Expert in Aging Life and Geriatric Care Management
Concierge Physicians and geriatric care managers have much in common. They both serve the top 10%, both are a business, both mainly serve the elderly and wealthy and both take health care into the world of profit. Here is an NYT article today, Concierge Physicians and geriatric care managers have much in common. They make house calls have small practices and spend time with a patient like an old fashioned doctor. I will be doing a webinar on this in August.
One of those life-changing losses for aging vets was serving our country in the World War II. The long-term impacts that experience can have on those who served have been in a state of denial by the Greatest Generation, and the veterans themselves.
The fact is, besides The VA itself, paltry attempts have been made understanding the results of war of the 9 million WWII vets and their families have hidden psychic wounds like PTSD
When a social worker or care manager does an intake, family and client do not identify themselves as veterans there may be silence. They may not get to those deep wounds without strong support from the aging professional or GCM, in an effort to avoid confronting the pain and trauma and reliving the experience. ,WWII may be avoided at all costs sabotaging the VA’s help.
A deadly example is my own father did not seek services from VA for PTSD for 50 years until he found my brother dead.His long hidden throbbing wound came to the surface and with this and I was able to get him to the VA for help after 50 years. Help a veteran before something sears and ruptures their life like this.
If You are a geriatric social worker, GCM or Aging Professional – take these 5 steps to help an Older Veteran see if she/he qualifies for Veterans benefits.
1) Add questions to your psychosocial assessment that prompt military history and veteran’s benefits under financial section and asking Adding a question for partners/ wives to prompt connection to a military veteran through marriage
2) If yes.
3) Access benefits for Older Vets or call the VA at1-800-827-1000.
4) Locate the nearest VA center and arranging transportation there. VA centers are best equipped to assess the services for which an individual qualifies.
5) Locate a local veterans service office and take the veteran or wife there for more information.
Handbook of Geriatric Care Management 4th edition includes a new chapter that will help you help vets Maximizing the Health and Wells-Being of Older Veterans by Dr. Lenard Kaye, director of the Center for Aging at the University of Maine and Glenn Osbourne, director of the National Veterans Legal Aid Group . As an aging life or geriatric care manager, or senior advocate, learn how to to get elder veteran’s the benefits they so deserve.
Geriatric care managers and aging professionals who want to advance the quality of life for their clients can make a measurable, long-lasting impact on overall health and well-being if they zero in on what brings elders quality of life.
But not al elders need the same services. Finding activities that help elders grow and nurture their emotional, intellectual, physical, and/or spiritual quality of life can help to nurture an elder’s whole life and bring back joy.
What about boomers?
Elder is their 70’s can benefit from a personal assistance service added to your geriatric care management agency.Some boomers can be isolated and depressed from a lack of social interaction and an inability to find groups or services in their community that would increase the joy in their life. They do not need health care assistance but can find more joy from socialization and a GPS to where to find it.
What will happen when care manager and professionals in aging will have to zero in on quality of life activities for older people young in the 60’s – today’s baby boomers. Where is their joy? What will advance their quality of life? How will you find it?
Assistance with technology by 1-1 home visists and through agencies that offer those services can be located by personal assistance services Helping boomers locate senior travel services can be another beneifit to theior quality of life.Even helping them preapre for a trip.Finding classess seniors would like to take and groups of seniors who offer them to seniors is another way a personal assistant can help. Elders are often interested in geneology. Locating groups in the area that help with geneology in libraries is a great personal assitance service and helping them on the web or connecting them to an expert who can guide them to find the history of their family.
A New York Times story says aging specialists of the future will find joy for clients in Led Zeplin , Bob Dylan or Muddy Waters, Grace Slick singing White Rabbit . The Times quotes a retired UPS driver saying “What you’re supposed to do in your golden years is more of what you love,” he said. “What I’ve loved all my life is going to see live music.” He attends more than 100 shows a year, spending thousands of dollars traveling to concerts and multiday rock festivals like Bonnaroo, in Manchester, Tenn., which he plans to attend in June. He finds that he is far from the only “old guy” — his term — rocking out.
On Valentine’s Day it is not only grandchildren who should send valentines to Grandma but working mothers who should send heartfelt greetings to greeting. A recent study showed the majority of American households spend more than 10% of their household income on childcare — and a fifth of households more than a quarter of their income So if grandmothers offer childcare , they are the financial safety net for young grandchildren.
But grandmothers are not only that financial safety net but also an emotional safety net for siblings as kids. Younger siblings are happier and healthier when grandmother’s pitch in. Not only sibling get that boost from Grandma being there but Mom’s and Dads are less psychologically stressed if grandmother’s support their family taking over some of the multiple parental chores to raise young siblings.
And as Grandmother’s, AARP tells us what we know- it is sometimes the greatest joy of our lives and increases the quality of life of older people like nothing else can do
Even picking up after school, babysitting or helping in a garage sale make grandmothers a blessing. Making a missing baby book for the second third and fourth kid did who not get one, as parents were overwhelmed, is a huge support for parents and kids.
Grandmother’s help can be a key to making kids president. Both President Obama and President Clinton were raised in part by their grandmothers. Or take former Grandma in Chief, Michele Obama’s Mom, who watched over the Obama daughters as their parents raised healthy siblings while Mom and Dad and traveled the world.
So, working women with grandparent help send your Mom or Dad a card on Valentine’s Day and know we grandparents just adore those cards, handmade if possible, from those special Valentines who have our hearts- our grandchildren.
When they need your help as they age- remember what grandmother’s do for us. For now send a valentine.Perhaps later look for a great aging life or geriatric care manager
Here are some suggestions that you might consider as new New Years resolutions- even as we approach February. You may have already vowed this and not followed through because it is uncomfortable or scary or too much to take on— but this is one that will help avoid disaster.