Who’s Gonna Care for the Aging Boomers? 
by Shani O. Hilton

“You can’t breathe, you can’t sleep,” said White House senior adviser Valerie Jarrett, as she described the stress of worrying about an aging parent who needs assistance, and explained the comfort she gets from knowing her own parents now have a live-in caregiver.

Without that caregiver, Jarrett says that she would have had to leave the Obama administration and move back to Chicago.

Yet the three million professional, long-term home caregivers today are faced with a rapidly aging Baby Boomer population and a lack of adequate support, compensation or respect. Yesterday in Washington, the National Domestic Workers Alliance held what they called a Care Congress, an event where they introduced a campaign to “transform long-term care.” The campaign is designed to push legislative changes to Medicare and Medicaid—creating jobs by increasing the amount of money eligible people can spend on at-home care and allowing a rapidly aging population to avoid institutionalization.

Labor Secretary Hilda Solis praised the work of home care workers—a group comprised primarily of immigrant women: “In Spanish, we call these women luchadoras, because they are fighting. They are strong women who fight and let nothing stand in their way.”

Solis spoke directly to the audience full of caregivers, saying, “You are their friend, you are someone who listens, you give so much of yourself—physically as well as emotionally. You are professionals, and you should be treated as such.”

Workers in California experienced a victory earlier this month when a key state senate approved the Domestic Workers Bill of Rights, legislation that the NDWA says would extend “basic, humane labor protections to thousands of nannies, caregivers, and housecleaners and improves the quality of care for California’s families.” The law can also increase wages for workers—a mixed blessing, since so many elderly are on fixed incomes. New York State passed the first such law in the nation last year.

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At Andelcare, we recognize that there are many reasons why a loved one may need home care. From seniors with Alzheimer's Disease, to patients with disabilities, to caregivers needing respite care, we are here to provide quality and affordable home care in Seattle and the surrounding communities. Call us for information 888-788-3051!

Natural Chemical Found in Grapes May Protect Against Alzheimer's Disease

ScienceDaily (July 15, 2011) — Researchers at Mount Sinai School of Medicine have found that grape seed polyphenols — a natural antioxidant — may help prevent the development or delay the progression of Alzheimer's disease.

The research, led by Giulio Maria Pasinetti, MD, PhD, The Saunder Family Professor in Neurology, and Professor of Psychiatry and Geriatrics and Adult Development at Mount Sinai School of Medicine, was published online in the current issue of the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease.

This is the first study to evaluate the ability of grape-derived polyphenols to prevent the generation of a specific form of β-amyloid (Aβ) peptide, a substance in the brain long known to cause the neurotoxicity associated with Alzheimer disease. In partnership with a team at the University of Minnesota led by Karen Hsiao Ashe, MD, PhD, Dr. Pasinetti and his collaborators administered grape seed polyphenolic extracts to mice genetically determined to develop memory deficits and Aβ neurotoxins similar to those found in Alzheimer's disease. They found that the brain content of the Aβ*56, a specific form of Aβ previously implicated in the promotion of Alzheimer's disease memory loss, was substantially reduced after treatment.

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At Andelcare, we recognize that there are many reasons why a loved one may need home care. From seniors with Alzheimer's Disease, to patients with disabilities, to caregivers needing respite care, we are here to provide quality and affordable home care in Seattle and the surrounding communities. Call us for information 888-788-3051!

Bearing Through It: How Caregivers of Mentally Ill Loved One Can Cope

ScienceDaily  — Caring for a family member with a mental illness can be a taxing experience marked by personal sacrifices and psychological problems.

A new study from Concordia University, AMI-Québec and the University of British Columbia has found family caregivers can experience high levels of stress, self-blame, substance abuse and depressive symptoms — unless they refocus their priorities and lighten their load.

"Being the principal caregiver to a mentally ill family member is a stressor that often creates high levels of burden and contributes to depressive symptoms," says lead author Carsten Wrosch, a professor in the Concordia University Department of Psychology and a member of the Centre for Research in Human Development.

"Caring for a relative with a mental illness can be strenuous — such caregivers can even be more burdened than caregivers of dementia patients," Wrosch continues. "That said, even in this situation, caregivers can experience high levels of wellbeing if they adjust their goals and use effective coping strategies."

Published in the May issue of Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, the investigation followed family caregivers over a 17-month period and found those who reset priorities fared better. The research team expected that caregivers who are capable of adjusting important life goals (e.g., career, vacation, etc.) would cope better with caregiving stress and that this resilient process would protect their emotional wellbeing.

"We found participants who had an easier time abandoning goals blamed themselves less frequently for problems associated with caregiving and used alcohol or drugs less frequently to regulate their emotions," says co-author Ella Amir, a Concordia graduate and executive director at AMI-Québec, a grassroots organization committed to helping families manage the effects of mental illness.

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Quality home care is so important for our aging loved ones. That is why the caregivers at Andelcare take pride in providing quality and affordable home care in Bellevue and the surrounding areas. Call us at 888-788-3051 for all of your live in home care needs.

Andelcare honored as fast-growing company

Innovation, outstanding employees, and dedication to customer care fuel the company’s growth

Newcastle, Wash. – On Thursday, July 21^st, at a ceremony held at the Golf Club at Newcastle, the Puget Sound Business Journal honored the Eastside Fastest-Growing Private Companies.  Of the 50 honored, Andelcare was number 25 on the list of fastest-growing companies.  Andelcare, based in Bellevue, Washington, is a provider of in-home care for the elderly, the disabled, and people recovering from surgery and hospitalization.  Services include companionship, homemaking, personal care, and nursing care advocacy and management.

Andelcare was additionally honored when its founder and CEO, Marla Beck, was asked to be a member of a four-person guest panel.  The panel responded to questions from Gordon Prouty, publisher of the PSBJ, and PSBJ reporter and columnist Patti Payne.  Speaking to the sold-out event, Beck shared insights about growing her business during economically challenging times.  Beck attributed her company’s growth to outstanding employees, continual innovation, and dedication to customer service and care.

The Puget Sound Region’s Eastside is the home to a dozen or so cities and is fertile ground for a variety of growing businesses ranging from high-technology and medical innovations to in-home care and business consultancies.  Collectively, the 50 honored companies had $1.4 billion in revenue and employ more than 6000.

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Planning Ahead: Caregivers Need Encouragement
By JANET M. COLLITON

Sometimes people are doing better than they think and need to be reminded.

I considered this recently when meeting with a man who felt he was without options in providing caregiving for his mother.

The rest of the family was engaged elsewhere and ignoring the problems. His mother with her physical and mental conditions needed help. He was supposed to keep her for a short stay and it extended well beyond what he expected. There were other physical issues with people who depended on him.

In describing what happened, he paused, I think, not knowing where to go with this line of thought.

Leaning across the table, I said words something like this:

“You have been faced with difficult choices in an imperfect situation. You have made the best decisions you could for the time. You stepped up and took responsibility. The fact that you could not make it perfect does not take away from what you did. Everything you did was the best that you could do for the time.”

Then it was time to look at what we could do now recognizing realistically that he was unlikely to receive help from expected sources.

Since then, looking back over the many adult children and husbands and wives who are caregivers for parents and spouses in difficult circumstances, I cannot help but wonder whether they ever receive anything like the recognition they deserve or if they ever even recognize it themselves.

One family described how it took two people to help their parent up the stairs at home and that took 45 minutes. Some time ago, a woman described her scare when her mother-in-law briefly leaned from the front porch. A woman injured herself while lifting her husband. Children sometimes give up jobs, employment opportunities or advancement to care for parents. In some cases wives or husbands cannot sleep while their spouse gets up repeatedly through the night, a result of dementia.

These are not unusual occurrences and are not resolved easily, not even with money and not even with paid companions. They can be made easier with advice and with more people helping. Professional help should be sought when needed.

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If you or someone you know needs help with home care in Seattle or the surrounding area, contact the caregivers at Andelcare. We provide quality and affordable in-home care for many disabled and elderly loved ones in our community. Call us at 888-788-3051 for more information.

Falls Could Signal Early Alzheimer's Disease
Staywell Custom Communications

(HealthDay News) — Compared with older people with no signs of Alzheimer's, those whose brains show early signs of the disease are twice as likely to experience a fall, researchers have found.

In the new study, investigators looked at brain scans of 125 older adults who were participating in a study of memory and aging. The seniors were also asked to keep track of how many times they fell over the course of eight months.

An increased risk of falls was noted among individuals whose scans showed early signs of Alzheimer's. The study authors suggested that falls could indicate the need for an evaluation for the memory-robbing disease.

"To our knowledge, this is the first study to identify a risk of increased falls related to a diagnosis of preclinical Alzheimer's disease," study author Susan Stark, an assistant professor of occupational therapy and neurology at Washington University in St. Louis, said in a news release from the Alzheimer's Association International Conference.

"This finding is consistent with previous studies of mobility problems among persons with very early symptomatic Alzheimer's or mild cognitive impairment. It suggests that higher rates of falls can occur very early in the disease process," Stark added.

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For more information about how the caregivers at Andelcare can help your family with your home care needs, call 888-788-3051. We are a home care agency providing quality and affordable live in home care in Seattle WA and the surrounding communities.

Living with Alzheimer's : When memory slips away, caregivers are challenged
Written by Mary Beth Hislop – Staff Writer/marybethh@latc.com  

Roger Strom didn’t think much about his wife’s forgetfulness – the times she forgot morning conversations about evening plans, the errands she didn’t remember during the day. But in the late 1990s and early 2000s, Jane had her hands full raising three young boys in Los Altos. Of course, it would be easy to forget a dinner party or to pick up the dry cleaning.

And then there were times Jane would struggle to find words and speak clearly. But the subtle changes in her behavior were so minute, Strom just got used to them.

“I didn’t question her short-term memory issues because she was perfectly healthy and young,” he said. “She was vitally involved in our life together making a home for our family. She was an awesome full-time mom.”

In 2006, Jane became trapped inside a locked stairwell while visiting the grand opening of Los Altos’ Whole Foods Market – but, not really.

“Eventually, a store employee helped her, but the stairwell wasn’t actually locked,” Strom said.

The following year, he noticed that Jane was increasingly withdrawn in social situations. A doctor’s visit and subsequent memory test elicited a diagnosis of depression with perhaps sleep apnea. A summer 2008 visit to Jane’s family in Wisconsin triggered worry among her sisters.

“‘What is going on with her?’” Strom said they asked. “They were intensely concerned. They strongly disbelieved the depression diagnosis.”

When Jane was more than an hour late after a designated time to meet him outside a shop in Boston in September, Strom became truly alarmed.

“My Jane came walking around the corner with the most scared look on her face. She had lost track of the time and (had) become disoriented,” he said. “I knew something was very wrong.”

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Alzheimer’s caregivers at Andelcare are available to talk with you and your family about care needs for your loved one, including, how to reduce caregiver stress while providing better, affordable care. Andelcare is a home care agency providing Alzheimer’s Home Care in Seattle WA  and the surrounding communities.

CONSUMER FRAUD AGAINST THE ELDERLY

During a visit with your mother, you notice a stack of wire transfer receipts totaling more than $65,000. When you ask what they’re for, she says she’s investing in a new hi-tech company. After you investigate further, you think she’s being scammed by fraudulent telemarketers. What can you do?

Consumers lose more than $40 billion a year to telemarketing fraud. People over 50 years of age are especially vulnerable and account for about 56 percent of all victims, according to a recent study by the American Association of Retired Persons. Scam artists often target older people, knowing they tend to be trusting and polite toward strangers and are likely to be home and have time to talk with callers.

You can help empower your parents and others who may be targets of fraudulent telemarketers by describing some tip-offs to rip-offs, letting them know their rights and suggesting ways they can protect themselves.

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If you or someone you know needs help with senior care in Seattle or the surrounding area, contact the caregivers at Andelcare. We provide quality and affordable in-home care for many disabled and elderly loved ones in our community. Call us at 888-788-3051 for more information.

Elder Care and Your Career
How to Balance Elder Care and Your Career

By Dawn Rosenberg McKay, About.com Guide

Elder care, being the caregiver for an elderly relative, can harm your career. This is the conclusion of the 1999 MetLife Juggling Act Study conducted by The National Center for Women and Aging at Brandeis University and The National Alliance for Caregiving. According to this study on the effects of elder care on working Americans, caregivers give up promotions, raises, and training opportunities. They take a leave from their jobs, cut their hours, or quit their jobs altogether.

Who Feels the Effect of Elder Care?

More women than men are the primary caregivers for their older relatives. The Family Caregiver Alliance reports that "the average caregiver is age 46, female, married and working outside the home earning an annual income of $35,000." ("Women and Caregiving: Facts and Figures")

Balancing Elder Care and Your Career

While it is difficult to miss out on a promising career opportunity, it is more difficult for most people to disregard the needs of an elderly relative. For babyboomers, who were among the last to experience the phenomenon of the "Leave It to Beaver" stay-at-home mom, it would be unthinkable to turn one's back on a parent in need. Now comes the issue of balance — how do you balance mom's and dad's needs with your career aspirations? Not to mention the fact that many of these caregivers are also working parents, dealing with child care issues as well.

If you are dealing with a short-term crisis, you should consider taking advantage of the Family and Medical Leave Act. The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) allows you to take up to twelve weeks of paid and unpaid leave to care for a sick relative.

If you will be caring for an elderly relative at home for a period longer than three months, you will have to find another way to balance career and elder care. In lieu of leaving one's career behind, which for many reasons may not be an option, there are other choices.

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The caregivers at Andelcare are available to talk with you and your family about all of your live-in home care needs. Andelcare is a home care agency providing quality, affordable home care in Seattle WA and the surrounding communities. Call 888-788-3051 for more information.

There’s No Place Like Home—For Growing Old

“The stairs are getting so hard to climb.”
“Since my wife died, I just open a can of soup for dinner.”
“I’ve lived here 40 years. No other place will seem like home.”

These are common issues for older people. And, you may share the often-heard wish—“I want to stay in my own home!” The good news is that with the right help you might be able to do just that.

As part of the Federal Government’s National Institutes of Health, the National Institute on Aging (NIA) funds and conducts research related to aging, including how older people can remain independent. This NIA tip sheet introduces you to the kinds of help that you might want to consider so you can continue to live on your own. Where possible, we give you suggestions for free or low-cost help and include ways to identify benefits that might be available to you. A list of groups to contact for more detailed information is included at the end of the tip sheet. You can share this tip sheet with others in your family, and you can use it to begin talking about your needs—now and in the future.

What do I do first?

Planning ahead is hard because you never know how your needs might change. But, the first step is to think about the kinds of help you might want in the near future. Maybe you live alone, so there is no one living in your home who is available to help you. Maybe you don’t need help right now, but you live with a husband or wife who does. Everyone has a different situation, but one way to begin planning is to look at any illnesses like diabetes or emphysema that you or your spouse might have. Talk to your doctor about how these health problems could make it hard for someone to get around or take care of him or herself in the future. Help getting dressed in the morning, fixing a meal, or remembering to take medicine may be all you need to stay in your own home.

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The caregivers at Andelcare are available to talk with you and your family about all of your live-in home care needs. Andelcare is a home care agency providing quality, affordable home care in Seattle WA and the surrounding communities. Call 888-788-3051 for more information.