Pebble Beach, CA Dealing With A Loved One With Alzheimer’s Disease Is Always A Struggle : Try The Montessori Method

A woman and a nurse smiling for the camera.


Regular readers of my blog know that both my father and grandmother had this terrible disease when they passed away.  There are wonderful people at our local chapter of Alzheimer’s Association in Ryan’s Ranch.  It is always a struggle figuring out how to deal with a loved one, as the symptoms can seem to change from day to day.  And unlike most other chronic diseases, there is little that can be done in the way of treatment.  One relatively new method has been used for more than a century on special needs children and is being tried out on those with dementia.  It’s called the Montessori method for memory care, and it involves teaching a “new†skillset to someone.  Just as children need to know how to dress themselves, go to the bathroom, and communicate their needs, so do those with dementia who eventually may completely forget these skills which you and I take for granted.  Using the Montessori Method you will find that it:

  • Respects a person’s dignity, personhood and lived experience;
  • Allows freedom within your provided structure (essentially allowing a senior to be an improvisational artists of sorts);
  • Changes the environment to suit the individual and not the other way around; and
  • Takes into account that an individual benefits by serving their community.

Source: HomeCare Magazine, 03/21 P.40

 

And when all else fails, don’t forget that the Alzheimer’s Association has a 24-hour hotline.  If you need some additional support you can reach them at 800-272-3900.

 

https://www.alzheimers.net/montessori-method-dementia

Carmel Highlands, CA Home Care Aide (HCA) Senior Alzheimer’s & Dementia Caregiver Jobs Available


Carmel Highlands, CA Home Care Aide (HCA) Senior Alzheimer’s & Dementia Caregiver Jobs Available (Also Aromas, Big Sur, Carmel, Carmel-by-the-sea, Carmel Valley, Castroville, Corral-de-Tierra, Del Rey Oaks, Gonzalez, Greenfield, King City, Marina, Monterey, Pebble Beach, Prunedale, Salinas, Seaside, Soledad & Watsonville

We have developed a reputation for having the best caregivers (Home Care Aides or Senior Companions) in Monterey County over the past decade and have recently expanded into Santa Cruz County.   We are currently looking for qualified caregivers.

Family inHome Caregiving of Monterey is seeking compassionate, mature and dependable caregivers who want to improve the lives of our elderly Clients by providing in-home, non-medical care.  Our services include:

Caring companionship

Meal preparation

Incidental transportation

Running errands

Light housekeeping

Medication reminders

Monitoring of safety while bathing

Information and referral services

Other services that improve the safety, security and quality of life of seniors.

If you believe you would make an exceptional Home Care Aide, we would love to hear from you!  We prefer those with experience helping the elderly, disabled and others with mobility problems.  Having cared for those with dementia and/or Alzheimer’s is a plus.  To work for us, you must have excellent references, a clear criminal record, a good driving record, and an insured reliable vehicle.  To apply, please visit our website www.fhcofm.com, click on home care aides, then careers where you can fill out an application online.  We have immediate openings all over Monterey County.

CHOMP Shuts Down Cardiac Procedure Lab Temporarily : By Derek Baine, Monterey, CA

A large fountain in the middle of an indoor area.


There have been labor shortages all across the country but most of the focus has been on the inability to hire unskilled labor.  However, Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula (CHOMP) has just announced that it has temporarily shut down its cardiac procedure laboratory because an important position is now vacant.  They are searching for a lab coordinator position which is a highly skilled nurse who manages the care of patients who are undergoing specific procedures in the lab.  The state-of-the-art lab was opened just two years ago.  It’s unclear if this is related to another recent report that CHOMP and other hospitals in the county are facing a severe labor shortage due to employees refusing to be vaccinated against COVID-19.

 

https://www.montereyherald.com/2021/09/23/community-hospital-of-the-monterey-peninsula-temporarily-shuts-down-cardiac-lab/?utm_email=7404B4F5358244C5647B14D271&g2i_eui=B5dv00xjia5jtX%2fZFTuOn45qYHnjNzVq&g2i_source=newsletter&utm_source=listrak&utm_medium=email&utm_term=https%3a%2f%2fwww.montereyherald.com%2f2021%2f09%2f23%2fcommunity-hospital-of-the-monterey-peninsula-temporarily-shuts-down-cardiac-lab%2f&utm_campaign=norcal-monterey-morning-report&utm_content=automated

 

Recognizing The Signs of Parkinson’s Disease : By Derek Baine, Carmel, CA

A doctor and patient looking at a book


Parkinson’s is a terrible disease which along with the normal shaking that most people are familiar with often results in dementia.  It’s very sad to watch. The disease, which there is very little treatment for, can come on with different symptoms in different people.  Some develop a range of motor symptoms like tremors, stiffness and slow movements, while others may experience more non-motor symptoms like anxiety, cognitive changes and even the loss of smell.  This has to do with dopamine, which helps the brain control coordination, emotional responses and movement.  When you develop Parkinson’s disease, the brain cells that produce dopamine start dying out.  If you believe that a loved one is showing symptoms, see a specialist like a neurologist immediately.

FDA Gives Guidance On COVID-19 Booster Shots

A close up of a cell with viruses inside


The U.S. Food & Drug Administration or FDA today announced the new rules for booster shots.  Seniors 65 years of age and older, individuals 18-64 those are at high risk of developing severe COVID and those exposed to the virus either through their work or living situation are also eligible.  “After considering the totality of the available scientific evidence and the deliberations of our advisory committee of independent, external experts, the FDA amended the EUA for the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine to allow for a booster dose in certain populations such as health care workers, teachers and day care staff, grocery workers and those in homeless shelters or prisons, among others,” acting FDA Commissioner Dr. Janet Woodcock said in a statement.

https://www.cnbc.com/2021/09/22/fda-authorizes-pfizers-covid-booster-shots-in-people-65-and-older-and-other-vulnerable-americans.html

To Booster Or Not To Booster, That Is The COVID-19 Question Of The Day

A person holding a stethoscope in their hand.


Scientific advisers to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are meeting tomorrow to decide which Americans should get COVID-19 booster shots and when.  The decision will be closely watched after advisers to the Food and Drug Administration on Friday overwhelmingly rejected a proposal to offer Pfizer booster shots to all Americans over the age of 16 and then unanimously voted in favor of third doses for those over 65 and some high risk groups.  The experts confirmed that a third dose does boost antibody levels, although it’s unclear how long that increase lasts or whether it translates to a meaningful boost in protection against severe disease.

AARP Urges You To Fight For Lower Prescription Prices

A table with many different types of pills on it.


The American Association for Retired Persons, or AARP, has launched a campaign #ShowYourReceipts to put pressure on Congress to lower drug prices.  Americans pay the highest prescription drug prices in the world!  Here is how you can participate:

  1. Take a copy of your prescription invoices;
  2. Tag your federal law makers; and
  3. Add #ShowYourRecipts to your post.

Pacific Grove, CA Online Scams Abound : Elder Abuse Fundraising Scams Abound

A pile of money sitting next to stacks of cash.


There was a sad story in The New York Times recently about how some fundraisers—including many politicians—trick people (particularly senior citizens) into donating more than they want to.  The story profiled Steve Vaughn, who started to go through his fathers bank statement after he died and was shocked to see 400 donations totaling more than $11K over just a four month period.  There were donations to Donald J. Trump, Mitch McConnell, Tim Scott, Steve Scalise and many others.  There were notes with the bank statements showing the 90-year old had repeatedly try to dispute the charges with his credit card company—all to no avail.  Here is how the scam works.  Fundraisers will call you and ask you for a donation and once you agree, they will enter them into the system as a recurring payment.  Instead of taking a fixed amount, say $100, out of your account, they will take out $100 every month or sometimes every week.  They are hoping people aren’t diligent about going over their bank statements, so pay attention!  Many of them are targeting high-income areas of Monterey County like Carmel, Pacific Grove & Pebble Beach.

 

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/06/26/us/politics/recurring-donations-seniors.html

Carmel

Pebble Beach, CA Dealing With A Loved One With Alzheimer’s Disease Is Always A Struggle : Try The Montessori Method


Regular readers of my blog know that both my father and grandmother had this terrible disease when they passed away.  There are wonderful people at our local chapter of Alzheimer’s Association in Ryan’s Ranch.  It is always a struggle figuring out how to deal with a loved one, as the symptoms can seem to change from day to day.  And unlike most other chronic diseases, there is little that can be done in the way of treatment.  One relatively new method has been used for more than a century on special needs children and is being tried out on those with dementia.  It’s called the Montessori method for memory care, and it involves teaching a “new†skillset to someone.  Just as children need to know how to dress themselves, go to the bathroom, and communicate their needs, so do those with dementia who eventually may completely forget these skills which you and I take for granted.  Using the Montessori Method you will find that it:

  • Respects a person’s dignity, personhood and lived experience;
  • Allows freedom within your provided structure (essentially allowing a senior to be an improvisational artists of sorts);
  • Changes the environment to suit the individual and not the other way around; and
  • Takes into account that an individual benefits by serving their community.

Source: HomeCare Magazine, 03/21 P.40

 

And when all else fails, don’t forget that the Alzheimer’s Association has a 24-hour hotline.  If you need some additional support you can reach them at 800-272-3900.

 

https://www.alzheimers.net/montessori-method-dementia

Health & Human Services Secretary Announces Plan To Reduce Prescription Drug Prices

A table with many different types of pills on it.


Health & Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra outlined the Biden Administration’s plan to reduce the cost of prescription drugs.  The 29-page plan supports legislation that allows the federal government to negotiate lower drug prices on the costliest drugs each year, and pass those savings on to insurers.  It would also reduce regulatory barriers in order to get new drugs approved by the FDA and incentivize drug makers to develop medications that are already on the market in the U.S. in order to reduce prices.  Per-capita prescription drug spending in the U.S. far exceeds that of other high-income countries.

https://www.cnbc.com/2021/09/09/biden-administration-unveils-plans-to-lower-prescription-drug-costs-in-the-us.html