Furthering an Age-Friendly America The 14th Annual Katz Policy Lecture from Benjamin Rose Institute on Aging was held October 29, 2020. Keynote speakers, Bill Armbruster, Senior Advisor of AARP Livable Communities, and Mary McNamara, Director of the Cleveland Department of Aging, discussed age-friendly communities, including work developing nationally and in the Cleveland-area. The webinar introduced the Age-Friendly Network, outlined the importance of age-friendly communities to support individuals aging in place, and discussed the connection between age-friendly and dementia-friendly communities. Panelists discussed ongoing work and future directions to make Northeast Ohio age-friendly. Read more
What to Know for Medicare Open Enrollment Every year, Medicare’s Open Enrollment period runs from October 15 to December 7. As a caregiver, you undoubtedly know how important insurance coverage is to securing your loved one the affordable care they need when they need it. What can be less certain, however, is knowing which exact program and options your loved one is qualified for and would most benefit from. As much as you want to help them through the process of enrolling in Medicare, you may be struggling to understand it yourself. The good news is that by learning the various benefits covered by different plans, you can put yourself in a better position to care for your loved one’s health needs and find the right plan for them. Read more
Helping a Loved One Navigate Medicare Open Enrollment October 7 virtual program for caregivers from Benjamin Rose Institute on Aging. Read more
Understanding and Coping with Ambiguous Grief as a Caregiver Loss is not an unfamiliar concept, as we all experience it in some form through relationships with people and changes in our health. Grief is described as a process that we go through to cope with, move through and move on from a significant loss. However, there is a type of loss and grief that caregivers experience that has its own unique properties. Read more
Building and Supporting Dementia-Inclusive Communities According to the World Health Organization, an estimated 50 million people are living with dementia worldwide. To combat the impact that dementia has on people living with the disease and their caregivers, the Dementia Friendly America initiative was launched to create communities where everyone could provide support and understanding to these individuals. The initiative aids the residents who are living with dementia and their caregivers in the community by raising public knowledge about the disease, supporting people living with dementia and their caregivers and connecting health systems with community-based organizations. Read more
What Does Dementia Look Like? "My dad had lots of good days, days filled with laughter and conversations about his favorite memories of my childhood and his, days where he remembered many of the “little things” in my life that made me feel like he wasn’t aging at all. There were other days, though, when Dad was not as sharp. In fact, there were days when Dad really wasn’t Dad." Read more
A dyadic perspective on assessment in Alzheimer’s dementia: Supporting both care partners across the disease continuum. Written from a dyadic strength‐based perspective, this article first provides a brief overview of the Education, Information, and Support section of the 2018 Alzheimer's Disease Dementia Care Practice Recommendations.1 Subsequent sections present a comprehensive overview of available valid and reliable psychosocial measures that assess a selection of important domains for dementia care planning that can be used by families from early stage until end‐of‐life. Measures selected for the purposes of this article will focus on concepts that are strength‐based and most relevant to care dyads as they navigate the difficult disease trajectory: readiness, knowledge, coping, dyadic relationship, care values and preferences. We will also highlight measures that have traditionally targeted the family care partner but can potentially be considered for use with the care partner with dementia, with adjustments, beyond the early stages. Part of this discussion will include various strategies for including persons with dementia in all aspects of their own care using a strength‐based perspective, potentially enabling them to answer questions more reliably across disease stages. Last, gaps in existing measures will be identified to provide options to better assess areas of need most meaningful to families, and in ways that positively contribute to the successful aging of those living with dementia and their care partners. Read more
Helping an Older Loved One with Housekeeping As caregivers, we may need to step up and lend a hand with keeping the household tidy, especially if clutter becomes a tripping hazard or important areas of the house such as the kitchen or bathroom are becoming unsanitary. However, we should also be sure to empower a loved one to continue doing the household tasks they are still capable of doing by trying different strategies that allow them to stay both safe and independent. Read more
Bathroom Safety for a Loved One with Late Stage Dementia These days, about 80 percent of people with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD) stay in their own homes with the support of family and friend caregivers rather than move to long-term care facilities. While aging in place can provide a loved one with a familiar, comforting space, it can also lead to challenges related to the safety of the home environment. Things around the house like stairwells, area rugs, medicine cabinets and knife blocks that were once a normal part of a loved one’s living space may now present new dangers with ADRD. Read more
Transitioning Away from Working—and Caregiving—at Home During COVID-19 While the pandemic has been challenging for many people, those who are already stretched thin have been pulled even more so. Just when we think we have mastered the juggling and multi-tasking, school in some form has begun again, employers are talking about transitioning back to on-site work environments, and we may not be able to help the older loved one we care for navigate their own time staying at home during the pandemic in the same way. Read more
