Jim, Author at Senior Care Central

About Jim

CFO - Senior Care Central, LLC

Guest Blog: Spotting the Signs of Substance Abuse in the Elderly

Those who are at the twilight of their lives are vulnerable not just to illnesses but also to addiction, as well. This is especially true for the elderly who are residents of various healthcare facilities as the prevalence rate of alcohol abuse disorder jumps up to 22%.

Sadly, most symptoms of substance abuse are misinterpreted for depression, natural signs of aging, and other unrelated causes.

Here are just some of the warning signs that would tell you to get some help:

1. Lack of hygiene – People with substance abuse problems hardly care about their hygiene as the priority is when they can have their next fix.

2. Slurred speech – This is quite obvious and when you see them slurring their speech every time you check up on them, chances are they have an alcohol problem.

3. Extreme mood swings – The addicted individual becomes emotionally unstable. They can lash out at you for no reason at all.

4. Hyperactivity – Stimulants like meth and cocaine trigger hyperactivity.

5. Lethargy and excessive sleeping – Prescription opioids are the most commonly abused drugs by the elderly. Abusing their medications can take a toll because of their slowed metabolism.

6. Sudden weight loss – Addicted individuals are not really eating right because, again, their priority is sustaining their addiction. Instead of buying food, they buy drugs instead.

7. Alienation – They will isolate themselves from everybody else because they don’t want to be answering questions about their physical appearance and behavior.

8. Constant lying – When they do get confronted, they lie and lie. They will also feign illnesses in order to trick their doctors into adding into their dosage of prescription opioids.

9. Frequent accidents – Their motor skills will depreciate as they grow older and that’s understandable. However, when they fall more times than usual, it could be a sign that they have an alcohol abuse disorder.

10. Mental health issues – Over time, abusing drugs and alcohol will mess up with the chemistry in their brains. They may develop depression, feeling of isolation, extreme anxiety, among others.

Senior living facilities are not equipped to deal with substance abuse. However, they do have protocols on how to deal with these situations. However, if your parents and grandparents are living on their own and you think they need help, you can search for the rehab facilities in Colorado.

By Jim|2024-04-23T11:16:46-05:00June 14th, 2024|Dr. Mauk's Boomer Blog, News Posts|Comments Off

White clock with words Time for Action on its face

Medical alert systems can provide an added layer of protection that can help you lead an independent life. No matter your age, falling or being caught in a situation where you’re unable to summon medical help in the case of an emergency can be a very real concern. Though medical alert systems are closely associated with senior citizens, they’re a great asset that can offer assistance for a variety of ages and medical conditions.

It’s important to note that medical alert systems are not the same thing as medical ID jewelry. Medical ID jewelry may come in the form of a bracelet or necklace engraved with personal information that identifies medical conditions first responders need to know in order to attend you. These are commonly used for responders to know if a patient has specific drug and food allergies, prescribed medicines, emergency contacts or conditions that could impair judgment such as Alzheimer’s. A medical ID should have the medical emblem also known as the Star of Life that contains the snake and staff symbol.

Medical alert systems, on the other hand, are small electronic devices that allow you to connect with a dispatcher who can seek emergency help or contact a designated family member or friend to come to your aid should you need medical assistance.

Most of these devices can be worn as aw or necklace and function by utilizing wireless voice, data, and geographic location technology to allow for accurate location-tracking and real-time monitoring.

This is ideal for anyone from an unaccompanied minor walking to the bus, a senior living alone that would like more autonomy, or a person that would feel safer walking home late from work.

If you’re considering medical alert devices, there are a variety of features and service options to choose from, including:

• Environmental monitoring: Some medical alert systems have integrated carbon monoxide monitoring that contain sensors that measure concentration of gas in the environment.

• Mobile caregiver tools: Some medical alert systems offer real-time monitoring apps for caregivers to view on their mobile devices. These features will notify caregivers should there be any unusual patterns, periods of inactivity, or low battery life on the user’s medical alert device.

• GPS location services: The GPS accuracy level for certain medical alert systems may suffer interference if used inside a multilevel building. It’s recommended that you let your medical alert company know the layout of the building where the user is residing so that when help is summoned, it arrives at the right place.

• Language support: Medical alert systems are becoming popular, and many companies now offer real-time translators that are able to communicate in up to 180 languages. If you need assistance in another language other than English, ask an agent if they offer translation services before purchasing the device.

• Fall Detection: Some alert systems come with fall detection technology that constantly monitor the speed and direction of the user’s movements. If it detects an unusual movement, such as a fall, the device will alert the monitoring center after a specific period of inactivity.

• Waterproof: Most slips and falls can happen when you’re in the shower. Luckily, the majority of medical alert devices are waterproof to help ensure your safety at all times.

A quality medical alert system will provide you the peace of mind to go about your life feeling secure and independent. To learn more details regarding the equipment, contract, price, reputation and certifications for the best medical alert systems nationwide please read this in-depth study at ConsumersAdvocate.org. At the end of the day, this is a good investment for your health and wellbeing.

By Jim|2024-04-23T11:16:32-05:00June 12th, 2024|Dr. Mauk's Boomer Blog, News Posts|Comments Off

Guest Blog: Home Improvements and Modifications for Aging in Place

January 5, 2021 by Julia Weaver

Now more than ever before, we’re seeing more adults choosing to live at home as they grow in years, or what is known as aging in place. Living at home helps aging adults maintain their lifestyle for as long as possible, rather than moving into a nursing home or assisted care center. In fact, three-quarters of adults 50 years and older would prefer to remain in their homes as they age, according to a survey by AARP. Though many of us won’t be able to live independently forever, home modifications will allow your loved ones to continue to live in their home longer by creating a more manageable environment. Whether they’re living in a single-story condo in Dallas, TX or a three-story home in Portland, OR, there are modifications that can be made to every home to help make daily tasks a little easier.

Helpful home modifications

As we grow older our bodies and capabilities change, and not all homes are designed to support this challenge we’ll face. A lot of times doorways are too narrow, bathrooms too small, floors too slippery, and kitchen cabinets too high to reach. For aging adults, a home designed for optimal accessibility, convenience, and safety is imperative to avoid falls or serious injuries.

Optimizing a home for safe and comfortable living while creating a home environment that makes getting around easier is essential for aging in place. That’s why we’ve gathered the most common home modifications, from simple adjustments to larger remodeling projects.

General Home modifications to aid in mobility

Install handrails. For aging in place, add handrails to stairs, hallways, bedrooms, and bathrooms for extra balance.
Upgrade the lighting. Replace existing bulbs with LED bulbs to increase visibility. Consider installing touch-activated lamps, and placing night lights in the bedroom, bathroom, and hallways.
Install lever door handles. Switch out standard round doorknobs for lever-style handles. These do not require the same level of grip.
Install a stairlift. This is a great alternative when walking up stairs becomes more difficult. Install light switches at the top and bottom of the stairs to prevent your loved one from using the stairs in the dark.
Install automated blinds. This style of window treatment allows aging adults to adjust their blinds without having to stand up.
Create an open floor plan. Make wide passageways throughout the home with little obstruction. Widen doorways and hallways if your loved one uses a walker or wheelchair to navigate their home.
Replace hardwood, tile, laminate, or vinyl flooring for carpet. If your loved one doesn’t use a wheelchair, carpet will be most forgiving and provides more floor consistency.

For the living room

Rearrange furniture and remove clutter. To avoid tripping hazards, be sure furniture placement leaves plenty of space to move about the room safely.
Install anti-slip mats. Add strips to the bottom of rugs to increase traction and reduce the chances of tripping.
Replace unsteady furniture. Discard furniture that wobbles to prevent falls, and add plastic bumpers to the sharp edges on furniture pieces.

For the kitchen

Keep daily-use items accessible. Store small appliances, cookware, and tableware between waist and shoulder height to avoid the need to crouch down or use a step stool.
Consider purchasing a stovetop with an automatic shut-off feature. Once the sensors fail to detect motion for an extended period of time, the stove will shut off.
Install a hands-free faucet and anti-scald device. Easily turn the water on and off with the wave of a hand, and install an anti-scald device to avoid the possibility of burns.
Replace kitchen cabinets and adjust counter and sink height. For more convenient storage space, install drawers, open shelving, or pull out shelves. Choose a counter height where it’s easy to prepare meals and wash dishes while sitting.
Adjust the location of major appliances. Place the oven, sink, and refrigerator as close to each other as possible.

For the bathroom

Add adhesive strips to a bath mat in showers and tubs. This can help prevent slipping on wet surfaces.
Install non-skid strips in case the flooring becomes slippery. Try to avoid ceramic tile as this can become slick when it’s wet.
Install a walk-in bathtub or a shower transfer bench. This can greatly reduce the chances of slipping and falling. Climbing in and out of a traditional bathtub or standing for an extended period of time may become more difficult.
Install grab bars or rails in bathtubs and near the toilet. This will improve mobility and help to prevent falls.
Install a raised toilet seat. An elevated toilet seat decreases the distance between standing and sitting.

For the home’s exterior

Create at least one no-step entry into the home. Replace exterior stairs with a removable ramp for a smooth transition into and out of the home.
Add exterior lighting and landscape lighting. To avoid falling or tripping, add outdoor lighting to walkways and stairs.
Install handrails. Add handrails on both sides of walkways for extra support and balance.
Choose low maintenance materials. Opt for vinyl siding, metal roofing, composite decking, and low maintenance landscaping.
Install a security system. A home security system can give your loved one a sense of security and protection.

How to pay for home modifications

While in the end, it’s generally less expensive to age in place as opposed to living in a senior living community, the upfront costs for a remodel can add up. Luckily there are resources and programs available, such as home improvement grants, equipment loans, and low-interest loans.

You should also consider researching programs like Medicare Advantage, Non-Medicaid Government assistance and Medicaid HCBS Waivers, Veterans programs, and non-profit organizations for financial help. As you’re crunching the numbers, it’s important to remember that the cost associated with home modifications has two components: the labor cost and the materials cost. Oftentimes, the cost of labor for installing the equipment will not be covered by insurance.

Create a support system with senior care and services

Forming a support system for your loved one is a big part of aging in place. Besides the support from family members, it’s a good idea to consider senior care and services for your aging parent. There is a network of services available, including meal delivery, nurses, transportation, and house cleaning services.

In-home care services are also offered at various levels depending on the situation. On days when you’re unavailable, an elder companion could spend time with your loved one to prevent social isolation. In-home caregivers can provide help with day-to-day activities like cooking, grooming, or shopping, while also making sure your loved one is safe in their home

Introduce technology into your loved one’s home

Assistive technology solutions, smart home features, and tech gadgets can be used to help simplify everyday tasks, promote independence, and stay safe while aging in place. There are all sorts of devices, like medical alert devices to signal for help, assistive seating devices to lift your loved one into the standing position, and smart bulbs that can be controlled remotely.

Individual results may vary.
This is not intended as a substitute for the services of a licensed and bonded home services professional.

Redfin does not provide medical advice.
All of the material provided on Redfin’s blog, such as text, treatments, dosages, outcomes, charts, patient profiles, graphics, photographs, images, advice, messages, forum postings, and any other material provided on Redfin’s blog are for informational purposes only and are not a substitute for professional medical advice or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding your health. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on Redfin’s blog.

If you think you may have a medical emergency, call your doctor or 911 immediately. Redfin does not recommend or endorse any specific tests, physicians, products, procedures, opinions, or other information that may be mentioned on Redfin’s blog. Reliance on any information provided by Redfin’s blog, by persons appearing on Redfin’s blog at the invitation of Redfin’s blog, or by other members is solely at your own risk.

By Jim|2024-04-23T11:16:19-05:00June 10th, 2024|Dr. Mauk's Boomer Blog, News Posts|Comments Off

Guest Blog: The 5 Most Important Vitamins for Seniors

No matter what your age may be, you’ll need to stay healthy by eating right and staying fit. However, as your body gets older, it’s more challenging to hit your target quotas for certain vitamins and minerals because of hormonal changes. Check out the 5 most important vitamins for seniors:

1. Vitamin A

While you may be familiar with vitamin A’s importance for your vision, reproduction, and immune system, you’re probably not aware that it also helps many of your organs to function properly. You can get preformed vitamin A from meat and poultry including salmon and dairy products. On the other hand, you can get provitamin A (such as beta-carotene) from fruits that include apricots, cantaloupe, mangoes, green leafy vegetables, broccoli, squash, and carrots. You can also find vitamin A in your fortified breakfast cereals.

It’s important to note that Vitamin A supplements may interact with Orlistat, which is a weight-loss drug. Also, you shouldn’t take supplements at the time you’re taking prescription medicines that use synthetic forms of vitamin A in them.

2. Vitamin B-12

Vitamin B-12 will further enhance your metabolism, brain processes, and your body’s creation of new red blood cells. Furthermore, it’s also important for repairing genetic material. The best sources for vitamin B-12 are fish, meat, eggs, and dairy products.

However, as your body ages, your stomach doesn’t make as much hydrochloric acid that helps break away this vitamin from animal foods. Without this stomach acid, unabsorbed vitamin B-12 just passes through your digestive tract. Therefore, seniors are advised to get vitamin B-12 from supplements rather than whole food sources.

3. Vitamin D

Although bone loss can’t be prevented as you get older, you can slow it down by taking more vitamin D. With regular intake of a vitamin D supplement, your body’s absorption of calcium will significantly improve. The result would be stronger bones with fewer chances of getting fractures. Good sources of vitamin D include whole eggs, cod liver oil, salmon, and fortified dairy foods, fortified orange juice, and fortified breakfast cereals.

When you were younger, some vitamin D was made as you exposed yourself in direct sunlight. However, this process isn’t as efficient as it used to be when you’re in your senior years. In fact, by the time you turn 50, your body will require 600 international units of vitamin D every day. This increases to 800 IUs per day when you hit 70.

4. Vitamin K

You’ll need vitamin K to make your blood clot. When you injure yourself or fall, this vitamin helps promote proper wound healing. Furthermore, it also prevents bone loss to seniors who suffer osteoporosis. Aside from your daily multivitamin with a huge portion of your vitamin K requirement, you’ll need to ear more spinach, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, cabbage, kale, and Swiss chard, liver, fish, meat, eggs, and cereals. if you want to your vitamin K levels to be elevated even more.

5. Vitamin C

Vitamin C is an antioxidant that wards of the free radicals that destroy your body’s healthy cells. Aside from this, it also protects your eyes, reduces your chances of developing heart disease, and boosts your immune system. You can get your supply of vitamin C from fruits and vegetables such as strawberries, oranges, broccoli, and red peppers. However, it’s best to take vitamin C supplements to meet your daily requirement of 90 milligrams (for women) and 75 milligrams (for men).

Stay on Top of Your Game

It would’ve been ideal if you could get all of the nutrients you need from fruits, vegetables, and other unprocessed whole foods. Unfortunately, science can’t perfectly recreate all that nature has to offer into whole foods. This means that if you want to stay on top of your game, you’ll need to supplement your diet with these 5 most important vitamins for seniors.

Independent at Its Finest

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By Jim|2024-04-23T11:15:24-05:00June 6th, 2024|Dr. Mauk's Boomer Blog, News Posts|Comments Off

Guest Blog: Why You Need a Geriatric Nurse Practitioner

It is no surprise that baby boomers are entering the elderhood phase of their lives, which often means seeking medical care or advice for themselves or for their aged parents. The role of the Adult-Gerontology Nurse Practitioner (AGNP) is quickly becoming more relevant as America’s older population is expected to grow from 15% to 24% over the next 30 years. With life expectancy increasing from 68 years old in 1950 to 79 years in 2013, the expertise of the AGNP is more valuable than ever as healthcare faces this “Silver Tsunami.”

AGNPs are trained to provide care across the continuum of adulthood from young adults to the frail elderly as a reflection to changes made to the national certification exams in 2013, which combined the adult and gerontological specialties into one certification. However, many AGNPs and still-certified Gerontological NPs choose to specialize in the elderly population, (those older than 65) with specific focus areas or competencies related to the aging adult.

Nurse practitioners who specialize in adult and gerontological care can further their specialization by choosing a primary care or acute care concentration. No matter the setting, the AGNP provides multi-disciplinary care to treat the entire individual, not just their health concerns. As there are many facets of aging to consider, the AGNP addresses the physical, psychological and social aspects of aging not only to treat conditions, but to educate patients and the community on preserving function and preventing injury or further decline. Depending on the state in which they practice, AGNPs typically work with a supervising physician under standardized procedures in order to assess, diagnose, treat and prescribe medications.

Many studies have shown that patients are very happy to receive care from nurse practitioners in a variety of settings, including palliative care. Education regarding options for end-of-life care is typically managed by AGNPs in the acute care, post-acute care, home care, long-term care and primary care settings. As educating patients and populations is a cornerstone of the nursing profession, advanced-practice nurses such as AGNPs offer expert knowledge to guide patients and their families through the challenging maze of end-of-life planning. The role of the Adult-Gerontological Nurse Practitioner has never been more valid or necessary as the U.S. begins to feel the surge of the silver tsunami.

Catherine Burger, BSN, MSOL, RN is a board-certified nurse executive leader and contributing writer for www.registerednursing.org.

By Jim|2024-04-23T11:15:10-05:00June 4th, 2024|Dr. Mauk's Boomer Blog, News Posts|Comments Off

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