Monthly Archives: November 2016

Managing expectations can help make the holidays less stressful

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Managing expectations can help make the holidays less stressful

The holidays are a time when family and friends often come together. But the holiday season can be challenging for families living with Alzheimer’s and other dementias. With some planning and adjusted expectations, your celebrations can still be happy, memorable occasions.

The holidays are a time when family and friends often come together. But for families living with Alzheimer’s and other dementias, the holidays can be challenging. Take a deep breath. With some planning and adjusted expectations, your celebrations can still be happy, memorable occasions.

Familiarize others with the situation

The holidays are full of emotions, so it can help to let guests know what to expect before they arrive. 

If the person is in the early stages of Alzheimer’s, relatives and friends might not notice any changes. But the person with dementia may have trouble following conversation or tend to repeat him- or herself.  Family can help with communication by being patient, not interrupting or correcting, and giving the person time to finish his or her thoughts.

If the person is in the middle or late stages of Alzheimer’s, there may be significant changes in cognitive abilities since the last time an out-of-town friend or relative has visited.  These changes can be hard to accept. Make sure visitors understand that changes in behavior and memory are caused by the disease and not the person.   

You may find this easier to share changes in a letter or email that can be sent to multiple recipients. Here are some examples:

>> “I’m writing to let you know how things are going at our house. While we’re looking forward to your visit, we thought it might be helpful if you understood our current situation before you arrive.
>> “You may notice that ___ has changed since you last saw him/her. Among the changes you may notice are ___.
>> “Because ___ sometimes has problems remembering and thinking clearly, his/her behavior is a little unpredictable.
>> “Please understand that ___ may not remember who you are and may confuse you with someone else. Please don’t feel offended by this. He/she appreciates your being with us and so do I.”

For more ideas on how to let others know about changes in your loved one, join ALZConnected, our online support community where caregivers like you share tips on what has worked for them.

Adjust expectations

From our Blog

The Gift of Perspective
The stress of caregiving layered with holiday traditions can take a toll … read more.

  • Call a meeting to discuss upcoming plans.
    The stress of caregiving responsibilities layered with holiday traditions can take a toll. Invite family and friends to a face-to-face meeting, or if geography is an obstacle, set up a telephone conference call. Make sure everyone understands your caregiving situation and has realistic expectations about what you can do. Be honest about any limitations or needs, such as keeping a daily routine.
  • Be good to yourself.
    Give yourself permission to do only what you can reasonably manage. If you’ve always invited 15 to 20 people to your home, consider paring it down to a few guests for a simple meal. Let others contribute. Have a potluck dinner or ask them to host at their home. You also may want to consider breaking large gatherings up into smaller visits of two or three people at a time to keep the person with Alzheimer’s and yourself from getting overtired.
  • Do a variation on a theme.
    If evening confusion and agitation are a problem, consider changing a holiday dinner into a holiday lunch or brunch. If you do keep the celebration at night, keep the room well-lit and try to avoid any known triggers.

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Involve the person with dementia
  • Build on past traditions and memories.
    Focus on activities that are meaningful to the person with dementia. Your family member may find comfort in singing old holiday songs or looking through old photo albums.
  • Involve the person in holiday preparation.
    As the person’s abilities allow, invite him or her to help you prepare food, wrap packages, help decorate or set the table. This could be as simple as having the person measure an ingredient or hand decorations to you as you put them up. (Be careful with decoration choices. Blinking lights may confuse or scare a person with dementia, and decorations that look like food could be mistaken as edible.) 
  • Maintain a normal routine.
    Sticking to the person’s normal routine will help keep the holidays from becoming disruptive or confusing. Plan time for breaks and rest.

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Adapt gift giving

Reduce post-holiday stress.

Arrange for respite care so you can enjoy a movie or lunch with a friend.

  • Encourage safe and useful gifts for the person with dementia.
    Diminishing capacity may make some gifts unusable or even dangerous to a person with dementia. If someone asks for gift ideas, suggest items the person with dementia needs or can easily enjoy. Ideas include: an identification bracelet (available through MedicAlert® + Alzheimer’s Association Safe Return®), comfortable clothing, audiotapes of favorite music, videos and photo albums.
  • Put respite care on your wish list.
    If friends or family ask what you want for a gift, suggest a gift certificate or something that will help you take care of yourself as you care for your loved one. This could be a cleaning or household chore service, an offer to provide respite care, or something that provides you with a bit of rest and relaxation.
When the person lives in a care facility

A holiday is still a holiday whether it is celebrated at home or at a care facility. Here are some ways to celebrate together:

  • Consider joining your loved one in any facility-planned holiday activities
  • Bring a favorite holiday food to share
  • Sing holiday songs and ask if other residents can join in
  • Read a favorite holiday story or poem out loud

 

The Grandparent Economy

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The Grandparent Economy

Presenter: Lori Bitter
Thursday, November 17
11:00 AM (PST); 2:00 PM (EST)

The Grandparent Economy: How Boomers are re-shaping this life-stage and why multi-generational lifestyles are here to stay.

Export to Your Calendar
11/17/2016

When:
11/17/2016
2 PM Eastern, 1 PM Central, 12 PM Mountain, 11 AM Pacific

Where:
United States

Presenter:
Lori Bitter

Contact:
Travis M. Reynolds
travisr@csa.us
303-951-6594

Online registration is available until: 11/16/2016

« Go to Upcoming Event List

Webinar Overview:

Presentation:

Since the economic downturn the role of grandparents has become more vital. This generation of grandparents is working, active and caring for people on both ends of the age continuum. Learn why this role is so different from previous generations and what is driving those differences. See how Boomers’ generational perspectives are influencing young families, how they are using their demographic clout and who has a share of their wallet. If you work with multiple generations of older adults this session will help you understand the differences and similarities, and why multi-generational programs and lifestyles are more important than ever. 

Presenter:

Lori K. Bitter:

Lori provides strategic consulting, research and development for companies seeking to engage with mature consumers at The Business of Aging. Her new book, The Grandparent Economy was released in September 2015. She serves as publisher of GRAND – the digital magazine for grandparents, and as Co-Producer of The What’s Next Boomer Business Summit and The Silicon Valley Boomer Venture Summit.

Lori is the former president of Continuum Crew and Crew Media, owner of Eons.com. She was president of J. Walter Thompson’s Boomer division, JWT BOOM, the nation’s leading mature market advertising and marketing company and led that firm’s annual Boomer marketing event for five years. Prior to that she led client service for Age Wave Impact. Lori has more than 30 years of advertising, public relations and strategic planning experience.

She is the contributor to five books on aging consumers, and is a leader in research on topics relevant to the senior and boomer population. Lori was recently featured on American Marketing Association’s blog, AARP Magazine, in the Los Angeles Times, on CNBC, Forbes magazine and named to Entrepreneur Magazine’s 100 to Watch List. She holds a MS in Advertising, and is a former Associate Professor of Advertising and Public Relations. She serves on the Leadership Council of the College of Media for the University of Illinois.

A sought?after speaker, Lori has presented research, trends and analysis about mature consumers and the longevity marketplace to more than 200 conferences and events in the United States, the United Kingdom and Europe. This includes: Booz Allen (UK), Consumer Electronics Show – Silvers Summit, The Macquarie Speaker Series (OATS NY), Educational Travel Conference (ETC), American Advertising Federation (AAF), Healthcare Unbound, National Retail Federation, Outdoor Industry Association (OIA), National Association of Recording Merchandisers (NARM), Marketing to Women Conference (M2W), White House Council on Aging Meetings, National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), Gerontological Society of America (GSA), American Society on Aging (ASA), What’s Next Boomer Summit, Silicon Valley Boomer Venture Summit, Beyond the Numbers Summit, LiveWire – The Conference, Oticon, Assisted Living Federation of America (ALFA), AARP, International Mature Market Network (IMMN), AgeTek, California Assisted Living Association (CALA), Leading Age, Pacific Coast Builders Conference (PCBC), North State Builders Industry Association (BIA), United Methodist Church Foundation and more.

She has served as a judge and panelist for numerous award and business competitions, including the American Advertising Federation (AAF) and the North American Effie awards.

WEBSITE: www.thebusinessofaging.com
TWITTER: @loribitter; @businessofaging
FACEBOOK: facebook.com/TheBusinessofAging

Look Who Is Turning 65

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Look Who Is Turning 65

View the celebrities turning 65 in November.

Look Who’s Turning 65

Nov. 7—Lawrence O’Donnell

The host of The Last Word with Lawrence O’Donnell, an MSNBC opinion and news program, O’Donnell graduated from Harvard College, where he wrote for the Harvard Lampoon. From 1977 to 1988, O’Donnell worked as a writer, including as the author of Deadly Force, about a case of wrongful death and police brutality in which O’Donnell’s father was the plaintiff’s lawyer. From 1989 to 1995, he was a key legislative aide to Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan; his work included being staff director of the United States Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works and staff director of the United States Senate Committee on Finance. From 1999 to 2006, he produced and wrote the NBC series The West Wing (and played the role of the president’s father in flashbacks). O’Donnell won the 2001 Emmy award for Outstanding Drama Series for The West Wing, and was nominated for the 2006 Emmy for the same category.

In 2002, O’Donnell was supervising producer and writer for the television drama First Monday, and in 2003, he was creator, executive producer and writer for the television drama Mister Sterling. He is also an occasional actor, appearing as a recurring supporting character on the HBO series Big Love, portraying an attorney. Before getting his own show on MSNBC in 2010, he frequently filled in as host of Countdown with Keith Olbermann on MSNBC. O’Donnell has also appeared as a political analyst on The McLaughlin Group and The Al Franken Show.

Nov. 9—Louis “Lou” Ferrigno

The retired professional bodybuilder is best known for his title role in the CBS television series The Incredible Hulk, for which he vocally reprised the role in subsequent animated and computer-generated incarnations. As a young boy in Brooklyn, Ferrigno suffered a series of ear infections and lost most of his hearing, which caused him to be bullied by peers during his childhood. “I think my hearing loss helped create a determination within me to be all that I can be, and gave me a certain strength of character too,” he later said. Ferrigno started weight training at age 13, and after graduating from high school in 1969, won his first major titles—IFBB Mr. America and IFBB Mr. Universe, four years later. His attempts to beat Arnold Schwarzenegger in the Mr. Olympia competition were the subject of the 1975 documentary Pumping Iron, which made Ferrigno famous.

In 1977, Ferrigno was cast as the Hulk in The Incredible Hulk, with Bill Bixby as Hulk’s “normal” alter ego, and continued playing the role until 1981. Later, he and Bixby co-starred in three The Incredible Hulk TV movies. Ferrigno played himself during intermittent guest appearances on the CBS sitcom, The King of Queens, from 2000 to 2007. He made cameo appearances as a security guard in both the 2003 film Hulk and the 2008 film The Incredible Hulk, in which he also voiced the Hulk. Ferrigno appeared as himself in the 2009 feature film comedy I Love You, Man. He trained Michael Jackson on and off since the early 1990s, and in 2009, helped him get into shape for a planned series of concerts in London. Ferrigno has served as a volunteer officer in Los Angeles County; Maricopa County, Ariz.; San Luis Obispo County, Calif.; and Delaware County, Ohio. He has his own line of fitness equipment called Ferrigno Fitness.

Nov. 15—Beverly Heather D’Angelo

The actress and singer has appeared in over 60 films, although she is best known for her starring role in the National Lampoon’s Vacation films (1983–2015). D’Angelo began acting in the theatre in 1976 and made her television debut in the first three episodes of the TV mini-series Captains and the Kings in 1976. After getting a minor role in Annie Hall in 1977, she appeared in a string of hit movies, including Every Which Way But Loose, Hair and Coal Miner’s Daughter, the latter earning her a Golden Globe nomination for Best Supporting Actress for her performance as Patsy Cline and a Country Music Association award for Album of the Year. Her biggest break came in 1983 starring with Chevy Chase in National Lampoon’s Vacation in the role of Ellen Griswold. She reprised this role in four Vacation sequels and a short film between 1985 and 2015. In the 1980s, she starred in many other major comedy films, and as of the mid-90s acted primarily in independent movies.

In 1994, D’Angelo returned to the stage and won a Theatre World Award for her performance in the Off-Broadway play Simpatico. She received an Emmy Award nomination for her performance in the 1984 TV movie version of A Streetcar Named Desire. She later had main roles in numerous made-for-television dramatic films, including Slow Burn, Judgment Day: The John List Story and Sweet Temptation. In the 2000s, D’Angelo had a recurring role on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit as defense attorney Rebecca Balthus. From 2005–2011, she appeared in the HBO series Entourage playing the role of agent Barbara “Babs” Miller. In 2006, she starred in the independent film Gamers: The Movie.

Nov. 25—Russell “Bucky” Dent

The Major League Baseball player and manager earned two World Series rings as the starting shortstop for the New York Yankees in 1977 and 1978, and was voted the World Series MVP in 1978. Dent is most famous for his home run in a tie-breaker game against the Boston Red Sox at the end of the 1978 season. The 3-run home run gave the Yankees a 3-2 lead in the 1978 AL East division playoff game against the Boston Red Sox. This was all the more remarkable because Dent was not known as a power hitter. Indeed, the home run was one of only 40 he hit in his entire 12-year career. Further, Dent occupied the ninth spot in the batting order, not generally considered a power slot. The Yankees went on to win the game 5-4, securing the division title in the process. Dent continued his unusually high production by batting .417 in the 1978 World Series, earning Series Most Valuable Player honors, as the Yankees defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers.

A 3-time All-Star, Dent remained the Yankees’ shortstop until 1982, when he was traded to the Texas Rangers, but finished his career that season with the Kansas City Royals. After retiring as a player, Dent managed in the Yankees’ minor-league system, notably with the Columbus Clippers. He served the Yankees as manager of the big-league club for portions of two seasons, compiling an 18–22 record in 1989 and an 18–31 record in 1990. In 1989, Dent opened a Delray Beach, Fla. baseball school, which featured a miniature version of Fenway Park. Although Dent had his greatest moment as a player at Fenway Park, his worst moment also came at Fenway Park when he was fired as manager of the Yankees. From 1991 to 1994, Dent served on the coaching staff of the St. Louis Cardinals under manager Joe Torre, moving to the coaching staff of the Texas Rangers from 1995 to 2001.

85-Year-Old Runner Still Breaking Records

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85-Year-Old Runner Still Breaking Records

Ed Whitlock follows his own regimen, including daily runs through the local cemetery.

Ed Whitlock follows his own regimen, including daily runs through the local cemetery.

Few 85-year-olds can run marathons, but Ed Whitlock not only completes them but sets records. The Canadian recently broke the record for the Toronto Marathon men’s 85-89 age group by more than 30 minutes, running the race in 3 hours and 56 minutes and shattering the previous mark set in 2004. Over the last couple of decades, the retired engineer from Milton, Ontario has achieved a reputation as one of the great masters runners. His accomplishments include running a full marathon at age 73 in 2 hours and 54 minutes and running a marathon at age 80 in 3 hours and 15 minutes.

Whitlock’s running regimen is a far cry from his younger cohorts. He doesn’t listen to music, do ice baths or massages, or use heart rate monitors. When his knees start hurting, he stops running for a while. His running shoes are 15 years old, and his daily 3-hour runs are through the nearby cemetery, mostly because it’s cool in summer.

“I don’t follow what typical coaches say about serious runners,” he told Runner’s World in 2010. “I have not strong objections to any of that, but I’m not sufficiently organized or ambitious to do all the things you’re supposed to do if you’re serious. The more time you spend fiddle-diddling with this and that, the less time there is to run or waste time in other ways.”

He doesn’t seem to particularly enjoy running. It’s the competition that gets him going, although even breaking the record in a Waterloo, Ontario, marathon in April was somewhat disappointing.

“I should have been able to run a bit faster than that,” Whitlock told the Wall Street Journal. “I wasn’t entirely satisfied.”

Find the Best Deals on Cruises

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Find the Best Deals on Cruises

Before you board, research and planning can help save money on your next vacation. Once onboard, watch out for costly extras.

Before you board, research and planning can help save money on your next vacation. Once onboard, watch out for costly extras.

While cruises might already seem like a bargain, you can save even more money by checking websites that show the best deals or consulting a travel agent. And once onboard, beware of high costs for items like soda and alcohol. Here are tips from cruise experts.

Timing Is Everything

For a long time, the consensus was to either book early or late to get the best deals. Twelve to 18 months before the cruise, companies will lure you with better deals, including more perks. However, if you wait until one to three months before the cruise, the belief was that, if the ship isn’t full, the cruise line would slash prices. However, Cruise Criticsays that cruise lines are becoming more aggressive with early offers and are not offering as many slashed prices closer to departure. To get the best deals, this site recommends making a reservation no later than six to eight months before the cruise. If you are set on a certain cruise at a certain time and want the best cabin, it’s always best to reserve early.

At certain times of the year, ships are “repositioned.“ For example, liners may leave Alaska in the early fall for spots on the Caribbean in winter. Repositioning requires an unconventional route not normally in the cruise line’s itinerary, plus often a longer time at sea. Thus cruise companies lower prices to attract travelers and offer different amenities, such as history talks. You might visit places otherwise not on your radar, like stopping in a Russian port on a cruise ship’s repositioning from the U.S. West Coast to Japan.

Experts concur that sailing anytime kids are in school brings better deals, because families make up a large part of cruise lines’ business. One travel agent says you can pay double during peak times, such as spring and summer breaks, and recommends traveling in slower seasons, such as between Thanksgiving and mid-December and right after New Year’s Day or Labor Day. Often, the best prices can be found in the off season or shoulder season, the weeks before or after peak times—May or September in Alaska, for example, when the weather might not be ideal.

One travel expert recommends booking during wave season, between January and March, when cruise lines promote their offers for the coming year. She says travelers can save up to 75 percent plus get extras, like onboard credits. Another tip is to travel on the cruise lines’ smaller ships, which can be cheaper because they don’t offer as many amenities.

Do the Research

Whatever you do, don’t accept the cruise line’s listed price before looking around for better deals. Most travel experts recommend you use a travel agent, because they have relationships with the cruise companies and can often get better rates and last-minute deals, some of them unadvertised.

Agents can steer you toward the best cruises and deals that meet your interests and budget. They can help you wade through the different price structures for various cruise lines. Travel agents can organize group travel, which saves money and can bring extra amenities, such as exclusive shore tours or shuttle service. Using a travel agent can not only save you money but also the time it would take to pore over all the cruise line’s offers and websites reviews.

Check with Websites

There are many websites, including traditional travel sites, such as Expedia and Travelocity, that can help you find the best deals. These might not necessarily be the cheapest, because getting free amenities can add up in savings, so be sure to check what’s included.

The previously mentioned independent website, Cruise Critic, is a subsidiary of TripAdvisor and the world’s largest cruise review site and online community, with 100,000 reviews. You’ll find information here on just about every aspect of cruising. Other popular websites focus on the best deals:

  • Cruisesheet tracks 12,000 cruises to find the best deals and displays cheap last-minute offers.
  • Cruisecompete compares offers from multiple travel agencies.
  • Vacations to Go works with travel agents and often has better deals because it can negotiate directly with cruise lines, but there are added fees.
  • Cruise Deals offers personalized service as well as an online search for specials and deals. You can subscribe to its weekly deals newsletter.

How to Save Onboard

Although cruise ships bill trips as all-inclusive, that is becoming less so every year, with many cruise lines following airline pricing models that charge extra for certain amenities. They might lure you with cheap fares, but then nickel and dime you once you’re onboard. To save money, figure out what you don’t really need and what you can arrange on your own.

Seniors Can Cruise for Deals

Because retired seniors have the luxury of traveling in the off-season as well as taking the longer repositioning cruises, they are well situated to save money and get deals. In addition, cruise lines offer special discounts for those older than 55. If only one person in a cabin has reached that age, the discount applies to everyone. Check with individual cruise lines about their discounts.

For a quieter cruise, seek out mid-size ships. Because they don’t have as many “fun” attractions, such as water parks and rock climbing walls, as the largest ships, they aren’t as attractive to families. Cruises that have more “party” destinations, like the Caribbean and Mexico, also tend to attract young families and couples.

In addition, certain cruises target older adults. River cruises—in Europe, Russia, Asia and elsewhere—focus on fine dining and cultural tours. American Cruise Linescaters to older adults with its history-focused itineraries along inland waterways and rivers, the eastern seaboard and Alaska. Cunard, with its British tradition, and Azamara Club Cruisers, which caters to older adults, offer refined and luxurious environments.

Sources
“5 Top Cruising Tips for Seniors,” U.S. News: Travel
“See the best cruises for seniors,” July 1, 2014, USA Today

Drinks. Alcoholic beverages and soda are not included in the cruise fares on most lines. Some lines permit you to bring one bottle of wine or a case of beer onboard, but many are increasingly forbidding this practice. If you enjoy alcoholic drinks or soda, be prepared to pay top prices. To save money on a glass of beer or wine, look for daily drink specials. For both soda and alcohol, some ships are offering packages that allow you unlimited drinks, but make sure you would drink that much before paying often hefty prices (almost $50 a day on Carnival). Iced tea, water and juices are free.

Shore excursions. Guided tours arranged by the cruise line are often more expensive than what you would pay if you booked your own by visiting your destinations’ websites and finding a local tour guide. Towns often provide self-guided walking tours at no charge, and travel agents can suggest reputable tour guide operators.

Laundry. Onboard, you pay per article of clothing washed—between $2 and $3—which can add up. Instead, wash your own clothes (don’t forget to bring a small bottle of detergent), bring enough clothes to last for the whole trip or see if the ship has its own self-serve launderette.

Eating. While the bulk of a ship’s restaurants are part of the all-inclusive fee, many cruise lines are now offering specialty restaurants that charge. Because the ship’s “free” restaurants offer a range of dining options, in most cases, there is no need to pay extra for the fancy places. If you prefer specialty restaurants, you might be able to buy a dining package before you depart.

Photos. Although it might be tempting to buy the group photo of you and your family that the ship’s photographer takes, it’s also expensive. Instead, use your own camera. Also, make sure you have enough batteries and memory cards with you, because buying them onboard will be more expensive than at home.

Internet. Onboard internet prices are high—from 50 cents to $1 a minute—and connections are slow. Some ships offer a package deal, but if you don’t need to be online, it’s cheaper to wait until you arrive in port and find a place that offers Wi-Fi. Similarly, phone calls are also expensive.