Understanding Dementia

Kick off 2014 with a strong start to your continuing education needs and join BrightStar Care and Great Lakes Caring on Jan. 15, 2014, for a free CEU program. “Understanding Dementia” will enable you to identify symptoms, explain various causes, describe behavioral and physiological symptom and describe patient-centered care for those with dementia.
What: Understanding Dementia, a free CEU program
Who: Sarah Thurston, LMSW, of Great Lakes Caring
When: Jan. 15, 4:30 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Where: Services for Older Citizens, 158 Ridge Rd., Grosse Pointe Farms, MI 48236
For questions, please contact:
ANNE MARIE GATTARI
PRESIDENT
BrightStar of Grosse Pointe / Southeast Macomb
22811 Greater Mack Ave., St. 204
St. Clair Shores, MI 48080
P 586 279 3610 | F 888 730 4026
am.gattari@brightstarcare.com
http://www.brightstarcare.com/grosse-pointesoutheast-macomb

Do-Not-Resuscitate order.

There is an important document which you and your loved one should complete in the presence of your physician if you want to avoid CPR (cardio-pulmonary resuscitation) or other life support when an ambulance (911) is called. It is the Do-Not-Resuscitate order. Some people with serious and irreversible conditions do not want an emergency medical team to give them CPR if their heart stops or they stop breathing. If the emergency medical team sees the proper bracelet or document upon arrival, you can expect to receive all necessary comfort care—but not life support.

Click here to go to the Do Not Resuscitate form

Designation of Patient Advocate Form

Here is a copy of the Designation of Patient Advocate Form prepared by the State Bar Association of Michigan. This is an important legal document. You should discuss it with your doctor and attorney if you have questions. After completing it, you should keep the original copy, as well as the original copy of the Tool Kit, some place they can be easily found. Copies of them should be given to your proxy and your medical care professional. If entering a hospital or nursing home, take copies of them with you and ask that they be placed in your medical record.

Click here for form

Patient Advocacy: Tool Kit

This could be an opportune time to have—or at least start--the important conversation re. making a health care advanced directive (such as living will or durable power of attorney for health care).

This is a Tool Kit prepared by the Commission on Law and Aging to help you have this conversation in an effective way. It does not create a formal advanced directive for you. Instead, it helps you to do the much harder job of discovering, clarifying, and communicating what is important to you or your loved one in the face of serious illness. Please see the self-help worksheets, suggestions, and resources.


Click here for the link

Presentation: Intoduction to Pain

2013 Award

One of our Certified Geriatric Care Managers, Crystal Carrier, has been awarded the 2013 Home Instead Senior Care Synergy Award for outstanding client care coordination and support. This annual award is given to community professionals that work to improve the quality of life for their clients whom they share with Home Instead. Crystal was chosen unanimously by the Home Instead staff.

Alzheimer’s Patients Benefit from New Detroit Institute of Arts Pilot Program “Minds on Art”

The Detroit Institute of Arts (DIA) launched a pilot program that provides stimulating art experiences for people with Alzheimer’s disease and their caregivers. The Program, called Minds on Art, is the first of its kind in Michigan . .

Click here for article

Music Therapy Brings Dementia Patients “Back to Life”

This is not a cure but we are increasing patients’ level of engagement . . .the program is currently being used in 50 nursing homes in 15 states and Canada.

Click here to read the article

If you’d like to contribute to providing personalized music for elders in care facilities or support the training of family caregivers go to: http://musicandmemory.org/

The Story of Gil and Denise

In this excerpt from the forthcoming documentary, Alive Inside: The Story of Music and Memory, two individuals with cognitive challenges transcend their daily struggles as they listen to personalize music, with help from Music and Memory’s Dan Cohen.

Click here for more information

Having the Conversation: A Heart to Heart with Aging Parents

We hear time and time again from professionals that family conversations are best when they happen sooner rather than later. The more involved your aging parents can be in the conversations, the better. Try not to wait until there is declining health or a crisis of some kind. The fact is, if you, as the adult child have these conversations on your mind… your parents do too. And, not moving forward just puts more stress on everyone.


Click here to read Having the Conversation: A Heart to Heart with Aging Parents.

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The Parent Care Conversation

One of the hardest things for aging parents and their adult children to do is sit down and have a frank discussion about the future. Such conversations are difficult for two principal reasons: they involve acknowledging the realities of aging and mortality, and financial details must be shared. But putting off these conversations until it's too late can have catastrophic consequences, both financial and emotional.

Click here for a summary of The Parent Care Conversation: Six strategies for Transforming the Emotional and Financial Future of Your Aging parents by Dan Taylor.

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Difficult Conversations: How to Discuss What Matters Most

The book below was written nearly 15 years ago! It is Difficult Conversations by Stone, Patton, and Heen. Please take a look at the nice summary I found. I think you will find it timely and priceless!

This book, based on fifteen years of research at the Harvard Negotiation Project, walks you through a proven step-by-step approach for how to have better and less stressful outcomes from your most difficult conversations. It shows you how to prepare yourself; how to start the conversation without defensiveness; and how to keep it constructive and focused.

Click here to read about it.

Geriatric Care Managers Can Help

As the GCM earns the trust of older clients and family members, they are well positioned to monitor signs of specific family members taking financial advantage of older people’s money.

Click here to read more

Preventing financial elder abuse

Whether the abuser is an outsider or a family member, here's what to look for.

Read more here.
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Elderly Suffer as Financial Abuse Grows

It's a serious issue. Last year, MetLife said elderly victims of financial scams lost at least $2.9 billion in 2010, up from $2.6 billion in 2008. And 20% of Americans over the age of 65 have been victims of financial swindles, a 2010 IPT report said.

Read more on this important article here and view this eye-opening video.

Watching out for Financial Elder Abuse

"Financial Fraud is the number one consumer protection issue for AARP” claimed Anthony Catillio who exposed a program that provides free lunch seminars that mislead seniors and sucked them into losing untold millions.
 Click on this link for more important information.

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