“The unfortunate fact is that for 20 years we’ve been talking about this. This is the government that’s finally doing something about it,” said [...]]]> The problems in retirement homes exposed by an undercover Toronto Star investigation should be easier to root out once new regulations are in place next year, says Ontario’s minister for seniors.

“The unfortunate fact is that for 20 years we’ve been talking about this. This is the government that’s finally doing something about it,” said Aggelonitis.

Star reporter Dale Brazao went undercover for a week in west Toronto’s In Touch retirement home, discovering seniors abandoned for hours to fester in urine- and feces-filled diapers with no toilet paper in bathrooms, substandard food, and other poor conditions.

The investigation prompted numerous calls from readers and health care workers detailing identical problems across the province.

Continue reading Disgusting nursing home conditions prompt legislation

“My mother is driving me crazy!” This phrase is uttered (or screamed) by caregivers everywhere who are caring for elderly parents.

As if they didn’t have enough to do, caregivers often have to deal with bad behavior by their elderly parents. The AgingCare.com message boards are filled [...]]]> How to handle an elderly parent’s bad behavior

“My mother is driving me crazy!” This phrase is uttered (or screamed) by caregivers everywhere who are caring for elderly parents.

As if they didn’t have enough to do, caregivers often have to deal with bad behavior by their elderly parents. The AgingCare.com message boards are filled with stories of demanding elderly parents, personality changes, hallucinations, temper tantrums…even abuse.

We’ve compiled the top 10 bad behaviors that elderly parents exhibit, along with some tips for coping with them.

Bad behavior #1: Rage, anger, yelling
Age and illness can intensify longstanding personality traits in some unpleasant ways: An irritable person may become enraged, an impatient person demanding and impossible to please. Unfortunately, the person taking care of the elderly parent is often the target.

What to do:
Try to identify the cause of the anger. In most elderly individuals, behaviors are a symptom of distress.

The aging process in and of itself sometimes brings about anger, as seniors vent frustration about getting old, having chronic pain, losing friends, having memory issues, being incontinent – all of the undignified things that can happen to us as we age.

In addition, Alzheimer’s disease and dementia can also cause these behaviors, in which case, your parent doesn’t have control.

As a caregiver, the best thing you can do is not take it personally. Focus on the positive, ignore the negative, and take a break from caregiving when you can. Get some fresh air, do something you love or call a friend.

You might also want to consider calling in a home health nurse. Elders often reserve their worst behavior for those they are closest to, i.e. family members. The bad behavior might not surface in front of a stranger. And you get a much-need break.

Read 9 more tips from AgingCare.com.

More than 40 percent of baby boomers who have a living parent are helping with their care.* Whether health or financial problems, or literally “giving back,” millions of adults are assisting their parents with monetary support. Many also are raising children or supporting their [...]]]> Sandwich Generation Feeling the Squeeze of Supporting Elderly Parents, Boomerang Kids

More than 40 percent of baby boomers who have a living parent are helping with their care.* Whether health or financial problems, or literally “giving back,” millions of adults are assisting their parents with monetary support. Many also are raising children or supporting their Generation Y children, making them part of the sandwich generation.

The sandwich generation may find relief in the form of tax breaks. The $3,650 qualifying relative exemption can help buffer expenses related with supporting parents. Non-relative qualifying dependents also may allow supporters to claim expenses associated with their care. The eligible expenses include food, lodging, clothing, education, medical and dental care, recreation and transportation.

To read about qualifications, visit http://money.cnn.com/news/newsfeeds/articles/marketwire/0592795.htm

Bruce was arrested on Thursday after detectives said he was robbing banks to pay his mortgage.

According to a criminal report, Bruce walked into three different banks in south Tampa. Each [...]]]> Tampa, Florida – Looking more like a grandpa than a wanted bank robber, 73-year-old James Bruce toddled front and center at Orient Road Jail.

Bruce was arrested on Thursday after detectives said he was robbing banks to pay his mortgage.

According to a criminal report, Bruce walked into three different banks in south Tampa. Each time, investigators allege, he would request $600 in $100-dollar bills then pass a handwritten note to the teller, “No alarms and wait 4 minutes.”

After the arrest, police confirmed that Bruce admitted to the robberies post-miranda.

Judge Walter Heinrich, citing the fact that Bruce carried no weapon into the banks and did not have a prior record, set bond at $22,000.

Heinrich ordered Bruce to stay out of the Suntrust and two Bank of America locations, the banks that he is accused of robbing.

From: http://www.wtsp.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=125123&catid=8

To read more, see http://www.wtsp.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=125063&catid=8

Seabridge Bathing Canada is proud to be a corporate member of ALCOA, the Active Living Coalition for Older Adults.

ALCOA members subscribe to the World Health Organization’s (WHO) definition of active living as:

A way of life in which physical, social, mental, emotional [...]]]>

Seabridge Bathing proudly supports the Active Living Coalition for Older Adults.

Seabridge Bathing Canada is proud to be a corporate member of ALCOA, the Active Living Coalition for Older Adults.

ALCOA members subscribe to the World Health Organization’s (WHO) definition of active living as:

A way of life in which physical, social, mental, emotional and spiritual activities are valued and are integrated into daily living.

ALCOA sees its role within the scope of this broad and inclusive definition. ALCOA’s primary focus is on the promotion of physical activity, while recognizing the critical linkages of physical health with social, mental, emotional and spiritual well-being.

For more information, visit the Active Living Coalition for Older Adults website.

Researchers have developed a computer system that reminds patients about their daily appointments.

The computer-generated face known as MANA can talk, recognise faces and turn itself on when someone enters a room.

MANA, or Memory Appointment and Navigation [...]]]> A form of artificial intelligence has been designed to help make life easier for people with dementia.

Researchers have developed a computer system that reminds patients about their daily appointments.

The computer-generated face known as MANA can talk, recognise faces and turn itself on when someone enters a room.

MANA, or Memory Appointment and Navigation Agent, is designed for older people with early onset dementia, who have trouble remembering even basic things.

Watch a video and read more about MANA.

Instead of putting seniors in nursing homes because they need care, the care is being brought to them, at home.

They don’t need doctors or nurses, but they do need assistance with meal preparation, medication, cleaning, and  so on.

And Medicare is paying [...]]]> The “Big Idea” is finally making its way through Medicare in Florida.

Instead of putting seniors in nursing homes because they need care, the care is being brought to them, at home.

They don’t need doctors or nurses, but they do need assistance with meal preparation, medication, cleaning, and  so on.

And Medicare is paying for it.

And saving $$$.

It costs $48,000 per year to maintain a person in a nursing home.  It costs only $18,000 per year to assist them with living at home, for a savings of $30,000 per person, per year.

Watch more about the Big Idea — some would say Common Sense Idea — in the video below.

UTA professor Fillia Makedon displays some of the equipment as Kevin Xu wears an Motion Capture suit that digitally captures human motion as they [...]]]> Someday soon, older adults may not need to move into nursing homes because they’ll have a household of technological wonders to keep an eye on them when they become frail.

Like smart pets that never require feeding, robots will scoot from room to room to wake the homeowners in the morning, remind them to eat and send for help if someone falls.

Read the entire article “Robots and sensors to help elderly stay independent”.

The alternative is an assisted living facility or nursing home. An assisted living [...]]]> Seniors like to remain in their own home for many reasons: the familiarity of neighborhood and belongings, the ability to keep their pets, socializing with neighbors, gardening, local markets, and more. The big intangible reason: the ability to keep one’s own independence.

The alternative is an assisted living facility or nursing home. An assisted living facility provides “hands-on” personal care as well as medical care for those who are not able to live by themselves, but do not require constant care provided by a nursing home. Nursing homes provide skilled nursing care 24 hours a day.

However, there are hard financial reasons to stay independent as long as possible. Typically, seniors already own their home, which is an investment as well as a residence. The long-term trend of real estate has been up, so the net worth of the elderly who live in their own homes continues to rise.

In contrast, a private one-bedroom in an assisted living facility cost a US average of $2,825 per month, according to Genworth Financial’s 2009 annual survey. The cost has been increasing at the rate of 4.7% per year over the last five years, double the rate of inflation.

Similarly, the cost of a private one-bedroom in a nursing home is $6,099 per month. Again, the cost has been rising at the rate of 4.3% per year, double the rate of inflation.

Often the main reason for having to move is the fear of falling and injury. More falls happen in the bathroom and stairs than anywhere else in the home. This is where a walk in tub can help. With a low step threshold and a seat, the risk of falling is dramatically reduced. Some are wheelchair accessible, meaning the person can slide off the wheelchair onto the seat of the tub without assistance.

Walk in tubs, fully installed with accessories, range from $9,000 to $16,000. This compares favorably to the cost of $34,000 for just one year in an assisted living facility.

Walk in tubs can save seniors money and allow them to keep their independence by safely staying at home.

Wayne Gerber writes about issues affecting the elderly and disabled. The makers of marine-quality walk in tubs and wheelchair-accessible bathtubs has a large number of resources for seniors and the disabledto help them stay safe and in their homes.

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