Solo Agers Are Vulnerable to Social isolation

March 5, 2023

Solo agers are vulnerable to social isolation and mental health problems, particularly if they lack close family or friendship ties.

Also, known as Elder Orphans, Solo Agers represent about 22% of older adults in the United States. Solo agers are vulnerable to social isolation or are at risk of doing so in the future, according to a 2016 study. “This is an often overlooked, poorly understood group that needs more attention from the medical community,” said Maria Torroella Carney, the study’s lead author, and chief of geriatric and palliative medicine at Northwell Health in New York. Solo agers are vulnerable to social isolation, according to a recently released survey of 500 people who belong to the Elder Orphan Facebook Group, with 8,500 members. Seniors living alone, being unmarried, and not having family or friends nearby are more often lonely and more likely to be depressed and have a poor quality of life. In the study understanding older adults who are aging alone 45% reported being sad and 52% reported being lonely.

Because adults with children may effectively be solo if their adult children live far away or they have a child with a disability who can’t care for them, or they are estranged, more aging adults are looking elsewhere for support to increase their quality of life.

Solo agers are vulnerable to social isolation although loneliness is a serious concern as all ages are found out during COVID. During the epidemic loneliness, isolation, and depression were experienced by everyone including kids who could not go to school. Seniors experience this all the time. Social isolation is associated with a multitude of problems, such as high blood pressure, insomnia, depression, and cognitive decline. If you lose the ability to drive, develop mobility issues, or live far from friends and family, Solo Agers may have very limited social interaction while aging in place. this a poor quality of life

Geriatric Care Managers can bring socialization, increase quality of life and so much more to Solo Agers.

Increasing Quality of Life socialization and networks of friends can help solo agers who are lonely. They can also help Solo Agers who are planning their aging plan to increase socialization to avoid pitfalls that so many seniors face in retirement- loneliness, isolation, and depression. The great thing about Solo Agers is that they are planning their aging, are highly educated and have the income for care managers, and can afford private care aging without Medicare covering long-term care

Solo Agers: Your Next Generation Client in the Upper 10)%

Sign -up for Free Webinar

Description

Who are solo agers
Why you should know about them
What makes them unique as clients
What services you can offer them
How do you market to Solo Agers
How you can do life care planning for them with wealth managers and attorneys

Sign Up

Omicron Gone Nuclear-Are you Marketing Your Agencies COVID-19 Safety ?

January 3, 2022

How Do You Market the Safety Of Your Agency with Omicron Cases Exploding Nationally?

What is the best way to show the Covid -19 safety protocols of your GCM or homecare agency with new Omicron surge exploding COVID cases once again? You must overcome adult children’s hesitation to use homecare and GCM services. Why hesitation? Although about 62% of all Americans are now vaccinated -while— more than 87 percent of adults 65 and older — have been fully vaccinated, yet terrifying the public and adult children who care for aging loved one’s needing care at home —as COVID exploding again with the highly contagious omicron variant accounting for an estimated 58.6% of sequenced U.S. virus cases in the week ending Dec. 25, as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Nowcast model showed, was up from an estimated 22.5% a week earlier ., 22% self identify as anti-vaxers, So aging families remain very nervous about your agency coming into a senior home.

During this new COVID-19 Omicron surge what families look for in your agency is your Covid 19 safety of staff- the care providers, care managers, and office staff’s vaccination rate, your safety protocols, PPE equipment use, and evidence that you work with your local department of health, state and CDC to stay compliant.

DO YOU CREATE A COVID -19 SAFETY MARKETING PLAN?

Hygienic shield offering COVID-19 Saftey from omicron

A key element that goes into that marketing plan would be an e-newsletter, with a marketing campaign on your covid-19 safety sent out in formats like Constant Contact Survey Monkey other choices

This will boost the clients you can serve, as the Omicron surge has made adult children and elderly clients are nervous to have visitors come to their homes, exposing elders

States and individual health systems have historically addressed vaccination requirements for diseases such as influenza and hepatitis B. You must follow your state’s COVID regulations. Today, more than 2,500 hospitals, or 40 percent of all U.S. hospitals, have announced COVID vaccination requirements for their workforce. They span all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. Potential clients need to know your care staff and care managers you use are incentivized to get vaccinated.

newsletter to market COVID -19 safety

Other Ideas to Add to your e-newsletter about COVID

Warning about Omincron surge

Include Videos in your e-newsletter like this terrific e-newsletter that Lifespan, a care management agency in Santa Cruz, Ca. uses introducing their staff products and services during COVID.

Tell a story with the COVID safety you want to show future clients and their adult children
Use your i phone to record your video
marketing Covid -19 safety of your agency
If you are a care manager, include a list of great reasons that a client or customer should work with an ALCA or Geriatric Care Manager during the Coronavirus pandemic. ALCA members get this in a flyer “Why Work With An ALCA Member During A Crisis “.The Aging Life Care Association has huge resources for dealing with coronavirus impact on geriatric care management. This makes joining ALCA now a great idea in this lethal pandemic and its deadly effect.
- - 5 steps to create an e-newsletter with the right copy, to get out the word about you
  - Sign Up for my Latest Free Webinar
    
    11 Clinical Steps to Work with Dysfunctional Families-Post Holidays –
  - CressGCMWebinar -Thursday, January 6 2022 2:00-3:30 Pacific Time
  - Sign Up For Free
  - Give frantic adult children hope when they desperately call after the holiday
    
    and learn how to come to the rescue of concierge dysfunctional families who face a need for care during the omicron surge.
    
    Learn how to:
    
    Understand the Dysfunctional Aging Family System you must enter to get care for elders
  - Understand 11 Warning Signs You Are Working with Dysfunctional Family
    
    Master the 5 Clinical Tools – you need – to solve these problems with your clients
    
    Learn Six Steps Professional Must Take to Work with These Difficult Families
    
    Sign -Up Now
  - Even if you cannot attend, you will get a recording the next day by signing up

Great Tech Ideas For Long Distance Care Providers

July 22, 2021

Technology for the Long-Distance Family

Remote Technology to Help Long distance Care Providers

Remote technology like wearables, robotics, videoconferencing,are what an ALCA member or geriatric care manager need always and a way to navigate long distance clients to good choices for aging parents at a distance. Laurie Orlov’s blog, a fellow Geriatric Care Manager now very well known in the field of aging for her expertise in aging technology. This is what Orlov has to say about long-distance technology post pandemic. She can help with robotics , wearables such as smart watches and hearing aides . When these long distance care providers call you you might suggest one of the high-tech items expert Lori Orlov suggests a part of an older family member’s life. This is especially during the post pandemic when many restrictions are actually now coming back with the spread of the Delta variant among the unvaccinated.

These gero-technologies can help an older parent or relative shelter safely in place, avoid loneliness and isolation through connecting with others, age in place, and improve communicating with loved ones.

Videoconferencing

Videoconferencing is a great way to keep elderly parents connected and less lonely and isolated. It can also be a good tool for adult siblings who live apart to have chats or meetings about Mom or Dad. Free programs like Skype or another parent-friendly plus easy choice Facetime and the built-in webcams on many computers, make this easy on elders. Zoom has become the number one way that families communicate, during the pandemic. . For the holidays, birthdays or even a crisis, it is how we virtually gather now and has a free version.

Amazon Echo Show uses Alexa, by activating Amazon’s voice and can make calls to adult children or anyone, making it easy for seniors to talk to anyone including family. An older standard telephone conference service is still highly rated and still free, as well. Freeconferencecall.com

Med Dispensers

Here is a review of several med dispensers on the market

A device that is very appropriate for elders who have medication abuse problems is Hero Electronic Pill Dispenser

Alexa has a new pill reminder feature

A more modest choice is Electronic Pill Box with Flasing Reminders

Caregiver Video Cameras

Cameras like Google Nest can monitor an individual’s activities of daily living and provide caregivers with direct video feed on a smartphone, tablet app, or the Web to check on the status of a family member.

Monitoring sensors

Wireless systems. Cameras can be viewed remotely from a smartphone or computer. You may be able to get video motion alerts and the ability to pan and zoom

GCM Laurie Orlov at Aging Tech suggests many new 2020 sensor programs among them. Caregiver Smart Solutions

Canary Care. lets you place wireless sensors around the house to monitor the activity of an elderly parent who is declining, while the family is long distance. The information is sent to your Canary Care portal. The sensors are battery powered and the hub uses mobile data to send the information, so no need for a landline or broadband.

TruSense – can alert long distance or even local adult children if a probable fall occurs. An alert is triggered when TruSense detects that your loved one has not moved from high-risk fall areas (such as a stairwell or restroom) in an unusually long time. Other alerts include doors where the older person could wander.

Other Sensor Products

Sensor products can check a number of items within a house: motion patterns, stove on/off status, carbon dioxide or carbon monoxide levels, air quality, and presence of smoke or fire. They can also lock doors and control other items in the home remotely.

Daily activity monitoring. Activity sensors can be placed on the refrigerator, stove, door, and other objects around the home. Your relative may also wear a watch that monitors activity. You can allow caregivers and physicians to access the data. Set up notifications to be delivered by e-mail, text, or mobile app.: Live!y is a good choice

GCM Technology Guide

Technology moves in nano-seconds and changes almost as fast. Give clients and their families the updated information. For a totally overhauled technology chapter,” Technologies That Support Aging in Place “, by GCM Julie Menack and Berkeley’s head of the Center for Aging and Technology, David Lindeman Ph.D. Get the new Handbook of Geriatric Care Management 4th edition

Join me in my newest FREE Webinar August 25th

6 Smart TECH Solutions to Wire Your Care Management Business for Profit

WHEN Wednesday, August 25^th, 2021

WHAT TIME_2 PM-3:30 PM Pacific Standard Time

SIGN UP

Presented by Cathy Cress MSW – Handbook of Geriatric Care Management

We will Cover

Critical software programs that make care management information flow

with 1-1 interviews with CEO’s of 3 major care management software platforms Caretree ,IHealth Home My Junna,

What you need in a website

Why you need content marketing

With interview with Natasha Beauchamp who develops both websites and content marketing forALCA members

What are easy-to-use social media sites

Find out More

Sign -up

Cathy’s Social media links

What is President Biden’s New Infrastructre Caregiver Plan?

April 14, 2021

President Biden announced the American Jobs Plan, a $2 trillion investment in infrastructure, jobs, and home care. It includes a $400 billion investment to expand access to Medicaid home and community-based services (HCBS)

Why This Plan for Home-Based Care?

Only 15% of U.S. seniors 80 or older receive care at home. In Switzerland, Denmark, Mexico, and Sweden, that figure is above 30%, with numbers even higher in Israel and Lithuania.

Medicaid has slowly evolved over the years, placing a greater emphasis on home- and community-based services. But the ground gained has been relatively minor compared to investments in other settings like nursing homes.

In 1995, Medicaid spent about 18 cents out of every long-term care dollar on HCBS services. Today, that number has reached 57 cents per dollar.

The Scale of the Problem is Mamouth

The number of seniors is projected to grow by more than 40 million, approximately

doubling, by 2050, while the population older than 85 will nearly triple. Unlike most other industrialized nations, the United States does not provide a public long-term-care benefit for all older adults.

Only10-15% of Americans can Afford Private Duty Homecare

Because Medicare does not pay for home care, only the top 10-15 % can afford private duty home care, while in many other nations it is a right and free to all through the government. What Biden’s new plan does is take a giant step in making home care possible a greater number of Americans.

The plan calls for expanding access to and quality of HCBS to help more older adults and people with disabilities live in the community and extending the Money Follows the Person program to help individuals who are in nursing facilities and other institutions return to the community.

What The Pandemic Has taught us about Aging and Dying

at Home

What the continuing pandemic has painfully taught us is when we are ill- we want to be home in the arms of our family. When we are threatened with or facing death, we do not want want to be in a sterile hospital with only anonymous caring nurses and zoom to comfort us in our last minutes in this world. We want to be at home- in the arms of our family and loving caregivers.

Long before the COVID-19 emergency, health care policy experts have increasingly recognized the value of home-based health care. A recent AARP survey found that three in four adults 50 years and older would prefer to age in their homes and communities. And a growing body of evidence suggests it is less expensive to deliver care in the home.

Indeed, for years we’ve seen hospitalized patients more quickly returning to their homes and communities to heal and recover safely, reducing costs for themselves and the health care system.

The Plague of Isolation on top of the Plague of COVID -in Locked Down Nursing Homes

Home-based care addresses negative health effects of social isolation and loneliness, which drive poorer health outcomes that annually cost billions of excess health care dollars.

Isolation is also equal to 15 cigarettes each day. Elders in a nursing home during the pandemic were isolated from the families and their fellow residents so much so that despair may have led to the 174000 deaths as of March 2021.

So Biden has launched a bill the builds the infrastructure of home care for the lower 30% on Medicaid until in America’s future, Medicare and home care for all is reached.

What Do Long Distance Care Families Need for Parent’s Sheltering in Place 4 COVID ?

August 15, 2020

Long-Distance Care Providers need a safety net for themselves.

Adult Children who live at a distance from older family members need someone to cover the tasks to help their loved ones when needed. During COVID -19 when all elders should shelter in place because they are the most vulnerable to the novel, deadly virus long-distance care providers really need help.

COVID -19 means it is best for people over 65 to have little contact with others. But not all the supplies can be ordered online. In fact with the Post office delivery slowing down, everyone who lives long distance, may wait a long time for delivery of needed items for COVID safety, especially if they live in a rural area,. These family caregivers may need someone to actually shop and pick meds at the last minute when needed food or meds do not arrive by mail. Having another person to accompany the elder on walks with a mask and safe distancing or a drive breaks up the tedium that can arise from the loneliness and isolation of sheltering in place.

Safety Net for Double Disasters

If there is an emergency on top of the pandemic- Long-distance care providers need someone to respond as they live far away. During this summer with double disasters like wildfires now in Colorado, hurricanes blowing up the east coast they need an emergency plan on top of the COVID threat. A surrogate must be ready to help the older loved one right away and get them out of harm’s way fast and check if it is even safe to go to a shelter. What they need is an emergency safety net.

Call a Care Manager

If family at a distance does not have a friend or neighbor who can do this, they should consider the perfect emergency and daily safety net in a geriatric care manager. The Aging Life Care Association has an online search tool to find a professional by ZIP code. It also includes a list of questions to ask when you look to hire someone.

GCM can Provide & Supervise Caregivers’s For Covid Related Tasks

If the family caregivers chooses, the care manager will arrange for well screened aide, practicing covid saftey, to do all the shopping, take the elder out in the neighborhood for a walk or a car ride, prepare

meals, engage in social connections, and do all the cleaning and disinfecting need daily with the coronavirus threat . The GCM will visit aging parents on a regular basis to check on the health status of the elder in general and in relationship to Covid-19 exposure plus confer with their care providers along with texts calling and email them for supervision. Most of all they will regularly confer with with the family caregiver to get keep them up to date.

Find Help Now

The Long Distance care provider can have care providers from the care management agency care do all of these tasks, depending upon other back-up and care level of your older loved one. A care manager themselves, will directly monitor your loved one’s health, respond in emergencies like hospital admission, accompany them to a doctor and manage the care management care providers when you are not there and directly report to you. To find care managers go to the Aging Life Care Association

Sign Up for my Latest Free Webinar

11 Clinical Steps to Work with Dysfunctional Families-Post Holidays –

Sign Up For Free

Sign -Up Now

Even if you cannot attend, you will get a recording the next day by signing up

Contact

Connect with Cathy

Get Cathy’s “10 Critical Success Steps to a Profitable Aging Life or GCM Business”