drugs nearly doubled between 2000 and 2012, from 8 percent to 15 percent. Another report shows that that older americans are prescribed more psychiatric drugs, including some used for treating schizophrenia, and have no mental health diagnosis.

What Can We Do About It?

 

Redberg is part of a team of doctors that are using the “de-prescribing movement.” This is when they slowly and systematically get rid of unnecessary pills. Basically it’s the opposite of prescribing medications.

This movement originated from Canada and Australia. Redburg thinks that we as a whole country prefer the idea of taking a pill instead of other organic ways to stay healthy like diet and exercise.

This movement is gaining in popularity but does face some obstacles. Advertising is a big one, all the commercials convincing people that they need this specific drug. Some people are also concerned about what is the right process for removing these drugs. On the doctor side, some doctors will see a list of medication prescribed by another doctor and not feel like they should look into them. Instead, they just add their own medications to the list.

You can read more here.