Honoring a father’s journey with dementia – Alzheimer’s – Optimum Senior Care – Chicago In Home Care – www.OptimumSeniorCare.com

For more than 40 years, John Ziemba worked as a mechanical engineer across the Chicagoland area. When it came time to retire, Ziemba was looking forward to spending time with family, but when he was diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia in 2010, family dynamics began to shift. His daughter, Natalie shares her story this Father’s Day and why she continues to fight to find a cure.

My family is and illuminates Chicago through and through. It is the city where my family has lived, where I grew up and where both my parents, Barbara and John were born and raised. Barbara (Barb) and John were married in 1965 and remained on the Southside of the city, raising all four children – my three brothers, Chris, Tim and Jon and me. I was, as my mother so affectionately says to this day, “the surprise baby.”

Throughout our lives, we all remained very close in proximity to my parents, though our education, career paths and personal lives took us along different journeys. We were a very close-knit family and could not imagine being apart for long.

For over 40 years, my father was a mechanical engineer. After an intense and challenging career, he was looking forward to retiring and spending time with family. However, in 2009 – things began to change. My family and I began to notice some behavioral and memory changes in Dad.

By 2010, our father was officially diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. However, we would later discover that the diagnosis was not completely accurate. Between the changes in Dad and family roles, we battled with the new challenge of being faced with an inaccurate diagnosis. Eventually, we found out our dad had frontotemporal dementia (FTD), which is a group of disorders caused by progressive nerve cell loss in the brains frontal lobes or temporal lobes.

After caring for dad at home for over six years, we were forced into making the decision that is all too often the case: placing our father into a long-time nursing facility.

We all take turns as a family to visit and care for our dad daily. I have been keeping a video diary of some of my time with my father. I am a firm believer in sharing both the good times and the bad as a way to inform, inspire and activate change to put an end to this heartbreaking disease.

I became involved with the Alzheimer’s Association in 2013 when I participated in my first Walk to End Alzheimer’s^® in Chicago. I was recruited in 2014 to help on the Walk Planning Committee; it was at that point that I committed to becoming as involved with Alzheimer’s advocacy and activism as possible. Since then, I have participated in Walk for the past five years, increasing both my number of team members and fundraising year after year. In addition to Walk, I am also an Alzheimer’s Ambassador and participate in numerous events annually. I have attended the Alzheimer’s Association AIM Advocacy Forum in Washington, D.C. and met with elected officials, urging them to make Alzheimer’s and dementia a priority. I look forward to many more years of raising both funds and awareness for Alzheimer’s disease and other related dementia’s. I feel so incredibly honored and blessed to be surrounded by powerful advocates who believe in exactly what I do: finding an end to Alzheimer’s.

To see more of John’s journey, view Natalie’s video diary titled “Natalie, Dad, & Dementia.”

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American Contract Bridge League fights Alzheimer’s on The Longest Day  – Optimum Senior Care – Chicago In Home Care – www.OptimumSeniorCare.com

For the sixth year in a row, American Contract Bridge League (ACBL) clubs are doing what they love — playing bridge — to fight Alzheimer’s. As the inaugural partner and a Global Team of The Longest Day®, a fundraising event that highlights the summer solstice as a day of action, ACBL has raised more than $3.5 million for Alzheimer’s care, support and research. Silvana Scotto Morici is an ACBL member and owner of the Sagamore Bridge Club in Syosset, New York, who has shown exceptional dedication and creativity in her fundraising efforts.

We spoke with bridge club owner and American Contract Bridge League (ACBL) accredited teacher Silvana Scotto Morici about her involvement in the Alzheimer’s Association event The Longest Day. Read on to learn why bridge players come back year after year to raise funds and awareness for Alzheimer’s disease.

Tell us how you got involved with bridge and why you made the game your activity for The Longest Day.

I got into bridge completely by accident. I had sold the company I owned and retired at 37. It was difficult being away from work and I realized that I needed a new challenge. A woman said to me, “You have all of this free time. Why don’t you learn to play bridge?” I replied: “Sign me up!”  I got to my first lesson and within two weeks my friend and I realized that we could be great at this game. Before our first competitive event, we trained with a pro, like you would for a triathlon, because we were wacky enough and had enough time on our hands.

Today, I’m the owner of a bridge club. When I was out in San Francisco and learned about the concept of bringing The Longest Day to life with a day of competitive bridge through the ACBL, I knew I could make it work – and I did! This is my 6th year raising funds and awareness for the Alzheimer’s Association through this event.

Why do you think bridge is a great activity for The Longest Day? What are your plans for The Longest Day this year?

We already play for about four hours on average, so asking people to play for a little bit longer isn’t a stretch. At tournaments, the average player would play for seven hours straight. For these players, it isn’t a big deal – they really love it.

There was another draw, too. Bridge players play for masterpoint points, and the league said that it would give more points out on The Longest Day. To our players, it’s like being paid overtime! Everyone was on board.

We are always looking to beat our numbers from the previous year and exceed our own expectations. We launch registration in the beginning of April with a commitment from 18 teams, four to seven people per team, ready to go. At this point, it’s a well-oiled machine. The initial model was set up as a fun event, and today people are so involved that it has become just another great day of playing their favorite game.

What motivates you to raise funds and awareness for Alzheimer’s disease?

My personal motivation is that my great-grandmother had Alzheimer’s; it was difficult to watch her experience the disease. Fast forward to years later and I realized as a fairly young bridge player that the older people in front of my eyes – those in the bridge community – were showing me ways to keep the brain active every day. These people try to stay healthy by constantly challenging themselves. Bridge is a sort of fountain of youth for this crowd.

What is the day-of like? How do you put together a team?

For this event, teams aren’t put together by skill but by will. We ask someone if they can play during a particular slot and then pass the baton to the next group, collectively raising at least $500. We also continually display how much everyone has raised, so it’s very competitive! No one wants to be last … everyone wants to be first. Everyone pushes each other up the ladder.

I am super impressed with how many people are dedicated to playing the entire time. Six or seven people who have played for five years straight have played every minute from beginning to end – and then want to do it all again. I am exhausted by the end of the day – bridge is taxing on the brain – but it’s also so much fun. It’s about endurance, which you need to persevere when fighting or living with Alzheimer’s disease.

We heard that you have a particularly exciting story about fundraising on The Longest Day.

I sure do. One woman said to me: “If you hit $100,000, I will match it.” She only told me. So there I was behind the scenes, staying quiet but secretly stirring. I kept saying to the larger group, “I can’t tell you why, but we need to hit $100,000.”

There was no way I would let this not happen. We were so close. People were pulling out their wallets, writing checks. I told people to stop playing and to call home. We asked people to donate $5, $25. When we got close, the woman said I could tell the group about the match. By the time we told everyone, we overdid it; we raised $8,000 more than we needed! We made that happen together.

The bridge community is a super bright and involved community. I know people who are older than 100 who work to keep active mentally and physically. When our community flexes its abilities, it helps those living with Alzheimer’s. The funds and awareness raised through playing bridge does so much for so many people, and I am proud to be part of this community.

About Silvana: Owner of the Sagamore Bridge Club, a TAP certified bridge instructor, a certified Bridge Director and an ACBL Life Master, Silvana is fighting to end Alzheimer’s on The Longest Day. Visit her page here.

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Famous & 65 – Optimum Senior Care – Chicago In Home Care – www.OptimumSeniorCare.com

Look Who Is Turning 65

View the celebrities turning 65 in March 2018.

April 6 – Janet Lynn
Ice Skater

Figure skater Janet Lynn won a bronze medal at the 1972 Olympics, and is also a two-time world championships medalist and five-time U.S. national champion. Born Janet Lynn Nowicki, she dropped her last name in competition because it was so often misspelled and mispronounced. She started skating almost as soon as she could walk, performing in her first exhibition at the tender age of four. By seven, she spent part of the year away from home to be nearer to her coach.

Known as a strong jumper and long program artist, she won the U.S. Junior Ladies Championship at the age of 13 after landing a triple salchow, and she soon was one of the only female skaters to include a triple toe loop in her programs. But compulsory figures, where skaters are judged on how well they copy patterns in the ice, were her Achilles’ heel. Lynn continued to progress, placing 9th at the 1968 Olympics at age 14, but she had trouble getting on the podium at the 1970 Worlds after winning the national title. She hired a new coach to help her with her weakness, and in 1972 won the national title for the fourth year in a row. However, Lynn finished the 1972 Olympics with a bronze, and was also third at the World Championships due to low scores in compulsories. At the 1973 World Championships, a short program was added to benefit skaters like Lynn who excelled at jumps and spins, but two falls pushed her back to 12th place. However, a stellar free skate enabled her to finish with a silver medal in the final event of her amateur career.

Lynn transitioned into a three-year, $1,455,000 contract with the Ice Follies, making her the highest-paid woman athlete at the time. Lynn struggled with ashma, made worse by the damp, chilly air in rinks, and she had to quit after only two years. She came back to skating after getting the condition under control, also working as Christian motivational speaker and writing articles promoting conservative causes.

April 9 – Hal Ketchum
Country Music Artist

Ketchum began performing in clubs in his native New York at the age of 15, singing and writing all the songs for the album Threadbare Alibis after a move to Austin, TX. He attained stardom with 17 entries on the Hot Country Songs charts between 1991 and 2006. “Small Town Saturday Night”, “Past the Point of Rescue”, and “Hearts Are Gonna Roll” all reached number 2 on that chart. He also had success with “Mama Knows the Highway” and “Stay Forever” in 1992 and 1994, when he was inducted into the Grand Ole Opry.

His last single to reach the charts was a cover of Todd Rundgren’s “I Saw the Light” in 1998, which was also the year Ketchum was diagnosed with acute transverse myelitis. The neurological disorder affects the spinal column, leaving Ketchum without the use of the left side of his body. The singer had to relearn how to walk, play guitar, and other basic tasks. He also suffers from a sister disease, multiple sclerosis, which killed his mother at an early age.

Ketchum appeared in the 1988 movie Heartbreak Hotel, and did a cameo in the 1994 film Maverick. More recently, his painting led to a show in Santa Fe, New Mexico. The artist also enjoys using his carpentry skills to make toys.

April 18 – Rick Moranis
Actor and Musician

Canadian Rick Moranis found stardom with Second City Television in the 1980’s and went on to become a screenwriter, producer, comedian, musician and songwriter. He is perhaps best known for his goofball role in Honey, I Shrunk the Kids, but he also made memorable appearances in Ghostbusters, Spaceballs, Little Shop of Horrors, Parenthood and The Flintstones.

Moranis began his career as a radio disc jockey in Toronto. Then he teamed up with Winnipeg native Ken Finkleman for a duo of television comedy pilots starring the two in irreverent mockumentaries. That led to an SCTV sketch dubbed The Great White North featuring characters Bob and Doug McKenzie. It got such positive reviews that it spawned a pop culture phenomenon featuring an album by the same name and a 1983 movie, Strange Brew.

In 1986, Moranis married costume designer Ann Belsky, and had two children. Sadly, Belsky was killed by breast cancer five years after their marriage. By 1997, the difficulties of being a single parent with a travel schedule for the movies he was making led Moranis to take a break from the film industry. “And the little bit of a break turned into a longer break, and then I found that I really didn’t miss it,” the actor said. He now says he’s not retired, but has become very selective about roles.

Moranis’ 2005 work The Agoraphobic Cowboy, featuring country songs with a comic twist, was nominated for a Grammy in the Best Comedy Album category. A year later, Moranis reprised his voice-over role for the animated film Brother Bear 2. In 2013 he released the unabashedly Jewish comedy album My Mother’s Brisket and Other Love Stories. Most recently, the star has done charity concerts.

April 23 – James Russo
Actor

American film and television star James Russo has made a good living in the industry, appearing in more than 156 movies in thirty years. Born in New York City, the actor graduated from New York University. But he didn’t achieve instant fame, and he put in time as a cabdriver, construction worker, and even a gravedigger before he got his first big break.

A made-for-television movie, Chicago Story, provided his first acting role in 1981. A small part as a robber in Fast Times at Ridgemont High led to Russo’s first big break and a slew of roles in such films as Beverly Hills Cop, The Cotton Club, Freeway, and Once Upon a Time in America. He even landed a part in the 1986 drama Extremities opposite icon Farrah Fawcett.

Russo also had parts in 90s films such as My Own Private Idaho, A Kiss Before Dying, Donnie Brasco, and The Postman. The actor has made many guest appearances for television, including cameos on Miami Vice and CSI.

Source: Wikipedia

FAMOUS & 65 is a featured article in the Senior Spirit newsletter.

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– Alzheimer’s – Optimum Senior Care – Chicago In Home Care

Social Security Underpays Benefits

A new report estimates that the Social Security Administration underpaid benefits by about $131.8 million.

A new report estimates that the Social Security Administration underpaid benefits by about $131.8 million.

More than 80 percent of widows and widowers were not made aware of an option allowing them to claim a higher monthly social security payment, according to a recent audit report.

Widows and widowers can file an application for two kinds of benefits, both for their own retirement and as a surviving spouse. The Social Security Administration (SSA) is required to advise claimants that it may be beneficial to delay filing for retirement benefits until age 70, when it reaches the maximum, while still receiving survivor’s benefits in the meantime. If retirement benefits will be higher at age 70 than survivor’s benefits, this option makes sense.

The audit found that in many cases, SSA employees were failing to explain the option to beneficiaries. Approximately 11,123 beneficiaries would have increased their payments by delaying their retirement application, according to the research. Of those, 9,224 beneficiaries age 70 and older were likely underpaid to the tune of more than $130 million.

In addition, the report estimated that the SSA will underpay another $9.8 million to 1,899 beneficiaries below the age of 70.

Auditors randomly sampled 50 beneficiaries to discover the problem. The report cites specific cases, including that of a 70-year-old widow who received $39,708 in combined retirement and survivor benefits between August 2015 and September 2017. If she had been made aware of the option to delay her retirement benefits until she turned 70 and then waited, she would have received $52,708 in the same time frame. The difference between what she was actually paid and what she would have been eligible for is a whopping $13,000, or about $500 a month.

The moral of the story is to research your own situation on the SSA website, and be ready to ask questions and request a second opinion before you accept a questionable determination of benefits. Likewise, if you think your own benefits should be higher based on this story, contact the agency.

10 Best Cutting-Edge Technologies for Older Adults  – Alzheimer’s – Optimum Senior Care – Chicago In Home Care – www.OptimumSeniorCare.com

Robots and more from the largest tech innovation show solve problems that affect older adults and help them age in place.

10 Best Cutting-Edge Technologies for Older Adults

Robots and more from the largest tech innovation show solve problems that affect older adults and help them age in place.

More than 4,000 companies exhibited at this year’s CES (formerly the Consumer Electronics Show) in Las Vegas, showing off the world’s latest and greatest consumer technologies. For the past five decades, this has been the place where incubators and startups present their products, and more established companies introduce the results of their latest research to the world. This is a sampling of what global pioneers have to offer.

Benefits of Voice First Technology for Older Adults

For the last few years, software developers have been pushed to develop products for mobile users, but the emphasis is changing. Voice First is the new mantra, promoting applications and services activated and controlled by speaking.

Older adults, caregivers and service providers recognize the giant advantages of voice-driven applications over those on phones and personal computers. Those with visual impairment or motor difficulties reap obvious benefits, but significant improvement in quality of life is available to all senior adults.

Key differences exist between current Voice First technology and previous generations that affect all users, but especially older adults. The following is an overview of notable features.

• Voice First is simple to use. Download versions and upgrades are rendered unnecessary. Amazon Echo guides the user by voice through installation and setup, offering tips and suggestions in large font. However, if the user has no prior knowledge of modern technology, some training is required, particularly to control lights and room temperature.
• Voice First is affordable. The Google Home Mini and Amazon Echo Dot are neck-in-neck for the race to the cheapest price point. The only word of caution is that both require Wi-Fi connectivity to work, which is not always a given in senior communities or private homes.
• Voice First offers useful content. Cooking timers, alarms, medication reminders and the like are utilitarian, but jokes, weather reports, streaming music, audio stories, and news can keep older adults connected to the outside world in ways that were previously impossible.
• Voice First learns as it goes. Update cycles bring new user experiences based on your preferences. Artificial intelligence knows who you are and what you like, and can remind you how functions work. Forgetful adults can ask, “Hey Google, how do I play music?” a hundred times without an iota of irritation from the voice assistant.
• Voice First returns a sense of power and control. Home automation with voice control produces an unexpected benefit. Taking control of room temperature, lighting and an outdoor camera all from the comfort and security of your favorite chair offers older adults a renewed feeling of being in charge of their surroundings.

1. Woohoo. Billed as “a tool through which families can care for both elderly parents and children via an interactive and intuitive interface,” Woohoo uses features such as gesture control, motion- and fall-detection, a smart camera with facial recognition, natural language processing voice commands, and audio/video conferencing to connect home and office. You can control every device through the artificial intelligence platform and a mobile app. Woohoo can monitor pets via the camera, tell you Mom’s blood pressure is fine, order up an Uber or make a hands-free call. Woohoo is the control center for your smart home, and more. Offered previously at an enticingly low $50, it requires a monthly fee like your phone. Discover more at SmartBeings.
2. IQbuds. Wireless earbuds create a custom listening profile by evaluating the user’s hearing. They use an app dubbed Ear ID to automatically calibrate the earbuds to the wearer, using a hearing test you’d normally only get from an audiologist. Of particular interest to older adults, noise control technology can selectively tune out the world around you, while speech amplification enhances your ability to hear conversations in crowded restaurants, at events or at parties. The earbuds retail for about $200. Find out more at Nuheara.
3. Lookout Smart Door Viewer. The tiny door viewer is designed to work with the company’s ezGuard security camera, or pair it with Amazon Alexa. What sets this system apart is how it uses facial recognition. Using the EZVIZ app, the homeowner can allow friends and family to access the home. The Lookout Smart Viewer sells for $299.99, the ezGuard for $109.99. Learn more at TechCrunch. https://techcrunch.com/2018/01/09/ezvizs-lookout-smart-door-viewer-turns-a-peephole-into-a-smart-video-doorbell/
4. Cutii. Simple robot Cutii provides a full catalog of activities and services that seniors can access with vocal and facial recognition. It can’t do chores like cooking or washing dishes, but it does schedule and coordinate enrichment and well-being activities like contacting family members, setting doctor appointments and registering for fitness classes. Control Cutii with a remote or leave it to navigate autonomously around the home. Cutii comes with a price tag of about $60 per month. Explore Cutii at Digital Trends.
5. Buddy. Charming robot Buddy can keep up a conversation with anyone in your family, monitor your home, play music and videos, and more. Buddy is a lot like an Amazon Echo with a face and wheels, although Alexa isn’t along for the ride. Buddy can “play” with kids or keep an eye on aging parents. Because he’s open source, he will continue to evolve and learn. Although not currently on the market, preorders are in process at Blue Frog Robotics.
6. Lenovo Smart Display. “The Lenovo Smart Device, intended to compete with the Echo Show, the interface design is different to that of a phone, however. Everything is larger, bolder, pared down without the ultra-detail that you’ll find from Google Assistant on a phone. This is to keep things simple, to typically keep your hands off the device – although the touchscreen is perfectly usable – and help focus, including playing music, making calls, recognizing different voices.” Due to launch in July 2018, the 10-inch model is expected to cost $249, the 8-inch model $199. Find out more at Pocket-Lint.
7. Invoxia Triby Speaker. Filling a hole in Amazon’s own product line, the battery-powered speaker features an embedded Alexa and can mount on your kitchen refrigerator. With voice control and a smart speaker, internet radio, hands-free speakerphone and a connected message board, Triby can really make your life easier. “Use the Alexa Voice Service to play music, provide information, get the news, set alarms, control smart home devices, and more just using your voice. Just say ‘Alexa’ and Triby responds instantly.” Originally $199.99, a new Triby is available for $79.99 on eBay. Learn more at CNET.
8. Corti. Running in the background during an emergency dispatch call, Corti analyzes the caller’s words and any background noises, such as the victim’s breathing pattern. It checks for symptoms of cardiac arrest, then prompts the dispatcher to ask appropriate questions, or walks the caller through CPR to stabilize the patient until paramedics arrive. The Danish product hopes to launch soon in the U.S. Find out more at MobiHealthNews.
9. MobileHelp and Samsung GearWatch. A maker of home and wearable medical alert devices is teaming up with electronics giant Samsung to deliver emergency response capabilities to Gear smartwatches. MobileHelp Smart integrates the alert platform into the watch while taking advantage of fitness-monitoring features, GPS and cell capabilities. Preorders are available here. Get details at Research Park.
10. ADT Health on Samsung GearWatch. Power trio ADT security, Reemo Health and Samsung have joined to create a personal emergency response system. You can maintain your coolness factor no matter your age by ditching the traditional pendant or wristband for a Gear watch. A quick tap connects you immediately to a specially-trained ADT agent. The watch can also track fitness trends, including number of steps and heartrate, to encourage activity and help you maintain an independent lifestyle. Prices vary. Learn more at ADT.