Centenarian Kane Tanaka, Celebrates 119th Birthday, Is The Oldest Person In The World


Kane Tanaka celebrated her 119th birthday in Japan, continuing her run in the Guinness Book of Records as the oldest woman in the world.  Eiji Tanaka, her 62-year-old grandson, told the Japanese outlet Kyodo, “I hope she remains healthy and has fun every day as she grows older.â€Â  Tanaka born in 1903 (the same year the Wright brothers made their first powered flight) loves carbonated beverages and posed for photographers last year with a peace sign, drinking a can of coke.  Tanaka has seen five Japanese imperial reigns and two world wars.

Montage Health To Hold Advance Planning Health Care Directive Workshop January 10

A large fountain in the middle of an indoor area.


Join Joy Smith, a Registered Nurse and a member of the Palliative Medicine Service team at Montage Health Care on January 10 for an Advance Planning Health Care Directive Workshop on January 10 from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. at the Ryan Ranch location of Montage Medical Group in the Hazen Education Center.  At the meeting, you either start or update your Advance Health Care Directive and other important documents, and then submit your paperwork to Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula (CHOMP).  For more information, call 625-4977.

https://www.montagehealth.org/classes-events/search-results-detail/?eventId=b7650967-b63d-ec11-a843-000d3a611ea2

Future of New Alzheimer’s Drug, Aduhelm, Up To Medicare

A close up of some blue and yellow cells


Despite a recent price drop of roughly 50% for Aduhelm, the new drug for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease, it is still extremely expensive at $28K per year, and its future now lies in the hands of Medicare.  They will meet this month to decide whether or not the government will cover this infusion drug for senior citizens.  Because the vast majority of prescriptions for this drug are likely to be for those on Medicare, this will be a very important decision for Biogen, the manufacturer of the drug.  Although the FDA has approved the drug, clinical trials showed the drug had significant safety risks and the benefit to patients is unclear.  Therefore, its approval for Medicare reimbursement is anything but a shoe-in.  Medicare almost always approves drugs which have received the stamp of approval of the FDA, but in this case it has not—researchers at Medicare have been studying the drug for over a month.  “It’s truly unprecedented,†James Chambers, a researcher at the Center for the Evaluation of Value and Risk in Health at Tufts Medical Center, told the Wall Street Journal.

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/12/31/health/aduhelm-alzheimers-medicare.html?campaign_id=4&emc=edit_dk_20220103&instance_id=49255&nl=dealbook&regi_id=52105769&segment_id=78510&te=1&user_id=7052b81671c57203c64c377c7522baa7

Carmel, CA Home Care Aide (HCA) Senior Caregiver Jobs Available : Alzheimer’s & Dementia Experience A Plus : Set Your Own Hours : $2 Per Hour Extra On Weekends

A woman and an older lady standing next to each other.


Carmel, CA Home Care Aide (HCA) Senior Caregiver Jobs Available : Alzheimer’s & Dementia Experience A Plus : Set Your Own Hours : $2 Per Hour Extra On Weekends (Also Big Sur, Carmel-by-the-sea, Carmel Highlands, Castroville, Corral-de-Tierra, Del Rey Oaks, Gonzalez, Greenfield, King City, Marina, Monterey, Pacific Grove, Pebble Beach, Prunedale, Salinas, Seaside, Soledad & Watsonville)

Monterey & Santa Cruz Counties Home Care Aide (HCA) Senior Alzheimer’s & Dementia Caregiver Jobs Available

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.

Monterey, CA Tips For Warding Off Alzheimer’s Disease

A purple background with the alzheimer 's association logo.


Regular readers of my blog know that both my father and my grandfather had Alzheimer’s disease when they passed away.  It’s a terrible disease for which there is no cure.  However, there are ways that you can try and keep the disease at bay including:

  1. Protect your heart – Four major risk factors directly relate to heart health: high blood pressure, obesity, diabetes and smoking.  Work towards keeping blood pressure and cholesterol low by eating a healthy diet.
  2. Exercise – According to Dr. Richard Isaacson, this can be the brain’s first defense against amyloid plaque. Try and get at least thirty minutes of exercise per day.
  3. Stay Socially and mentally active – Getting together with family and friends can be difficult during the COVID pandemic, but getting social stimulation is important, even if you have to do it over a zoom call.
  4. Avoid head injury – This is easier said than done, but studies have found that even mild head trauma can result in dementia. Wear a seatbelt, play sports safely and treat any head injury immediately.
  5. Treat depression, hearing loss, and substance abuse – Excessive alcohol consumption, hearing loss and depression all increase the risk for dementia.

Source: American Brain Foundation and Brain Life, the Academy of Neurology’s patient and caregiver magazine and website.

 

If you or a family member are struggling with Alzheimer’s disease or some other type of dementia, go talk to the good folks at the Alzheimer’s Association’s Monterey Chapter in Ryan Ranch.  They also have a 24-hour hotline you can call at 1800-272-3900.

Betty White Fails To Clock In As A Centenarian, Dies At 99 Years Old


It was so sad to read the news wire that Betty White died today.  I wrote recently on my blog that she was planning a huge birthday party for her January 17 birthday, when she would have turned 100 years old.  She was planning to film the party and had stars like Carol Burnett, Jay Leno, Morgan Freeman, Clint Eastwood, Ryan Reynolds and Robert Redford lined up to give tribute.  It was also to honor her as the first woman to produce a national TV show and the first woman to receive an Emmy.  Fans are now gathering around her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame to pay their respects.

https://familyinhomecaregiving.com/congratulations-to-betty-white-as-the-world-congratulates-another-centenarian/

Pacific Grove, CA Home Care Aide (HCA) Senior Caregiver Jobs Available : Alzheimer’s & Dementia Experience A Plus : Set Your Own Hours : $2 Per Hour Extra On Weekends

A man and woman standing next to each other.


Pacific Grove, CA Home Care Aide (HCA) Senior Caregiver Jobs Available : Alzheimer’s & Dementia Experience A Plus : Set Your Own Hours : $2 Per Hour Extra On Weekends (Also Big Sur, Carmel, Carmel-by-the-sea, Carmel Highlands, Castroville, Corral-de-Tierra, Del Rey Oaks, Gonzalez, Greenfield, King City, Marina, Monterey, Pebble Beach, Prunedale, Salinas, Seaside, Soledad & Watsonville)

Monterey & Santa Cruz Counties Home Care Aide (HCA) Senior Alzheimer’s & Dementia Caregiver Jobs Available

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.

OTC Hearing Aides Will Hit The Market In 2022

An older woman with a gray hair sitting in front of trees.


After a 90 day public comment period expires in the middle of January with the Food & Drug Administration regarding allowing hearing aids to be sold without a prescription, the FDA will write a final version of the rule that will be based, in part, on feedback from the public and industry groups.  This will serve as a guideline for manufacturers to start making the devices, which could be sold at Costco, CVS, Safeway and other retail outlets.  “I think the soonest these devices will be available would be the second half of next year,†Barbara Kelley, the executive director of the Hearing Loss Association of America, told AARP Bulletin December 2021 Edition, page 4).  This should lower the cost significantly from current prices of $2K to $6K per pair.

Elder Abuse Rose During COVID-19 Pandemic

An old woman with a bruised eye and hand on her face.


We have all struggled with various issues during the pandemic.  However, seniors have more to watch out for than the average American—they have been inundated with coronavirus based scams.  The Wall Street Journal recently wrote a story about a caregiver who was on probation for a felony robbery conviction who was hired by a long-term-care facility which didn’t do a background check (note that all of our caregivers undergo an extensive background check, including a Department of Justice criminal record check).  She stole an engagement ring and credit cards from an 86-year-old woman dying from COVID-19.  Just a few hours after the woman died, the caregiver swiped the stolen credit card to get a burger and fries at Wendy’s.  In another case, a woman in her 80’s found that her house had been stolen—her name had been forged on the deed to her house and it was sold in a virtual transaction.  The list of crimes goes on and on.  One lesson to be learned is don’t ever allow someone that you don’t know into your home unless they have a license from the state.  You can check on this by using the link below.

https://www.cdss.ca.gov/inforesources/community-care/home-care-services

 

Pebble Beach, CA Home Care Aide (HCA) Senior Caregiver Jobs Available : Alzheimer’s & Dementia Experience A Plus : Set Your Own Hours : $2 Per Hour Extra On Weekends

A woman and an older lady standing next to each other.


Pebble Beach, CA Home Care Aide (HCA) Senior Caregiver Jobs Available : Alzheimer’s & Dementia Experience A Plus : Set Your Own Hours : $2 Per Hour Extra On Weekends (Also Big Sur, Carmel, Carmel-by-the-sea, Carmel Highlands, Castroville, Corral-de-Tierra, Del Rey Oaks, Gonzalez, Greenfield, King City, Marina, Monterey, Pebble Beach, Prunedale, Salinas, Seaside, Soledad & Watsonville)

Monterey & Santa Cruz Counties Home Care Aide (HCA) Senior Alzheimer’s & Dementia Caregiver Jobs Available

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.