According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one out of every two Americans has a chronic condition, such as heart disease, high blood pressure and diabetes. That’s a lot of people out there living with a chronic health problem! If you are one of those, taking steps to manage your chronic condition can mean a much better quality of life, especially as you age. You’ve got one life to live and one body to live it in. Take care of it as aggressively as you would protect your own children from harm.

So if you’ve been diagnosed with a chronic condition, what do you need to do?

1. Take your medication as prescribed for your condition.

If you have unpleasant side effects, questions or concerns, talk to your doctor and pharmacist. Don’t just quit taking it. There are lots of other options available.

Can’t afford your medication? There is help. First, ask your doc about using generic meds. Ask for samples when you’re in the office. Older adults may qualify for PACE or PACENET. Many pharmaceutical companies offer assistance with paying for medications. And there are other Prescription Assistance Programs available. Here are some websites that can give you additional info to get you started – Partnership for Prescription Assistance and Pennsylvania Patient Assistance Program Clearinghouse . Your doctor and pharmacy should have info on these types of programs as well.

Just have trouble remembering to take your meds? Get a pillbox with an alarm or set a timer. You can find several options on Amazon.com or check with your pharmacy.

2. Make and keep follow-up appointments with your doctor.

Even if you are feeling okay, your doctor may detect a small issue that he can treat before it becomes a big one. If you start experiencing a flare-up in symptoms or a change in symptoms, don’t wait until your next appointment. Call and schedule one today! Remember the best way to manage a chronic disease is with a small correction before symptoms get out of hand.

3. Follow your doctor’s recommendations for your treatment.

If your doctor wants you to have more tests, follow-up tests, keep a symptom journal or follow a special diet, there is a reason. If you’re wondering if they are being excessive, ask, “Do you really think all that is necessary?” If you don’t think you need a test, express your concerns, and give the doctor a chance to tell you why. If you don’t think you can follow a special diet, tell them so and ask for a referral to a nutritionist or someone that can help you succeed. Schedule follow-up tests before you ever leave the office. It is amazing how often people dismiss recommendations that are based on years of medical school, experience and research. Before you dismiss, speak up and ask questions, “Why do I need that?” “How is it going to help me?” “What if I don’t do that?”

These three things are a few ways to keep a handle on your chronic condition. In the next blog, I’ll share with you more tips and how WRC Senior Services can help! Remember your health is your greatest gift. Don’t take it for granted.

Dawn Wise
WRC Senior Services
Email me at dwise@wrc.org

Santa Dog brings good cheer at Laurelbrooke Landing

It’s a time for decking the halls in tinsel, twinkling lights and candy canes and thanking God for his greatest gift. It’s a time when joy is toasted, carried on a song and wrapped in little red bows. But for some, joy will be in short supply this holiday season. There is a sharp increase in depression in the elderly during the month of December.

Think about all the things that you love about the holidays – your favorite parties, favorite foods, favorite family traditions, seeing all those loved ones and friends. Your elderly loved one had a lifetime of those too, but things have changed. They may have loved ones who’ve passed away or moved away, they may have health issues that prevent them from enjoying those holiday events. Instead of being a time of joy, Christmas becomes a reminder of all the things that have changed, the things that they’ve lost.

What can you do to help an elderly loved one who’s having a blue Christmas? First, watch for the signs.

• Frequent crying
• Loss of interest in the things they usually enjoy
• Increased irritability
• Sleeping a lot
• Withdrawing from others
• Not eating
• Lack of personal care – not showering or combing their hair, wearing pjs all the time

If you think an elderly loved one is struggling with the holiday blues, here are some things you can do.

1. Visit, call or write more frequently. They are acutely aware of being alone this time of year. A little extra reaching out will help ease that loneliness.
2. Involve them in planning family outings and activities. Ask for their suggestions and opinions. This will make them feel included and still a part of family traditions.
3. If they are able, encourage them to get out of the house and go to activities at the local senior center or their church. Getting out of the house for a little social interaction goes a long way to easing depression. If they can’t get out, ask their pastor or friends to make a visit.
4. Reminisce about the past with them, rejoicing in those memories and giving thanks. Look at old photos and swap favorite memories.
5. Encourage them to make a list of what they are thankful for in their lives right now. Nothing lifts the spirit better than focusing instead on what you have, not on what you don’t have.
6. Talk to them about their sadness. Express your concern and empathize by sharing a time you’ve felt sad or out of sorts. Then listen. Sometimes all they need is a caring heart and open ears.
7. If you have small children, have them make a Christmas craft together. Not only will they enjoy the time together, but they’ll have a gift they can give. You could also bring some holiday stories they can read to each other.
   

   Making it look like Christmas, will make it feel like Christmas!

8. Acknowledge those who have passed away that your loved one is missing as part of your holiday celebration. A few ways you can do that – light a candle as a memorial, make a toast, place their picture in a place of honor or take turns sharing your favorite funny story or memory about them.
9. Make new traditions together. Yes, a lot has changed. Giving them new things to look forward to will help.
10. If they always enjoyed a brightly-decorated home but can no longer do it or are living in a long term care community, decorate for them. Being surrounded with the beauty of the holidays will brighten their spirits.

If none of these suggestions help or your loved one’s depression is persisting beyond the holiday season, it may be time to talk to their doctor.

Please feel free to comment and share any suggestions you have for making it a Merry Christmas for elderly loved ones. Wishing you and your loved ones a truly blessed and joyous holiday season together!

Sure I have an emergency roadside kit, but when’s the last time I checked its contents? About two months ago when a cousin needed his vehicle jumped after a family camping excursion. I pulled out the flashlight in my kit to help us see. The batteries were dead. The cables still worked though! Did I change those batteries? Nope. Tossed it back in the bag thinking, “I’ll take care of that later.” That’s the thing. No one ever expects disaster to strike.  If it does, I will sure wish I had that flashlight, among many other things.

So I started doing a little research about disaster preparadness. There are LOTS of great websites out there. If you don’t have the time to peruse (which let’s face it, none of us do), here are the highlights to help you prepare for a disaster.

Get Informed – After a disaster, help will be on the way from relief workers and government officials, but how long will it take to reach you? You should be prepared to survive on your own for a minimum of three days. You need to think about how you will provide your own shelter, food, water, first-aid and sanitation during that time.

You also need to think about what kind of disasters you’re preparing for. The most likely natural disasters to occur in Pennsylvania are floods, winter storms, tropical storms, tornadoes, wind storms and earthquakes. When planning, keep these types of emergencies in mind.

Get Prepared – If disaster would strike, do you know what to do and where to go? What if your family is separated? You need to have an emergency plan to guide your family in a crisis.  Keep it as simple and straightforward as possible, so it’s easy to remember. What you should include in your emergency plan:

1. Designate family meeting places – pick one near your home and one outside your area in case you have to evacuate or can’t get near your home at all.

2. Decide how you’ll communicate  – pick a relative or family friend outside the area that your family can contact to get back in touch. Everyone should have the name, phone number and address of that person.

3. Plan how to evacuate your home – talk about escape routes from each room. Know how to shut off your utilities.

4. Plan how to evacuate your area -  map out several escape routes from the area in case roads are flooded or closed. Always keep a half tank of gas in your vehicle.

5. Put your important records in a fireproof, waterproof safe so they will be protected in a disaster. Take them with you.

6. Create an emergency kit. There are lots of resources and checklists to help you on the internet. You can even buy ready-made kits, but here’s the basics you will need:
Bottled water (one gallon per person per day)
3 day supply of non-perishable food
Batteries
Battery powered radio
Flashlight
Family and emergency contact info
First aid kit
Extra clothing
Blankets
Rain gear
Cash (ATMs may not be working!)
Sanitation and personal hygiene items
Multipurpose tool
Matches
Whistle
Map of the area
Extra set of house and car keys
One week minimum supply of prescription medications

We all hope disaster never strikes; but take a few minutes now, while news of the earthquake and hurricane are fresh in everyone’s minds, to come up with an emergency plan to guide your family in the case of a crisis. Have any tips or questions? Please leave a comment! Stay safe.

- Dawn Wise
dwise@wrc.org
Manager of Marketing and Communications
WRC Senior Services

The DayBreak entrance - the sun logo was designed and painted by Laurelbrooke's Maintenance Tech Barry Moose

What is an older adult daily living center?
Today there are more than 4,600 centers across the U.S., but many people are still unfamiliar with this care option. An older adult daily living center is ideal for the individual who is living at home but really needs some care and support during the day. They can come to the center 1 – 5 days a week where they will be safe and have access to a range of individualized services and social activities. In Pennsylvania, older adult daily living centers are licensed and inspected annually by the  Department of Aging.

What services does DayBreak at Laurelbrooke Landing offer?

• Delicious, nutritious, home-cooked meals
• Social and recreational opportunities
• Help with personal care needs, such as eating, toileting, bathing, dressing and grooming
• Wellness screenings
• Nursing supervision and care, including medication administration, health monitoring and responding to medical emergencies
• Physical, occupational and speech therapy services
• Transportation to and from the center
• Home care services 

Who would benefit from DayBreak?
Older adults who:

• Depend on others for their care, especially those with a working caregiver
• Have recently been discharged from the hospital and are in need of supervision and therapy
• Are struggling with depression, boredom or loneliness and need to socialize with others
• Are recovering from a stroke
• Have Alzheimer’s Disease or other forms of dementia

For the caregiver:
Peace of mind!
A break from caregiving
Access to caregiving resources

Doris Boddorf (left) from the Jefferson County Area Agency on Aging, DayBreak Director Cathy Himes and Sandy Stom from Brookville Hospital talk about the benefits of adult day services at a recent Lunch and Learn.

Is transportation available?
Yes. There is a fee for this service based on the number of miles you live from DayBreak.

What are the hours of operation?
DayBreak has hours of operation most convenient for the working caregiver: Monday – Friday, 6:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. Participants can come for a full or half-day.

How do you pay for DayBreak?
Some long-term care insurance policies and veteran’s benefits may help pay for adult day services. The Area Agency on Aging provides PDA Waiver funds for individuals who financially qualify. Other participants pay for the services privately. 

How do you enroll in DayBreak at Laurelbrooke Landing?
The participant, a family member, a referring agency or physician would need to call 814-849-0799. The Director will complete an assessment of the participant, and their physician has to complete a medical evaluation. If it is determined from these assessments that DayBreak would be a good fit to meet the participant’s and family’s needs, an enrollment agreement will be completed and that’s it! You’re ready to begin.

The best way to understand DayBreak and decide if it’s right for you or a loved one? Stop by for a visit! Call Cathy at 814-849-0799. To see more photos of DayBreak’s construction and opening, visit our Facebook page. Also please feel free to ask any questions you may have here. Have a great week!

Written by Dawn Wise
Manager of Marketing and Communications
WRC Senior Services
dwise@wrc.org

Attendees are welcomed to the 6th annual WRC Healthy Aging Fair

Every year we try to add to the fair so repeat attendees can find something new. We had over 30 vendors, offering information about their programs and services and free health screenings. To name just a few – DRMC, the Cancer Center at Clarion Hospital, Jefferson County Area Agency on Aging, Klingensmith’s, Means-Lauf Super Drug, Highmark, Advantage Home Oxygen, The Medicine Shoppe, Dr. Bruce Pierson, Dr. Richard Foust, AARP, all of our WRC communities and more!

Thanks to the generous support of Clearfield Hospital, we were able to offer multiphasic blood testing for the first time. Attendees could get a comprehensive blood screening to check for signs of liver disease, kidney disease, heart disease, anemia and other deficiencies.  We also offered a PSA blood test and thyroid test too.

Our appointments filled up quickly until we had a waiting list! I’ve received feedback from a few attendees whose blood tests came back with some abnormal findings. They followed up with their docs and are now on the path back to better health. Planning such a large event is time-consuming with so many details to keep straight and by the end, I have to take a vacation to recover :)  When I hear stories like this, I’m ready to do it all over again. Look at the difference it made it that person’s life!  

Other new vendors at the fair this year – Keystone Clinic of Chiropractic, out of Falls Creek. We’ve tried numerous times to get a chiropractor to come to the fair. This was a great addition! There are so many traditional and alternative therapies to treat illness and injury. We want our attendees to have access to all of them. I’d love to find an acupuncturist for next year.

 We also had Sarvey Insurance and Edward Jones Investments on hand for the first time to talk about planning for financial health.

Laurelbrooke's Registered Dietician Liz Clinger prepares some healthy recipes to share.

In addition to new vendors, we had new sponsors this year! A very special thank you to DRMC, The Benecon Group, L.R. Webber Associates and Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield. Your generous support makes this large undertaking possible each year.

So another year is gone, and already my thoughts turn to next. New vendors. New screenings. What are we missing? So I’d like to ask you, did you attend this year’s fair? What did you think? What would you like to see added for next year? If you’ve never come to the event, what could we add to change your mind?

Lots more events on the horizon for WRC Senior Services, including the quickly approaching opening of our brand new adult daily living center DayBreak at Laurelbrooke Landing. But that’s in the next blog. Until then, wishing you a blessed, healthy day!

-Dawn Wise, Manager of Marketing and Communications
WRC Senior Services
dwise@wrc.org

What did I take away from this season? Never give up. Keep on fighting. And…you better be prepared. Turns out Green Bay was a little more prepared than we were . We will go home, dissect what went wrong and be back to play again next year (that is if the owners and players can negotiate a new contract) with our veterans more veteran and our newbies a little more prepared.

 Speaking of being prepared, that’s what the theme of these last few blogs has been – getting prepared to understand the world of long term care. So if you should ever need it, you will know what to do and where to go (unlike Steelers wide receiver Mike Wallace in that last running route.) 

So last time we left off partway through the long term care services that you can access. Picking it up now with Assisted Living/Personal Care. These are facilities that help residents with “activities of daily living.” Huh? An activity of daily living is something that we normally do to take care of ourselves – such as bathing, dressing, eating, walking. Residents need help with at least some of these activities. Other features: 3 meals a day, social activities, nurse on staff, medications administered by staff. These are not nursing homes. Residents are still pretty independent.

CCRC  – stands for continuing care retirement community. This is a community that provides all levels of care so that a resident can age in place, so they won’t have to move as their needs change.  To understand a CCRC better, check out ours - Laurelbrooke Landing in Brookville.

Nursing Home – How is this different from assisted living/personal care? The residents in a nursing home need more help with activities of daily living. Also they receive 24 hour nursing care under the direction of a doctor. Residents in a nursing home need daily health care assistance.

Short Stay Rehab  – this is the part of a nursing home that people don’t normally think about. When a senior has surgery or an illness, they mayneed to stay in a nursing home temporarily to receive the hands on nursing care and therapy they need to recover and return to their own home.

So there you have the basic “buzzwords” or menu items of long term care. Any questions or comments? Please share!

Stay tuned for next time as we jump into the NFL contract negotiations. Just kidding – but we are going to talk money – ways to pay for long term care. Until then…cheer up Steelers fans and look ahead to next time!

Dawn Wise
Manager of Marketing and Communications
WRC Senior Services
dwise@wrc.org

Chances are if you are reading this blog you have an aging parent or loved one.  Most people we talk to don’t even know where to begin planning for their future needs.  That’s why we started this series – to help make things a little easier. 

First things first, let’s take a crash course together in the world of long term care. It’s a world of mystery with lots of jargon.  Maybe you have visited a restaurant in a foreign country where you don’t speak the language. You took one look at the menu, had no idea what anything was or what to order. Unless you are a truly adventurous person, that’s not a very comfortable situation to be in. Long term care has its own menu that you can order from.

First thing you need to know before you know where to start with your own aging loved ones is what some of those menu items are.  What is long term care? Simply put – it’s help given to a person with a chronic illness or disability to meet their needs over a long period of time. And here are some of the forms that help can come in:

Home Care
Community Based Services
Service-Enriched Housing
Assisted Living/Personal Care
CCRC
Short Stay Rehab
Nursing Home

Let’s break down the first three items on the menu, so you know what’s in them:

Home Care describes any care provided in your own home. This can be as simple as a person coming to clean your house twice a month to as extensive as around-the-clock care. Some home care services you can receive –  help with personal care (bathing, dressing, grooming, toileting), respite care (short stays to relieve a family caregiver), companion care (a companion caregiver to socialize with) help with housekeeping, meal preparation, laundry, shopping/errands, skilled nursing care, physical, occupational and speech therapy and hospice care (for the terminally ill).

Community-Based Services are support services provided out in the community. These can be such things as Meals-on-Wheels (to deliver home cooked meals to their home), transportation services, senior centers (offering meals and programs for seniors) and adult daily living centers (center where a senior can spend the day or half-day while a caregiver is at work)

Service-Enriched Housing (also called Supportive Housing) is a place to live for seniors with low to moderate incomes. Typically these are apartment buildings. Rent is usually based on income. Additional services are available such as home care to help the individual stay healthy and remain in this independent setting as long as possible.  

Any questions about those first three items? Please feel free to ask or comment below! Next week, we’ll break down the other four.

Dawn Wise
Manager of Marketing and Communications
WRC Senior Services
dwise@wrc.org

The greatest gift of all doesn’t require waiting in lines at a crowded mall. It’s your time! If they recently moved to a nursing community, celebrating the holidays in a strange place is very hard. Spending quality time with them through this transition is truly the best gift you can give.

If you had special holiday traditions, use a little imagination to continue them in their new home.  Every Christmas at my Grandma’s, the grandchildren took turns reading the Christmas story from the Bible. These traditions can continue. Did you always watch “It’s A Wonderful Life” together? Ask the staff if you can watch it in a common living area and invite some of your loved one’s new friends. If the community has a kitchen you can use, bring in the ingredients for their favorite Christmas cookie and make them together. Have a surprise holiday party for them with family and friends.

Live too far away during the holidays or want to give a gift in addition to your time? Here are some other great gift ideas: 

• Bouquet of flowers
• Large print or audio books
• Mix CDs or tapes of their favorite old music
• A photo album depicting your favorite times with them
• DVDs of their favorite old TV shows
• A gift basket of their favorite homemade treats (make sure what you give is appropriate for their health condition)
• Gift certificate for a massage (talk to local massage therapists to find one that will come to the community)
• Make a donation in their name to an organization near and dear to their heart
• Make a donation to the nursing community they live in. (The community may be raising money for a special project. For example, WRC Senior Services is currently raising funds for a fountain.)
• Gift certificate to the community’s gift shop or beauty/barber shop
• Gift certificate to their favorite restaurant. If they aren’t able to go out to their favorite restaurant, bring them take-out of their favorite meal.

What about that person who still lives in their own home, but tells you they don’t need anything?

• Set up and pay for services such as snow removal and lawn care
• Offer to help with housekeeping once a month or pay for housekeeping services from someone else
• Pay for cable or telephone services
• Did they always love to decorate their home for the holidays, but no longer can?  Decorate for them.

Hope you found some helpful suggestions in this blog that will make your holiday shopping a little easier. Wishing you and yours a very blessed and happy holiday season from your friends at WRC Senior Services!  Have some great gift ideas of your own? Please share below.

Dawn Wise
Manager of Marketing and Communications
WRC Senior Services
dwise@wrc.org

First, let’s get this out of the way. No one wants to think about needing long term care. Every one hopes it won’t happen to them. But think on this. I love the show Man vs. Wild on the Discovery Channel. And not just because I love Bear’s British accent. It’s a fascinating show!

For those of you not familiar with Man vs. Wild, each episode features adventurer and writer Bear Grylls stranded in a remote location and trying to find his way back to civilization, while sharing invaluable survival techniques. Bear is well-equipped to survive in even the most brutal environments from arid deserts like the Sahara to the bitter cold of the Arctic. He isn’t going into these situations unaware.

The Alaskan wilderness

He spends time studying the location, conditions and the plants and wildlife. He has a wealth of training and experience to draw from, from mountain-climbing with his father as a young boy to his service in the United Kingdom’s Special Forces. He has broken a number of world records for expeditions. The point is Bear isn’t going into these confusing, dangerous situations unprepared. Would you?

Then why go into the confusing world of long term care without some preparation and planning to help you navigate? It is a tough topic to deal with, but it’s better to deal with now than in a crisis, when you are dropped into that unknown, remote location with no idea where you’re going, what you need or how to pay for it.

Over the next few blogs, we’ll help you get prepared. We’ll talk about the types of long term care services available, how to talk to aging parents about long term care, how to pay for long term care and a topic that isn’t talked about too often – how to assess and decrease your risk for needing long term care.

Stay tuned…meanwhile if you have any specific long term care questions you would like answered or addressed in a blog, please let us know.

Written by Dawn Wise dwise@wrc.org
Manager of Marketing and Communications
WRC Senior Services
November 1, 2010

Two causes of depression are social isolation and a loss of a sense of purpose in life. You might not stop being who you are on the inside, but how do you reconcile that person on the outside?

As a caregiver, try to get creative and think of ways that your loved one could still enjoy the things they’ve always loved. A few examples. Perhaps, they enjoyed crossword puzzles but have trouble seeing them now. Buy a full page magnifier or get a large print edition. You can find these (and other great games for the elderly) at the Senior Store. If the problem is writing, try computer crossword puzzles. They may find it easier to type.

Perhaps they were an avid gardener. There are a variety of gardening tools designed for the elderly that are more lightweight and have a longer reach. I found a pretty comprehensive store at Wright Stuff. In addition to tools, the design of the garden can help. For more information about gardening for the elderly, check out MDA online.

Dick Myers plays for his fellow residents

If you get creative, you can find a way to adapt most hobbies. We do this at WRC Senior Services. When Dick Myers moved to Laurelbrooke Assisted Living, he struggled with the transition until he found he could still enjoy the same hobbies in a new way. Dick was a gardener. Now he cares for the potted flowers growing at our entrance. They’ve never looked more beautiful! He also spent over 60 years playing the piano in church. Now he plays for his fellow residents and the residents in our memory support neighborhood. As I watch him play, I can see the joy it brings him as well as his listeners.

Laurels resident Ted Beniades had a big adjustment to make at retirement. He spent over 40 years in show business on Broadway, stage, TV and movies. How do you still enjoy that passion? I began talking to Ted about my love for theater. I am part of the Clarion Community Theater group.

For our most recent show Agatha Christie’s “And Then There Were None,” I realized I had a chance to get Ted involved again in something he loved. We needed a voiceover that would play on a gramophone during the show. He wouldn’t have to be at all the performances or the practices.

Ted Beniades stands beside his younger self in a Ragu commercial

I told him what I was thinking, and he jumped on board. I took a script over and spent some time telling him about the show and his character. He was back in the game, and I could see the sparkle in his eyes. We spread sound equipment all over his living room and got to work, laughing and joking amidst serious work. It was wonderful, and his voiceover was fantastic!

He came out to watch the show twice, and we introduced him to the audience who responded with resounding cheers. I was so glad that we were able to think of a way to help him be the person he never stopped being – a star.

What can you do today to help your loved one still be who they are in spite of how their life has changed?

Written by Dawn Wise, Marketing and Communications Manager
dwise@wrc.org