Some recent information from the website of the Alzheimer's Association http://www.alz.org/
• As many as 5.3 million people in the United States are living with Alzheimer’s.
• Alzheimer's and dementia triple healthcare costs for Americans age 65 and older.
• Every 70 seconds, someone develops Alzheimer’s.
• Alzheimer's is the sixth-leading cause of death.
• The direct and indirect costs of Alzheimer's and other dementia to Medicare, Medicaid and businesses amount to more than $148 billion each year.
These are just a few of the facts in our new report, 2009 Alzheimer’s Disease Facts and Figures. The report is a comprehensive statistical abstract of U.S. data on Alzheimer’s disease that includes:
• prevalence
• mortality
• the costs of Alzheimer care
• caregiving
• a special report on Mild Cognitive Impairment and early-stage Alzheimer's
Memory loss that disrupts everyday life is not a typical part of aging. It may be a symptom of Alzheimer's, a fatal brain disease that gets worse over time and causes changes in thinking and reasoning skills. Every individual may experience one or more of these signs in different degrees. Below is a list of significant changes that, if experienced, indicate a doctors appointment.
10 warning signs of Alzheimer's:
1. Memory changes that disrupt daily life
One of the most common signs of Alzheimer's, especially in the early stages, is forgetting recently learned information. Others include forgetting important dates or events; asking for the same information over and over; relying on memory aides (e.g., reminder notes or electronic devices) or family members for things they used to handle on their own.
What's typical? Sometimes forgetting names or appointments, but remembering them later.
2. Challenges in planning or solving problems
Some people may experience changes in their ability to develop and follow a plan or work with numbers. They may have trouble following a familiar recipe or keeping track of monthly bills. They may have difficulty concentrating and take much longer to do things than they did before.
What's typical? Making occasional errors when balancing a checkbook.
3. Difficulty completing familiar tasks at home, at work or at leisure
People with Alzheimer's often find it hard to complete daily tasks. Sometimes, people may have trouble driving to a familiar location, managing a budget at work or remembering the rules of a favorite game.
What's typical? Occasionally needing help to use the settings on a microwave or to record a television show.
4. Confusion with time or place
People with Alzheimer's can lose track of dates, seasons and the passage of time. They may have trouble understanding something if it is not happening immediately. Sometimes they may forget where they are or how they got there.
What's typical? Getting confused about the day of the week but figuring it out later.
5. Trouble understanding visual images and spatial relationships
For some people, having vision problems is a sign of Alzheimer's. They may have difficulty reading, judging distance and determining color or contrast. In terms of perception, they may pass a mirror and think someone else is in the room. They may not realize they are the person in the mirror.
What's typical? Vision changes related to cataracts.
6. New problems with words in speaking or writing
People with Alzheimer's may have trouble following or joining a conversation. They may stop in the middle of a conversation and have no idea how to continue or they may repeat themselves. They may struggle with vocabulary, have problems finding the right word or call things by the wrong name (e.g., calling a "watch" a "hand-clock").
What's typical? Sometimes having trouble finding the right word.
7. Misplacing things and losing the ability to retrace steps
A person with Alzheimer's disease may put things in unusual places. They may lose things and be unable to go back over their steps to find them again. Sometimes, they may accuse others of stealing. This may occur more frequently over time.
What's typical? Misplacing things from time to time, such as a pair of glasses or the remote control.
8. Decreased or poor judgment
People with Alzheimer's may experience changes in judgment or decision-making. For example, they may use poor judgment when dealing with money, giving large amounts to telemarketers. They may pay less attention to grooming or keeping themselves clean.
What's typical? Making a bad decision once in a while.
9. Withdrawal from work or social activities
A person with Alzheimer's may start to remove themselves from hobbies, social activities, work projects or sports. They may have trouble keeping up with a favorite sports team or remembering how to complete a favorite hobby. They may also avoid being social because of the changes they have experienced.
What's typical? Sometimes feeling weary of work, family and social obligations.
10. Changes in mood and personality
The mood and personalities of people with Alzheimer's can change. They can become confused, suspicious, depressed, fearful or anxious. They may be easily upset at home, at work, with friends or in places where they are out of their comfort zone.
What's typical? Developing very specific ways of doing things and becoming irritable when a routine is disrupted.
The difference between Alzheimer's and typical age-related changes
Signs of Alzheimer's versus Typical age-related changes
Poor judgment and decision making versus Making a bad decision once in a while
Inability to manage a budget versus Missing a monthly payment
Losing track of the date or the season versus Forgetting which day it is and remembering later
Difficulty having a conversation versus Sometimes forgetting which word to use
Misplacing things and being unable to
retrace steps to find them versus Losing things from time to time
As our population ages, the the prevalence of Alzheimer's and other types of dementia will increase and a great many of us will have the challenge of dealing with an Alzheimer's patient in our family. So it is important that we all become more aware of symptoms and the techniques for mitigating the effects.
Some of the things that have been demonstrated to maintain our brains are:
Mental Activity
Physical Activity
Proper Nutrition
Social Connectedness
Two websites that can be accessed to get information about Alzheimer's are http://www.alz.org/ and http://www.alzheimers.org/.
Tom Binder
Seniors Real Estate Specialist
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Friday, April 10, 2009
Long Distance Care Givers Receive Help
From an article by the National Care Planning Council,
Living in a different city or state -- miles from aging parents -- can be very difficult. Keeping in touch by telephone and making long trips to help parents or aging relatives with their needs can be time consuming and not nearly as effective as being available full time in person.
According to a report by the Alzheimer's Association of Los Angeles & Riverside, California, there are approximately 3.3 million long distance caregivers in this country with an average distance of 480 miles from the people they care for. The report also states that 15 million days are missed from work each year because of long distance care giving. Seven million Americans provide 80% of the care to ailing family members and the number of long distance caregivers will DOUBLE over the next 15 years.
Professional care managers -- also known as Geriatric Care Managers, Elder Care Managers or Aging Care Managers -- represent a growing trend to help full time, employed family caregivers provide care for loved ones. Care managers are expert in assisting caregivers, friends or family members find government-paid and private resources to help with long term care decisions.
They are professionals -- trained to evaluate and recommend care for the aged. A care manager might be a nurse, social worker, psychologist, or gerontologist who specializes in assessing the abilities and needs of the elderly. Care manger professionals are also becoming extremely popular as the caretaker liaison between long distant family members and their aging elder loved ones.
Read the full article at http://www.longtermcarelink.net/article-2009-4-8.htm
Best regards and HAPPY EASTER!!!
Tom Binder
Seniors Real Estate Specialist
Living in a different city or state -- miles from aging parents -- can be very difficult. Keeping in touch by telephone and making long trips to help parents or aging relatives with their needs can be time consuming and not nearly as effective as being available full time in person.
According to a report by the Alzheimer's Association of Los Angeles & Riverside, California, there are approximately 3.3 million long distance caregivers in this country with an average distance of 480 miles from the people they care for. The report also states that 15 million days are missed from work each year because of long distance care giving. Seven million Americans provide 80% of the care to ailing family members and the number of long distance caregivers will DOUBLE over the next 15 years.
Professional care managers -- also known as Geriatric Care Managers, Elder Care Managers or Aging Care Managers -- represent a growing trend to help full time, employed family caregivers provide care for loved ones. Care managers are expert in assisting caregivers, friends or family members find government-paid and private resources to help with long term care decisions.
They are professionals -- trained to evaluate and recommend care for the aged. A care manager might be a nurse, social worker, psychologist, or gerontologist who specializes in assessing the abilities and needs of the elderly. Care manger professionals are also becoming extremely popular as the caretaker liaison between long distant family members and their aging elder loved ones.
Read the full article at http://www.longtermcarelink.net/article-2009-4-8.htm
Best regards and HAPPY EASTER!!!
Tom Binder
Seniors Real Estate Specialist
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
ELDER CARE OPTIONS
Following are some hints published in the Seniorresource E-zine published April 3, 2009:
With retirement saving taking a beating in the current economy, it's time to sharpen our pencils about the cost of elder care. Here are a few approaches to easing the cost for such care.
1. Consider adult day care. Based on a 2008 MetLife study, it is a more affordable option than private, in-home care. The national average rate for adult day-care services is $64 a day in comparison with an eight-hour rate of $160 for home-health aides.
2. Negotiate with candidate senior communities. With many assisted-living and nursing communities not filled to capacity, it is worth the effort to see if you can negotiate lower fees. This approach may be helpful even for those already in such a community.
3. Share a room. Many assisted-living communities have provisions for lower-income individuals to share a room.
4. Hire a geriatric-care manager. Such managers can assess the situation, identify potential solutions, and negotiate favorable terms at assisted living facilities. The savings in your time and efforts to negotiate may mitigate their fees (especially if you're not experienced in negotiation).
5. Part-time caretaker. If full time attention is not required, then someone to look in periodically may be all that is required. This person might be a neighbor, a local college student, or someone from a local service organization. He or she might help with such activities as cleaning, shopping, and meal preparation.
We are seeing many "adjustments" taking place during the current economic downturn, and the above are excellent tactics.
Have a great day
Tom Binder
Seniors Real Estate Specialist
With retirement saving taking a beating in the current economy, it's time to sharpen our pencils about the cost of elder care. Here are a few approaches to easing the cost for such care.
1. Consider adult day care. Based on a 2008 MetLife study, it is a more affordable option than private, in-home care. The national average rate for adult day-care services is $64 a day in comparison with an eight-hour rate of $160 for home-health aides.
2. Negotiate with candidate senior communities. With many assisted-living and nursing communities not filled to capacity, it is worth the effort to see if you can negotiate lower fees. This approach may be helpful even for those already in such a community.
3. Share a room. Many assisted-living communities have provisions for lower-income individuals to share a room.
4. Hire a geriatric-care manager. Such managers can assess the situation, identify potential solutions, and negotiate favorable terms at assisted living facilities. The savings in your time and efforts to negotiate may mitigate their fees (especially if you're not experienced in negotiation).
5. Part-time caretaker. If full time attention is not required, then someone to look in periodically may be all that is required. This person might be a neighbor, a local college student, or someone from a local service organization. He or she might help with such activities as cleaning, shopping, and meal preparation.
We are seeing many "adjustments" taking place during the current economic downturn, and the above are excellent tactics.
Have a great day
Tom Binder
Seniors Real Estate Specialist
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
