Monterey, CA Coronavirus Update From A Carmel Caregiver

A man wearing a mask with yellow warning tape around his mouth.


Nobody likes to think about dying, but it is extremely important that you prepare for the inevitable by drawing up an Advanced Healthcare Directive, POLST, Living Trust and Will so that your wishes are carried out.  Join experts at Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula, CHOMP, on Monday, February 8 from 4-5:30 p.m. or on Tuesday, February 23, from 10:00 to 11:30 a.m.  Learn how to document your wishes, receive expert medical coaching and submit your documents.  To register, click here www.chomp.org/planning.

Monterey, CA Anthony Hopkins Stars In Heartbreaking Film About Slipping Into Alzheimer’s & Dementia

A woman and an old lady smiling at each other.


Anthony Hopkins has the lead role in a film called “The Father†about a man who refused help as he slips deeper into Alzheimer’s disease.  The film brings viewers inside the mind of the patient, allowing filmgoers to get inside the head of someone with dementia.  “It can strike anyone at any moment,†notes Hopkins.  Although he is in his 80’s, he said he is loving this stage of life.  “The past five years have been extraordinarily lucky, and the best time my life,†he said. Regular readers of my blog know that both my father and grandmother had this terrible disease when they passed away.  There are great people at our local chapter of Alzheimer’s Association in Ryan’s Ranch.  They also have a 24-hour hotline if you need support at 800-272-3900.

Singer Tony Bennett Has Had Alzheimer’s Disease For Five Years

A purple background with the alzheimer 's association logo.


AARP The Magazine revealed that Tony Bennett was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease back in 2016 but it has not been revealed to the public until now because he wanted to continue to tour.  He has performed publicly as recently as 2019 and even has concert dates scheduled for later this year, with the first one starting in March.  I can see how he would want to continue performing as music does stimulate the brain.  There have been studies of Alzheimer’s patients showing that when music is played their brains really perk up.

https://www.aarp.org/entertainment/celebrities/info-2021/tony-bennett-alzheimers.html

Carmel, CA Elder Abuse Alert


Although anyone can be a victim of the many scams that criminals are carrying out now, data from the Federal Trade Commission shows that consumers age 80 and older are far more likely to be scammed by phone and lose the most money, a median of $1,250.  “Even if you do everything perfectly, you can still be susceptible to fraud,†Shameka Walker, a fraud and identity theft program manager at the FTC, told Kiplinger’s Retirement Report.  Most scammers are hacking in to find your email address and hawking you products that you may have been searching for.  Other popular scams are selling fake COVID-19 vaccines and PPE equipment to protect against the virus. Seniors living in Carmel, Pacific Grove and Pebble Beach are particularly vulnerable as these crooks target high-income areas.

Carmel, CA Home Care Aide (HCA) Senior Alzheimer’s & Dementia Caregiver Jobs Available. CNA a plus!

A red heart with the words i love caregivers written underneath it.


Carmel,  CA Home Care Aide (HCA) Senior Alzheimer’s & Dementia CNA Caregiver Jobs Available (Also Aromas, Big Sur, Carmel-by-the-sea, Carmel Highlands, Carmel Valley, Castroville, Corral-de-Tierra, Del Rey Oaks, Gilroy, Gonzalez, Greenfield, Hollister, King City, Marina, Monterey, Morgan Hill, Pacific Grove, Paicines, Pacific Grove, Pebble Beach, Prunedale, Salinas, San Juan Bautista, Seaside, Soledad and Tres Pinos

We have developed a reputation for having the best caregivers (Home Care Aides or Senior Companions) in Monterey 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 New Hope For Alzheimer’s Drug

A woman looking out of the window at her home.


The Food & Drug Administration FDA is taking another look at aducanumab, a potential new drug for treating Alzheimer’s Disease and dementia.  The drug candidate will undergo an additional three months of review after a panel of experts in November recommended against approving the drug.  Biogen and Eisai partnered on the development of the drug and delivered new data to the FDA, triggering the prolonged review time.  An independent committee of experts had criticism of both the drug’s merits and the interpretation of data by FDA scientists.  Biogen said the data from one clinical trial showed a slowing in cognitive decline compared to study participants who received a placebo.  In the second clinical trial, the drug failed to show a benefit.  However, Biogen says it is likely because fewer patients received the higher dosage.  Regular readers of my blog know that both my father and grandmother had this terrible disease when they passed away.  There are great people at our local chapter of Alzheimer’s Association in Ryan’s Ranch.  They also have a 24-hour hotline if you need support at 800-272-3900.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/fda-extends-review-of-biogen-eisais-alzheimers-drug-11611935425

 

Monterey, CA Coronavirus Update From A Carmel Caregiver

A close up of some blue and yellow cells


There were 385 new COVID-19 cases announced for Monterey County, bringing the total up to 39,425 with one more death.  Although the number of cases is slowing nationwide, they are picking up in our County with 2,140 cases in the last week, up 15%.  January has been the deadliest month for COVID-19 deaths.  It was announced that Congressman Stephen Lynch tested positive for coronavirus after receiving two doses of the Pfizer vaccine.  Of course the vaccine is not 100% effective, so there will be cases like this—hopefully they will be isolated.  In the U.S., the number of new cases rose by 165,636, about flat with yesterday’s report.  That brings the total up to 26 million.  Deaths rose by 3,114 to 437,897.  In California, the number of new cases was up by 22,583 to 3.3 million, while deaths rose by 643 (+2%) to 40,240. These numbers are not looking great, please stay home and stay safe.

https://www.healthsystemtracker.org/brief/covid-19-is-the-number-one-cause-of-death-in-the-u-s-in-early-2021/?utm_campaign=KFF-2021-The-Latest&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=108720002&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_dVeqsspNjnWT5DGvnEqC00sB3ktTKTf_Nzm5AWtmnfRvS9tlYW81CadytPYmEefF7q-7Q3zxqDOVyetPX8KRYer1xxw&utm_content=108720002&utm_source=hs_email

 

Please visit us at www.familyinhomecaregiving.com

Marvel Comics Creator Stan Lee Suffered From Elder Abuse


There was a sad elder abuse story in AARP The Magazine about Stan Lee, the mastermind behind Marvel Entertainment which produced movies based on Lee’s character which grossed more than $22 billion at the box office.  That’s double the box office of all of the Star Wars movies combined.  Not only was he abused early on in his career—never owning a stake in any Marvel characters but simply earning a salary—later in life he was severely taken advantage of.  The company was sold in 2009 to Walt Disney for $4 billion.  But since Stan didn’t own a stake he had to resort to going to trade shows like Comic Con to sign autographs for $120 each.  The story talks to someone who shot a video of him when at age 95, his handlers had to actually tell him his name and spell it so that he could sign autographs.  Between his assistants, his daughter and others, money quickly evaporated as Lee moved into dementia.  One of his security team reportedly paid himself a management fee of $700K in 2017 while giving Lee $50K.  Another employee apparently forged Lee’s signature and took $4.6 million out of his Merrill Lynch account.  His daughter at the same time was earning $7,000 a month to help brainstorm ideas that might capitalize on her father’s name.  There are a number of court cases pending in this terrible case.

https://www.aarp.org/entertainment/celebrities/info-2020/stan-lee-elder-abuse.html

Monterey, CA Coronavirus Update From A Carmel Caregiver

A close up of many viruses on a red background


There were 187 new COVID-19 cases announced for Monterey County, bringing the total up to 39,040 with 4 more deaths.  Nationwide, there were 165,264 new cases, bringing the total up to 25.9 million, while deaths rose by 3,867 to 434,783.  COVID-19 is now the number one cause of death in the United States with more than 3,000 people dying at 3,000 a day, nearly 50% higher than the second leading cause of death.  In California, there were 17,576 new cases for a cume total of 3.3 million, while deaths rose by 587 (+2%) to 39,597.  These numbers are still high, please stay home and stay safe.

Please visit us at www.familyinhomecaregiving.com

https://www.healthsystemtracker.org/brief/covid-19-is-the-number-one-cause-of-death-in-the-u-s-in-early-2021/?utm_campaign=KFF-2021-The-Latest&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=108720002&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_dVeqsspNjnWT5DGvnEqC00sB3ktTKTf_Nzm5AWtmnfRvS9tlYW81CadytPYmEefF7q-7Q3zxqDOVyetPX8KRYer1xxw&utm_content=108720002&utm_source=hs_email

Pacific Grove, CA Elder Abuse Alert


Although anyone can be a victim of the many scams that criminals are carrying out now, data from the Federal Trade Commission shows that consumers age 80 and older are far more likely to be scammed by phone and lose the most money, a median of $1,250.  “Even if you do everything perfectly, you can still be susceptible to fraud,†Shameka Walker, a fraud and identity theft program manager at the FTC, told Kiplinger’s Retirement Report.  Most scammers are hacking in to find your email address and hawking you products that you may have been searching for.  Other popular scams are selling fake COVID-19 vaccines and PPE equipment to protect against the virus.