About Amie

Avid runner with a love of team-relays. Expert on senior-care issues, especially senior housing solutions. Loves working with seniors and families. Co-founder of The Senior List and The Senior Resource Network.

Saying Goodbye To A Parent Or Loved One

April 27, 2013 by Amie 2 Comments

caregiver holding hands Huffington Post is running a great article entitled “Saying Goodbye To A Parent” by Betty Londergan. Many of us won’t have the privilege of saying goodbye because many times death can be acute, immediate and sadly… surprising. For the lucky ones, being able to say-your-peace, and receive the same back can be incredibly fulfilling.

My husband was able to experience this with his grandfather many years ago. His “Grandpa Joe”, a WWII veteran was dying of cancer that had spread extensively throughout his body. He had been in and out of the VA in Spokane Washington… On and off chemotherapy… And finally in his late 80′s he had had enough. Weeks before he went into the VA (his final visit) my husband and his brother drove up to Spokane to spend some time with Grandpa Joe. It was unlike any other visit they’d ever had. The normally rough-and-tough Joe was extremely frail but still relatively lucid. On this visit, Joe would open up about the war (he rarely if ever spoke of his year of grueling service as a medic in the war overseas), and Joe even initiated a discussion about what each grandchild had meant to him during his adult life. Joe knew this was indeed the last visit he’s have with his grandsons. Though I’m told the tears were at full flood stage, each of the boys (then in their 30′s) were able to share their favorite memories and thank Joe for being such a wonderful grandfather and friend over the years. They also both (literally) said goodbye to Grandpa Joe one last time…

Being able to say goodbye, can be an incredible rewarding and fulfilling experience. In her article, Betty Londergan calls being with a parent while they’re leaving this world “the great privilege”, and I must say I totally agree. As a social worker, I’m around families dealing with these issues on a regular basis. Some are good at it, and some not so much. Most people know that in life there are no guarantees, so it’s important to take the opportunity to tell your loved ones how much they mean to you. Tell them you love them while you have the opportunity to do so in this life. It will eliminate (or at least minimize) the “I wish I would have” notions, or the “I should have told them what they meant to me” regrets.

Have you had the “privilege” to say goodbye a loved one before they passed on? How did it go? What would you do differently? -Share your thoughts in the comments below

Rating: 10.0/10 (2 votes cast)

Filed Under: Alzheimer's/Dementia, Caregiving Tagged With: Aging in Place, Alzheimers, Caregiving

Policy Changes to Medicare Will Keep You In Therapy Longer

April 24, 2013 by Amie 2 Comments

My first job as a social worker was in skilled nursing facilities, aka nursing homes. While I loved many aspects of my job, I dreaded the weekly meeting that was held to determine which Medicare patients were making progress from our therapy services, and who was not. Those who were deemed to be plateauing and no longer benefiting from physical, occupational, speech, respiratory, or nursing skilled therapy services were given a 72 hour written notice from our team that Medicare would no longer be covering their stay in our rehabilitation facility.

For many patients, this meant a scramble to find alternative care settings, or arranging services to be brought into their homes for the transition. No one was happy to see me walk in the door with that letter. It meant that Medicare had given up on them, at that particular juncture, with that particular injury. Some would appeal our decision, but it was rare that the ruling would be in their favor. The saddest cases were those who had some form of dementia along with their diagnosis that landed them with us (broken hip, stroke, etc…). These folks simply could not follow the instructions given to them in order to make progress/improvement with their injury. Typically they were discharged just a week or two after admission, and they were the lucky ones! They had straight Medicare, not an HMO or they would have been shown the door earlier… But that’s for another post.

So, it is with great pleasure to have learned about a recent ruling that will have an immediate effect on this process. A federal court settlement in Jimmo v. Sebelius has been approved. New policy provisions will state that skilled nursing and therapy services necessary to maintain a person’s condition can be covered by Medicare. This replaces the “improvement standard” that providers have subscribed to for years.

According to Medicare Advocacy.org “CMS will undertake a comprehensive nationwide Educational Campaign to inform health care providers, Medicare contractors, and Medicare adjudicators that they should not limit Medicare coverage only to beneficiaries who have the potential for improvement. Instead, providers, contractors, and adjudicators must recognize “maintenance” coverage and make decisions based on whether a beneficiary needs skilled care that must be performed or supervised by a professional nurse or therapist.”

To break it down, Medicare recipients can’t be kicked off skilled services (therapy services such as PT, OT, etc…) simply because they aren’t making significant improvement. In the case of the Medicare recipient with dementia and a fractured hip, he/she will now receive therapy services despite the dementia diagnosis until the hip is treated to maintain his/her current condition and to prevent further decline.

“Lawyers for the beneficiaries say the settlement could help people with chronic conditions like Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, multiple sclerosis, strokes, spinal cord injuries and brain trauma. Often the prospects for improvement are slim, but there are ways to slow a patient’s deterioration and help the patient to live long enough to take advantage of new treatments as they are developed.” New York Times

While substantial costs are expected to be added to the Medicare program because of these changes, there may also be savings realized if recipients can receive therapy services in their homes. The increased therapy should also keep these patients out of more costly settings like hospitals and nursing facilities and keep readmission rates low.

To learn more about the settlement, or if you would like to appeal a past decision made by a Medicare provider, the article from the Center for Medical Advocacy has many helpful links and resources.

Rating: 10.0/10 (2 votes cast)

Filed Under: Business, Legal and Financial, Seniors Tagged With: Medicare, Nursing, Senior Care

Product Review: Spiky- Studded Snow Tires for Your Feet

April 8, 2013 by Amie 2 Comments

While we don’t recommend that anyone walk around on icy surfaces, we are thrilled to learn about a product that can make that walk a little less treacherous. We already know that one out of three adults 65 and older falls each year and that those falls lead to a high rate of Traumatic Brain Injuries, fractures, and increase the risk of early death. The good folks at Spiky have a unique product that can easily be billed as fall prevention.

Spiky works like a studded snow tire for your feet with a lightweight rubber pullover for your shoes. They can be worn on both icy surfaces and concrete without wearing down the steel spikes. They can also be worn indoors, however we wouldn’t recommend wearing them on nice wood floors or other hard surfaces, unless you are going for the “distressed” look for your floors. These would be ideal for anyone who lives in an area that has snowy, icy winters. In fact, I’m going to send a set of these to my grandmother who insists on getting her mail everyday, despite the conditions outside.

Spiky offers two products- The first is a Spiky Sling which has spikes in the front (toe area) of the rubber sling only. The second Spiky product is the Spiky Plus which offers an extra set of spikes in the heel area of the sling. Both can be worn with all types of shoes from work boots to high heels. The Sling retails for $24.95 and the Plus for $29.95. If you plan on buying 5 or more, the price per Spiky decreases.

walking with spiky We had the opportunity to have a face-to-face with the Spiky Plus. The rubber feels strong and durable, although might be a challenge for older hands to get on a shoe. The steel spikes are inset in a way that does not pose a danger to small children or fragile older skin since they are not cut to a point. Once on a shoe, they are lightweight and can even be worn while driving. The Spiky is compact and can easily be stored in a purse or coat pocket. Since we don’t have any snow or ice in our neck of the woods right now, we aren’t able to comment on their effectiveness in the elements, but will provide an update to this review once we have a chance to get to the mountain. For additional information about Spiky products or to place an order, visit their website at www.spiky.com.

Rating: 10.0/10 (1 vote cast)

Filed Under: Odds & Ends, Product Reviews Tagged With: Fall Prevention, Product Reviews, Safety

Advice to Medical Alert System Providers: Pay Attention!

March 26, 2013 by Amie 2 Comments

It’s time for medical alert system providers to pay attention to consumers

The market for Medical Alert Systems is changing before our eyes. The move to mobile alert systems has just started, and it is the wave of the future. There’s still a place for tethered (traditional land-line based) medical alert systems, but in the next few years we will see a tipping point when all of the pendants, belt clips and wrist watch like alert systems are cellular/mobile based.

The Senior List is trying to change the mindset of medical alert system manufacturers, by asking them to pay more attention to the needs of consumers. Many of these manufacturers/dealers have forgotten about the consumer the minute the device is shipped out the door. When the medical alert company sells you an alert device, you instantly become a valuable annuity to the seller. A typical consumer pays a nominal fee for the equipment, and then pays a monthly annuity in the form of a “monitoring fee” for the alert’s monitoring services (code for access to a call center). These monthly monitoring fees range between $15 per month to over $60 per month (per device). Over the course of a 3 year period (at an average of around $39 per month) consumers are shelling out $ 1,404 for call-center-services. This isn’t chump-change, and consumers should expect good value/good service for their hard earned money!

For this kind of money; 1. You ought to be able to speak to someone (live) regarding service issues when you want… 2. You ought to be able to exchange faulty equipment for operational equipment (at no charge)… And 3. You should expect that if you aren’t satisfied with your current provider, you can walk away with no penalty for doing so. 10 years ago there weren’t many options to choose from, but we’ve come a long way since “I’ve fallen and I can’t get up”… Now there are newer players entering this arena (like GreatCall, Verizon Wireless and SecuraTrac), and traditional players with new products (like MobileHelp, teasing the upcoming myHalo fall detection device).

“When the medical device company sells you an alert device, you become a valuable annuity to the seller.”

If you look around The Senior List, it doesn’t take long to see frustrated consumers complaining about the service (or lack thereof) they are receiving from medical alert system providers out there. A prime example of this can be seen in the comments following our product review of the new Verizon Wireless alert system called SureResponse. Early reviews of the SureResponse alert system are far from stellar… Check out the recent comments section to see what current users are saying about this device. What’s more surprising is the lack of “response” from the makers of the “SureResponse”. A bit ironic eh?

Here at The Senior List we’ve also been frustrated at the lack of response from Verizon. Check out our recent tweets to Verizon… We had hoped to get their attention so we could help you out… AND ultimately help them out! A satisfied consumer is a long-term annuity for them, a dissatisfied consumer leaves Verizon for GreatCall, SecuraTrac, MobileHelp or someone else… Why wouldn’t they want to instill confidence in their new alert device and the associated service? Frankly, it’s simply because they aren’t paying attention.

“Successful companies selling to boomers and seniors will be the companies that are paying attention.”

Note to Verizon… We’d still like to help you… Heck, if you’re not paying attention to us… We’re not sure what (or who) you’re paying attention to. Successful companies selling to boomers and seniors will be the companies that are paying attention. This includes the medical alert system providers/dealers, the hearing aid providers, and the market for vision correction.

Rating: 10.0/10 (1 vote cast)

Filed Under: Medical Alert Systems, Product Reviews, Technology Tagged With: Fall Detection, Medical Alert Systems, Technology

New BugMe! Stickies App Handy For Boomers And Seniors

February 26, 2013 by Amie Leave a Comment

BugMe! “Stickies” offer reminder notes for seniors!

- Press Release -

Wye Valley UK, February 26, 2013 –– Contrary to the stereotype of seniors avoiding modern technologies, many are embracing social media, smartphones, tablets and apps. With The BugMe App for iPhone Facebook and Skype, retirees can stay in touch with family and friends from afar, and with the BugMe! Stickies app, they can jot quick reminder notes to themselves just like they’ve done for decades – but with the benefit of setting alert tones to ensure they remember everything important to maintain their healthy lifestyles.

As more and more seniors embrace technology as part of “aging successfully,” retirement communities have seen the number of residents tapping away on all sorts of apps installed on their smartphones and tablets. Apps are enabling seniors to quickly and easily do their favorite things: enjoy their favorite music, learn new things, stay connected with family, try new recipes, play games with friends, and create fun reminders. Residents at The Stayton at Museum Way, a Fort Worth, Texas community sponsored by Senior Quality Lifestyles Corporation (SQLC), are one such community that has jumped head first into the large pool of apps available to them.

BugMe!, the original “yellow sticky” app, enables seniors to jot quick reminder notes (with alerts)

BugMe! Stickies is an app popular among seniors because the handy virtual sticky notes it offers enables seniors to create fun reminder notes for themselves – or to share with friends. With BugMe!, the users can either write with their finger or the app’s keyboard, and place sticky notes on a corkboard. From there, they are able to set alarms and reminders, categorize them as urgent, or even stick them to the phone’s or tablet’s home page for an extra visual reminder.

“Our residents just love to learn and grow more every day, and they have the time to really learn and use apps as a way to access personalized content and stay in touch with family and friends,” said Amy Pearce, Lifestyles Director at The Stayton senior living community. “BugMe! Stickies is a great app for seniors because it’s not only fun to hand-write notes on a digital sticky pad, but it’s also a very practical way to set reminders for themselves.”

For the past sixteen years, BugMe! has been putting the utility and simplicity of the common sticky pad onto the screens of mobile devices. Unlike regular sticky pads, BugMe! enables users to share their notes with friends via email, or by posting them to Twitter, Facebook or Instagram.

“While sharing BugMe! notes is a personal way for seniors to express their thoughts in their own handwriting, its core purpose is to serve as a personal reminder system.”

While sharing BugMe! notes is a personal way for seniors to express their thoughts in their own handwriting, its core purpose is to serve as a personal reminder system. Each note can be assigned an alarm which will sound off at just the moment the user needs to be bugged. A favorite feature with BugMe! users is the ability to quickly choose alarm times from a pick list of time intervals – such as 20 minutes or “in an hour”. This makes the application very effective for informal, lightweight reminders, such as watching a TV show, taking medicine, returning a phone call, or plugging a parking meter.

A free version of BugMe! is available in the App Store and Google Play Store, while BugMe! Stickies Pro, which offers more notes, can be purchased for $1.99. More information can be found at http://bugme.net.

About Electric Pocket Limited:

Electric Pocket has been developing mobile applications and solutions for over 15 years from its base in South Wales, UK. The company’s award winning product portfolio includes apps for iPhone, Android and BlackBerry. Electric Pocket provides engineering jump-start and consultancy services for companies looking to deliver great mobile products. Samsung, Sony and Vodafone are a few of EP’s top flight clients. For more information, visit www.electricpocket.com.

The Senior List is giving away 5 copies of the Pro Version – To see how to qualify click here!

Rating: 10.0/10 (1 vote cast)

Filed Under: Apps, Mobile Phones, Product Reviews, Technology Tagged With: Mobile Phones, Technology

Winner Of 5Star Medical Alert Announcement

February 16, 2013 by Amie Leave a Comment

Congratulations Image The Senior List is proud to announce the winner of the GreatCall 5Star Medical Alert System drawing. If you’ll recall The Senior List wrote a review of GreatCall’s mobile medical alert system called the 5Star. This is one of the latest in a line of mobile medical alert systems that use cellular networks for location based services, as well as a safety net outside the home. Friday at noon we held a drawing for those that shared our review (on Facebook or Twitter). We’re pleased to announce that the winner of our drawing is Nance Nicholls. Nance, feel free to contact us here, or we’ll reach out to you via our Facebook page. We’ll send it out to you right away (and there’s even a month worth of free minutes left on the device)!

Congratulations Nance! Let’s do this again soon-

Have a great weekend everyone!

Amie

Rating: 7.0/10 (3 votes cast)

Filed Under: Caregiving, Medical Alert Systems, Odds & Ends, Product Reviews, Technology Tagged With: Caregiving, Medical Alert Systems, Product Reviews, Technology

Win A Medical Alert System From GreatCall

February 4, 2013 by Amie Leave a Comment

Share our 5Star Alert Product Review for a chance at winning one!

GreatCall 5Star Urgent Response Are you in the market for a mobile medical alert system? Well The Senior List is giving away a 5Star Medical Alert System (in less than 2 weeks). On February 15th you’ll could walk away with your own 5Star mobile medical alert system just by sharing our review with your friends! If you’re not familiar with the 5Star alert system, we profiled it for you in an earlier post. (You can find it by simply clicking here.) You can win our demo device by sharing our article in 2 ways:

To qualify for our random drawing, simply visit our Facebook page and then “like us”. Once you’ve liked us on facebook, find our posting about the “5Star from GreatCall“. Once you find it- SHARE that post on your own facebook wall… It’s that simple.
Second way to qualify is to tweet our original article. Just make sure you include our hashtag (@seniorlist) so we know you’re interested in winning.

If you wish, you can also comment the Facebook post itself to let us know how badly you want it! You’ll find our Facebook page directly at www.facebook.com/TheSeniorList. Once we draw the winner’s name, we’ll announce it on our Facebook page followed by an announcement on Twitter.

Good Luck to all!

Rating: 6.8/10 (6 votes cast)

Filed Under: Medical Alert Systems, Product Reviews, Technology Tagged With: Medical Alert Systems, Mobile Phones, Technology

SafteyBunns Offer A Safer Seat With Non Skid Pants

February 1, 2013 by Amie Leave a Comment

SafetyBunns non-slip pants One of our members at The Senior List on Facebook submitted an interesting article about her company called; SafetyBunns! Obviously we had to inquire about them and found a really creative idea that offers seniors a safer seat at the table… This product offers safety grips on the back of the pant legs so a person doesn’t slip out of their wheelchair, dining room chair or any other slippery sitting surface. This is a product that solves a very common problem… with a very simple solution! Think of them as studded snow tires vs. snow tires. Snow tires can do the job… but Studs give you a little bit more grippage, and a lot more confidence…

Barb Przybylowicz, (a nurse for over 33 years) developed SafetyBunns after caring for her ailing father. Her many years of serving seniors (as well as her father) led her to identify a need, and she filled it. Click thru to read more about SafetyBunns.

Rating: 9.5/10 (2 votes cast)

Filed Under: Care at Home, Caregiving, Odds & Ends Tagged With: Caregiving, Eldercare, Senior Care

MEMOIRE By Kate M. Gehrke

January 17, 2013 by Amie 2 Comments

Arriving at Ellis Island Kathe (Kate) Gehrke was my husband’s great grandmother. In 1923 she left Northern Germany and came to America by boat with her husband Franz and 3 year old daughter (Magdalene). Kate was only 23 at the time. Like so many before her (and so many after) they arrived at Ellis Island in search of a better life. At the time, inflation was rocking Germany following WWI. After boarding the Mount Carroll she would wave goodbye to her parents and a sister… Never to see them again. By the time Kate was able to return to Germany 50 years later, all had died.

Kate Gehrke loved The United States, and following WWII she wrote this heartfelt Ode To America titled: MEMOIRE. We were told this tribute was framed and hung on a courthouse wall in Spokane Washington following her naturalization (to US citizenship) . We’re not sure if it still hangs there today… In case it doesn’t, we’ll hang it here for you.

MEMOIRE
By: Kate M. Gehrke

I stood on the shore of the Baltic Sea
Watching its mighty waves,
And visited St. Petersburg
In its Imperial Days.

From the Rhein River steamboat I had a look
At the Lorelei and the Tower at Bingen.
The Bohemian Forest, I remember so well
With its gypsies melodiously singing.

But most of all I think about the crossing of the ocean
To a new world – I had always known -
But only by its name.
A world so different from the old,
And still so much the same.

For here I met the people from Russia
And the Baltic Sea,
From Bohemia, the Rheinland
And from Saxony.

They talk about the good old days,
And sing their happy songs.
They disagree on many things,
And argue rights and wrongs.

But, let an enemy attack this country
Land or sea -
They proudly rise to its defense,
Regardless of nationality.

Shoulder to shoulder and man to man
Ready to give their all
To fight, to die, if it must be
As true Americans.

For those who died for you, for me,
To keep this country safe and free,
Wherever their eternal sleep,
We pray, the Lord
Their soul to keep.