A New, Yet Old Approach to Dealing with Dementia - I met an interesting organization - Jiminy Wicket

I met a new organization that is working with seniors with dementia and their families. Called Jiminy Wicket, the organization wants to spread the word about the benefits of croquet for seniors with Alzheimer's and related dementias. This summer in Denver they have organized and are promoting Croquet for Seniors and Caretakers. Having just this summer played a game of crocket (after a 30 year absence), I am all for this. Jiminy Wicket has reached out to the Denver Croquet Club that meets in Washington Park in Denver, Colorado and they are offering free croquet every Monday from 10:00AM until noon through the summer and nearby at St. John’ s Lutheran Church in winter. This event is free and no experience is necessary and equipment is provided. The organization welcome seniors suffering from dementia and their caretakers. Here is a link to an article about Jiminy Wicket that we posted this July 2013 called, "Croquet at Copthorne - Dealing with dementia, a family learns to play together" - Click Here. Also check out the group's website - www.JiminyWicket.com.

Helper Robots as Senior Companions?

Ran across an article in from the New York Times on helper robots as an alternate resource for seniors who need companionship and assistance (not sure how robots will work for all of the different aids for daily living that a senior might need), however a portion of the article addressed the shortage of people who want to be companions due to low pay. The article mentioned that typical companions make an average of $20,820 annually and that also makes one wonder how these low income wage earners afford insurance, rent, food - Read More

Discharge Planning - Consumers of all ages should understand what this is before need arises

When I hear the phrase 'discharge planning' I think of professional discharge planners. That is fine but I think it is time for consumers of all ages to understand what 'discharge planning' is all about. Understanding 'discharge planning' is part of getting well after an illness. I did some exploring online and found a section on the Centers of Medicare and Medicaid Services website that has resources for professionals involved in discharge planning. Follow the link and learn more at Medicare Learning Network® (MLN). Also of interest is a pdf Discharge Planning Booklet - interesting details.

Looking at the bright side - this is a beautiful country

Between all the bad news lately out of Washington, D.C. sometimes one needs to breath deep and appreciate the natural beauty in this county. Check out this photo series taken by U.S. Bureau of Land Management workers. Awesome photo series and note that you do have to wait for the advertisement before viewing - Click Here. And while you are at it visit the My Public Lands tumblr website - http://mypubliclands.tumblr.com/. Breath and contact your congressman if you don't like what you are reading in the news - Click Here.

Sad to Hear - Contra Costa County Meals on Wheels Facing Cuts - Is the right service being cut?

Interesting article about Meals on Wheels program facing cuts in Contra Costa County, California due to cuts to the government program that supported it. As you read the article one learns that the meal program had support from the local Area Agency on Aging which is now actually known as the Administration for Community Living - Click Here. Where did this new name come from? And bigger question is what is the government spending money on? Any business person knows what it costs to do a name change and build a website. Is the government spending money on building bigger and better organizations and websites to 'serve seniors' in this economy and during the sequester? When one digs deeper it does appear that the Administration on Aging has a NEW organization. It is called Administration for Community Living (ACL). And this group now has its own website - www.acl.gov. Here is one document that reviews their budget - Click Here. It looks like their budget is $2.14 billion as per the link. Link to their budget overview - Click Here.

Something else to think about ... Your Digital Afterlife

Each of our lives' are extremely full but here is something else to think about - what happens to your email and social networking accounts when you are gone? Facebook offers "memorializing services" where a Facebook account can be kept after someone has died. Facebook does not allow advertising on these type of accounts. Google has now developed a new service where the owner of the gmail account and related Google social networking accounts can set up what happens to their accounts before they are gone. They call it "Inactive Account Manager" and it allows the Google account owner the option to make their account inactive at a certain point in time and/or select another person to manage the accounts when they are dead. The Guardian newspaper out of the UK has an article about this new services from Google - Read More.

Seniors Eating Well

I want to point out an article from Chef Thomas Burke, owner of You’re Home. You're Home is an in-home dining services company that prepares fresh and wholesome meals to seniors in their homes. His article is about kidney disease and a renal diet which is a very important topic. However one of his comments in his article is,"... Even if you are not hungry, it is important to eat and keep good nutrition." I have found this to be an accurate observation of some of the seniors in my life that contributes to them gradually descending into poor eating habits. Read Chef Thomas Burke's article - Click Here.