Couple’s love strengthened by challenge of Alzheimer’s
Mike and Carol will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary in June. Laughter, love and duty still hold them together as Carol’s world shrinks due to Alzheimer’s disease and Mike’s burden grows as her caregiver. CBS News updates its story, first reported in 2008.
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Alzheimer’s Association presents free audio conference on Family Dynamics
Tuesday, May 13 from noon to 1 p.m. on Family Dynamics- What is Your Role?
Presenter: Gwen O’Leary, Caregiver, Author, CEO, Aprons4Alzheimer’s
By sharing her own story of shared caregiving, Gwen will address why a family needs to heal before they can provide care; why you should ask your doctor to write a prescription for a family meeting; how their ‘End of Life’ conversation became their guide book; tips for calming anxiety, anger; and how to let go with love and humor.
Audio conferences are held the second Tuesday of every month. Click hereto register or call 309.662.8392. Once signed up, registrants will receive information and directions for the call.
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Senior Spotlight Carver, 103, Earns Respect for his Art and Charity
Every holiday season, thousands of visitors flock to the home of Louis Charpentier to see the hand-carved Christmas decorations that have adorned his lawn for more than six decades. Consisting of around 260 Styrofoam pieces, the magical display includes a nativity scene and figurines of Santa Claus, a nutcracker and other holiday icons. Louis is something of an icon himself in Leominster, Mass., where most residents know him by name or by his pseudonyms, “Mr. Christmas” and “Mr. Leominster.” The city even awarded him the first Citizen of the Year award and held a 100th birthday celebration in his honor. Today, at 103 years old, Louis does not make as many carvings as he used to, but his creativity and good will are unabated.
Louis developed his lifelong passion for art and design at the age of 3, when he learned to draw. His artistic sensibility and generous spirit have always gone hand-in-hand, and he recalls giving his aunt a drawing of a cow when he was 7. He eventually graduated to wood carving and, by the age of 12, had crafted more than 100 farm animals. Over the years, he has mostly worked with wood and Styrofoam, carving life-size figures, intricate ornaments and hundreds of his famous toy mice, which he makes jump out of his palm “with a trick of the hand.”
He has churned enough carvings out of his basement workshop to fill entire rooms—that is, after he has given most of them away as gifts. Louis was even able to turn his passion into a nearly half-century career, serving as head designer for a plastics company that manufactured buttons, jewelry, dolls and other toys. Several years ago, he spent two weeks at the prestigious Smithsonian Institution demonstrating his skills to the public.
Born in a small town in rural Quebec, Louis was one of 13 children. When he was 12 years old, his family immigrated to the United States in search of work, settling in a francophone section of Leominster called French Hill. Louis admires his parents’ courage, saying that it “took a lot of nerve” to relocate the family to a new country. When he was in his early 20s, he met his wife, Gladys, at the local skating rink, and they were married soon thereafter. They had one son, Ernest, with whom Louis is very close. The family eventually expanded to include three grandchildren, six great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandchild. Louis is currently the oldest remaining member of the family along with his sister, Gilberte, who is 96.
As a young man, Louis enjoyed boxing with his friends and was once able to lift 125 pounds with one hand. Although his days of pumping iron are over, he still remains active. In fact, one gets the sense that his energy levels have been minimally affected by age. He recently had “Eveready Bunny” added to his list of monikers. Louis is unsure why he’s lived so long, tentatively attributing it to twice-daily portions of raw garlic. One thing remains clear, however: He has spent the past century using his artistic talents to brighten the lives of others. That passion seems to be the fuel that drives him to this day. He says that what he loves most is spending time with his family and friends, both new and old: “It’s always nice to see people and talk to them; they always have something to offer.”
The New England Centenarian Study works with centenarians from all over the world to discover the secrets of aging well. If you know someone who may qualify for the study, call 1-888-333-6327, ext. 1; email stacy@bu.edu or visit www.bumc.bu.edu/centenarian.
Carver, 103, Earns Respect for his Art and Charity
Louis Charpentier developed his love for art when he was 3 years old and hasn’t stopped yet, producing hundreds of pieces over the years—many of which he gives away. Click here to view article.
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Cohousing Provides Community and Independence
Cohousing is a good option for older adults who want to be involved in a community while owning their own homes. Members participate in everything from managing the complex to shared meals. Click here to view article.
Cohousing Provides Community and Independence
Older adults looking for alternatives to traditional senior housing options, such as retirement homes, can enjoy both the independence and involvement that cohousing offers.
Cohousing consists of a community of people who want to live adjacent to each other and participate in activities together while also having their own place to call home. Members share communal property while owning their houses or condos. Cohousing, averaging 20 to 40 units per community, comes in many forms. In multigenerational cohousing, families and residents of all ages, including seniors, inhabit the same communal space. A more recent development is cohousing just for older adults.
Generally, cohousing has a common kitchen, dining area and sitting area that provide a place for members to gather and eat or socialize. The whole development is often built around a central area, such as a park, playground or courtyard, that all can use. (For a more comprehensive description of cohousing, see sidebar.)
Everyone Pitches In
Cohousing is not for those who would rather sit back and have someone else manage their living complex. Collaborative living can be a lot of work, especially when making group decisions. Unless started by a developer, cohousing residents often design their own complex, even choosing the materials, and run the community by consensus. As is inevitable with any group of people, conflict is common—everything from how to allocate members’ dues to where to build the sauna.
Reading the blog of a man who helped start Wolf Creek Lodge, a senior cohousing community in Grass Valley, Calif., you get a sense of the hands-on nature of this process (“Community Building at Wolf Creek Lodge,” Bob Miller, Feb. 17, 2013 Cohousing Association of the United States).
Wolf Creek residents formed cleaning teams that look after common areas such as the patio, stairways, guest rooms, kitchen, dining room and sitting room. A landscaping team created two new vegetable plots and planted a third. Two members built a community compost area. The plan is to share five meals together a week in the community building, prepared by cook teams consisting of two to four members.
Community meetings cover various topics. Members met recently to formulate a policy for letting outside groups use their common dining room, kitchen and living room. A “very informal ‘coffee club’ meets every morning around 8 a.m. to solve worldwide political issues and jeopardize their health with sticky buns and leftover dessert. This is clearly an area with opportunities for improvement,” Miller writes jokingly.
Members designed Wolf Creek Lodge to be environmentally green. The lodge includes passive solar heating and cooling, in-floor radiant heating powered by a common boiler, solar hot water and immediate walking access to trails and stores. In 2012, California Governor Jerry Brown endorsed the concept of cohousing as a more sustainable living environment.
Cohousing Just for Older Adults
Many seniors opt for cohousing because they don’t like living alone, whether in their own homes or retirement centers. With cohousing, you can’t help but be involved; it might be helping to decide if the community should get Wi-Fi or taking your neighbor to the grocery store because she can no longer drive. In a shared space and lacking a staff, residents are more likely to check up on their neighbors and care for each other. At Silver Sage Village, a cohousing unit in Boulder, Colo., residents range in age from 50 to 80, ensuring that the “younger” adults can take care of the older ones.
Different from intergenerational cohousing, many senior communities cater to the needs of older adults. At Wolf Creek Lodge, for example, all homes are single level, have guest rooms for visiting children and grandchildren, are located near two sizable shopping areas, have a reserved suite for a potential caregiver, provide a hot tub rather than a swimming pool and have a low-maintenance environment. The Wolf Creek Lodge blog emphasizes that the “senior communal dining experience will be mature and the living room peaceful, a daylong community environment,” as most members are retired and can expect to be around the common areas for much of the day.
Seniors who want to downsize and save money will find that most cohousing communities can satisfy on both fronts. Cohousing residences are typically 60 percent smaller than an average new American home, occupy 30 percent less land and use 50 to 70 percent less energy for heating and cooling than a resident’s previous home (“In Retiree Housing, Talking About Multigenerations,” March 12, 2013, New York Times http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/13/business/retirementspecial/retirees-choose-intergenerational-cohousing.html). Members can also save money by sharing work or kitchen tools.
Generations Living Together
Not all seniors want to be segregated with other older adults. One woman, 95, chose intergenerational cohousing because “it’s logical to have people of various ages together” and was worried she’d hear too many people “complaining about their complaints” in a senior housing setting.
The arrangement has value for younger residents, too: Children who don’t regularly engage with older folks, perhaps because grandparents live far away, learn what elders have to offer and what the end of life looks like, a valuable lesson in a culture that tends to shunt its older people off to the sidelines.
An agency in Chicago that offers three sites for seniors and younger generations to interact phrases it this way: “Intergenerational living is an innovative concept based upon the idea that the blending of families, students and seniors in social living activities builds a community that enhances our understanding of one another. Our intergenerational homes provide a congenial environment for those who wish to connect and share with other generations on a daily basis.”
Resident assistants (typically college students) at the Chicago intergenerational housing live on-site and assist residents with housekeeping and laundry, as well as sharing creative and social activities with them. “Having opportunities for peer companionship helps eliminate feelings of loneliness and isolation,” according to H.O.M.E. (“Intergenerational Housing,” Housing Opportunities & Maintenance for the Elderly).
In Portland, Ore., a public/private partnership uses intergenerational cohousing to help older adults contribute to society while aiding adoptive families. Bridge Meadows offers families who have adopted three or more children a four-bedroom house at below market rate, which is often difficult to find for large adoptive families. At the same time, the organization provides 27 one- and two-bedroom apartment units for people age 55 or older who meet low-income requirements.
Seniors at Bridge Meadows act as surrogate grandparents and mentors to the children and families who live there. They are required to volunteer at least seven hours per week teaching arts and crafts, giving music lessons, leading story hours or taking the kids to the park (“Intergenerational Ingenuity: Mixing Age Groups in Affordable Housing,” August 28, 2013, Urban Land Institute).
Sources
Cohousing Association of the United States
“In Retiree Housing, Talking About Multigenerations,” March 12, 2013, New York Times
“Intergenerational Housing” Housing Opportunities & Maintenance for the Elderly
“Silver Sage Village,” April 4, 2013 Action Pact
What Is Cohousing?
Cohousing started in Denmark and came to the United States 15 years ago. Certain characteristics distinguish it from other types of collaborative housing:
Participatory process. Future residents design a community that meets their needs, although sometimes developers will start or drive the process, with input from the residents.
Neighborhood design. The physical layout and orientation of the buildings (the site plan) is meant to encourage a sense of community. For example, the private residences are clustered together, with the dwellings typically facing each other across a pedestrian street or courtyard, with cars parked on the periphery. Often, the front doorway of every home affords a view of the community house.
Common facilities. An integral part of the community, common facilities are always supplemental to the private residences. The community house typically includes a common kitchen, dining area, sitting area, children’s playroom and laundry. It may also contain a workshop, library, exercise room, crafts room and/or one or two guest rooms. Because the buildings are clustered, larger sites may retain several acres of undeveloped shared open space.
Resident management. Residents manage their own cohousing communities and perform much of the property maintenance work. They prepare common meals and meet regularly to solve problems and develop community policies.
Non-hierarchical structure and decision-making.Although leadership roles naturally exist in cohousing communities, no one person (or persons) has authority over others. Most groups start with one or two decision-makers. As members join the group, each person takes on roles consistent with their skills, abilities or interests. Most cohousing groups make all of their decisions by consensus.
Adapted from “What is elder or senior cohousing?,”Cohousing Association of the United States
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Easy Steps to Fight Depression
Studies have shown that tai chi, an ancient martial art, can significantly reduce depression in elderly adults. In fact, exercise in itself can be as effective in lifting spirits as taking anti-depressant medication. Exercise is not the only non-medical alternative that helps combat depression. In January, two senior facilities in Ohio received grants for music programs. For one hour each week, a facilitator leads residents in singing and playing instruments. The program has proven effective in counteracting depression and loneliness among elderly populations, particularly those in senior-living environments. Says the director, “The results were phenomenal. Both residents and staff witnessed immediate, positive behavioral changes and an increased sense of community among the participants” (January 13, 2014 ThisWeek Community News).
Causes of Depression
Although winter is on its way out, continuing frigid temperatures, snow and shorter days can cause the blues if people can’t get out of their homes or if day after day it’s cold and gray. Some people suffer from post-holiday blues since their adult children left and contact is limited due to busy schedules.
Easy Steps to Fight Depression
Research has shown that exercise can be equally effective as medication when times get tough. Other ways to fight the blues are volunteering, thinking positively, finding support and getting enough sleep. Click here to view article.
There are many causes for depression, which affects about 6 million Americans age 65 and older. However, it’s important to differentiate clinical depression from normal sadness and grief. Generally, sadness is a temporary condition caused by a significant life change, such as a serious medical diagnosis, giving up the car keys or a death in the family, and is often alleviated as time passes and people adapt. This is not true of depression.
Beyond the wintertime blues, there are good reasons why seniors might experience depression. As you grow older, issues associated with aging can be difficult to deal with, including:
Symptoms of depression should be reported to your health care provider, who can first rule out other problems that could be causing fatigue or low motivation, two signs of depression. (For other symptoms of depression, see sidebar). Conditions such as heart attack, stroke, hip fracture or macular degeneration, and medical procedures such as bypass surgery are often associated with the development of depression. Ongoing medical conditions such as Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis and diabetes can also be factors. Hypothyroidism—caused by an underactive thyroid gland—is the most common medical condition associated with depressive symptoms.
Even prescription medications, including sleeping pills, tranquilizers, painkillers and blood pressure and arthritis drugs, can cause depression. If medicine is a factor, you or your family can speak with your health care provider to explore different medications/therapies.
Ways to Alleviate Depression
Upon diagnosis of depression, health care providers often prescribe antidepressant medications, most commonly selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors (SSRIs) such as Prozac. While medication is one route, recent studies have found that SSRIs can cause rapid bone loss and a higher risk of fractures and falls. Likewise, “natural” alternatives such as St. John’s wort and SAMe are available; however, herbal supplements may interact.
Research is showing that, in many cases, healthy lifestyle changes, such as exercise, can be as effective as antidepressants in relieving depression, and without dangerous side effects. The following are some simple but effective ways that may help you get out of a funk.
Exercise. Physical activity has powerful mood-boosting effects, increasing feel-good chemicals called endorphins. You don’t need to run marathons to benefit; just walking around the neighborhood a few times a week can help. Even if you’re frail or disabled, many safe exercises from a chair or wheelchair can improve your mood.
Get support. Depression can be hard to beat on your own. Enlist the help and support of people around you, especially family and friends. Don’t be ashamed to admit you’re depressed or feeling blue. One of the most effective ways to deal with depression is to talk about it. If that’s not possible with those who are close to you, seek out a support group so you can connect with others going through the same challenges. It’s important not to close yourself off from the world because being alone with your own thoughts (often negative) will usually make the situation worse. Try to socialize as much as possible. Consider visiting your local church or joining a book or other social club.
Go online. Even if you can’t get out and meet people, research has shown that connecting with others via the Internet—whether through email, Facebook or other online access—can reduce depression in senior citizens.
Volunteer. If you don’t feel capable of reaching out to help others face-to-face, consider volunteering your time to sort groceries for the local food share operation or to organize books at the nearby library— something to get up, out and going. Your town’s humane society might need volunteers to walk dogs or visit with cats. Some research links being around pets to improved mood (see “Pet Therapy Barking Up the Right Tree,” Senior Spirit, Feb. 2014). By volunteering, you connect with something beyond yourself and boost your positive feelings.
Have fun. That may not sound easy when you’re depressed, so you might have to work at it. Plan activities you’ve enjoyed in the past, whether it’s going for a car ride, shopping or watching a favorite uplifting movie or TV show. Smiling and laughter may help cheer you up. If you have hobbies that bring you joy but that have fallen by the wayside, take them up again.
Be proactive. Feeling powerless is a sign of depression, and one way to overcome that feeling is by making choices, even if it’s something small like establishing a routine for the day; this can empower you because you’ve created structure in your life. Also, to feel a sense of accomplishment, set goals for yourself, even something as simple as cleaning out the closet. Having a sense of purpose in life is an indicator of positive mental health, and this becomes more important as people age. Add meaning to your life by visiting a lonely neighbor, praying for an ill friend or encouraging your neighbors to recycle more.
Eat healthy. There is no magic diet that fixes depression, but some evidence shows that foods with omega-3 fatty acids, such as salmon and tuna, and folic acid, such as spinach and avocado, help ease depression.
Get enough sleep. Not getting enough sleep can worsen depression. To achieve a good night’s rest, you might need to make some changes in your daily schedule. Experts advise going to bed and getting up at the same time every day. Try not to nap. Remove all distractions from your bedroom—no computer or TV. In time, you may find your sleep improves (see “Benefits of a Good Night’s Sleep,” Senior Spirit, March 2013).
Think positively. Negative thoughts often lead to more negative thoughts. One way to counteract this is to mentally list all the good things in your life, whether it’s the ability to see the sun rise every morning or enjoy a meal with a friend. Gratitude is one of the known ways to pull yourself out of a bad mood. Be grateful for what you have and what you can do and try to minimize what you don’t have or can’t do.
Try something new. As difficult as it might seem when you’re lacking energy, pushing yourself to do something different can help get you out of a rut. A change can start small, like making yourself something unusual for breakfast, taking an unfamiliar route to the grocery store or visiting a new restaurant. Learn a new skill, like drawing or playing the guitar.
Sources
“10 Natural Depression Treatments,” WebMD
“12 Depression Busters for Seniors,” Belief Net
“Depression and Diet,” WebMD
“Depression in the Elderly,” WebMD
“Depression in Older Adults & the Elderly,” Help Guide
“Depression in Seniors,” American Telemedicine Association
Signs of Depression
Symptoms of depression include:
In addition, depression in older persons is at times characterized by:
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