Idaho - Boise and the Treasure Valley

Abuse of a senior or vulnerable adult happens much more often than most of us have any idea. Approximately 9.5% of the US population over the age of 65 experiences some type of abuse, neglect and/or exploitation. We like to think that it wont happen in our families. Unfortunately, it can and very well may.Females are abused more frequently than males, and the older the individual is, the more likely they are to be abused. The vast majority of abusers are family members (approximately 90%); most abusers are adult children, spouses, or partners. Family members who abuse drugs or alcohol, who have a mental/emotional illness, and those who feel burdened by their caregiving responsibilities abuse at higher rates than those who do not.Abuse comes in many forms, neglect being the most frequent, followed by physical abuse, financial exploitation, and emotional abuse. Neglect is the refusal to provide an elderly person with life necessities such as food, water, clothing, shelter, personal hygiene, medicine, comfort, and personal safety. Physical abuse is a physical force that causes or is likely to cause injury, pain or impairment to an elder. Financial abuse or exploitation is the illegal or improper use of an elders funds, property or assets.The elder is often reluctant to acknowledge or report abuse themselves because of fear of retaliation, fear of abandonment, lack of physical and/or cognitive ability to report, or because they dont want to get the abuser, often a family member, in trouble.We must be willing to stand up to protect our elders. If you have concerns, or suspect abuse, do your part - talk to someone, call AdultProtective Services (APS). APS provides services in each state to insure the safety and well-being of elders and adults with disabilities who are in danger of being mistreated or neglected, are unable to take care of themselves or protect themselves from harm, and have no one to assist them. A staff member will make contact with the elder to assess their current risk factors. With the help of the elder, the APS worker will develop a plan to assist them. Those who have the capability to understand their circumstances have the right to refuse services, regardless of the level of risk. If you suspect abuse, call 208-334-3833.

There are many things we prepare for in life, getting married, having kids, buying a home, retirement, etc. Unfortunately, most of us do not prepare for the day we notice that our parents, grandparents, or other aging loved one needs more help than before. They seem to be doing fine in some areas of their life, but you have concerns about others; it might be their driving, or how their home is kept, or their health is deteriorating. First, we are unsure if we should intervene, or if we do, we are not sure how much to get involved. Your loved one may welcome your help or they may not, in fact they may become defensive and push you away saying everything is just fine. You know at some level that this is not the full picture but you don't know where to begin. You might not even live in the same area and don't know what you don't know.Perhaps you are helping your aging family member(s) and are exhausted attending to their needs, your family needs, and when possible, your needs. You may or may not have siblings or other family members who could help but dont or disagree with you on how to handle the evolving needs and changing conditions. Or worse yet, you are in the midst of a crisis situation. Your stress mounts, you feel overwhelmed, confused, and unsure about what to do next, you don't know what resources are out there, and/or how to handle the emotional challenges within the family system. Every family situation is unique. A Geriatric Care Manager is an expert in geriatric care with specialties in social work, nursing and mental health. They work closely with each family to understand their specific situation.Based on a clinical assessment of the individuals ability to function independently, their mental status, nutrition needs, medical conditions, financial resources, home safety, etc., the Geriatric Care Manager develops a custom care plan, identifying what is going well and which areas need to be attended to, including resources to support identified needs.The senior and their family's choose what areas they want or need help with from the care manager. These services include:Providing education, information and referral resourcesMonitoring medical needs and advocating as neededCoordinating and providing oversight of personal care and home healthProviding assistance in addressing legal and financial issuesMaking placement recommendations and facilitating the processProviding direction on guardianship or conservatorshipProviding emotional support and mediating family dynamicsServing as back-up for family members when they are out of townYou can find a care manager in your area on the National Association of Professional Geriatric Care Managers (NAPGCM) website at www.caremanager.org.This article was written by Dee Childers, MA, and owner of Life Changes Elder Care Consulting, LLC, 208-321-5567, www.lifechangeseldercare.com.

Health care costs have been on the rise over the past few years, with health spending for Americans costing more than $8,680 per person, according to 2011 data from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.1 Making matters worse, about 80 percent of older adults have at least one chronic condition, such as heart disease, cancer or diabetes, driving up the need for prescriptions and treatments that can add up over time.2 However, saving money on your medicine and your overall wellness doesn't have to be a pain-staking endeavor. Here are some tips you can use to help lower your health care costs while still maintaining your health. Ask your physician if there is a generic version of your medication, said Dr. Richard Smith, Medical Director of Senior Products for Humana's Intermountain Region. Generics, which are typically 30-80 percent less expensive than brand name drugs, are equivalent in dosage, form, safety and strength.3, 4 Each year, generic alternatives for top-selling brand name drugs go off patent, helping you save money on common medications, including blood thinners and cholesterol fighters. Another way to cut costs is to see if your health plans pharmacy benefit manager offers a mail-order pharmacy service. An alternative to traditional community pharmacies, mail-order prescription delivery provides 30, 60 and 90-day supplies of your medications shipped directly to your home, usually with significant savings off the regular retail price. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates health care costs for chronic disease treatment account for more than 75 percent of national health expenditures.5 Be proactive and get regular checkups and screenings from your physician, Dr. Smith said. These visits are usually covered by most health insurance plans, which can help monitor for and prevent chronic conditions before they become too serious and require treatment. In fact, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act has made preventive screenings more available and more affordable than before. Under the act, Medicare and new private-insurance policies are required to either completely or significantly cover the cost of 45 medical tests and services currently shown to be most effective in early disease detection and prevention, such as mammograms, diabetes, colon cancer, prostate cancer and cardiovascular issues. For a complete list covered by Medicare, visit http://www.medicare.gov/coverage/preventive-and-screening-services.html. Health care plans often provide a number of health and wellness discounts from deals on nutritional supplements to discounts on vision care to help members keep their costs down. For instance, health benefits company Humana Inc. offers its members various deals through its online Savings Center, including discounts for everything from colds to heartburn medications. The key to saving on health care costs and using these tips effectively is planning, Dr. Smith said. It might take a little bit of scheduling to order your medications ahead of time or make an appointment for a screening; however, the payoff, in terms of the impact on both your health and wallet, is worth it. Editors Note: This article was submitted by Humana. For more information on Humana's senior products in Idaho call 1-800-884-8328. 1 https://www.cms.gov/Research-Statistics-Data-and-Systems/Statistics-Trends-and-Reports/NationalHealthExpendData/NationalHealthAccountsHistorical.html 2 http://www.cdc.gov/chronicdisease/resources/publications/AAG/aging.htm 3 http://www.gphaonline.org/about/generic-medicines/ 4 http://www.fda.gov/drugs/resourcesforyou/consumers/questionsanswers/ucm100100.htm 5 http://www.cdc.gov/workplacehealthpromotion/businesscase/reasons/rising.html

Throughout the years that I have been in healthcare I have learned many things by observing the families that I am serving. One of the most important lessons that I have learned is to have conversations that count before a crisis. I have tried to live that out. I vividly remember at the age of 30 before I had my first child completing my advanced directives. Having children made certain things real for me. I didnt want my husband or my children to ever have to make difficult choices for me if I was facing a life threatening condition. I didnt want them to feel guilty or scared that they may have made the wrong decisions on my behalf. Every adult should have an advanced directive (also known as a living will and durable power of attorney for health care). An advanced directive is simply your written instructions about your future medical care. I have found over the years many people do not have an advanced directive because they are fearful about having honest conversations about both their desires and fears regarding end of life issues. It is also especially hard for adult children to sit down with their aging parents to encourage them to put their wishes in writing. Remember, you cannot assume that you know what someone else needs or wants. So before you start any conversation keep in mind that the purpose of the conversation is not to impose your ideas on others but to learn what your family members think about their own end of life choices. There are many things that occur in daily life that can give you an opportunity to start conversations within your family. Conversation triggers can include the death of a friend or colleague, movies, sermons, annual medical checkups, and, of course, funerals. You can obtain a living will and durable power of attorney for health care from your local hospital, an attorney, or from the Idaho Secretary of State. Once your advanced directive is complete and you have discussed it with your family, be sure to share this information with your physician. This will increase the likelihood that your advanced directive is honored. Ultimately, this process is about more than completing the advanced directive. That matters, because it will guide final actions. However, what matters most is the actual conversation with the people you love so you can honor their wishes, come to terms with inevitable loss, and honor the cycle of life. Article by Honey Goodman, Community Relations Director for Treasure Valley Hospice. For more information or for speaking opportunities please call 467-7423