Elder Care Cafe

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The enrollment period for Medicare Part D runs from November 15 through December 31, 2008. Medicare Part D insurance plans help cover the cost of prescription medicines. There are numerous plans to choose from, and seniors, or their family members or caregivers, should take the time to sort through the many options to decide what is best for them.

Plans tend to change every year, so it is important for people to keep up to date with the plan that works in their favor. 

The best online information regarding Medicare Part D is www.medicare.gov. This resource will provide you with the information you need to make an informed decision. Follow the prompts and pay close attention to details.

Because it can take several weeks for the paperwork to process and for you to receive your insurance cards in the mail, it is best to make your choices prior to December 15th. Once the December 31, 2008 deadline passes, you will not be able to make changes until the next enrollment period.

Over the past year, I have connected with several forums related to elder care, aging, or care giving. The most emotionally difficult, yet fulfilling, forum relates to care giving. I also belong to several forums regarding freelance writing and blogging.

Here are seven reasons you should consider joining a forum in your particular area of interest.

• Members can use their own name or remain anonymous, but all can pour out their frustrations, feelings, and challenges to others who understand, especially on caregiver forums.
• Members can learn from others more experienced than themselves.
• Members can connect with others to trade information, urls, and trade secrets.
• Members can build great friendships.
• Members can connect on a professional basis.
• Members can find alternative solutions to their problems.
• Members can realize they are not alone. This is very important for caregivers who have no support and feel like they are on an island.

When involved in a forum, understand you only need to share what you feel comfortable sharing. That includes your name, where you are from, and any other identifying information. In most cases you can remain anonymous.

Also, know that not everyone is as nice as you or I. Sometimes others act inappropriately. Most forums have means to report abusive members, or you have the right to stop going to that forum. That said, I have rarely seen any abuse on caregiver forums. Everyone is in the same boat, so to speak, and are very supportive.

Here are several links to caregiver forums you may want to check out. I belong to several of the forums, and you are welcome to join us on those that you believe would help you in your situation.

Connecting For Care- This forum covers aging, care giving, Alzheimer’s, Diabetes, and many other topics. The forum has become news recently due to the involvement of Ian Ziering, an actor and caregiver. You may remember him from 90210.

AARP.org - AARP has a great online community that talks about many subjects. There are caregiver forums, but also forums regarding books, music, humor, and anything else you can think of. If you join this forum, visit EdieG and check out the picture I use as an avatar. It is a picture I took while traveling Arizona. 

CareConnection- This site is a part of Health Central. They have tons of health-related and elder care information as well as a forum. 

Caring.com - Their tag reads “helping you help your parents.”  This community has pertinent topics such as end of life, living arrangements, and support for such topics as Alzheimer’s, cancer, and addiction.

NFCACares - You will find active conversations under Connecting Caregivers. This is one of the forums I participate in the most. You can subscribe to certain threads and receive an email when someone responds. This is helpful when you are unable to get out there as often as you would like and want to respond in a timely manner.

These are just a few caregiver or elder care forums in which you can participate. Use available search engines and plug in a keyword in your particular area of interest to find forums.

Forums really are a beautiful thing.

Are you a member of a forum concerned with elder care or caregiving? What are your feelings about sharing your life in public? What is your favorite forum, and why?

As we age, our life experiences may give us wisdom, but our mind tends to struggle when we are trying to recall facts. Many of us have tried to grasp the allusive date or name we should remember, such as a relatives birthday or the name of an acquaintance.

Recent research suggests exercise and healthy living may allow older Americans to stay sharp longer. Here are seven ways we can actively increase our ability to retain information.

Exercise regularly - at least 30 minutes a day, 3 times a week. Exercise increases blood flow to the brain, which helps keep the brain healthy and working well. Walking is the easiest for seniors, although swimming, aerobics, and dancing also contribute to a healthy mind.

Maintain proper sleep habits - Although older adults require less sleep, it is still important to get at least 7 or 8 hours a night.

Reduce stress - Sometimes this is difficult to do, but if we reduce the stress in our lives we are better able to sleep, and we will have a healthier outlook on life.

Maintain regular health care visits - See your doctor regularly to ensure you maintain good health habits. Your health care provider will verify if you have any health problems to address. Always follow their advice.

Follow a healthy diet - Eat a healthy diet of fruits, vegetables, grains, and white meat for optimum health. Be sure to include several servings of fish such as salmon, tuna, and sardines each week for added brain power.

Socialize with friends and family - Maintain a regular social life to keep the brain active. Meeting new people and continuing old friendships keep you active and alert.

Challenge your mind - Take part in activities that challenge your mind such as crossword puzzles, Sudoku, card and board games. Join discussion groups such as book clubs or take a class at your local community college.

There are a number of ways seniors can fight forgetfulness. Staying healthy and active increases the activity in the brain, and slows memory loss. Try any or all of the 7 ways to stay sharp - in the long run, you will be glad you did.

What are you doing to stay mentally healthy? Share your tips in the comment section and we will add them to the list.

Unfortunately for seniors, the Democrats held strong on the Senate’s Special Committee on Aging while the Republicans took quite a hit.

Two former chairs lost their election, another one is voluntarily leaving due to a sex scandal, Senator Elizabeth Dole lost her seat in a shocking loss, and Senator Norm Coleman declared victory, but is in a recount with Democrat Al Franken that could last into next December.

Not only is the committee now predominately Democrat, but with a young President, we will see how much emphasis is directed towards senior citizen issues.

What are your thoughts about the new President? Do you think senior issues will remain a priority?

Last month I wrote about the role blood sugar plays in diabetes. This article addresses the role blood pressure plays in the life of diabetics.

While many diabetics are concentrating on their blood sugar numbers, problems often arise when their high blood pressure goes undetected. Knowing their blood pressure numbers and keeping track of their highs and lows can help prevent severe problems such as blindness, kidney failure, heart attacks, and strokes.

Some people have no symptoms when their blood pressure is high, causing them to go for years wihtout knowing they may be in harms way. A heart attack may be their first warning, and then it could be too late.

People who are aware of the potential problems high blood pressure can cause are better able to manage their health. Knowing what range their blood pressure should be and undergoing routine follow up helps ensure they keep the goals their physician sets for them.

Blood pressure results are written with two numbers separated by a slash. Normally, the first number should be below 130 and the second below 80. For example, blood pressure is written 130/80. Those who are diagnosed with high blood pressure and currently taking medication should not stop just because they feel better, or their numbers routinely become lower. They must see a doctor before stoping their medication. Usually, as soon as they stop their medication, their health problems return.

There are several ways people can control their blood pressure:

• Maintain a healthy weight
• Exercise at least three times a week for thirty minutes
• Eat foods low in salt
• Eat healthy meals with plenty of fruits and vegetables
• Drink alcohol in moderation, or not at all

High blood pressure can cause serious health problems when someone has diabetes. Find out what the right blood pressure numbers are for you. Most doctors check a patients blood pressure during routine visits.

Knowing how to control their blood pressure through meal planning, medication, and physical activity may prevent serious health problems for diabetics.

This is a little off-topic for this site, but there is a growing number of grandparents who are caring for their grandchildren, and apparently that may be the safest place for at risk children.

According to a study published in the November 2008 issue of Pediatrics, when children are cared for by their grandmother, their risk of injury is cut in half. Research conducted by the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health examined the relationship between the care grandparents give and childhood injury rates.

The care grandparents provided was found to be safer than parents or other caregivers such as daycare.

Because injuries are the number one cause of death for children in the U.S., it is important to understand the relationship between the style of care provided by parents and by grandparents to help authorities determine who keeps the child when protective services are involved.

By analyzing the data and performing further research in this area, better living conditions and protection for at risk children can be determined.

As I noted in the previous post,  the National Family Caregivers Association (NFCA) is celebrating their fifteen-year anniversary throughout the next year. Their desire is to thank, support, educate and empower family caregivers throughout the United States.

One of the first offerings from NFCA is a free two-part teleclass called “Communicating Effectively with Healthcare Professionals” to help caregivers communicate with health care professionals.

To join this important class click on www.thefamilycaregiver.org and fill in the questionnaire. The class is offered from 2:00 to 3:00 pm Eastern Standard Time on Thursdays, November 6 and 13, by phone and Web.

Become a better healthcare advocate for your loved one and yourself by attending this class.

After the class, feel free to leave your impression of the class in the comment section.

National Family Caregivers Association (NFCA) is celebrating their 15th anniversary during the month of November.

The National Family Caregivers Association works “to empower family caregivers to act on behalf of themselves and their loved ones, and remove the barriers to their health and well-being.”

According to NFCA, there have been many changes throughout the last fifteen years, especially when it comes to the country’s awareness of the impact of family caregiving on society and on family caregivers themselves.

The organization plans to celebrate their anniversary throughout the year by sharing each month another way we can join them in celebrating their anniversary year.

Visit the NFCA site by clicking their link above and find out how you can become involved in this very important year.

Several articles of interest to seniors caught my attention this morning. Especially prominent right now, of course, is the election and how seniors are leaning toward John McCain. That makes sense as he is 72 and as people age, they tend to lose touch with what is happening with the younger crowd. The oldest seniors feel more secure with someone closer to their age.

Seniors believe life has been bad the last five years and is not likely to get any better. Most Americans believe life would be better under Obama, but the oldest seniors are siding with McCain. Read this interesting article on Senior Citizen Politics at Senior Journal.

Distressing news pertains to the number of bankruptcies affecting seniors. Unfortunately, many people are not prepared for retirement, and the growing economic crisis has particularly hit the elderly.

With rising prices all around, seniors living on limited incomes hardly have a chance when trying to pay their bills, keep up with health and prescription needs, and live a satisfying life.

Now, to finish on a somewhat more positive note than the above articles, studies show daylight savings time may help prevent or lessen heart attacks. Apparently, there are fewer heart attacks the Monday after people set their clocks back in the fall, and more the Monday after setting the clocks ahead in the spring. Read this interesting article at WebMD.com.  

If you have any interesting news about seniors you would like to share, please leave the info in the comment section. Thank you for joining us. Hope to see you again soon!

Webmd.com has a free Women’s Health newsletter available that you can have sent to your email box. Their blurb reads, “Growing older doesn’t have to mean getting old.”

The newsletter provides advice for growing older gracefully. Sign up today at WebMD.com.

If you know of any health resources that are available, especially if they are free, please leave a note in the comment section. The better informed we are, the better we can manage our health and the health of our loved ones.