Caregiver's corner: Too early for long-term care insurance?

From: Caregiver's corner: Too early for long-term care insurance? by MARY C. FRIDLEY For The Capital
Source: Capital (Annapolis), 3/15/2009.
Via: HighBeam™ Research
Copyright 2009 Capital (Annapolis)

"DEAR MARY:

I lost my mother to heart disease two years ago. Im still grieving and feel guilty that I didnt do enough for her. I have a wonderful husband and family, but find it difficult to enjoy them. Is this normal, and how long will it last?

DEAR READER: Grieving is a process that leads to peace and acceptance. Over time, it becomes less painful and the hurt is replaced with endearing memories. Like you, it is not uncommon for caregivers to second- guess themselves. However, this behavior, too, eventually passes and is replaced with peaceful acceptance. You may be suffering from clinical depression. It takes the stuffing out of you and can make you feel apathetic, listless, anxious and sorrowful, among other things. I encourage you to seek the services of a mental health professional to help you move forward and enjoy life.

DEAR MARY: How do I know when its time to use long-term care insurance? My husband suffers from Parkinsons disease and its becoming much more difficult for me to handle him...........

Dear Reader.......

U.N. says elderly will outnumber children for first time in 2045

From: U.N. says elderly will outnumber children for first time in 2045 by JASON GALE
Source: Charleston Daily Mail, 1/12/2010.
Via: HighBeam™ Research
Copyright 2010 Charleston Daily Mail

Excerpt:

"

The elderly will outnumber children for the first time in 2045, ratcheting demand on nursing homes and increasing the burden on working-age people to support retirees, a United Nations report found.

The proportion of the world's population older than 60 years will reach 22 percent over the next four decades from 11 percent in 2009 and 8 percent in 1950, the UN's Department of Economic and Social Affairs said in the report, titled World Population Ageing 2009.

The ranks of the elderly are expanding 2.6 percent a year, three times faster than humanity as a whole, mostly because people are living longer and having fewer children. The trend will affect economic growth, savings, investment, consumption, labor markets, pensions and taxation, the UN found. It will also influence living arrangements, housing demand, migration trends and the need for health-care services.

"As children account for a declining proportion of the population, there may be a reduction in the number of schools just as the increasing share of the older population begins to require more long-term care facilities," the authors said. "In the political arena, population aging may shape voting patterns and political representation."

A Stress-Busting Program for Family Caregivers

From: A Stress-Busting Program for Family Caregivers by Lewis, Sharon L; Miner-Williams, Denise; Novian, Allen; Escamilla, Monica I; Blackwell, Paula H; Kretzschmar, Jennifer Hale; Arà © valo-Flechas, Lyda C; Bonner, Peter N
Source: Rehabilitation Nursing, 7/1/2009.
Via: HighBeam™ Research
Copyright Association of Rehabilitation Nurses Jul/Aug 2009

Excerpt:

Aging baby boomers, longer life spans, and rising levels of Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (ADRD) will result in a caregiver crisis in the near future. The ways in which caregivers deal with stresses related to caregiving will be critical to both their own well-being and their ability to care for others. The purpose of this article is to describe the Stress-Busting Program (SBP) for family caregivers and its effectiveness. The essential components of the SBP are education, stress management, problem solving and support delivered in a group setting for 9 weeks. Results of the SBP indicate that throughout the program, caregivers experienced significant improvements in general health, vitality, social function, and mental health scores and decreases in anxiety, anger/hostility, depression, perceived stress, and caregiver burden. The SBP is a cost-effective health-promotion strategy for caregivers who have substantial ongoing stress.

When caregivers who had completed the SBP were asked to identify the most helpful part of the program, the most common answer by a large margin was interaction with other caregivers and facilitators. The participants found that the help, advice, tips, and encouragement they received were most beneficial. In addition, the companionship of other caregivers led to a decrease in feelings of isolation (which many caregivers reported). Sharing their experiences in a group setting in which they felt comfortable and knowing that others were able to relate was invaluable to many caregivers.

When participants were asked to describe the changes they made as a result of the SBP and the changes they maintained after the SBP, the majority of respondents said they can now manage their stress more effectively. They reported regular use of the relaxation techniques they had learned, with the most commonly used technique being relaxation breathing. As a more general lifestyle change, most participants said they learned to take time for themselves. All participants reported making some life changes as a result of the SBP Their descriptions frequently involved rather dramatic change, such as the following:

"I was at a very low point in my life. The program saved me from going into a deep depression. . .it saved my life."

"The program was a turning point in my being able to cope."

"The descent into my husband's Alzheimer's accelerated for both of us. I thought my life had ended, that I would be nothing more than an empty shell forever. The Stress-Busting program gave me a safety net when I most needed it, and gave me the impetus to live richly."

"

Finding Meaning in Engagement: 'I May Be Old, But I'm Fun!'

From: Finding Meaning in Engagement: 'I May Be Old, But I'm Fun!' by Chenfeld, Mimi Brodsky
Source: Generations, 7/1/2008.
Via: HighBeam™ Research
Copyright American Society on Aging Summer 2008

Excerpt:

"

A few good examples.

When I received an invitation to write a piece for this issue of Generations, my first thought was that spirituality, aging, and meaning in later life was a wonderful theme Inspirational! Motivational! Rooted in solid research! What could be more important than encouraging older people to live more meaningful, spiritual, joyful lives? To live to their fullest?

I have chosen a few examples of the many older people I know who derive meaning from engagement in life. They are involved, courageous, creative, interesting, and interested individuals.

TOUCHING THE FABRIC OF LIVES

Nancy Frank sews fabrics and helps people stitch their lives together. Over thirty years ago, Nancy brought a bag lunch and went to a program that featured pillow making. That day she fell in love with sewing, patchwork, and quilting. Sometime later, she saw the film "Dead Man Walking," the true story of a nun who counseled death row inmates. Deeply touched by the story, Nancy decided she would like to help women coming out of prison. But how? She called a halfway house and volunteered to meet with women prisoners to teach them sewing and stitching and, through arming them with those skills, help mem find positive, healthy ways to reenter the community. Now, she continues this work in two halfway houses, mentoring, sharing, and inspiring. Over the years, she has touched the fabric of many lives.

ELDERS OF THE TRIBE

In midlife, Dick Haile and his wife, Bess, a Shinnecock Native American, moved back to her tribal reservation after thirty years in Schenectady, New York, where Dick had worked as an engineer and Beth as a teacher. Bess's father, Chief Thunderbird, had long been the highly respected leader of the tribe, and now Bess became an influential member of the tribal council. Both Hailes plunged themselves into service projects for people on the reservation and worked on the annual powwow. Bess cofounded a school for children of the tribe. Recently, with family and friends gathered to celebrate the Hailes's fiftieth wedding anniversary and Dick's eighty-second birthday, a fusion of voices honored their good works. When I asked Bess to share something of her philosophy for this article, she was too busy to say more than, "We enjoy being the elders. We speak freely and are happy to serve our extended family."

NOT 'RETIRED'

Hal Schneiderman didn't quite get the concept of retirement. After twenty-five years as a social worker in settlement houses and twentyfive years as a professor of social work at Ohio State University, Hal earned a law degree so that he could work with court referrals and juveniles who needed lawyers in abuse, neglect, and dependency cases. When he turned 75 years old, Hal did a free-fall skydiving jump. He has visited every continent in the world and, with his daughter, a devoted animal rights and environmental awareness advocate, he has explored rivers and forests around the globe. Try to catch Hal to ask him to express his beliefs about the richness of his varied interests and his commitments to service: He simply says, "My life is tied with family and community. I share my life and do what I can to make the world a better place.""

Close caregiver relationship may slow Alzheimer's decline

From: Close caregiver relationship may slow Alzheimer's decline. by
Source: NewsRx Science, 8/9/2009.
Via: HighBeam™ Research
COPYRIGHT 2009 NewsRX

Excerpt:
"A study led by Johns Hopkins and Utah State University researchers suggests that a particularly close relationship with caregivers may give people with Alzheimer's disease a marked edge over those without one in retaining mind and brain function over time. The beneficial effect of emotional intimacy that the researchers saw among participants was on par with some drugs used to treat the disease.

A report on the study, believed to be the first to show that the patient-caregiver relationship may directly influence progression of Alzheimer's disease, is published in the September 2009 The Journals of Gerontology Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences and currently available online.

"We've shown that the benefits of having a close caregiver, especially a spouse, may mean the difference between someone with AD staying at home or going to a nursing facility," says Constantine Lyketsos, M.D., M.H.S., the Elizabeth Plank Althouse Professor in Alzheimer's Disease Research and director of the Johns Hopkins Memory and Alzheimer's Treatment Center."

Managing CHF and depression in an elderly patient

From: Managing CHF and depression in an elderly patient: being open to collaborative care.(MEDICAL FAMILY THERAPY CASEBOOK) by Clabby, John; Howarth, David
Source: Families, Systems & Health, 12/1/2007.
Via: HighBeam™ Research
COPYRIGHT 2007 American Psychological Association, Inc.

Excerpt:
"Murray and Lopez (1997) predict that by the year 2020 the top two contributors to the burden of disease worldwide will be ischemic heart diseases and depression. More than five million Americans suffer from Congestive Heart Failure (CHF; Miller & Missov, 2001). This disease accounts for greater than 20 billion dollars in annual medical costs (American Heart Association, 2001), perhaps because it requires so much inpatient care. Like many chronic diseases, CHF is debilitating over time and manifests both physically and emotionally. Patients experience increasing shortness of breath, difficulty lying down when sleeping because of fluid retention, and increasing fatigue. It is a deadly illness, as well. Poorly controlled symptoms often lead to depression for patients secondary to concerns about their quality of life, overall functioning, and mortality. Their families and friends often share these concerns.

Many studies have shown that elderly patients hospitalized for CHF are likely to have comorbid diagnoses of major depression. In one outpatient study (Gottlieb, Khatta, Friedmann, Einbinder, Katzen, & Baker, 2004) 7% of patients with stable CHF were prescribed antidepressant medications and 48% scored in the depressed range on the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). Moreover, the depressed patients reported significantly poorer quality of life than nondepressed patients. Lane, Chong, & Lip (2006) raised the concern that patients who are depressed are less likely to take their medications and modify their lifestyle appropriately, which increases the likelihood of recurrent cardiac events and death.

HENRY'S STORY

Henry lived in the same town his entire life, and loved his home and community. In fact, the cover of the town's commemorative book featured a picture of Henry and his two brothers as young boys sleeping on the banks of a canal on a hot summer day, with their fishing poles by their sides. The picture captures the simplicity and joy of their early life. Henry always took particular pride in the photograph, prominently displaying it in his home and bringing it to doctors' visits to show his health care providers.

Henry lived with his wife of 60 years in a house that he had built himself....."
....

Lowering Healthcare Costs by Reducing Fall Injury and Fatalities at Home, Through New Fall Education and New Fall Protective Devices.

From: Lowering Healthcare Costs by Reducing Fall Injury and Fatalities at Home, Through New Fall Education and New Fall Protective Devices. by
Source: Pediatrics Week, 12/19/2009.
Via: HighBeam™ Research
COPYRIGHT 2009 NewsRX

Excerpt:

"

Healthcare costs are rapidly increasing due to the rapid aging of our population. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention indicates that over 60% of fatal falls occur in the home. Additionally, the total cost of falls in 2010 is expected to be between 68 and 100 Billion Dollars. More than 25,000 older adults died due to falls last year. Katharine Graham, former Washington Post Chairman, died as a result of a fall. Most of this cost and loss of life is completely preventable through new fall prevention, fall protection products and safer falls education. Many of these medically significant events include hip fracture, head injury, fear of falling again, broken vertebrae and broken wrist.

Over 44 million baby boomers live at home with an elderly, sick parent according to The Caring Alliance. Another 25 million at-risk elderly live alone and unprotected from devastating falls. The current economic conditions have exacerbated these numbers. Since life expectancy has continued to increase, this situation is likely to become even more prevalent. The faller may need to move in with adult children and adult children often have to take time off work to care for at-risk parents. The costs, emotionally and physically, to the person who falls and their families is enormous.

Much of this information is virtually unknown to the general public. Annually, there are approximately 370,000 hip fractures. Head injuries from falls at home are another significant medical cost. Falls are the major cause of 40% of nursing home admissions and subsequent costs to families. Per year, of those admitted to a hospital only about 50% will survive a serious fall. Falls are the leading cause of accidental death and more than 33% of adults 65 and older fall each year. Reductions in healthcare costs are a current concern of all in the government and the effect of falls are a major cost factor."