1 Assist Care is Hiring in Blackfoot
There are seniors in the Blackfoot area who are looking for some help.
For more information, check out our page that LISTS OUR CURRENT POSITIONS.
We hope to hear from you soon!
Eating with Alzheimer’s and Dementia – Helping A Loved One
Sure today is only the end of August, and sure, it was in the mid 90’s in normally cool headed East Idaho, but Christmas may just have come early. At least for those who are suffering from Alzheimer’s it has. Well, for those whose loved one’s plan on leaving them this awesome dining set in their stocking.
According to Foodbeast, When designer Sha Yao’s late grandmother was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease, the young designer felt helpless and wanted to do more for her loved one. Yao spent time volunteering in senior care facilities that care for patients of Alzheimer’s and other impairing conditions.
The colors, shapes, design were all thought out with Alzheimer’s patients in mind. It even uses scientific research to help stimulate the appetite of someone suffering from Alzheimer’s.
Her design got noticed. In 2014, it won the Stanford Design Challenge out of 52 teams from 15 countries.
Stopping Elder Scams: When to Hang Up
Don’t let robodialers give you a headache. Stop them in their tracks with these four steps.
Have you ever picked up the phone from an unknown caller and heard silence on the other end?
Hang up!
Turns out it could be a company trying to collect your information so you can be victimized.
There are companies all over the world trying to collect people’s phone numbers so they can sell them to others who can use it for nefarious reasons.
If the call is legitimate, they will call you right back. If not, the “robodialers” have moved on to their next batch of numbers to call.
Here are five steps you can follow to reduce your risk of being a victim:
- Know the numbers of those you know and trust. Save numbers to your phone if you have a cell phone.
- If there is silence when you answer, respond with silence. Any noise can alert the company that you are a potential target.
- Hang up immediately. Do not give them the chance to reply.
- If an unwanted caller responds, save them as a “Marketer” (I have over 50 numbers saved as under the name “Marketer”)
- Again, if it is a machine or someone from a foreign company trying to sell you something like “pharmaceuticals,” block the number.
The phone is your friend! It allows you to reach people, to communicate with others, and to stay safe. Don’t let robodialers ruin your phone freedom!
For more information, here is the NPR article. Or you can listen below.
Proposed Changes to the VA’s Home Aid And Attendance Program
The VA is proposing changes to the Aid and Attendance program. It is an attempt to streamline the system to award it faster while preventing those without economic or physical need from receiving it.
In January of this year, the Department of Veteran Affairs made some suggested changes to programs that it offers to veterans in need, including the Aid and Attendance program.
You can find the proposed changes in their entirety here. The changes come because of a 2012 report issued by the GAO.
Reasons for the change:
- Pension Used By Those Not In Need Financially or Physically: The VA had concerns that veterans and others were attempting to hide assets in order to gain access to the programs that were meant for needs-based veterans and their surviving spouses. Also, they felt that people were using the pension who did not really need it as they do not need care in the home.
- Excessive Care Costs: The VA desired to put a cap on the amount per hour that care companies charge for home care standards to come more in line with industry standards.
- Slow Response Time For Help: The VA realized that the speed at which they were able to award the pension was hindered by the complexity of the current application process, both to the VA and to those applying for the program. They feel the new regulations will allow the VA to award the pension in a more timely manner.
Proposed Changes:
- Establish a 3-year look-back for claimants to see if they are trying to hide assets through “gifts.”
- Deny any expenses related to independent living facilities as care costs UNLESS the veteran and/or spouse requires assistance with two or more activities of daily living (eating, bathing, getting dressed, etc).
- Impose penalties for up to 10 years for claimants who transfer assets before applying for pension to create the appearance of economic need where it does not exist
- Create a bright-line net worth standard of $119,220, which includes annual income (not including their residence – the goal is to streamline the process so qualified veterans and their spouses can get the award faster)
- Require veterans to sell their homestead property if the lot coverage exceeds 2 acres.
- Create a maximum amount that care companies can charge per hour for services.
We at 1 Assist Care have seen veterans and their spouses struggle as they have had to wait for approval for a program. Anything the VA can do to speed up the process, we are highly in favor of.
Two Free Tickets to Time Out For Women in Idaho Falls
Want two free tickets? Like us on Facebook for the chance to win them!
Two free tickets?!?
Absolutely. And we will give away more.
Once we hit 150 likes on Facebook, we will randomly select one person to receive two free tickets.
If we get to 500 likes, we will choose two more people to get two tickets each!
Go ahead and like us and enter the drawing!
Being Mortal: Fantastic perspective on approaching the end of life from PBS’s Frontline
Did you see this? PBS’s Frontline produced a phenomenal, thought provoking coverage of end of life.
1 Assist Care has had the opportunity to work with a number of clients as they prepare for the end of life in their homes, so seeing Dr. Atul Gawande’s book produced for the small screen was fascinating.
Watch the story below.
To find out more about how 1 Assist Care partners with Hospice to allow people to die with grace in their home, give us a call at 208-557-4215.
A Fairytale Ending: Couple married 67 years dies holding hands
After 67 years of marriage, Floyd and Violet Hartwig died five hours apart from each other in their home.
If this story does not tug at your heartstrings, not sure much will.
Thanks to the support of their loved ones and end of life professionals, a couple in California were able to spend their final moments together side by side in their home before dying five hours apart while holding hands.
To read more of the AP story for the ages, go here: Couple married 67 years dies holding hands
Dad losing interest in his hobbies? What might really be happening
Grandpa losing interest in activities he once loved? Do not jump to conclusions – there might be more going on that you realize.
Apathy might not be the problem. And do not be so quick to blame the temperament of someone with old age.
A recent study out of in the journal Neurology suggests that something else might be afoot.
According to the study’s author, apathy in the elderly may actually be a sign of dementia. How so? The loss of interest may be a sign of shrinking amounts of grey and white matter in the brain.
Does that mean that all apathy in seniors is a sure sign of Alzheimer’s or some other form of dementia? Definitely not. The key to look for? Ask yourself this one question. Does your loved one suffer from depression? According to research, seniors who experienced apathy WITHOUT depression is an indicator that the individual may be suffering from some sort of dementia.
There is still more research to conduct, but if you find your loved one lacking emotion, it might be time to schedule some time to visit with their doctor.
The Lion Sleeps Tonight – And You Will Be Smiling (Jimmy Fallon and Billy Joel on The Tonight Show)
Fantastic performance from the Tonight Show, who owns this content.
Happiness and good memories are always a good way to start the day.
Alzheimer’s: The Toll On Women
Pink is a great color. We run marathons wearing it. College and professional athletes wear it. It serves to remind us well the toll that breast cancer impacts women.
Did you know there is a disease that inflicts twice as many women as breast cancer? According to the Alzheimer’s Association 2014 Facts and Figures report, women over 60 have a 1 in 6 chance of developing Alzheimer’s. Men have a 1 in 11 chance.
Maybe it is time to start wearing purple along with pink.
There are five million people in the United States afflicted with Alzheimer’s with half a million people dying each year due to the disease.
The impact on women puts them at the epicenter. Consider these facts:
- Two-thirds of those living with the disease are women
- Women are 2.5 times more likely than men to provide intensive “on-duty” care 24 hours a day for someone with Alzheimer’s
- Over 60 percent of Alzheimer’s and dementia caregivers are women
- 20% of women (compared with 3% of men) switch from full-time to part-time work in order to assume responsibilities as caregivers
- Women caregivers report feeling more isolated and depressed than men
- Women are more likely to take a leave of absence from work or stop working altogether
While there is currently no cure for Alzheimer’s, awareness of the disease is a great first step.
1 Assist Care of the Valley: Assisted Living at Home is partnering with the Alzheimer’s Association to bring Alzheimer’s support groups to Rexburg to serve caregivers and those in the early stages of the disease from Rigby to Driggs and everywhere in between. To stay informed about the support groups and to stay informed about Alzheimer’s Disease, fill out your information below.
[contact-form to=’GetCare@1assistcare.com’ subject=’Someone Wants To Stay Updated on Alzheimer%26#039;s Group’][contact-field label=’Your Name’ type=’name’ required=’1’/][contact-field label=’Your Email’ type=’email’ required=’1’/][contact-field label=’Your Phone Number’ type=’text’ required=’1’/][contact-field label=’I am interested in learning more about Alzheimer%26#039;s support groups in Rexburg’ type=’checkbox’/][contact-field label=’Any other question you may have?’ type=’text’/][/contact-form]And don’t forget to like us on Facebook, follow us on Pinterest, and subscribe to this blog (scroll to the top of the page and look to the right of the post)
For more information on Alzheimer’s in Idaho, click the link below.