Category Archives: Faith Community

Why YOUR City Needs to become Dementia Friendly

I’m honored to be part of the exciting Dementia Friendly Fort Worth initiative.  Not only are we the first major city in Texas to undertake this effort, but one of the largest cities in the United States.  We are part of Dementia Friendly America (DFA), which is a multi-sector collaborative on a mission to foster “dementia friendly” communities across the nation.

DFA is the work of over 35 national, leading organizations, the Dementia Friendly America initiative is catalyzing a movement to more effectively support and serve those across America who are living with dementia and their family and friend care partners. The lead organizations represent all sectors of the community and are collectively leveraging their national reach to activate their local affiliates, members, and branches to convene, participate in and support dementia friendly community efforts at a local level.

Dementia Friendly Fort Worth is organized to educate people in all sectors of the community about dementia, to assist them in becoming dementia friendly and to support and care for those living with dementia and their care partners.

The program offers:

  • Education opportunities for all persons to increase awareness and understanding of dementia
  • Help in the development of better services for persons living with dementia and their care partners
  • Guidance to all sectors of the community to become dementia friendly in their day to day interactions with persons living with dementia
  • Encouragement and support practices and opportunities that enrich the lives of persons living with dementia and their care partners.

Why be a Dementia Friendly city?  There are more than 120 types of dementia, for which there is currently no cure.  More than 60% of these individuals live in your neighborhood and use the businesses and services in your community.   Currently, there are over 10 million Americans living with Alzheimer’s Disease and other forms of dementia.  This number is expected to grow drastically in the years ahead.  The massive group of baby boomers (10,000 a day turning 65) is living longer, and dementia occurrence increases with age.  A person who is 65 has a 1 in 10 chance of having dementia and that rises to a 1 in 3 chance for someone 85.  The fastest growing segment of our population are those 85 and over.

According to the Dementia Friendly Toolkit Overview, communities are encouraged to progress through four phases as they journey to become dementia friendly: Convene, Engage, Analyze, and Act.  In Fort Worth, we have created sector groups which are defining standards for various business groups to be certified as dementia friendly, using the toolkit from Dementia Friendly America.

In just 4 months, leaders from faith communities, long-term care, hospitals, businesses, Alzheimer’s Association, Area Agencies on Aging and others have come together to move forward with outlining initiatives and plans to reach out to the greater Fort Worth community.  It’s very exciting to see the stakeholders investing in this project, including the FW Mayor and city council.  Everyone sees the urgent need to address the needs of those living with dementia and their care partners.

Funding for dementia friendly projects comes from donations from individuals, companies, organization, and foundations which have a desire to make a difference in the lives of those living with dementia.  First United Methodist Fort Worth was the catalyst to provide important seed money for this project, and other are quickly joining them.  It’s definitely a model of grassroots efforts and the passion of hundreds of people from virtually every sector of the community.

For more information on how to become a dementia-friendly city http://dfaamerica.org.   

 Pam Brandon is President/Founder of AGE-u-cate® Training Institute and a passionate advocate for older adults and those who serve them.  She is the creator of the internationally recognized Dementia Live® program, a transformational experience, and training to help care partners understand life with dementia.  Dementia Live is an educational outreach program of the Dementia Friendly initiatives in Fort Worth and Grayslake, Illinois.  

News Flash! Our Seniors are Drowning in Drugs

I recently attended a conference and listened to a geriatrician share that the average number of medications her patients are on when they come to her practice is a shocking 18 – 24.  That’s per DAY! No doubt we have a serious epidemic in this country – our seniors are drowning in drugs.

According to the National Institutes of Health, although the term polypharmacy has evolved over time and is often used to mean many different things in different situations, its basic definition is quite simple;  more drugs are prescribed or taken than are clinically appropriate. The specific number of drugs taken is not itself indicative of polypharmacy as all of the drugs may be clinically necessary and appropriate for the patient; however, as the number of prescribed drugs increases, so do the chances of Polypharmacy.   The most worrisome consequence of polypharmacy is the occurrence of adverse drug reactions (ADRs), in addition to increased drug costs and patient quality of life are also significant issues.  The elderly population, which often suffers from multiple chronic diseases requiring multiple medications, continues to increase. These patients are much more likely to experience Polypharmacy and its negative consequences, especially ADRs.

ADRs are one of the most troubling issues surrounding medication use in the elderly, as this patient population is more likely to have poor outcomes than others.  ADRs affects approximately 10-20% of hospitalized patients and around 7% of the general population; this number increases when the population of interest is limited to the elderly.

The consequences of drowning in drugs are greatly exacerbated by the dramatic rise in older adults living with dementia.  Not only are they taking too many drugs, but often they are not taking the drugs as prescribed.  Statistics also point to a very low percentage of drugs to treat AD and other forms of dementia as being effective – less than 10% have positive outcomes.

Healthcare professionals across the spectrum are faced daily with the challenges of helping these older adults and their families sort through their medication maze.  It’s simply not easy when drugs are being prescribed on top of one another.

If you or a loved one are facing these challenges, find a healthcare professional who is compassionate and willing to sort through the maze of medications.  It will involve bringing in all prescribed medications, supplements and being willing to patiently partner with a caring healthcare professional.

Pam Brandon is President/Founder of AGE-u-cate® Training Institute and a passionate advocate for older adults and those who serve them.  

http://www.AGEucate.com

 

The Important Role that Money plays in Caregiving Decisions

It’s no secret that families tend to shy away from the topics of money and death more often than not.  The fact, however, is that caregiving decisions often revolve around money, as care options will vary greatly depending on one’s assets.  So money plays a very important role in the choices that are made and discussions that take place between family members.

Understanding generational differences with respect to money can help today’s caregivers.  Like my own parents who were raised during the Depression,  money for our oldest generation was to be saved.  Before the era of mass production of goods, this generation did not waste, valued “things” in terms of their quality and how long they would last.   Older generations did not accumulate debt but rather watched their nest egg grow through hard work and perseverance.  One of their goals is the ability to leave an inheritance for their children.   In turn, adult children have expected this nest egg, rightfully or not.  And this is when conflict arises when families are faced with decisions on parent’s long-term care.

Too often, parents are reluctant to talk with their children about their financial situation.  My advice was always to give their children the gift of talking about it BEFORE  needs arose for decisions to be made that may conflict with theirs.  So plan A is always for families to approach this difficult topic earlier than later.

Try to start the conversation with a what-if scenario.  “Mom, we want to make sure that decisions regarding care are ones that you had envisioned.   We never know what to expect, but what if you fell and broke your hip and this required you to have ongoing care.  Can we talk about what this might entail and what you would want as next steps?”

Or another conversation starter might look like this:  “Dad, you have always been such a wonderful provider and keep such great care of your finances;  I know everything is fine now, but what if something happened to you?  Can we talk about how you would like help with paying bills?”

Children and other family members need to be respectful of the money issue, understanding that when one gives up oversight of their finances, even if it’s perceived as such, it’s a huge step in losing independence.  Tread these waters gently, approach with a sincere heart and understand that an initial response from others may be to pull back.  If that’s the case, then give it time, and reapproach maybe at a different time and with another family member present.

Put yourselves in the place of that person before approaching, and ask how you would like to hear the words of the person talking about the difficult money topic.

Pam Brandon is President/Founder of AGE-u-cate Training Institute and a passionate advocate for older adults and those who serve them.  

http://www.AGEucate.com

Renewal, Rebirth and Regrowth…Hope for Caregivers

Despite our disappointments, struggles, and unknowns, we must cling to hope – for renewal, rebirth, and regrowth.  This season brings hope as we witness new blossoms, trees budding and renewed faith.  Caregivers need to above all, cling to their hope that this journey you are on will bring new blessings, opportunities for personal growth, and strength to carry on your important work.

I certainly know from personal experience that this is not easy, and the journey is often long, hard and often anything but hopeful.   I have a dear friend now who is going through the depths of darkness in her own caregiving journey with her husband and life partner who is losing his battle with stage 4 glioblastoma.  Being there as a friend, mentor, confidant and soundboard is probably one of the most helpful roles I can play right now.  I certainly cannot fix today, but I can lend small nugget of hope and assurance to her that she needs to get through today and the difficulties that she may face tomorrow.

As caregivers, we belong to a larger community.  When we connect with others we can lend that ear, or hug, or shoulder to cry on or laugh with.  When we do that for others, we offer one another the assurance that they are not alone on this often lonely journey.

This simple message today is to encourage all of you to reach out- to a family member, neighbor, friend, colleague, or even a stranger.  We all know someone struggling.   Just your presence can brighten another’s day, whether they are caring for someone else or themselves.  Just your presence, warm smile and a gentle touch can lend strength to another in ways that are often immeasurable.

Pam Brandon is President/Founder of AGE-u-cate Training Institute and a passionate advocate for older and adults and those who serve them.  www.AGEucate.com